This study investigated the prediction of the self-reported occurrence of 14 violent events among ethnically diverse eighth graders from psychosocial variables measured in the same youths in seventh grade (tobacco and alcohol use, and demographic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal variables). Data analysis provided support for an extension of…

Analyzes survey data from over 400 junior high school students in grades 7 and 8 to determine the relations among family drug use factors; peer drug use factors; school problems; psychosocial concerns; alcohol, marijuana, and other drug use; and abstinence. (SLD)

Two experiments with 172 undergraduate students (70 males and 102 females) examined the relationship among spatial, imagery, and verbal ability and the multitrial free recall of brief prose passages. Results suggest that the psychological mechanisms underlying prose learning performance clearly differ depending on the ability being examined. (SLD)

An experiment in which 90 undergraduate students were tested on simple and complex versions of a word-span task with high and low frequency words suggests that both word knowledge and a content-free working memory play causal roles in the relationship between word span and higher level cognitive tasks. (SLD)

No differences are found in scientific hypothesis formulation ability of 36 male and 50 female gifted ninth graders, but investigation of related variables indicates that hypothesis formulation may be independent of intelligence for high-ability students. A positive relationship also exists between quality and quantity of student responses. (SLD)

A study involving 102 high school students (49 males and 53 females) from Taiwan revealed that the order of response scale labels had a primacy effect on subjects' choices of the alternatives in Likert-type attitude scales. Practical implications of the response-order effects for measurement are discussed. (SLD)

Profiles state community college systems in terms of type of governing board, percentage of state versus local funding, number of institutions, and years in existence. Examines relationship of these traits to degree of centralization of governance structures. Finds systems with more than 50% state funding tending toward centralized governance…

Addresses three issues concerning the assessment of the overrating and underrating of academic competence: (1) the impossibility of separating effects of overrating and underrating from effects of perceived and actual competence; (2) the questionable validity of Connell and Ilardi's method; and (3) the proposal of a new method and its implications…

Examines how an open classroom climate relates to effective global education. Looks at gender and race differences, and identifies attributes of open classrooms. Administers questionnaires to 202 students enrolled in an international studies program. Finds a moderate positive correlation between classroom climate and student political attitudes.…

Describes a quantitative study that examined the effectiveness of interactive video (IV) instruction by using a meta-analytic research review of the literature from 1978 to the present. Effect size as a function of study variables is examined, and test of homogeneity on effect sizes is discussed. (25 references) (LRW)

Number-correct scoring was compared to empirical option weighting for estimating domain scores and making pass/fail decisions that are typical of certification, licensing, competency, and proficiency testing. The usefulness of the option-total correlation option-weighting method was illustrated with a sample of 1,000 high school students. (SLD)

Extensions of the confirmatory factor analysis approach to multitrait-multimethod data are demonstrated, and self-other agreement on multiple dimensions of self-concept are evaluated in 2 studies investigating the ability of significant others to infer multiple dimensions of self-concept for 151 Australian and 941 Canadian college students. (SLD)

Figural response (FR) items in architecture were compared with multiple-choice (MC) counterparts for their ability to predict architectural problem-solving proficiency of 33 practicing architects, 34 architecture interns, and 53 architecture students. Although both FR and MC predicted verbal design problem solving, only FR scores predicted…

Groups of early adolescents (European Americans, Chinese Americans, Chinese from Taiwan, Chinese from Beijing) completed questionnaires about their involvement in misconduct and about family and peer characteristics. Mothers completed questionnaire about their relationships with their adolescents. Groups reported significantly different mean…

Studied the relationship between modified oral input and the acquisition of word meanings by Japanese high school students. Results include a strong relationship between comprehension and word meaning acquisition was only evident in a test replicating learning format; and rate of word acquisition was faster with the premodified input. (54…