Investigated the development of classificatory organization. Two experiments examined age differences in children's spontaneous extensions of a classification and a third examined children's extensions under hypothesis-testing instructions. (JMB)

This study examined the generality of the logarithmic to linear transition in children's representations of numerical magnitudes and the role of subjective categorization of numbers in the acquisition of more advanced understanding. Experiment 1 (49 girls and 41 boys, ages 5-8 years) suggested parallel transitions from kindergarten to second grade…

Students in grades two, four, six, and college sorted abstract visual patterns that varied both in amount of contour and in type of visual organization (unstructured, simple symmetries, multiple symmetries, and rotational). Results suggested that children attend to both amount of contour and visual organization, but that attention to visual…

In an attempt to examine the generalizability of the Kendler S-R mediational model of reversal-shift behavior, 60 third-grade children were classified as either verbal mediators or nonmediators on the basis of their performance on an optional-shift discrimination problem. The children's performances were then evaluated on three tasks. (Author/CS)

Second-grade children, third-grade children, and adults judged whether pictures were members of a positive or negative memory set while trying to ignore irrelevant words printed inside the pictures. (JMB)

Investigates the influence of logical skills (inclusion and seriation) on the degree and kind of semantic integration performed on remembered material among 47 third- and fourth-grade boys and girls and college students. (JMB)

In a series of experiments, young children were asked to compare the quantities of classes of objects under two conditions: (1) when one of the classes of objects is a subordinate of the other (the traditional class-inclusion problem), and (2) when the terms refer to exclusive sets but different levels of generality. (Author/RH)

Examined qualitative developmental change in the use of category organization between ages 8 and 10 and the supportive functions of task environment and category knowledge in this development. Results support the hypothesis that most 10 year olds are capable of strategically activating category knowledge in appropriate task environments when items…

In one experiment, second and fourth graders used more categorical information when they made inferences than did preschoolers. In two other experiments, second graders, but not preschoolers, distinguished between categorical information and appearance when they made inferences about known concepts and familiar properties. (BC)

Second and fourth graders were classified according to their knowledge of soccer and their IQ and given two sort-recall tasks. Results demonstrated that the knowledge base played an important role in children's memory. Domain knowledge could not fully eliminate the effects of IQ on sort-recall tasks using domain-related materials. (GLR)

Studied the way in which 32 preschoolers aged three-five years, 28 second-graders and 64 undergraduates generalized from a labeled exemplar to other potential members of the same category. Results indicated that preschoolers focused mostly on single attributes in making category decisions and older individuals primarily exhibited multiple…