Some factors in problem solving: The name of the concept,specific instructions,and the ability to verbalize

Three extrinsic factors were manipulated in a problem-solving task performed by 80 10-year-old children of IQ 90–110. The factors were: The presence or absence of the name of the concept given in feedback, specific instructions, and whether the child was allowed to verbalize. The task was a modification of Vygotsky's experiment on concept formation using concrete material. The performance criteria were: time taken to solution, number of moves, and amount of verbalization. The presence of the name of the concept given in feedback speeded the time to solution and reduced the number of moves required. Specific instruction speeded the solution but did not reduce the number of moves; whereas verbalization reduced the number of moves but increased the time of solution.     

Understanding of proportion as embodied in the concept of fullness: An investigation into Bruner's “modes-of-representation-conflict hypothesis”

The present study replicates and extends an experiment by Bruner and Kenney (Bruner, J. S. American Psychologist, 1964, 19, 1–15; Beyond the information given, NY: Allen & Unwin, 1973;Bruner, J. S., Olver, R. R., & Greenfield, P. M. et al. (Eds.), Studies in cognitive growth, NY: Wiley, 1966). Children aged 5 to 11 were shown pairs of glasses containing water and were asked if one glass of each pair was fuller or emptier and to give the reason. Children aged 12 to 15 and adult subjects were subsequently included but asked to judge only fullness.The glasses differed in height, diameter, and water level and consequently in volume of water and volume of unfilled space, and in proportion full and proportion empty.It is shown that the Bruner experiment reveals weaknesses in design and procedure and focuses on the dichotomous sense of fullness rather than the partial dimension explored in the present study. Contrary to earlier findings the present results indicate that the child tends to think of fullness and emptiness in the same manner and that, far from the concept being mastered at age 11, it is still not completely understood in adulthood.By 11 years the child can cope with fractions and compare volumes, but at age 15 and in adulthood he is still not fully aware that he must not only estimate the volume of the container that is filled but also relate this volume to the total volume of the container and finally compare the two ratio measures obtained.The results are discussed in terms of Bruner's representation-conflict hypothesis, Clark's (Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behvaior, 1971, 10, 266–275; Semantic development in language acquisition. Paper presented at the Third Child Language Research Forum, Stanford University, 1971; Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1972, 11, 750–758; Cognition, 1973, 2.2, 161–182; What's in a word? On the child's acquisition of semantics in his first language. In T. E. Moore (Ed.), Cognitive development and the acquisition of language. NY: Academic Press, 1973) semantic-feature theory and from a functional perspective. Follow-up research is outlined.     

On the relevance of signal detection theory to the correction for guessing

This paper shows how alternatives to the conventional guessing correction may be derived from considerations similar to the signal detection theory of psychophysics. Methods of experimentally determining the right correction are briefly suggested.     

A transition model for placement of handicapped children in regular and special classes

Mainstreaming and deinstitutionalization are current phenomena which call for a variety of handicapped children to be transitioned to a range of educational settings not previously available to them. A model is presented in which critical transition parameters are conceived as functionally related continua, indicating degrees of readiness for both special and regular classroom settings. The model is based upon actual experience in placement of disturbed, learning disabled, and retarded children into school settings after discharge from a psychiatric hospital.     

Language development in Down's Syndrome retardates: A factorial study

One hundred and one Down's Syndrome retardates were given a battery of language and cognitive tests. The resulting intercorrelations were factor analyzed using Principal Components, Varimax Rotation, and Promax procedures. Chronological age was included as one of the variables in the analysis. The resultant factors are described and discussed.     

The development of pattern recognition ability in children

Pattern recognition development was studied in high and low ability preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade youngsters. Pattern recognition was assessed by the administration of 96 pattern tasks which measured the ability of a youngster to find: (a) duplicate patterns and elements to a model; (b) the opposite pattern to a model; and (c) duplicate patterns but different elements than in the model. Aside from main effects for grade level, ability level, and pattern task, a significant three-way interaction was noted. This interaction was analyzed in terms of its component simple effects. The implication of these simple interaction effects for Piagetian theory and educational practice were discussed.     

