Developmental patterns in the solution of verbal analogies, especially the recognition of higher-order analogical relations, were traced. The investigation sought to: (1) provide new developmental tests of a componential theory of analogical reasoning; (2) identify strategy changes during the transition from midchildhood (grade 3) to adulthood…

The purpose of this Child Development Associate (CDA) training module is to help the CDA intern become aware of the values of a creative media program for young children, develop the knowledge and skills needed to implement an art program, and select media for their process values rather than for their products. Objectives are presented along with…

Beginning college physics students' misconceptions about moving objects, their mathematics skills, and formal reasoning ability, are all believed to be related to their achievement in physics. It is hypothesized that students whose knowledge structures include misconceptions that are in conflict with concepts in the lectures and text will have…

The progress of groups of junior high school students working together was measured by the developmental theories of Bloom, Piaget, and Kohlberg. Each group was assigned the task of designing a coat-of-arms representing their neighborhood. This project involved not only physically producing a shield (designing, drawing, choosing colors) but also…

The first part of the paper presents a description of Piaget's theory of moral judgment and makes a case for the relationship between the theory and the phenomenological approach to self concept development. It is proposed that both the development of self concept and moral judgment are greatly influenced by the examples of and interaction with…

Using a transcultural perspective this model of the post-parental years assumes a "parental imperative" perspective of the entire life cycle and, thus, analyzes the post-parental years in relation to the pre-parental and parental years. Through this perspective, young parents recognize needs of infants for security, and select those…

A modified form of Sigel's Styles of Categorization Test was constructed, permitting the independent measurement of Descriptive Part-Whole (DPW), Relational-Contextual (RC), and Categorical-Inferential (CI) categorizations. The test was administered to 243 5th, 8th, and 11th graders on two occasions. At each grade level, a majority of…

This paper presents a cross-sectional investigation of adolescents' and young adults' reflective epistemological development. Three groups of 8 subjects (4 male and female) ages 10, 14, and 18 were given Piagetian tasks, the Kohlberg moral judgment questionnaire, and an epistemology interview covering such concepts as knowledge, thought, feeling,…

Evidence is presented to indicate that human knowing involves both a propositional mode stressing discourse, sequence, and logic and an appositional mode characterized by metaphoric constructs, holistic relationships, and the capacity to process many variables simultaneously. Separate sections discuss our culture's heavy emphasis on propositional…

This study attempts to determine if individual differences in multitask performance are due in part to the cognitive competence (i.e., the consistent, rule-based strategy) the subject brings to the task. A battery of learning (discrimination shift, transposition, incidental learning and paired-associate learning), cognitive-developmental…

This is a study of how young children gain social competence through pretend play or role playing. Subjects were 38 Caucasian children (19 females, 19 males) who were observed at four ages: 12, 18, 24 and 30 months. The same set of toys, which included a doll, a saucepan, doll bottles, coffee mug, teacup, teaspoon, doll crib, blanket, toy phone…

This report provides data from a larger study investigating consumer socialization of children which focused on the processes by which children acquire knowledge skills and attitudes related to consumer behavior. The research has utilized two theoretical perspectives: cognitive development and information processing theories. The data reported are…

Challenges adult educators to provide the educational experiences and resources necessary for adults to handle life tasks. Introduces the "teachable moment", as part of a lifelong curriculum, which relates the tasks associated with each developmental life stage to appropriate adult education program responses and possible outcomes. (TP)

Reviews the history of human development, and of family development and its interdisciplinary nature. Explores variations as well as the universality of the family life cycle and developmental tasks. Presents examples of the applications of family developmental concepts by a variety of practitioners in the family field, offering ideas on research…

Student Development Task Inventory (second edition) (SDTI-2) was completed by Black students at five urban colleges in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan to provide usuable information for college student personnel workers who work with similar populations. Findings revealed that SDTI-2 scores were highly dependent on school of attendance and class…