Unexceptional spatial memory in an exceptional memorist.

Rajan Mahadevan evidences an exceptional memory for arrays of digits. We tested whether Rajan's spatial memory was likewise exceptional. Eight control Ss and Rajan were instructed to remember the position and orientation of 48 images of common objects shown either to the left or the right of fixation and facing either left or right. Rajan's accuracy for judging whether the position and orientation of these pictures had changed when they were shown in a different sequence was lower than that of control Ss for both judgments. Rajan's exceptional memory capacity apparently does not extend to spatial relations.     

Learning and memory of field independent-dependent individuals

It has been proposed that field-independent and field-dependent learners differ more in the processes they use than in the effectiveness of their learning or retention. The present article discusses alternative explanations which emphasize developmental differences and differences in efficiency of performance between field-independent and field-dependent learners. Review of the concept learning literature and some new data suggested that the greater effectiveness of field-independent learners was related to memory efficiency and the ability to conduct combinatorial analysis. Research concerning short-term memory and free recall was also examined. High information load, greater interference potential, and less subjective organization were suggested as factors which contribute to the less efficient memory of field-dependent learners.     

COGENT: A visual design environment for cognitive modeling

COGENT is a design environment for modeling cognitive processes and systems. It permits psychologists to construct and test information-processing models of cognition based on traditional box-and-arrow diagrams. COGENT provides a graphical model editor, together with a set of standard types of cognitive module based on familiar theoretical constructs from psychological theory. Models are constructed by selecting appropriate box types, connecting them with appropriate communication links, and configuring the various boxes according to the requirements of the investigator. Once a model has been constructed, it may be executed to examine and analyze its behavior.     

State of the nation: therapeutic jurisprudence and the evolution of the right of self-determination in international law

This article expands the scope of the therapeutic jurisprudence enterprise and applies the concept at a collective global level. The right of self-determination, arguably the most important and certainly the most controversial part of international law, is examined through the lens of therapeutic jurisprudence. By detailing the manner in which nations move towards their goal of statehood, this article opens up dialogue about collective healing, shared memory and alternative approaches to autonomy. The article poses the question of whether groups of people can share in common delusions, forms of folie a gens.