Preschool children were asked to choose the figure most resembling a real man from three figures drawn according to formulas used by children to depict humans. Results suggest development of drawing systems influences children's conceptions about objects or events. (Author/DB)

The article describes a study to determine how instruction on the distinction between two theoretical ideas will affect the intake, interpretation, and recall of new information related to but different from the first. (Author/SB)

This study, conducted with children 4 to 11 years old, indicates that probability concepts could be introduced early in the elementary grades. (MK)

Even among individuals operating at Piaget's highest cognitive level (Formal Operations Stage) there is a range of behaviors on important cognitive characteristics. Various substages and their performance criteria are suggested. (JD)

Examines the usefulness and limitations of the notion of cognitive structure in science and the idea of mapping or charting it. Surveys several techniques for enumerating cognitive structure and explores possible classroom applications. (GS)

Significant interaction was found between conceptual level and type of affect. Females were more empathic than males, and responses to nonambivalent affect statements were more empathic than responses to ambivalent affect statements. (Author)

Investigated the learning by eighth-grade students of the concept of crustal evolution, asking questions that deal with how time-efficient procedures can be devised that measure concept learning effectively and whether these procedures yield valid information on the learning of a science concept. (CS)

A general education program should impart: knowledge of the testing and generation of information, the distinction between findings and explanations of findings (which change over the course of time), and the ability to recognize that a "best" explanation for a phenomenon can exist among a multiplicity of explanations. (RJG)

Describes a preschool program that introduces four-year-olds to print concepts such as left to right, top to bottom, words beginning with the same sound, and upper and lower case letters. (AEA)

Discussed are the problems of teaching and learning fractions in the upper primary and lower secondary schools. Recommendations for teaching fractions are made and defects in various methods of fraction instruction are identified. It is suggested that fractions not be taught in upper primary and lower secondary schools. (Author/DS)

Two implications of best-example theory for category acquisition were tested using a set of artificial concrete object categories. Categories acquired from initial exposure to good exemplars were learned more easily and accurately. People learn the best exemplars are category members before learning the poor exemplars are category members.…

This study sought to determine if an art curriculum which merged art activities with language curriculum objectives would lead to enhanced acquisition of basic language concepts in young (K-1) prelingually deaf children. The combined visual, tactile, and linguistic modes of the art activities did result in greater concept attainment. (Author/SJL)

Male and female retarded readers (N=80) at two age levels (6.5 to 8.5 years and 10.5 to 12.5 years) did not differ significantly on a number of perceptual, visual-motor, linguistic, and concept formation abilities. (Author)

Summarizes observations of differences in cognitive processes in college physics students. Provides examples of trains of thought and misconceptions exhibited by students and suggests procedures to help resolve the difficulties. (CS)

Three task context factors that form obstacles to generalizing logical reasoning strategies for adolescents are discussed. The relationship between these obstacle factors and Piagetian theory is explored. Findings suggest that it is possible to make some predictions about how and when logical mechanisms will be generalized to new situations.…