This commentary on the article by Jones and Smith in this issue examines whether coherent conceptual cores exist in long-term memory; abstract propositions constitute conceptual cores; concepts in long-term memory control behavior; and the primary purpose of developing and using concepts is to taxonomize the environment. (TJQ)

Chinese and American kindergarten children were given a test of addition skills, a numerical memory span measure, and an addition strategy assessment. When unable to retrieve an addition fact from memory, Chinese children counted verbally, whereas American children used finger counting or guessed. This difference appeared to be related to a…

Relationships between phonological coding abilities and reading outcomes have implications for differential diagnosis of language-based reading problems. The theoretical construct of specific phonological coding ability is explained, including phonological encoding, phonological awareness and metaphonology, lexical access, working memory, and…

Discusses future increases in the number of older employees in the workforce; outlines physiological changes in vision, hearing, and memory that are known to occur as part of the aging process; and suggests training adaptations to diminish or eliminate the adverse consequences of these changes in a learning environment. (LRW)

Summarizes three phases of a research project on the educational benefits of multimedia, especially the role of animation or still imagery in enhancing text. Results indicate that animation did not help sixth graders to improve their recall, but it may be beneficial for their comprehension. (JKP)

This study with 12 2nd- and 3rd-grade students with mild disabilities compared memory for new reading words following instructional sessions in which either word meaning or phonic cues were emphasized. The phonic instruction resulted in a greater number of words remembered either within sentences or on word lists. (Author/DB)

Illustrates some of the analytic tools and conventions associated with the construction and evaluation of dynamic models of the processes underlying learning, memory, and development. Describes a study finding that children may exhibit slower disintegration of verbatim memory traces than adults due to interference; however, adults may be more…

Reviews seven books: (1) "Cross-Cultural Psychology" (Berry and others); (2) "Biological Asymmetry and Handedness" (Bock and Marsh); (3) "Interpersonal and Identity Development" (Vandenplas-Holper and Campus); (4) "Natural Theories of Mind" (Whitten); (5) "The Psychological Examination of the…

Examines how the contributions of animal research are presented in eight of the most widely used introductory psychology textbooks. The authors show that, with the exception of principles of conditioning and learning, the contributions of animal research are often not explicitly acknowledged or are obscured to look like they had been obtained with…

Two firsthand accounts from verbal high-functioning individuals with autism (a 27-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy and his parents) are presented. Five salient themes are identified: sensory processing, memory, stereotypical behaviors, social interaction, and empathy. Multichanneled sensory processing appeared in both subjects as did a detailed…

At the University of Queensland (Australia), second-language instruction techniques involving principles of sensory training are being used experimentally. The method promotes sensory integration of speech events through auditory, visual, and kinesthetic memory. (MSE)

This review of literature on infant habituation and recognition memory performance as predictors of later IQ concludes that the level of prediction is (1) substantial; (2) higher for at-risk than nonrisk children; and (3) not higher than the level of predictions based on parental education and socioeconomic status. (MDM)

College students whose judgments of others were more gender stereotyped recalled more traditional pictures portraying men in masculine activities and were more likely to cluster recalled items in gender categories than students with less stereotyped judgments. Results with 100 males and 74 females support J. T. Spence's gender identity theory.…

Forty-five gifted children, ages 11-17, were tested with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement. Results indicated 18 of 20 correlations between the area and composite scores were significant. The Stanford-Binet Short-Term Memory standard age score mean was lower than other scores' means. (Author/JDD)

Examines the sensitivity of second-language (L2) working memory (ability to store and process information simultaneously) to differences in reading skills among advanced L2 learners. Subjects with larger L2 working memory capacities scored higher on measures of L2 reading skills, but no correlation was found between reading and passive short-term…