According to an aptitude-treatment interaction experiment (Lehmann et al., "Metacognition and Learning, 11," 89-105, 2016, N = 47, published in "Metacognition and Learning"), perceptually disfluent texts facilitated retention and comprehension performance (but not transfer performance) only for learners with higher working…

Recent studies on the learning of L2 prosody have suggested that pitch gestures can enhance the learning of the L2 lexical tones. Yet it remains unclear whether the use of these gestures can aid the learning of L2 intonation, especially by tonal-language speakers. Sixty-four Mandarin speakers with basic-level Spanish were asked to learn three…

This study examined the interactive relations among note-taking (NT), adjunct questions (AQ), and paying attention (PA) by students in lecture situations. The subject pool consisted of 154 students enrolled in basic psychology at the University of Massachusetts. Three aptitude tests were administered to all subjects. These tests measured (1) short…

THE MAJOR PART OF THIS CONFERENCE REPORT DEVELOPS THE CONFERENCE THEME, "INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING," AS PRESENTED BY THE PRINCIPAL SPEAKER, JOHN B. CARROLL. HIS PAPER TREATS RATE OF LEARNING, SPECIALIZED TRAITS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE APTITUDE (PHONETIC CODING ABILITY, GRAMMATICAL SENSITIVITY, ROTE LEARNING ABILITY,…

A persistent problem in aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) research has been the need for a better conceptualization of instructional treatments. The concerns are important in the analysis of instructional treatments: the importance of considering the psychological processes called upon by the instructional treatment, and the ecological validity…

A vast literature in educational psychology attests to the fact that individual differences in learner aptitudes predict learning outcomes. A substantial body of literature also demonstrates that aptitude variables often interact with instructional treatment variables in these predictions. Aptitude main effects and aptitude-instructional treatment…

The theoretical and methodological concepts for research on aptitudes as cognitive processes are discussed. Individual differences constructs are reviewed in relation to cognitive processing models, and studies of short-term memory are reviewed. A coordinated approach to the study of aptitude as information processing is recommended. (Author/RD)

Most students, perhaps over 90 percent, can master what teachers have to teach them, and it is the task of instruction to find the means which will enable students to master the subject under consideration. A basic task is to determine what is meant by mastery of the subject and to search for methods and materials which will enable the largest…

The study concerned (1) identifying component processes of discovery and rule learning; (2) describing differences in learning outcomes produced by the two instructional methods, and; (3) optimizing learning. It was believed that understanding the effects of aptitude, instructional methods, and their interaction is important in the study of…

Several skills important to successful learning by discovery were found to be less essential to successful learning by rule. Results also supported the hypothesis that the outcome of discovery is the structural integration of previously known concepts, while the outcome of rule learning is the addition of new structure. (Authors)

The author describes his program of research over the past 25 years. This research falls into 6 areas that are interdependent and that inform each other. The overall program is guided by 3 bioecological principles that posit the need for proximal processes and motivation to actualize biological potential. The author presents examples of…

Identifies three categories of specific aptitudes pertinent to success in school. Cites research that indicates a person will learn more effectively if material is presented in a mode matched to his aptitude profile, and advocates consideration of this in preparing instructional materials or selecting textbooks. (GS)