An information-theory model of human memory was tested in thirteen experiments which involved children (six years and older) and graduate students. The subjects conducted science investigations in laboratory and non-laboratory settings, solved problems of electrical circuits, and participated in classroom science lessons. The tasks used involved…

A probabilistic model (see SE 013 578) describing information processing during the cognitive tasks of recall and problem solving was tested, refined, and developed by testing graduate students on a number of tasks which combined oral, written, and overt "input" and "output" modes in several ways. In a verbal chain one subject…

Explores the fact versus value dilemma faced by researchers in behavioral science areas and concludes that scientific researchers are influenced by subjective and evaluative thinking in spite of their efforts to eschew value judgements in their work. (DB)

Examines a study that suggests that quantification, defined as numerical data, increases textual difficulty and thereby discourages resolving scientific problems through public action. (MH)

Socialization theory can contribute to consumer research because it focuses on (1) youth and development, (2) interaction of factors affecting consumer behavior, and (3) linkages between mental processes and overt behavior. Various approaches to socialization research and consumer research are described, including cognitive development and…

Reports a study designed to determine whether instruction via compressed speech produces anxiety in listeners and concludes that anxiety increases as presentation rate increases. (MH)

Presents evidence in support of the theory that the information processing of opinion leaders is different from that of other people. (MH)

The social deprivation-satiation effect" is characterized by an inverse relation between the frequency of social reinforcement received in a standard treatment period and the effectiveness of that reinforcer in a subsequent test. (Author)

Assesses the impact of critical extemporaneous commentary following the major television presentation of "The Selling of the Pentagon" and concludes that immediate analysis tends to diminish program effectiveness and reflect negatively on the person responsible for the analysis. (MH)

Discussion of instructional systems development (ISD) focuses on recent developments in cognitive task analysis and describes the Integrated Task Analysis Model, a framework for integrating cognitive and behavioral task analysis methods within the ISD model. Three components of expertise are analyzed: skills, knowledge, and mental models. (96…

This article presents the argument by the authors regarding the article of Uttal (2004), which lays forth several, rightly justified, caveats in the pursuit of elucidating the neural basis of higher cognitive functions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Adding to the onslaught of criticism from cellular physiologists, Uttal's…