constructivism

n. 1. A point of view that holds that perception is an active construction of perceptual wholes from fragmentary data points rather than passive compilations of sensory data. 2. A cognitive point of view that mental processes are themselves constructed by the mind in interaction with the environment and are then applied to understanding new information and recalling the past. 3. A sociological point of view that holds that all of experience and understanding is a shared, social construction.