Examines the influence of a research incentive ($100) and requirement (videotaping) on decisions to participate in prevention research. Individuals were significantly attracted by the incentive, and marginally deterred by the requirement. Findings indicate that monetary incentives may help reduce sampling bias by increasing rates most strongly…

Researchers recruiting samples of children through schools typically face considerable challenges in obtaining completed consent forms from parents. Describes a set of procedures used to obtain active parental consent for child participation that resulted in a 95% return rate of consent forms. Rates of return were similar across schools that…

Using models subjected to extensive specification tests, analysis of data from the National Child Care Staffing Study found that group size, child-staff ratio, and staff education and training have only small impacts on the quality of care provided. (SK)

States that hemispheric preference literature reveals mostly marginally significant data--different ways of probing human thought processing exist and various mistakes can sometimes account for borderline data. Elaborates the Sonnier Model of Hemispheric Preferences (SMHP) which may provide clarification and more fruitful research questions and…

Examines the effectiveness of the use of monetary incentives in mail survey data collection. Monetary incentives produces higher rates of return compared to mailings in which nonmonetary or no incentives are provided. The use of monetary incentives is more cost effective than other types of incentives and may be particularly valuable when…

Tests consistency of self-reports of alcohol and drug use by comparing responses incarcerated youth give to corrections staff and to university research interviewers only weeks apart. Significantly more incarcerated adolescents (n = 894) report lifetime drug and alcohol use to researchers than to correctional staff. Sex and ethnic differences were…

Presents a summary of an earlier monograph on the recruitment and retention of older ethnic minority individuals. Findings suggest that recruitment and retention success occurs when there is a match between the goals of the ethnic minority communities and the research community. (Contains 10 references and 3 tables.) (GCP)

Suggests that different levels of analysis and theoretical approaches are less problematic when considered in terms of different degrees of abstraction to the extent that concepts utilized are time and space free. Illustrates the need for multiple levels of analysis and abstraction with two examples: contemporary sexual behavior and explanations…

The use of proportions to transform raw scores into standardized, dimensionless units creates measurement problems. The use of fractional (percentage) uncertainties for physical or any other measurements results in other problems. Means of dealing with associated problems of standardization are discussed. (TJH)

A restudy of nonrespondents to a contingent valuation method survey increased the response rate from 59 to 87 percent. The likelihood ratio test was used to determine respondent/nonrespondent differences more precisely. Results indicate that nonresponse bias can be quantified and that personal contacts with nonrespondents can generate crucial…

Reviewed 283 data-based articles containing material about Black Americans in the "Journal of Marriage and Family" from 1939-87 using a sociohistorical framework of analysis. Results indicated that focus on the culture-of-poverty thesis has been a prominent and obvious source of distortion in substantive research on Black families in America.…

Presents procedure, mixed-radix positional number algorithm, for reducing set of numerous changes and stabilities in multiple roles at given time to a single empirical code. Demonstrates applicability and utility of procedure to wide array of complex family analyses through a simple pedagogical example. (Author/NB)

Discusses research issues in childhood depression including advantages/disadvantages of research designs, level of diagnosis used, significance of age of onset on severity, and specific areas of needed research. Concludes that many depressive symptoms are transient, diminishing or disappearing with age and/or changing environmental circumstances,…

Although the vast majority of articles cited by Jeanne Chall and Marie Carbo fit the patched-up program evaluation category, the outcomes of nine randomized field experiments are the best evidence available in the research literature. Systematic phonics is an example of the weak instructional treatments presently plaguing education. Includes 16…

Focuses on the experimental designs and methodology of 15 studies, most of which used only part of the methodology for the experimental analysis of behavior. Argues that the failure to fully use available research technology may have contributed to researchers' failure to make experimental contact with the definition of reinforcement. (RH)