Multiple external representations (MERs) are central to the practice and learning of science, mathematics and engineering, as the phenomena and entities investigated and controlled in these domains are often not available for perception and action. MERs therefore play a twofold constitutive role in reasoning in these domains. Firstly, MERs stand…

Autistic people are better at perceiving details. Major theories explain this in terms of bottom-up sensory mechanisms or in terms of top-down cognitive biases. Recently, it has become possible to link these theories within a common framework. This framework assumes that perception is implicit neural inference, combining sensory evidence with…

Spatial cognition is a branch of cognitive psychology that studies how people acquire and use knowledge about their environment to determine where they are, how to obtain resources, and how to find their way home. Researchers from a wide range of disciplines, including neuroscience, cognition, and sociology, have discovered a great deal about how…

In this article, we studied the paradigm of observation which has been restructured since the beginning of modern sciences. In order to interpret this observation paradigm, an expression, "observation without seeing" was formulated. It was noticed that our interpretation of the observation depends on our knowledge and experiences. Finally, it was…

Communication with staff can be improved if the variability in information processing preferences is accommodated. Communication based on cognitive style can increase the probability of follow-through while reducing misunderstanding and potential conflict. The Jungian definition of cognitive style is most widely used; the Myers Briggs Type…

Two studies involving 16 and 20 mildly mentally retarded young adults supported a two-stage model for the relatively simple discrimination tasks employed, with initial sensory registration preceding and independent from subsequent central processing. (CL)

Transcripts of the spontaneous remarks of adult visitors to a fine arts museum were analyzed according to four models of aesthetic experience. An expanded alternative model is proposed that incorporates some features from each model to better describe how visitors respond to the aesthetic experience. (SLD)

This paper offers a conceptual model or theory that synthesizes previous research, personal experience, and years of dialogue with instructors of wilderness programs, and other wilderness users. The goals of this model are to create a useful tool to help practitioners improve their programs and train instructors, focus additional research, help…

In response to a growing interest among educators in improving aesthetic education, this paper explores aesthetic response, defined as what happens in the mind and body of a person who encounters an aesthetic object or phenomenon. An initial section overviews the major theories of aesthetic response, including the work of Plato, Aristotle, Freud,…