This book traces and summarizes the author's theoretical insights and empirical findings in the field of foreign language education. The volume explores themes such as individual differences in L1 ability and their connection to L2 aptitude and L2 achievement, L2 anxiety as an affective or cognitive variable, and the relationship between L1 and L2…

This book provides an in-depth exploration of psychological phenomena affecting language learning within a social learning space. Drawing on the literature from identity in second language learning, communities of practice and learner beliefs, in conjunction with other individual difference factors, it uncovers perceptions and assumptions that…

This book highlights the roles of several individual difference (ID) variables on the language learning process, exploring them from both the students' and the teachers' perspectives. It presents the results of a large-scale, mixed-methods investigation which was conducted with secondary school pupils and their teachers in Hungary. The…

This volume is both a state-of-the-art display of current thinking on second language development as a complex system. It is also a tribute to Diane Larsen-Freeman for her decades of intellectual leadership in the academic disciplines of applied linguistics and second language acquisition. The chapters therein range from theoretical expositions to…

Data on disfluencies in the speech of non-stuttering adults are relevant to several aspects of the assessment and treatment of adults who stutter. Currently, very few sources provide relevant data. In the existing literature on normally fluent speakers, there is no consistency in sample length or topic or in which types of disfluency are counted.…

Three hearing aid manufacturers provided custom full-shell in-the-ear hearing aids designed for maximum acoustic gain for each of three hearing-impaired adults. Full-on coupler gain curves were similar across all nine hearing aids, with individual differences producing substantial variance in insertion gain across hearing aids. (Author/DB)

Educationists and researchers who consider the use of the learning style concept to address individual differences in learning are often daunted by the multitude of definitions, models, and instruments. It is difficult to make an informed choice. The confusion with cognitive style, a term often used as a synonym, makes it even more complicated.…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the domain specificity of multidimensional motivation and engagement (adaptive cognitions, adaptive behaviors, impeding/maladaptive cognitions, maladaptive behaviors) in mathematics, English and science high school subjects, with an additional focus on three key educational correlates (educational…

Some feel that a persistent shortcoming of the collective views of human action is that they often advocate a view of the individual as merely a bearer or token for the group to which he or she belongs. These theories do not account for individual choice. This project attempts to arrive at a general critique of individualism, drawing on a number…

Two studies with children (n=123) with mild mental retardation were designed to test whether specific clusters of beliefs would predict imitation and persistence behaviors in this population. The studies found that belief scores were significantly related to such behaviors. Implications concerning motivation, the developmental-difference…

The role of affect in counseling has been examined from several orientations. The depth of processing model views the efficiency of information processing as a function of the extent to which the information is processed. The notion of cognitive processing capacity states that processing information at deeper levels engages more of one's limited…

Two repeated-measures designs with two samples of speech delayed preschool children (N=18) compared learning activities utilizing microcomputer instruction with similar activities delivered via conventional tabletop instructional materials. Findings suggested both methods are equally effective and efficient with each being more effective with…

The persistence of individual differences in phonological development of 10 normally developing children observed at age one and again at age three was studied. The children differed considerably in rate of vocabulary acquisition and relative phonological maturity and also in their general approach to learning. (Author/JDD)

The first and founding conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction was held in Belgium from June 10-13, 1985. This article concentrates on highlights that suggest intersections between three of the six conference themes: problem-solving; cognition-motivation interaction; and individual differences. Conference…

Presents results of a study using a switching regression model to correct for biases in assessing the gain in economic knowledge from high school economic courses. Explains that regressors used included geometry, civics, female, African-American, college, twelfth, and dummy variables. Reports substantial differences between students who elect…