Using a conformity research methodology, the authors investigated the questions of whether (a) the Asch-type conformity setting produces greater yielding than variant settings where subjects are screened from one another and (b) the nonverbal element of contradictory or inconsistent nonverbal communications significantly alters response to the…

An attempt was made to develop programs to improve eating behaviors, with a secondary emphasis on dressing and toileting skills, in profoundly and severely mentally retarded subjects. The purpose was to modify and improve the eating behaviors of institutionalized individuals and to systematically measure changes in these behaviors. The subjects…

An information feedback system for use in evaluating an educational program is described, and its effectiveness in evaluating the Follow Through program and its use in relation to the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills are discussed. The systems approach to program evaluation consists of objectives clarification, decision making, and program planning. In…

This report analyzes and describes the behavior patterns of U. S. children aged 6 through 11 years in school. Included are teacher's ratings on facets of behavior closely related to the growth and development of these children, including their degree of adjustment, motor activity, peer acceptance, ability and performance, and their health problems…

Presented in this paper is a selection of qualitative indices for four educational innovations (cultural pluralism, individualized instruction, open classroom, and team teaching) prepared by participants of a continuing action lab of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Participants estimated that over 65 percent of the…

Requests for evaluation instruments measuring program quality rather than program content have required the development of new measuring procedures. Two sets of materials are presented in this report--the first to identify objectives and expected outcomes for school programs and persons in the school, and the second to identify the actual climate…

Developed a teacher's rating scale of self-esteem for children. Participants were 231 school children in grades K-7. Used sociometric measures, popularity ranking by teachers, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory to estimate validity. The Self-Esteem Rating Scale for Children (SERSC) included 12 behavioral characteristics rated most…

A rating scale of verbal and nonverbal behaviors in employment interviews was developed and applied to simulated interviews involving former clients of a blind rehabilitation center. Personnel managers who rated the interviews perceived negative behaviors (e.g., rigid, motionless facial expression) as more important than positive behaviors (e.g.,…

A study examined teachers' and parents' ratings of 39 developmentally handicapped (DH) and 9 learning disabled children on the revised Vineland and the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale. Teachers rated children eligible for DH placement more frequently than parents. The adaptive behavior ratings of the two instruments differed significantly. (Author/CB)

Normative data from 1300 (K-6) students and satisfactory psychometric data indicated a revised version (Classroom Adaptive Behavior Checklist) of the AAMD (American Association of Mental Deficiency) Adaptive Behavior Scale was valid in terms of test reliability, concurrent validity with another instrument, and discriminant validity between normal…

Six methods for assessing children's social skills are described and evaluated. They are sociometrics, ratings by others, naturalistic observations, behavioral role plays, behavioral interviews, and self-report measures. Issues of definition, classification, and social validity are examined to provide a context for understanding problems and…

Investigated interrater reliability of the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale-Public School Version in a sample of 31 educable mentally handicapped children who were rated by their parents, special education teacher, classroom teacher, and an independent observer. Results showed ratings of the special education teacher were generally lower. (JAC)

Until recently, the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union appeared to have escaped the worst of the AIDS epidemic. In 1994 there were 30,000 reported HIV infections, but by the end of 1997 the number had climbed to 190,000. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) for explanatory utility among young adults and their use of condoms…

Reports both the development of a scale designed to measure the levels of respect offered by teachers to their students and the results of a study which indicate that it is possible to train raters to employ the scale reliably. (Author/JM)

Examined teacher and mental health professional's ratings of the seriousness of 50 behavior problems and compared results to those of Wickman (1928). Found an increase in the similarity between teachers' and mental health professionals' judgments and between children's and teachers' judgments. (Author/JAC)