The purpose of the study was to determine whether significant differences exist between learning disabled and non-learning disabled children on memory performance for words learned in an incidental learning paradigm. Depth of processing and retrieval cue type were the treatment variables which controlled performance on a cued recall test of memory.Methodology. Thirty learning disabled and 30 non-learning disabled children in the fourth and fifth grades participated in the study. Seventy percent of the subjects were male and 30 percent were female. All subjects in the learning disabled group were tested for a severe discrepancy between potential and achievement in the area of reading prior to inclusion in the study. All subjects had IQ's not less than 1 standard deviation below the mean.Each subject was presented 32 stimulus words. All words were common concrete nouns with a reading level no greater than second grade. The stimulus words were encoded with congruent and non-congruent rhyming words and semantically congruent and non-congruent sentence frames. A cued recall test of memory was presented to each subject following the incidental learning activity. Rhyming and sentence frame cues were presented, and the subject was provided a 10 second opportunity to recall one of the stimulus words. The entire activity was presented on a microcomputer which also kept a record of the student's responses. The computer also generated a random presentation order, random ordered treatment condition for.Results. Non-learning disabled children recalled significantly more stimulus words than learning disabled children. Both groups performed significantly better on words encoded using deep level congruent semantic processing and cued with congruent semantic retrieval cues. At all levels, however, optimal performance occurred when retrieval cue type matched encoding level.Conclusions. Differential memory performance in learning disabled and non-learning disabled children can be controlled in incidental learning activities. Depth of processing affects differential memory performance. In all cases words cued with retrieval cues of the same level of processing are recalled more efficiently than those cued with recall cues of another level of processing each stimulus word, and a random ordered memory test.

The present investigation considered the utility of traditional psychoeducational measures in the prediction of neuropsychological impairment in learning disabled children. The subjects were 368 learning disabled children ranging in age from 9 to 14, with a mean age of 10.68 years, and a standard deviation of 1.62. In addition to traditional psychoeducational measures, each subject was administered the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery for Older Children (HRNB-C). Subjects were considered impaired or nonimpaired on the basis of their score on the HRNB-C. A Discriminant Analysis was utilized to investigate what variables from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) would be used to predict the subjects' neuropsychological status. It was found that 12 variables added significantly (R < .05) to the prediction of impairment, with Arithmetic and Block Design subtests the most prominent predictors. A Regression Analysis was used to consider the subjects' score on the HRNB-C in a continous fashion. The regression equation that emerged showed the Performance Scale of the WISC-R to be the best predictor of the impairment index.MANOVA and ANOVA statistics were used to investigate the differences between the groups. Results indicated that there was a significant main effect for gender. Males tended to score higher than females on visual spatial tasks. General cognitive skills were lower in females than males. Overall, females tended to be more neuropsychologically impaired than males. / Department of Educational Psychology

A predominance of symptomology related to neurological dysfunction has been reported for at least some learning disabled (LD) students. This investigation examined the self-reported neuropsychological symptoms of LD and normal students in grades 3 through 12. Determination of group membership based on the childrens' responses to items on the Neuropsychological Symptom Inventory (NSI) was made for all subjects in the study.A discriminant analysis was conducted in order to determine the degree of group separation based on the item responses and which reported symptoms add significantly to that separation. Out of 40 possible items, 19 added to the discriminant function. Prediction of group membership was accomplished with a high degree of accuracy. Nearly 80% of the total population examined were correctly classified according to actual group membership. Of the LD population, 32% were identified as normal but only 16% of the normal population were misdiagnosed as LD. Additionally, nine individual symptoms were identified as reported by a greater percentage of LD students than normals.The results of this investigation suggest that the NSI as a screening instrument may be valuable for some populations. The 80% accuracy rate with the low number of false-positives (16%) is extremely encouraging. Additional research with the NSI to validate the presence of the symptomology reported would add to the already existing data related to the neuropsychological implications related to learning disabilities. / Department of Educational Psychology

Access to abstract restricted until 12/14/2015. / Access to thesis restricted until 12/14/2015. / Department of Educational Psychology

According to Locke and Latham (1990), goal-setting is a powerful motivationa! tool which captivates the individual's attention and sense of effort in pooling all available resources to accomplish a task with accrued determination. Goal-setting has been used successfully in sports and physical activities (Kyllo & Landers, 1995). Positive results have also been realized with low achievers in academic tasks (Bandura & Schunk, 1981). / The purpose of this investigation was to test the effects of goal-setting on basketball free throwing with normally achieving (NA) boys and girls, and with children having learning disabilities (LD), ages 9-13 years. This study also tested the relationship between Perceived Physical Self-Competence (Harter, 1978b) and performance. / Results indicated that the children with LD in the goal-setting group outperformed the control group. However, goal-setting failed to differentiate the performances of NA children. No correlation was established between Perceived Physical Self-competence and the performance of these children. Methodological key points are discussed and suggestions are given for future research with goal-setting and children. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Tom Humphries.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis (MHSc--Health Science) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2005. / Also held in print (xii, 202 leaves, 30 cm.) in Akoranga Theses Collection. (T 615.8515 MAR)

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Indiana University of Pennsylvania. / Includes bibliographical references.