Intellectica 2009/1, n° 51

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Blandine Bril et Rémi Goasdoué

The Neccessity of a Contextualized and Functional Approach to Understand Goal Directed Action

 Abstract: While E.J. Marey gave rise to such rich and diverse methodological ideas, it could have been the innovative starting point of a stream of  scientific investigations, combining the necessity of experimental control  and the relevance of real life situation favoured by human sciences. The study of movement stays split into works in social sciences that give priority to the meaning of the movements, i.e. it’s social function, and research in movement sciences often based on movement without any functional relevance. In this paper we discuss four examples, voluntarily eclectic (walking, stone knapping, playing the piano and playing the violin). Through these four cases we show that a functional approach to action, taking into account the context and the goal, make it possible to understand behaviour. Two types of interaction are discussed: the interaction between the organism and the environment, and tool-organism interaction. This framework draw a path to a pluridisciplinary approach to goal directed action. We argue that this is one of the best ways to reconcile opposite views based either on movement without purpose, or on the purpose without taking the movement itself into consideration.

 Key words: Goal directed action, motor learning and development, motor control, field experimentation, Marey, Demenÿ.