Jerome Bruner receives honorary doctorate at international psychology congress in Argentina

Jerome BrunerUniversity Professor Jerome Bruner was honored on October 21 at the opening ceremony of the First International Congress of Psychology, where he received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Rosario.

The opening ceremony, held at the university, included a lecture by Bruner, who addressed the question of what psychology should be about. In his talk, Bruner argued that psychologists should work with anthropologists, consider historical factors, and work with legal minds to answer questions such as what constitutes criminal behavior. He has long stressed the importance of bringing the field of psychology into closer working contact with other human sciences.

An audience of 1,500 heard Bruner's lecture. The enthusiastic reception to the talk prompted the congress's organizers to schedule a Q&A session with Bruner on the third day of the proceedings, giving attendees an opportunity to question Bruner further about his scholarship.

Bruner's seminal work The Process of Education, published by Harvard University Press in 1960, has sold an estimated 700,000 copies worldwide. The doctorate from the National University of Rosario is Bruner's 24th honorary degree.

Posted on November 4, 2010