The Lognormal Response Time (LNRT) model measures the speed of test-takers relative to the normative time demands of items on a test. The resulting speed parameters and model residuals are often analyzed for evidence of anomalous test-taking behavior associated with fast and poorly fitting response time patterns. Extending this model, we…

Background: Tests are commonly and heavily used in fundamental engineering courses (FECs) to assess student learning of concepts. With existing literature presenting mixed benefits and disadvantages of testing to students' motivation to learn and documenting widely alternative assessments, the lack of questioning of heavy and common test usage…

In various fields, including college admission, medical board certifications, and military recruitment, high-stakes decisions are frequently made based on scores obtained from large-scale assessments. These decisions necessitate precise and reliable scores that enable valid inferences to be drawn about test-takers. However, the ability of such…

A longitudinal assessment program was launched by a medical board in 2016 as one of its continuing certification requirements. This study explored distinct behavioral patterns in answering self-testing questions using data collected in 2016. The time at which a physician accessed each question was used as the primary measure of behavior. Four…

Conditioned defeat is a model wherein hamsters that have previously experienced a single social defeat subsequently exhibit heightened levels of avoidance and submission in response to a smaller, non-aggressive intruder. While we have previously demonstrated the critical involvement of the basolateral and central nuclei of the amygdala in the…

Two experiments were designed to replicate and extend previous findings on the transformation of avoidance response functions in accordance with the relational frames of Same and Opposite. Participants were first exposed to non-arbitrary and arbitrary relational training and testing. Next, during avoidance conditioning, one stimulus from the…

Undergradautes responded to role-played scenarios involving heterosocial interactions. Later they were surreptitiously observed while they interacted with an opposite-sex student, an experimental confederate. Videotapes were rated for component responses. Role-play behavior was moderately correlated with behavior in naturalistic situations for…

Results are reported of a research effort designed to provide a comprehensive profile of the characteristics of members of the Canadian National Baseball Team. The subjects of the study were candidates for the team. The control group consisted of top level amateur baseball players from Windsor. Four examinations were made: 1) physiological tests…

The effect of testing on student retention was investigated to determine if it was the actual test taking, the prior preparation for the test, or the combination of studying for and taking the test which actually affected retention. Subjects were undergraduate students (N=90) who were divided into two different study conditions, i.e., test and…

This paper reports on the "usability" element of a study examining the development of a multimedia Learning Environment (LE) for Special Educational Needs (SEN) students, designed to match learner requirements to learning materials, as elicited from cognitive and accessibility profiles drawn up by teachers and learning support assistants. In…

Five elementary school teachers were interviewed to determine their planning processes during the first weeks of school. Three phases were observed: 1) preparation of the physical environment of the classroom; 2) diagnosis and placement of students, and establishing behavior structures of the classroom; and, 3) planning academic activities and…

This is the final report of a research project. The goal of the project was to record a large collection of mathematical performances by students and to develop a system for analyzing these performances. The subjects observed included students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 and three adult groups. Four specific results are reported: (1) a large…

Reports a series of ethnographic studies of student behavior concerning examinations, conducted in a Canadian university since the mid-1980s. Describes techniques of data gathering and the link between methodology and theory. Examines implications for higher education, including dealing with students' exam-related stress, factors influencing…

This study investigated the effects of three aspects of language testing (test task, familiarity with an interviewer, and test method) on both tester and tested. Data were drawn from several previous studies by the researcher. Concerning test task, data were analyzed for the type of topic students wanted most to talk about or preferred not to talk…

The study presents the results of testing an original obersvation instrument designed to identify a power elite in multiple sessions of two eight-member adult discussion groups. Two questions guided the development of the study: (1) Can a power elite be identified in participation training groups? (2) Can an effective observation instrument with…