Bilingualism and brain functional asymmetry

The task of the neural organization of the native language, acquired by a direct method and of another language, studied at school, performed correspondingly by the left and the right hemispheres, was studied in the bilingual patient after unilateral electroconvulsive therapy used in psychiatry. It was established that in such a bilingual type the right hemisphere is concerned with the formation of deep semantic structures of the native language while the left hemisphere is responsible for the formation of second language deep structures and of surface structures of both languages. The effect of language learning method on cerebral organization of bilingualism is postulated.     

Generalized and lateralized effects of concurrent verbal rehearsal upon performance of sequential movements of the fingers by the left and right hands.

College student subjects performed a sequential typing task requiring bilaterally synchronized movements (Experiment 1) or unilaterally synchronized movements (Experiment 2) singly, and concurrently with silent and vocal rehearsal of verbal lists varying in redundancy. Rehearsal interfered with bilaterally synchronized movements more when the right hand was leading the sequence than when the left hand led, and with movements of the right more than the left hand in unilaterally synchronized movements. Results are interpreted in terms of intrahemispheric and general capacity competition between the concurrent performances.     

Children's self-concept and attitude toward school in open and traditional classrooms

Children from a traditional school and two open schools were compared, using the Pictorial Self-Concept scale and the Attitude Toward School scale. To control for the self-selection of open school students, the traditional school subjects were divided into those whose parents favored and those whose parents did not favor open education. Three of the 12 analyses were significant, but not in the predicted, or in any orderly, direction. These results were attributed to chance. Attitude toward school was higher for females than males and decreased for kindergarden to grade 2. Self-concept increased form kindergarten to grade 2, with no significant sex differences.     

Converging evidence for the functional significance of imagery in problem solving

Two kinds of explanations have been offered for the process by which three-term series problems are solved, one in terms of linguistic principles and the other in terms of visual-spatial imagery. Two experiments are reported in which three different classes of operations are brought to bear on the problem: (1) Manipulation of stimulus attributes (characteristics of problems), (2) manipulation of variables that selectively encourage or inhibit the use of imagery (facilitating instructions; the suppression of visualization by reading), and (3) measurement of relevant individual differences (spatial-reasoning ability). All of the results indicate that imagery plays a functional but not a necessary role in the solution of three-term series problems; it is suggested that imaginal representation is functional because it reduces the load on memory. An adequate explanation of problem-solving will have to address certain general issues, such as the diversity of forms of cognitive representation and differences within and between individuals in the choice of problem-solving strategies.     

“in”, “on”, and “under” revisited

The present study presents evidence that young children's comprehension of the locatives ‘in’, ‘on’, and ‘under’ is, at least in part, contextually determined. Children aged 1;6–3;0 were given tasks with verbal instructions which were either contextually congruent or incongruent. The results were interpreted in terms of the non-linguistic as well as linguistic strategies apparently used to interpret speech. The results and interpretation are in contrast to those of earlier research.     

CONTROL OF ARITHMETIC ERRORS USING INFORMATIONAL FEEDBACK AND GRAPHING1

The effect of informational feedback and graphing on reducing the number of arithmetic worksheet errors was investigated. The present study replicated and extended earlier findings with other populations (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1974, 7 , 547–555; 1970, 3 , 1–4; 1970, 3 , 235–240) to a first-grade classroom. Ten first-grade pupils (four males and six females) served in an ABAB design. During the feedback-only phase, subjects were provided informational feedback, in the form of a written number, on the number of errors made on individual arithmetic worksheets. The feedback-only phase lasted seven days and was followed by the feedback-plus-graphing phase, during which subjects graphed the number (of errors written at the top of the individual worksheet) daily on individual graphs on their desks. The feedback-plus-graphing phase lasted 10 days and was followed by a reversal to feedback only for 10 days. The final phase was a replication of the feedback-plus-graphing phase. All subjects showed a change in number of worksheet errors, in the predicted direction, during the feedback-plus-graphing phases. An overall mean difference of ?2.66 was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.01), using a Wilcoxson Matched-Pairs Sign Test. The results were interpreted as being empirical support for earlier findings in other populations. In addition, the present findings represented a successful extension of feedback and graphing interventions to the management of academic behaviors in a first-grade classroom.     

Information producing responses in normal and retarded children.

Normal and retarded children were given trials on several discriminations which varied in difficulty. On standard discrimination trials the retarded subjects did not differ from the MA control subjects in the number of errors made but both groups made more errors than the CA control group. On other trials if subjects were not sure which stimulus was correct they were allowed to press an information key which made the discrimination easier. The retarded subjects made significantly more informational key responses than either of the control groups. These results confirmed the findings of prior investigations dealing with outerdirectedness in an experimental situation which did not allow distractibility to be a significant factor.