Intersubjectivity: A Shared Field of Experience
Intersubjectivity, the experience of relating to another person's perspective on life, is a central topic in many fields of human knowledge. It is a topic of interest to philosophers, psychologists, social scientists, anthropologists, and even neuroscientists.
The Meaning of Intersubjectivity
The term "intersubjectivity" has several different meanings in the social sciences, but generally refers to shared divergences of subjective definitions of the world and its events. For example, a person who tells a lie is engaged in an act of intersubjectivity because they are working with two different definitions of the situation.
Intersubjectivity in Phenomenology
In phenomenology, intersubjectivity is often used to describe how people experience each other and the world in general through their own senses, and how those experiences are similar or distinct. It also serves as the basis for a sense of empathy, which allows for the understanding and experience of others.
Intersubjectivity in Psychoanalysis and Developmental Psychology
Psychoanalysis has long been interested in the concept of intersubjectivity, but it is relatively new to the field of developmental psychology. Dyadic developmental psychotherapy, an approach to working with children and their families, seeks to improve intersubjectivity by promoting playfulness, empathy, acceptance, curiosity, and nonverbal attunement in the interactions between therapist and patient.
The use of these PACEs within DDP work, as well as in other psychotherapeutic settings, reflects the importance of creating an intersubjective context that is supported by the brain's plasticity and the development of emotional and cognitive awareness of self and others. The therapeutic goal is to establish an intersubjective relationship between therapist and client through these PACEs so that the client can gain new insights into his or her own emotional functioning.
Intersubjectivity and a Theory of Meaningmaking
In contemporary psychology, the concept of intersubjectivity is important. It is a topic of discussion in theory of mind and consciousness studies. Various theories of intersubjectivity have been developed over the years, including theory theory, simulation theory, and interaction theory.
These theories have been developed to explain how humans make sense of their worlds, but they are not sufficient to fully understand the experiences that humans have in their lives. This is because humans have a dualistic perception of the world: on one hand, they believe that the world is objective and separate from themselves; on the other hand, they believe that the world is subjective and that they are part of it.
Ultimately, both concepts are needed to properly explain how humans make sense of their worlds. The problem of objectivity and subjectivity is the source of conflict for most social researchers because neither concept can be used to fully explain the world that humans experience in their daily lives.
Exploring Intersubjectivity: A Conceptual Construct for Meaningmaking
This paper explores intersubjectivity through a conceptual construct for meaning-making that emphasizes three major interrelated elements: meaning making in interaction, making meaning with the body as well as the mind, and meaning making within an open dynamic system. It presents this framework and illustrates how it can be applied to an analysis of the treatment of a young child on the autistic spectrum.
