Early Experience and the Development of Cognitive Competence: Some Theoretical and Methodological Issues 1 |
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| Authors: | Stein Erik Ulvund |
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| Institution: | Stein Erik Ulvund, Lecturer, Institute for Educational Research , University of Oslo, Norway , P.O. Box 1092, Blindern, Oslo 3. |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Ulvund, S.E. 1982. Early Experience and the Development of Cognitive Competence: Some Theoretical and Methodological Issues. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 26, 45‐75. A theoretical analysis focussing on the relationship between early experience and the development of cognitive competence is given. It is argued that the interactionistic position known as a transactional model of development (Sameroff 1975a) is especially applicable to the problem of early experience. It is further suggested that the optimal stimulation hypothesis forms a relevant basis for the identification of some of the major issues related to the effects of early experience, and that particularly the enhancement prediction (Wachs 1977) seems to correspond closely to what is meant by a transactional model of development. In accordance with McCall (1977), Sameroff (1975a) and Wohlwill (1973b), it is held that one of the main implications of a transactional model of development is that research to a larger extent should focus on discontinuity and instability in development rather than continuity and stability. Finally, based on various approaches to the problem of the effects of early experience (U?giris 1977), some integrated conceptions and their major implications for coming research are discussed. |
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