This report investigates the relations between duration of examining and heart rate (HR) across several trials of an object-examination task. A total of N= 20 11-month-olds were familiarized with a sequence of 10 different exemplars from the same global category (animals or furniture) before they received an exemplar from the contrasting category…

Examines experimental studies in which learning procedures such as reinforcement, direct instruction, and modeling are applied in an attempt to alter characteristics of children's information processing behaviors. Discusses whether the studies have demonstrated acquisition of generalized cognitive functions or merely elicitation of task specific…

Affective and physiological responses, interpersonal interaction, and alcohol consumption have been significantly correlated with cognitive factors in defining the behavioral effects of alcohol. To investigate alcohol reinforcement expectancies at the abusive end of the drinking continuum, 305 male and female adult alcoholics enrolled in alcohol…

Paper based on PhD dissertation submitted to the University of Kansas. Research supported by Public Health Service Grant No. 5-FI-MH-30, 582-02.

The cognitive approach to stereotypes views stereotyping as a natural consequence of normal cognitive processes; therefore, information that is inconsistent with a stereotype is less likely to be remembered. To investigate this hypothesis an earlier experiment was replicated in three studies. Subjects received congruent or neutral information…

A study was conducted concerning television program decision-making based on a theory of human information processing. Twenty-eight programers from 13 markets completed experimental simulations of television programing decisions. Important steps in the procedure were determined to be evaluation, search for alternatives, and selection of…

Reviews evidence for a cognitive theory of aging which attempts to integrate individual perceptions, social perceptions, and integrative processes with biological, social, and ecological influences and behavior patterns. (BD)

Evaluation of the cognitive, behavioral, and adaptive functioning of 12 retarded men with fragile X syndrome indicated that fragile X men were largely indistinguishable from comparison groups. They were, however, significantly more likely to have achieved levels of adaptive functioning commensurate with their intellectual abilities. (Author/DB)

Uses an analysis of children's interpretations of a complex episode of social interaction to illustrate three features that distinguish them from robot plans and that form a basis for a theory of the development of social action: human plans (1) are social, (2) operate on interpretations, and (3) are used, not just executed. (FL)

Provides background information on Fred Piaget, and describes his three stages of day care director development: pre-managerial, concrete managerial, and formal managerial. (HOD)

Previous research has shown that thinking about some attitude object results in more polarized attitudes than being distracted from thinking about the object. In this study, 64 subjects indicate their attitudes toward fictitious persons. After thinking about the person or being distracted from thinking about the person, they again scaled their…