Three research questions are explored relating the psychological phenomenon of premature closure to (1) age, (2) Piagetian developmental level, and (3) ability to generate hypothetico-deductive strategies. Children (N=141) in grades 1-6 were interviewed and administered light-and-button tasks to describe these relationships. (CS)

Examined the relationship between spouses' (N=58) attributional styles for marital problems and their negative social reinforcement in a laboratory interaction procedure. Results indicated wives who attributed other couples' marital problems to undesirable personality traits or negative attitudes were more likely to verbally criticize their…

According to Hypothesis (H) theory, learning should be very difficult when the number of Hs the subject samples from is very large and/or the correct H is not available. These assumptions were tested with third- and fourth-grade children. In general, results supported these assumptions. (Author/MP)

Suggests that problem-solving ability of science students is associated with students' ability to organize the information provided in a problem into memorizable patterns. This hypothesis, derived from research studies, is exemplified by reference to chemical problems and its educational implications. (Author/GS)

The effectiveness of a procedure for identifying certain cognitive processes used during problem solving is explored. The procedure was used to: categorize types of conceptual thinking problem solvers employ; study the use of trial-and-error behavior; and investigate abilities to coordinate multiple bits of information. (Author/GK)

An investigation was conducted to identify and compare the reasoning strategies used by above-average and average readers in reading comprehension. Findings indicated that both groups used various types of reasoning strategies in comprehension, but that there were significant quantitative differences between the groups in application and success…

Three studies of elementary school children's problem-solving procedures in intentional discrimination tasks are reported. Subjects were children selected from kindergarten and grades 2, 3, and 6. (Author/MP)

Two experiments were conducted to test the generalizability to children of a theory of analogical reasoning processes, originally proposed for adults, and to examine the development of analogical reasoning processes in terms of five proposed sources of cognitive development. (MP)

It is argued that a young child's perceptual skills form the basis for all future conceptual and mathematical learning. An experiment supports the argument. (MP)

Discussion of constructivist learning environments focuses on the concept of grounded design, a process that involves linking the practices of learning systems design with related theory and research. Topics include directed versus situated learning environments, situated cognition and anchored instruction, social constructivism and problem…

This article compares research findings on heightened cognitive flexibility in academically gifted children and similar flexibility in social intelligence. It proposes that social-cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt prior social knowledge to formulate solutions to new interpersonal situations) is an important component of social…

Two studies were conducted, one using 80 university students and the other 140 fifth through seventh graders, to examine the relationship between problem-solving strategies (leaping and flexibility) and measures of insight and scholastic aptitude. Relationships among insight, leaping, and quantitative scholastic aptitude were found. A…

Social information processing skills of 13 children (ages 5-12 years) with mild mental retardation (MR), 13 chronological age-matched children, and 13 mental age-matched children were studied. The MR group was less accurate in interpretation of accidental cues and more hostile in their responses to ambiguous cues, even after partialing out…

Middle school teachers (n=53) and prospective secondary teachers (n=28) posed problems related to billiards before and after solving a sample problem. Found systematic problem generation and more problems posed before solving a sample problem. Posed problems were not always solvable. (MTE)

Presents an experimental study conducted at the University of Twente (Netherlands) that investigated the learning effectiveness of concept mapping for computer-supported collaborative problem solving. Highlights include group interaction; shared cognition; knowledge acquisition; learning effectiveness; retention; creativity; and distributed…