Data from the primary caretakers of 20,505 children in the National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Throwaway Children illustrate the influence of parents' own childhood running-away experiences on their children's behavior. The importance of intergenerational transmission factors is illustrated. (SLD)

A modal model of information processing was defined, and nine tasks that could be completed by persons with mental retardation were developed to operationalize the model. Results showed that individual differences in higher mental processes are highly dependent on basic cognitive abilities and can be predicted from them. (Author/JDD)

This article responds to commentaries (EC 604 996-998) on a paper by Douglas Detterman and others (EC 604 995), which developed and tested a modal model, with young adults with and without mental retardation as subjects, to assess basic cognitive abilities in relation to cognitive deficits. (JDD)

Examined client motivation and attrition from counseling among 139 clients. Found that self-efficacy and outcome expectations each explained unique variation in motivation, beyond client and counselor background variables; self-efficacy and motivation each contributed to prediction of client return status after intake interview; and self-efficacy…

Comparison of scores of 166 undergraduates on the Mathematics American College Test, Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, and an outcome expectation scale showed that self-efficacy mediated the effects of past achievement on interest in math. Achievement and self-efficacy predicted math grades; outcome expectation and self-efficacy predicted interest…

This study found a significant relationship between the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) in 63 youth at a psychiatric hospital. A multiple regression equation was derived to provide an estimate of the WISC-III Full Scale Intelligence Quotient using the composites of the K-BIT.…

The article by W. K. Estes marks a turning point in the mathematical learning theory movement. The central constructs were stimulus variability, stimulus sampling, and stimulus response association by contiguity, in a framework enabling prediction of response probability and latency. (SLD)

Methods of testing relatively complete (distributional) models of internal psychological processes are described. It is shown that there is a sufficient condition for additive models to imply this property of the likelihood ratio. Also discussed are the examination of hazard rate functions of component processes and change in cumulative…

Children of the Baka, a preliterate society of Pygmies in southeast Cameroon, were tested for their conception of mind. Several studies conducted in other countries were reviewed. Results provide support for the claim that belief-desire reasoning is universally acquired in childhood. (GLR)

Two experiments tested two, three, and four year olds' ability to understand false beliefs. Results of both experiments support earlier claims that an understanding of false beliefs and deceptive ploys emerges at around age four. Two and three year olds can be led to produce such ploys but show no clear understanding of their effect. (GLR)

Evaluated prognostic validity of clinical and psychometric variables in psychogeriatric inpatients. Divided elderly patients into three outcome groups: nondischarged (n=29), discharged-readmitted (n=38), and discharged-nonreadmitted (n=67). Discriminant analysis of data yielded two predictive functions, which appeared to represent physical status…

This study found that, compared to measuring approach behaviors to a variety of stimuli, a forced-choice stimulus preference assessment used with four young children with severe mental retardation resulted in greater differentiation among stimuli and better predicted which stimuli would result in higher levels of responding when presented…

This study of the choice behavior of 14 adults with severe disabilities in residential programs found that 24 staff members correctly predicted the individuals' choices 78% of the time, when compared to choices made by the individuals themselves. (Author/DB)

Explores the types of responses of urban first graders when asked to predict a narrative ending and to determine whether there were differences in responses from fall to spring. Indicates that first graders are capable of responding with both convergent and divergent predictions at the beginning and end of first grade. (MG)

Examined stories that 264 married couples told about how their relationship developed. Courtship stories were coded on three sets of dimensions: story style, storytelling process, and story content. Found that courtship stories told in first year of marriage followed patterns that explain meaning couple is deriving from becoming a couple and that…