Field‐dependent and Field‐independent Conceptualisations of Various Instructional Methods with an Emphasis on CAI: a qualitative analysis

Learning preferences differences and similarities of field‐dependent/independent college students were investigated with an emphasis on the usage of a computer‐assisted instruction (CAI) program designed for an ornamental horticulture class. The study was undertaken to improve the quality of a CAI program and the quality of instruction within the course. After administration of the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) instrument, qualitative interviews further investigated how each participant conceptualised their learning process. The findings were congruent with the theory of field dependency. In addition, results indicated that field‐independent students felt that using CAI was beneficial, but may prove to be more advantageous with provided structure. In contrast, field‐dependent students did not feel there was benefit in using the CAI program, but with provided structure, benefits may occur. However, both field‐dependent/independent students would prefer a greater usage of visuals in this CAI program. Both groups of students expressed advantages to the use of the CAI program but preferred traditional instructional methods of laboratory and lecture to CAI as their primary source of information.     

Overcoming response bias using symbolic representations of number by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

We previously reported that chimpanzees were unable to optimally select the smaller of two candy arrays in order to receive a larger reward. When Arabic numerals were substituted for the candy arrays, animals who had had prior training with numerical symbols showed an immediate and significant improvement in performance and were able to select reliably the smaller numeric representation in order to obtain a larger reward. Poor performance with candy arrays was interpreted as reflecting a response bias toward the intrinsic incentive and/or perceptual features of the larger array. In contrast, the Arabic numerals represent numerosity symbolically and appear to promote response choice on the basis of abstract processing of numerosity, with minimal interference from the inherent properties of the choice stimuli. The present study tested the hypothesis that, for mixed symbol-candy choice pairs, the requisite processing of the abstract numeral may foster a mode of numerical judgment that diminishes the interfering incentive/perceptual effects of the candy stimuli. The results were consistent with this hypothesis. Whereas performance on candy-candy arrays was significantly below chance levels, performance on numeral-candy choice pairs was significantly above chance and comparable with performance on numeral-numeral pairs.     

The elementary learning disability process group and the school psychologist

This paper proposes a model of a process group conducted with elemetary learning disabled students. The school psychologist is proposed as leader of the group. Five goals are identified and the process of the group is discussed. Specific procedures are mentioned to enable the school psychologist to conduct a process group. The process group can be an effective addition to the various intervention strategies used with learning disabled children.     

Scoring of WISC-R comprehension,similarities, and vocabulary responses by experienced and inexperienced judges

Ten judges scored items from the Comprehension, Similarities, and Vocabulary subtests of the WISC-R. Five were inexperienced undergraduates and five were experienced PhDs. Overall, there were no appreciable differences in the percentages of agreement between the two groups.     

WISC-R subtest patterns of severely emotionally disturbed students

The diagnostic category of “emotionally disturbed” is extremely difficult to define. This study attempts to use a subtest grouping approach to analyze the WISC-R performance of a representative sample of severely emotionally disturbed children. A pattern of performance on the WISC-R would aid greatly in diagnosis. A similar approach has obtained significant results for other specific diagnostic groups.