Argues that theater students must be encouraged to keep competition in perspective. Points out that too often program growth and support are dependent upon the number of honors that participants receive. Emphasizes that competition should be engaged in for its positive learning potential or should be abandoned as a student activity. (KO)

Perfectionism is a compulsion that creates stress and suffering in children. Parents are given tips on how to help children deal with mistakes, develop judgment skills, and accept themselves. (IAH)

Collected data on 50 Black, 6 Oriental, and 6 White college freshmen participating in summer preparatory program. Data analysis revealed racial differences on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, but not in study habits or confidence in learning ability. Given equal SAT scores upon entering college, racial differences still existed on cumulative…

Techniques and considerations in hiring support staff for student service programs are presented in the form of checklists, with some explanation provided. The hiring process is divided into three phases: (1) preparation, (2) interview, and (3) orientation, training, and evaluation. (MSE)

Discusses the use of political power within an organization to effectively implement training and performance improvement solutions. The nature of organizations is discussed; political strategies dealing with co-workers, bosses, committees, and the red tape of bureaucracies are described; and methods to increase chances of success are suggested.…

Tested on preschoolers a goal-confidence model for older children that predicts achievement behavior during failure. Found that individual differences in achievement goals emerge very early. Children appeared to have developed a mechanism for selecting learning opportunities prior to formal school experience. (AA)

Reviews the evolution of research over the past 25 years on sexual orientation and its effects on human development, concluding that gay and lesbian interests and behavior appear to result from a complex interplay of genetic, prenatal, and environmental influences. Notes that gender identity develops early, especially for males, and is difficult…

A survey of 32 college students of color, faculty, and staff involved in related support groups found that the overall university climate remains unwelcoming despite programs to enhance their experience. It is concluded that there is a need to address the level of underlying belief structures of the university culture. (Author/MSE)

In a study of the construct validity of goal commitment in college student persistence, goal commitment was decomposed into multiple indicators of the same latent construct. Predictive validity of each subcomponent on different outcomes related to persistence was established. Only one factor was found to have a significant direct effect on student…

Analyzes how 1,037 high school students rated work values that were embedded in stories about students' future work life. On average, higher pay and supportive supervisor feedback made a job more attractive--reactions varied by sex and ethnicity. Suggests that work values be included in occupational narratives to help clients explore careers. (RJM)

This article presents three activities that have been used in a preservice teaching assistant orientation that addresses biases, stereotyping, and gender issues. (nine references) (JL)

Psychometric properties of a Goals Inventory developed to measure learning and performance goal orientations were investigated with 187 undergraduates. The instrument was shown to be internally consistent and reliable over time, with a high degree of convergent and divergent validity, well suited for measurement with adults. (SLD)

The concept of student motivation is discussed, with applications for facilitating competence development in special and remedial education. Consideration is given to 4 prerequisites to competence development, historical obstacles to motivational interventions, motivational systems theory (MST), and 17 MST principles for motivating students. (SW)

Learning-oriented physical education students tend to focus on improving skills or mastering the task at hand. Certain teaching behaviors and classroom structures create motivational environments where the importance of goals is conveyed and their adoption facilitated. The article presents guidelines for creating a learning goal orientation in…

Describes current phallometric test practices in relation to criminal justice, and community responses to these cases. Concludes that the available research evidence does not offer clear support for the use of phallometric data in clinical and legal decision-making processes, particularly with respect to men who have not admitted offenses. (RJM)