| Abstract: | Ninety-six Hong Kong boys, aged 6 to 13, were given a questionnaire dealing with the operation of the bank and shop transactions. The developmental progression in the understanding of the bank, though more complex in the Hong Kong sample, was essentially similar to that of a Scottish sample reported by Jahoda (1981). A full understanding of the bank emerged at age 10, while that of shop profit emerged at age 6, both showing a precocity over the Scottish sample. The study also considered the roles of cognitive differentiation and conflict, and experimentally tested for any new understanding that might result from the experience of cognitive contrasts and conflict. The experience was found to produce a significant improvement in the understanding of the bank among 10 to 13 year old boys, and of shop profit among 8 to 10 year old boys. |
