Plausibility has been implicated as playing a critical role in many cognitive phenomena from comprehension to problem solving. Yet, across cognitive science, plausibility is usually treated as an operationalized variable or metric rather than being explained or studied in itself. This article describes a new cognitive model of plausibility, the…

Most agree that the event now simply known as 9/11 proved to be a turning point in U.S. history. Nothing will ever be the same again politically, legally, and socially. Besides being the most devastating workplace disaster to occur in New York City and the nation, it was a moment that defined a generation and rivals similar generation-defining…

We propose, as a special way to explore the physics of flying objects, to use a flight simulator with a personalized scenery to reproduce the territory where students live. This approach increases the participation and attention of students to physics classes but also creates several opportunities for addressing side activities and arguments of…

In this investigation, pairs of upper elementary students test germination percentage using seeds of Indian corn ("Zea mays"), scarlet runner beans ("Phaseolus coccineus"), and the prairie cup-plant ("Silphium perfoliatum") grown on rolled, damp paper towels. The pairs compare seeds that have been stratified, a simulation of overwintering and…

The Virtual Patient, an interactive multimedia learning resource using a critical care clinical scenario for postgraduate nursing students, was developed to enhance flexible access to learning experiences and improve learning outcomes in the management of critically ill patients. Using real-time physiological animations, authentic content design…

The PC-based software technology, a computational-modeling course, for undergraduate chemistry students helps them to understand the molecular modeling in a better way. This course would be able to accommodate a wider array of topics and a greater depth of theory as the modeling is increasingly incorporated into the chemistry curriculum.

In 3 experiments, the authors investigated spatial updating in augmented reality environments. Participants learned locations of virtual objects on the physical floor. They were turned to appropriate facing directions while blindfolded before making pointing judgments (e.g., "Imagine you are facing X. Point to Y"). Experiments manipulated the…

The effect of person misfit to an item response theory model on a mastery/nonmastery decision was investigated. Furthermore, it was investigated whether the classification precision can be improved by identifying misfitting respondents using person-fit statistics. A simulation study was conducted to investigate the probability of a correct…

Because of the requirement of reporting effect sizes and in the interest of measurement of change within the item response theory framework, their combination becomes a new issue. In the present study, repeated measures are decomposed as an initial ability and one or more modifiabilities (gain score) using a multidimensional Rasch model. The…

The concept of error detection plays a central role in theories of executive control. In this article, the authors present a mechanism that can rapidly detect errors in speeded response time tasks. This error monitor assigns values to the output of cognitive processes involved in stimulus categorization and response generation and detects errors…

We contrast 2 theories within whose context problems are conceptualized and data interpreted. By traditional linear theory, a dependent variable is the sum of main-effect and interaction terms. By dimensional theory, independent variables yield values on internal dimensions that in turn determine performance. We frame our arguments within an…

Reports a case study of thirteen college students engaging in a role-play activity of a Maui legend in a virtual reality environment. Immersed in the authentic cultural environment, the students not only interacted with the environment and each other, but recreated the legend based on their interpretation of the culture. (CAK)

Developed a simple computer program for the in-class simulation of the repeated prisoner's dilemma game with student-designed strategies. Describes the basic features of the software. Presents two examples using the program to teach the problems of cooperation among profit-maximizing agents. (JEH)

To become more skilled as pedestrians, children need to acquire a view of the traffic environment as one in which road users are active agents with different intentions and objectives. This paper describes a simulation study designed to explore children's understanding of drivers' intentions. It also investigated the effect of training children's…

Student participants (N = 316) viewed a videotaped simulated case involving a woman who had entered a self-defense plea in the shooting death of her abusive husband. As successful claims of self-defense rest on the portrayal of a defendant who has responded reasonably to his/her situation, the implications of various forms of expert testimony in…