A Three-Level Model of the Developing Mind: Functional and Neuronal Substantiation and Educational Implications

Abstract

This chapter summarizes a theory of intellectual organization and development that attempts to answer questions such as the following: What is the general architecture of the developing mind? What is the condition of the various functions and processes at different phases of development; how and why do they change with age? What are the factors responsible for individual differences in cognitive architecture and development? The theory postulates that the mind is a three-level architecture involving (1) general processing potentials and representational capacity, (2) general self-monitoring, self-representation, and self-control processes, and (3) specialized systems of thought such as categorical, quantitative, spatial, and causal thought. The state and change of the processes of the two general levels constrain and direct the development of the specialized systems but these systems also affect the expression and condition of the general systems. The chapter summarizes studies that demonstrate the interactions between the levels of mind during development. The chapter also summarizes current research on the organization and development of the brain showing that the general architecture and dynamics of mind map onto our recent knowledge of the organization and development of the brain.