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This entire issue is devoted to a lengthy paper which originally appeared as the final chapter in Spitz's 1965 book, The First Year of Life. The author pays tribute to Piaget's exposition of human cognitive development as the only attempt at explaining the structure and function of the psychological apparatus which is comparable in scope to freudian analytic psychology. He feels analysts have too long neglected Piaget and endeavors to draw some useful comparisons and contrasts between the two explanatory systems.
The first part of the paper briefly describes a number of Piagetian concepts such as rhythm, regulation, grouping, ontogenetic stages, accommodation, assimilation, and schema. Parallels with analytic theory are suggested in some cases. The second portion of the paper is devoted primarily to a comparison between the formation of 'permanent objects' in genetic psychology, and that of 'libidinal' objects, based largely on Spitz's work. The author points out that Piaget's attention is not directed to conflict, but rather to cognition, and that regression from attained levels is difficult to account for in his terms, so that his system does not lend itself to the problems of explaining psychopathologic development.
Substantial critiques by E. James Anthony, Peter Wolff, and Jakob Rutschmann are included and the first two in particular raise a number of questions about Cobliner's assumptions and interpretations. On the whole, the presentation of Piaget's theories in capsule form is too condensed and perhaps too arbitrary for the purpose of thorough comparative study. Nor can it be said that this paper convincingly demonstrates the usefulness to analysts of such comparisons.