This study with 22 adults with mild to moderate mental retardation examined the nature of knowledge structures in this population as well as effects of presentation methods and response methods on ability to classify items. Results indicated major effects for disability severity, insignificant findings for presentation method, and a trend toward…

Finds that, by teaching history in conjunction with literature, students grasp historical understanding because they begin to acquire a deeper understanding of their role in constructing the past. States that literature helps create strong images often missing in students' responses to nonfiction material. Gives Alejandro Morales's "The Brick…

Discusses how to teach people to think, examining how reflective thinking occurs in interpretive discussion and emphasizing interpretive discussions found in all classrooms at all levels. Presents a musical example, a literary example, and a classroom conversation to support the hypothesis that questions evolve as a cluster, growing as discussants…

Analyzes the effort of a small group of high school seniors to interpret the character of Laertes in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" through a "body biography," a life-sized human outline they filled with images and words representing their understanding of the character. Examines their discussion as they composed their text. (PA)

Proposes a rethinking of what professors should teach technical writing students, based on actual experience with three organizations in Oregon. Discusses how to design assignments for students that simulate the reality of a work environment. Explores types of technical writing skills that are increasingly in demand. Offers several strategies for…

Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects, healthy elderly, and young adults interpreted a series of novel noun-noun expressions composed of familiar object words. Subjects interpreted each item by selecting one of three possible definitions: a definition in which the referents of each noun were associated together in a particular context (e.g., rabbit…

In his book, "Inventions: Writing, Textuality, and Understanding," Gerald L. Bruns interprets the hermeneutics of Hans Georg Gadamer. Hermeneutics is the art of interpretation. One principle of hermeneutics is that understanding always proceeds from an initializing moment of confusion, strangeness, darkness, or concealment. Concealment's…

Recent trends in interpretive work emphasize visitor involvement rather than material presentation. New considerations are being given to involving persons handicapped physically or mentally. This article is concerned with the types of handicaps most frequently encountered and the means to facilitate the involvement of those persons in an…

A study examined whether intraceptive thinkers (those with a relatively complex and differentiated set of concepts for thinking about people) are more likely than projective thinkers (those who tend to think in simple stereotypes, and are biased and judgmental) to see the subtle religious themes in the poetry of Walt Whitman. Ninety-six male…

This paper describes a therapy analogue experiment in which an interviewer's interpretation of a client's presenting problem was systematically varied along dimensions suggested by causal attribution theory. Subjects were 64 undergraduate students with the same presenting problem of unassertiveness. They were given two different interpretations of…

Based on a master's thesis (Klorman, 1967) submitted to the University of Wisconsin, and supported by National Institute of Mental Health grant 2 T1 MH-5363-18.

Oral interpretation utilizes the self-referencing qualities of language and literature which involves the interpreter as both actor and reader. By "self-referencing" is meant the capacity language has to express not only literal meaning but also, at the same time, the process of realization and of attitudinizing toward this meaning.…

Examines the development of metaphor by using structure-mapping theory to make distinctions among kinds of metaphors. Proposes that children can understand metaphors based on shared object attributes before those based on shared relational structure. Results indicate a developmental shift toward focus on relational structure in metaphor…

It is proposed that treatment of translation as a discipline can provide translators with techniques and perspectives on their work. Spanish and Dutch versions of a novel illustrate how seemingly innocent and subtle shifts in perspective can affect the most important and distinguishing qualities of a text. (MSE)