This review of research on the preschool years asserts that a general behavior analysis of those years is essential not only because of its importance as a developmental stage but also because there is a need to fill the knowledge gap between the principles of animal behavior and the principles of practical applications to childhood problems.…

Noting that junior college institutional research is being affected by two major influences--changing student populations and information demands of state and federal agencies--the author suggests specific questions for research important to college operations and emphasizes the need to reconcile the frequently contradictory internal and external…

Listening is a crucial element in the communication process. To date, however, research efforts have been unsuccessful in identifying the proper role that listening should play in the building of communication theory. To be a legitimate part of the communication process, listening must be placed in a conceptual framework similar to those found in…

Explanations for differences in reading proficiency should be constructed around an atlas of reading-related individual differences in cognition. Such an atlas should include well-documented "bottom-up", text-driven reading strategies and less thoroughly investigated "top-down", schema-driven reading strategies. Research…

One of a series of instructional booklets designed to introduce adult education program planners to the basic concepts integral to and alternative strategies for conducting needs assessments, this instructional booklet deals with determining what information to collect when conducting a needs assessment. Described first is the relationship of the…

A conceptual framework of attention can be organized around three functions of attention: determining how much capacity is to be deployed (attention allocation), for how long (attention maintenance), and to which potential information sources (attention direction). Within this framework, several critical distinctions can be made between processes…

A review of research on Hispanic education reveals a paucity of information and suggests future research needs. Demographic data are available on Hispanic students in elementary, secondary, and higher education but fail to distinguish among different Hispanic subgroups. Existing data indicate increasing segregation of Hispanics in elementary and…

While the field of forensic psychology has emerged as a recognized discipline, psychologists who work within institutional settings frequently feel frustration in dealing with inmates for whom they have had no responsibility or input during the critical pre-trial, trial and sentencing decision-making process. The roles and ways in which psychology…

Supporting the contention that using experimental research designs will facilitate sound decisions about how to teach the composing process, this paper first describes briefly the range of research methods available for investigating the writing process. Next the paper discusses the advantages of conducting experimental research, some of which are…

Intended to provide information on applied research and development (R&D) priorities in vocational education and on the type of R&D required for each need, this report is divided into (1) an introduction to the problem and procedures, (2) a content analysis of selected documents, and (3) background papers for selected need areas. Chapter 1…

The increased interest in reading comprehension by researchers in fields other than reading education is noted in this paper. In addition, the concerns of the new researchers in reading are described, some of the terms they are using are explained, and the implications of their findings for reading instruction are explored. The interests of…

The document synthesizes literature published since 1970 on the family in its social service functions of child care, socialization, care of the elderly or ill, and economic maintenance. The focus is on policy formation in terms of the family's and state's role in providing for dependent children, the view that family and state should work…

Perspectives concerning data collection in postsecondary education management and planning are considered. It is suggested that one of the dangers in data collection operations is collecting data without knowing why. It is argued that unless one knows in advance what is being measured and the purposes of measurement, data should not be collected.…

The influx of an unprecedented number of reentry women into educational programs and paid work requires more research on the transferability of women's competencies and life experiences to specific occupations. A questionnaire was developed to survey the life experiences of adult women (N=131) who were participating in various programs of career…

This monograph contains several commissioned papers which attest to the significance of the family perspective in the understanding, treatment, and prevention of drug abuse. Papers discussing the fundamentals of a conceptual framework for the family perspective are followed by a review of theories of family growth and development, structure,…