The study of 813 learning disabled children (ages 6-11) with test-retest data (after three years) on 224 children found the children to suffer a progressive deterioration in verbal ability whereas their nonverbal ability showed an increase in the earlier years, leveling off thereafter. (Author/DB)

Investigated effects of age, task difficulty, and parent presence on private speech in 72 children of 2-5 years. The proportion of speech coded as private increased with age. Private speech was positively related to task performance. (RJC)

Considered are two commonly used techniques, the interview and word association techniques. Highlighted is a third technique called the repertory grid. This third technique can be used to interpret students' knowledge based on an explicit, psychological theory of human behavior. (Author/CW)

Compared 40 3-year-olds' superordinate level classification under 2 experimental conditions. Although there was no mean difference between the 2 conditions, there were striking differences in the distribution of scores. (RJC)

Notes that few investigations have addressed adolescents' conception of knowledge. Provides a rationale as to why it may be useful to more adequately explore how adolescents view knowledge. Reviews existing investigations and discusses three general approaches to the study of the subject. (Author/NB)

Five experiments investigated children's intuitions about genetic transmission of features. Results suggest young children have principled, specifically biological notions of inheritance. (PCB)

Results of two experiments with five-year-olds indicated that: (1) conservation can be quickly taught with lasting results; (2) training on a limited range of exemplars will produce generalized correct responses to other, untrained classes of conservation problems; and (3) children's explanations of their judgments change as a result of exposure…

Ways are described for teachers to ask questions which require students to think and not just recall. The questions should involve variety, inference, support, and conclusion. (CB)

Examines whether cognitive complexity and behavioral complexity exert significant effects on impression differentiation. Finds that, while individuals exposed to behaviorally complex messages tended to form more differentiated impressions of the message source, the effect of complex messages on source differentiation was strongest for persons with…

Results of a study involving 30 infants of 14, 20, or 26 weeks confirm the existence of distinct developmental phases of attention during the visual preference procedure. Findings suggest a refinement of the use of fixation duration as the major dependent variable in the procedure. (RH)

A discussion focusing on the concept of metalinguistic awareness, particularly in bilingual children, precedes a discussion of metalinguistic awareness and its potential relationship with the cognitive advantages of bilingualism. The metalinguistic history and metalinguistic awareness of a subject, bilingual in German and English, are highlighted.…

Examined 10- to 13-year-old boys' development of knowledge structure and sport performance in tennis by comparing skills and knowledge of experts and novices. Experts focused on higher concepts and exhibited greater decision-making ability because of their more highly developed knowledge structure. (SAK)

Reviews research on relationship between cognitive schemas and vocational behavior following from Kelly's (1955) personal construct psychology. Focuses particular attention on traditional study of vocational differentiation and integration as well as more recent efforts to combine these two variables into a structural model of vocational…

Suggests ways to integrate current theories of cognition and cognitive learning in order to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of language acquisition. (CFM)

Describes a study that explored the acquisition and transfer of complex knowledge after using a conceptually-indexed hypertext learning environment based on cognitive theory and research. Results found evidence that a hypertext learning environment with conceptually-indexed case-based materials and modeling/scaffolding support can help…