NEO-PIAGETIAN THEORIES AND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE

Three studies are reported showing different aspects of relating Piagetian studies to intervention research concerned with accelerating the cognitive development of early adolescents. It is argued that inferring causation from results of intervention studies is problematical. The first study involved Feuerstein's model of Mediated Learning and Instrumental Enrichment; the second utilised training on formal operational schemata in the context of science education, and the third investigated the effect of training for field-independence on Piagetian tests and on science learning. In each case effect-sizes of the order of one standard deviation on Piagetian tests between experimental and control were shown to be achievable over a period of a year or more, and in two types of study it was shown that the effects were not transient. Nevertheless, two substantial issues were common to each study. The effects shown on Piagetian and other tests had not been shown to transfer to students' learning during the intervention, and the successful communication of an intervention model to practising teachers was found to be a major research issue.     

EXPERIENTIAL STRUCTURALISM AND NEO-PIAGETIAN THEORIES: TOWARD AN INTEGRATED MODEL

Experiential structuralism is a new theory of cognitive organization and growth. It postulates that the cognitive system is organized into six autonomous capacity spheres: the quantitative-relational, the qualitative-analytic, the imaginal-spatial, the causal-experimental, the verbal-propositional, and the metacognitive-reflecting. These capacities were called experiential because they are experimentally documented, they reflect the organization of the persons' experience and the - subjective - experience the persons have about this organization. Thus it was proposed that a set of specific cognitive abilities may be integrated into a general capacity under the guidance of four principles. Namely, the principles of (1) domain specificity, (2) formal-procedural specificity, (3) symbolic bias, and (4) subjective distinctness of capacities. It was argued that this theory resolves some of the problems related to the competence-performance dispute better than the other neo-Piagetian theories. It seems to succeed in this regard because it postulates mechanisms directly linking performance variations with systematic variations in the organization of the cognitive system. However, the neo-Piagetian theories, though they did not define capacities, did propose notions able to causally explain the construction of autonomous capacities. These notions were integrated into a common model able to explain the generation of capacities. Overall, then, the present article attempts to integrate traditional differential and cognitive-developmental psychology into a common theory.     

CROSS-CULTURAL SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES ON TWO NEO-PIAGETIAN COGNITIVE TASKS*

Two studies are reported concerning performance differences and similarities across cultures. Pascual-Leone's tests of mental attention/energy (M-power) were administered to Zulu-speaking township children aged from 7 to 12 years. In study 1, the Compound Stimulus Visual Information task (CSVI) was used to determine whether children (N = 292) performed at theoretically predicted levels previously obtained with middle-class Canadian children. In study 2, the children (N = 252) were required to complete the Figural Intersection Test (FIT) four times. Unlike the CSVI, in which learning is controlled by training prior to testing, the FIT assumes basic familiarity with the general test requirements. The purpose of repeated testing was to assess the extent of learning across trials. The results for study 1 indicate that subjects do perform at the predicted levels on the CSVI and have the same M-power as Canadian children. The results for study 2 indicate that the subjects underperform on trial 1 of the FIT but overperform on trial 2 relative to Canadian children. Deux études sont rapportées concernant des différences et des similarités inter-culturelles de performance. Les tests de l'attention mentale/énergie (‘M-power’) de Pascual-Leone ont été administrés à des enfants âgés de 7 à 12 ans provenant de communautés d'expression Zulu. Dans la première étude, la tâche d'information visuelle du stimulus composé (CSVI) a été utilisée pour déterminer si les enfants (N = 292) pouvaient performer aux niveaux prédits théoriquement qui avaient été préalablement observés chez les enfants Canadiens de classe moyenne. Dans la seconde étude, les enfants (N = 252) devaient compléter quatre fois le test de l'intersection des figures (FIT). Contrairement au CSVI, dans lequel l'apprentissage est contrôlé par l'entraînement qui précède l'administration du test, le FIT assume une familiarité de base avec les prérequis généraux du test. Le but visé par la répétition du test était d'évaluer l'étendue de l'apprentissage en fonction des essais. Les résultats de la première étude indiquent que les sujets obtiennent les performances prévues au CSVI et possèdent le měme niveau de ‘M-Power’ que les enfants Canadiens. Les résultats de la seconde étude indiquent que, par comparaison avec les enfants Canadiens, les sujets livrent une performance inférieure au premier essai du FIT, alors qu'ils obtiennent une performance supérieure au second essai.     

