Intellectual Development

Transcription

1 Intellectual Development Birth to Adulthood Robbie Case Centre for Applied Cognitive Science The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Toronto, Ontario, Canada Technische Hochschule Darmstadt Fachbereich 3 In3titut for Psychologic Steubenplatz 12,6100 Darmstadt 1985 ACADEMIC PRESS, INC. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers Orlando San Diego New York Austin Boston London Sydney Tokyo Toronto

2 Contents Preface Acknowledgments xiii xvii PART I THE PRESENT THEORETICAL APPROACH AND ITS HISTORICAL FOUNDATION Chapter 1 The Phenomena and Questions of Intellectual Development Introduction - 3 The Origin of Cognitive-Developmental Theory 6 Objectives of the Present Book 7 Chapter 2 Traditional Theories of Intellectual Development Baldwin's Theory of Intellectual Development 9 Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development 13 Strengths of Piaget's Theory 22

3 V1U Contents Chapter 3 Critical Responses to Traditional Developmental Theory Introduction 25 Difficulties with Piaget's Theory 26.Pascual-Leone's Theory of Intellectual Development 29 Comparison of Pascual-Leone's and Piaget's Theories 34 Chapter 4 The Current Dilemma Introduction 39 Bruner's Theory of Cognitive Development 40 Information-Processing Theories, of Cognitive Development / 43 New Data on Children's Early Cognitive Development 50 State of the Field by the Late 1970s ' 55 Chapter 5 Toward a Resolution of the Current Dilemma: Some Preliminary Assumptions and a General Direction The Child as a Problem Solver 57 Format of the Present Problem Solving Analysis 68 Content to Which the New Form of Analysis Is Applied 71 Manner in Which Results of Analyses Are Aggregated 73 Summary of Part I and Conclusion 75 PART II INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT Chapter 6 The Four Stages of Development: A Reconceptualization Introduction 81 The Development of Sensorimotor Control Structures 82 in Infancy The Development of Relational Control Structures 94 in Early Childhood The Development of Dimensional Control Structures 101 in Middle Childhood The Development of Abstract Control Structures 108 in Adolescence Summary and Conclusion 113

4 Contents IX Chapter 7 Development in Infancy: ^ The Underpinnings of Thought and Language Introduction 118 Control Structures for Interacting with Inanimate 119 Objects Control Structures for Interacting with Other Human 134 Beings The General Pattern of Infant Development 146 Chapter 8 Development in Early Childhood: The Missing Link between Sensorimotor and Logical Operations, Introduction, 148 The Development of Spatial Control Structures 150 The Development of Social Control Structures 158 The Development of Linguistic Control Structures 167 The Development of Control Structures in 175 Other Domains The General Pattern of Development in Early Childhood 179 Chapter 9 Development in Middle Childhood: Abstracting the Dimensions of Significance in the Physical and Social World Introduction Dimensional Concepts in the Domain of Scientific Reasoning Dimensional Concepts in the Domain of Social Cognition Dimensional Concepts in the Domain of Spatial Reasoning The General Pattern of Development in Middle Childhood Chapter 10 Development in Adolescence: The Emergence of Vectorial Operations and Abstract Systems of Thought Introduction 211 The Emergence of Vectorial Operations in 213 Causal Reasoning The Emergence of Vectorial Operations in 216 Verbal Reasoning

5 X Contents ^ Chapter l'l The Emergence of Vectorial Operations in 222 Spatial Reasoning The Use of Vectorial Operations in Social Reasoning 224 The General Pattern of Adolescent Development 229 v Vertical and Horizontal Structure in Intellectual Development Introduction 231 Horizontal Structure: The Present Hypothesis 232 Difference between the Present View of Horizontal 235 Structure and Previous Views A New Look at the Existing Empirical Data ' 241 New Data of Relevance to the Horizontal 244 Structure Hypothesis Descriptive versus Explanatory Accounts of 255 Horizontal Structure PART III THE PROCESS OF STAGE TRANSITION Chapter 12 Basic Processes and Regulatory Mechanisms Introduction 259 General Regulatory Processes That Can Lead to 261 Hierarchical Integration Empirical Evidence on the Effectiveness of the General 272 Regulatory Processes Summary and Conclusion 278 Chapter 13 Epigenetic Changes Introduction 281 Problems for the Theory of Hierarchical Integration 282 Definition of Terms 288 The Maximum EPL of Structures at Different Stages 290 The Theoretical Problems Revisited 307 Chapter 14 Short-Term Storage Space and Its Development Introduction 309 The Growth of Short-Term Storage Space (STSS) 310 during Infancy

6 Contents xi The Growth of STSS during Early Childhood 315 \ The Growth of STSS during Middle Childhood 320 The Growth of STSS during Adolescence 325 Intercorrelations among STSS Measures 328 Conclusion 330 Chapter 15 The Role of Short-Term Storage Space in the Executive Assembly Process Introduction 331 Data on Children's Readiness for Learning 331 Readiness for Learning in Adults: ' 341 A New Experimental Paradigm Conclusion 348 Chapter 16 Operational Efficiency and the Growth of Short-Term Storage Space Two Models of STSS Growth 350 Existing Data of Relevance to the Two Models 351 New Data of Relevance to the Two Models 354 Summary and Conclusion 365 Chapter 17 The Role of Experience and Maturation in the Growth of Operational Efficiency Introduction 366 Problems with Current Models 368 New Data of Relevance to the Models 369 Toward a Neurophysiological Model of Experiential 377 and Maturational Change Summary of Part III and Conclusion 381 PART IV APPLICATIONS AND EXTENSIONS OF THE THEORY Chapter 18 Intellectual Development and Education Introduction 387 The Piagetian Perspective 388 The Brunerian Perspective 389 The Information-Processing Perspective 390

7 xii Contents Comparison of the Three Perspectives 391 \ The Present Perspective 392 Applications of the Present Perspective 394 Summary 408 Chapter 19 Retrospect and Prospect: A View of the Present Theory in Historical Perspective Introduction Summary of the Theory Problems Posed by Piaget's Theory Problems Posed by Earlier Alternatives to Piaget's Theory New Questions Raised by the Present Theory Future Directions ' References 433 Author Index 451 Subject Index ^ 457