Physiological activity in an attribute learning task.

The relationship between the amount of information processing in an Attribute Learning task and autonomic activity, measured by skin conductance response (SCR), was investigated. The amount of information processing was manipulated by type of concept and feedback. Furthermore, the influence of practice and verbalization was studied.Three types of concepts were used: conjunction, exclusion and joint denial. The stimulus population consisted of four three-valued dimensions. The results showed that (1) SCR did not differ among concepts; (2) SCR varied with type of feedback, it being smallest at blanks and largest at infirming feedback; (3) SCR was related to the number of confirmations preceding infirmation; (4) subjects mainly used the strategy ‘reject hypothesis only after infirmation’; (5) subjects usually selected not-yet-tested hypotheses; (6) practice influenced performance; (7) verbalization did not result in more efficient use of information; however, the appropriateness of the experimental set-up to study this factor was questioned; (8) conjunction was easier to learn than the other concepts. The results were discussed in terms of uncertainty reduction, resulting from testing hypotheses in a concept learning task.     

lhr,dir, or mir? On the acquisition of pronouns in German children

The present study tested the hypothesis that the linguistic complexity of pronouns corresponds to the order in which children acquire them. Linguistic complexity was defined by three principles of linguistic contrast, namely the proximal-nonproximal, singular-nonsingular, and speaker-nonspeaker contrasts.In an experimental naming task, 55 German children aged 3;5 to 6;5 were asked to express the possessive relationship between different participants in a communication situation and particular objects by means of personal pronouns in the dative case, used from the speaker's point of view. The results showed a strong correspondence between the predicted and actual order of correct use of pronouns, and provide evidence for the precedence of the proximal-nonproximal over the singular-nonsingular contrast.     

Gestion d’une transition et impact sur l’état de santé du personnel

This article is about a case of successful introduction of a technological change in a police department. It presents the links observed between the approach used to manage the transition and the perception that end-users reported regarding their stress, their health condition, and their efficiency at work. End-users of the new system reported a high level of satisfaction towards the method used, with few problems related to their stress, their health condition, and their global efficiency. People who reported such problems also reported more problems integrating the change. Close guidance provided to workers at field level and active support to enhance a fast mastering of the new skills seem to have played a major role.     

La connaissance des lettres chez les prélecteurs : aspects pronostiques, fonctionnels et diagnostiques

Letter-name knowledge measured during preschool years is one of the best predictors of reading achievement at the end of first grade. Starting from this longstanding and robust result, this paper aims at showing that letter knowledge is a critical preschool acquisition. Many findings are reported to emphasize its positive role, on the one hand at the beginning of learning to read, on the other hand, in the early steps of literacy. Backwardness and disabilities in letter learning, observed among pre- and beginning readers, are described in order to shed light on particular problems encountered by low-income and future dyslexic children. Some educative purposes are outlined in conclusion.