The authors explore the use of three basic tenets from Self-Determination Theory--competence, relatedness, and autonomy--for a definition of play that resists the current popular call for play to be freely chosen. They explore whether free play truly exists and whether complete choice constitutes an absolute requirement for children to consider…

Anecdotal reports of fatigue after sustained speech-processing demands are common among adults with hearing loss; however, systematic research examining hearing loss-related fatigue is limited, particularly with regard to fatigue among children with hearing loss (CHL). Many audiologists, educators, and parents have long suspected that CHL…

A study charting the development of 120 participants to define is presented. Participants were asked to define eight concrete and eight abstract nouns. Results indicate that there are significant differences in the way concrete and abstract nouns are defined. (32 references) (GLR)

Exploring issues of content and construct validity, this paper reviews how empathy in young children has been defined and measured. Discussion first focuses on empathy viewed as an affective awareness and response to the feelings of another person. The review reports research using the Affective Situation Test, naturalistic studies of affective…

Discusses hierarchical complexity of tasks as a way of conceptualizing information in terms of the power required to complete a task, and its implications for developmental psychology and information science. Provides an analytic solution to the definition of developmental stages and allows for the possibility within the science of scaling the…

To examine the validity of distinguishing children with reading disabilities according to discrepancy and low-achievement definitions, 4 assessments of expected achievement and 2 of actual achievement were obtained for 199 elementary school students. Results do not support the validity of the discrepancy versus the low-achievement definition.…

Reviews the methods, technologies, and operating tenets of case studies of reading disabilities completed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Results suggest that the assumptions of anatomical and functional modularity for cortical processes become guiding principles for diagnosing and correcting reading difficulties. (Author/CR)

Defines creativity, recognizing both developmental continuities and discontinuities. Also distinguishes between creative interpretation and cognitive restructuring, emphasizing transformational abilities, and between perceptual and discretionary cognitive processes. (DR)

After a pilot study identified possible responses that children and adolescents give when defining concrete and abstract nouns, a study investigated the development of concrete noun (specific objects) and abstract noun (concepts) definitions given by 10, 14, and 18-year-olds, as well as whether abstract and concrete nouns are defined in a parallel…