Beyond Formal Operations: Uses and Limits of Pure Logic in Life-Span Development

The present paper outlines a life-span model derived from Piaget’s population-dynamic interpretation of the two-tiered function of logic in adaptation: logical intercoordination and variation on the one hand, and contextual-pragmatic selection on the other. In this model specialization, concern with concrete pragmatics, and pressures towards social system stability are all seen to be aspects of progressive, directional, and structural change in adulthood. Suggestions bearing on interpretations of adult cognitive change are offered.