ABSTRACT

The title of our contribution to this volume reflects our view that these two questions—first, what exactly is epistemological thinking, and, second, why does it matter—are the essential ones that must be answered if the objectives that the present volume represents are to be realized. Until very recently, the study of epistemological thinking has held more or less orphan status in the field of cognitive development. A handful of different research groups have worked on the topic for a number of years and produced broadly consistent findings. These findings, however, elicited little reaction on the part of others in the field of cognitive development, and scarcely any connections have been made to other dimensions of cognitive development, either by those conducting this research or by its potential audience.