The use of "development" is ubiquitous in everyday language, and theories regarding it can be found in the social sciences and humanities. Although much work has been done to examine the meaning of development and its history, little attention has been paid to Hegel's role as the philosophical anchor for the modern life of "development". By…

Discusses various views of domain-specificity. Argues that it is time to move beyond an acknowledgment that constraints on the way knowledge is represented influence the way in which new learning proceeds. Directions for future research are pointed out. (RH)

When Piaget ascribed the origin of knowledge to action, he distanced his theory from most other theories of the origins of mind. As a result, Piaget's conception of mental action has been quite controversial. Piaget's recent, functionalist revisions emphasize procedures and their role in the development of structures. In the new view, structures…

Reviews Thelen and Smith's book and its account of "how knowing develops from doing." Concentrates on the nature of dynamic systems. (DR)

Argues that the limited resources with which organisms start their development make possible certain kinds of learning which otherwise would be highly problematical. Discusses limitations of the cognitive structure of the organism, learning, and its problems in connectionism. Maintains that the knowledge gained from efforts to overcome problems…

Comments on Raftopoulos article (PS 528 649) on facilitative effect of cognitive limitation in development and connectionist models. Argues that the use of neural networks within an "Artificial Life" perspective can more effectively contribute to the study of the role of cognitive limitations in development and their genetic basis than…

A proper understanding of the role of culture in development can make a significant contribution to the development of theory and offer a more certain guide to practice than current theories afford. Three frameworks for interpreting the influence of nature and nurture on individual development assign biological and environmental factors a direct…

Notes that Nelson, Plesa, and Henseler's (1998) article addresses the issues of where social cognitive knowledge comes from, what form it takes, and whether "theory of mind" is an appropriate description of the social cognitive enterprise. Argues that researchers ought to get beyond the "theory" issue, and focus on the sources…

Investigates Michael Polanyi's theory of emergence of the framework for tacit (personal) knowing, its function in the reasoning process, and the significant role art can play in the development of personal knowledge. States that intensive study of works of art will enable students to make discriminating choices that ultimately evolve into personal…

Two divergent approaches to a prison educational program attempt to go beyond accreditation or amusement and address instead attitude change, human choice, judgment, and empowerment. The first, most obvious approach, focuses on the provision of knowledge. The second approach starts with a focus on individual development. Its aim is to facilitate…

Examined developmental changes and individual variations in the ways children use expressive information from others. Concluded that processing deficits are more probable for younger children or for children with low perceived control than for other children. (BB)

Describes an adventure activity in which a group achieved a seemingly impossible goal by changing the way it imagined the task. Discusses the sequence of steps in metaphor development that led to the triggering of a generative metaphor: a new image of the task that allowed reframing of the problem and its eventual solution. (SV)

The set of goals and plans that a writer might select to accomplish a given piece of writing is guided by the writer's conception of knowledge. In terms of cognitive theory, conceptions of knowledge may be viewed as epistemological schemata--structured clusters of knowledge about the nature of knowledge itself. William Perry's scheme of the…

Lists nine strategies that help students move from being an "unreflective thinker" to a "master thinker," discussing in detail the last five strategies: reshaping character; dealing with egocentrism; redefining the way to see things; getting in touch with emotions; and analyzing group influences on life. (PGS)

Considers the mind of the epistemic psychologist, a constructivist knowledge creator within a scientific framework, guided by the social world of scientific institutions. Suggests that Piaget and Vygotsky shared respect for complexity of phenomena and were consistently developmental in their theories. A reconsideration of their common heritage…