The authors share the belief that there is great potential for developmental science in bringing the ideas of Niche Construction Theory (NCT), as developed in evolutionary biology, into conversation with Vygotskian-inspired theories such as cultural-historical and activity theories, distributed cognition, and embodied cognition, although from…

Any science about human beings will inevitably entail the integration of various fields of knowledge--philosophy, biology, medicine, anthropology, psychology, pedagogy, and so on. The term that is coming into increasingly widespread use is "humanitarian knowledge," which makes it possible to focus first and foremost on the study of the…

Comments on the article by Orwoll and Achenbaum in this issue. Suggests that Orwoll and Achenbaum present a concept of wisdom as multidetermined and approachable in a scientific model and that their effort to examine wisdom is undertaken in a context of cross-disciplinary study. (BC)

A number of research disciplines have contributed to an emerging picture of creative individuals, processes, and achievements. Contributions to a science of creativity are reviewed, focusing on the psychometric approach, cognitive approaches, studies of personality and motivation, sociological and historiometric investigations, and neurobiological…

Teachers need a liberal arts background to understand what they are teaching and why they are teaching it. (Author/JD)

The papers presented at the Symposium on Issues in Human Development in Philadelphia, November 1967, are collected in this document. Included are lengthy extracts from the discussion. Participants at the conference were from the biologic and social sciences. The goal of the conference was not so much to reveal answers to problems as to make sure…

This paper describes a conceptual framework for studying the family environment that (1) incorporates recent advances in understanding multiple social influences on behavior; (2) recognizes common and idiosyncratic characteristics of families as social units; (3) identifies research strategies that can be used to assess families; and (4) generates…

Asserts that using children's literature to present life stories can reinforce young children's understanding of life span and help them better understand how goals formed in childhood may help determine an individual's future. Briefly reviews and recommends 15 children's books focused on life stories and decision making. (MJP)

The research agenda for arts education presented in this report is a challenge to researchers, foundation directors, and policymakers. The intellectual stimulus for this report was the publication of "Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development" (2002), conducted under the leadership of the Arts Education…