Relationship between affect and intellect in the digital world: an instrumental approach

Author: Martsinkovskaya T., Psychological Institute REA (Russia)

Keywords

digital society, methodology, tool-sign, mixed space, interiorization

Abstract

Relevance The digital society has become a new challenge for the psychological theory and methodology. The specificity of the action of information as a special type of tool, related to different sociocultural contexts, was studied by A.R. Luria in Uzbekistan, as well as in comparative study of the primates and children held together with L.S. Vygotsky. Now we need a theoretical concept that could reveal new possibilities of cultural-historical psychology. Purpose of the study The development of global information networks leads to an increase in the volume of generalized information. This puts at the center of research already at preschool age the issues of information culture. The methodology of an instrumental approach is based on a transformed scheme a tool (sign) and on the idea of interiorization of the instrument-sign, which can be both - the information and the way of operationalizing new technologies. Research methods and sample Cognitive (L.Venger, pictogram), Social, Emotion (СAT), interview. Preschoolers 5-7 (each N=100) Main results The results of a three-year monitoring of the level of social, cognitive and emotional development of children aged 5-7 years showed the positive and negative consequences of socialization in the digital space. Learning in a mixed space, on the one hand, increases the overall intellectual level and, in part, creativity. On the other hand, lowers the level of verbal thinking. Emotional instability is associated with immersion in virtual games and cognitive barriers. An important aspect here is the attitude of adults to new technologies. Conclusion Empirical materials have shown that the inclusion of the Internet or virtual space in various activities changes the picture of behavior, while the more children get used to the distribution of time in different spaces, the more pronounced the tendency to use new spaces as tools.

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