In this article, the authors state that the crux of the debate between themselves and Bertenthal and Scheutz (2013) (B&S) is whether imitative compatibility effects reflect the operation of specialized imitation-related mechanisms or instead arise from the same associative learning processes thought to underlie spatial compatibility effects.…

Cooper et al. (this issue) develop an interactive activation model of spatial and imitative compatibilities that simulates the key results from Catmur and Heyes (2011) and thus conclude that both compatibilities are mediated by the same processes since their single model can predict all the results. Although the model is impressive, the…

Evidence from dual-process and cognitive behavioral theorists points to the conclusion that the products of associative learning are sometimes available in working memory. Adolescents, adults, and children (to a lesser extent) can engage in "metacognitive intercession," reflecting on the products of associative processing and deciding whether to…

N. Stewart, G. D. A. Brown, and N. Chater presented a relative judgment model (RJM) of absolute identification, in which the current stimulus is judged relative to the preceding stimulus. S. Brown, A. A. J. Marley, and Y. Lacouture found that the RJM does not predict their finding of increased accuracy after large stimulus jumps, except at the…

In teaching poetry writing, other forms of art, and even courses in the social and natural sciences, images and hypotheses can best be generated by the use of free association. This process induces from the preconscious mind the raw material that makes possible the success of craft. (Author)

Through randomness we create structure, and through structure we accommodate randomness. The structures we create have basic premises shared by all life forms and forces. These patterns are repeated and shared. Creative thinking has similar characteristics. (MSE)

Teachers can build on students' familiarity with and respect for the Harry Potter books to create source-based vocabulary lessons. The idea is to work with the Latin roots that J. K. Rowling uses to create original names for places, people, and magical charms and then to extend students' knowledge through exploration of additional English words…

Argues that discoveries concerning the essential properties of whole categories of word concepts are critical to essentialist intuitions. Reviews studies demonstrating that words and concepts are not used in accordance with essentialism, concluding that since essentialism is not vindicated by ordinary word use, it fails to undermine the cognitive…

A brief survey of research on second-language (L2) vocabulary focuses on the following: knowledge of the lexicon; lexical simplification; the role of native language to L2 vocabulary development; prototypes; and vocabulary in context. (29 references) (GLR)

Examines ways of learning (association, correspondence, coherence, recognition) and lists three aspects of each (criterion, source of theory, nature of knower and known). Identifies each way's approach to curricular elements (education, curriculum, learner, teacher, society, and evaluation criterion). (SK)

Since prior knowledge is positively linked with reading comprehension, methods of measuring prior knowledge are important. A word association test is a useful technique for evaluating topic familiarity and enables the teacher to make decisions about how much additional information is needed for students to process a text successfully. (SRT)

Comments on Needham's research of infant perception by focusing on the types of evidence needed to make inferences concerning infant cognition. Considers the history of scientific explanations of animal cognition as nearer to infant cognition, and the high level of creativity required in proposing and testing alternative explanations of infant…

Discusses Needham's findings by asserting that they extend understanding of infant perception by showing that the memory representations infants draw upon have bound together information about shape, color, and pattern. Considers the distinction between two senses of "recognition" and asks in which sense object recognition contributes to object…

The sum-difference theory of remembering and knowing (STREAK) provides a sophisticated account of many interactions in the remember-know (R-K) area (C. M. Rotello, N. A. Macmillan, & J. A. Reeder, 2004; see record 2004-15929-002). It assumes 2 orthogonal strength dimensions and oblique criterion planes. Another dual-process model (J. T. Wixted…

Skilled reading requires attention to many aspects of print at the same time. Some children demonstrate difficulty in attending flexibly to multiple features of print, often focusing solely on decoding or word-level information. These children often lack the insight that reading is more than decoding; they have a difficult time thinking about…