The aim of this study was to identify mathematical competencies in early childhood and cognitive correlates of those competencies in a prospective longitudinal sample of children (N = 1,292) in predominantly low-income and nonurban communities in the United States. General mental ability, processing speed, vocabulary, and the working memory (WM),…

In the field of composition studies, a core pedagogical objective is to familiarize students with types of argumentation strategies, such as causation, evaluation, narration, rebuttal, and definition. Introducing definition arguments in their textbook "Good Reasons: Researching and Writing Effective Arguments", Lester Faigley and Jack…

The power of human language rests upon its intricate links to human cognition. By 3 months of age, listening to language supports infants' ability to form object categories, a building block of cognition. Moreover, infants display a systematic shift between 3 and 4 months--a shift from familiarity to novelty preferences--in their expression of…

W scores are used in a number of commercially available tests. Due to their complex nature, it can be hard for applied researchers and practitioners to understand them or even acquire information about them beyond what is provided in technical manuals. In this article, we provide information regarding the background and derivation of W scores that…

Both popular press and academic research laud the benefits of creativity. Malevolent creativity, however, is the application of creativity to intentionally harm others. This study examines predictors of malevolent creativity, considering both contextual and individual difference influences. Social information processing theory suggests that…

There are socioeconomic-status (SES) differences in cognitive development. Various factors have been proposed that might explain this association, and one of these factors is the home environment. The present study examined a chaotic home atmosphere as a potential mediator of the association between parental SES and cognitive development. A…

The development of universal learning actions [universal'nye uchebnye deystviya] in logic is one of the most important tasks of education. This article explores logical problems as an effective tool for developing logical thinking and the underlying universal learning actions. We outline the basic principles of learning to solve logical problems.…

Introduction: Individuals with visual impairments may use long canes for estimating distances and detecting gaps, obstacles, and texture patterns. The study presented here investigated whether length perception with canes is influenced by cane material. Methods: Visually impaired, sightedblindfolded, and sighted individuals (n = 30 for each group)…

Statistical learning-extracting regularities in the environment-may underlie complex social behavior. 124 children, 56 with autism and 68 typically developing, ages 2-8 years, completed a novel visual statistical learning task on an iPad. Averaged together, children with autism demonstrated less learning on the task compared to typically…

Passively listening to a lecture (deWinstanley & Bjork, 2002), skimming a textbook chapter, or googling for an answer to a homework problem is not conducive to deep and lasting high-order learning. At the same time, presenting complex concepts in problem-based classes might overload students' working memory capacity. Effective student learning…

Background: Angelman syndrome (AS) leads to clinical manifestations that include intellectual impairments, developmental delay and poor motor function. Initiatives to develop therapeutics imply an urgent need to identify methods that accurately measure the motor abilities. Methods: Six children with AS (6 to 9 years old) walked on an instrumented…

Science courses employ instructional strategies that are based on lecture, drill, and practice to help students memorize collections of facts and procedures of increasing complexity. These strategies emphasize the acquisition of knowledge through the development of logical-mathematical skills employed in problem solving and verbal-linguistic…

Mathematics in Australia specifies spatial reasoning as a general capability within the curriculum. However, psychological research to date limits spatial assessment to psychometric tests leaving little room for a well-defined spatial curriculum. Although there are clear relationships between mathematics and spatial thinking, the independence in…

Spatial ability represents our ability to mentally arrange, rotate, and explore objects in multiple dimensions. This ability has been found to be important for engineers and engineering students. Past research has shown that many interventions can be created to boost an individual's spatial ability. In fact, past research has indicated that…

This study explored print-processing and vocabulary differences among a group of 5th- and 6th-grade students who had scored below the 50th percentile on a standardized reading test. Guided by the simple view of reading, we applied cut scores (low/high) to the students' performance on print-processing and vocabulary tasks. The design allowed for…