"A new sort of concept attainment or decoding-encoding experimental paradigm based on the model is developed and an experiment on 5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds is reported. (Author)

Discusses children's acquisition of non-nominal, abstract words and argues that the use of these words parallels the child's cognitive development in trial-and-error problem solving and in development of insight. (EKN)

A view of cognitive development emphasizing the formal properties of cognitive structures and processes that remain invariant throughout development is described. Cognitive development is guided by complex sets of constraints, specific sets are tailored for particular cognitive domains, and constraints limit the class of naturally learnable…

Provides clarification of the Piagetian theory of the development of conservation and reviews the state of knowledge regarding the theory. It is concluded that reasonable evidence exists suggesting that conservation by identity precedes and induces the emergence of conservation by inversion and compensation. (Author/DB)

Describes the development of cognitive structure in adolescence as establishing isomorphism between subject and environment. Identifies two dimensions of stages in the development of individuals'"work structure," i.e., the network of relations existing between the individual and his work.

Discusses the use of the clinical interview in assessing cognitive structure and in investigating conceptual change. They caution much more work is needed to increase the applicability and validity of the clinical interview method and point out that there is a lack of systematization in the analysis of interview transcripts. (Author/PB)

Children and adults were asked to place something "in front of" or "behind" a featured or nonfeatured object. Most subjects responded to the object's inherent features. A significant number of adults used the observer orientation cue. Children had more difficulty with the nonfeatured object but also used the observer…

Preschool children were asked to choose the figure most resembling a real man from three figures drawn according to formulas used by children to depict humans. Results suggest development of drawing systems influences children's conceptions about objects or events. (Author/DB)

Two implications of best-example theory for category acquisition were tested using a set of artificial concrete object categories. Categories acquired from initial exposure to good exemplars were learned more easily and accurately. People learn the best exemplars are category members before learning the poor exemplars are category members.…

The development of the concept of conservation was examined in 120 elementary school children divided into three groups: partially sighted, sighted, and sighted-blindfolded. (CM)

Describes nine consequences for children who are given the opportunity to work with art teachers. Some of these are that making images provides intrinsic satisfaction; children learn that the images they create can function as symbols; and children's power to conceptualize visual ideas and to use effective means of expressing them increases. (KC)

A study involving 65 children from 5.6 to 9.5 years of age suggested that the average child's ability to differentiate spoken words from other units of speech improves with age and that significant relationships exist between children's knowledge of spoken words and their reading achievement. (GT)

Reviews theories of cognitive development to show that most basic writers are operating below the true-concept formation stage and have difficulty in "decentering"; suggests writing assignments based on inference-drawing to remedy the situation. (DD)

Analyzes the meaning of Piaget's concept of abstraction and provides discussion of some of its shortcomings. (HM)