This study attempted to determine whether a shift from complementary to similarity concepts occurred in preschool children prior to the shift from concrete-similarity to abstract-similarity concepts and had been observed among elementary school children. (Author/SB)

Qualitative identity, qualitative identity and equivalence conservation were assessed in 60 retarded boys and girls in three groups (mental ages 5.4, 6.3, and 7.5). Half the subjects were provided a memory aid while the other half were not. (MS)

The relationships between Piaget's theory and education are discussed. The accumulated data from studies based upon the theory are examined in terms of (1) shared assumptions which govern the interpretation of replication studies, (2) the extent to which a stage can be meaningfully defined, and (3) the nature of the developmental process proposed…

A total of 35 variables descriptive of birth and obstetric complications, prematurity, maternal discomfort, and demographic status were studied for a sample of 322 infants. Factor analyses of these variables resulted in seven major factors that were used to predict developmental status at 1 year of age for 233 of the subjects. (Author/SB)

This study investigated the influence of knowledge of conservation on recall of an event by 4- to 7-year-old children. Changes in recall over time were found to follow an inconsistent pattern and seemed to be unrelated to changes in the subject's stage of development. (Author/JMB)

Picture-grouping and word-association tasks were used to evaluate the hypothesis that paradigmatic (same form class) word associates are not always categorical and may be a function of the child's understanding of interactive and categorical relations. (SB)

Piaget's conceptualization of concrete and formal operations is presented. It is contended that Piaget has obfuscated logic, metaphysics and methodology. (MS)

Derives a theoretical statement about children's understanding of the mind from Wittgenstein's private-language argument that understanding the mind involves acquiring rules governing the use of linguistic expressions about the mind. Presents developmental evidence illustrating Wittgenstein's argument and its differences from the simulation and…

A study of 17 adults with mental ages between 2-4 years examined whether they could show accurate identity matching-to-sample when provided with minimal instructional programming. Eight participants showed highly accurate matching. Of the eight who failed and were available for further study, five ultimately demonstrated highly accurate matching.…

Describes psychological approaches to study of cognition and emotion, identifies issues that may provide direction to understanding the organization and integration of cognition and emotion in development. Maintains that an integrative model for the study of "cogmotion" is needed, suggesting that cogmotion research will contribute to the exchange…

Suggests some difficulties and challenges in understanding and teaching Piaget's new theory. Outlines some differences between Piaget's new and standard theories, such as the diminished status of the emergent skills that mark the onset of concrete operational thinking and the perception of achievements in concrete operations as empirical…

Five experiments investigated children's understanding that expectations based on prior experience may influence a person's interpretation of ambiguous visual information. Results suggest that understanding of interpretation begins at approximately six years of age. (HTH)

Three experiments using "backward reasoning" found that: age differences occurred in predicting surprise relative to false belief; by age five or six, children claim that surprise occurs when gaining knowledge where one was previously ignorant or held a false belief; by age seven to nine, they understand that surprise will more likely…