Adult Cognition: Piagetian Based Research Findings

Abstract

The work of Jean Piaget, widely recognized as pertinent to childhood cognition, has in recent years generated significant research based on adult samples. Because traditional Piagetian em phasis has been on young children the potential application of Piaget's theory to help in understanding and in explaining adult cognition has not been widely appreciated. Increasing in terest in adult development, however, has stimulated additional speculation and investigation in to the questions of adult cognition, including efforts to conceptualize adult cognitive develop ment in Piagetian terms. Application of Piagetian concepts to the study of adult cognition has occurred across a wide range and heretofore only limited efforts have been made to organize a review of the Piagetian literature on adult cognition around selected central issues. This extensive review, based on adult samples, reports the research findings concerning three specific topical issues that are of interest to the adult educator. The topics reviewed include the necessity, universality and persistence of the formal operations stage. Based on the literature reviewed, it is concluded that each of the topics requires further study, analysis and conceptualization.