To provide a differentiated characterization of autistic children's logical deficits, a non-verbal, microanalytic method designed for infants and young children was used. Subjects were 12 autistic children ranging in age from 5 to 7 years and a control group of 12 normal children ranging in age from 23 to 30 months. Subjects were given two…

A scheme for classifying attachment patterns is proposed that retains important elements of Ainsworth's system, but extends it to allow for the inclusion of more deviant patterns of behavior. The proposed scheme asserts that attachment relationships can be ordered on a continuum of felt security based upon an organizational interpretation of the…

A discussion of Leonard Bloomfield's theory on grammatical agreement examines agreement within Bloomfield's overall scheme of syntactic analysis and relates it to current work in syntax. Bloomfield's three types of agreement (concord, government, and cross-reference) are outlined and compared to the contemporary distinction between pro-drop and…

This report describes recent efforts to modify, test, and evaluate an experimental online database consisting of 15 vendor-supplied, controlled subject vocabularies or thesauri. The experimental database, called the Vocabulary Switching System (VSS), is designed to enhance search strategies and ultimately retrieval performance for users of online…

A three part article 1) considering basic requirements for a language typology theory, including qualitative, comparative and quantitative concept development, 2) analyzing and evaluating several of thee better known language typology systems, and 3) comparing and contrasting those systems. (DH)

A method of typological analysis was applied to computer-generated 96-item questionnaire data for 100 cases, under a variety of conditions to analyze both the item-level and score-level. The results showed a considerable advantage of score-level approach in the number, size, and replicability of clusters recovered. (DEP)

Examined and compared the use of Public Law 94-142 seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) guidelines, the DSM III (Diagnositc and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) system, in the school setting. The systems agreed in only 37 percent of the cases. (Author/BL)

Designed to determine whether abstract and concrete concepts are classified similarly, this study used three separate experiments to explore the vertical and horizontal dimensions used by computer scientists to categorize the common concepts of their field. It found that concrete concept categorization operates over a wider range than previously…

Findings suggest that semantic knowledge for concrete objects is represented and organized in similar ways in autistic, retarded, and normal children. Previous findings on cognitive deficits in autistic children are more likely related to their inability to use cognitive representations in an appropriate and flexible manner. (Author/RH)

The taxonomy outlined in this paper provides a framework for the classification of performance objectives. The taxonomy has three levels: (1) demonstration of cognitive mastery; (2) demonstration of a task in isolation; and (3) demonstration of a task in context. As one moves up the taxonomy, the student's performance requires a longer period of…

Examines developmental differences in category labeling in a communication situation. Adult women and nine-year-old children instructed seven-year-olds in the organization of groceries in a mock kitchen or in the organization of photographs of common objects into compartments as a "homework" assignment. Both adults and children gave more…

Five- and 6-year-olds heard stories in which a character sorted items into two locations. Found that children could reject a report of the character's belief when the character had a false belief more easily than a belief in which an object known to the character was described using an unknown term. Children found it easier to predict incorrect…

Two studies examined whether object names and functions act as cues to categories for infants. Findings indicated that both 14- and 18-month-olds were more likely to select the category match after being shown a novel category exemplar with its function than when given no additional cues. Only at 18 months did naming the objects enhance…