The research reported here was directed at two distinct but related problems: (1) the assumption of bipolarity underlying standard semantic differential scales, and (2) the demonstration of the similarities between D-4 (the square root of the sum of squares of the difference between each word's mean rating and 4.00 on a number of scales) as a…

This study developed a semantic differential (SD) instrument to measure self-concept that was not influenced by social desirability. An alpha factor analysis of 53 SD scales produced five interpretable factors for the females and five interpretable factors for the males. A subsequent investigation of the convergent validity of each of the factors…

If individuals who react to a variety of phenomena tend to have compatible cognitive dimensions, then development of similar meanings and responses among individuduals is facilitated. A study of compatibilities and communication responses utilized two methods of analysis: the "unfolding technique" of scales whereby subjects rank-ordered…

Elementary school teachers' attitudes toward individualizing reading instruction were examined in the evaluation of the Wisconsin Design for Reading Skill Development (WDRSD). An instrument was constructed in the semantic differential format. Teachers were asked to respond anonymously on adjective scales to eleven example classroom procedures…

A basic assumption of this study is that the meaning continuum registered by an adjective pair remains relatively constant over a large universe of concepts and over subjects within a relatively homogeneous population. An attempt was made to validate this assumption by showing the invariance of the factor structure across different types of…

This study reports a portion of a series of investigations designed to determine to what extent credibility scales can be generalized. The investigation data was collected in six phases, representing six subject populations. All of the subjects were either college students or non-student adults. Subjects were asked to respond to one of four…

SUPERIOR STUDENTS IN RURAL HIGH SCHOOLS WERE GIVEN PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION IN SELECTED SUBJECT AREAS TO DETERMINE IF A NONDIRECTIVE METHOD OF DIFFUSING AN INNOVATION, LIKE PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION, WAS APPROPRIATE FOR DISSEMINATION IN A RURAL ENVIRONMENT. THE EFFECTS OF THE COOPERATIVE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND HIGH…

Attempts to suggest a set of verbal labels which could be used to describe occupational characteristics, as perceived by grade 9 students, and to group these labels into parsimonious clusters. Also obtains a set of bipolar-adjective scales for use in measuring perceptions of occupational characteristics. (Author/RK)

Compared effects, for illicit drug abusers, of five 16-hour unstructured marathon groups, and five matched, randomly selected control groups. Used semantic differential consisting of the specific adjective pairs and the evaluative scale of the concept My Real Self. Marathon group members rated some adjective pairs differently and rated the…

Presents and discusses the results of an exploratory study seeking to determine the effects of an intervention program on aging on children's perceptions of elderly persons. It was found that classroom interaction with older people and exposure to media with accurate information about aging positively changes preschoolers' attitudes toward aging.…

The value of using more than one data collection procedure to investigate an educational question is illustrated. A semantic differential instrument provided an index of the direction and intensity of teachers' attitudes, but an unstructured interview provided a more detailed portrayal of their opinions. (RM)

A method used at Bradley University to assess the institution's public image consisted of a series of paired descriptive phrases through which potential students could compare the school with their ideal college in academic factors, location, size, campus, costs, and career placement. (MSE)

Although behaviorally anchored rating scales have both intuitive and empirical appeal, they have not always yielded superior results in contrast with graphic rating scales. Results indicate that the choice of an anchoring procedure will depend on the nature of the actual rating process. (Author/JKS)

The University of Swaziland was contacted to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of a computer training program at Waterford Kamhlaba, a secondary school in Swaziland. Two other secondary schools were selected as controls, and the evaluation of several variables was carried out with each of the schools' Form 1 students: (1) ideational fluency…

A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of simulation for presenting critical teaching problems and the effect of exposure to simulated critical teaching problems on student teachers. The study had three major phases: (1) identification of critical teaching problems, (2) development of a simulated fifth grade situation, and (3)…