Most observed conflicts were: (1) brief and lacked aggression; (2) resolved without adult intervention by children's insistence; (3) resulted in winner/loser outcomes; (4) concluded with children remaining together after the conflict. Social interaction before conflicts was unrelated to conflict behaviors other than aggression. (RH)

Comments on McShane and Plas' study relating Indian children's academic achievement gains to scores on psycholinguistic and intelligence tests. Questions the applicability of the instruments used, and points out problems related to multiple regression techniques, collinearity of predictor variables, and use of achievement gain scores. Contains 15…

Argues that the complex human behavior studied by educational researchers is by its nature unpredictable if not indeterminate. Concludes that research should focus on descriptions and interpretations of educational phenomena and not on the prediction and control of educational outcomes. (FMW)

Discussion of task motivation focuses on study that investigated the choice behavior of college students within a computer problem solving task as they controlled and selected problem difficulty levels which maximized either intrinsic interest or extrinsic reward. Sex differences are examined, and treatment for experimental and control groups is…

Proposes a causal model whereby attitude toward welfare state programs is a function of self-interest or life experiences and of the resulting identification with either the work ethic or the social equality ideology. Uses data from the 1983 Detroit Area Study to confirm the model. Contains 66 references. (SV)

This study examines the contribution of assessments of interpersonal behavior to the prediction of initial teacher success. Findings indicate that the widely used predictor of cognitive ability has limited predictive power. Evaluations of interpersonal skills, including oral intelligence, significantly contribute to the prediction of success in…

Examined whether a significant difference exists between variable of ethnicity and scores attained on a minimum competency test using high school juniors as subjects (N=2,681). Found ethnicity influenced competency scores; reading scores were influenced by sex; and ethnicity and sex negatively affected whether student passed or failed competency…

Examines factors related to computer anxiety measured by the Computer Anxiety Index (CAIN). Achievement in two programing courses was inversely related to computer anxiety. Students who had a home computer and had computer experience before high school had lower computer anxiety than those who had not. Lists 14 references. (YP)

Predictors of 4 indices of well-being (physical health, life satisfaction, burden, and parenting stress) were examined among 203 aging mothers of mentally retarded adults living at home. Predictive variables examined include maternal characteristics, retarded adult's characteristics, family social climate, mother's social support network, and…

Describes study that was conducted at Bar-Ilan University (Israel) to examine the influence of previous experience on the computer activity of first-year university students. The average computer activity for high-experience and low-experience groups is analyzed, and implications for beginning computer courses are discussed. (10 references) (LRW)

Assessed the relation between behavior problem ratings and family relationship quality among 29 mothers and their 4-year-old children. Findings suggest that the absence of positive parental behaviors is as important as the presence of negative behaviors in behavior problem development. (RH)

Reports a study that examined the influence of authoritarianism on the formation of behavioral intentions by female college students. High authoritarians took subjective norms less into account relative to low authoritarians, providing support for the theory that personal and subjective norms can be distinguished empirically. (LS)

The impact of participation rate and nine educational/demographic variables on state mean Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores for the class of 1985 was studied. It is misleading to compare scores on standardized tests without considering proportions of potential examinees taking the test, and the SAT needs to be renormed. (SLD)

Analysis of use of high school grade point averages (GPAs) based only on academic course grades, not on all courses taken, as predictors of freshman academic success found that while academic GPAs reflect background variables promoting success more precisely, they do not predict success significantly better statistically. (MSE)

Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test results from Spring 1984 through Fall 1986 were analyzed for 14,768 males and 16,574 females with regard to gender differences at the item level. For four of the six subtests, differences were related to item subject content; this was untrue for the two quantitative subtests. (SLD)