A theoretical model is proposed for confidence in knowledge based on the assumption that people are good judges of the reliability of their knowledge, provided that the knowledge is representatively sampled from a specified reference class as defined by E. Brunswik (1943). Experiments with 177 college students support the theory. (SLD)

Forty-three adolescents with learning disabilities attending a residential school were assessed for externalizing behavior problems and academic achievement in reading, spelling, and arithmetic. Some indices of externalizing behavior predicted some measures of underachievement, but the reverse relation was not evident. Inattention interfered with…

Analysis of a national study of state-operated institutional care for mentally retarded persons is presented. Among findings are dramatic escalation in resident cost, primarily a result of declining institutional census with stable staffing levels. Econometric projections for the year 2000 are offered. (Author/DB)

Factors in alumni giving to colleges are discussed, some aspects of alumni giving to all higher education are forecast, and for illustration, probable giving to one college (Amherst College, Massachusetts) is predicted. Factors considered include alumni numbers, dollar amounts given, and the link between stock market activities and donations. (MSE)

Examines the use of prediction during the silent reading of short stories with surprise endings. Investigates the effects of instructional setting and content familiarity upon overall reading comprehension, literal comprehension, inferential comprehension, and interest. Finds that both inferential comprehension and interest were negatively…

Offers an alternative to the U.S. Bureau of the Consensus population projection for 2050. Discusses alternative mortality, fertility, and immigration assumptions and projection methods that use a baseline scenario of no further gains against mortality. Description of the U.S. population under alternative scenarios include changes in structure and…

The derivation of the variance of similarity judgments is made from the 3-D process in nonlinear psychophysics. The idea of separability of dimensions in metric space theories of similarity is replaced by one parameter that represents the degree of a form of interdimensional cross-sampling. (SLD)

Results of a study involving 438 college freshmen indicated that academic self-efficacy and personal goals contributed to exam performance. In a second study with the same students, the mean exam performance of participants with high self-efficacy appraisals and strong malleability beliefs was better than that of students with low self-efficacy…

Whether students' verbal and mathematics self-concepts were indeed positively correlated after an external comparison, and negatively correlated after an internal comparison, as predicted by the internal/external frames of reference model (H. Marsh, 1986), was studied with 383 high school students. Results support most of the model predictions.…

Uses Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to predict how much readers would learn from texts based on the estimated conceptual match between their topic knowledge and the text information. Shows a nonmonotonic relationship in which learning was greatest for texts that were neither too easy nor too difficult. Finds LSA was as effective at predicting…

Responds to the article "Students Do Not Overestimate their Life Expectancy: An Alternative Demonstration of Unique Invulnerability" suggesting that students will show optimistic biasing in regard to self-referential information. Discusses a class exercise that focuses on the age of death and is used to see if optimistic biasing occurs.…

Presents an interview with R. Stanley Williams, director of Hewlett-Packard's basic research lab. Williams discusses the limits of silicon computing and the future of the computing industry. (WRM)

Studied the relationships between gender, social class, ethnicity, and school success using data from a large-scale longitudinal database, the Dutch Secondary Education Students Cohort. Results show that school success is not always predicted by expected additive or multiplicative effects of the different background variables. Discusses…

Uses the precise language of science to help teachers develop students' science process skills. Provides critical definitions for the terms observation, inference, prediction, hypothesis, guess, and operational question. By reducing the reliance on guessing, teachers encourage and model the fundamental inquiry skills necessary to do science. (SAH)

Low predictability (ability to identify what events will be happening in the future, when, with whom, for how long, and with what outcomes) may be associated with increased problem behavior among children with disabilities. This paper describes strategies for assessing stability and predictability in a school or community context, and using the…