The author critically reviews the literature on the developmental approach to mental retardation by examining such aspects as motivation, interrupted tasks, probability learning, institutional effect, statistical problems, and Piagetian tasks; and questions whether there is a substantial body of valid evidence supporting claims of…

Describes implications for early childhood education of Piaget's ideas about the child's concept of the world. Particular emphasis is given to the child's exploration of the real world. (HS)

Uses Rousseau's "Emile" to explicate Kohlberg's characterization of moral development and to illuminate several theoretical problems in Kohlberg's cognitive-developmental account. Analysis supports contentions that Kohlberg's concept of morality is unduly narrow and suggests that his one-sidedly rationalistic approach exaggerates the…

Discusses elements of developmental theory needed in selecting literature for children, synthesizing Damon's (1977) and Selman's (1976) primary school stages. Criteria for choosing books about sharing are suggested, and an annotated list of books about sharing is offered along with suggestions for using the books. (RH)

Three views of the compatibility of Piaget's theory and educational practice are considered. More research is needed to establish the validity of Piaget's most educationally relevant constructs. Features of Piaget's theory that have attracted teachers and the implications of Piaget's more recent theoretical emphasis on social factors are…

Erikson discusses the experience of growing old and how it is changing. He reflects on the life cycle and his theory of human development, and on Gandhi's technique of nonviolence and its relationship to generativity. (SK)

It is suggested that the classical conservation justifications (reversibility, compensation, identity, identity action) are both formally and empirically inadequate justifications for the conservation deduction, particularly from a pedagogical perspective. A test for the distinction between true and empirical reversibility, that subjects know of…

Learning disabled children in three age groups were found deficient on binary conceptual rule tasks when compared to normal children. A modified reception paradigm using three bidimensional rules and two instructional conditions was used to test the hypothesis that deficient rule learning rather than inattention is responsible for poor learning in…

Briefly discusses children's spontaneous musical expressions, outlines stages of children's musical development, and suggests musical experiences for young children. (Author/RH)

Explores the theories and models of self-actualization and human development. Twelve tables illustrate developmental stages, ways of knowing, moral and ethical development, management style, goals of learning, organizational development, and other dimensions. Availability: M.E.A.D. Subscriptions, C.S.M.L., University of Lancaster, Lancaster LA1…

Drawing on Piaget's own work and some contemporary studies of social interaction, the author concludes that one may reinterpret Piaget's descriptive psychology in terms of the infant's growing communicative competency. (Author/MP)

The article describes some of the limitations of most currently available language materials and presents a description of normal language development designed specifically for parents of hearing impaired children. Used in conjunction with workshops for parents at the Houston School for Deaf Children, the sequence represents 11 stages of language.…

Scales for object permanence and spatial relationships were administered to 98 severely and profoundly mentally retarded children (mean age 13 years) on three occasions, 6 months apart. Differences in the difficulty of the items were quite stable, but their order of difficulty differed appreciably from that for nonretarded infants. (Author/SB)

The "universal to unique" framework of educational psychology is intended to provide a balance between developmental psychology's holistic approach to learning theory and cognitive psychology's emphasis on individual differences. (Author/JCD)

Investigated the correspondence between stage changes hypothesized by the Kubler-Ross theory and the perception of the course of illness by seriously ill patients and their spouses. Supported the use of Q-methodology as a research procedure for investigations of terminal illness. (Author)