A study investigated the role of speed of processing, rapid naming, and phonological awareness in reading achievement of 279 third-graders. Poor readers were proportionally slower than good readers across response time measures and on the rapid object-naming task. Processing speed, IQ, and phonological awareness explained variance in reading…

Examined whether inclusive practice--involving parental involvement in foster children's (12- and 13-year-olds) lives while in traditional family foster care--was correlated with more frequent visiting and a greater likelihood of reunification. Found that mothers who visited their child and were involved in case reviews and child care activities…

Examines the differential effects of parent, teacher, and peer social support on depression and self-esteem of 217 adolescents. Results indicate that female adolescents perceived significantly more support from friends than male adolescents did, whereas male adolescents perceived significantly more support from fathers. Self-esteem was…

A study that investigated how use of community facilities and feelings of belonging were related to the quality of life of 132 Australian adolescents, half with mental retardation. Life satisfaction scores for students with mental retardation correlated significantly with reported levels of activity, friends, and support in the neighborhood.…

High School and Beyond Study (1983) data were used to examine the relationships between values emphasizing responsibility and achievement test scores, grades, discipline problems, and dropout status of high school students. The mediating effects of activities outside school were considered in forming two models of the effects of values. (SLD)

As part of a family cardiovascular health promotion project, 111 Mexican-American and 95 Anglo-American families with fifth or sixth grade children were assigned to either a primary prevention program involving 18 sessions or to a control condition. Correlates of attendance were low baseline scores on physical activity and cardiovascular fitness…

Examined reliability and validity of Perceived Quality of Academic Life (PQAL) instrument with data collected from 218 midwestern commuter college students. Extended existing research by studying PQAL scores as predictors of intent to remain in college. Findings showed that the PQAL was reliable, valid, and predictive of future intent to obtain a…

Investigated sex-related teacher and student differences, and expectancy efforts, in an experimental teaching situation with Asian and White college students (N=96) taught by 12 teachers, all of whom possessed elementary teaching experience. Found sex of teacher, sex of student, and race of student were related to student performance. (Author/ABL)

Administered predictor battery of cognitive ability, perceptual-psychomotor ability, temperament/personality, interest, and job outcome preference measures to enlisted soldiers in nine Army jobs. Cognitive and perceptual-psychomotor scores provided best prediction of job-specific and general task proficiency. Findings suggest that Army can improve…

The development of suicidal thoughts in children was studied, using life history data from 364 undergraduates. Results suggest that: many children and adolescents contemplate suicide, and those at increased risk of suicidal thought are also at increased risk of suicide. Examining suicidal ideation in non-clinical samples is discussed. (SLD)

Administered questionnaire to 250 Israeli army personnel to examine 17 variables as potential predictors of organizational commitment. Found 8 variables to be relevant: interesting work, co-workers' attitudes toward the organization, organizational dependency, age, education, employment alternatives, attitudes of family and friends, and importance…

Describes a study which used scales based on Rotter's social learning theories to predict absenteeism among community college students. Only two variables were significantly related to avoidable absences: high concern for grades was related to high absenteeism and belief in the importance of attendance for learning was related to low absenteeism.…

Using data from the Jyvaskyla (Finland) Longitudinal Study of Social Development, teachers' abilities to estimate 326 students' (155 females and 171 males) career resources were assessed. Peer estimation of social skills and teacher assessment of academic achievement were found to be correlated with teachers' predictions of career success. (TJH)

Reviews scientific and professional trends in the field of health psychology. Discusses recent research on health promotion, psychological factors in the development of illness, cognitive representations of health and illness, stress and coping, social support, interventions to promote coping, and trends that will affect progress in the field.…

Examined the possibility that individuals may confound measures of temperament and behavior problems because of the conceptual overlap between the measures. The psychologists involved in the study considered temperament items to be better measures of temperament than of behavior problems. (Author/BB)