This paper identifies the need for a deliberate approach to theory building in the context of researching cognitive and learning style differences in human performance. A case for paradigm shift and a focus upon research epistemology is presented, building upon a recent critique of style research. A proposal for creating paradigm shift is made,…

Cognitive development is a cultural process. More experienced cultural members and the practices, institutions, and artifacts of the culture provide support and guidance for children as they develop knowledge and thinking skills. In this article, the authors describe the value that is added to our understanding of cognitive development when…

Career interests and self-efficacy (using J. L. Holland's realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional types for both) and the big five personality dimensions (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) were used to predict college students' career exploration behaviors approximately 18…

The present study examines private speech and strategy-use patterns for solving simple number fact problems in addition. The progressive differentiation by grade between children's levels of private speech internalization--including silence--was investigated and related to children's developmental patterns for subcategories of strategy-use…

In response to Leonard (EC 600 867), this article stresses the importance of understanding the cause of specific language impairment and proposes a test which would compare the language abilities of siblings of language-impaired children to the expected values. A model containing two sources of causation is proposed. (Author/DB)

Aimed (1) to determine whether a time sampling, frequency-count procedure for assessing mother-infant interaction could capture a set of theoretically important dimensions, and (2) to chronicle both ability and change within the mother-infant relationship. A total of 74 dyads were observed when infants were 1, 3, and 9 months of age. (Author/RH)

Study of children aged 21 to 31 months tentatively concludes: (1)behavioral tendency to be inhibited or uninhibited with unfamiliar people or during unfamiliar events is moderately stable across time and context; and (2)moderately negative relationship exists between behavioral inhibition and heart rate variability, and positive relationship…

Conventional research strategies typically emphasize behavior-determining tendencies so strongly that the person as a whole is ignored. Research strategies for studying whole persons focus on symbolic structures, formulate specific questions in advance, study persons one at a time, use individualized measures, and regard participants as expert…

Summarizes data on developmental patterns in constructive play--play in which children use play materials to make something. Reviews knowledge about developmental correlates and effects of constructive play behavior and examines methodological and theoretical issues. (NH)

Discusses methodological problems in the use of ecological analysis and pancultural analysis in cross-cultural analysis. Uses a case study to compare the use of cross-cultural analysis and a new procedure based on a within-culture standardization procedure. (FMW)

Describes a study conducted with 14 preschoolers to determine (1) whether all children are competent programers functioning adequately in a LOGO environment and (2) if individual differences in learning do exist, whether they can be attributed to children's mathematical aptitude, creativity, cognitive style, and computer or computer-related…

The first of two studies with two adolescent students with serious emotional disturbances examined the interaction between unequal rates of reinforcement and equal versus unequal delays to reinforcer access on performance of math problems. The second study examined the interactive effects of reinforcer rate, quality, and delay. (Author/DB)

This study investigated whether second, third, and fourth graders could recognize microcomputer-generated color graphics displayed on monochromatic monitors. It was found that subjects were unable to discern critical features of a color graphic displayed on a monochromatic screen unless it was designed to enhance figure/ground separation.…

Ethnographic techniques were applied to a post hoc examination of children's incidental behaviors during a metalinguistic intervention procedure--behaviors ignored in the original experimental design. The reflective and qualitative nature of ethnography was used to account for the 12 phonologically impaired 4-year-olds' varied perceptions of…

Analyzes instructional theory requirements and suggests that structural learning theories meet these requirements. Essentials of such theories are illustrated in the context of designing an instructional unit on subtraction. Structural learning theories are then described more generally and contrasted with cognitive theories. Implications for…