ORGANISMIC PROCESSES FOR NEO-PIAGETIAN THEORIES: A DIALECTICAL CAUSAL ACCOUNT OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

The paper criticizes some epistemological presuppositions of Piaget's and of neo-Piagetian's work, in particular, the psycho-Logical principle. This principle is contrasted with a more valid psycho-dialectical one. It is suggested that a dialectical-constructivist (i.e., causal-dynamic) perspective offers a causal theoretical framework for cognitive development that is superior to that of Piaget and many neo-Piagetians. I outline criteria for evaluating causal developmental theories, and point out deficiencies in Piaget's and neo-Piagetian's stage theories vis-à-vis the criteria. An organismic theory of constructive operators - a dialectical/causal theory - is introduced as a remedy for these deficiencies. I focus on a modular model of mental attention that is constituted by four dynamically interacting functional systems. These systems together explain the ‘beam’ of mental attention and its phenomenological/behavioural effects. I claim that the stages of cognitive development are caused by growth of mental attention. The validity of this model is supported by data on a motor performance task (Rho task). The Rho data show: (a) the existence of stage-wise plateaus in children's performance at ages congruent with the redefined Piagetian stages; (b) the psychological structures which, driven by mental attention (M-capacity), are responsible for performance on the task, appear to be located in the left hemisphere of the brain. These findings, predicted by the dialectical theory of mental attention, highlight its causal-predictive power.     

NEO-PIAGETIAN THEORY: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

In the present article, the neo-Piagetian theories that were presented in the previous articles are placed in historical context; then compared and contrasted. It is suggested that all the theories arose in response to a common dilemma, namely that of building a revised theory of development which would preserve the strengths of classical Piagetian theory, while elminating its weaknesses. Since one of the strengths of the classical theory was its ability to explain the universal features of cognitive development, most of the new theories retained the core set of structural postulates which made this explanation possible. This gives the new theories a strong family resemblance with regard to their structural claims. Since one of the weaknesses of the classical theory was its inability to explain the aspects of cognitive development that are not universal, most of the new theories have modified and/or added to this set of core postulates, and specified a set of structural transformation processes which go beyond the classical theory as well. In this latter regard there are more dissimilarities among the new theories than there are similarities. Two reasons for this divergence are suggested. The first is that Piaget's structural transformation model was less clearly falsified than other aspects of his theory, by the data on cognitive-developmental non-universality. It was therefore less clear which aspects of the transformation model should be retained, and which eliminated. The second reason is that current theorists are divided on the question of which other theoretical approach - among those that are currently available in other branches of psychology - offers the greatest promise, when it comes to extending Piaget's transformation model in a productive fashion.     

A DAY AT DEVELOPMENTAL DOWNS: SPORTSCAST FOR RACE #2 - NEO-PIAGETIAN THEORIES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

This article discusses the neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive development proposed by Robbie Case, Andreas Demetriou and Anastasia Efklides, Kurt Fischer, Jeffrey Farrar, Graeme Halford, Juan Pascual-Leone, Michael Shayer, and Robert Siegler. Each theory is discussed in terms of its basic assumptions, and propositions regarding structure, process, novelty and automatization, context, and mechanisms of development. Then some general conclusions are drawn about the enterprise of neo-Piagetian theorizing as a whole.     

CREATIVITY AND CROSS-CULTURAL VARIATION

Is the nature of creativity essentially the same around the globe? The effect of cultural factors on creativity is reviewed. Distinct Western and Oriental perspectives on the definition of creativity and the creative process are described. Culture is also shown to channel creative activity by promoting certain domains, social groups, and characteristic ways of approaching the world. The effects of world-view and pressure for conformity are then presented as cultural features that relate to the nurturance of creativity across domains. The cultural variation described is supported by ethnographic and experimental evidence. Limitations on the scope of the review and methodological issues in cross-cultural research on creativity are also discussed. The effects of culture on creativity are understood within an interactive framework that incorporates both the person and the environment.     

GAMES AND SPORTS : MISSING ITEMS IN CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

Assez curieusement, le jeu et le sport ont été grandement négligés en tant que variables dans les recherches de psychologie interculturelle. Cette lacune surprend car le jeu et le sport sont intimement imbriqués dans la structure fondamentale de la culture et se manifestent sous la forme de comportements universels, spontanés, aisément observables et utilisables. Dans le but de réparer cette omission et de rejoindre les efforts des anthropologues et des sociologues, les auteurs suggèrent différents moyens d'utiliser le jeu et le sport dans la recherche interculturelle et plus spécialement dans quatre domaines : (1) étude de la perception et des processus cognitifs; (2) étude des changements sociaux; (3) théorie des jeux; (4) examen des aptitudes.     

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON VIOLENCE: UNIVERSALS AND PARTICULARS

Abstract. The problem addressed is how to establish the nature (grounds and consequences) of culturally formulated aggressive displays, for example, Balinese cockfights. Psychological and other research suggests that aggression can be under the control of nature, culture, or both. After surveying the evidence supporting both endogenous, in particular cathartic, and exogenous processes, the paper explores what is involved in establishing which process is operative in particular ethnographic cases. Special attention is paid to institutions which show coadaptation between biological and culture-dependent processes and regulations.     

