Reports research using oral examiner verbal reports that attempts to gain insights into the rating process in the Cambridge First Certificate in English Speaking Test. Raters' verbal reports of the decision-making process were analyzed and heeded aspects of the test performances were identified, with a view to better understanding how test scores…

Sought to determine whether two low-rising intonation contours should be accepted as distinct patterns in American English, alongside three other widely accepted contours. Dialogues varying only in their intonation contour were presented in a random order to 47 speakers of Midwestern American English. Subjects interpreted the meaning of the…

Examines NP-type nouns, nominals that alternate between count noun and noun phrase constructions with resulting changes in their semantic interpretation. (Author/VWL)

This study focuses on the question of whether structural analyses of verb-arguments are postponed until the head has been processed or initiated prior to the appearance of the verb. To explore this question in relation to a head-final language, a Japanese dative argument attachment ambiguity was examined in both a questionnaire study and a…

This interview focuses on usability testing, one method for evaluating whether library Web sites are useful for users. Discussion includes: benefits and drawbacks of usability testing; why it is important; lessons learned from testing; advice for someone interested in doing a study; and recommendations. (AEF)

Analysis of literature on oral assessment in college instruction identified six dimensions: primary content type; interaction between examiner and learner; authenticity of assessment task; structure of assessment task; examiner; and orality (extent to which knowledge is tested orally). These help in understanding the nature of oral assessment and…

Argues that a growing awareness of the fundamentally social character of language assessment challenges a rethinking of priorities and responsibilities in language testing research. This awareness is the result of the treatment of the social character of educational assessment in Messick's (1989) work on validity and by actual changes triggered by…

Examines language assessment from a critical perspective. Argues that alternative assessment, as distinct from testing, offers a partial response to the challenges presented by a critical perspective on language assessment. Critical language testing is discussed as an adequate response to the critical challenge. Suggests that important ethical…

The authors assessed factors that motivate individuals to report negative human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody test results, although they had never been tested. In particular, they investigated sexual intimacy motives associated with the needs for affiliation, sex, and dominance as contributing factors for faulty disclosures. Participants…

Objective: To describe an innovative treatment for adolescent marijuana abuse and provide initial information about its feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy. Method: Provided an intervention composed of (1) a clinic-administered, abstinence-based incentive program; (2) parent-directed contingency management targeting substance use…

The motor control of 49 unmedicated boys clinically diagnosed with ADHD, case-matched with 49 non-ADHD boys, was assessed while playing Crash Bandicoot I, a SonyTM Playstation platform computer video game. In Crash Bandicoot participants control the movements of a small-animated figure through a hazardous jungle environment. Operationally defined…

More special education students are being excluded from federal accountability provisions, driving up the number of public schools able to make adequate yearly progress and raising questions about the pledge to "leave no child behind." To make adequate progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, public schools and districts need…

In 3 experiments, the author investigated 16- to 20-month-old infants' attention to dynamic and static parts in learning about self-propelled objects. In Experiment 1, infants were habituated to simple noncausal events in which a geometric figure with a single moving part started to move without physical contact from an identical geometric figure…

Studies investigating the possible effects of age at immigration (a proxy for age at onset of second language learning) on second language acquisition among immigrants often explicitly take the effect of length of residence in the destination country (a measure of exposure to opportunities to learn the second language) into account. A third…

The field of genetics and the process of testing for genetic disorders have advanced considerably over the past half century, ushering in significant improvements in certain areas of medical diagnosis and disease prediction. However, genetic discoveries are accompanied by many social, emotional, and psychological implications, and counseling…