Argues that dual-task performance is currently not interpretable because several compatible hypotheses have been offered to account for dual-task interference. Demonstrates inability to discriminate among alternative hypotheses by constructing a model which includes limited resources and response competition and requires running at least eight…

Three studies examined how reducing the executive function demands of a measure of strategic deception, the windows task, would affect 3-year-olds' performance. Findings demonstrated that providing an artificial response medium, even in the presence of an opponent, and having children play in partnership enabled them to adopt a successful…

Three experiments examined limitations in 5-year-olds' understanding of mental and linguistic representations. Findings indicated relatively poor performance on task involving two labels for one object, requiring children to treat another's knowledge as representing only some feature of its real referent: dice but not eraser. There were parallel…

Three studies investigated how experiencing nearby locations together in time influenced memory for location in 7-, 9-, and 11- year-olds and adults. Findings suggested that experiencing nearby locations together in time increased the weight children assigned to categorical information in their later estimates of location. Results were similar…

Examined whether correct eye gaze in a false belief task among 3- to 5-year-olds indexed unconscious knowledge or low confidence conscious knowledge. Found that children "bet" very highly on the location consistent with their explicit answer. Result was supported by a number of conditions that showed that betting was a sensitive measure…

Two studies examined whether 4-year-olds' difficulty using relational information in spatial tasks was due, in part, to their inability to deal with situations where both objective and egocentric cues were available and pointed to different responses. Findings indicated that the presence of conflict significantly affected children's performance in…

Finds that the usual adult superiority in speed of processing could be markedly reduced if children were given equivalent amounts of domain knowledge. The effect was domain specific; differences in knowledge affected processing rates in both knowledgeable adults and children to about the same extent. (Auther/RH)

Seven- and eight-year-old children were given two memory trials on each of five consecutive days. Results indicate that children who were given only demonstrations and directions to use particular mnemonic strategies did not perform as well as children who were provided explanations and feedback regarding the mnemonic value of these actions. (MP)

Two studies examined how task content that activates predator-avoidance affects preschool children's performance on a false-belief task. Findings indicated that the proportion of correct answers on the playmate-avoidance task was greater than that for the predator-avoidance task, suggesting that activation of the predator-avoidance system…

Five- and 6-year-olds heard stories in which a character sorted items into two locations. Found that children could reject a report of the character's belief when the character had a false belief more easily than a belief in which an object known to the character was described using an unknown term. Children found it easier to predict incorrect…

Investigated whether 4- to 6-year-olds' ability to reason about truths and lies influenced their truth-telling behavior. Found that children's performance on truth/lie questions did not predict their truth-telling. Regardless of performance on truth/lie questions, children receiving developmentally appropriate truth/lie discussions gave more…

Two experiments examined effects of event modality on young children's memory and suggestibility. Findings indicated that 5-year-olds were more accurate than 3-year-olds and those participating in the event were more accurate than those either observing or listening to a narrative. Assessment method, level of event learning, delay to testing, and…

Links between theory of mind and episodic memory involving autonoetic consciousness were investigated in Japanese 4- to 6-year-olds. After age was controlled for, most theory of mind abilities showed no interrelations. Own and others' belief understandings on deceptive appearance tasks were solely related to source memory. Results suggest that…

Three experiments investigated effects of complexity on 2- to 6-year-olds' understanding of a beam balance. Found that 2- to 4-year-olds succeeded on problems that entailed binary relations, but 5- and 6-year-olds also succeeded on problems that entailed ternary relations. Ternary relations tasks from other domains (transitivity and class…

Some experiments concerning concrete-operational Piagetian skills are discussed in light of the interbehavioral approach in order to highlight the interacting role of antecedent stimuli and the setting of events in complex cognitive behaviors. Conservation, class inclusion, and classification are considered. Implications for a theory of…