Level of analysis in the perception of ongoing instruction: An exploratory study.

The level of perceptual analysis at which learners operate during ongoing instruction is suggested to be a variable mediating the effects of instructional variables on learner outcomes. Several instructional variables were manipulated to determine whether they influence the level of perceptual analyses; Ss were 184 undergraduates. Unitization instructions, lesson difficulty, teacher effectiveness, and teacher order were found to influence perceptual analysis significantly. The relationships of perceptual analysis to concept learning and to evaluations of the instructors were also examined. Partial support was obtained for the hypotheses that finer levels of perceptual analysis are associated with more favorable instructor evaluations and with concept learning. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

College students with physical disabilities: Myths and realities.

Examined (1) the affect concerning interaction between nondisabled (ND) college students and physically disabled (PD) students, (2) stereotyping by both ND and PD students, (3) aspects of the self-concepts of ND and PD students, (4) ND students' beliefs about these aspects of self-concept. 32 PD college students (aged 19–36 yrs) and 221 ND students served as Ss. Data from a battery of measures showed that ND Ss were less comfortable with PD peers than with able-bodied peers. PD Ss were equally comfortable with ND individuals and with those having the same disability as they did but were as uncomfortable as ND Ss with peers having a disability different from their own. When predicting the responses of others, ND Ss scored both able-bodied and PD peers lower on most dimensions of self-concept than the actual scores of these groups indicate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extended mnemonic instruction with learning disabled students.

Divided 64 learning disabled (LD) 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade students into 24 instructional groups that were assigned at random to mnemonic and control conditions. Instructional groups were administered 3 daily lessons on dinosaurs in counterbalanced order. The lessons involved vocabulary on dinosaurs, attributes of dinosaurs, and reasons for dinosaur extinction. Mnemonic groups were taught the information using keyword and pegword techniques. Control instructional groups were taught the same information using the principles of direct instruction, including teacher-directed questioning, choral group responding, fast instructional pacing, and cumulative review. A test was given after each lesson on that lesson's content. On the 4th day, all Ss were given production and identification tests on the content of all 3 lessons. Results indicate that mnemonic groups outperformed control groups on the immediate and delayed tests. In addition, control Ss' responses revealed significantly more intralist intrusions than did those of mnemonic Ss. No meaningful trend across days of instruction was observed for either condition. Findings suggest that mnemonic instruction is a versatile and effective instructional technique for LD students. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self- versus instructor-pacing: Achievement, evaluations, and retention.

Student procrastination is an important concern in personalized systems of instruction. The present study compared progress made on course work by 2 groups of students—one self-paced (75 Ss) and one instructor-paced (74 Ss)—in a course taught using the personalized system of instruction. Ss were also compared on measures of course achievement and evaluations and a 9-mo content retention test. Results show that even though the self-paced group procrastinated while the instructor-paced group did not, both scored similarly on pre-, post-, and retention tests and were equally satisfied with the course. Moreover, no differences were found in the number of units completed, final grade distributions, or course withdrawal rates. The withdrawal rate data and the tendency for the self-paced group to score better on the retention test are discussed in terms of educational objectives. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures on computer-assisted instruction.

Investigated the impacts of computer-assisted cooperative, competitive, and individualistic instruction on student achievement and attitudes. 71 8th graders were randomly assigned to conditions stratified for sex and ability. 24 Ss (13 boys and 11 girls) were assigned to the cooperative condition, 22 Ss (11 boys and 11 girls) to the competitive condition, and 25 Ss (14 boys and 11 girls) to the individualistic condition. In all conditions Ss completed the same computer-assisted instructional unit. Results indicate that computer-assisted cooperative instruction promotes greater quantity and quality of daily achievement; more successful problem solving; and higher performance on factual recognition, application, and problem-solving test items than does computer-assisted competitive or individualistic learning. The girls' attitudes, compared with the boys', were adversely affected within the competitive condition. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Instructional control strategies and content structure as design variables in concept acquisition using computer-based instruction.

