This technical report is in three parts. Part I is a conceptual treatment of communication in which the human being is viewed as a goal-attainment system. The goal-attainment problem is defined as a discrepancy between the current state of the system and a specified goal state. Several forms of the communicative relationship are outlined. Part II…

The article discusses the history, role, and use of teaching machines and how they can be employed effectively in foreign language instruction. The selection of programed materials, prior study preparations, and the expected conditioned verbal responses arising from machine use are briefly discussed. The advantages of teaching machines are seen as…

Discussed in a paper which was presented at the 1974 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association are diagnostic procedures for instructional planning to be used with learning disabled elementary school children handicapped in the area of mathematics. Traditional diagnostic approaches such as intelligence tests are criticized.…

Conflicting evidence as to the presence or absence of generalization in classroom behavior modification programs prompted this study of the conditions of generalization. During the experiment, behaviors operationally defined as competitive or cooperative were reinforced in certain game situations. Then the generalization of this training over…

The proceedings consist of 11 papers grouped in two major categories: the context of adult learning (social significance and fact and fiction about adult learning) and the utilization of learning models for adult instruction. Contributors are Floyd B. Fischer, George L. Maddox, Rolf H. Monge, Eric F. Gardner, Arthur W. Combs, William J. Hoyer,…

This book presents a collection of essays intended for an integrated study of language by anthropologists, literary critics, philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and linguists. There is first a discussion of theories concerning the interrelationship of language, thought, and culture. This is followed by a discussion of the development of…

The literature on learning research pertaining to the internal processing operations of the learner was reviewed. The current thinking of learning theorists regarding the nature and importance of these processes in learning and retention is described, and their significance for instructional technology is examined. Verbalization, imagery, and…

Learning behavior of young children of contrasting socioeconomic backgrounds is examined in this study, which poses the question: what are the necessary or sufficient environmental conditions for the establishment of identifiable patterns of behavior? Socioeconomic level (SEL), the principal independent variable, was defined in terms of parental…

A home-based, computer-monitored contingency intervention program was developed to provide a source of cognitive and motivational stimulation to infants with handicaps. Equipment includes a computer, contingency interface, software, adaptive toys, switches, and a mounting panel. Learning was exhibited by 19 of 20 infants, and parental response was…

Describes a computer tutorial that teaches the fundamentals of stimulus generalization in operant learning. Concepts covered include reinforcement, discrimination learning, stimulus continua, generalization, generalization gradients, and peak shift. The tutorial also reviews applications in human and animal situations. The content is appropriate…

How the nervous system encodes learning and memory processes has interested researchers for 100 years. Over this span of time, a number of basic neuroscience methods has been developed to explore the relationship between learning and the brain, including brain lesion, stimulation, pharmacology, anatomy, imaging, and recording techniques. In this…

The purpose of this paper is to relate psychology to teaching generally, and to relate behavior shaping to curriculum, specifically. Focusing on operant conditioning and learning, many studies are cited which illustrate some of the work being done toward effectively shaping or modifying student behavior whether in terms of subject matter or…

The problem of what set of instructional materials and equipment and entire instructional systems to use is presented, with specific reference to the area of Correctional Adult Basic Education (ABE). In setting up an ABE program, the initial order of business is to construct a viable model, one that insures that rapid and significant learning will…

The two articles dealing with problem solving and technology in this publication should be useful to those developing the kinds of materials, experiences, and thinking that elementary school industrial arts offers children. The first article accepts problem solving as an educational goal and reports a timely and universally acceptable approach.…

This book of readings in educational psychology for teachers contains selections which are both historical and technological. More emphasis is placed on general information and direct educational applications than on theoretical and experimental education psychology, and some of the articles have been abridged. Topics covered include teacher…