Examines eclecticism in counseling from a developmental perspective. Suggests that an individual's view of eclecticism may be influenced by his/her level of intellectual development. Discusses two types of eclecticism: one recognizes alternatives and the other seeks to limit them. Includes comments and further suggestions by other authors and a…

Article discusses problems associated with promoting intellectual growth in adulthood. Defines characteristics of intelligent behavior as incorporating individual attainment of Resources, Intimacy, Competence, and Health (RICH). Presents the RICH theory as a way to define and address the goals of intelligent enhancement. (JDM)

Defines life-span developmental psychology as the study of constancy and change in behavior throughout the life course. Advances metatheoretical view regarding development. Stresses focus on the dynamic and continuous interplay between growth (gain) and decline (loss). Examines structural contextual factors and study of range of plasticity in…

Describes the work of Maria Montessori, starting with her career in medicine which gave her the unique perspective to probing the frontiers of the inner intellectual life of children. Explains how she felt every student possessed untapped potentials. Discusses how her concept of the potential of the absorbent mind of children is being…

Effects on learning of most principal independent variables can be generalized within, but not between, five different categories: intellectual skills, verbal information, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes. Psychological research has been and continues to be well-served by this categorization. (GC)

Studies reporting predictions from assessments of infant recognition memory to later developmental performance and IQ are critiqued. Inelegancies in design, procedure, and analyses are noted. While this approach may have potential, its utility for practical or clinical purposes is still not demonstrated. (Author/RD)

This article reviews Piagetian theory on formal operational thought, the relationship of psychometric intelligence and formal operational thought, the development of formal operational thought in gifted children, problems encountered with Piagetian theory and attempts to modify it, and implications of the post-Piagetian perspective for education…

The development of formal operations in normal adolescents is briefly examined, and a discussion of the development of exceptional adolescents focuses on the following exceptionalities: retardation, blindness, deafness, and giftedness. Some directions for future research are considered. (DLS)

Discusses the differences between Piagetian and post-Piagetian conceptions of intellectual development and the implications of these differences for science education in early childhood. (GLR)

In all of his published work, Jean Piaget never abandoned his original theoretical framework for the understanding of human development. This framework insists that intelligence is essentially a biological phenomenon; its development is best understood as the development of a sophisticated and highly successful adaptation device. This device…

The recent phenomenon of the "returning adult" to colleges has raised concern regarding two implications: age decline in intellectual ability and loss due to lack of practice. Literature indicates slight impairment of the problem-solving function until the years of advanced age. The degree of impairment is related to factors of educational…