PERRY’S SCHEME OF INTELLECTUAL AND ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT

The History of Perry’s Scheme In 1953 Perry was a staff member of the Bureau

of Study Counsel at Harvard University: “In our daily counseling with students whose presenting

concerns centered on their academic work, we have been impressed by the variety of the ways the students responded to the relativism which permeates the intellectual and social atmosphere of pluralistic university” (Perry, 1970, p. 4).

The increase in college diversity reflected pluralism’s increased permeation into society, particularly in college students: “The increased mobility of the population at large, together

with the new mass media, make the impact of pluralism part of experience in the society as a whole” (6).

The History cont.

College students’ development include their response to these societal shifts (pluralism), and the student can either react positively or negatively to the societal expectation: “Whether he responds productively rather than destructively

may be up to him in the end, but society may nourish the prospect of a productive outcome through an understanding of the learning and the courage the development entails” (Perry, 1970, p. 6)

Considering these realities, Perry sought to learn about the experiences of these students and their development: “It was in light of these considerations regarding present-day

liberal education and personal development that we set out to learn about the experience of students other than those who came to us for counsel” (6).

The Methodology of Perry’s Research

Narrowed down an initial outreach to 313 Freshman from the 1954-1955 academic year. Wanted to investigate development of young adults in college akin to Piaget’s childhood stages.

Perry Administered his A Checklist of Educational Views (CLEV) in the Fall and Spring semesters: Identified 31 students to participate in interviews about

their college experience. Identified students who represented extreme dualistic

thinkers, extreme contingent thinkers, some in between the two, and others who had drastic changes to their scores between semesters.

The Methodology cont.

Perry was able to conduct 98 recorded interviews with 17 existing as complete four year-records. Interviews asked students to comment on their experiences

each year (what they felt was significant not prompted). Interviews revealed a common sequence of challenges.

Perry conducts a second study in which he: Obtains larger sample of students (resulting in 366

interviews and 67 complete four-year reports). Asks questions more directed at identifying a

developmental scheme. Allows the scheme to be tested for validity.

Perry’s Findings

There are some consistencies across the interviews: The content varied but the “underlying

structures of meaning making…and the sequence of development were equivalent” (Perry’s Intellectual Scheme, 1996, p. 6).

Differences between answers were not simply personality differences but rather difference in developmental position (6).

Perry’s Findings cont.

Students perceive experiences: According to what they can readily make

meaning of According to what they already know/accept as

truth

Students process experiences by either: Conforming an experience to fit their

expectations Modifying their expectations to accommodate

the experience. (Perry, 1970, p. 43-44)

Perry’s Scheme Explained

http://youtu.be/sk0-ZXCmlB4

Perry’s “Model”

Dualism Answers can only be right and wrong and are usually

obtained by authority figures that are readily accepted as true.

Multiplicity Acknowledgement of other perspectives and an increased

reliance on one’s own experience – “all opinions are seen as having comparable claims to correctness” (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 35)

Relativism Understand that knowledge occurs in context, and

“students recognize that not all positions are equally valid” (35).

Commitments in Relativism Challenge and test knowledge (accepted truth) actively

resulting in their own determinations that exist in a pluralistic world – “The individual makes commitment to ideas, values, behaviors, and other people” (35).

Dualism

Position 1: Basic Duality Students conceptions of knowledge,

truth, and morality result between “in-group vs. out-group” (Perry, 1970, p.59).

Student appears naïve/innocent and will exercise simple obedience.

Position 2: Multiplicity Pre-Legitimate Rebels against multiplicity “in defense of

growth rather than defense against it” (75).

Students are aware of different perspectives but they are also aware that they have not grown enough to be receptive to this diversity – they rebel but at the seem time feel “frozen” (75).

Is that your final answer?

Freshmen college students “are functioning intellectually in the transition from Perry stages 2 and 3” (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 163).

Multiplicity

Position 3: Multiplicity Subordinate Students recognize that Authority is no longer

perceived as absolute. “uncertainty and complexity are no longer

considered mere exercises or impediments devised by Authority but seen as realities in their own right” (Perry, 1970, p. 89).

Position 4: Multiplicity Correlate Students begin to understand the ambiguity

in Authority knowledge and begin to form ideas of their own without fear of being regarded as “wrong.”

Student “demands that Authority justify itself by reasons, and most fatally, by evidence. Unwittingly he may then be caught in the necessity to do the same” (99).

Do you see the Rabbit or the Duck? Both maybe?

Senior college students “are functioning intellectually between stages 3 and 4” (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 163).

Relativism

Position 5: Relativism Correlate, Competing, or Diffuse Students begin to see “all knowledge as

contextual and relativistic” (Perry, 1970, p. 109). Students utilize analytical thinking skills and

critique not only the ideas of others but there own. They begin to see themselves as less an absorber of knowledge, but as an analyzer.

Position 6: Commitment Foreseen Student begins to consider acting as “agent and

chooser to aspects of his life in which he invests his energies, his care and his identity” (135).

