Levels of mental representation and communicative modes of the bipersonal field.

Abstract

The bipersonal field is an extraordinarily subtle and complex pattern of interaction which has roots in the first weeks of life. The communicative modes described by Langs (1978a,b) are implicitly tied to cognitive functioning, although the relationship between the interpersonal/interactional aspects of the bipersonal field and cognitive development have yet to be explored. A theory of cognitive development is advanced in which close connections are made between early object relationships and various levels of cognitive functioning. The building up of increasingly more sophisticated mental representations is traced, and the slow emergence of mature techniques of thinking is described. Both are intimately tied to the unfolding of object relationships. It is concluded that the communicative modes (Types A,B,C) involve important differences in the nature of the mental representations and the techniques of thinking associated with each.