In a modification of the sentence-picture comprehension task (Chase & Clark, 1972), 70 university undergraduates verified sentence-picture pairs. The findings limit the generalizability of any linguistic comparison model; two different comprehension strategies were used consistently by different subjects, whose choices of strategy were predictable…

An experiment is described that involved presenting sentences to the subject for study and then testing single words for recognition (the subject had to decide whether the test word was in one of the study sentences). A large priming effect was obtained. (Author/RM)

A factor analysis was used to study the relationships among response time and accuracy scores for a verbal analogies test, as well as a number of experimental variables designed to measure a series of information processing stages of the analogies task. (CTM)

French sentences with a long ambiguous word just before a target phoneme led to faster reaction times than did sentences with a short unambigous word just before the target phoneme. (Author/SW)

This study examines the role of verbal labels in picture recognition by 5-year-olds and adults to find out if recognition accuracy and time of recognition choice is influenced by the use of labels. (GO)

Tests two hypotheses concerning developmental change in the speed of cognitive processes: (1) age differences in processing time reflect changes that are specific to particular tasks, and (2) age differences in processing speed do not reflect task-specific change but are due instead to more general developmental change. (HOD)

The efficiency with which learning disabled and nonlearning disabled college students perform cognitive processing tasks was examined. A simple visual reaction time and speeded classification tasks were used. Learning disabled adults were slower and more variable on speeded classification tasks but did not differ on visual reaction time tasks.…

Purpose of this study was to explore the effects of stress produced by recitation strategies on retention for learners who differ in their response to anxiety. (Authors)

The time needed to process visual feedback information for the control of aimed movements was investigated in two experiments. Examination of movement patterns indicated that the average time between presentation of visual error information and initiation of a movement correction was 135 msec, which is shorter than previous estimates. (Author/RD)

McClelland and O'Regan's interpretation of data may not be appropriate. One could argue that subjects used different strategies in the expectation and no-expectation conditions. Second, an inappropriate baseline condition may have been used. Finally their results may not be generalizable to the use of parafoveal vision during reading. (Author/RD)

The Posner-Snyder two-process theory of expectancy explains results of studies on the effect of sentence context on ongoing word recognition. Three studies tested the applicability of the theory to the performance of fluent adult readers. Difficult words displayed larger context effects than did easy words. (Author/RD)

Two experiments examined the nature of access, storage, and comprehension of idiomatic phrases, using a phrase classification task. Results support a lexical representation hypothesis for the processing of idioms. (Author/AM)

Reaction time to reading sentences which were not clearly interrelated was longer when a paragraph was titled to give it to more discourse (paragraph) level meaning. The presence of titles had no effect on reaction times for meaningful paragraphs, however. (CP)

The cascade model of information processing is compatible with the relation between time and accuracy in speed-accuracy trade-off experiments. Findings regarding the additive factors methods led to reexamination of conclusions drawn from several studies about the locus of perceptual and attentional effects on processing. (Author/RD)

Described is an in-class demonstration of mass reaction time which measures the speed of nerve impulses and the duration of various cognitive processes. A simpler version of the experiment for at-home use is described. (Author/DB)