Developmental research suggests that some of the mechanisms that underlie numerical cognition are present and functional in human infancy. To investigate these mechanisms and their developmental course, psychologists have turned to behavioral and electrophysiological methods using briefly presented displays. These methods, however, depend on the…

An empirically-based theory is proposed that relates media's most essential modes of presentation--their symbol systems--to modes of cognitive representation and to the acquisition of knowledge. This book draws upon scholarship in such areas as the study of symbol systems, cognition, cognitive development, psycholinguistics, and mass…

Three experiments examined the relation between language acquisition and other symbolic abilities in 18- and 26-month old infants. Infants' ability to learn either words or symbolic gestures as names for object categories were compared across age groups. Findings indicated that infants at both ages learned novel words as symbols for object…

Piaget's concept of "internalization" is analyzed and related to Bruner's representational theories of cognitive development. Cognitive structures are shown to be real exclusively in an actual representation. (Author/SDH)

After describing desirable characteristics of a student's first encounter with proof, and listing skills prerequisite for the proposed lesson (knowledge of some operational systems), the author describes in detail an introductory session in which students prove consequences of commutativity and associativity for a system supposedly encountered on…

The review surveys theories and models of human development and extrapolates from these to form a composite sketch of the "typical" deaf adolescent. Theories of J. Piaget are examined and the major stages of cognitive development he proposed are summarized. Implications of concepts of disequilibrium and restructuring of cognitive schemas…

Seventy-one college students were taught probability and statistics for one month by one of three methods: MP, manipulative-pictorial; P, pictorial; and S, symbolic. Analysis of variance yielded significant differences (p.05) between treatment groups for selected subtests of an achievement test and generally favored MP and P over S.

DISCUSSED IS THE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF BRAILLE-TYPE SCIENCE SYMBOLS FOR BLIND SECONDARY SCHOOL SCIENCE STUDENTS. A REVIEW OF SECONDARY SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS, STATE SCIENCE SYLLABUSES, COURSES OF STUDY, AND VOCABULARY LISTS WAS USED TO IDENTIFY 50 IMPORTANT RECURRING SCIENCE TERMS. THE TERMS WERE SUBMITTED FOR EVALUATION TO UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS,…

The behaving organism is described as a system with internal motivational and memory components which guide the actions of external input and output components. The organism actively shapes its environment by using its output to control its input from the environment. Output is a function of the psychological forces, topographic memory, and input…

High school and undergraduate subjects were randomly assigned to either a semantic or symbolic learning program concerning the computation of the derivative of an algebraic expression and the multiplication of vectors in order to study aptitude-achievement interaction. Results of achievement and ability tests indicated that there does exist…

The study was designed to developmentally assess the effect of relational imagery training, unitized pictorial relations, and the combination of both on the recall of noun triplets by 120 first, third and sixth graders. In the unitized picture condition, relations were imposed by the experimenter, whereas the relational imagery training condition…

Many of the difficulties that students have with mathematical symbolism seem to stem from the use of a horizontal form for an equation and a vertical form for computation. The differences between these two forms are discussed. (JT)

Advocates the use, in the classroom, of a photograph of the planet Earth taken from space. Sees it as a powerful symbol for a unified world and its presence in the classroom as providing an expanded awareness of the unitary nature of the students' global home: one planet, populated by one human family. (KS)

Analyzes concept formation in children based on the precepts of general semantics. (RB)

Understanding the involvement of reading skills with the development of musicianship may help to differentiate between the pupil who really has no musical talent and the one who is merely defeated by a lack of competence in the required reading skills. (Author/JB)