Compares concepts defining Kohlbergian stages of moral development with those associated with orders of hierarchical complexity determined with a generalized content-independent stage-scoring system. Finds that Kohlberg's sequence generally matches that identified with the scoring system and that contract and authority concepts match the concepts…

Two studies of classification strategies of three and five year olds and adults found that five year olds and adults used different sorting strategies for each of two sorting tasks, whereas three year olds relied on the same strategy for both. Children most successful in producing correct groupings were most likely to modify their strategies…

Over 600 White females between 10.5 and 18.5 years of age were studied to test construct comparability across adolescence. Assessed were emotional functioning, eating problems, self-reflection, self-image, and mastery/adjustment to examine meaning equivalence in self-concepts and developmental psychopathology. Results suggest that the five factors…

Two studies that avoided methodological problems associated with inconclusive previous reports found that 6-year-olds had less reliable feeling-of-knowing (FOK) judgments but greater FOK accuracy than did 10- or 18-year-olds. Moreover, 18- and 70-year- olds had equally reliable FOK judgments and equivalent FOK accuracy. (RH)

Five experiments were used to determine whether and why second graders, fourth graders, and college students differ in modifying causal inferences about a surprising event in a story. Illustrated how encoding and retrieval factors contribute to inference modification. Results showed small developmental increases in inference modification in…

Examined personal aspirations of 708 older adults. Found aspirations centered on self-preservation were associated with very old age, functional impairment, lower socioeconomic status and education, and being alone or institutionalized. Aspirations of self-development and interpersonal relationships were associated with younger age, physical…

Examines a hypothesis built on the theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Parten that children's play becomes increasingly intersubjective during preschool years. The results provide support for the hypothesis that social play of preschoolers becomes increasingly shared from 3-4.5 years of age. (Author/BB)

Investigated relationship between Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R) cognitive clusters (Long-Term Retrieval, Short-Term Memory, Visual Processing, Auditory Processing, Processing Speed, Comprehension-Knowledge, Fluid Reasoning) and written language achievement measures in WJ-R standardization sample. Found significant…

Responds to Mandler's critique of authors' view of infant categorization. Maintains that their view of infant categorization is not characterized by a shift from one type of category to another but by gradual changes in the kinds of information infants can use in forming categories. Clarifies position regarding a single categorical process using…

Interviewed 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, and 10-year olds, and adults regarding their knowledge about primary-consciousness, reflective-consciousness, and control activities. Found that the recognition that people do not engage in conscious mental activities when unconscious is still developing during the late middle-childhood years. (Author/KB)

Examines the concept of utilization deficiency related to memory strategy development. Argues that problems with current definition obscure previous important theoretical distinctions and limit investigations of strategy inefficiencies that are likely to be important in understanding development of strategy use. Maintains that the developmental…

Focuses on the importance and meaning of the degree of spontaneity in memory strategy production. Situates the concept of utilization deficiency within current work on memory strategy heterogeneity, contextual support, and situation-specific skills. Concludes that work on utilization deficiencies helps balance the focus on early emergence of…

We analyzed the content of school-aged children's responses to a countywide in-class essay assignment in which they described what they are thankful for. Accounts were written in November of 2000 (n=152) and 2001 (n=196). We identified the most prominent themes of children's gratitude as well as differences in the themes that emerged before and…

The current study focuses on data collected from children in the United States shortly after the Yugoslavia-NATO conflict. Fifty-six children in two Midwestern states were asked to draw a picture of peace and a picture of war. Two major themes, peace as interpersonal interactions and peace as negative peace, emerged from the qualitative analysis…

Similarities between adolescents are often the cornerstone of a friendship; yet researchers know little about the similarities in friends' perceptions of the relationship. In the current study, the authors examine similarities in friends' perceived friendship qualities during the transition into early adolescence (n = 77 third graders, 110 fourth…