Transitional Processes in Social Cognitive Development: A Longitudinal Study

Microprocesses of stage change were studied by applying Snyder and Feldman's consolidation/transition model to substages and subcontents of Selman's stages of friendship reasoning in a six-year longitudinal study of 97 9-to 15-year-old children. It was hypothesised that individuals exhibiting reasoning above their own modal stages would be more likely to experience a developmental advance in modal reasoning, even when examined at the level of substage and subcontent. This was confirmed; however, the amount of variance in above mode reasoning was not related to development. Finally, controversies in the prior literature were explained by methodological differences. It was concluded that the Piagetian processes underlying the Snyder and Feldman model were supported.