The purpose of this study was to assess the developmental progression of preschoolers' abilities to draw and paint. Over 3 years, 68 children were observed easel painting 595 times and 65 children were observed drawing 545 times. Results of hierarchical linear modeling indicated that (a) the complexity of children's drawings and paintings…

Using a nationwide sample of 2656 eighteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds, the first part of the present study addressed the question of how non-traditional as compared to traditional living arrangements related to young people's self-perception of being either adolescent or adult. Being in a romantic relationship increased the likelihood of feeling…

Visual representations are essential for communicating ideas in the science classroom; however, the design of such representations is not always beneficial for learners. This paper presents instructional design considerations providing empirical evidence and integrating theoretical concepts related to cognitive load. Learners have a limited…

This study examines frequency, overlap, and genetic and environmental influences on sleep difficulties, which are understudied in school-aged children. The Sleep Self Report and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire were completed by 300 twin pairs (aged 8 years) and their parents. Child report suggested more frequent sleep problems than…

Event-based prospective memory involves remembering to perform an action in response to a particular future event. Normal younger and older adults performed event-based prospective memory tasks in 2 experiments. The authors applied a formal multinomial processing tree model of prospective memory (Smith & Bayen, 2004) to disentangle age differences…

This paper presents an alternate perspective for utilizing the action/process/object framework when discussing student conceptions of function. This perspective extends previously used frameworks by incorporating student conceptions that deal with functional properties and situational contexts, but differs in the analysis of the nature of the…

This paper debates the usefulness and plausibility of the notion of cognitive structures. The cornerstone of the theory of cognitive philosophy is the claim that the epistemic process is mediated by mental representations that constitute both the knowledge base and interpretations of sensory experience of individuals. Cognitive theorists typically…

Although exploring students' thought processes can be rewarding, most teachers rely heavily on reponses to tests and assignments that fail to disclose learners' thinking patterns. Concept maps grouping interrelated ideas can encourage students to demonstrate effective and meaningful assimilation of organized study areas. Includes five footnotes.…

Maternal involvement effects on symbolic play development in toddlers were investigated. Sixteen mother-child dyads were observed at bimonthly intervals in a free-play setting during the period from 20 to 28 months of age. The complexity and length of play episodes increased when the mother was available to play with the child. (Author/BN)

Argues that the unconscious mind plays a central role in argumentation. Discusses the nature of the unconscious and analyzes invention, focusing on rules theory. Claims that argument reception is controlled by the unconscious. Identifies a series of basic issues needing investigation. (JD)

Employs latent partition analysis (a multivariate technique) to reveal pre/postcognitive structure of freshman engineering students (N=70) taking general chemistry. Similarities and dissimilarities among high and low scorers are discussed. Arguments for use of this statistical techniques are presented. (DH)

Suggests that researchers of counseling effects adopt methods of assessing and representing clients' cognitive structures. A variety of methods are presented, some of which are illustrated in a brief case report. The advantages and limitations of the methods presented are discussed. (Author/JAC)

Argues that a weak form of schema theory (a schema being an abstract set of expectations) gives the best account of the knowledge most people have about ordinary matters. Emphasizes that a person's culture is a principal determiner of what is already known and what can come to be known. (KH)

This paper addresses contemporary (i.e., postmodern) concerns with the disintegration of meaning and fragmentation of knowledge. As society continues to move towards increased specialization and separation of disciplines, people are becoming increasingly disconnected from the broad connecting conceptions within the disciplines, i.e., the patterns…

Describes the case of a woman who experienced disparity in mathematics classrooms between learning (which for her was necessarily relational) and its validation by a system that did not ratify meaningful learning but instead rewarded the behavioral products of rote or instrumental learning. (MKR)