Studied 135 undergraduates to investigate 2 instructional design variables directly related to concept learning. The 1st variable, management strategy, tested the hypothesis that advising Ss of their learning need in relationship to acquisition of a task at a given criterion would be more effective than adaptive control or learner control strategies. Data analysis showed that the advisement condition resulted in better performance than the learner control condition and needed less instructional time and fewer instructional instances than the adaptive control condition. The 2nd variable contrasted 2 forms of content structure used in learning coordinate concepts. Ss given concepts simultaneously performed better on the posttest and needed less instruction than those who received concepts successively. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptual flexibility: Maintenance or recovery of the ability to discriminate non-native speech sounds.

Examined the influence of prior training and linguistic experience on the perception of nonnative speech in 2 experiments. Exp I assessed the effect of laboratory training on the ability of 30 English-speaking adults (aged 18–35 yrs) to discriminate 2 speech contrasts that are used to contrast meaning in Hindi but not in English. Short-term training resulted in an amelioration of the initial poor performance of Ss in discriminating a nonnative voicing contrast, but training had no such effect in the case of a Hindi contrast involving a place of articulation distinction. In Exp II, the performance of 3 groups of English-speaking adults (aged 20–38 yrs)—Ss who had studied Hindi for 5 yrs or more, Ss who were studying Hindi as a 2nd language with early experience of Hindi, and Ss studying Hindi as a 2nd language with no early experience of Hindi—was examined to investigate the effect of studying Hindi as a 2nd language for different periods. Ss who had studied Hindi for at least 5 yrs discriminated both Hindi speech contrasts. While 1 yr of 2nd language experience also improved performance of Ss with no early Hindi experience on the voicing contrast, it had little influence on their ability to discriminate the Hindi place contrast. Ss who had early experience hearing the contrasts being used, but no further exposure, could discriminate both the voicing and place distinctions prior to language study. Findings are discussed in terms of the recovery and maintenance of linguistic perceptual ability. (French abstract) (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol's effects on physiological arousal and self-reported affect and sensations.

60 male normal drinkers (undergraduates) were instructed that they would receive an alcoholic, nonalcoholic, or an unidentified beverage that would be alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Half the Ss in each instruction group consumed an alcoholic beverage; the other half consumed a non-alcoholic beverage. Self-reports of affect (Mood Adjective Check List, Multiple Affect Adjective Check List) and bodily sensations and measures of pulse rate and skin conductance were obtained at baseline and during the ascending and descending phases of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) function. Analysis of covariance showed that Ss who consumed alcohol reported higher levels of positive affects and sensations and lower levels of depression than Ss who did not consume alcohol. The instructional manipulation had a limited effect. Self-reports of affect and sensations were most affected by type of beverage consumed; sensations were also rated higher during the ascending than during the descending phase of the BAC. Physiological measures were influenced by instructions and beverage. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's ability to adjust their standards for evaluating comprehension.

144 children 8 and 10 yrs of age listened to essays that contained either false statements or inconsistencies. They were asked to indicate which essays had problems in them. The 1st group of Ss was simply informed that some of the essays contained problems. A 2nd group was additionally told that some of the statements would be false and was given examples of falsehoods. A 3rd group was told instead that some of the essays would be inconsistent and was given examples of inconsistencies. Under neutral instructions, the rate of problem detection was quite low for both age groups. Specific instructions helped Ss find problems. Moreover, the relative order of difficulty in finding falsehoods and inconsistencies shifted depending on the instructional set, suggesting that the instruction enabled Ss to adjust their standard of evaluation. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived control in the college classroom: Limitations in instructor expressiveness due to noncontingent feedback and lecture content.

Consistent with various control theories, recent evidence suggests that exposure to noncontingent outcomes interferes with instructional quality in the college classroom. The present study examined whether the density of negative noncontingent outcomes limits instructor expressiveness as an effective teaching behavior in different lecture content conditions. 361 undergraduates took an aptitude test that provided contingent feedback (CF) or low or medium noncontingent failure feedback (NCFF). Ss completed an attribution questionnaire and then observed a videotaped lecture low or high in content given by a low- or high-expressive instructor, after which Ss responded to a postlecture achievement test and an attribution questionnaire. Medium NCFF reduced Ss' perceived control and lowered their internal attribution locus for their aptitude performance, compared to low NCFF and CF. Postlecture results indicated that for high-content lectures, instructor expressiveness facilitated achievement and confidence in Ss who received CF and low NCFF but not in Ss who received medium NCFF. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between digit span and anxiety.

