Concepts and Communication
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
70-26,361 SEELS, Barbara Ann B illings, 1940- CONCEPTS AND COMMUNICATION. The Ohio State U niversity, Ph.D., 1970 Education, theory and practice University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan © 1971 Barbara Ann B illin g s Seels ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED CONCEPTS AND COMMUNICATION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By H i U ' l Barbara:Billings Seels ****** The Ohio State University 1970 Approved by \dviser School of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to those whose discerning questions forced me to present the data with greater clarity and precision: Dr. Edgar Dale, Dr. Daniel Stuffelbeam, Dr. Robert Wagner. 1 1 VITA February 18, 1940. Bom - Syracuse, New York 1969 .................................. Student, U niversity of B r isto l, England 1961 .................................. A.B., Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 1962 .................................. Research Assistant, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 1963 .................................. M.S., Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 1963 .................................. Instructor, Clarion State College, Clarion, Pennsylvania 1964 ................... .... Research Assistant, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1965-1967 ......................... Research Assistant, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1969 .................................. Director of Educational Resources, McGuffey School D istrict, Claysville, Pennsylvania PUBLICATIONS Bradford, James and Seels, Barbara. "Center of Adventure." Columbus: The Ohio State University, 1966. (Film) Dale, Edgar and Seels, Barbara. "Readability and Reading, An Annotated Bibliography." Newark: International Reading Association, 1966. D ale, Edgar and S eels, Barbara. "Ten Important References on Read ability." Elementary English (December, 1966). Seels, Barbara. "How Can Students be Good Actors?" Educational Screen and Audiovisual Guide, 45 (July, 1966), 32-33. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Communications Studies in Communications. Professor Edgar Dale Studies in Motion Pictures. Professor Robert Wagner Studies in Educational Research. Professor Daniel Stuffelbeam 111 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................................... i i VITA........................................................................................................................... i i i LIST OF TABLES...................................................................................................... ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS......................................................................................... x Chapter I . INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 Objectives and Scope of the Study ............................................. 1 Assumptions of the Study ........................................................... 2 Methodology of This Study ........................................................... 3 Organizational Plan for This Report......................................... 3 Background o f the Problem ........................................................... 5 I I . THE MEANING OF CONCEPT..................................................................... 12 Interpretations from Psychology ............................................... 14 Interpretations from Philosophy .............................................. 17 A Definition of "Concept" ........................................................... 25 Response Discriminatory Symbolized The Definition Glossary of Conceptual Communication Terminology . 30 I I I . THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CONCEPTS................................................... 33 The Dimensions of Concepts ....................................................... 33 IV Chapter Page Variable C haracteristics ............................................................ 34 The Forms of Concepts .................................................................... 35 M odalities Models Definitions Classifications Multi-form Concepts The Effects of Concepts ................................................................. 43 Primary E ffects of Concepts Secondary Effects of Concepts The Content of Concepts ........................................................ 50 The Characteristics of Content The Continua for Content The Theoretical Level of Content The Experiential and Logical Content The Kinds o f Logical Content The Type o f Concept Learning ........................ 55 Forms of Concept Learning Concept Learning Tasks Methods of Concept Learning Conceptual Style ............................................................................ 65 Conceptual Ability Category Width and Differentiation Cognitive Structure Research Directions Amount and Application of Conceptualization ..................... 71 Retention Transfer IV. THE PROCESS OF CONCEPTUALIZATION............................................... 88 The Role of Recoding .................................................................... 88 Nerve Pathways Excitation and Inhibition Phenomenon The Role of the Reticular Formation ...................................... 104 Chapter Page The Reticular Activating System Brain Wave Patterns The Role of Symbolic Responses .................................................... 115 The Role of Stored Responses ................................................... ' 120 The Role of Individual Differences ...................................... 127 The Role of Media D e sig n ........................................................... 137 V. CURRICULUM DESIGN................................................................................ 140 Providing Experiences ......................................................................... 141 Guidance in Conceptualization ............................................... 142 Critical Thinking The Development of C reativity Vocabulary Development Conceptual Analysis Issues in Curriculum ......................................................................... 147 Discovery v. Reception Learning Facts V. Skills v. Ideas Recent Curriculum Projects ........................................................ 155 SMSG SCIS Science—A Process Approach BSCS CHEM CBA PSSC VI. AUDIOVISUAL DESIGN........................................................................... 169 I . Cuing Factors ............................................................................ 170 S e t............................................................................................ 170 D irections Pretraining Pretesting Nature of the Learning Task Cuing........................................................................................ 17 5 Familiarization VI Chapter Page A v a ila b ility o f Cues Presentation Order Perceptual Principles Channel U tiliza tio n Compelling Stimuli Abstraction Prompting II. Stimulus Factors .................................................................... 196 The Medium............................................................................ 19’6 The Cone of Experience The Hot-Cold Continuum The Content ............................................................................ 209 Instances in Content Attributes of Instances Amount o f Content Approach to Content Treatment Structuring Editing III. Response Factors .................................................................... 242 Rate of Responding ........................................................... 242 Pacing Rate o f Development Task Size Type o f Response ................................................... 247 Type of Strategy Type of Activity Type of Practice Feedback to Response ....................................................... 271 Amount and Type o f Feedback Ratio and Timing of Feedback Postfeedback Interval VII. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONCEPTUALIZER................................ 282 Age Differences..................................................................... 283 Mental Development Jean Piaget's Work Jerome Kagan’s Work v i i Chapter Page Harvey, Hunt and Schroder's Work The Growth of Intellectual Abilities Verbal and Nonverbal Development Aging Sex Differences ................................................................................ 305 Personality Differences ..................................................................... 312 Conceptual Systems P ersonality Types Authorita rianism Introversion-Extraversion Mental Disturbance Ability Differences........................................................................ 326 Mentally Retarded Culturally Deprived Middle Class Rural/Suburban/Urban Primitive/Modem P hysically Handicapped Gifted Creative V III. GUIDELINES FOR STUDY AND PRAGTICE................................................... 350 Basic Research on the Communication of Concepts. • . 350 The Study of Interacting Factors .......................................... 354 D irections for Research on the Communication of Concepts .................................................................................... 362 Guidelines for Practice ............................................................... 363 Issues in the Communication of Concepts.............................. 366 A New Paradigm for Study and P ra ctice .................................. 367 APPENDIX. Tests