Argues that what matters is not the difference between learning and development, but the dynamic relationships that form the key to understanding. Examined two models of these relationships: (1) a semantic approach, distinguishing five dimensions along which learning and development can be compared; and (2) a mathematical nonlinear growth model…

Several different conceptions of the relationship between learning and development are considered in this article. It is argued that dialectical and ecological developmental orientations might provide a useful basis for synthesizing the contrasting frameworks of the operant, information processing, learning theory, and knowledge acquisition…

This paper represents a call for the rehabilitation and liberalization of the term learning. Preliminary steps for a revived theory of development and learning are described, including a consideration of such topics as compatibility or naturalness, accessibility and flexibility of learning, and processes of induction. Specific recommendations for…

Notes that Halford's book does not really address children's own understanding but rather the psychologist's attempt to understand children from the outside. Discusses the five major sets of ideas at the core of Halford's explanations of capacity, complexity/dimensionality, development, and learning. Examines two arguments against Halford's…

A pretheoretical model of cognitive development is proposed which is based on the empirical establishment of Gagne's cumulative learning sequences. (Author)

Argues that learning is an invariant process best understood from a dialectical perspective which demands that learning be viewed as an interaction between the organism and the environment. This view is contrasted with traditional operant approaches and with a Piagetian approach. (Author/DB)

The dynamic systems (DS) approach has emerged as an influential and potentially unifying metatheory for developmental science. Its central platform--the argument against design--suggests that structure spontaneously and without prescription emerges through self-organization. In one of the most prominent accounts of DS, Thelen and her colleagues…

The philosophies underlying the learning and structural theories used in psychology are described in this article. It is argued that a dialectical view provides some ways to breach the chasm between learning theory and the study of human development. (Author/DB)

Criticizes the operant approach to the study of life span development from a theoretical behaviorism view. It is argued that the operant approach is too limited in its scope to enhance significantly the conceptualization and understanding of life span development. (Author/DB)

Discusses the development of thinking from a sociocultural perspective, focusing on how Super and Harkness' (1986) concept of "developmental niche" may be used as a framework for organizing cognitive developmental research in relation to culture. Argues for the utility of this approach in furthering understanding of the precise linkages between…

Presents an alternative conceptual model of Reflection-Impulsivity. The alternative dimension delineates both a cognitive style and a cognitive efficiency dimension. A methodological alternative for use with the model is also presented. (BD)

Examines two different types of human motivation, pragmatic and nonpragmatic. Experimental studies in preschool-age children in both the former Soviet Union and Western cultures are presented. Suggests that the two contrasting conceptions of human motivation lead to totally different practical strategies for transforming human motivation in…

Examines current conceptualizations of the mechanisms used to explain cognitive and social development and possible common mechanisms linking the two areas. Considers these mechanisms for both a mechanisric and the two areas. Considers these mechanisms from both a mechanistic and an organismic perspective. Presents a developmental model which…

Suggests that while doubting that the dichotomy introduced by Subbotsky can cover the entire domain of motivation, he should applaud the emphasis on the neglected but critical importance of motivation in developmental psychology, and the attempt to distinguish different types of motivation, even as contributors to a single behavior. (AA)

An action theoretic account of skill learning and skill use is offered as a useful heuristic for life-span developmental psychology. The version presented is one that is particularly prominent in industrial psychology in the German-speaking countries. (Author/RH)