Modeling the Developing Mind: From Structure to Change

Abstract

This article presents a theory of cognitive change. The theory assumes that the fundamental causes of cognitive change reside in the architecture of the mind. Thus, the architecture of the mind as specified by the theory is described first. It is assumed that the mind is a three-level universe involving (1) a processing system that constrains processing potentials, (2) a set of specialized capacity systems that guide understanding of different reality and knowledge domains, and (3) a hypercognitive system that monitors and controls the functioning of all other systems. This article then specifies the types of changes that may occur in cognitive development (changes within the levels of mind, changes in the relations between structures across levels, changes in the efficiency of a structure) and a series of general (e.g., metarepresentation) and more specific mechanisms (e.g., bridging, interweaving, and fusion) that bring the changes about. It is argued that different types of change require different mechanisms. Finally, a general model of the nature of cognitive development is offered. The relations between the theory proposed in the article and other theories and research in cognitive development and cognitive neuroscience are discussed throughout. © 1999 Academic Press.