This paper discusses the nature of cognitive research and its implications for learning and teaching science. In addition to needing adequate financial support, active involvement of scientists and educators, and education of teachers, two other factors should loom large in the development of new instructional materials in science and in the…

The work of Lev Vygotsky, a Russian developmental psychologist, has made enormous recent contributions to the fields of child development and education. This paper recounts a conversation with Gita Levovna Vygodskaya, Vygotsky's eldest daughter, also a psychologist. There were two foci of the conversation. The first was on the parallels between…

Models of development and models of memory reflect either a mechanistic or organismic world view. A merger of the information-processing models of memory and qualitative models of development is suggested, and has valuable implications about the possible nature of "locus" of memory development (ST)

A study of the development of elementary school children's appreciation of riddles was conducted within the framework of the incongruity and resolution theory of humor. (ST)

Low-birth-weight infants, who received extra stimulation showed improved development through six months of age. (ST)

For related article see ej 058 934.

Non conserving first- and second-grade children were tested on conservation tasks. Eye movements were recorded during the response period for each task. Trained conservers showed more visual exploratory behavior and less perceptual centration than control subjects. (ST)

Investigated whether children will relinquish belief in Piagetian concepts upon presentation of disconfirming evidence. The conservation of weight concept extinguished more readily than transitivity of weight, and only for the latter was a developmental trend evident. (DP)

Preschool children were trained on a color relevant oddity problem by one of 3 methods: (1) increased salience of the oddity relationship, (2) instruction on solution rule, or (3) a combination of both. Generality of results were probed with a form-relevant transfer problem. (DP)

Discusses the concept of bioplasmic forces--the foundation of human growth, regeneration of cells, and life energy--and the relationship between physical and mental development of the child, focusing on the theory that premature or forced learning may cause intellectual or academic retardation. (TO)

Three tables outline a framework for conservation and environmental studies curriculum development. (KM)

Preschool and kindergarten nonconservers (N=114) were examined for their use of dimensions relevant to quantity in two conservation-of-substance tasks. The results were interpreted as being counter to Piaget's 4-step equilibration model of the development of compensation and conservation. (ST)

Using a developmental model, this article uses a hierarchy to describe the developmental reinforcement process as it occurs in a child's life and discuss some educational consequences of a deficit in this development. (Author)

Paper present the findings from a study focusing on the relationship between levels of object concept construction and achievements in several other branches of functioning. (Author/CB)