Rumor discourse has been conceptualized as an attempt to reduce anxiety and uncertainty via a process of social sensemaking. Fourteen rumors transmitted on various Internet discussion groups were observed and content analyzed over the life of each rumor. With this (previously unavailable) more ecologically robust methodology, the intertwined…

The purpose of this study is to provide a microanalysis of differences in adaptive functioning seen between well-matched groups of school-aged children with autism and those diagnosed as having Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, all of whom functioned in the mild to moderate range of intellectual impairment. Findings…

The Basic Interest Scales (BISs) of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII; Harmon, Hansen, Borgen, & Hammer, 1994) have a 35-year history. The BISs are the specific content scales of the SII, as opposed to the SII general content scales, the General Occupational Themes (GOTs), which measure the six Holland (1997) RIASEC themes. Using 17,074…

Individual differences play an essential role in teaching and learning. Students differ in their learning styles which indicate the way they learn. The purpose of this study was to determine pre-service teachers' learning style preferences and investigate whether there was a significant difference between males and females in their learning…

Purpose: This study was designed to test the effectiveness and acceptance of multimedia home safety programming by community-dwelling seniors. Design and Methods: A prototype CD-ROM was produced that required no reading or computer skills because the program included an audio narration of content and directions for operating the program on a…

Objective: The authors investigated the association between psychiatry clerkship timing and pattern of student performance. Student rotation timing preference and specialty choice were explored as potential moderators. Methods: Archival data from six classes of third-year medical students were analyzed. Performance indicators included the National…

In the nursing profession it is necessary for a nurse to engage in continuing education to keep up to date. In Lebanon efforts to establish such continuing education are being made. However, a cross-sectional study conducted on a representative sample of 254 nurses found that 60 per cent attend an insufficient number of continuing education…

Determining gender learning-style preferences is necessary in assuring that principal preparation programmes are inclusive of styles that benefit both males and females. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any gender differences for students in a principal preparation programme on responses to items measuring pedagogy (science…

We assessed whether and how the discourse written for prototype integrated tasks (involving writing in response to print or audio source texts) field tested for the new TOEFL® differs from the discourse written for independent essays (i.e., the TOEFL essay). We selected 216 compositions written for 6 tasks by 36 examinees in a field…

It has been reported that the cultural-historical experiences of ethnic group members can play a role in the literacy beliefs of those members. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence the belief system of the groups' constituents. This study investigated parents' and children's beliefs pertaining to early literacy acquisition as related to the…

This study explores the relationship between social capital and adolescent violent behaviors for a national sample of secondary school students (N = 4,834). Cross-sectional data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to evaluate multivariate models examining the family school and neighborhood correlates of violent…

Holding the premise that the development of expertise is a continuous process, this study concerns expert models and modeling processes associated with a modeling tool called Model-It. Five advanced Ph.D. students in environmental engineering and public health used Model-It to create and test models of water quality. Using "think aloud" technique…

This chapter presents findings from a national research study with a sample of nearly twenty thousand first-year students on how students' experiences and campus programs affect key academic outcomes of the first year. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Students at a midsized public university in the southeast completed the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Inventory at the beginning of their first year, beginning of their sophomore year, and end of their senior year. More involved students reported greater development in moving through autonomy toward interdependence and establishing and…

Special education legislation has placed an increased emphasis on early intervention programs for children at risk for early literacy delays and behavioral disorders. Given this trend, it is important to understand the characteristics of students identified and served in at-risk programs. This study presents the findings from a cluster analysis on…