Neurological research has demonstrated that brain activity in animals originally dedicated to the production and regulation of physical activity can be decoupled from that physical activity. Furthermore, animals can use the brain activity in this new condition to achieve particular results such as moving a cursor on a screen. These findings are…

This study suggests a fifth Piagetian stage and offers empirical evidence in its support. Piaget's traditional fourth stage (formal operations) is operationally defined as the problem-solving stage and the suggested fifth stage as the problem-finding stage. The commonly accepted criteria for a stage model are applied. (JMB)

College students were asked to reason about the relative speeds of horses turning on a merry-go-round platform. Results revealed that, unlike field independent subjects, field dependent subjects failed to reason analytically. They were misled by perceptually salient aspects of the situation. They resisted accomodating to additional information.…

Following a summary and critique of the research on the use of computers in education to develop higher-order thinking skills, this paper advances eight hypotheses regarding the failure of research to confirm expected positive effects, and makes two major claims. The hypotheses are as follows: (1) a cognitive chain of consequences of programming…

The types of egocentric cognition described by Jean Piaget are discussed in relation to schizophrenic thinking. For related articles, see TM 501 288 and 290. (RC)

Analyzes the relationship between the development of formal operations and the development of the adolescent personality, as hypothesized by Inhelder and Piaget. It is suggested that the concepts of possibility and reflectivity have a variety of meanings, and that once these meanings are examined, the logical foundation for the…

THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY WERE (1) TO DESCRIBE DEVELOPMENT STAGES OF STUDENTS FROM FIRST- THROUGH NINTH-GRADE LEVELS AS THEY AFFECT THE SOLUTION OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL CLASSIFICATION PROBLEM, (2) TO UTILIZE THE INHELDER-PIAGET AND THE BRUNNER SYSTEMS OF DESCRIBING STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, AND (3) TO DETERMINE BY MULTIVARIATE…

In discussing the relationship between cognitive development (perception, pattern recognition, and memory) and reading processes, this paper especially emphasizes developmental factors. After an overview of some issues that bear on how written language is processed, the paper presents a discussion of pattern recognition, including general pattern…

This paper introduces and gives a report of the first of a series of studies concerned with the developmental aspects of information processing. The experiments are concerned chiefly with how repeated visual encounters influence infants' attentional preference for what is familiar or unfamiliar and how infants' preference can be affected by…

This study was designed to ascertain the nature of information storage in humans and to determine the channel capacity of Ss at various stages of development. A 3 x 2 x 2 multivariate complete factorial design was employed: the three levels of the first factor (Age) were 5, 8, and 12 years; the two levels of the second factor were Visual and…

The author's approach to the conceptualization and measurement of natural cognitions which may have some relevance for the study of values is presented. Research on natural cognitions, or ideas entertained by people before an experimenter comes along to disturb them attempts to assess pre-existing concepts which are grouped initially according to…

Nine papers were presented at a workshop concerned with structure and process in cognition. The reports given at this conference represent detailed applications of these concepts to limited areas of experience. This work is unique in that both structure and process appear together, rather than being studied as independent concepts. All the papers…

Research reports have indicated that children's memories for pictures or events improved between early and later recall sessions in conjunction with operative growth. This study attempted to determine (1) if any intervening operative training task would increase memory improvements, and (2) if exposure to the memory stimulus per se would enhance…

This paper questions the assumption that a central processing deficit exists in the speed of performing mental operations by children as compared to adults. Two hypotheses are proposed and data are cited as evidence. (JMB)