Whatever Became of Constructivism? Part 1: Psychological Theory

This paper examines the contributions and achievements of constructivist approaches, tracing their development from their originators to prominent contemporary voices. Rooted in early philosophical and scientific contributions, constructivism emphasizes that knowledge is actively constructed rather than passively received. Its impact on mainstream psychology reflects a substantial influence on core assumptions across numerous subfields, mainly due to recent developments in neuroscience, including predictive coding and Bayesian models, which portray the brain as an active meaning-making system. Core constructivist themes—such as agency, meaning-making, identity, hierarchical organization, and self-regulation—are now widely present across psychological domains. However, recognition of constructivism’s role in this evolution varies significantly by domain. Despite this integration, constructivism has not always been explicitly acknowledged. The article also identifies underexplored contributions, including the role of internal conflict and methodologies for studying subjectivity.