This study examined factors associated with failure of child abuse victims to attend their first recommended counseling session. Attenders (n=84) differed from nonattenders (n=45) on the basis of race, whether the center to which they were referred was private or public, whether the family had a telephone, and the mother's attitude toward…

Two studies assessed the relation between anxiety and cognitive task performance in 11- to 13-year-old New Zealand children. Contrasting predictions were tested from a cognitive-attentional model and a risk-factor model. Results showed that only the predictions taken from the risk factor model were supported, and only for the girls. (SH)

Five adult males with profound retardation were assessed on a motor task during baseline, satiation, and deprivation conditions, with three classes of consequences: small food items, music, and social praise. Each stimulus class functioned as reinforcement, with different degrees of effectiveness during satiation versus deprivation conditions.…

Investigates document ranking methods in thesaurus-based Boolean information retrieval systems and proposes a new thesaurus-based ranking algorithm called the Extended Relevance algorithm. Performance comparisons are made between the Extended Relevance algorithm and previous thesaurus-based ranking algorithms. (Contains 20 references.) (LRW)

Finds that quality of public speaking students' speech performance correlated positively with cumulative grade point average, total preparation time, time spent preparing a visual aid, number of rehearsals for an audience, time rehearsing silently, time rehearsing out loud, number of rehearsals out loud, research outside the library, and…

Two experiments examined preschoolers' ability to apply multiple labels to representational objects and to people. Found that preschoolers reliably produced or accepted several words per entity and accepted a high percentage of class-inclusive and overlapping word pairs. The mean number of words produced in labeling task was related to receptive…

The six Holland-based Interest Scale scores yielded by the Harrington-O'Shea Career Decision-Making System (CDM) (T. Harrington and A. O'Shea, 1982) were related to sex, race, and performance on the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test for 254 adolescents and young adults. CDM scores did not relate to most of the variables studied, and…

Provides information for constructing two-dimensional performance graphs for students to assess their competencies and to diagnose difficulties in the important area of problem solving. (ASK)

The rates and durations of stereotypic behaviors in four adolescents with severe mental retardation were measured during two daily vocational training sessions and during contiguous periods of leisure in special education classrooms. The major differences in stereotypy between leisure and vocational training were differences in episode length.…

Four experiments and an analysis of pooled data from English and Japanese children show a linear increase in understanding false beliefs with number of older siblings; no such effect for children younger than 38 months; no helpful effect of younger siblings at any age; no effect of siblings' gender; and no helpful effect of siblings on a source…

A study investigated how, when, and under what conditions 60 highly successful adults with dyslexia managed to develop high literacy levels. For both men and women with dyslexia, interest-driven reading was key to the development of high literacy levels. Fascination with a subject area was a common theme. (Author/CR)

Studied differences in pointing accuracy in computer-simulated mazes as a function of maze complexity and training effects. Results with 219 college students indicate that, although pointing accuracy remained higher for men, pointing performance can be modified by experience. (SLD)

Examined relationship between children's ability to infer the veracity of an adult's statement and the adult's informedness. Found that children tended to believe utterances from speakers who were better informed than they themselves were and to disbelieve less well-informed speakers, with no age-related differences. Children gave explicit…

A study of 452 inventors found that inventorship is a form of creativity with definitions and criteria and with quantitative measures, inventors with high rates of inventiveness more often have outstanding achievements, and a majority of inventors exhibit a random pattern of inventivity (rate of production of patents by an individual inventor).…

Aims to determine how a fictitious social position of inferiority or superiority affects cognitive activity. Reports on two studies in which subjects interacted with a partner. Finds that what subjects are told about themselves and their partner helps determine the quantity and quality of what they produce. Proposes theoretical explanations. (DSK)