The purpose of this study was to identify cognitive and linguistic predictors of word problems with versus without irrelevant information. The sample was 701 2nd-grade students who received no specialized intervention on word problems. In the fall, they were assessed on initial arithmetic and word-problem skill as well as language ability, working…

The study sought to determine the relationship between problem-solving skills and measure of working memory and attention span of science students of low ability level. The study adopted correlational survey research design. The population for the study comprised all Secondary School I (SSI) that offered physics, chemistry and biology as school…

The purpose of the study was to test a model of causal relationships among cognitive reserve (CR), personality variables such as Neuroticism and Openness to experience, and divergent thinking (DT), independently evaluating performance in different domains (verbal and graphic). It was hypothesized that CR, Openness, and Neuroticism would each…

The Vygotsky Blocks Test assesses problem-solving styles within a theoretical framework for the development of higher mental processes devised by Vygotsky. Because both the theory and the associated test situate cognitive development within the child's social and linguistic context, they address conceptual issues around the developmental relation…

In Finland, schools' effectiveness in fostering the development of transversal skills is evaluated through large-scale learning to learn (LTL) assessments. This article presents how LTL skills--general cognitive competences and learning-related motivational beliefs--develop during primary school and how they predict pupils' CPS skills at the end…

To explore the predictive value of cognitive and coping resources for problem- and emotion-focused coping with age, we collected data from community-dwelling adults between 20 and 90 years old. We hypothesized that age, perceived stress, self-efficacy, working-memory capacity, and mental flexibility were predictors of coping. We collected data…

In this study, we test an information-processing model (IPM) of problem solving in science education, namely the working memory overload model, by applying catastrophe theory. Changes in students' achievement were modeled as discontinuities within a cusp catastrophe model, where working memory capacity was implemented as asymmetry and the degree…

Research supported in part by a grant from the U.S. Office of Education, Bureau of Research. Reprints from: Arthur Whimbey, Dept of Psychology, California State College, 25800 Hillary St., Hayward, California 94542.

Over two decades, six studies evaluated the effects of a home-based early language program on the development of 101 infants. Parents engaged in enrichment activities with their infants over a one-year period that began when the infants were between three and 13 months of age. Participants from families with varied levels of education were…

This study investigated the relationship between Jensen's Level I-Level II mental abilities and how they correlate with problem solving in college students. The Level I-Level II correlation was not significant, but intelligence and problem solving were significantly correlated. Results are discussed in relation to prior findings. (Author/RD)

Examined applicability of scaffolding and zone of proximal development to the study of dementia. Compared caregiver-patient dyads (n=29) to normal elderly dyads (n=16) in terms of strategies used in completing the Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. Results indicated that caregiver-patient dyads can be observed…

An important reaction to individuals involved in problem solving is detecting the accuracy of their responses. Prior research has established that young adults are accurate in estimating correctness to responses on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). These findings were extended to the elderly; also considered was whether…

Adoptive parents and their adoptive and natural children took IQ tests. Speed of solution correlated with verbal IQ and .51 with performance IQ among the parents. Mothers' speed correlated negligibly with scores of adoptive and natural children. Fathers' speed correlated more with their natural than adopted children's performance scores.…