A critical evaluation of the use of stochastic independence in psychological research is provided, considering (1) confirming the null hypothesis; (2) power of the statistical test; (3) Simpson's paradox; and (4) between-subjects and within-subject correlations. The importance of formal models in studying (in)dependence is emphasized. (SLD)

Dramatic developments in brain research and imaging technology are rapidly advancing our understanding of the human brain. The new biologically based brain theories suggest that "nature" dominates "nurture" and that many current beliefs about instruction, learning, and memory are wrong. This article explains neural Darwinism…

This paper presents a model for the theoretical understanding of communication with individuals with severe disabilities, called the "Context times Memory model." Issues discussed include a memory framework describing the structure of communicative knowledge; information processing mechanisms that make possible the patterns of everyday…

Describes a study that examined five influences on college students' schemata to determine what affected their ability to make effective use of instructional thematic maps. Topics include use of the Group Embedded Figures Test to determine field dependence/independence; sex differences; student preferences for data representation types; and…

A study involving 553 college students, 27% of whom reported a history of child abuse, investigated whether family of origin dysfunction was associated with poorer childhood memory. Weak associations were found between family of origin dysfunction and poorer general quality of childhood memory. (Author/CR)

Discusses instruction in mnemonics to help students with disabilities and learning difficulties improve memory for school content. Discusses what mnemonic strategies are; offers general techniques for improving memory; and explains (with examples) the mnemonic techniques of using keywords, using pegwords, and using letter strategies. Also provides…

Fifteen adolescents with and 15 without mental retardation were compared on their tendency to show the representational momentum effect when viewing a stimulus array that implied motion. Participants with mental retardation showed the representational momentum effects as did the others, although the magnitude of the memory shift was smaller.…

When English-language standard norms were used for 50 Hispanic Americans given the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (D. Wechsler, 1981) in its Spanish form, normal individuals received scores an average of one standard deviation below "Average." Results support renorming and testing the validity of translations of English language tests.…

Proposes an account of the development of temporal understanding, linking it with episodic memory development. Distinguishes between ways of representing time in terms of frameworks involved; describes perspectival and nonperspectival frameworks and those representing recurrent sequences or particular times. Describes emergence of new kinds of…

Compared the mismatch-negativity (MMN) component of auditory event-related brain potentials to explore the relationship between phonological short-term memory and auditory-sensory processing in 7- to 9-year olds scoring the highest and lowest on a pseudoword repetition test. Found that high and low repeaters differed in MMN amplitude to speech…

Understanding how an informed diagnosis is comprehended by the client becomes essential when evaluating persons with suspected dementia. A phenomenological-hermeneutic analysis of interviews with persons (N=8) evaluated clinically for suspected dementia revealed that clinical diagnosis provided participants some means of "making sense"…

Comments on the work of Arthur Jensen, specifically "The g Factor" (1998), which consolidates the psychometric, neurophysiological, behavior genetic, and comparative evidence for the existence and importance of a factor of general intelligence ("g"). Discusses Jensen's work on black/white differences in intelligence. (SLD)

Discussion of the use of the Internet to deliver instruction and multimedia opportunities for Web-page design focuses on working memory and its implications for Web-based instruction. Topics include media overload; cognitive load theory; static visual displays; animations; audio; and research questions. (Author/LRW)

The Knowledge of Memory Aging Questionnaire was tested in a group of studies with several populations: 33 mental health professionals; 85 older adults; and 110, 32, and 46 undergraduates. Older adults and professionals knew more about pathological than normal memory aging. Instruction improved undergraduates' pathological knowledge. Instrument…

Provides an overview of learning outside of the home culture, with particular emphasis on the role that memory plays. Examines the psychological literature and uses case studies to focus on the ways in which students learn bout their new society and culture and about themselves. Offers considerations for study abroad program design. (Author/VWL)