On Learnability of Restricted Classes of Categorial Grammars

In this paper we present learning algorithms for classes of categorial grammars restricted by negative constraints. We modify learning functions of Kanazawa [10] and apply them to these classes of grammars. We also prove the learnability of intersection of the class of minimal grammars with the class of k-valued grammars. Presented by Wojciech Buszkowski     

Learning from Spiritual Models and Meditation: A Randomized Evaluation of a College Course

Effects of two meditation and mindfulness-based spiritual interventions were examined in college undergraduates (N=44). Compared to a control group, both interventions decreased negative religious coping (d=−0.80, p<.01) and images of God as mainly controlling (d=−.73, p<.01). One intervention provided more training in tools for learning from community and tradition-based spiritual exemplars. It produced gains in famous or traditional spiritual exemplars’ perceived influence (d=+.81, p<.05) and availability (d=+.66, p<.10), in self-efficacy for learning from spiritual exemplars (d=+.92, p<.05), and in nonmaterialistic aspirations (d=+0.65, p<.05).     

Cognitive imitation in typically-developing 3- and 4-year olds and individuals with autism

Individuals diagnosed with autism suffer from numerous social, affective and linguistic impairments. It has also been suggested that they have a global imitation deficit. That hypothesis, however, is compromised by the fact that individuals with autism suffer from various motor impairments. Here we describe an experiment on cognitive imitation, a type of imitation that doesn’t require motor learning. Nine male autistic subjects and 20 typically-developing 3- and 4-year olds were trained to respond, in a prescribed order, to different lists of photographs that were displayed simultaneously on a touch-sensitive monitor. Because the position of the photographs varied randomly from trial to trial, sequences could not be learned by motor imitation. In three different imitation treatments, including a ghost control, autistic subjects learned new sequences more rapidly after observing a model execute those sequences than when they had to learn new sequences entirely by trial and error. Moreover, the performance of autistic subjects did not significantly differ from the performance of typically-developing controls. The result of this and other studies suggests that individuals with autism suffer from a specific novel motor imitation deficit.     

Beyond stop consonants: Consonantal specificity in early lexical acquisition

Previous research has shown that 20-month-old infants can simultaneously learn two words that only differ by one of their consonants, but fail to do so when the words differ only by one of their vowels. This asymmetry was interpreted as developmental evidence for the proposal that consonants play a more important role than vowels in lexical specification. However, the consonant/vowel distinction was confounded with another distinction, that of the continuous status of the phonemes used (discontinuous stop consonants versus continuous vowels). The present study investigated 20-month-olds’ use of phonetic specificity while simultaneously learning two words that differ by a continuous consonant. The results obtained parallel those previously found for stop consonants, confirming the original claim of an asymmetry between the roles of consonants and vowels at the lexical level.     

Auditory-Processing Malleability: Focus on Language and Music

ABSTRACT— Auditory processing forms the basis of humans' ability to engage in complex behaviors such as understanding spoken language or playing a musical instrument. Auditory processing is not a rigid, encapsulated process; rather, it interacts intimately with other neural systems and is affected by experience, environmental influences, and active training. Auditory processing is related to language and cognitive function, and impaired auditory processing negatively affects the quality of life of many people. Recent studies suggest that the malleability of the auditory system may be used to study the interaction between sensory and cognitive processes and to enhance human well-being.     

Increasing Retention Without Increasing Study Time

ABSTRACT— Because people forget much of what they learn, students could benefit from learning strategies that yield long-lasting knowledge. Yet surprisingly little is known about how long-term retention is most efficiently achieved. Here we examine how retention is affected by two variables: the duration of a study session and the temporal distribution of study time across multiple sessions. Our results suggest that a single session devoted to the study of some material should continue long enough to ensure that mastery is achieved but that immediate further study of the same material is an inefficient use of time. Our data also show that the benefit of distributing a fixed amount of study time across two study sessions—the spacing effect —depends jointly on the interval between study sessions and the interval between study and test. We discuss the practical implications of both findings, especially in regard to mathematics learning.     

学习能力、知识经验对儿童问题解决的影响

采用问题解决类比任务范式,考察了学习能力、知识经验对90名小学4年级儿童在问题解决过程中类比问题解决及策略运用的影响。结果发现:(1)在问题解决的质量上,学习能力具有显著制约作用,学习能力越高,问题解决成绩越好,而知识经验作用不显著;在问题解决速度上,学习能力和知识经验作用均不显著。(2)学习能力对问题解决策略运用的总体分布、高级类比和非类比策略运用具有显著性作用。(3)不同知识经验对策略运用总体分布及高级类比策略有显著性作用。     

第二语言学习中的反馈

在第二语言学习中,反馈指针对学习者的言语行为给予学习者的评价性信息。该文阐释了反馈的概念、类型以及反馈在第二语言学习中的角色,并从反馈的时机与对象、对学习者注意力的引导、学习者认知资源的限制、情感支持等方面分析了有效反馈的特征,最后对反馈研究对我国第二语言学习与教学的意义及以后的研究方向进行了探讨     

学习不良儿童的策略研究

策略作为目标指向的旨在解决问题的心理操作,负责对基本信息加工的执行和控制,影响着个体的学习效果,因而被引入到学习不良领域。对学习不良儿童的策略研究具有重要价值。文章分析和综合了已有研究,阐述了学习不良与策略的关系、学习不良儿童的策略表现以及学习不良儿童策略低下的原因,提出了当前研究中存在的问题以及今后的发展趋势。     

国外有关学习时间分配决策能力的研究概述

学习时间分配决策是记忆监控的核心内容之一。文章围绕学习时间分配决策能力的新近研究,重点介绍了如下问题：（1）儿童学习时间分配决策能力的发展;（2）学习时间分配决策机制的探讨,特别对最新的理论模型——学习层次模型和最近学习区假设进行了比较详细的介绍;（3）对今后研究发展的趋势进行了展望。