Discusses problems that educators face in attempting to emphasize high-level cognitive skills in their curriculum. Identifies four elements of informal learning that guide the creation of these skills, through a comparison of the characteristics of formal and informal learning environments. Notes benefits for development of students' conceptual…

Addresses teachers concern about teaching drawing and the role of graphicacy based on the lack of research about the process by which children develop drawing capability and the effects of school culture and pedagogy on the development of childrens' drawing capability. Outlines a research agenda for the teaching and learning of drawing in primary…

Identifies the conceptions of energy of preservice high school biology teachers. Findings indicate that this group of preservice teachers holds alternate conceptual frameworks when describing physical situations. Contains 35 references. (DDR)

Describes the differences between normal and sequential lineups and their effects on eyewitnesses to crime. After a staged crime in a college lab, students were shown photographs in either normal lineup style or sequential style. 35% of eyewitnesses shown all photographs at the same time mistakenly picked an innocent person. Only 18% shown…

Argues the limits of reductionism vis-a-vis computational-algorithmic approaches to music education and computers. Presents four paradoxes to support the notion of the mind as more complex than a cognitive device that could be simulated by computers. Warns about the limits of computational devices and false notions of an all-encompassing…

Describes a classroom demonstration of the illusory correlation effect (people often subjectively overestimate how often two distinctive events occur together) that replicates a classic experiment on illusory correlation. Explains that the demonstration illustrates the role that basic cognitive processes play in developing social stereotypes. (CMK)

A study examined the executive functioning, in particular the attentional set-shifting deficits in Australian individuals ages 6-20 with high-functioning autism (n=12) and Asperger's disorder (n=12). Results indicate that individuals with autism had a deficiency in shifting from local to global processing, however, this was not observed in…

This article presents a conceptual model of the cognitive social bases of language derived from the philosophical view of constructionism and theoretical perspectives of speech act theory and relevance theory. The centrality of intent, modality and core issues of language, lack of construct validity in assessment, and heterogeneity are discussed.…

A study that compared 20 children with reading difficulties (RD) with severe executive processing deficits, 16 with RD with moderate executive processing ability, 20 with high ability, and 20 who had moderate sentence span scores, found a domain-general system may partially contribute to poor working memory in children with RD. (Contains…

Examined visual attention and implications for recognition memory in a longitudinal sample of full-term and preterm infants at 5, 7, and 12 months. Found differences between full-terms and preterms in several aspects of visual attention. Infants showed consistent attentional styles over various conditions. Shorter looks and higher shift rates…

Examined the emergence of theory-motivated reasoning biases when early and middle adolescents evaluated evidence either congruent or incongruent to their theories of social class or religion. Found that higher order scientific reasoning was used to reject theory-incongruent evidence; judgmental heuristics were used to evaluate theory-congruent…

Discusses the idea behind the European Community's recently published white paper on education and teaching, titled "To Teach and to Learn--Towards a Cognitive Society." The paper declares that Europe is undergoing a transition to a new type of society, describes the issues at stake, and proposes steps to encourage member States to…

Examined possibility that increased speech rate affects persuasion either by acting as an agreement cue or through impact on message processing. Fast speech inhibited participants' tendency to differentially agree with strong versus weak message arguments under both moderate and high relevance. However, fast speech was associated with increased…

Provides theoretical underpinnings for reminiscence by reviewing and evaluating previous research, and integrating it within a theoretical framework. Using continuity theory perspective, generates propositions that may facilitate reminiscence research across the life span. Three global functions of reminiscence are derived--private, social, and…

This study investigated the relative influence on test anxiety of academic self-concept, cognitive interference (experience of task irrelevant thoughts), academic achievement, and study skills, with 82 adolescents with learning disabilities and behavior disorders. Results showed a positive relationship between test anxiety and cognitive…