This paper examines the relationship between wisdom and logic as found in adult reasoning. Material is from the current and growing literature in this area. The proposal that adult reasoning is dialectical and, therefore, beyond formal operations is scrutinized in light of popular definitions of wisdom, since wisdom is generally considered to be…

The purpose of this study was to discover if there was a relationship in decisions made between adults and 11-year old students assumed to be at different levels of the formal operations stage in their responses to a situation calling for a moral judgment. (Author)

Are there universal characteristics of adult thought? If so, how do they evolve and manifest themselves in cultures throughout the world? Piaget's formulation of formal operations is the best known and most extensively researched answer to the question regarding universal characteristics. Theoretical alternatives to formal operations differ in the…

Different writing voices are linked to early adult developmental issues that are gender-related. Research by Donald Graves has shown that gender affects topic choice in girls' and boys' writing as early as age seven. Adult developmental theories provide frames for looking at the growth potential of writers and locating gender-related issues. The…

This paper presents a study which indicates that accurate performance on a simple conservation task need not be related to congnitive maturity. Twenty adults and 20 third graders were given three verbal problems, each requiring a same-different judgment and an explanation of that judgment. Only 3 adults were able to give correct judgments, while…

Three types of lay theories about the social world form a developmental sequence. Earlier developing theories are reorganized at the next level into a more inclusive, encompassing view of the world in order to make better predictions. The absolute thinker sees the world as fixed and unchanging, reasons with absolute rules, and has a narrow world…

This paper presents a model of cognitive development across the life span that is designed to integrate the diverse empirical evidence in the area of cognitive development in childhood and adulthood. Relevant research is reviewed in the relationships between performance and age, and the effects of training on performance. A model is then proposed…

This paper describes a university course on counseling women designed to provide an integration of: (1) a general cognitive understanding of women along psychological, physiological, sociological, and developmental dimensions; (2) a recognition and understanding of cognitive-developmental theory as a framework within which to counsel women; and…

Aimed at adult education practitioners engaged in graduate study, this book draws on the field of developmental psychology to provide new insights into the critical connections between experience and learning in adult education and training. Chapter 1 introduces the role of psychological development in adult learning, investment of "self" in…

Ties Native American Medicine Wheel teachings on the cycle of life to Eric Erickson's work on the eight developmental stages: trust, autonomy, initiative, accomplishment, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity. To have healthy communities, people need to move successfully through these stages. Knowing about these stages can help a person…

Psychology teaching should intentionally aim to encourage adult development. By explicitly recognizing key dimensions of development, psychology teachers can more effectively achieve their own course objectives and the broader objectives of the profession. Such aims are consistent with the traditional mission of the university and the psychology…

It is time for the teacher education profession to take more systematic steps for the advancement of theory, research, and practice in the teacher education field. A cognitive-developmental perspective on teacher education curriculum avoids the choice between cognitive and affective goals by providing a dual focus on highly specific behavioral…

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…