Jacques Lautrey

Age Related Differences in the Strategies Used by Middle Aged Adults to Solve a Block Design Task

In the present study, it was proposed to investigate the effects of aging on the strategies used to solve a block design task and to establish whether these strategies may be associated with differential patterns of ability. Two groups of subjects, 30 young adults (aged 20–35 years) and 30 middle-aged adults (aged 45–60 years) were set a computer version of the Kohs task and a battery of tests. An age-related decrease in fluid intelligence (Gf) and visual-spatial ability (Gv) was observed, along with the fact that most of the older subjects used a global strategy rather than a synthetic one. On the other hand, while continuing to use strategies of the analytic type, the older subjects looked more frequently at the model and scored high on crystallized intelligence (Gc). These findings are discussed from two different points of view: the theory of hierarchical stimuli and the hypothesis that metacognitive ability, which is thought to rely on Gc, may increase with age, and thus compensate for the loss of Gf and Gv.

A Developmental Approach to Mental Imagery

The development of capacities for mental imagery has been dealt with in both Piagetian theory and in theories of information processing (IP). The aim of the present paper is to examine the assumptions, methodology, and main findings in these two approaches, with specific focus on the development of the capacity for mental images of transformation in the child. The first part of this paper reviews the main issues in Piagetian and IP studies. Comparison shows that each field has identified a specific mode of representation. It is argued that relating these two modes of representation may be a powerful tool in conceptualizing the development of spatial operations.

Approche pluraliste du développement : l’exemple de la construction du nombre

Resume L’approche pluraliste cherche a integrer dans un meme cadre theorique l’explication du developpement cognitif et celle de la differenciation entre les individus. Elle s’appuie pour cela sur le fait qu’une meme fonction cognitive peut en general etre remplie par plusieurs processus, qui traitent des informations differentes. Cette forme de redondance est supposee etre a l’origine de deux sortes de relations entre ces processus co-fonctionnels. D’une part des relations de support mutuel, qui sont source d’auto-organisation et donc de developpement. D’autre part des relations de vicariance qui sont source de differences de cheminement dans ce developpement. Ces hypotheses sont mises a l’epreuve des faits en examinant les donnees disponibles sur la construction du nombre.