Students may have difficulty with this stage as “the discovery of relativism in ideas and values can engender resistance to choosing among presumably equal alternatives. Development may be delayed at this stage” (Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005, p. 35).

What do you see on each side of the structure? Different abstractions on the same cityscape?

Commitments to Relativism

Position 7: Initial Commitment Students commit to deciding who they

are and who they will be.

Position 8: Orientation in Implications of Commitment Students determine how they will fulfill

their determinations in Position 7.

Position 9: Developing Commitments

Student has “developed an experience of ‘who he is’ in his Commitments both in their content and in his style of living them” (Perry, 1970, p154).

Pulled self apart, analyzed, and reconstituted.

Barriers to transition

While developing, students may encounter barriers that hinder progress into the next position: Temporizing

Movement is postponed – static, “frozen” state. Escape

Abandonment of responsibility due to feeling alienated. Tends to manifest after reaching Position 4.

Retreat Temporary regression back dualism

Applications of Perry’s Scheme Perry’s Scheme is inclusive and can be

applied to inform a range of student affair practices; from direct instruction assessment to policy/initiative formation.

Perry’s Scheme is inclusive by nature and can be applied to multiple students regardless of whether or not they are in different stages of development.

Those who study Perry’s Scheme of Intellectual and Ethical Development can self assess their own development and identify ways to challenge themselves into further stages of development.(Perry, 1970, p.

14)

Limitations of Perry’s Scheme

The overwhelming majority of the students interviewed were males (only two were female).

While certainly applicable, to a degree, with modern day colleges and universities, the research was conducted in the post WWII era (several generations of college students prior).

The Scheme Intertwines intellectual and moral constructs and assumes that the intellectual precedes the moral.

Perry’s Scheme in Practice

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Professor Ann Gribbin utilized Perry’s Scheme to assess the developmental level of her Foundational Design Course students.

“William Perry’s scheme is useful to help explain the cognitive development process of many college students. His recommendations to support students at their current level of development and challenge them to higher positions can be applied to the pedagogy used in beginning design courses. Instructors can structure courses to support students in dualist positions at the beginning of the semester and progressively add challenges that will move students to learn to evaluate their solutions in contextual relativism and to acknowledge personal agency for their solutions” (Gribbin, 2003, 7).

Gribbin’s Four Strategies

Strategy 1: “plan the semester as a progression through the positions of Perry’s scheme” (Gribbin, 2003, p.5). Early lessons focus on instructions that

have students arriving at the same answer Move students gradually into assignments

that are less defined and compel them to investigate and experiment.

Final semester assignments would then require students to interpret and plan.

Gribbin’s Strategies cont.

Strategy 2: “be conscious of students’ level of development when presenting information and explaining principles” (6). Ask students question that are appropriate

for their development level – a dualist may be fine with “right” or “wrong,” but a multiplicity student in that same class will find this frustrating.

Try asking questions that will push the dualist student toward thinking in the multiplicity stage without leaving them in the dark; have them reflect.

Gribbin’s Strategies cont.

Strategy 3: “gear assessment of students’ work to their level of development” (6). Make assignments very objective early on

in the semester to help students build confidence in knowing that they “doing it right” and how to “fix” what they are “doing wrong.”

With the clear firm foundation, the assignments can have less specific criteria because students will have tools to evaluate themselves.

Gribbin’s Strategies cont.

Strategy 4: “individualize work” (6). Utilize different strategies for different

students. Have tactics not only for engaging the dualist students but also challenge the multiplicity and relativism students as well (help them reach their personal best).

Conclusion

Perry’s Scheme of Intellectual and Ethical Development remains an effective tool for not only for comprehending young adult development during the college years, but for instigating better student affairs practices including faculty pedagogy:

“Student affairs staff use student development theory in their everyday decision-making process. Questioning what students will gain from a particular program or asking if a certain service meets the students' needs should be a common occurrence for staff in areas like residence life, student activities, and the like” (Weaver, 1995, p. 92).

References

Gribbin, Ann. (2003). “Design and Critical Thinking: Applying Perry’s Theory of Intellectual Development to Foundational Design Instruction.”Unstaked territory : frontiers of beginning design : proceedings of the 19th National Coference on the Beginning Design Student, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, April 3-5, 2003. Stillwater, OK: Oklahoma State University, College of Engineering Architecture and Technology.

Pascarella, E; Terenzini, P. (2005). How college affects students : a third decade of research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Perry, William G. (1970). Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College years. New York: Holt, Rhinehart and Winston.

Perry's Intellectual Scheme. (1999). New Directions for Student Services, (88), 5.

Weaver, Laurie A. (1995). “Faculty Use of Perry’s Intellectual Development Model.” retrieved from: http://digitool.library.colostate.edu///exlibris/dtl/d3_1/apache_media/L2V4bGlicmlzL2R0bC9kM18xL2FwYWNoZV9tZWRpYS8zMTE2MA==.pdf