In order to gather data bearing on the effects of individual differences of the "invariant stages" assumption of cognitive-developmental theory, 270 black, Chinese, and white subjects from 5th, 7th, and ninth grades were administered a new, 25-item, spatial reasoning task. It was predicted that age, ethnic group, and sex would…

This longitudinal study examined the interrelationship between sex of the child and sex of the parent on the expression of attachment behaviors during the child's first 2 years. Special consideration was given developmental changes in the attachment structure and the relationship of attachment to cognitive development. Ten boys and 10 girls were…

This document presents a summary of a dissertation concerning the developmental relationship between moral judgment and person judgment. Subjects were 144 middle class male first graders and sixth graders from paroachial schools. The children watched three films of a boy doing damage. The experimentally crucial film showed the same boy…

This paper describes two studies conducted to investigate young children's manipulative responses to materials in a free play situation and to examine the resultant learning. Study I: Each child played with either a simple or a complex set of materials during three play sessions. Learning was measured on a posttest of classification ability.…

An attempt was made to develop and validate a Piagetian-based written test with successful use of the logic of specific Piagetian tasks defined as the criterion. Ninety-six randomly selected nine to sixteen year olds, stratified by age, were individually presented the Piagetian tasks of pendulum, balance, and combinations, and group administered a…

In a follow-up study of curiosity and exploratory behavior, subjects were 18 disadvantaged inner-city black children who had been observed at age four in their first year of a Head Start program, and who were now finishing first grade. Data were obtained from teachers, observations in the classrooms, and an individual session with each child. Each…

The longitudinal study assessed the psychological and educational sequelae of premature birth through the early elementary school years, to determine whether children born prematurely constitute a high risk population in terms of regular school progress. Subjects included 78 children with birth weights of 2500 grams or less, 78 children of normal…

In this study of perspective taking and moral judgment 20 children (10 boys and 10 girls) at each age level between 4 and 10 years were given Feffer's Social Role-Taking Task, a spatial perspective-taking task and Damon's Test of Positive Justice. Investigated were: (1) the specific developmental sequences for role taking, spatial…

Children's metacognitive awareness of variables (such as person, task, goals, and strategy) that influence reading was assessed with an interview. Second graders were aware of some reading dimensions but were less sensitive to semantic structure than sixth graders. Relations among instruction, metacognitive development, and reading proficiency are…

Kindergarten children were administered a paired-associate learning task at the beginning and end of the school-year, under either regular (control) or self-generated visual imagery instructions. Age predicted performance in the imagery but not in the control condition. Results supported the developmental imagery hypothesis. (Author/RD)

Children and undergraduate students were studied to expose "structure-neutral" interpretations of logical propositions involving universal affirmatives. Successes with true and false questions and with four different syllogistic forms having three content types were compared. Age-related differences in performance were discussed with…

Studied the relationship between mental age and progression toward Piaget's stages of concrete operations and formal operations in a sample of middle class children. Formal operations in preadolescence and adulthood are discussed in relation to IQ. (GO)

Attempted to determine (1) whether children's performance on Luria-type delay tasks is related to social class, IQ, and age; (2) whether performance is consistent or reliable on different delay tasks and at different ages; and (3) whether children's performance is related to the type of delay task and length of delay interval. (Author/SB)