Discusses how findings of recent neuroscience research can be combined with learning theories to derive brain-based learning principles. Suggests ways in which teachers can promote deeper learning. (SK)

Research on neural networks and hippocampal function demonstrating how mammals construct mental maps and develop navigation strategies is being used to create Intelligent Autonomous Mobile Robots (IAMRs). Such robots are able to recognize landmarks and navigate without "vision." (SK)

States that Demetriou and Raftopoulos's theory of cognitive developmental change based on the nature of representation is flawed. Argues against theme of representation as encoding as well as an alternative model of representation as interactivism. Concludes that other issues such as architectural support, variation and selective retention,…

Discusses cognitive scientists' and psycholinguists' theories of the origins of consciousness and linguistic expression. Suggests that the hand is key in the development of human intelligence and in the origin of language. Maintains that the mutual influence of hand and brain reveals the subtleties of cause and effect, stories, and the…

Discusses brain research and how new imaging technologies allow scientists to explore how human brains process memory, emotion, attention, patterning, motivation, and context. Explains how brain research is being used to revise learning theories. (JOW)

Quantum learning uses all neural networks of the brain to make significant meaning. A dialogue approach that moves beyond content into the context and lives of participants can lead to quantum learning. (SK)

The inhibition of return (IOR) phenomenon is routinely considered an effect of reflexive attention because the paradigm used to generate IOR employs peripheral cues that are uninformative as to where a target will appear. Because the cues are spatially unreliable it is thought that there is no reason for attention to be committed volitionally to…

The purpose of this study was to increase self-control and engagement in a physical therapy task (head holding) for a man with acquired traumatic brain injury. Once impulsivity was observed (i.e., repeated impulsive choices), an experimental condition was introduced that consisted of choices between a small immediate reinforcer, a large…

When neurologically normal individuals bisect a horizontal line as accurately as possible, they reliably show a slight leftward error. This leftward inaccuracy is called "pseudoneglect" because errors made by neurologically normal individuals are directionally opposite to those made by persons with visuospatial neglect (Jewell & McCourt, 2000). In…

We describe a way of modeling high-dimensional data vectors by using an unsupervised, nonlinear, multilayer neural network in which the activity of each neuron-like unit makes an additive contribution to a global energy score that indicates how surprised the network is by the data vector. The connection weights that determine how the activity of…

A research has uncovered that adolescent sleep patterns are influenced not so much by the activities of the young adults as by the changes taking place in the biological timing system of their brains. It is evident that teenagers are not getting the amount of sleep they require and suggestions are presented to help diminish if not entirely avoid…

The purpose of the present study was to identify differences between cerebral hemispheres for processing temporal intervals ranging from .9 to 1.4s. The intervals to be judged were marked by series of brief visual signals located in the left or the right visual field. Series of three (two standards and one comparison) or five intervals (four…

This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that administration of the air with 30% oxygen compared with normal air (21% oxygen) enhances cognitive functioning through increased activation in the brain. A visuospatial task was presented while brain images were scanned by a 3 T fMRI system. The results showed that there was an improvement in…

Measures of developmental instability (DI) reflect developmental disruptions due to genetic and environmental perturbations during normal development. DI might be expected to influence the developmental course of brain development and hence intelligence, and several studies indicate this to be the case. The factors that mediate this relationship…

Recent work has investigated children's developing understanding of the anatomical locus of identity. In two studies, we extend this work by exploring the role of the mind as opposed to the brain in children's conceptualization of identity. In Experiment 1, an analysis of natural language indicated that adults use the term mind more frequently…