A patterns task consisting of six stimuli, three presented in two-dimensional form and three presented in three-dimensional form, was administered to 47 preschoolers. Findings demonstrate the importance of developing measures of original thinking that are specifically appropriate for use with preschool children. (Author/RH)

Reports empirical findings indicating that autistic children have a basic cognitive deficit that is not a secondary consequence of social withdrawal. The precise nature of the deficit is discussed, as are studies of autistic children's general intelligence, language abnormalities, and social impairments. (RH)

Two sets of stimuli on the Unusual Uses task varying in familiarity were presented to 78 preschool-age subjects. Familiar items yielded greater ideational fluency than unfamiliar ones and generated both more popular and unusual responses. Increased fluency is discussed in relation to Mednick's response hierarchies and the distinction between…

Research among mentally and educationally retarded children found that retardation in general ability was associated with retardation in musical ability. Factor analyses of musical tests identified a factor of musical ability, independent of intelligence, for this group. (Author/MJL)

Presents an overview of Pascual-Leone's Theory of Constructive Operators and discusses its implications for issues in developmental psychology. The author concludes that the theory may resolve several anomalies in cognitive- developmental and learning theory approaches to development. One potential problem, the objectivity of task analysis, is…

This article describes the author's courtroom experience as a witness for the defense in the Larry P. v. Wilson Riles case; provides excerpts of the testimony and cross-examination; and makes suggestions for individuals who may testify as expert witnesses. (Author/BW)

Factor scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) were compared for two groups (total N=100) of cultural-familial mentally retarded youth (eight- to 11- and 13- to 16-year-olds) and one group of 50 nonretarded youth (eight- to 11-year-olds). (Author/SW)

Evidence for the increasing recognition of maturational lag in addition to intellectual impairment, associated with the syndrome of early onset psychosis, is presented to indicate that developmental variables play a central role in the behavioral profile of autistic children. (Author)

Results of this study indicated that positive feedback was more accepted than the negative feedback. Females as compared to males evidenced less desire for further feedback after receiving negative feedback, while the reverse was true after receiving positive feedback. Personality feedback as compared to intellectual feedback generated a stronger…

Sixty-two learning disabled children (6 to 19 years old) were subgrouped according to etiology--neurocognitively impaired and neurocognitively intact. The two groups were found to be intellectually different from one another, as the impaired scored much lower on a general intelligence test than the intact. (Author/SB)

Study done to evaluate factors influencing Black dropouts. Results indicate that, most often, Black dropouts are students with higher intelligence but lower educational aspiration and motivation then Black students remaining in school. Tables included. (Author/JLF)

Investigated robustness of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) factor structure. Comparisons of the loadings obtained with generalization sample and 10 1/2-year-old national standardization sample suggest high degree of similarity in composition, magnitude, and pattern. Findings highly support robustness of WISC-R's…

Multiple discriminant analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scores between high-IQ White, high-IQ Black, low-IQ White, and low-IQ Black subjects yielded two significant canonical variates. Results suggest that racial differences on the MMPI do not occur in all racial comparisons but are restricted to low-IQ groups. (Author)

The importance of play in children's cognitive development is stressed, and the roles of transformation and language in play are examined. (CL)

Field independent subjects had significantly higher scores on both verbal reasoning and rote learning tasks, tending to support the hypothesis that cognitive style is a measure of general intelligence. (Author/DB)