ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the contribution of the sociohistorical school of psychology to the construction of a scientific methodology of mind. What are the philosophical premises and guiding constructs of this school, and how does it frame research questions about the origin and development of mind? After a brief theoretical exposition, I describe and analyze a series of studies designed to test a particular hypothesis about cognitive change derived from this theory. In this account, I “descend” to a level of description involving particulars of research design and interpretation not often included in a treatment of epistemological issues. I have two justifications for this approach. First, a scientific epistemology, as distinct from one based on metaphysical speculation, is grounded on knowledge gained through the empirical procedures of the various disciplines investigating mind. We need to concern ourselves, then, with the logic, possibilities, and limitations of the research methods now on hand in these disciplines and the questions they most suitably address. A second reason is pragmatic. Exemplifying a theoretical approach enhances its graspability. Because the social-historical school of psychology is only now becoming widely known, I want to bring both example and principle to bear in considering its contribution to the epistemic enterprise.
