A study was conducted to: (1) provide normative data for the Brozovich-Hall Watson (BHW) scale, a non-verbal method of assessing cognitive style; (2) provide data for itwm revision and further refinement of the BHW; and (3) assess the effects of grade level (age), sex and socioeconomic status on cognitive style. The BHW was administered to 621…

Noting that scientific observation of children's dreaming offers unparalleled opportunities to study experience of conscious mental states, this book presents findings from two studies on children's dreaming. Following an argument outlining the problems in equating dreaming with perception, the book explains the use of sleep laboratories and…

Reviews theory and research on various aspects of prosocial development, discusses curricula designed to increase the ability of young children to behave in prosocial ways, and lists six factors that can be used to facilitate children's prosocial development. (RH)

To measure the development of formal thought, as defined by Piaget and Peel, separate tests on judgment, creativity, concept formation and concept attainment were administered to 1,710 subjects, ages eight to adult. (CP)

Five experiments examined children's use of eye gaze information for inferring another person's desire. Found that 4-year olds used another's eye direction to infer desires, while 3-year olds could use other nonverbal cues. Two- and 3-year olds used eye gaze for desire inference when presented dynamically with other scaffolding cues. When…

Noting that school recess periods are one of the few times when children interact with their peers on their own terms--with minimal adult intervention--this book examines recess behavior and its social and pedagogical implications. In addition to studying spontaneous peer interaction among school children, the book addresses issues of: (1) the…

A common concern raised by teachers from secondary schools and junior colleges in Singapore is the apparent inability or reluctance of adolescents to think critically and originally. Adolescent thought processes are probably shaped by the change in intellectual pace and quality between the primary and secondary school curriculum. This study of…

Instructional implications of cognitive development theory are discussed, and it is proposed that the current theoretical framework offers a view of development that, applied in instructional contexts, leads to a reconceptualization of the traditional notion of developmental curricula. Piaget's theory offered a framework for how children should be…

Six papers presented at a conference on early childhood first and second language acquisition sponsored by the California state legislature's Child Development Programs Advisory Committee include: "Bilingual Development and the Education of Bilingual Children During Early Childhood" (Eugene E. Garcia); "An English-Only Preschool Program" (William…

Three experiments examined referential and associative linkages in memory as a function of stimulus and response material formats. Second grade, sixth grade, and university students were the subjects. In Experiment 1, subjects pointed to either the picture or printed name of a stimulus corresponding to the name or picture, respectively, pointed to…

Developmental changes in self-perceptions were studied in children and adolescents in grades 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. The responses of subjects to the question Who am I? were analyzed by means of a 30-category scoring system. Children described themselves in terms of their physical appearance and their behavior, while adolescents referred to their…

The Sigel Object Categorization Test (SOCT) is used for studying classification abilities in young children, the criteria for which is considered indicative of both cognitive ability and style. The test consists of two types of stijuli--one set of 12 relatively familiar three-dimensional objects and a second set of colored photographs of these…

Reports on a study where 111 primary age children were asked to map four model landscapes of increasing complexity. The results show an age-related progression from representing hills in elevation only to early experiments with the use of contours. Includes maps, graphs, and statistical data. (MJP)

Developmental differences in the acquisition of information about strategy efficiency gleaned from observation of a peer model were assessed among 60 second and 60 seventh graders and 60 undergraduate students. At each age level, 20 subjects were randomly assigned to each of 3 experimental conditions. Developmental differences were considerable.…

Provides a theory-based examination of relations among aspects of preschool children's social environments and cognitive indices of their gender role development. Examines differences in the relations among social agents on cognitive indices of girls' and boys' gender role development. Significant sex differences are discussed. (JS)