An overview of research dealing with the factors of culture, education, activity and isolation, and training tends to support the significant positive effect of environmental stimulation upon level of adult cognitive functioning. (Author/JD)

This study attempted to determine the effectiveness of cognitive skills training on the verbal fluency of children in a bilingual environment. After a 14-week period, cognitive skills training had no significant impact on the verbal fluency of 103 fifth graders in south Texas. (MT)

Described are the development and validation of two computer-based Piagetian assessment instruments, designed to assist teachers in identifying cognitive reasoning patterns. Implications for teachers are presented. (Author/MT)

Used classification and seriation games over 4 months to teach the oddity principle and insertion into a series to Head Start 4-year-olds during free play. A comparison group participated in free play without the teacher-directed classification and seriation games. At the conclusion, intervention students were significantly better than comparison…

Two samples (n=435 and 456) were drawn to represent changes between 1968 and 1986 in cartographic and cognitive map skills in college freshmen. Subjects from the second sample ranked the 48 contiguous states by residential preference. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

A review is presented of major theories on the characteristics of adult cognition. The roles of social and cultural backgrounds, education, mental ability, and experience as they pertain to cognition are discussed. (JD)

The cognition theories of Piaget as they apply to adults are examined in the light of new theories about the characteristics of formal reasoning abilities and their acquisition over a long life span. (JD)

The purpose of this paper is to familiarize readers with Vygotsky's theory on verbal regulation of thinking skills, to describe related research and applications of the theory, and to explore its relevance for researchers, parents, and educators. (MT)

Research concerning cerebral asymmetry and its effect on scholastic achievement, reading disabilities, learning disabilities, and linguistic competence is reviewed in an exploration of brain hemisphere-specific etiologies of dyslexia. (CJ)

A study was done to examine whether certain observed play behaviors of young children might show relationships to scores of assessments of cognitive constructs. The investigation sought to determine the extent to which responses related to such behaviors as pretend play, sense of humor, acts of aggression, and talkativeness. (JN)

Results of a study involving 431 college students suggests that student construct system development plays an influential role in students' evaluation of teachers. As construct differentiation increased, students were increasingly able to separate task from interpersonal relational concerns in their evaluations of teachers. (IAH)

A number of interacting factors are discussed which significantly influence the development and expression of adolescent sexuality, including: (1) biological development; (2) societal trends; (3) psychological aspects; (4) familial patterns; and (5) historical and political influences. Adolescent cognitive development and psychoanalytic theories…

An examination of studies concerning the functional organization of languages in the bilingual brain discusses several variables. Factors that may contribute to the organization of language include age, language proficiency, literacy, reading skills, type of script, language specific factors, social acculturation, teaching method, and style. (CJ)

An analysis is made of the reciprocal relationship between play and three areas of interaction between the brain and human development: (1) the affective characteristics of play and the brain; (2) developmental theories of cognition and play; and (3) creativity as a continuation of the brain's need for play. (JN)

Three media used in a longitudinal, cross-sectional investigation to determine the rate of artistic development in young children were clay modeling, drawing, and storytelling. The most significant result of the study reveals that artistic competence does not proceed upward across all media as the child matures. (JN)