Understanding language requires readers and listeners to cull meaning from fast-unfolding messages that often contain conflicting cues pointing to incompatible ways of interpreting the input (e.g., "The cat was chased by the mouse"). This article reviews mounting evidence from multiple methods demonstrating that cognitive control plays…

The mirror neuron system has been argued to be a key brain system responsible for action understanding and imitation. Subsequently, mirror neuron system dysfunction has therefore been proposed to explain the social deficits manifested within autism spectrum condition, an approach referred to as the broken mirror hypothesis. Despite excitement…

Current evidence suggests the phenotype of autism spectrum disorder to be driven by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors impacting onto brain maturation, synaptic function, and cortical networks. However, findings are heterogeneous, and the exact neurobiological pathways of autism spectrum disorder still remain poorly…

Depression is a developmental phenomenon. Considerable progress has been made in describing the syndrome, establishing its prevalence and features, providing clues as to its etiology, and developing evidence-based treatment and prevention options. Despite considerable headway in distinct lines of vulnerability research, there is an explanatory gap…

Excessively devaluing delayed reinforcers co-occurs with a wide variety of clinical conditions such as drug dependence, obesity, and excessive gambling. If excessive delay discounting is a trans-disease process that underlies the choice behavior leading to these and other negative health conditions, efforts to change an individual's discount rate…

The review examined recent research concerning cerebral specialization, especially dichotic listening studies, in Down syndrome individuals. A model of cerebral specialization is proposed that stresses the biological dissociation between speech perception and speech production or other complex movements. (Author/DB)

This paper examines the influence of Norman Geschwind's model of connectionism, in which complex functions are built up by connecting primary areas in the brain, and notes his studies of the effects of disconnection on dyslexic individuals. Connectionist-based behavioral studies are reviewed, focusing on intracortical association connections and…

Identifies three main strengths of Casey's spatial ability model, but notes that a study by McKeever found different results concerning the relationship between familial handedness and females' mental rotation ability. Considers the use of a familial handedness measure to be a weakness of the model because handedness might not be an inherited…

This article discusses the hypothesis of unilateral left hemisphere damage as an explanatory model for the neurological basis of specific language impairment considering both evidence challenging the theory as well as evidence supporting it. (Author/DB)

Data on the development of intelligence and the concept of giftedness are interpreted for use in the classroom and are applied to the development of strategies to optimize learning. The Integrative Education Model is introduced, with its purpose of empowering the learner physically, emotionally, cognitively, and intuitively. The teacher's role is…

To further the understanding of how the brain operates at the most basic level of interest to human communication theorists, intrapersonal communication, this paper reviews the arguments against the hemispheric dominance theory and for a neurological processing style model of brain functions and then focuses on the impact of the corpus callosum (a…

Reviews 5 models of learning or cognitive styles and the concept of brain hemispheric functions. Discusses the right hemisphere dominant learning style of many Native American children. Presents points to consider when modifying curricula or designing a reading program aimed at all learners. Contains 19 references. (SV)

Describes various models of learning styles and speculates on their applicability to distance education practice and research. Topic discussed include field dependence and independence; the Kolb Model; hemisphericity; sensory preferences; the Jungian approach; Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI); and psychological factors including age, sex…

This article presents information drawn from research on brain processes that impact perception, memory, learning, and understandings about the world. This information is related to the use of interactive video and the Web in distance education through a discussion of how best to enhance learning--or mitigate problems caused--through the use of…

4MAT is an 8-step, sequential instructional model based on two theoretical constructs: Kolb's model of learning styles and the concept of brain hemisphericity. The model, developed by B. McCarthy (1987), is derived by interacting each of Kolb's four quadrants with both left and right brain. Kolb outlined four learning styles based on the four…