Reports on five experiments regarding the ability of children ranging from four to seven years of age to decide when they did not have enough information to select an unfamiliar named picture. Concludes that avoidance of the undecidable was the result of the children's difficulty in understanding undecidability. (GH)

Describes perspectives on the socialization of cognition and emotion and discusses limitations of these perspectives. Key findings from one field are used to extend work in the other, and are interpreted in the framework of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. (Author/BB)

This in-depth examination of a line explores several ways that the infinite nature and finite representation of a line can be perceived. These attempts to understand the nature of the line give insights into the nature of understanding itself. (MDH)

Reviews empirical studies of cognitive self-efficacy from childhood through old age, addressing issues of definition and measurement related to the self-efficacy construct. Integrates findings of research on self-efficacy and establishes generalizations regarding the relationship of self-efficacy to choice and goal-setting behaviors, a sense of…

Evaluates two competing explanations for the phenomenon of cognitive triage, or the fact that easy-to-retrieve memories do not come to mind before hard-to-retrieve memories during recall. Reports experimental results that support an optimization model of recall rather than an effortful-processing model. (PAM)

Two experiments found that (1) by age 8 months infants perceived that leaning extends their effective reaching space to grasp objects; (2) by 10 months they perceived the effective limits of leaning and reaching; and (3) by 12 months they began to perceive how this space may be extended by a mechanical aid. (MDM)

Describes a theory of cognition which posits specialized structural systems (SSSs) that enable individuals to represent and understand domains of knowledge. Three test batteries assessed 12-16 year olds' abilities to think combinatorially, form hypotheses, design experiments, and construct models or theories. Suggests that the results of tests…

In one experiment, autistic children continued to fail a task that involved strategic deception when no opponent was present. In a second experiment that involved reaching for an object under direct and detour conditions, autistic children had greater difficulty with the task than did nonautistic, mentally handicapped children. Cites advantages…

Postformal thinking concerns questions of meaning and purpose, multiple perspectives, human dignity, freedom, and social responsibility. Curriculum and instruction based on postformalism involves detecting problems, uncovering hidden assumptions, seeing relationships, deconstructing, connecting logic and emotion, and attending to context. (SK)

Memory and study skill instruction can powerfully affect middle school students' classroom performance. Students should be taught to improve their study skills by increasing their knowledge about memory, their awareness of their own memory processes, and their use of effective memory strategies. At the middle level, concrete demonstrations,…

To determine whether children younger than four have an authentic theory of mind, studies relying on deceptive hiding measures for indexing false belief were carried out. Children accurately anticipated the impact of deceptive strategies on the behavior and belief of opponents and used information management to help and hinder others' efforts. (BC)

Children's ability to remember and report past mental states was examined. Four-year olds were able to report all past mental states. Three-year olds reported past pretenses, images, and perceptions well; desires and intentions with moderate difficulty; and beliefs with great difficulty. (BC)

Discusses a study of writing revision in which all the writing done in two sections of a writing course was collected and draft-to-draft revisions were studied. Suggests that revision depends as much on acquisition of topical knowledge as on level of cognitive development. (SR)

Analysis of natural language data from children up to six years of age revealed that by the third year, children clearly distinguished between reality and a variety of nonreal contrasts in their everyday speech. An experimental study in which children were questioned about the reality and appearance of a variety of items confirmed findings of the…

Comments on the article by Orwoll and Achenbaum in this issue. Suggests that Orwoll and Achenbaum present a concept of wisdom as multidetermined and approachable in a scientific model and that their effort to examine wisdom is undertaken in a context of cross-disciplinary study. (BC)