Four problems in children's paired-associate memory were addressed: (1) reappraisal of the presumed developmental trend in presentation mode effect during grade-school years, (2) identification of the locus of this developmental effect, (3) evaluation of the influence of combined presentation (verbal plus pictorial) relative to pictorial…

The determinants of student decisions to take or not take mathematics were studied. The variables selected for the study were derived from the expectancy/valve model of behavior. Choice is found to be influenced most directly by the utility valve of mathematics for attaining future goals and the interest of on-going mathematics activities.…

Research and theory indicates that successful teaching and learning occur when activities are focused on the individual learner's cognitive and affective needs. However, a strong emphasis toward cognitive development, encouraged by competency based education and back to basics movements, continues to influence classroom procedures. Children should…

Compared were two samples of 173 and 95 aggressive and normal 5- to 8-year-old boys on measures of verbal and cognitive development. Aggressive boys were significantly lower than normal boys on nonverbal tests but not on verbal tests. The pattern of test performance which distinguished aggressive and normal was consistent with the hypothesis that…

The present experiment focused on the development of a "cumulative rehearsal, fast-finish" rehearsal routine. This study was designed for two purposes: (1) to extend the notion of the "executive function" to the case where continued use of mnemonic routine is a reasonable response to an objective change in an information processing task, and (2)…

The model described is designed to provide the educational diagnostician with data relative to an individual's content deficiencies in mathematics, mathematics cognitive style, and educational cognitive style. A diagnosis of these three factors requires consideration of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor concerns. The diagnostic mapping of an…

Sensitivity to story information that conflicted with expectations was examined in kindergarten, second, fourth, and sixth grade children. The children either read or listened to stories about familiar events. One story was consistent with children's "scripts" for these events, while the other story contained script-inconsistent information. All…

Jean Piaget's theories of child development and the nature of intelligence are adapted to creative dramatics in this description of two games for children aged 6 through 12. The first game discussed incorporates a "touchy-feely box," a cardboard construction with openings on two sides so that a child may reach inside, select, and…

This study investigated preschool children's understanding of the words "know" and "guess." Subjects for the study were 48 male and female preschool children ranging in age from 3.6 to 6.6 years. The children were divided into three age groups representing one year intervals. The task for the study involved a "guessing" game in which a colored…

First-, third- and fifth-grade children participated in a study of information seeking, using a "Twenty Questions" procedure with a hierarchical array of pictures. Economy of inquiry increased with grade but was unaffected by practice, replaying a game, or observing a model. Age differences in types of questions reflected differences in…

The focus of this paper is on the use of frames in achieving understanding of learning and problem solving in school mathematics. The paper seeks to illustrate the use that has been made of frames and frame-like conceptions and to add to the case for the usefulness of such conceptions. Results reported are: (1) those related to more sequential…

Two influential theories of intellectual development are reviewed and analyzed: the psychometric framework, based on the factorial composition of intelligence, and the Piagetian model, based on assimilation and accomodation through four stages of intellectual development. A third concept is the componential theory of intelligence, based on…

About 25 children in each of grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 were tested in their ability to solve linear syllogisms, such as: John is taller than Mary. Mary is taller than Pete. Who is tallest--John, Mary, or Pete? Response latencies and error rates decreased across grade levels and sessions. Component latencies also generally decreased with increasing…

This study examined the patterns of ongoing play manifested over a year's time by 141 three- and four-year-old boys and girls at nursery schools and daycare centers. The relationships between such play and concurrent language usage and the child's patterns of television viewing at home were examined during this period. Parents of the children were…

Aspects of children's early representational drawing ability may provide evidence for feature marking in non-linguistic symbol systems. To test this assumption children in kindergarten, second, and fourth grade were asked to draw a set of referent objects in three conditions: a nominal or standard condition with no implied relationship ("two…