The Development of Intellectual Capability: A Discussion of Stratified Systems Theory

Abstract

This article addresses the cognitive processes requiredfor individuals to plan and carry out goal-directed activities. The author postulates that different states of cognitivefunctioning exist and that individuals change to different states as they reach different points of cognitive power-measured in time horizons-rather than particular ages. Work is measured in terms of time spans for its completion, and from this the author develops a stratified hierarchy of organization. A "quintave" theory of cognitive development based on four cognitive states-shaping, reflective articulation, extrapolation, and transformation of systemsis presented, with the four states appearing repeatedly in increasingly complex settings in higher organizational strata. The author discusses the maturation of individuals' cognitive power, hypothesizing that everyone does not mature along the same track of cognitive development, with some maturing further along the track than others, and proposing instead a multiple track theory. The author concludes that cognitive development differs from intelligence quotient (IQ), and that it occurs regardless of social and economic opportunities for exercising cognitive power.

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