Children's Use of Social Conceptions: Toward a Dynamic Model of Social Cognition

For developmental social psychology to be clinically practical, it must use categories of experience similar to categories that counselors, clinicians, and other practitioners find useful. Knowledge of the developmental forms or levels, conceptions of critical issues in intrapsychic (individual), friendship, and peer group relationships provide such a map of how individuals at different ages view their social relations. The article also describes how individuals may function at different levels depending on the context in which they are expressing their understanding (e.g., spontaneous discussion, reflective thought).