The development of epistemological understanding

We propose the coordination of the subjective and objective dimensions of k nowing as the essence of what develops in the attainment of mature epistemo logical understanding. Initially, the objective dimension dominates, to the exclusion of subjectivity; subsequently, the subjective dimension assumes an ascendant position and the objective is abandoned, and, finally, the two are coordinated. This progression, we further postulate, tends to occur in a systematic order across different judgment domains (personal taste, aest hetic, value, and truth), with the orders the reverse of one another in the two major transitions that constitute this progression. These predictions are supported among a sample of seven groups of children, adolescents, and adults varying in age, education, acid life experience. Subjectivity is mos t readily acknowledged in personal taste and aesthetic judgments and least readily in truth judgments. Once subjectivity is accepted and becomes domin ant, objectivity is reintegrated in the reverse order, i.e., most readily w ith respect to truth judgments. Not predicted, however, was the finding tha t for a number of individuals, both transitions proved most difficult in th e values domain. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.