Proposes that construct differentiation moderates the effects of perspective on causal judgments. Finds that construct differentiation was positively associated with intrapersonal variability in ratings of causal judgments across three perspectives and positively associated with actor/observer differences when taking the perspective of message…

This essay considers the discipline of psychology as distinct from history, defining it as a science within philosophy dedicated to the study of the causal structure of the human mind. Although Hugo Munsterburg was considered an important figure in applied psychology, this essay represents an earlier epistemology. (SLD)

Survey data collected from 166 homeless persons in Austin (Texas) identified four clusters distinguished by the size of the individual's social network, the degree of dysfunction, and the length of time homeless. Recommends group-based plans for building better paths out of homelessness. (DM)

Describes a theory of cognition which posits specialized structural systems (SSSs) that enable individuals to represent and understand domains of knowledge. Three test batteries assessed 12-16 year olds' abilities to think combinatorially, form hypotheses, design experiments, and construct models or theories. Suggests that the results of tests…

Studied whether moving average or autoregressive moving average models fit two longitudinal data sets previously thought to possess quasi-simplex structures better than the quasi-simplex, one-factor, or autoregressive models. Results of a Monte Carlo study show the importance of evaluating the fit, propriety, and parsimony of models before one…

Compares two models of attribution to assess counselors' reactions to clients' initial attributional presentations. Results reveal that counselors reacted most positively when they disagreed with the client's internal attribution and most negatively when they disagreed with the client's external attribution. (Contains 22 references.) (GCP)

Compares two approaches for improving instructional text with a sample of eighth grade students (N=64). The first approach emphasized the reduction of the reader's comprehension; the other was oriented toward triggering causal inferences in the reader. Only the second procedure produced benefits on inferential learning, though both procedures had…

Most reading time studies using naturalistic texts yield data sets characterized by a multilevel structure: Sentences (sentence level) are nested within persons (person level). In contrast to analysis of variance and multiple regression techniques, hierarchical linear models take the multilevel structure of reading time data into account. They…

The students in molecular spectroscopy courses are often required to determine the permitted normal vibrations for linear molecules that belong to particular groups. The reducible group representations generated by the use of Cartesian coordinates can be reduced by the use of a simple algebraic process applied to the group representations. The…

Although knowledge-based inferences (Graesser, Singer, & Trabasso, 1994) depend on general knowledge, there may be differences across knowledge areas in how they support these processes. This study explored processing differences between 2 areas of knowledge (physical cause?effect vs. goals and planning) to establish (a) that each would support…

Literature on multivariable causal inference (MCI) and literature on scientific reasoning (SR) have proceeded almost entirely independently, although they in large part address the same phenomena. An effort is made to bring these paradigms into close enough alignment with one another to compare implications of the two lines of work and examine how…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to present a new theoretical framework concerning subjective career development in Japan. The framework consists of three concepts, namely, career "drift," "mist," and "hope". Design/methodology/approach: This paper introduces these concepts, including how they were discovered,…

In this paper we return to an issue often discussed in the literature regarding the relationship between highway expansion and population change. Typically it simply is assumed that this relationship is well established and understood. We argue, following a thorough review of the relevant literature, that the notion that highway expansion leads to…

In 3 experiments, affirmative and hypothetical probes were presented after narrative texts containing conditional arguments. According to the data, readers represented modus ponens deductions as certain, except when it was only a weakly necessary cause of a given effect. They represented any logically invalid inferences resulting from affirming…

In this article, the author presents his views on Michael's (1975) and Baron and Galizio's (2005) arguments on eliminating the distinction between positive and negative reinforcement. He first discusses Michael's concept of these two types of operations and contrasts it with the notions of Baron and Galizio. The author provides the readers his own…