This paper presents a review of research on the processes involved in evaluating others, especially in the area of discrimination against women. The first section defines perceptual bias and presents research data which show that perception is not a faithful representation of reality, but a product of previous beliefs and values. Section II…

In order to find out what a three-member peer group in freshman composition was discussing during their meetings and how--if at all--they talked about writing, their conversations about their first drafts for the class were taped and analyzed. Analysis showed that in addition to discussion of their drafts (text talk) and social chat (off-task…

To determine when and how children begin to differentiate among messages with different goals and to examine whether such differentiation leads to differences in interpretational strategies, 90 children between the ages of 4 and 11 viewed each of five different television messages representing four different message types. The types were: (1)…

A major goal of science education is to turn novices (students) into experts (scientists or science literates) with a minimum amount of pain, effort, and time. However, transfer of biology knowledge from instructor to student usually results in a loss of the rich interconnections that an expert has. The papers in this set describe efforts to…

A theory of memory is introduced, which seeks to respond to the shortcomings of existing theories based on metaphors. Memory is presented as a mechanism, a comparison process in which information held in some form of immediate storage (whether based on perception or previous cognition or both) is compared to previously stored long-term storage.…

A study tested an information processing model that incorporates the concepts of episodic and semantic memory. The model was designed to provide for the concurrent study of three advertising and communication variables: product involvement, message appeal, and distraction in viewing conditions. Among the five hypotheses being tested were that…

To investigate the relationship between the location of the words being read and the location of the eyes in the text, three experiments were conducted using the Disappearing Text Technique with college students. This was done by occasionally removing the text during reading and having the reader report the last word that had been read.…

A study examined primary grade children's comprehension processes while reading a particular story in which specific areas likely to pose reading difficulty had been identified. Based on the children's readings and on their answers to questions concerning the text, five problem areas were identified: (1) poor decoding or word attack skills (2)…

An answer to aliteracy involves literary inquiry in which teachers teach students how to ask their own questions in working through a piece of literature. Three approaches to such literary study are improvisational, interpretive, and intellectual inquiry. A literary schema that students can use as an instrument to get started on their road to the…

The defining attributes of analytic ability as they relate to theoretical cognitive styles were explored in a study using a sample of 492 males aged 16-21 years. The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT--Witkin, Oltman, Rasher, and Karp) was used to measure field dependent and independent aptitude. Scores on the GEFT were compared with scores on an…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores the nature of students' metacomprehension, or their awareness of their own understanding, and the implications of this awareness for reading instruction. After defining metacomprehension, the digest discusses why this awareness is important to the learning…

Since there are similarities between the process of writing computer programs and the process of writing successful expository prose, a student's knowledge of computer programing can contribute to the understanding of some principles of composition. The establishment of a clear objective is the first priority of both the writer and the programer,…

Five current theoretical approaches to second language learning are examined: practice, problem-solving, creative construction, monitoring, and personality development. The points in each approach that are most controversial and those that require further clarifying research are reviewed. It is concluded that in at least three major areas,…

Selected research studies that explore the assumption that college science students operate at a formal cognitive level are presented in this information digest. Studies are reviewed that relate to the areas of: (1) formal thought (examining the relationship between measured formal thought and that required to understand formal college physical…

As the world moves from the industrial age into the information age people become less dependent on basic facts and skills and more dependent on the ability to manipulate information. The higher level thinking skills that are needed in this new age must be taught in the schools. When selecting programs for teaching thinking, educators should…