Discussion of the role of teachers' confidence in using computers in the successful implementation of information technology in education focuses on a study that investigated common factors that could be used as indicators of computing confidence among a group of teachers who work in schools that use computers in their educational programs in…

This longitudinal study tested whether a set of sociocultural, biological, interpersonal, and affective factors predicted increases in body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls. Findings indicated that elevated adiposity, perceived pressure to be thin, thin-ideal internalization, and social support deficits predicted body dissatisfaction increases,…

Examined the relationship between academic performance and various contextual factors for urban, African American high school freshmen. Survey data indicated that gender, peers' church attendance, and percentage of relatives completing high school were significant in predicting positive academic outcomes. Perception of neighborhood deterioration…

Race, gender, and career motivation, their interactions, a self-efficacy measure, and the six Holland codes were examined for relationships with choosing a teaching career. Respondents motivated by either personal satisfaction or former role models were more likely to choose teaching than those motivated by financial reward. Holland's social…

Examined type of service, volume, and mix of services provided to 270 poor and frail elders. Predictors of use and volume of service differed depending on type of service. The most prescribed service combinations included nursing, home health, and homemaker; homemaker only; nursing and home health; nursing and homemaker; and nurse only. (RJM)

A British follow-up study of 25 convicted perpetrators of child abuse compared group and individual treatment outcomes. Results found some evidence for positive change in the group condition in terms of greater honesty in reporting normal and deviant sexual outlets, in addition to the improvement in attitudes toward women. (CR)

Examines the relationships of smoking-related beliefs, attitudes, and smoking status, with a focus on experimental smoking. Survey results of 9,774 respondents suggest that attitude and belief variables can adequately predict smoking stages of adolescents as defined by the stage model of smoking acquisition. Argues that intervention with…

Analyzed 360 university students to see if parentification can predict certain personality characteristics. Results indicated that for both genders, parentification was a significant predictor of masochistic and narcissistic personality, but not of compulsive characteristics. Results support theory that parentification can manifest in two…

Diligence is a significant, meaningful predictor of student competence. This study examines the level of diligence displayed by students from two selected northeastern Ohio school districts and relates student diligence to the level of support provided by parents and educators. There was no distinction in support levels provided by mothers and…

Explores the relationship between the concept of uncertainty in information seeking within a model of the problem-solving process and variables derived from other models, based on longitudinal data collected in the United Sates and the United Kingdom that investigated the processes of mediated information retrieval searching during human…

Examined early home literacy experiences, receptive language and emergent literacy skills, and reading achievement. Found that children's book exposure related to vocabulary development and listening comprehension, and that these skills related directly to grade 3 reading. Parents' literacy teaching related to early literacy skills, which…

Undergraduates (n=195) were asked to work on three creative problem-solving tasks. Beliefs consistent with the nature of the task were found to be those most likely to be related to performance. Belief measures were found to be reasonably powerful predictors of the production of original, high-quality solutions. (Contains references.) (CR)

Describes a study conducted at Athabasca University (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) that investigated the relationship between persistence, life events, external commitments, and resiliency in undergraduate distance education. Used scores from the Resiliency Attitudes Scale (RAS), the Life Events Inventory, and a questionnaire relating to external…

A 2-year study involving 103 kindergarten children tested five predictive models for early reading achievement. Results indicate a predictive model combining letter identification, phonological awareness, and rapid automatized naming was the best predictor of early reading achievement. There was no practical, significant difference between fall…

Examines models of self-efficacy and self-esteem pathways to depression in 405 college students. Both models showed excellent fit to the data. The more parsimonious model indicated that efficacy and esteem variables were related to depressive symptoms indirectly through their relationships to the intermediate adjustment variables of career…