The term executive function is used increasingly within developmental psychology and is often taken to refer to unfolding brain processes. We trace the origins of research on executive function to show that the link with social interaction has a long history. We suggest that a recent frenzy of research exploring methods for studying individual…

The youth mentoring program Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the first social interventions involving youth in Ireland to be evaluated using a randomized controlled trial methodology. This article sets out the design process undertaken, describing how the research team came to adopt a concurrent embedded mixed methods design as a means of…

According to the stage-learning hypothesis, children's ability to learn is constrained by their pretraining stages of cognitive development. Some procedures for obtaining unconfounded tests of this hypothesis are developed in this paper, and some applications to factorial experiments are considered. (Author/BW)

Discusses motivations for research replications and makes recommendations for appropriate research strategies. Illustrates research strategies in a review of studies replicating a 1948 study by Soviet psychologist Z.M. Istomina on preschoolers' memory. Concludes that none of the studies closely replicated Istomina's methods, but some replicated…

Although the ideas of Jean Piaget still dominate the field of science education, the range and severity of criticisms has increased progressively. In recent years, the emergence of a different theory of cognitive development has begun. This paper tentatively outlines a Lakatosian Research Programme for the alternative conceptions field. The…

This publication consists of a critique of research related to the work of Piaget. Contents are arranged under five headings: Introduction, Common Misconceptions and Mususes, Common Research Errors: Possible Causes and Cures, Evaluation of Piaget-related Research, and Extension. Eighteen references conclude the report. (PEB)

Six studies are summarized in which repeatable methods were tested in quasi-experimental settings to test hypotheses relating to a cognitive approach to counseling. In each study, a repeatable mode of counseling was developed, research counselors were trained to a high level of competence, their performance was validated by tape recordings,…

Laboratory classes are regarded as an important learning activity, but they also have shortcomings: laboratory classes are often an inefficient learning activity for students and often do not sufficiently support students in developing research specific cognitive skills. It is hypothesized that some of such skills can be achieved more effectively…

The purpose of this study was to determine the types of research methods used to study cognitive processing development in gifted learners, from 1975-1986. Of 870 research publications identified on giftedness, 522 publications (60 percent) dealt with cognitive processing development. Research designs used most frequently were causal-comparative,…

Fourth and fifth grade students wrote essays on what "an old person" meant to them. Content analysis revealed anticipated categories and response frequencies. Emphasizes the implications of using non-directive methods critiquing the biasing and non-comparable methods commonly used. Urges ensuring that attitudes are measured in terms of children's…

This paper deals with (1) psychometric and Piagetian orientations and the different types of test each approach yields, (2) rate of progress measures, and (3) the predictability of an individual's future functioning. Advantages of the Piagetian orientation are discussed. (GO)

Because self-directed learning behaviors are inherently interwoven within a foundation of lifespan cognitive and contextual characteristics, researchers must examine the theory and application of self-directed learning not just as an externally-defined or self-perceived process but also as an internal process of continual development grounded in a…

Past research which used Piaget's model of cognitive development has suggested that historical understanding is a developmental construct. The present study, designed to test the theoretical adequacy of previous studies, shows that a new variable, information processing, could predict the level of historical understanding. (Author/CS)