The Development of Logic in Adulthood

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xx

   PDF

2. Introduction

   1. Introduction

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 1-10

3. The Theory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 11-11

      PDF

   2. Limits of Traditional Approaches for Understanding Adult Logical Development

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 13-21

   3. What Characterizes Postformal Thought?

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 23-49

   4. Development of Postformal Thought

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 51-71

   5. New Physics Models Underlying Postformal Thought

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 73-89

   6. General Systems Theory Underlies Postformal Thought

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 91-101

   7. Chaos, Complexity, Self-Regulating Systems, and Postformal Thought

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 103-113

4. Some Research to Support the Theory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 115-115

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   2. Initial Research: How Do Adults Use Logical Thought?

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 117-125

   3. Interview and Thinking Aloud Studies

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 127-146

   4. Age Differences in Processes

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 147-160

   5. Emotion, Intention, Health, Goal Clarity, and Other Factors in Postformal Thought

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 161-175

   6. Digging Deeper

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 177-192

5. Applications of the Theory of Postformal Thought at Home and in the “Big Picture”

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 193-193

      PDF

   2. Applications of the Theory of Postformal Thought to Education

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 195-215

   3. Reinventing the University to Foster and Serve Postformal Thinkers

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 217-225

   4. Postformal Thought and Multiperson Groups

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 227-240

   5. Postformal Thought in Multiperson Groups

      • Jan D. Sinnott

      Pages 241-253

In this book Jan D. Sinnott synthesizes her 20 years of research on lifespan cognitive development to describe the growth of complex (or `postformal') thought in adults. She shows specifically how adults improve mentally over a lifetime and learn to think in more complex and wiser ways. Applications of postformal thought are demonstrated in such diverse areas as - family relations - adult education - personal identity - and spirituality. Chapters examine relations between postformal thought and pertinent variables such as age, health, memory, and vocabulary. Other sections deal with issues in humanistic psychology such as - guided imagery - mind - body medicine - and creative intentionality.

• Emotion
• Thought
• development
• intervention
• mind
• psychology

• Towson University, Baltimore, USA

  Jan D. Sinnott

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