• Simone Indius Knudsen
4. term, Psychology, Master (Master Programme)
This master’s thesis is a basic research project that is concerned with the task of furthering the theoretical development and general knowledge of the concept meta-intentionality, which refers to the notion of “wanting the other to want what I want”. The first part of the project consists of an introduction that outlines, not only the aims of this current thesis, but also the general importance of basic research in science, as well as the importance of developing meta-intentionality as a concept. These perspectives are supported by a literature review of the concepts and ideas that are relevant to the meta-intentionality, which then leads to the presentation of the research question which the thesis is centered around: “Is it possible for a third person to block meta-intentionality between two other individuals, and if so, how can this be done?”. A current theoretical model of meta-intentionality is then presented, thereby making it clear what is known about the concept so far, and what still needs to be investigated, hereunder the present research question. To answer the research question, an empirical study of the blocking conditions of meta-intentionality has been conducted. The study design is based on an epistemological viewpoint that stresses the importance of generalization through abduction, an epistemology of open systems and the need for constructable methods in psychology. The study is based on thematical vignettes that are followed up by the Double Direction Theme Completion (DDTC) method, which is an extended version of traditional sentence completion. The study’s respondents were a group of 20 high school students ages 18-20, who read the vignettes and filled out the DTTC questionnaire in SurveyXact. The analysis of the data that were gathered consisted of a constructed version of reflexive thematic analysis. Through the analysis, four main themes were identified and selected: 1. You can’t/shouldn’t try to control others; 2. You should be honest and/or open a dialogue; 3. You should be supportive or respectful of others; and 4. You should manipulate them or talk to them alone. The respondents’ replies to the vignettes pointed to the answer that it is generally not possible for a third person to block meta-intentionality between two other individuals. The study’s results were discussed through the lens of positioning theory, which gave insights into the study’s implications for the further development of meta-intentionality, especially the role that normative positioning plays in the emergence and functioning of semiotic blockers in relation to meta-intentionality. Finally, the future of meta-intentionality as a concept was discussed, pointing to further areas that lack investigation in the quest of developing a theoretical framework for the phenomenon.
LanguageEnglish
Publication dateJun 2023
Number of pages67
ID: 532442077