Purpose: Children with specific language impairment (SLI) demonstrate significant language impairments despite normal-range hearing and nonverbal IQ. Many of these children also show marked deficits in working memory (WM) abilities. However, the theoretical and clinical characterization of the association between WM and language limitations in SLI…

Repetition is a central phenomenon of behavior, and researchers have made extensive use of it to illuminate psychological functioning. In the language sciences, a ubiquitous form of such repetition is "structural priming," a tendency to repeat or better process a current sentence because of its structural similarity to a previously experienced…

The study assessed how unilateral right hemisphere brain damage (RHD) affects processing of metaphoric aspects of word meaning. RHD stroke patients (N=25) performed similarly to left-brain-damaged and normal subjects in the automatic condition and when provided with processing strategies. Both brain-damaged groups had difficulty developing…

This paper reviews the conceptual confusion surrounding the concept "scientific thinking" (also known as "the proceses of science,""scientific processes,""inquiry skills," and sometimes, "the scientific method"). It begins with three separate arguments, each supporting a particular claim: (1)…

Examines the role that memory plays in the understanding of mathematics. Areas discussed include: retention research; memory and teaching; structure and organization in memory; and transformations in memory. Relevant research and implications for instruction are addressed. (JN)

Examines the relationship between preschool children's (n = 96) cognitive processing of video (V) and audio (A) information on television under four conditions: A/V match, A/V mismatch, V alone, and A alone. Results suggest that in regular television programs the video material simply appears to be more salient and more memorable than the audio…

Approximately 500 nonscience major university chemistry students were surveyed to record their interpretations of specific chemical symbolism before presenting modern concepts of atomic and molecular structure, in an attempt to understand the thought processes entering students use as they interpret symbolism. Results are reported and discussed.…

Comparison of area and subtest scores on the Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale (Fourth Edition) for 15 autistic retarded children and 15 nonautistic retarded children found that the children with autism scored substantially lower in the verbal reasoning area and on the subtests of Comprehension and Absurdities than did the nonautistic children.…

Investigates the relationship between children's cognitive and affective processes in 30 four and five year olds who were interviewed individually to probe affective understanding, administered a series of Piagetian tasks, and given the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Performance on affective and cognitive tasks correlated significantly.…

Comprehension is the ultimate aim of reading and listening. How do children develop the ability to comprehend written and spoken language, and what can be done to help those who are having difficulties? This book presents cutting-edge research on comprehension problems experienced by children without any formal diagnosis as well as those with…

Two divergent views of linguistic ability in adulthood currently exist. One view maintains that verbal ability is preserved in old age, while the other view maintains that verbal ability declines, especially comprehension. To analyze the effects of semantic priming during sentence processing by 30 younger adults (mean age, 25 years) and 30 older…

Students (N=22) enrolled in secondary school biology were evaluated for their abilities to use: combinatorial logic; correlational reasoning; separation and control of variables; exclusion of irrelevant variables; proportional reasoning; and probabilistic reasoning. Each student responded individually to six Piagetian tasks designed to measure…

Examines the development of metaphor by using structure-mapping theory to make distinctions among kinds of metaphors. Proposes that children can understand metaphors based on shared object attributes before those based on shared relational structure. Results indicate a developmental shift toward focus on relational structure in metaphor…

Cognition, knowing, and understanding are analysed in terms of levels, forms, and range. It is found that cognition is knowing and that understanding is a range of knowing. Three levels of knowing (pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional), three levels of understanding (prehension, apprehension, comprehension), and six forms of knowing…

Investigated the role of "a priori" ideas in planning experiments and data processing leading to inferences. Thirty-one students (ages 11-13) observed a "combustion/candle in a closed container" experiment and were asked to interpret sets of measurements. Findings, among others, show that children preferentially experiment on…