Much effort has been invested in time-on-task research. Time-on-task is described as a proxy term for the notion of "attention," and the findings of time-on-task research are described as less relevant to the classroom teacher than information contained in methods texts. (JN)

Attempts the theoretical rapprochement of two theoretical constructs on working memory, neo-Piagetian models and Baddeley's model. Summarizes both types of models, then discusses their similarities and differences. Presents the results of a longitudinal study that supported the idea that these models might be complementary rather than…

Sees learning as a component of development. Explains how cognitive growth can result from dialectical interactions among modes of learning and attentional mental capacity, and that these modes and components of attention relate to contextual function areas which, being neuropsychological units, can be clarified as to function by connectionist…

For a group of 165 fourth- and fifth-grade students, four achievement test scores were correlated with success on nine tests designed to measure three cognitive functions: sustained attention, successive processing, and simultaneous processing. This experiment was designed in accordance with Luria's model of the three functional units of the…

This paper suggests some of the implications television producers can find in emerging currents of theoretical research. The effectiveness of television over a wide range of tasks has led in some cases to too much ETV being broadcast and has covered up the fact that television can make a unique contribution to certain tasks and should be used…

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of television's impact lies in its creation of a generation of viewers incapable of making critical judgments about the media, their world, or themselves. (JD)

Effects of stimulant medication on word processing were assessed in 31 attention-deficit-disordered children (ages 6-16). Results suggested that methylphenidate may selectively improve the phonological level of word processing, and that favorable effects are produced through inhibition of excessive right hemisphere activity in response to task…

Focuses on five human information processing abilities which cognitive psychologists anticipate must be accounted for in order to develop good computer courseware--memory and attention; language or text characteristics; graphics and visual processing; cognitive characteristics of user; feedback to users. A 31-item bibliography is included. (EJS)

Investigated whether otitis media (OM), middle ear disease, affected toddlers' attention to language. Children were studied during a picture book-reading task at high- or low-quality day-care centers. Children with chronic OM in low-quality care showed the most negative effects on attention during episodes of OM; mothers rated children with…

This study examined the planning performance of children with attention deficits, and also investigated the possible interactions between inattention and anxiety in the performance of executive function tasks. A group of 98 children (grades 4 and 6), derived from an initial group of 550, were assigned to an attention difficulties group (AD) and a…

Two experiments were conducted (1) to identify the component processes of language comprehension that draw upon cognitive capacity for their execution, and (2) to determine differences in patterns of resource allocation during integrative processing for good and poor readers. In the first experiment, nine good and nine poor college-age readers…

Administered a complex reaction time task to 47 learning-disabled and 41 control children. The preparatory interval between a warning and act light was manipulated for length and regularity. Results indicated that the inability to sustain attention over time, rather than momentary inattentiveness, distinguished the two groups. (Author)

The information processing model, a theoretical framework of how humans think, reason, and learn, views human cognitive functioning as analogous to the operation of a computer. This paper uses the increased understanding of the information processing model to provide teachers with suggestions for improving the teaching-learning process. Major…