The overview focuses on the advantages and principles of instruction using learning strategies for students with learning disabilities. It is emphasized that strategies are not to be applied without consideration of the individual, process, or context. (MSE)

Describes seven myths concerning reading-level-match designs, in which individual differences in reading acquisition are compared for groups of different ages matched on some aspect of reading performance. Gives examples from the reading literature to illustrate these myths and to suggest more realistic alternatives. Summarizes relevant…

Examined nature and correlates of self-reported relationship quality for husband/wife pairs (N=458) in six types of newlywed couples. Classified couples' according to marital history and presence/absence of stepchildren. Found demographic, marital history, and presence/absence of stepchildren variables weak when compared to individual-differences…

Assessed cognitive styles of 300 children aged 3-5 years and explored social factors in children's play based on their cognitive style. Field dependent children engaged more often in activities with others and with concrete objects, while field independent children were more involved in restructuring the environment. (RJC)

Examined the relation of control beliefs to individual differences in 63 elderly adults in 1981 and 1986. Over the 5 years, generalized control and intellectual performance did not change, but intellectual control beliefs did. (RJC)

Examined the contributions of 4 individual difference predictors for recall of object names in 93 children of 3 and 4 years. Results suggest that motivational factors contribute directly to young children's recall proficiency and do not mediate strategic study behavior. (RJC)

A reading test and a test assessing the processing of an instructional text were completed by 114 undergraduates. Subjects with higher scores on the reading test noticed more often a conflict between the instructional text and the example provided. They followed the instructional text instead of the example. (TJH)

Examined vocational decision-making style, contextual anxiety, and exploratory activity in 148 undergraduate students. Results suggest that individuals who rely upon thinking-oriented approaches to decisions and who experience stress with regard to the specific tasks of exploration are likely to engage in exploration of environment and, to lesser…

Reared in a hierarchical environment, teachers in Germany have had difficulty working with team structures despite the benefit of increased professional autonomy. The Holweide Gesamitschule in Cologne, a large comprehensive high school begun in 1975, developed a plan to diminish big-school anonymity and emphasize cooperation among children of…

Three issues of concern in language acquisition are discussed: (1) apparent attrition of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) by puberty; (2) observable differences among second-language learners with respect to LAD efficiency; and (3) whether explicit rules of grammar can become part of linguistic competence. (42 references) (Author/MSE)

Findings indicated a significant interaction between activity level and intensity of stimulation in predicting exploratory competence and total exploration among 52 toddlers of 15 months of age who were observed in their homes 6 times over a 4-week period. (RH)

Among 120 fourth and sixth graders, correlations between intelligence scores and agency beliefs for effort decreased with increasing levels of reasoning about effort and ability. Correlations between intelligence scores and agency beliefs for ability increased with increasing levels of reasoning. (RH)

The Minnoka Schools (Illinois) use the Murphy-Meisgeier Children Type Indicator (designed to identify personality types in children) to help instruct youngsters more effectively. Identifying a child's psychological type can aid understanding of how he or she focuses attention, absorbs information, makes decisions, and deals with the world. (MLH)

Investigated variables which influenced viewing of "Sesame Street" by 326 children aged 3 and 5. The most important determinants of individual differences in viewing within age groups were the structure of the family and the family's relation to outside institutions. (RJC)

Conducted higher-order factor analysis of subscale intercorrelations for the School Motivation Analysis Test (SMAT) on Australian sample of 277 year 10 high school students. Results suggest that at least six factors maximally account for common variance in SMAT. Made tentative interpretations of the higher-order factors obtained. (Author/NB)