This document summarizes William Perry's theory of intellectual and ethical development. The theory proposes that students progress through 9 positions or stages of cognitive development, from dualistic thinking to relativism and commitment. Perry developed the theory based on interviews with Harvard undergraduates in the 1960s. The theory describes four main positions from dualism to commitment and explains how students' viewpoints change as they progress through college. It has been widely applied to inform instructional strategies and student development programs.

1. William G. Perry, Jr. Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development By: Suzy Herman & Amy Veenstra

2. Historical Context Professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Published his theory in 1968 Reluctant theorist

3. Comparison to Other Theories Used Piaget and Kohlberg developmental ideas Sanford and Heath’s influence in higher education Little had been done in intellectual development before Perry Trying to make meaning of the teaching/learning process

4. Theory It is a cognitive theory, which means that it explains the development of simple to complex thinking Uses 9 Positions, not Stages No assumption of duration Central tendencies Point of view consistency Static vs. Transitions

5. Four Main Positions Dualism- Viewing the world dichotomously Black and white thinking Multiplicity- Honoring diverse views when the right answers are not yet known Relativism- Recognizing that evidence is needed to support opinions Commitment to Relativism- Making choices in a contextual world

6. Small Group Discussion Discuss a viewpoint that has changed for you since you began college? How did you go through the four categories? What experiences accelerated your development?

7. Deflections for Cognitive Growth Temporizing- a “time out” period when the movement is postponed Escape- avoiding responsibility Retreat- temporary return to dualism when stressed

8. Research Used open ended interviews with mostly Harvard undergraduates to create the scheme Then a manual was developed with a rating system Perry’s research was used to create numerous assessment scales by other researchers

9. Application Informal assessment Developmental Instruction Model- operationalizes Perry’s model Structure Framework and direction that students get Diversity Alternatives and perspectives exposed Experiential Learning Learning activities Personalism Risk-taking within a safe environment

10. Application Classroom Plus-One Staging: stretching the student to think beyond current position Student Affairs Practitioners design development opportunities

11. Criticism Inclusiveness: study conducted with mostly white males at prestigious institution Comparing students of the 1950s and 1960s to students of today The inclusion of two constructs, both intellectual and ethical Labels students and can be viewed as judgmental

12. Questions and Comments