Richard L. Miller (1945-2023).

Memorializes Richard L. Miller (1945-2023). In the 1990s, Rick began a 24-year tenure at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. As department chair, Rick led the University of Nebraska at Kearney Psychology Department to the system-wide University of Nebraska Outstanding Teaching Department Award. In 2014, Rick moved to Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he served as department chair. At Texas A&M University-Kingsville, he was recognized for teaching, mentorship, and scholarship, including the A&M Piper Professor Teaching Award. He served in many leadership roles, including the presidencies of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2) and the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Early Tests of Piagetian Theory Through World War II.

Psychologists recognized the importance of Jean Piaget's theory from its inception. Within a year of the appearance of his first book translated into English, The Language and Thought of the Child (J. Piaget, 1926) , it had been reviewed and welcomed; shortly thereafter, psychologists began testing the tenets of the theory empirically. The author traces the empirical testing of his theory in the 2 decades following publication of his initial book. A review of the published literature through the World War II era reveals that the research resulted in consistent failure to support the theoretical mechanisms that Piaget proposed. Nonetheless, the theory ultimately gained traction to become the bedrock of developmental psychology. Reasons for its persistence may include a possible lack of awareness by psychologists about the lack of empirical support, its breadth and complexity, and a lack of a viable alternate theory. As a result, the theory still exerts influence in psychology even though its dominance has diminished.