| Abstract: | Comments on the concealment of major theoretical differences in psychology implied in the vague use of terms such as education, information giving, or communication and notes the need for attention to developmental process in education or prevention programs. Qualitatively different psychological processes related to cognitive development result in distinctively diverse ways of thinking about a disease. For instance, both adults and children may rely on concrete or magical thinking rather than abstract reasoning in their conception of any illness, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Thus, information must be tailored to systematic differences in cognitive maturity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
