The Developmental Psychology of Planning: Why, How, and When Do We Plan?

By: Ellin Kofsky Scholnick and Sarah L. Friedman

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Synopsis: Planning is defined as formulating an organized method for action in advance. Although people do not plan all the time and planning does not occur in every situation, planning skill is central to all human behavior. There are developmental differences in planning skill and in the motivation to plan. Even among adults, variations in the engagement in the planning process are affected by individual attitudes, beliefs, and goals. Planning also has a different meaning at various junctures in one's life. Yet despite the amount of research on planning, many of the studies have focused only on the cognitive processes that enable mature individuals to plan. A continued exploration of the developmental course of planning, this text attempts to situate cognitive aspects of planning in the context of the social and cultural environment and other psychological processes. Bringing together the contributions of developmental, organizational, and social psychologists, it explains how, when, and why we plan. Finally, it addresses various issues that pertain to the different aspects of planning, from formal problem solving to handling the demands of everyday life.