Contextualism and its implications for psychological inquiry

Abstract

A variety of alternative orientations to psychological inquiry have arisen in response to attacks on mechanistic and reductionistic assumptions about human activity. Despite their differences, these alternative viewpoints seem to be converging on a set of common themes that can be subsumed within a world view known as contextualism. This paper examines the basic assumptions and principles of a contextualist perspective, highlighting its emphasis on the unity, plurality, spontaneity and ecological dependency of human activity. We advance an essentially pluralistic and relativistic thesis in exploring the theoretical and methodological implications of a contextualist socio‐psychological science.