One-parameter and three-parameter item response theory (IRT) model estimates were compared with estimates obtained from two modified one-parameter models that incorporated a constant nonzero guessing parameter. Using small-sample simulation data (50, 100, and 200 simulated examinees), modified 1-parameter models were most effective in estimating…

Four studies determined when first, second, and third graders recognize that they make inferences to understand text, and the effect of this recognition on their ability to revise text and monitor its informativeness. Younger children tended to attribute inferred information to the text, while older children clearly distinguished inferred and…

Suggests a "complexity effect" for overall message-production speed (in which undergraduate students exhibited superior performance relative to older adults) and for initial message-production-skills performance and rate of skill acquisition, with these differences not pronounced under complex-task conditions. Finds that older adults' learning…

Research was conducted to teach two adults with schizophrenia and mental retardation to respond to recorded audio prompts when completing routine prevocational tasks. Subsequent improvements in the individuals' task completion performance suggest that audio prompts may serve as an efficient alternative to instructor assistance. (Author/GCP)

Attempts to reinterpret the threshold hypothesis, which states that low second language (L2) proficiency blocks the transfer of first language (L1) reading strategies to the reading of L2 texts. Results indicate that it is not only low foreign language proficiency but also text difficulty in terms of register complexity that negatively affect the…

This study tested the effect of embedded clauses on recall for 48 English-speaking high school students reading Spanish historical texts. It found that the complexity of sentence structure seemed to cancel the advantage of previous exposure to the content domain. Contains 39 references. (MDM)

Discussion of the use of Latent Semantic Indexing to determine relevancy in information retrieval focuses on statistical regression and Bayesian methods. Topics include keyword searching; a multiple regression model; how the regression model can aid search methods; and limitations of this approach, including complexity, linearity, and…

A study of 300 children in kindergarten, grade 2, and grade 6 found that background music improved visual discrimination task performance at the youngest and middle ages and had no effect on the oldest participants. On a square identification task, background music had no influence on easy and difficult tasks but lowered performance on…

Describes a framework for examining the effects of the cognitive complexity of tasks on language production and learner perceptions of task difficulty, and for motivating sequencing decisions in task-based syllabuses. Results of a study of the relationship between task complexity, difficulty and production show that increasing the cognitive…

This study examined effects of talker variability and lexical difficulty on spoken-word recognition among native and non-native listeners with either normal or impaired hearing. Non-native listeners required greater intensity for equal intelligibility than native listeners. Significant effects of talker variability and lexical difficulty were…

Identifies and discusses ten factors that contribute to the difficulties that language learners may have in dealing with false cognates. Provides suggestions for minimizing confusion. (Author/VWL)

Explores possible individual differences effects on school mathematics performance and feelings of difficulty (FOD) of 243 subjects, ages 13 to 15 years. Considers cognitive ability, affect, age, and gender. Finds that ability directly influenced performance whereas both ability and affect influenced FOD. Discusses the results. (CMK)

We report two experiments examining the role of concreteness and word phonological neighborhood characteristics on immediate serial recall. In line with previous findings concreteness, word frequency, and larger neighborhood size are associated with better serial recall. Both concreteness and word neighborhood size were also positively associated…

Time limits on some computer-adaptive tests (CATs) are such that many examinees have difficulty finishing, and some examinees may be administered tests with more time-consuming items than others. Results from over 100,000 examinees suggested that about half of the examinees must guess on the final six questions of the analytical section of the…

The purpose of this article is to summarize what is generally known about talent development and schooling by stating some propositions about the way such programs are structured. This article sets the stage for a series of stories of programs that attempt to address the challenge of talent development in diverse low-income populations. The…