In two experiments subjects were required to determine whether a random, angular form, presented at any of a number of picture-plane orientations was a "standard" or "reflected" version. Average time required to make this determination increased linearly with the angular departure of the form from a previously learned orientation. (Author/BJG)

In this study, representational thought, which involves the child's ability to function in terms of nonpresent reality, is viewed within a cognitive-developmental framework. To see if disadvantaged children would function in the same way as advantaged children on tasks which required representational thought rather than verbalization, children…

This study was based on the following assumptions: (1) functioning of the brain's left hemisphere, because of its logical, verbal mode, facilitates conservation reasoning; (2) functioning of the brain's right hemisphere, because of its nonverbal, spatial mode, inhibits conservation reasoning; (3) visual input from the left eye will reach the left…

Reports three experiments with kindergartners and first graders which used one-trial multidimensional reasoning tasks like those of Toppino (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, v30, p496-512, 1980). Feedback information and preliminary experience with simple forms of the task produced high performance levels, and verbal labeling in the…

The present studies explored the role of the medial striatum in learning when task contingencies change. Experiment 1 examined whether the medial striatum is involved in place reversal learning. Testing occurred in a modified cross-maze across two consecutive sessions. Injections of the local anesthetic, bupivacaine, into the medial striatum, did…

This paper examines how visual information strategies may be used to facilitate the development of mental models. Topics covered include: definition of mental models; mental models and visual information; mental modeling concepts; power of modeling, including examples related to physical science, mathematics, writing, and depth of processing;…

The impact of age effects on nonverbal memory for auditory or tactual patterns has been largely neglected in research studies. The effects of age on nonverbal memory were investigated by comparing subjects (N=120), divided by age decades into six groups (N=20), through tests using visual, auditory, and tactual items which were resistant to verbal…

Nonverbal learning disorders are less common than the typical language-based learning disabilities identified by school staff. Appropriate intervention is highly dependent on the accurate diagnosis of this disorder. Emphasis on performance and behavior management often obscures the etiology of a child's difficulties and leads to ineffective…

This article discusses the implications of the word-centered or logocentric tradition in education, implications of the information technologies as tools for the mind, the new role of imagery as a way of thinking and communicating, certain impacts on human learning, and speculations as to where these technologies might lead us. (IAH)

The original intent of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Object Sorting Task (OST) as a predictor of learning outcomes, especially among minority children. The study results, however, have produced a subtle but significant shift of attention to the issue of possible differences in the cognitive organization of children…

The present study was aimed at simultaneously determining on the same subject, the effects of stress on retrieval of flexible (contextual or temporal) or stable (spatial) information. Three behavioral paradigms carried out in a four-hole board were designed as follows: (1) Simple Discrimination (SD), in which mice learned a single discrimination;…

Do our memories remain static during sleep, or do they change? We argue here that memory change is not only a natural result of sleep cognition, but further, that such change constitutes a fundamental characteristic of declarative memories. In general, declarative memories change due to retrieval events at various times after initial learning and…

A study was undertaken at the West Virginia School for the Deaf to test the assumption that the modes of thought of deaf children could be improved, and that improvement in concept formation would result in improvement in testable areas. Sixteen primary school children of approximately equal ability were selected and paired to form the control and…

Cognition, as a key semantic descriptor, is examined to discover how its use reveals Western attitudes toward knowledge acquisition and toward art as a subject area. (Author/CS)

Recent advances in neuroimaging and genetics technologies have enhanced our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders in adults. The authors in this volume not only discuss such advances as they apply to adults with learning disorders, but also address their translation into clinical practice. One cluster of chapters addresses developmental…