Reports a study which investigated whether the thought processes of grade 12 economics students affected the level of economic reasoning used in resolving time-allocation dilemmas. Concludes that seniors trained in cost-benefit analysis used significantly higher economic reasoning when resolving high perceived familiarity time-allocation dilemmas.…

Examines spatial concepts required by young children for the understanding and manipulation of turn commands in Logo, and reviews the literature on children's Logo learning and the psychological-cognitive development of spatial concepts. Geometric concepts, alternative frames of reference, and the use of Turtle graphics are also discussed. (39…

Results of a study showed that an outline helped field-dependent students in recall of high structure information and field-independent students in recall of low structure information. Performance of field-dependent and field-independent students was equivalent on probed recall of low-structure information. (Author/MLW)

Reviews research findings on transfer of learning and indicates that current research (especially metacognition) holds considerable promise for a more complete understanding of the mechanisms of transfer. (NKA)

This study examined whether a timesharing factor can be identified when a number of competing tasks are presented in the midst of a range of single tests designed to sample a broad range of psychological dimensions. A battery of single and competing tasks was presented to 126 subjects. (Author/LMO)

Documents the different problem-solving styles and approaches of two first-grade children having strong mathematical abilities. One child demonstrated an extrinsic, algorithmic style of problem-solving, while the other used an intrinsic, individual-in-control style. (NH)

Reported the development and validation of an integrated model of performance on chemical concept-volumetric analysis. Model was tested on 265 chemistry students in eight schools.Results indicated that for subjects using algorithms without understanding, performance on volumetric analysis problems was not influenced by proportional reasoning…

Individuals who are capable of perceiving others in complex and divergent ways may be able to communicate more effectively. This proposition represents a link between several fields of inquiry that researchers rarely interrelate: higher level thinking skills, social cognition, social competency, and communications. (Author/MLW)

Examines the role of human information processing and decision-making capabilities and limitations in the design of effective human-computer interfaces. Several cognitive engineering principles that should guide the design process are outlined. (48 references) (Author/CLB)

Concerns the development of children's understanding of representational change and its relation to other cognitive developments. Two experiments involve day care children, aged three, four, and five years. Results suggest that children begin to consider alternative representations of the same object at about age four. (Author/RWB)

Investigates ability of nine-month-old infants to imitate simple actions with novel objects. Looks at both immediate and deferred imitation. Findings show that imitation in early infancy can span wide enough delays to be of potential service in social development. (Author/RWB)

Direct instruction of brainstorming, product-improvement techniques, and verbal problem solving to 19 third graders for 30 minutes per week significantly improved their performance on the flexibility and originality components of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. No significant change occurred on the fluency component, perhaps a result of…

Argues that there are significant ways in which neither Piaget nor his successors in developmental psychology have adequately described the child's mind and how it changes. Proposes alternative guidelines for research that aims more directly at identifying essential constituent features of the child's mental reality. (PCB)

The structure of cognitive abilities was examined through tests administered to 81 prelingually deaf Yougoslavian children (ages seven to eight). Results suggested the existence of two levels of cognitive organization: (1) automatic (involving highly integrated perceptual skills and short-term memory); and (2) representational (involving symbols…

Interpersonal problem-solving skills of 17 mildly retarded students and two groups of nonretarded subjects (Ns=30) matched on mental age (MA) and chronological age were assessed using hypothetical problem solving situations. Results indicated similarities between mentally retarded subjects and MA matched controls in types and number of strategies…