This paper examines concepts in information-processing theory which are likely to be relevant to development and characterizes the methods and data upon which the concepts are based. Among the concepts examined are those which have slight empirical grounds. Other concepts examined are those which seem to have empirical bases but which are…

A brief review of research on protective factors that allow some individuals to make healthy adaptations despite debilitating circumstances precedes a critical discussion of symposium papers. The discussion is organized around three questions. First, does the search for protective factors demonstrate an important programmatic shift in…

The discourse classification systems used most frequently by reseachers in composition credit A. Bain, J. Moffett, J. Emig, J. Kinneavy, J. Britton, and R. Lloyd-Jones. A majority of the studies that have included discourse types as a major focus of their work were designed to investigate students' syntactic structures. Other studies focused on…

An experiment which varied indications about the possibility of psychological risk and deception in consent information provided to subjects prior to participation in Asch's (1952) line-judgment task is presented. The number of erroneous line-judgments (conformity) made by subjects across five consent treatments and a no-consent control group were…

This paper addresses several issues in quantitative research that educational researchers should examine with more care. While the purposes of experimentation is to determine causality, the study of causal relations is difficult and problematic. Computational and conceptual errors in statistical analysis seem limited only by the creativity of the…

After the terms "qualitative research" and "quantitative research" are defined, this paper considers why it makes sense to integrate these approaches, at least under some circumstances. This discussion necessitates attention to the issue of whether quantitative and qualitative research are inextricably linked to incompatible…

The four papers in these proceedings provide a comprehensive picture of the rationale, methodology, strengths, and limitations of case studies. In "Doing Justice in Evaluation Research," David Hamilton argues that the application of scientific methods to the study of social systems has given us a false illusion of certainty. He offers an…

If the findings of educational research are to be more intuitively appealing, readily understood, and widely accepted, educational researchers should give better attention to the reduction of needless methodological complexity and to the improvement of conceptual clarity. (Editor)

The effects of selective dropout and retesting on the assessment of developmental changes in abilities during adolescence are examined. (ST)

One of the most difficult problems facing scholars interested in conducting empirical research concerning the gratification that audience members seek or receive from the media is measurement of gratification itself. This paper outlines the strategies commonly used by researchers and describes some of the limitations of each. Particular attention…

This paper was presented as part of a symposium attempting to document historical trends in the extent of disruptive behavior in schools and some contemporary responses to the problem. Fragmentary evidence suggests that disobedience and resistance to authority are not new, but incidents have become more serious. Still, few students are either…

This document discusses social survey research in which the need for identification of respondents may bring social research into conflict with the law and social custom. The paper deals with two features of the conflict--the products of such research, and the way in which privacy of the respondent can be assured regardless of the product. The…

Lowenfeld (1945) developed a series of six instruments which could be used to identify perceptual abilities. For this study, the visually oriented person was defined as the objective viewer of the environment, while the haptic person was defined as a person who uses the eyes only when forced to do so and relates to his environment subjectively. He…

Discusses the need for application of research findings. (RC)