The development of object play was longitudinally examined in 40 children ages 11 to 27 months. The types of object play observed in nondisabled children were observed in children with disabilities at comparable developmental ages. Duration and frequency of active involvement with objects were greater for nondisabled children than for children…

Human toddlers demonstrate striking failures when searching for hidden objects that interact with other objects, yet successfully locate hidden objects that do not undergo mechanical interactions. This pattern hints at a developmental dissociation between contact-mechanical and spatiotemporal knowledge. Recent studies suggest that adult non-human…

Although a considerable amount is known about the development of object manipulation during the 1st year, less is known about how infants manually explore surfaces and relate objects to surfaces. To address these issues, 60 infants (20 each at 6, 8, and 10 months of age) were presented hard and soft objects on tabletop surfaces, which varied in…

The differences between school learning and other learning are discussed. To make these types of learning more similar, schools must develop students' skills slowly and must stress practical problem solving. Education then will be fulfilling its cultural function of promoting reason and analysis based on shared knowledge. (VM)

This study sought to determine whether there exist performance distinctions between artists and nonartists on specific two- and three-dimensional nonverbal problems. The factorial structure of scores on ten nonverbal ability tests was analyzed to identify mental process differences between the two groups. (Author/SJL)

Influential factors on the elementary students' proficiency in the fundamental skill of catching include: ball size, ball and background color, ball velocity, adjustive movements, and trajectory angle. (CJ)

Using Jean Piaget's theory of spatial development, a study was undertaken to identify the development of spatial concepts in 48 blind, partially sighted, and sighted 4-to-7-year-old children through the use of tactual recognition of shapes. (Author/PHR)

A study compared the motor coordination of 26 Japanese children (ages 6-15) with Asperger syndrome and 14 with learning disabilities using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Although no relationship was found between intellectual and motor function, both groups demonstrated motor delay. Children with autism had poorer ball skills. (CR)

To establish baseline data on South African children's behavior, observed 80 children at home and interviewed the children's primary caregiver. Gathered data on patterns of interaction and language use, content of activity, and use of objects. Presents general biographical and behavioral data, notes gender differences, and compares this data to…

Researchers studying monitoring accuracy currently use two different indexes to estimate accuracy: relative accuracy and absolute accuracy. The authors compared the distributional properties of two measures of monitoring accuracy using Monte Carlo procedures that fit within these categories. They manipulated the accuracy of judgments (i.e., chance…

Responses of itinerant, resource room, and residential school teachers to a questionnaire regarding adaptive hand function of blind, visually-impaired, and visually/multiply-handicapped 2- to 19-year-olds (N=148) indicated that physiological integrity was not a sufficient condition for development of adaptive hand function, suggesting that manual…

Maintains that young children learn to think when they act on objects, thus developing what Piaget refers to as physical and logico-mathematical knowledge. Teachers can encourage thinking/mental action by creating situations that are personally meaningful to the children, by providing decision-making opportunities, and by providing opportunities…

Describes materials mastery and symbolic development as two discrete but related processes that preschool children learn. Uses the preschool setting to identify the developmental stages of construction play. (AS)

Three experiments involved imagining the result of either an array rotating relative to a fixed viewer or a viewer rotating relative to a fixed array. The data suggested that adults use literal, concrete strategies to solve these problems. (Author/PN)

In this study self-concept, as measured by subjects' self-ratings of mechanical ability, was correlated to scores on the Pourchot Mechanical Manipulation Test of bilateral hand tool dexterity. Significant relationships were found. Subjects, ages 10-84, differed in results by age, sex, and mechanical experience. (SJL)