Compares the trends of women's and men's world records for the 800-meter run using the linear and power regression capabilities of a graphing calculator. (MDH)

Investigated the relationships between (n=220) students' approaches to studying, prior knowledge, logical thinking, and gender and their performance in a nonmajors' college freshman chemistry course. Found that prior knowledge was the best predictor of achievement, followed by formal reasoning ability. (22 references) (Author/MKR)

Etiology of high and low cognitive ability in adulthood was explored through multiple regression analysis of data from 302 pairs of Swedish twins (median age=65.6 years). Both high and low cognitive ability groups demonstrate significant group heritability, with shared rearing environment of relatively low importance. (SLD)

Two studies (n=228 and n=175) showed that college students more readily solve proportion problems if the items in the problem are relatively distinct from one another. Translation of units of one item into units of another is easier if the items are substantially different. (MDH)

Female incest survivors (n=112) completed several inventories and checklists to measure sexual abuse severity and adult attachment. Analyses indicated that sexual abuse characteristics predicted depression, intrusive thoughts, and memory avoidance. Adult attachment, particularly a lack of secure attachment, predicted memory avoidance, and also…

The extent to which items from the Test of English as a Foreign Language and the First Certificate in English function differently for test-takers of equal ability from different native language and curricular backgrounds was investigated. Results suggest a need for methods like logistic regression to examine nonuniform differential item…

Epistemological beliefs and relationships between belief in simple knowledge and mathematical text comprehension were examined in 2 experiments involving 412 college students. Regression analyses indicate that the less students believe in simple knowledge the better their performance on a mastery test and the more accurate their assessment of…

A test theory using only ordinal assumptions is presented, based on the idea that the test items are a sample from a universe of items. The sum across items of the ordinal relations for a pair of persons on the universe items is analogous to a true score. (SLD)

This study explored how logit, probit, and more traditional linear regression techniques compare in predicting college student retention, using data provided by registrars from a national sample of colleges and universities. Results showed little practical difference among the techniques, despite theoretical advantages offered by the first two.…

Describes a study of 328 British secondary school students that examined their attitudes toward computers in relation to gender, computer-related courses at school, and the availability of a computer at home. Use of the Computer Attitude Scale (CATT) is described, results are analyzed, and practical and theoretical implications for instructional…

Advocates of the use of ecological regression as an indicator of ethnic voting behavior have not demonstrated its validity. The neighborhood model, which assumes that within each precinct Hispanic Americans and non-Hispanic Americans vote alike, is supported as a better way to draw conclusions about voting behavior. (SLD)

A correlational study examined the relationship between test performance and four study processes (encoding, word meaning, organizing, and executive control). Results with 123 college freshmen trained to use study strategies suggest that executive control is related to test performance and that trained subjects select a variety of strategies…

The hypothesis derived from self-verification theory that semester grade point average would be positively related to perceived validity of grade scores among high self-esteem undergraduates and inversely related for low self-esteem students was not supported in a study with 281 undergraduates. (SLD)

Summarizes a study to identify major personal, professional, and organizational characteristics contributing to administrator burnout; to determine salient correlational relationships; and to assess how social support affects job satisfaction, burnout, and performance. The Administrator Work Inventory was given to 1,000 Washington State principals…

Analyzes the findings of J. Greene and data from Florida and suggests that the strong effects (significant improvement on test scores in schools threatened by vouchers) noted by Greene may actually be due in large part to sample selection, regression to the mean, and problems related to the aggregation of test score results. (Author/SLD)