It was the purpose of this investigation to examine intellectual commitment as an outcome of commonly occurring interests and circumstances, and to attempt to understand some of the circumstances and conditions influencing the development of intellectual commitment. For the purposes of this study, intellectual commitment is defined as an intense…

Support for the confluence model of intellectual development has come from analyses of family size-birth order means of large aggregate data sets. Analyses of individual scores do not substantiate the confluence model, as explained variance is markedly reduced. The study of family interaction variables utilizing longitudinal data is recommended.…

A study with 101 college freshmen indicates that freshman experience promotes increasing intellectual complexity for both sexes, but more for males than females. Analysis of student expectations and perceptions of environments shows subtle differences that may account for differential growth, suggesting some approaches to creating equitable…

College student self-evaluations can assist in institutional outcomes assessment by helping educators understand the content, context, and process of learning at both individual and institutional levels, and from the perspective of either research or assessment. Currently, self-assessment is used primarily in evaluating broad learning outcomes,…

Reviews the current theories concerning individual differences in cognitive functioning. While some argue that heredity places a genetic cap on intellectual development, others emphasize the dynamic interrelationship between cultural and environmental factors. Concludes that intelligence is more complex than the heredity advocates allow. (MJP)