Results indicated that, with regard to opinions, a minority of one was less effective than either a minority of two or a minority of one who gained a convert. Evaluations of minorities differed as a function of both size and sex of minority group members. (Subjects were 200 males and females enrolled in an introductory psychology course.)…

A two-step control procedure is demonstrated in which the experimenter first identifies the most appropriate control group for the investigation and then employs multiple covariates to adjust the dependent measure(s) for these sources of error. This procedure is demonstrated in a learning strategy experiment. (GK)

Experts' perceptions of mathematical problem structures were compared with students' perceptions before and after a course on mathematical problem solving. After the course the students perceived problem relatedness more like the experts, indicating that criteria for problem perception shift as a person's knowledge bases become more richly…

Further evidence is given on validity in the conventional and retrospective pretest-posttest designs using self-report measures as outcome criteria. Experimental training in Seeing Problems Strategy was effective in improving task performance. The retrospective self-report approach reflected the change. Subjects initially overestimated their…

Using criterion-referenced test item data collected in an empirical study, differences in item selection between Cox and Vargas' pretest-posttest validity index and a latent trait approach (evaluation of the item information function for the mastery score) are analyzed. (Author/GK)

A course in oncology for freshman medical students at the Medical College of Pennsylvania is discussed. It is thought that appropriate training of medical students appears to lead to more positive attitudes toward cancer, but many of these efforts have been directed to groups at later stages of medical education. (MLW)

Subjects completed a self-paced lesson on math rules in which the number of supporting examples was adapted to pretest scores through program control, selected through learner control, or kept constant (nonadaptive). Program control means were consistently highest while learner control means were lowest. (Author/BW)

Elementary teacher candidates were pretested and posttested with the Graves Design Judgment Test. Of five approaches to analyzing change, only one, a transformation of posttest divided by pretest expressed in percentage, yielded significance. The hypothesis that a sculpture workshop and field experience would result in greater gains was not…

Thanatology students reported significantly lesser death threat and significantly greater death concerns. Trait anxiety was found to be a significant predictor of change in death threat in the Thanatology Group, with lesser anxiety associated with greater decline in death threat. (Author)

Supports arguments against general use of change scores and recommends the Lord/McNemar estimates of true change. Provides a numerical example illustrating the reliability problem and the problem of the prediction of true change from various linear composites of initial and final measures. (Author)

Tests a different design to help isolate elements that contribute to positive self-concept development. There was a significant increase in self-awareness between the pre- and posttests. Diversity of activities of a "doing" and reflective nature are those elements related to self-awareness change. (Author)

True experimental designs are thought to provide internally valid results. In this investigation of the evaluations of five interventions, a source of internal invalidity is identified when self-report measures are used. An alternative approach is presented and implications of the findings for evaluation research are discussed. (JKS)

To assess how early in the development of content materials for a televised course learner review should occur, data were gathered from adult students who reviewed either the script, scratch track audiotape, or rough cut videotape for a course on Japan. (Author/JEG)

Problems in measuring change abound. For many purposes, a pretest score is best treated as any other measure obtained at the time of the pretest. Where appropriate, regression analyses that treat the pretest no differently from other independent variables, and the posttest as the dependent variable avoid many difficulties introduced by gain…

The accuracy of a subject-generated coding system for anonymous questionnaire responses was studied using a collateral, anonymous sticker identification system as a standard. Results with 745 middle school students who took pretests and posttests show the effectiveness of the subject-generated coding system. (SLD)