This study indicated that the dimensions of the configuration provided by INDSCAL multidimensional scaling are psychologically relevant to learning the concept of artistic style and that sensitivity to these dimensions, as measured by INDSCAL subject weights, can predict important individual differences in responses to another group of stimuli.…

Effects of mothers' contingent and non-contingent vocal stimulation on vocalization and looking behavior was investigated in 10 Down's Syndrome infants. Neither condition increased infant vocalization but results suggest that looking behavior may be an important indication of competence in pre-linguistic social communication for developmentally…

Using information contained in nine photographs, young children constructed a wooden pyramid. Control children were given the same task but no pictorial information. Children's performances were significantly better when pictorial information was available. Sex and age differences were noted regarding strategies used to complete the task.…

Reports results of a study testing a selective attentional model which predicted that textbook study questions adjunct to a flow diagram will focus students' attention more upon questioned information and less upon nonquestioned information. A picture-word diagram describing biogeochemical cycles to high school biology students (N=176) was used.…

Results of two experiments minimizing verbal encoding and response demands indicate that when the ceiling effects in no-mask target recognition are removed, the visual information processing rates for children and adults can be considered equivalent. (Author/RH)

This paper examines the mental processes involved in inferring perspective changes resulting from the rotation of a spatial array or from the rotation of the viewer of that array. Under certain conditions, viewer-rotation problems become easy and array-rotation problems become difficult. Apparently, an array is fixed vis-a-vis the spatial context.…

Describes research projects and experiments in graphic design conducted at a number of colleges and universities. (GT)

Visual feedback and ratio scheduling of pay were utilized to train the relationship between work and piece rate for five severely mentally retarded workers. Results show a statistically significant gain in production during training, and a larger gain during the second baseline period when the visual feedback was removed and clients were paid on…

The keyword method of foreign language learning was adapted for young children learning Spanish. Rather than constructing visual images relating to the word pair, the children generated sentences. Both second- and fifth-grade students experienced large vocabulary gains. (Author/GDC)

Reports a study showing that subjects can make discriminative judgments about a speaker's sex and race from his tape-recorded speech. Filtering the speech signal adversely affects race but not sex identification. Listener accuracy and confidence for sex judgments are greater than for race judgments. (PMJ)

Overall findings of this meta-analysis reveal small effects of adjunct pictures on reading comprehension. No advantage was found when traditional v nontraditional text settings were compared. Line drawings seem to facilitate comprehension and color pictures seem to have a greater effect than black and white pictures. (Author)

Explored the relative effectiveness of four modes of delivery (live, video-audio, audio, and manuscript) on content retention among Black college students. Did not find significant differences in retention among the four experimental groups. Attributes the absence of differences to the small amount retained in general. (GC)

The use of pictures created by students as aids in the learning of mathematical concepts and the problem solving process is promoted. (MP)

Mildly retarded children were instructed in encoding strategies or rehearsal strategy. Performance was higher for semantic encoding strategies. Seven months later the semantic condition also showed greater improvement after strategies were prompted. Performance on incidental learning tasks was enhanced for 13- but not 10-year olds. (Author/RD)

Addresses the questions of whether young children would differentially utilize spatial and thematic cues for recall and/or organization and whether such effects would persist over time. Subjects were 60 fifth-grade and 60 preschool children. (MP)