Novelty and ambiguity of testing: remembering Paul Virilio

Abstract

. In this paper I will comment on a few theses of a psychologist Alexander Poddiakov regarding the psychology of acting in new and ambiguous circumstances, as well as that of developing cognitive research abilities. While comparing intelligence, creativity and research abilities testing, Poddiakov reflects upon methodological side effects, namely, doubtful correlation between them, immanent bias on the side of tests’ creators, oxymoronic way to present those tests as a ‘standard list of creative answers’. Notable and worth our reflection is the uncertainty of Poddiakov’s point of view which we intend to scrutinize: while acknowledging the value of intelligence and creativity testing as such, the author occasionally stumbles upon ‘hidden pitfalls’ of this praxis, wherein, undoubtedly, the very ambivalence of the era, which all of us are part of, is revealed — that which has been raised to the level of a civilizational imperative of techno-prosthesization of subjectivity and culture. Mainly I will be alluding to Poddiakov’s article ‘Mind Testing Practices: from regulation to freedom’ [Poddiakov, 2016] and our private correspondence. The aim of a proposed extensive comment is broadening the epistemological space of the discourse presented by Poddiakov, towards questions of philosophical-psychoanalytic kind while focusing on those which consider subjectivity in a broader perspective than that which regards testing practice specifically. I hope that meditations presented below will serve as an inspiring example of a productive trans-disciplinarity within the framework of which it is possible to make a ‘second order’ argument reflecting not only upon the very ‘phenomena’ through the lens of conventional methodologies but also the methodologies themselves. Throughout the article I will address Paul Virilio’s book ‘The Vision Machine’ [Virilio, 2004] wherein the author elaborates on problematics of re-structuring the subject in the context of technologization of visual contact with the world.