The hypothesis was tested that WAIS Digit Span (DS) performance is disrupted by anxiety. 110 college students, who had been tested on Taylor's MA scale and Sarason's Test Anxiety Questionnaire, were tested under an anxiety-inducing or rapport-establishing (control) procedure. After testing on DS, experimental Ss were asked if the instruction variable had disturbed them. With respect to DS: (a) no-significant differences were found between experimental and control groups, but within the experimental group, those who were disturbed were inferior on DS to control Ss (p r = -.23, p r = .26, p     

Processing instructional texts and examples.

72 undergraduates used 1 of 4 formats of instructional information to solve series completion problems, and processing of instructional information and test performance were assessed. Direct retrieval of a procedure with an instructional text was most successful when the name of the procedure was provided, rather than the component steps. Analogical processing was used when an example was given. When inferring a rule and mapping the example rule on to the test items, Ss looked back at the example more often than at the instructional text. Practice effects were most evident for Ss given an example, suggesting that the example but not the instruction procedure was being modified in the course of the test. An appendix of problems used on the computer test is included. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Increasing Reading Comprehension and Engagement Through Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction.

Based on an engagement perspective of reading development, we investigated the extent to which an instructional framework of combining motivation support and strategy instruction (Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction--CORI) influenced reading outcomes for third-grade children. In CORI, five motivational practices were integrated with six cognitive strategies for reading comprehension. In the first study, we compared this framework to an instructional framework emphasizing Strategy Instruction (SI), but not including motivation support. In the second study, we compared CORI to SI and to a traditional instruction group (TI), and used additional measures of major constructs. In both studies, class-level analyses showed that students in CORI classrooms were higher than SI and/or TI students on measures of reading comprehension, reading motivation, and reading strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The case for performance-based instructional models.

Examines evidence supporting performance-based instructional models. Performance-based instructional models posit change in students' classroom behavior and academic achievement to be a function of changes in instruction. These models stand in contrast to other models of schooling evident in the literature that are based on variables not readily alterable or under the control of teachers (e.g., socioeconomic status); these models therefore, have limited implications for instructional practice. A conceptual model for understanding the alterable elements and outcomes of the classroom instructional environment is described. The relative fit of the conceptual model in comparison to 2 different alternative models is examined. A conceptual model that included student engagement as a construct mediating the effects of instruction and achievement outcome is supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Initial symptom levels and the life-event–depression relationship.

93 undergraduates selected for diversity of initial depression levels were studied longitudinally to explore the relation between stressful events and depression. Ss were chosen on the basis of their scores on an information-processing procedure, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia—Lifetime Version, and the SCL-90. After the initial screening, Ss completed a 2-hr interview covering current and lifetime diagnostic status and stressful life-event occurrence in the previous 12 mo. Following this, they participated in 4 regular monthly follow-ups. Regression analyses and inspection of individual patterns supported the hypothesis that initial depression status is a critical factor in depression–event associations and that concurrent high-impact negative events contribute significantly but modestly to outcomes. It appeared that nonsymptomatic Ss were relatively resistant to onset even when exposed to high-impact stress events, whereas a subset of initially symptomatic Ss continued to have both more depression and more high-impact events over time. It is suggested that future research on event–depression associations should carefully consider these different outcome patterns: symptom resistance and symptom onset in nondepressed persons and symptom remission and symptom maintenance or recurrence in initially depressed persons. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of a sequential behavior analysis protocol on the teaching practices of undergraduate trainees.

