Current models of moral functioning such as those of Rest (1983) and Damon and Hart (1988) have maintained that optimal moral development and consistent moral action require the presence of multiple constructs. In order to examine the importance of the presence of multiple variables relevant to moral functioning, structural equation modeling was…

Although filmmaking requires substantial capital investment, it is not known whether cinematic creativity is positively correlated with the size of the film's budget. Therefore, budgetary impact was investigated in a sample of feature films released between 1997 and 2001. Although production costs were positively related to box office success (as…

The daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public school classrooms has been mandated by numerous state legislatures, resulting in much controversy and not a few lawsuits. In one Colorado lawsuit, both sides based their respective cases on the Pledge's purported "educational value" or lack thereof, but neither defined what…

A two-part study investigated the dimensional structure of stereotypes of women. In one sample (n=258), participants sorted traits according to the likelihood that they would co-occur in the same woman. In a separate sample (n=102), participants were given the same traits and were asked to judge the traits' desirability and to judge the moral…

This article examines community-college students' goals within the dominant framing of higher education, in which education serves primarily as preparation for the new economy. Specifically, it explores students' motives for acquiring college credentials and how they apply the principles of utility and efficiency to their pursuit of those…

In this dissertation, I evaluate whether helping students see the value in their coursework contributes to interest and achievement. Part 1 describes two studies that test the effectiveness of an instructional intervention to promote perceptions of utility value and interest--particularly for students with lower competence beliefs--compared to a…

College students are bombarded with technological images in every facet of their education. From simple Powerpoint presentations to live interactive distance learning environments, the world in which the authors are teaching is changing on a daily basis. Colleges and universities have turned to distance learning as one way to provide flexibility…

This paper critiques what it sees as a tendency on the part of certain social researchers to engage in moralistic critiques of middle-class parents, especially in relation to the choices and actions of such parents within educational quasi-markets. It proceeds to a linked critique of the influence within education of certain aspects of the work of…

In the fall of 2000, when a mandatory laptop program was initiated at a Midwest regional university, a faculty research team began a longitudinal study to determine student perceptions of the value of the program. Value was defined as usefulness of the computer, reasonable price for the computer and the quality of the computer. A survey of 1,000…

Radford argues that psychology needs to be of greater value to psychology students, regardless of whether they intend to enter professional practice. He also suggests that psychology should be part of everybody's education, on the basis that human behaviour lies at the heart of the most serious problems facing humanity. This author agrees very…

Based on individual efforts to establish qualitative criteria, perceptions about computer generated art as an art form within the broader range of traditional artistic expression are disjointed. The formalized, heuristic approach taken for this inquiry into the developing aesthetics of computer art consisted of an interactive survey known as the…

Modern behavioral research focuses on the possibility of a direct measurement of value preferences, which are conceived as important causal variables of behavior. A method and procedure for the measurement and representation of human value factors is presented. The thesis was studied that valuation results from an active inquiring agent whose…

Metaphorically, the head and the heart represent different decision-making strategies. The disjunction between these two cultures is both sharp and unnecessary. The conflict between rationality and emotion is much broader than the tension between critical thinking and values analysis, but the assumptions responsible for the mutual awkwardness of…

Author reflects on his association with psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg and his collaboration with Kohlberg in a project funded by the Danforth Foundation for research and development in moral education. (Author/NB)

Focusing on the Holocaust, Smith uses David Wyman's book "The Abandonment of the Jews," to explore the reasons why America delayed its attempts to save Jews from concentration camps. Considering what the current American response would be to the Holocaust, Smith concludes that while there is more sensitivity, there can be no confidence…