Develops a conceptual and analytic framework for rural sociologists to document program results and consequences and to aid policy and program decisions. Addresses program/policy evaluation from perspectives of structural analysis, control programming, and simulation. Emphasizes dynamic, nonrecursive nature of evaluation processes. (LFL)

Documents 168 children's perceptions of their involvement with self-development, family members, and members of the community and tests the relation between that network and aspects of social-emotional functioning during middle childhood. (HOD)

Describes a study of the interrelationships among three tests (a standardized English-as-a-second-language test, a cloze test, and a written composition test) which sought to determine whether adding the cloze test to the ESL test would improve the predictability of students' communicative proficiency, as reflected in their writing test…

This study investigated a causal model of second language learning, in particular, three situation-specific constructs: language class discomfort, language class risktaking, and language class sociability. Findings indicate that discomfort negatively predicted risktaking and sociability, risktaking positively predicted participation, and…

Describes a study conducted with undergraduate psychology students to determine if the relationship between expectancy measured shortly before an examination and subsequent achievement can be accounted for by the possible common antecedents of previous achievement, past effort expenditure, and perceived ability. (MBR)

Interviews with 50 low income family members who used two health care providers--Kaiser Health Maintenance Organization and La Clinica de La Raza--were used to study how cost, need, access, services, and culture affected choice of provider. Cultural affinity seemed to influence decisions to use and pay for La Clinica's services. (JHZ)

Presents two studies which surveyed college students (N=304 and 448) to examine the impact of living environment on academic performance. Contrary to previous research, students living off-campus reported higher grade point averages than on-campus students. Advantages and disadvantages of specific living arrangements are discussed. (JAC)

Rated the adjustment of 129 newly mainstreamed learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and mildly developmentally disabled pupils. While the teachers were, in general, very satisfied with the pupils' progress in both academic and behavioral areas, satisfaction declined after grade six. IQ data did not predict satisfactory adjustment. (JAC)

University students representing two levels of teaching experience were compared while interacting with one of two child conferates displaying distractible behavior. Each adult completed the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey. Results suggested that experienced teachers took a more "task oriented" approach providing more instruction…

Used the National Longitudinal Survey of the Labor Market Experiences of Young Women to examine the work history of 533 women. Findings indicated that employment expectations significantly increased the length of women's employment. Marital and fertility variables differed considerably for those who planned employment for midlife. (JAC)

An attempt to assess the validity of the personal interview in the selection of residents for the program in internal medicine at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, is reported. The data suggest that the residency interview may be of greater value to applicants than to selection committees. (Author/MLW)

Data were collected on mathematics achievement, spatial visualization ability, student attitudes, sex, parent attitudes, and student career interests of 1982 seventh- and eighth-grade students from 13 midwestern junior high schools. Parent attitudes and student career interests were significant predictors of mathematics achievement over and above…

A number of measures were examined as predictors of graduate students' achievement in inferential statistics courses. The most important predictor variable set was attitudes toward feminist issues. Other predictors included mathematics attitude and masculinity-femininity. Sex-related differences were found on all variables except verbal and…

This study examined the influence of processing strategies, and the metacomponents that determine when to apply them, on the construct validity of a verbal reasoning test. A rule-oriented strategy, an association strategy, and a partial rule strategy were examined. All three strategies contributed to individual differences in verbal reasoning.…

Data from a longitudinal study are used to examine the role of education as a determinant of labor market entrance in Chile during the 1970s. Finds that the more powerful predictors of occupational attainment were educational variables rather than family social status, and educational quality variables rather than educational attainment or…