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Dialectic in developmental psychology: its importance and significance in research

The present article analyses the signficance and relevance of dialectic in Piaget's and Vigotsky's psychological studies. On one hand, it highlights the common dialectical methodology present in units of analysis in research. On the other hand, it focuses on the peculiar features dialectic acquires within both authors' explanation of psychological development. Lastly, a characterization of dialectic features based on previous analysis is introduced. The present article argues against the unique dialectic and its a priori features in Developmental Psychology and Human Sciences areas. It also justifies its diversity in relation to the subject matters under investigation as well as the existence of certain limits in the use of that category in empirical research. The use of dialectics requires the adoption of diverse forms regarding different issues and theoretical focuses.

Dialectic; Unit of Analysis; Contradiction; Dialectic Inference; Equilibration


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