A word may mean different things in different contexts. The current study explored the changing denotations of spatial terms, focusing on how the distance inferred from a spatial description varied as a function of the size of the objects being spatially related. We examined both terms that explicitly convey distance (i.e., topological terms such…

The ability to remember visual stimuli over a short delay period is limited by the small capacity of visual working memory (VWM). Here the authors investigate the role of learning in enhancing VWM. Participants saw 2 spatial arrays separated by a 1-s interval. The 2 arrays were identical except for 1 location. Participants had to detect the…

The goal of this work is to extend the theoretical understanding of the relationship between hippocampal spatial and memory functions to the level of neurophysiological mechanisms underlying spatial navigation and episodic memory retrieval. The proposed unifying theory describes both phenomena within a unique framework, as based on one and the…

Truscott and Sharwood Smith (henceforth T&SS) attempt to show how second language acquisition can occur without any learning. In their APT model, change depends only on the tuning of innate principles through the normal course of processing of L2. There are some features of their model that I find attractive. Specifically, their acceptance of the…

The author is an associate professor of animal studies at Colorado State University, but experienced learning difficulties in high school due to her place on the autism-Asperger's spectrum. She had uneven skills, and while algebra was impossible, she did well in courses in which she could use her visual-thinking and associative-thinking skills.…

Logical learning theory stresses that learning occurs through logical relation. Materials most "related" to the cognitive organization of the learner are most readily retained. To test whether the "chronological" constructs of covert rehearsal and familiarity could account for the learning attributed to "logical"…

Lower class black and lower class white first-grade children learned an unorganized and an organized list of words to test Jensen's hypothesis of racial differences in mental abilities. Both groups of children performed significantly better on the organized list with comparable means for each list. Most of the predicted relationships were not…

A common error in children's attempts to solve verbal analogies is to respond with a word strongly associated with the third term in the analogy. This is known as associative response. A study was conducted to investigate the cognitive processes underlying this response. Subjects, 112 fifth grade students, were administered a battery of tests…

Artificial symbol-word correspondence in a simple paired associate learning task were used to determine whether disabled readers have a general problem dealing with complex and/or irregular rule systems. The performance of 36 normal readers and 36 disabled readers in grades 4 through 7 was compared. Disabled readers had IQ scores of 87 or above…

It was hypothesized that the use of fading in response items of stimulus-response pairs constructed to simulate learning of a foreign language vocabulary would result in fewer errors than would the use of regular flash cards used in typical trial-and-error fashion. Subjects were college women volunteers randomly assigned to one of two experimental…

Two experiments examined the effects of different models of exploration questioning on kindergarteners' associative fluency, or ability to verbalize novel uses for conventional stimuli. In the first experiment, five models of exploration questioning were compared for their ability to facilitate associative fluency with respect to an object…

Little is known about the accuracy of temporal codes for memories, and still less about the nature of the codes. This report addresses the central question of the mechanisms by which order information is attached to memories. The results of 16 experiments indicate the role of some independent variables on temporal coding in relatively short-term…

Summarizes the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis on language and thought process, along with several critical viewpoints. The writings of Koschmieder, Gipper, and Lenneberg, as well as psychological and linguistic aspects of experiments on color differentiation and conditioned response, are discussed. (Text is in German.) (DH)

THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF SEVERAL MEASURES OF WORD-RELATEDNESS ON SEVERAL VERBAL LEARNING TASKS--PRIMARILY PAIRED-ASSOCIATES LEARNING AND VERBAL DISCRIMINATION LEARNING, WITH INCIDENTAL ATTENTION GIVEN TO FREE RECALL AND SEMANTIC GENERALIZATION. THE STRATEGY WAS TO SELECT A SAMPLE OF WORD PAIRS (240 COMMON NOUNS…

THE VARIOUS PROCESSES AND CONTROLS INVOLVED IN THE VARIATION OF EYE MOVEMENTS ACCORDING TO READING MATERIAL ARE DISCUSSED. RELEVANT RESEARCH LITERATURE IS CITED, AND AREAS REQUIRING ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ARE OUTLINED. LANGUAGE TEXT CONTROL AND THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AS POSSIBLE LOCI OF CONTROL FOR EYE MOVEMENTS ARE EXPLORED. EVIDENCE SUPPORTING…