Examines whether there is a significant difference between the achievement test scores of students who entered first grade as five year olds and those who entered as six year olds. Subjects were selected from Grades 1, 4, and 8. (MP)

One of the most neglected aspects of group counseling and group psychotherapy research involves an investigation of the nature and development of the group members' interpersonal perceptions during the life of the group. In this study, an individual differences multidimensional scaling (INDSCAL) approach was used to study this question. (Author)

The interaction between one teacher and two severely subnormal children was observed. The teacher was sensitive to differences between the children and varied certain aspects of her teaching. However, these variations appeared to be a function of relatively static models of the children, not modified to particular tasks. (Author/SJL)

A typology of teacher personality based on orientation toward classroom processes, locus of control, and belief systems can be used in individualizing teacher training. (Editor)

Two extreme, mutually exclusive logic patterns are considered--"creative" and "constructive." It is proposed that most individuals display intermediate traits of the two modes, and that an understanding of these qualities can further the concept that individuals learn differently and have different instructional needs. (RW)

The author proposes that Guilford's structure-of-intellect model be used as a starting point for researchers studying the interaction of instructional media attributes with individual differences in cognitive variables. (BD)

Military offenders' (N=69) attitudes towards drugs, knowledge about drugs, and reported drug abuse histories were analyzed. Results indicated a significantly positive relationship between all three variables. Military offenders who had drug use histories also had more liberal attitudes toward drug use and a greater degree of knowledge about drugs.…

Examined 245 third- through sixth-graders' relational aggression, overt aggression, prosocial behavior, and social adjustment at three points during the academic year. Found that individual differences in relational aggression were relatively stable over time, and that relational aggression and prosocial behavior contributed to the prediction of…

Educational researchers and policymakers need to understand the ecological correlation fallacy, since so much bad research (and policy) has been based on it. Aggregate data may or may not yield results that are true for individuals. Only individual-level data can correctly answer questions about the relationship between variables for individuals.…

Investigated to what extent imaginary companions are created in the diaries of adolescents. Content analysis of questionnaire responses by participants, ages 12 to 17 years (N=241), indicate that the imaginary companion was similar to the writer in many aspects. Results show that the imaginary companion was not the result of an egocentric…

Studied how preacademic students acquired revision strategies based upon their individual cognitive abilities. Revision Cuing Devices, teacher intervention and student reaction, peer support and collaboration, think-aloud protocols, and holistic assessments were used to develop individual strategies. Eventually revision support faded without signs…

Compared tendencies of adults and rhesus monkeys to escape adaptively when uncertain. In a visual discrimination task using a threshold paradigm, humans and monkeys escaped trials in which they were uncertain of the stimulus. In a similar task with constant stimuli, some humans escaped adaptively, but one escaped infrequently and non-optimally,…

Examines the common and distinct contributions of context-free and context reading skill to reading comprehension and the contributions of context-free reading skill and reading comprehension to context fluency. Results support the conclusion that word level processes contribute relatively more to fluency at lower levels while comprehension…

This retrospective study presents a comparison of assessment results achieved by distance learning students undertaking the same module in a degree course to compare the quality of distance education versus conventional instruction in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Identifies educational, cultural, and personal factors to explain higher scores…

Describes the Planning Pyramid, a framework to help regular and special education teachers cover required curriculum while modifying learning requirements to meet individual differences. The pyramid's base represents "what all students will learn," the middle portion "what most students will learn," and the top portion "what some students will…