Perspectives on adult cognition.

Beyond Piaget: postformal thought

▪ More extraordinary richness and complexity of

mature thinking.

▪ It is Relativistic→ reconciling contradictory ideas

or considerations in a complex intellectual

system.

▪ It emerges in emerging adulthood but

becomes more complex with age and new

experiences.

Reflective thinking

• Complex cognition is defined as the ongoing, active,

persistent and careful consideration of information or beliefs in

the light of the evidence that supports them and the conclusions to which they lead.

• It involves continually questioning accepted facts, drawing conclusions and making connections.

• Arises between 20 and 25 years → fully myelinated regions of the

cerebral cortex can handle higher level thinking, + the brain

forms new neurons, synapses and dendritic connections.

• Almost all adults develop the capacity to become reflective

thinkers.

• However, only some reach the optimum capacity to apply it

systematically to various problems→ importance of a rich and

stimulating environment such as university education.

Integrative thinking

• Flexible, open, adaptable and individualistic → ability to deal

with uncertainty, inconsistency, contradiction, imperfection and compromise.

• It draws on emotion and intuition but also on logic and reason.

• Operates in a social and emotional context → less clearly

structured and meaning-laden social dilemmas.

• Instead of accepting something for what it seems, it is filtered through life-long experience and learning.

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