Eighteen studies on the correlation of home environment and learning were selected, and their results synthesized. The analyses suggest that ability and achievement are more closely linked to the socio-psychological environment and intellectual stimulation in the home than they are to parental socioeconomic status indicators. (Author/BW)

Using a deep-level processing strategy, low test-anxious college students performed significantly better than high test-anxious students in learning a paired-associate word list. Using a superficial-level processing strategy resulted in no significant difference in performance. A cognitive-attentional theory and test anxiety mechanisms are…

Investigates the relative effects of systematic self-monitoring and self-reinforcement on children's academic test performances. Eighty-five fourth-grade children were measured on an experimenter-constructed curriculum of history facts, Spanish/English word pairs, and reading comprehension passages. (RH)

This study investigated the extent to which expectancies and performance of emotionally handicapped children could be altered by success or failure-induced experiences. Students were assigned to either of two experimental conditions. Results indicated that success and failure on a task were influential on subsequent expectancy estimates and…

Investigates the effect of competition on attributions for performance on male (intellectual and spatial) or female (social and design) tasks. Contrary to predictions, males rated themselves as luckier than females in competitive conditions. However, as predicted, females made fewer self-serving attributions for the male than the female task.…

This study examined the joint effects of teachers' expectations about students and vice versa on the performance and attitudes of both participants. Results showed that student performance was a function of the teacher's expectations. (Author/GK)

Sources of misconceptions and learning difficulties were identified by interviewing academically sound A-level students (N=10) who were having difficulties with genetics. Indicates misconceptions were related to nature of concepts used in genetics, such as frequent representation of meiosis by fixed inanimate stage diagrams and to instructional…

Discusses problem-solving styles in environmental management and the specific deficiencies in these styles that might be grouped under the label "tunnel vision," a form of selective attention contributing to inadequate problem-formulation, partial solutions to complex problems, and generation of additional problems. Includes educational…

Evaluates the effects of various maintenance-of-behavior activities as experienced by supervisors of an industrial organization. Includes lists of activities, conclusions, and recommendations. (Author/JOW)

In two experiments, college students wrote preliminary and final drafts of a persuasive document. Elimination of sentence-formation and sequence operations produced corresponding increments in persuasive argument production, with average-ability writers benefiting more than low-ability writers. Comparatively few new arguments were constructed…

Describes a study which explored how sixth grade students' beliefs about their competence, relative to other students, affected rates of participation in small groups. Results confirmed theoretical predictions that information about relative ability in a given skill will generalize to novel situations and is an accurate predictor of performance.…

If human cognitive development advances through a series of broad and general stages, then the child's mind at any developmental point should seem consistent and similar across situations in its maturity level and general style. However, there appear to be factors and conditions that promote homogeneity and heterogeneity in the child's cognitive…

This study investigated the effects of sex and athletic status on reaction latencies and movement time. Four variables were studied: reaction time mean, reaction time consistency, movement time mean, and movement time consistency. (CJ)

The purpose of this research was to examine developmental changes in the knowledge about what variables affect performance on the incidental learning task. Kindergarteners, second graders, fifth graders, and college students indicated on a rating scale how many animals a hypothetical person would remember under easy and difficult levels of each…

Investigated the effects of experimenter status and sex and instructional set on the size of "sexy" and "average" human figure drawings by students. Results showed no effects for experimenter status or sex. "Sexy" drawings were consistently drawn larger than "average" drawings and male figures were drawn…