This paper presents research on a theoretical approach to Logo as a programming language that creates a context for learning in which the process by which children learn and develop, using computers, is of greater interest than the products, or outcomes, of learning. Concerned with the cultural context of Logo learning and principles upon which it…

During the Lebanon War (1982), many Israeli reserve soldiers disobeyed the command to join their units for service in Lebanon. Several of these soldiers were publicly labeled "sarvanim" meaning "refusers" in Hebrew, and were jailed in military prisons. Kohlberg's (1976) cognitive developmental approach to moralization, which…

This study examined effects of interpersonal and intrapersonal cognitive conflict tasks on 54 fifth and 18 seventh grade children's sociomoral rule awareness. Preconventional stage children 9 years of age were paired in same-sex dyads with 9- and 11-year-old children intermediate between preconventional and conventional stage reasoning. Six legal…

This study examined the behavioral effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure to smoking, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages on 5-month-old infants. The sample consisted of 179 Caucasian infants and their mothers. All mothers were 19 years of age or older and had at least a tenth-grade education. Mental and motor portions of the Bayley Scales of…

Developmental changes leading to mature judgments of the relative effectiveness of verbal memory strategies were examined in 60 subjects (20 each from second-, fourth-, and sixth-grade classrooms). Subjects viewed videotapes of a female child who was given the task of remembering a set of categorizable pictures. Demonstrations of four memory…

Theory and research on bilingualism and its relationship to cognitive development have provided mixed results, especially in relation to the value of United States bilingual education programs. Little of the existing research on bilingualism is generalizable to U.S. minority language groups. However, one study of children in a bilingual program…

Abstracts of two symposium papers are provided, giving: (1) the results of a study of the effect of child-rearing practices on the cognitive development of children under 5 years of age in Jakarta; and (2) the results of an investigation of West German preschool children's preferences and abilities in relation to conceptual styles. Comparing 100…

Misconceptions associated with the origins of force and the effectiveness of a bridging strategy for developing correct conceptual models in mechanics are identified for high school physics teachers in this paper. The situation investigated was whether a table exerts an upward force on a book. Student misconceptions related to this phenomenon as…

The cognitive learning processes of assimilation and accommodation are critically examined in this paper. A special focus is given to an analysis of the process of assimilation as it is proposed in Hugh Petrie's book, "The Dilemma of Enquiry and Learning." Initially, Piaget's biological metaphor of assimilation-accommodation is reviewed…

The report discusses a program incorporating cognitive therapy with microcomputer technology for head injured students. The goals of cognitive rehabilitation are introduced, the nature and extent of the head injury problem analyzed, and social, emotional, and educational considerations of adolescent head injury illustrated through a case study.…

This paper briefly reviews research on tasks in knowledge-rich domains including developmental studies, work in artificial intelligence, studies of expert/novice problem solving, and information processing analysis of aptitude test tasks that have provided increased understanding of the nature of expertise. Particularly evident is the finding that…

A study investigated: (1) whether the distribution of eighth graders' scores on measures of the strength of imaginary audience and personal fable across levels of cognitive development would support Elkind's cognitive theory; and (2) whether such students' level of interpersonal understanding would support Lapsley's contention that interpersonal…

In this brief review of current literature on developing critical thinking skills in prospective teachers, the focus is on how critical thinking can be taught and how emphasis on critical thinking will affect teacher education. Some programs are cited that promote critical thinking and references are included. (JD)

The focus of this document is on students' understanding of symbolization processes in algebra, and specifically their understanding of semantically laden letters. In the first four sections, four inappropriate ways in which many college students use semantically laden letters are described. Evidence from clinical interview protocols demonstrate…

Hoffman's (1975) theory holds that altruism is based on cognitive development and mechanisms for empathic distress present from birth, with the individual going through stages of personal distress, empathic concern, and perspective taking. The Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a measure of empathy, contains four subscales: personal…