The hypothesis that memory support (MS) reduces state anxiety (A-State) and errors in a computer assisted learning task was investigated. It was predicted that high A-State students given MS would make fewer errors than high A-State students given no memory support (NMS). Low A-State students were expected to perform equally as well with or…

An examination of the nature of memory reveals that the representation of knowledge cannot be separated from the uses of knowledge. The answering of questions is not a simple retrieval and response of stored information; rather the process is embedded in a general structural framework containing knowledge of the questioner, the question, and the…

After consideration of the drawbacks of such psychometrically derived theories of cognitive abilities as those of Guttman, Cattell, and Guilford, appeal is made to E. B. Hunt's "distributive memory" model and A. Newell's concept of the "production system" as possible bases for developing an alternative theory. Such a theory of…

These proceedings emphasize multidisciplineary theory and research having implications for behavioral science and/or education. The contributions deal with one or more of the following questions: (1) How can one characterize the knowledge structures which underlie behavior associated with subject matter disciplines such as mathematics and…

The purpose of the eight experiments was to assess the role which associations between two words played in recognition decisions. The evidence on weak associations established in the laboratory indicated that association was playing a small role, but that the recognition performance on pairs of words was highly predictable from frequency…

Children in kindergarten, third grade, and fifth grade were presented a list of either pictures or words (with items presented varying numbers of times on the study trail). In both picture and word conditions, half of the subjects estimated how many times each item had been presented (absolute judgments) and the other half judged which of two…

This study investigates developmental trends in free recall, with emphasis on rehearsal processes. An overt rehearsal technique was used in which 28 children in grades 3, 6, and 8 were instructed to rehearse out loud while trying to memorize a list of unrelated nouns. Control groups at each age level received standard free recall instructions,…

Eight experiments are described in this report. In experiment 1, four and five year olds were presented four verbal discrimination (VD) lists. For three of the lists all correct items were either conceptually, acoustically, or affectively similar. The fourth was a control list. The conceptual list facilitated VD learning. Experiment 2 indicated…

This paper analytically reviews the literature on cognitive development, particularly as it relates to the acquisition of language. Of primary concern are the basic cognitive processes of perceptual groupings, concepts and relations, and memory. Discussed are the acquisition of language, some aspects of the nature of language and language…

This profile of significant research findings comprises a framework for analyzing and synthesizing information on the cognitive development of children. The variables used to systematize the literature search were: perception; motor development; language; conceptual activity; and learning, memory, and problem solving. The findings are arranged…

Cognition, not to be confused with perception, reception, or stimulus detection, is defined as relationships of sensory experiences in single-loop matrices. The reticular system of the upper brain stem is centered upon as the likely locus of sensory filtering and modification that can modulate language usage. That is, higher cognitive functions…

This study is an attempt to identify one source of individual differences in the extent to which readers learn from text and the means for accommodating it. Eighty college students were administered a series of aptitude tests and randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. The subjects then received six passages, each passage followed by a…

A survey of the literature concerning the mental processes used in reading reveals a proliferation of molecular theories which explain only a small (and frequently neurological) component of the reading act. Enough information exists, however, to sketch an integrated, molar model of the reading process, which stresses the interrelationships…

The two studies outlined in this report gauged college undergraduates' ability to learn and to recall the content of certain passages when provided with "directed perspectives" or context clues. In the first study, 63 subjects were divided into three groups, were asked to read two stories, and were assigned a perspective (home buyer,…

Investigated were the effects of two types of stimuli, preferred and non-preferred, on the free recall and clustering of 16 moderately and severely retarded children (mean IQ = 39.12, mean CA = 10.84 years) who were enrolled in public schools. An empirical determination was made as to whether to classify a particular conceptual category of stimuli…