Analysis of Web site images of aging to identify positive and negative representations can help teach students about social perceptions of older adults. Another learning experience involves consideration of the needs of older adults in Web site design. (SK)

Investigates the effect of orientation of depth cues on the magnitude of perceived depth in pictures. Finds that, for each test drawing, the orientation with the far point above the near point provided greater depth perception than any other orientation. Discusses possible contributions of observer experience and height of visual field. (DSK)

Three threshold hypotheses proposed by Cummins (1976) and Diaz (1985) as explanations of data on the cognitive consequences of bilingualism are examined in depth and compared to one another. A neuroscientifically updated information-processing perspective on the interaction of second-language comprehension and visual-processing ability is…

Habituated 180 neonates to white lights of varying luminance and tested for recovery of habituation to green, yellow, or red lights varying in excitation purity. Found that newborns discriminated chromatic stimuli from white only when excitation purity exceeded levels much higher than those for adults. Results reinforce view that neonates' vision…

Used visual preference technique to examine infants' (mean age 14.8 months) comprehension of two novel words for images of novel objects. Found that infants looked preferentially at images that matched an auditory stimulus and that infants showed learning after about 12 presentations of new words. Results support previous demonstration of rapid…

Examined three possible explanations for findings that infants detect textural discrepancies based on individual features more readily than on feature conjunctions. Found that none of the proposed factors could explain 5.5-month-olds' superior processing of featural over conjunction-based textural discrepancies. Findings suggest that in infancy,…

Used multiple-baseline design to assess the utility of presenting three types of cues when teaching an abstract concept such as colors to three children with autism: plain, label, and symbol. Found colors presented with cues were easier to learn than color without cues. Findings support the need for sensitivity for the highly individualized…

Describes connectionist model showing exclusivity asymmetries when categorizing visual stimuli, similar to pattern shown by infants. Examines asymmetries in terms of an associative learning mechanism, distributed internal representations, and statistics of feature distributions in the stimuli. Details test of model with infants, finding that…

Replicates a previous study by Cole, et al. (1997b), which demonstrated that the type of stimulus used to elicit a written response had a marked impact for items measuring organization, unity, and coherence. The replicated study sample, consisting of 29 middle school students, produced comparable results to the Cole, et al. study. (Author/GCP)

A study compared the performance of 15 children (ages 5-12) with visual impairments and 15 controls on the Comprehension and Similarities items of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Results indicated the children with visual impairments were disadvantaged by comprehension-type items with high visual content. (CR)

Two studies investigated whether 10- to 11-month-olds possess skills for parsing ongoing behavior along boundaries correlated with initiation and completion of intentions. Found that infants showed renewed interest in test videos in which motion paused in the midst of an actor's pursuit of intentions; suspended motion at intentional boundary…

Examined whether age-related improvements in children's motor performance result from reduced noise in the output of the sensorimotor system. Found that performance improved with age. The force output signal exhibited increased irregularity and a more broadband frequency profile with increasing age under feedback. There were no age differences in…

Studied in three experiments the distribution and malleability of visual attention in 5-month-olds while they inspected large geometric designs. Established that infants who were short-lookers had novelty scores above chance, whereas long-lookers demonstrated chance responding. Illuminating different parts of visual display induced long-lookers to…

Choice typically is studied by exposing organisms to concurrent variable-interval schedules in which not only responses controlled by stimuli on the key are acquired but also switching responses and likely other operants as well. In the present research, discriminated key-pecking responses in pigeons were first acquired using a multiple schedule…

Preference between forced choice and free choice in concurrent-chain schedules of reinforcement was investigated in pigeons after exposure to particular combinations of terminal links. In Experiment 1, in which terminal links always ended with reinforcers, one of three pairs of terminal links was arranged as preexposure: (a) both terminal links…