An investigation of adult reasoning processes revealed that the more relevant the cognitive task was to the developmental task of the learner, the better the performance was likely to be. (JD)

The death of one's spouse brings trauma, grief, and the necessity of restructuring one's life. Some widowed persons experience economic hardships, emotional and social problems, and ill health. Help should be offered to widowed persons in such a way that they are not made to feel dependent. (Author)

The Pacific Heights Community College Center serves as a resource for older students by making classes physically and psychologically accessible and by offering courses designed around Havighurst's Developmental Tasks, on cultural enrichment, and on volunteer training. For gerontologists, the Center provides training opportunities and assistance…

Support for the contention that the empirical specification of the Piagetian concept of reversibility during training is not a requirement for conservation induction is presented in this experimental study. (Author/JKS)

A number of movement skills for young children, based on Ambrose Brazelton's recording, "Only Just Begun," are presented. (LH)

A basic perceptual motor equipment learning course is described including the necessary equipment and suggested activities. (JMF)

A sample of 108 eight-grade students using Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS) were tested with four Piagetian tasks: two tasks were related to ISCS concepts, two were not. Concludes that no students were formal operational, most were concrete operational, and most performed better on the non-ISCS related tasks. (MLH)

Presents a historical and cultural perspective of adolescence. Discusses the developmental tasks at this period and the negative behaviors that can result from tackling those tasks. Suggests that young adolescents' positive experiences with developmental tasks and interactions with adults may lessen the tendency to engage in at-risk behaviors. (SR)

Offers a detailed examination of both external and internal assets that middle school students may have, and discusses those that can be significantly affected by middle schools. Describes what successful middle schools do, and discusses teacher training and positive youth development. (SR)

The use of rules on nonverbal balance scale problems was studied among 5- to 19-year-olds. Latent class analyses indicated that children used rules, that different rules were used by children of different ages, and that both consistent and inconsistent rule use occurred. A model for the development of reasoning about the balance scale task was…

Students (n=150) ages 11, 14, and 17 were asked to explain the meanings of 24 different idiomatic expressions. Performance on the task gradually improved as subject age increased. High-familiarity idioms were easier to explain than moderate-familiarity or low-familiarity expressions. Easier idioms tended to be more transparent. (Author/JDD)

Writing programs for students with deafness should include teacher-demonstration ("writing aloud"), shared writing, and independent and guided writing done by students. Activities at each developmental level should focus on emerging writers--getting acquainted with print; beginning writers--using written language; developing writers--learning the…

Discusses the use of a dynamic approach to explain how young children master motor skills and perform an array of cognitive feats including word learning. Introduces a perspective that is a departure from established scientific theories of the mind. Argues that a child's physical, mental, and social lives arise out of a shifting interplay between…

Drug experimenters and drug abstainers were compared on identity achievement at a traditional, conservative, independent college (N=155). Drug abstainers were found to be more foreclosed than experimenters; however, in contrast to previous research, abstainers were not more identity-achieved. Additional findings and results are discussed.…

A basic goal for individuals as they struggle to face normative developmental tasks across their life span is to determine how to make meaning of their experiences, real and vicarious. The authors describe a workshop that gave counselors and human service practitioners meaning-making strategies that they could use in their personal and…