Research on memory development has accumulated over the past few years. Given the number of relevant publications in the field, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep track of major advances in specific areas of memory development. This book illustrates 2 purposes: * to permit experts in the various subdomains of research in memory development to summarize recent findings concerning the respective roles of capacity, strategies, and knowledge in the acquisition of memory skills; and * to discuss cross-cutting topics such as the influence of individual differences, practical and educational implications, and the potential of longitudinal studies.
For a period of some fifteen years following completion of my internship training in clinical psychology (1950-1951) at the Washington University School of Medicine and my concurrent successful navigation through that school's neuroanatomy course, clinical work in neuropsychology for me and the psychologists of my generation consisted almost exclusively of trying to help our physician colleagues differentiate patients with neurologic from those with psychiatric disorders. In time, experience led all of us from the several disciplines involved in this enterprise to the conclusion that the crude diag nostic techniques available to us circa 1945-1965 had garnered us little valid information upon which to base such complex, differential diagnostic decisions. It now is gratifying to look back and review the remarkable progress that has occurred in the field of clinical neuropsychology in the four decades since I was a graduate student. In the late 1940s such pioneers as Ward Halstead, Alexander Luria, George Yacorzynski, Hans-Lukas Teuber, and Arthur Benton already were involved in clinical studies that, by the late 1960s, would markedly have improved the quality of clinical practice. However, the only psychological tests that the clinical psychologist of my immediate post-Second World War generation had as aids for the diagnosis of neurologically based conditions involving cognitive deficit were such old standbys as the Wechsler Bellevue, Rorschach, Draw A Person, Bender Gestalt, and Graham Kendall Memory for Designs Test.
The idea of one's memory "filling up" is a humorous misconception of how memory in general is thought to work; it actually has no capacity limit. However, the idea of a "full brain" makes more sense with reference to working memory, which is the limited amount of information a person can hold temporarily in an especially accessible form for use in the completion of almost any challenging cognitive task. This groundbreaking book explains the evidence supporting Cowan's theoretical proposal about working memory capacity, and compares it to competing perspectives. Cognitive psychologists profoundly disagree on how working memory is limited: whether by the number of units that can be retained (and, if so, what kind of units and how many), the types of interfering material, the time that has elapsed, some combination of these mechanisms, or none of them. The book assesses these hypotheses and examines explanations of why capacity limits occur, including vivid biological, cognitive, and evolutionary accounts. The book concludes with a discussion of the practical importance of capacity limits in daily life. This 10th anniversary Classic Edition will continue to be accessible to a wide range of readers and serve as an invaluable reference for all memory researchers.
This definitive volume is the result of collaboration by top scholars in the field of children's cognition. New edition offers an up-to-date overview of all the major areas of importance in the field, and includes new data from cognitive neuroscience and new chapters on social cognitive development and language Provides state-of-the-art summaries of current research by international specialists in different areas of cognitive development Spans aspects of cognitive development from infancy to the onset of adolescence Includes chapters on symbolic reasoning, pretend play, spatial development, abnormal cognitive development and current theoretical perspectives
Researchers of reading comprehension, literacy, educational psychology, psychology, and neuroscience are brought together for this handbook, to document and summarize the current body of research on theory, methods, instruction and assessment in reading comprehension.
Memory development has been a central topic in developmental psychology for the past 30 years. This volume summarizes the research achievements during that era and relates those achievements to work on memory development conducted throughout the 20th century. An abridgement of Schneider and Pressley's previous work (Memory Development Between Two and Twenty, Second Edition, 1997, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.), this book has been reorganized to better discuss the most important themes in memory development for the novice student. By highlighting the issues driving contemporary memory development research, it provides the knowledge that students require to effectively understand the newest studies on memory development. This textbook is not a history; rather, it offers a framework for understanding the many memory development studies now appearing in the literature. A comprehensive, yet succinct, summary of theory and research on memory development, this volume covers more than a century of research, including European, Soviet, and American contributions. Its organization in terms of basic memory capacities, knowledge, strategies, and metamemory reflects the way that the most important researchers in memory development have conceived of the field during the past two decades. At the same time, it emphasizes the perspective that memory development is not development of any of the components alone, but rather is due to developments in capacity, knowledge, strategies, and metamemory in interaction. As such, the book is appropriate for courses in child development, cognitive development, and cognition and memory--that is, wherever students have a need to know about how leading scholars view the development of memory and intellect.
Widespread changes are now occurring in the way doctors are trained, both at the undergraduate level and ongoing postgraduate continuing medical education. The initiative for postgraduate medical education has been taken up by the medical colleges which are all in the process of implementing educational programmes.
Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.
