Presents an interview with Susan Lederman that contains a fascinating and informative overview of the recent developments in neuropsychological research concerning the sense of touch. Discusses the physiological processes that support this sensory experience and reveals them to be much more flexible, intricate, and adaptive than previously…

Though research is exploratory, it suggests ways in which individuals' a priori beliefs in available social support might affect their reactions to new information and the mechanisms that could underlie the maintenance of these beliefs in light of that information. Evaluates implications for the stability of perceived support availability. (LSR)

Comparison of 39 high school students in a gifted challenge program and 39 controls found no effect of gender or program for sex-role orientation or global self-concept. However, gifted students and female students were more anxious and gifted students were less satisfied with life than regular program students and males. An undifferentiated…

Examines the decreasing role of hierarchy in society and organizations and describes emerging mental models for the role of people in organizations. Discusses human resources and cost control; learning hierarchy in instructional design; information technology, access, decision making, and communication and collaboration across hierarchical…

Calls for attention to the importance of evaluating quality of child care in light of cultural differences and in the framework of the specific cultural context under evaluation. Proposes that this is of crucial importance because each society maintains its own definition of "ideal care" which relates to its goals and expectations about…

A study investigated whether changing the letter composition of the Denckla and Rudel rapid automatized naming (RAN) task influenced task performance and the RAN word identification skill relationships in 383 first graders. Substituting a letter that was visually similar to other letters had the greatest influence on RAN speed and accuracy…

Discusses early detection of hearing impairment in Japan with particular reference to the system used in Tokushima Prefecture. Suggests that a required screening of all children at 18 months of age resulted in 2 developments: (1) all the hard-of-hearing children were identified; and (2) public health nurses became more alert to hearing impairment…

Discusses the Home Training Program for congenital hearing-impaired infants and their families administered by the Teikyo University Hospital. Suggests that the program is based on the maximum use of residual hearing, early identification of hearing impairment and early intervention, and support for parents. (AA)

This study identified and described the purposes, levels of importance, and self-perceived roles of librarians at Pima Community College (Tucson, Arizona), a large urban multicampus community college. Results suggest that broad strategies aimed at inducing faculty to make student library assignments are not as likely to succeed as strategies…

A survey of 39 business faculty at one university investigated perceptions of their role as lecturer and the purpose of lectures, tutorials, and assessment. Most saw their role as imparting knowledge, supporting students, motivating students, facilitating learning, or some combination, but their expressed attitudes and beliefs about teaching were…

The study assessed eight junior high teachers' thoughts about at-risk students during instruction and assessed students' perceptions and comprehension of instruction. Results suggest that the teachers more frequently monitored and attempted to motivate the 10 at-risk students. Subjects were aware of their class difficulties but less aware of…

This study was designed to: (1) examine modes of representations used by middle school students in a building description task; (2) investigate individual differences in representation mode; and (3) determine the effect of spatial visualization activities on students' preference for mode and success rate. The activities were reported as…

Describes the development of interactive, multimedia courseware based on Josef Alber's book, "Interaction of Color." Alber's ideas and teachings on the perceptions of color are explained, and steps involving computer graphics, hardware, and software that resulted in the use of CD-ROM and videodisc with an Apple Macintosh II are detailed.…

Thirty children, aged 36-83 months, were interviewed to ascertain the extent of their awareness of their orthopedic disability. Parent and teacher interviews determined types and frequencies of discussions about the child's disability. Occurrence of discussions at home, but not at school, was significantly correlated with awareness. (Author/JDD)

Presents perceptions of sixth-grade students, from ethnically diverse New York City schools, of teacher behaviors that they interpret as caring. An ethnographic technique of open-ended written responses indicates that demographic differences exist and show that students' perceptions of caring differ by ethnicity and sex. Implications for further…