Provides an overview of the approach of Richard E. Snow to the concept of aptitude and multidimensional validity and summarizes the studies in this special issue. Overall, studies confirmed the multidimensional structure of science achievement scores, the validity of some key motivational constructs for predicting achievement, and other ideas…

This review of the literature on aptitude by treatment interaction concentrates on studies which investigated two or more instructional treatments in a quantitative subject area--primarily mathematics--with different populations of students on whom measures of individual differences in aptitude were available. Designed to formulate some tentative…

Richard E. Snow, working from his new aptitude theory, advocated a multidimensional approach to validating the construct of academic achievement. This report briefly describes Snows recommended approach and then summarizes new evidence from recent studies in terms of three related themes: (1) multidimensionality of science achievement; (2)…

Richard E. Snow conceived of an individuals' performance as the result of a transaction between her aptitudes and the particular characteristics of the situation in which that performance occurs over time. By aptitudes he meant the cognitive and motivational resources that an individual brings to the situation. By situation he meant the…

Describes some of the "big ideas" of Richard E. Snow about aptitude, person-situation transaction, and test validity. Also describes the design of a high school study undertaken to explore some of Snow's ideas further and introduces the articles of this special issue. (SLD)