The overidentification of structural equation models with latent variables is discussed. The use of two- and three-indicator models is not recommended since such models do not allow a testing of the crucial assumption of unidimensionality among indicators in most cases. Models with four or more indicators may be more sensitive to departures from…

Multivariate methods were used to identify between-set factors relating the criterion set of eleven Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised subtest variables to the predictor set of demographic variables: age, race, sex, education, occupation, geographic region, and urban versus rural residence. Although factor analysis is usually used to…

Narratives from three studies were analyzed using seven variables hypothesized to measure a variety of language abilities used in narrative production. Results indicated that the variables represented global organization of content, and within- and across-sentence structure. Variables representing sentence structure were most effective as…

The Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB) appears to be a satisfactory measure of social support with good reliability and some evidence of validity. To investigate the dimensionality of the ISSB through factor analytic procedures and to predict social support from social network variables, 179 college students (97 male, 82 female)…

The present study was designed to test how well the measures of the cognitive constructs of M-space, cognitive style, and short-term storage space (STSS) could predict the amount of practice needed to induce successful problem solving behaviors, the ability to transfer behaviors to different contexts, and the readiness to abandon unsuccessful…

Greek parents (N=320) were given the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory and results were compared with American scores. Internal consistency reliability was high for four scales (abuse, distress, rigidity, and inconsistency). The Greek and American versions had similar factorial structures. Comparison found that Greek scores were significantly…

This report for researchers in rural sociology develops a conceptual and analytic framework for evaluating policies or programs through interrelated models. Three models--structural analysis, control programming, and simulation--allow researchers to assess policy/program impact, determine why expected impacts did or did not occur, and modify…

Kohn's work on the relationship between social class and parental values was expanded by searching for value dimensions other than Kohn's self-direction/conformity construct and by investigating three aspects of social structure: immigrant status, quality of neighborhood, and housing type. Data were collected from parents of 305 9- to 11-year-old…

Develops a conceptual and analytic framework for rural sociologists to document program results and consequences and to aid policy and program decisions. Addresses program/policy evaluation from perspectives of structural analysis, control programming, and simulation. Emphasizes dynamic, nonrecursive nature of evaluation processes. (LFL)

A 15-item questionnaire was administered on the online catalog terminals at the University of New England (Australia) to assess student attitudes toward computer technology and the new online catalog, and identify predictors of future online catalog use. Data analyses defined two groups of respondents: "reluctant users" and "naive enthusiasts."…

Discusses relation between verbal ability and metamemory and how these two factors relate to the later recallability of material. A study is described that separated 32 children into high and average verbal ability groups, administered a metamemorial questionnaire, and tested recall one week later. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of teamwork and group decision making focuses on study of undergraduates conducted to identify the variables that affect team cohesion in a business game. A literature review on small groups and business games is presented, hypotheses tested are described, discriminant analyses are explained, and suggestions for further research are…

Factors affecting 750 Wyoming public school teachers' response rates to a mail survey examined in this study were: personalization of the cover letter and of the envelope; grade level taught (elementary, junior, or senior high); sex of teacher; and regional characteristics (rural area, small town, or large town). Two experimental treatments were…

Standardized sensory, perceptual, linguistic, intellectual, and cognitive tests were administered to 470 entering first graders. Factor analysis found four factors, which were reading related skills, visual cognition, verbal cognition, and speech processing. Cluster analysis identified nine profiles. The strongest predictors of later reading and…

This study investigated the relationships between maternal employment during three periods in the child's life, the child's self-concept, and family orientation. Variables statistically controlled were intactness of the family, father's employment status, the child's sex, the child's race, and the family's socioeconomic status. It was hypothesized…