The study examined the effects of forward time gating (in which incremented portions of a word are presented) and word length on monosyllabic isolated word-recognition performance with 20 female college undergraduates. Listeners recognized time-gated words less frequently and with less confidence, and word length significantly influenced…

The study validated a method of identifying children (in grades four-six) with specific reading disabilities by identifying discrepancies between their reading and listening comprehension abilities. The test requires children to listen to or read alternate sentences. The method may be more appropriate than measures which examine discrepancies…

Listeners judged whether they heard a terminal fall, rise, or a flat final intonation contour in 9 sentences produced by 8 deaf children, aged 8-18. The more slowly the contour fell, the more likely listeners were to perceive the contour as flat, regardless of the amount by which it fell. (Author/JDD)

Investigates age differences in children's processes of simultaneously comprehending the auditory and visual content of a televised story. Reports a developmental increase in utilizing semantic content of both auditory and visual content to form a unified representation of narrated events. (MM)

The study of four autistic children, aged six-nine, found support for the hypothesis that persistent pronominal errors by autistic children can be explained by failure to observe pronouns in speech addressed to another person, an aspect of language development in normal children. (Author/DB)

Reports on a psycholinguistic investigation of a 10-year-old, nonautistic hyperlexic on tasks of written and auditory presentations of single words, sentences, and text. Finds good development of both phonological and lexical reading mechanisms. Finds a significant dissociation between reading accuracy and reading comprehension and also between…

Replicated a study of the relationship between children's self-esteem and communication skills. Fourth- and fifth-grade students completed instruments on self-esteem and communication skills then received a four-session treatment on techniques for effective communication. Results indicated moderately improved communication skills but only marginal…

Describes two studies of young children's ability to identify single and combined elements in response to music activities. Reports that children were better able to identify single than multiple elements. Concludes that children's ability to identify elements in their singing develops sooner than the ability to focus on elements in music they…

Advances two processes describing the relationship between message behaviors and narrative comprehension that differ in the likelihood that specific interpretations will be drawn given the presence of message cues. Finds that, in general, cues biased young children toward drawing a particular representation but that fifth graders delayed choosing…

This paper reviews two models for auditory compensation attending visual loss--structural and strategic. The paper concludes that it is not clear to what extent differences in auditory processing represent variations in underlying capacity, the development of strategies, attentional activation, or multiple factors. Previous dismissals of…

Twenty-one normal hearing college students were presented with non-time-gated and time-gated speech stimuli. Findings indicated that poorer accuracy and longer isolation points were observed at lower signal presentation levels, listener confidence at isolation point was only indirectly influenced by presentation level, and monosyllabic word…

University students of Spanish at three different course levels were used in a study of the effects of topic familiarity on second-language listening comprehension. Findings regarding the supporting role of background knowledge are consistent with many second-language reading and listening studies. (Contains 45 references.) (LB)

Examined the ability of 10 4-year olds to generate and identify themes by relating text to life experiences and identifying with the feelings of characters. The children could not generate theme statements after they heard the story, but could talk about thematic elements and identify an appropriate theme statement from choices offered. (SH)

Examined caregiver listening responses as they occurred in conversations with an Alzheimer's patient. Videotaped 26 episodes of conversations between caregivers and patients in adult day health care setting. Found that sensitive listening and partial entry into the patient's frame (reality) may be effective response to prevent behavior and…

Maintains that listening skills are a critical starting point for the management of diversity in business organizations. Discusses listening barriers which prevent the nurturing of diversity in business. (PRA)