Individual differences in performance on 4 computer-controlled visual memory and recognition tasks as a function of performance on 5 paper-and-pencil spatial tests were studied for 90 psychology students attending the University of Rennes (France). Results show that spatial thinking is partially supported by visual memory. (SLD)

The hypothesis that coping with novelty is a key aspect of intelligence is not supported by the data of Sternberg and Gastel. It is contended that these authors committed a common error by interpreting correlations involving difference scores without reference to the properties of the components of the difference. (SLD)

A five-year follow-up of arithmetic calculation abilities of 10 low-income fourth graders with specific language impairment (SLI) involved comparisons with typically developing same age peers and with typically developing younger subjects. Results support evidence that children with SLI have difficulty with rote memory and document the…

A study of 82 Canadian college freshmen investigated working memory, verbal ability, and prior knowledge as predictors of quality of students' lecture notes, lecture summaries, and content recall. Students with higher working memory benefitted more from listening to the lecture than from listening and taking notes. Quality of summaries predicted…

Investigates the assumption that pseudowords repetition accuracy may be highly associated with vocabulary abilities. Subjects were junior high school students learning English as a second language. (Author/VWL)

A study that investigated the relationships between exposure to lead and memory and attention in 313 boys (ages 9-12) in special-education schools in the Netherlands found blood-lead levels were higher in children with lower socioeconomic status and those with more hand-to-mouth behavior but did not influence cognitive factors. (Author/CR)

Reviews the nature and functions of prosody, and contrasts English and Cantonese for this feature of language as background for two experimental studies. Thirty Cantonese advanced speakers of English were tested for their recognition memory of English sentences in which prosody-cued meaning contrasts in otherwise identical sentence pairs. Results…

This study compared cultural differences in the eyewitness reporting of Navajo and mainstream-culture third graders who were questioned 10 days after an event. Mainstream-culture children reported more information overall but the groups did not differ in accuracy. Active participation affected the amount of information reported by…

Reviews research on the effect of stress hormones, particularly glucocorticoids, on the brain and early development. It describes the psychological and social processes that reduce stress hormone responses to threatening and painful procedures. Research on the cognitive and emotional effects of synthetic glucocorticoids is also discussed.…

According to experts, relatively minor memory lapses such as searching for misplaced car keys are perfectly normal but there are things that people can do to keep their minds agile and their memories alive. Discusses lifestyles and techniques used by seniors dedicated to exercising their minds. Also explores the science of memory and aging. (PVD)

Discusses knowledge, organization, and the organization and representation of knowledge. Addresses the relevance of international auxiliary languages as problems of development and use of special sign systems. Argues that--for computer realization of intellectual processes by modeling, not imitation--the psychological mechanisms of human memory…

Korean, Chinese, and American children were given identical free-narrative interviews about life events and were shown a narrated story. Children were then interviewed about the story. Compared to others, Americans provided more references to specific past events, more descriptives, more references to internal states, and more mentions of…

Examines knowledge about the structure of memory in order to understand the process of writing melodies. Focuses on a study of 25 students who were asked to write two melodies using a computer. Presents the results and offers an example of the function of memory in writing melodies. (CMK)

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…

A study compared the effectiveness of phonemic awareness and decoding training for 58 first graders with and without severe lexical retrieval weaknesses. All students demonstrated poor phonemic awareness. Students with relatively strong lexical retrieval skills responded more favorably to beginning reading instruction than did students with weak…