Abstract

This study aimed to examine the synchrony of development of logicomathematical groupings in concrete operational stage. The author controlled uniformly all the possible structural conditions of the task which are likely to have effect on the performance level of the operations, except for the number of attributes that constitute the matrix as information processing load of the task. This was to ascertain, the empirical validity of the concept of stage in Piaget's structural theory by confirming the existence of structure d'ensenible. It was assumed that the performance level of multiplicative classification, and multiple seriation would vary with the information, processing load of the task, and the time of synchrony between the two operations would vary with the information load of the task. But the findings of this study showed that the information processing load of the task neither allows direct effects on. the difference between ti e performance levels of the two operations, nor indicates consistent change of the time of synchrony between the two operations. Therefore, the synchronic development of the two operations was not verified even though the information processing load was consisdered. and the concept of Pragetian cognitive developmental stage in view of the. structural theory was not validated. Thus, it was suggested that either the competence structure and the performance level of operation should be independently treated as Wohlwill (1968) asserted, or another kind of developmental stage concept should be formulated according to the increas of children's information processing ability as Pascual-Leone (1976) conceived.