The author cautions against the widespread overuse of tests which could lead to typecasting and limiting students rather than teaching them. He lists both effective and ineffective uses of tests. (KC)

Argues for reversing emphasis on uses and gratifications research in favor of an expectancy model which holds that selection of a particular medium depends on (1) the expectation that the choice will be followed by a message of interest and (2) the importance of that message in satisfying user's values. (PD)

Advances an expectancy model which holds that exposure to media is more likely if gratifications as a result of this exposure are both highly expected and highly valued. (PD)

A self-assessment survey instrument was developed to detect abuse of both alcohol and other drugs in patients using a large urban medical center. A high degree of patient acceptance is documented, contrary to expectations of many physicians. The instrument as an adjunct to the usual medical history is proposed. (Author)

In addition to raising operating funds, user fees can alter types of park users and activities. A study was done in which the establishment of a dollar per car entrance fee was shown to have positive financial as well as environmental effects for a city-owned recreational park. (JN)

This article is based on a series of reviews on the supply of, and demand for, social science documents and data in the United Kingdom. Findings indicate that social scientists in the United Kingdom make relatively little use of library tools and information services. (Author/DB)

Compares television use among older adults in contexts of interpersonal communication, social interaction, and psychological confinement and nonconfinement. Findings indicate that environmental context is more influential than chronological age in determining viewing motivations, program preferences, and viewing behaviors. (Author/MER)

Two of a series of working papers published by the Working Party of the Association of University Teachers of Psychiatry are presented: one concerns the uses of television in undergraduate teaching of psychiatry; the other deals with ethical aspects of the use of television in psychiatry. (Author/CMV)

A survey of U.S. pediatric training programs to determine the role of rules in the hospital admission of pediatric patients is reported. The results support the hypothesis that rules are a widely used teaching tool. The rules relate to such factors as fevers, age, specific diseases, administrative concerns, head traumas, and poisonings. (JMD)

Describes a series of studies conducted to determine how ERIC online searchers were using free and controlled vocabulary in their search statements and to understand relevance implications of the resultant differences. (SW)

Studied the use of mental health services by enrolled populations, in order to establish a model or predictor of utilization. Primary focus of utilization data has been patient characteristics; organizational variables, such as plan design and benefit packages, are also shown to affect utilization. (LAB)

A study of rural Indian villages was undertaken to determine the availability of agricultural publications and the extent of use by farmers. Low utilization was related to illiteracy, inaccessibility of villages, and lack of government and university extension activity. Recommendations included increasing the publication and distribution of farm…

A study of patron use of the University of Illinois online circulation system (LCS) found that 56 percent of original known item searches and 86 percent of location searches were successful, and that graduate students use the system very differently from the way undergraduates use it. (FM)

Examines notion of algorithms and describes variety of roles they take in educational endeavors. Problems in their development and application are explored, and implications for future use and research are presented. References are included. (BK)

A study on the use and effectiveness of marketing in postsecondary admissions is discussed. The study shows that only 8 of 16 marketing techniques were used by more than half of the respondents. The broader scheme of marketing is seen as not having been put to use fully by admissions officers. (MLW)