Activity theory
Activity theory (AT; ) is an umbrella term for a line of eclectic social sciences theories and research with its roots in the Soviet psychological activity theory pioneered by Lev Vygotsky , Alexei Leont'ev and Sergei Rubinstein. These scholars sought to understand human activities as systemic and socially situated phenomena and to go beyond paradigms of reflexology (the teaching of Vladimir Bekhterev and his followers) and classical conditioning (the teaching of Ivan Pavlov and his school), psychoanalysis and behaviorism. It became one of the major psychological approaches in the former USSR, being widely used in both theoretical and applied psychology, and in education, professional training, ergonomics, social psychology and work psychology.
Action regulation theory
Action regulation theory (or Activity regulation theory) was jointly developed by Winfried Hacker. in the 1980s. The Theory serves as a basis for modelling working conditions. As a process model it has its roots in the Soviet psychological activity theory on the one side and on the other side it is based on the T.O.T.E. Model (Test-Operation-Test-Exit) from Miller, Galanter and Pribram.
The pursued approach of the Action-Regulation-Theory is the integration of cognitive, behaviourism and social science orientated conceptions. This integration then is used to make explanatory and modelling statements about work conditions. Hacker talks in this context about the holistic work activity, which is an essential criteria for personality development. Through the above described should the partialization of work activity and the Taylorism be overcome. As a cybernetic approach the ground idea of an action/ activity is the regulation.
Between the visible work activity and the non visible cognitive processes is a gap, which the Action-Regulation-Theory promise to close. Through a hierarchical-sequential structured model, action steps are supposed to be accurately captured and analysed.