THE IMAGO DEI: EVOLUTIONARY AND THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

This short article provides an introduction to a special section, consisting of six papers on human evolution and the imago Dei. These papers are the result of dialogue between theologians and philosophers of religion at the University of Oxford and the Catholic University of Leuven. All contributors focus on the imago Dei, and consider how this theological notion can be understood from an evolutionary perspective, looking at a variety of disciplines, including the psychology of reasoning, cognitive science of religion, paleoanthropology, evolutionary psychology, and evolutionary ethics.     

PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES: CONSTITUENCY PERSPECTIVES AND PREFERENCES

The multiple constituency approach is proposed as a meaningful framework for analyzing the activities of the personnel department. A basic hypothesis on the differences in constituency preferences was empirically tested in 150 organizational units of three large organizations. Four constituencies were found to desire significantly different activities from the department. Minor contextual effects on the pattern of differences were also observed across the three organizations. Future research agendas and implications for practice based on the multiple constituency approach are discussed.     

COMMUNICATION AND CONFLICT REDUCTION A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY1

Deux expériences distinctes, L'une aux Etats-Unis, L'autre en Suède, ont été consacrées aux effets de trois niveaux de communication (Communication Nulle — Communication Factuelle — Communication Totale) sur la réduction des conflits inter-personnels. Deux sujets, amenés, par entraînement préalable, à un système de croyance différent, doivent parvenir à une décision commune dans une tâche nouvelle, mais semblable à la première. La réduction du conflit est faible dans toutes les conditions. Cependant les sujets avec communication totale montrent moins de conflit que les sujets sans communication (p < .01), les sujets avec communication factuelle se situant entre les deux. On n'observe aucune différence, entre les deux pays, dans L'effet du niveau de communication sur la réduction du conflit. Enfin, la connaissance par feedback des conséquences de la tâche n'a pas d'effet sur la réduction du conflit cognitif, ce qui suggèrerait que L'on doive utiliser d'autres types de feedback pour réduire de tels conflits.     

A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF PERSONALITY: EGYPTIAN AND ENGLISH CHILDREN*

679 Egyptian boys and 696 girls completed the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, translated into Arabic. Factor comparisons were moderately high for extraversion and social desirability but weak for neuroticism and psychoticism. Suitable item substitution produced a scoring key resulting in adequate reliabilities with the exception of a somewhat low reliability for the boys on extraversion and low reliabilities on psychoticism for both sexes. Sex differences on means of the dimensions were as usual, boys scoring higher than girls on extraversion and psychoticism, but lower on neuroticism and social desirability. Moreover, on comparing Egyptian with English means, using scales of items in common only, the English boys and girls scored higher than their Egyptian counterparts on extraversion but significantly lower on social desirability. British boys scored higher on psychoticism than did Egyptian boys but British girls scored lower than Egyptian girls.     

JAPANESE AND AMERICAN PERSONAL VALUES SOME CROSS-CULTURAL FINDINGS

Comparaison d'échantillons appariés d'étudiants japonais et américains (niveau lycée et collège universitaire) relativement aux six valeurs que mesure L'inventaire Survey of Personal Values. On a d'abord testé la comparabilité des “valeurs” dans la langue originale de L'inventaire et dans la traduction japonaise: L'analyse factorielle des items traduits et les corrélations calculées entre L'inventaire en japonais et un choix d'échelles japonaises de personnalité donnent des garanties à cet égard. Chez les étudiants japonais des deux sexes et des deux niveaux scolaires, on trouve des moyennes plus faibles pour ce qui est de L'orientation pratique de L'esprit, la réussite et la variété, et des moyennes plus élevées pour L'ordre et L'orientation vers un but. Ainsi, les Japonais accordent moins d'importance aux considérations matérialistes (réussite individuelle, changement ou diversité) mais ils donnent plus de valeur à un mode de vie organisé et routinier et au fait de chercher systématiquement à réaliser des buts bien définis. Les résul-tats de la présente recherche recoupant des recherches antérieures, font apparaître une grande ressemblance entre les deux pays, dans la structure de la personnalité.     

CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS ON PSYCHOSEMANTICS OF ICONS AND GRAPHICS

This study is to report a cross-cultural comparison on perceptions of icons and graphics and their relationships. Data were ratings of 10 icons and 10 graphics against 21 bipolar semantic differential scales from 325 college students in three countries, Mexico, Columbia, and Japan. Cross-cultural factor analyses resulted in the identification of four semantic (three affective and one denotative) features, three icon factors, and three graphic factors. Indigenous cultural means of these iconic and graphic factors were computed and used to probe cross-cultural similarities and differences in perceptions. Psychosemantics of icon factors were further predicted by graphic factors through canonical correlation. This study concludes the importance of implicit cultural meanings of nonverbal figures in intercultural communications. The implications of this study are also discussed.