Effects of word frequency and number of meanings for fast and slow readers

Using a lexical decision task, the effects of frequency and number of meanings are investigated for fast and slow readers. It is shown that different patterns of results emerge for fast and slow readers. For fast readers there are general effects of both frequency and number of meanings; for slow readers the effects are considerably attenuated.     

Patterns of interdependence in cooperative work of elementary children

Following a theoretical analysis of factors which foster interpersonal cooperation, this study explored conditions conducive to school children's working together harmoniously and productively. Seventy-six like-sexed triads of fourth- and fifth-graders were asked to cooperate in making a block picture on a round board. Five conditions were created, varying in patterns of interdependence. All conditions included goal interdependence; they differed systematically in the presence of task requirements, task roles, and group roles. Behavior was precoded into various group oriented and individual oriented categories. An index of quality of performance was constructed. As hypothesized, while goal interdependence was sufficient to bring about friendly interactions, it did not maximize occurrence of group oriented behavior. Children worked together most, and performance was significantly better, under conditions where taks requirements, task roles, and group roles were present together. A strong consistent pattern of sex differences was found, with boys showing greater independence from experimental role inductions than did the girls, whose cooperative work pattern and performance increased systematically as their interdependence was strengthened in the five conditions. Implications for instructional practice are examined.     

Formative evaluation applied to a learning hierarchy

A formative evaluation method applicable to learning hierarchies is described which simplifies data collection by employing results from a posttest. Relations among pairs of lower and higher elements of a portion of a previously formulated hierarchy for graphic skills in kinematics were tested by means of data obtained from a posttest given to 148 secondary-school students. Results were compared with those previously obtained for the same hierarchy by a rigorous validation method. Correspondence of the two sets of results was high. Examination of test responses for discrepant instances yielded further information of value. Results additionally indicate hierarchical relationships to be the same in retention as they were for learning.     

Conservatism and personality factors in a sample of adolescents

Relationships between Cattell High School Personality Questionaire factors and the adolescent version of the Wilson-Patterson Conservatism Scale were examined in a sample of 492 teenagers. Conservatism was significantly related to a number of personality traits in both boys and girls. Results suggest the existence of a “conservative personality.”     

The effect of sensory modalities on learning

As the importance of modalities to learning becomes increasingly apparent, the dearth of modality tests and assessment techniques becomes a critical problem. A classroom model for assessing modality strengths is suggested in which students learn to spell nonsense words via six different modalities: visual, auditory, audiovisual, vocal, motor, and tactile. The technique was used and proven effective in a study involving 396 eighth-grade students. Results of the study indicated that the presentation modality did significantly affect the amount of information learned (F = 12.36, p < .01), and that the auditory and visual modalities were most effective for this particular learning task. It is felt that this assessment technique can facilitate application of modality theory in classroom teaching.     

Reading achievement of Rhode Island compensatory education students: A school effects study

This study investigated the unique and common contributions of four sets of predictor variables: (1) background, (2) mental ability, (3) program, and (4) parental involvement, to the variance in reading achievement scores—vocabulary and comprehension—for Title I students enrolled in Rhode Island remedial reading programs. The vocabulary analysis indicated that the four sets accounted uniquely for 7, 13, 9, and 9% of the variance, respectively. The comprehension analysis indicated that the four sets accounted for 7, 25, 5, and 4% of the variance, respectively. Joint contributions are also presented.     

Conceptual process as a function of age and enforced attention in learning-disabled children: Evidence for deficient rule learning

Adapting a modified reception paradigm, three bidimensional rules (conjunctive, disjunctive, conditional) and two instructional conditions (enforced attention vs standard rule learning) are used to test the assumption that deficient rule learning rather than inattention is responsible for poor learning with learning-disabled children. Main findings indicate learning-disabled children are deficient on binary conceptual rule tasks for three age groups (6 to 7, 8 to 9, 12 to 13) compared to normal children matched on sex and IQ regardless of experimental instructions. For both groups, learning is retarded by rule complexity while rate of learning diminishes with increasing age. Data reflect a truth-table logic at all ages for both groups, although there is evidence that disabled children perseverate with a rule-learning hypothesis characteristic of younger nondisabled children. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that rule learning is deficient in children with learning disabilities.