Metacommunication, Microgenesis, and Idiographic Sciences: The Study of Meaning-Construction Processes

The study of meaning construction is directly linked to the analysis of communication and metacommunication processes occurring among interpersonal interactions and intrapersonal dialogues. Taking into account the complexity of such processes in real time communication among people, as well as in self-dialogues, a microgenetic methodological approach is necessary to make sense of the subtleties of such co-constructive processes. By emphasizing the role of metacommunication, we argue that all sorts of social interactions, composed by verbal and nonverbal socially interpreted language or actions subject to social interpretation, are necessarily semiotically co-constructed by participants, and the full significance of such processes demand an idiographic approach. Therefore, in this chapter I argue for the unit of affect-cognition as semiotic processes are co-constructed along communication and metacommunication among people. And I also stress that microgenetic methodologies within the contexts of idiographic studies should be considered as a very productive way to unveil the creation and development of the semiotic networks found within cultural contexts.