Much recent research has focused on the relation between spatial skills and mathematical skills, which has resulted in widely reported links between these two skill sets. However, the magnitude of this relation is unclear. Furthermore, it is of interest whether this relation differs in size based on key demographic variables, such as gender and…

In this review, a new model that is grounded in information-processing theory is proposed to account for gender differences in spatial ability. The proposed model assumes that the relative strength of working memory, as expressed by the ratio of visuospatial working memory to verbal working memory, influences the type of strategies used on spatial…

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the relation between mathematics and working memory (WM) and to identify possible moderators of this relation including domains of WM, types of mathematics skills, and sample type. A meta-analysis of 110 studies with 829 effect sizes found a significant medium correlation of mathematics and WM, r…

Background: Research into the neuropsychology of pediatric obsessive--compulsive disorder (OCD) reveals inconsistent results, limiting the ability to draw conclusions about possible neurocognitive deficits in youth with OCD. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the available literature. Methods: We identified 36 studies, of…

A meta-analysis was undertaken to reexamine near- and far-transfer effects following working-memory training and to consider potential moderators more systematically. Forty-seven studies with 65 group comparisons were included in the meta-analysis. Results showed near-transfer effects to short-term and working-memory skills that were sustained at…

The behavioural phenotype of velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), one of the most common human multiple anomaly syndromes, includes developmental disabilities, frequently including intellectual disability (ID) and high risk of diagnosis of psychotic disorders including schizophrenia. VCFS may offer a model of the relationship between ID and risk of…

Research on the interaction of keyword treatment with materials or student characteristics in learning foreign languages was reviewed. Most of the studies implied that foreign language vocabulary learning was related to verbal, not visual-spatial ability or elaboration, conditions, and that student-generated keywords were more effective than…

If microcomputers are used as automated testing stations, for use in psychometric assessment, there are economic advantages. Discussion follows, however, on whether it is possible to improve the quality of cognitive assessment by extending the range of cognitive abilities to be assessed. Two types of extension are considered: modifying and…

A cross-cultural quantitative review of contemporary findings of gender differences in variability in verbal, mathematics, and spatial abilities finds that the well-established U.S. finding of considerably greater male variability in mathematical and spatial abilities is not invariant across countries and cultures. (SLD)

Although sex differences in research have received considerable attention, few researchers have examined the bias, social context, and process of that research. In analyzing sex differences in academic achievement over the past 10 years, three areas (mathematics, spatial ability, and verbal ability) would appear to establish consistent sex…

The purpose of this report is to distill curricular and testing implications of brain research. The report will focus on three topics. One topic is the possibility that brain lateralization--that is, the degree to which the two brain hemispheres specialize in different types of information processing--is an individual differences variable that…

Examined gender differences in spatial, verbal, and mathematical ability in 11,000 Israeli elementary school children. In each test the variance for boys exceeded girls by 10% to 20%. Consistent cross-grade differences in mean achievement were found only for mathematical ability. These results contradict American findings that show no gender…

Based on a literature review and the 20 years experience of an Alaskan teacher and administrator, some recommendations are proposed to improve education in rural Alaska school districts with Alaska Native students, particularly Yup'ik Eskimos. Currently such school districts have an education system similar to that found throughout the United…

The purpose of this literature review is to look at brain research and its effect on educational practice. For the last several years, educators, parents and policymakers have become increasingly interested in the potential role of positive early childhood experiences in promoting a child's emotional and intellectual well-being (Ellison, 2001).…

A quantitative synthesis of multivariate studies in science education during the past ten years yields evidence to support a model of achievement in science very much like that currently proposed in the literature of expert problem-solving. Despite previous claims, spatial visualization and verbal ability predict additional variance in achievement…