Describes psychological approaches to study of cognition and emotion, identifies issues that may provide direction to understanding the organization and integration of cognition and emotion in development. Maintains that an integrative model for the study of "cogmotion" is needed, suggesting that cogmotion research will contribute to the exchange…

Three experiments using "backward reasoning" found that: age differences occurred in predicting surprise relative to false belief; by age five or six, children claim that surprise occurs when gaining knowledge where one was previously ignorant or held a false belief; by age seven to nine, they understand that surprise will more likely…

Summarizes presentations given at a recent White House Conference which showed that early experiences, particularly in the first three years of life, have a dramatic impact on brain development. Includes presentations on such topics as parent education, brain functioning, quality caregiving and child care services, and early intervention programs.…

Considers the work of developmental scholar William Kessen (1925-1999) in light of James Mark Baldwin, one of the founders and principal architects of developmental psychology. Traces Kessen's interest in Baldwin's thought and examines Baldwin's legacy for developmental psychologists. Asserts that Baldwin's theory sought to integrate the role of…

Investigated the ability of 56 children of 2-4 years to deceptively lead others into false beliefs. Results show that 2 1/2-year-olds already practice a variety of deceptive strategies that presuppose an operative theory of mind. (RJC)

Contrasts Fodor's theory of children's Very Simple Theory of Mind, with the view that children's concepts cross-cut the adult conceptual system: young children do not distinguish between the state of affairs a belief is about and how this state of affairs is thought of, which puts a severe limit on their understanding of belief as distinct from…

Briefly summarizes Vygotsky's life, the appeal and subsequent abandonment of his ideas in the 1960s, and renewal of interest in the 1970s and 1980s (often at the expense of Piaget). Praises van der Veer and Valsinger's book as a realistic picture of Vygotsky's background, life, and work, of the scientific and political context in Russia and of his…

Two studies showed that children of about four years of age had begun to understand that beliefs may be held with differing degrees of certainty. This understanding was tied to the children's understanding of the nature of beliefs and the distinction between appearance and reality. (PCB)

Suggests that in learning and development, the process of comparison can act as a bridge between similarity-based and rule-based processing. A structure-sensitive comparison process, triggered by experiential or symbolic juxtapositions can: (1) facilitate understanding of structural commonalities and the abstraction of rules; and (2) facilitate…

Examination of the child prodigy phenomenon suggests it is a result of extremely accelerated mental development during sensitive periods that leads to the rapid growth of a child's cognitive resources and their construction into specific exceptional achievements. (Author/DB)

Two studies examined age differences in conditional reasoning. Results indicated that 8-year-olds performed better when antecedents were weakly associated with consequents than on strongly associated antecedent/consequents, with no difference among 11-year-olds. Eight-year-olds did better on ad hoc premises than on causal premises, with no…

Investigated developmental change in duration of auditory sensory memory for tonal frequency by measuring mismatch negativity, an electrophysiological component of the auditory event-related potential that is relatively insensitive to attention and does not require a behavioral response. Findings among children and adults suggest that there are…

Maintains that the results of Wellman, Cross, and Watson's meta-analysis on the false belief task are perfectly compatible with "early competence" accounts that posit a specific, innate, and possibly modular basis for theory of mind. Asserts that Wellman and colleagues' arguments against such views stem from mistaken assumptions…

Discusses the value of toys as tools to aid children's development within Montessori education. Presents a history of toys from ancient civilizations to modern corporations. Discusses the role of toys in cognitive development, their importance in providing an enriched environment for children's play time, and the relationship between work and play…

The field of children's learning was thriving when the Merrill-Palmer Quarterly was launched; the field later went into eclipse and now is in the midst of a resurgence. This commentary examines reasons for these trends, and describes the emerging field of children's learning. In particular, the new field is seen as differing from the old in its…