Studied the effects of a sequential behavior feedback procedure on the practice teaching experiences of undergraduate teacher trainees. Teaching performances of 4 Ss were analyzed using Alternative Appropriate Instructional and Organizational Action measures within the ecological context of Instructional and Organizational challenges in the practice teaching setting. Data support the added utility of sequential information when using behavior analysis approaches to teacher training. One field-based undergraduate teaching practicum was monitored. The key elements summarized are (1) classroom instruction tied to the practicum experience, (2) practice teaching experience, and (3) sequential observation system used for evaluation and feedback, including multiple-baseline data to support this approach to teacher training. Results point to the strong relationship between sequential behavior feedback and (1) teacher-trainee improvement in meeting instructional and organizational challenges in the classroom, (2) teacher-trainee movement from an organizational to an instructional focus over the course of the experiment, and (3) positive changes in pupil practices as a function of changes in teacher-trainee instruction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of classroom behavior to the accuracy of the match between material difficulty and student ability.

Examined (a) the level of difficulty of material used for reading instruction with 71 2nd-6th graders and (b) the relationship between the material difficulty/student ability level difference scores and classroom adjustment. Readability formulas determined material difficulty; individual reading tests determined ability levels (the Gray Oral Reading Test, Form B, and the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales); the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale assessed classroom behavior. Ss tended not to receive instruction in material at a level of difficulty equal to their tested ability. Material difficulty/ability level difference scores were significantly related to classroom adjustment: Behavior improved as the material became easier for Ss. Less accurately matched material therefore tended to be related to improved behavior. Unexpected relationships thus exist between classroom behavior and level of difficulty of instructional material. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variations in IQ testing and instruction and the letter learning and achievement of Anglo and bilingual Mexican-American children.

Investigated the effects of the language of IQ test administration on IQ performance and IQ predictions of letter learning and achievement under varying instructional conditions in Anglo and bilingual Mexican-American preschoolers, ages 4 yrs–5 yrs 11 mo. 72 bilingual Mexican-American Ss were given subtests of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence in English, Spanish, or English and Spanish. In addition, 24 Anglos were tested in English. Ss were given a letter identification pretest and letter identification instruction under conditions representing variations in modeling and feedback. Significant differences occurred in IQ associated with the language of test administration. Regression analyses, however, yielded no significant differences among IQ predictions of letter task performance for different testing conditions and instructional variations. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Instructional desensitization: A semantic behavior treatment of anxiety disorder.

Explored the efficacy of instructional desensitization (ID) in the treatment of public speaking anxiety, using 30 speech-anxious undergraduates as Ss. Three self-report measures of confidence, affect, and anxiousness were completed by Ss, and 20 behavioral manifestations of anxiety were observed during Ss' delivery of a 4-min speech. Ss were randomly assigned to ID, placebo, or waiting list groups. Ss in the placebo group were led to believe that they were receiving a new form of therapy. Results show that ID Ss showed a significant decrement in their anxiety reactions as measured by objective and subjective anxiety measures. A significant anxiety decrement was also found in placebo Ss. However, self-report gains were not verified by objective observations. It is concluded that ID is a new semantic behavior therapy intervention that may have beneficial effects in the treatment of a broad variety of anxiety disorders. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Speech-action coordination in young children.

Investigated speech–action coordination in 100 3- and 4-yr-olds using a hammering-board task. Four instructional conditions (instruction, demonstration, vocalization, and no vocalization) were presented in a numeric task ("hit 4 times") and 2 spatial tasks: 3-color (red, green, and yellow) and 4-color (green, red, blue, and yellow). In the numeric task, instruction called for limitation of a naturally perseverative motor act. In the spatial tasks, instruction called for spatio-temporal sequential action counter to the natural spatial order of the pegs in the hammering board. Results from the numeric task suggest that Ss of both ages perseverated, while results from the spatial tasks suggest that Ss of both ages were more heavily influenced by spatial context than by the sequential component of the instruction. In all tasks, the S's concomitant vocalization (counting and naming colors) was more effective than the experimenter's demonstration in reorganizing action to match instructional demands. Findings are interpreted in support of A. R. Luria's (1961) finding of inhibition of perseveration with concomitant overt vocalization and Vygotsky's claim that meaningful concomitant speech facilitates reorganization of unsuccessful action. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)