This paper discusses a mental model of learning based on the processes of attention, perception, processing, and application. The learning process starts with attention, such as curiosity, excitement, expectation, or fear; in pedagogy this is called motivation. New impressions are dependent on and interpreted against the background of previous…

Supported by University of Alberta Grant No. 774 (1967).

A study of 172 male and 120 female college students with learning disabilities investigated interaction of gender and ability on cognitive, language, and achievement variables. Most measures were strongly related to general cognitive ability. Gender differences were found for general short-term memory on one cognitive measure and the…

Purpose: Investigations of the cognitive processes underlying specific language impairment (SLI) have implicated deficits in verbal short-term and working memory and in particular the storage and processing of phonological information. This study investigated short-term and working memory for visuospatial material for a group of children with SLI,…

A major focus in reading difficulty is lack of automaticity in decoding, which overloads the attentional system, leads to the use of small, meaningless visual processing units such as the individual letter, places heavy demands on short-term memory, and interferes with comprehension. Techniques for diagnosis and remediation are noted. (Author/JW)

Differences in storage and rehearsal components of the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad were investigated in individuals with (n=19) and without (n=21) intellectual disability matched on memory span. Those with intellectual disability had specific difficulty in the rehearsal component of the phonological loop. Groups did not differ in…

Two experiments examined the development of children's memory for spatial location or color. Results refuted the proposal that in contrast to color, spatial location would not show developmental improvement because it is remembered automatically. Suggests that, for the age range studied, there was developmental change in the efficiency of…

Nine adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and nine age- and IQ-matched adults with PWS completed standardized tests of long-term and short-term memory, visual and auditory processing, and reading and mathematics achievement. Contrary to previous findings, long-term memory in PWS subjects was strong relative to IQ and there was no evidence that…

This follow-up study compares cognitive and language aspects of a group of Italian children ages 4-6 years, who had shown delayed expressive language abilities at 24 months of age (late talkers), with those of a group of children with a history of normal expressive language development (average talkers). Children were given a battery of…

The present work investigated cognitive, linguistic and narrative abilities in a group of children suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, an allelic X-linked recessive disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding dystrophin. The patients showed mildly reduced IQ with lower Verbal than Performance Intelligence Quotient and were mildly…

Four experiments investigated phonemic and visual similarity effects in 5- and 10-year olds. Results suggested that young children rely on modality-dependent codes, which are probably automatically activated, and do not use a speech-based memory code for drawings and words. This pattern of findings appeared to be independent of culture and…

The recently published fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) represents a considerable departure from previous versions of the scale. The structure of the instrument has changed, and some subtests have been added and others deleted. The technical manual for the WISC-IV provided evidence supporting this new…

Analyzed WISC-R profiles of 42 conduct problem children to generate hypotheses concerning the children's intellectual strengths and weaknesses. Used a variety of subtest groupings to interpret ability patterns. Findings revealed relative strengths in perceptual organization skills, and weaknesses in skills that involve sequencing, memory, and…

Norwegian 6th graders (n=107) either were taught a mnemonic imagery to apply to passages they read or were given no strategy. Mnemonic-imagery students remembered more information. Individual differences in short-term memory and verbal and visual competence did not predict performance in the imagery condition. (SLD)

Four experiments examined the spatial orientation of children who walked while wearing a blindfold. Children and adults viewed a target, were guided blindfolded to a new point, and then aimed a pointer at the target. Route complexity, but not number of targets or time delay, affected spatial orientation. Some age differences were observed. (BC)