William Perry’s Scheme
of Ethical and
Intellectual
Development
MPCL
Framework to understand students’ mental
models of the world at different stages in their
college careers.
Perry’s work explored how college students
conceptualize and interact with truth, and
knowledge and authorities.
William
Perry’s
His findings are largely based on a study
conducted in the 50’s and 60’s with
undergraduate men from Harvard University,
and a few women from Radcliffe.
used a relatively small sample,
replicated and expanded upon in later studies
(See: Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule,
1986; Magolda, 1992; King & Kitchener, 1994
Later studies
How college students respond to their college education (Eble, 1988).
D u p l i c a t e d Pe r r y ’ s re s u l t s a n d s h o w n t h a t h i s s c h e m e h a s f a i r l y g e n e r a l v a l i d i t y e x c e p t
t h a t e x t e n s i v e m o d i fi c a t i o n s n e e d t o b e m a d e f o r t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f w o m e n ( B e l e n ky
e t a l . , 1 9 8 6 ) . S e e Ku r fi s s ( 1 9 8 8 ) o r M o o r e ( 1 9 8 9 )
C u l v e r a n d H a c ko s ( 1 9 8 2 ) p re s e n t e d a n o v e r v i e w o f Pe r r y ’ s s c h e m e a n d d i s c u s s e d
implications for engineering education.
H a c ko s ( 1 9 8 5 ) d i s c u s s e d u s i n g w r i t i n g t o i m p r o v e p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g s k i l l s a n d t o
enhance intellectual development.
T h e n e x t y e a r C u l v e r ( 1 9 8 6 ) c o n t i n u e d h i s s e r i e s b y d i s c u s s i n g h o w Pe r r y ’ s m o d e l w a s
u s e f u l i n e x p l a i n i n g t h e e ff e c t s o f m o t i v a t i o n e xe r c i s e s .
Piaget & Perry
Perry’s theo ry is no t co ncerned with prob lem solving and the
applications o f lo gic as are the concrete and formal operational stages
o f Piaget’s theo ry.
Perry’s mod el is co ncerned fi rst with how students move from a
dualistic (right versus wro ng) view o f the universe to a more relativistic
view, and second, ho w students develop commitments within this
relativistic wo rld.
There is a stro ng learning connotatio n in Perry’s model since stud ents
cannot understand or answer q uestions which are in a develop mental
sense too far abo ve them
1. Tackling ill- structured problems
Complicated world requires complex
frameworks or ways to conceptualize
Why study the world (Perry, William G., Jr., 2005).
Perrys 2. “Acts as a source of common
language that can assist faculty
Theory (student aff airs professionals) and
students in hearing each other’s
voices” (Evans, Forney, Guido -DiBrito,
1998).
Learning is an ego -threatening task, as is
teaching (Knefelkamp, 1982, as cited in
Evans, Forney and Guido -DiBrito, 1988).
Movement from one position to another
requires psychic energy(Perry, 1999).
Combination of challenge and support is
necessary for growth
Assumptions
Idea of “cognitive dissonance” can be
jarring
“In order to foster growth we must ‘hear’
how our students inevitably make their own
meaning out of what we say to them; and
we must be ready to support them in this
ego - threatening process of development”
(American Philosophical Association, 1984)
Nine Positions
Ba sic Dua lity
Dua lism (Multiplicity Pre-Legitimate)
Ea rly M ultiplicity (Multiplicity Subordinate)
La te M ultiplicity (a. Multiplicity Coordinate b. Relativism Subordina te)
Contextua l Relativism • Comm itment Foreseen 7)
Initia l Com mitments 8)
O rienta tion in Im plica tions of Comm itm ent 9)
Developing Comm itm ents (Perry, 1981 as cited in Ra paport, 1982))
Four Frames
Dualism- (Positions 1 and 2)
Multiplicity- (Positions 3 and 4)
Relativism- (Positions 5 and 6)
Commitment in Relativism- (Positions 7-9)
Stage 1: Dualism
Division of meaning into two realms: Good vs. Bad, Right vs.
Wrong, We vs. They.
Right Answers exist somewhere for every problem, and
authorities know them.
Right Answers are to be memorized by hard work.
Knowledge is quantitative.
Agency is experienced as "out there" in Authority, test scores,
the Right job.
Stage 2: Multiplicity
Diversity of opinion and values is recognized as legitimate in
areas where right answers are not yet known.
Opinions remain atomistic without pattern or system.
No judgment can be made among them so "everyone has a
right to his own opinion; none can be called wrong."
Stage 3: Relativism
Diversity of opinion, values, and judgment derived from
coherent sources, evidence, logics, systems, and patterns
allowing for analysis and comparison.
Some opinions may be found worthless, while there will remain
matters about which reasonable people will reasonably
disagree.
Knowledge is qualitative, dependent on contexts
Stage 4: Commitment
An affi rmation, choice, decision (career, values, politics,
personal relationship) made in the awareness of Relativism.
Agency is experienced as within the individual.
