Discusses the problem of determining an adequate sample size for an information retrieval experiment comparing two systems on separate samples of requests. The application of statistical methods to information retrieval experiments is discussed, the Mann-Whitney U Test is used for determining minimum sample sizes, and variables and distributions…

Followed male fine and applied artists over 18 years. Found men in stereotypical fine arts careers more talented, inner-focused, and less materialistic as young adults than peers. By midlife, such fine artists had significantly lower socioeconomic status than applied artists, yet were equally satisfied with their lives. Results suggest that men in…

A study involving 90 learning-disabled (LD) children, ages 9-12, and 94 nonhandicapped children found that LD children were less likely to be popular and more likely to be rejected and neglected. Achievement and Intelligence Quotient were not meaningful predictors of peer status in LD children. (Author/JDD)

Argues that, given a document and a query, users first judge the document against the individual concepts in the query and then use some inferencing process to derive a compound judgment for the entire query. The research examines the relative effectiveness of probabilistic and fuzzy models at predicting users' compound judgments. (23 references)…

Explored relationship between personality and exercise over the life span using young adult personality characteristics to predict current exercise behavior in late middle-aged college graduates (N=156). Found personality variables improved classification accuracy in discriminant analysis, and especially improved identification of frequent…

Investigated the validity of 3 American College Testing-Proficiency Examination Program tests for predicting the academic performance of registered nurses by studying scores of a sample of 2,600 enrolled in baccalaureate nursing programs. Results support the validity of the test scores. (JOW)

Examined relationship of perception of risk regarding the use of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine to use of these substances by college students (N=242). Determined perceptions of risk significantly predicted usage patterns and attitudes toward the use of various drugs. (Author/ABL)

Longitudinal data indicated a significant relation between five-month vagal tone and negative reactivity elicited in the laboratory and maternal ratings of activity level and smiling behavior. Newborn vagal tone predicted maternal ratings of frustration and fear. Moderate stability was found for infant reactivity. (RH)

A study was designed to determine how well selected academic variables predict student performance on the Communication Skills and General Knowledge portions of the National Teachers Examinations (NTE). A strong association was found between the independent variables, Scholastic Aptitude Test-Verbal scores, and required freshman English grade…

Discusses three topics related to interpretation of discriminant analyses (DA's): (1) partial F ratios and partial Wilks's lambdas for predictor variables in standard, step-down, and stepwise DA's; (2) relation of goals of classification to definition/evaluation of classification rules; and (3) significance tests for total hit rates in internal…

Predictors of premature withdrawal from a 12-week program of behavioral conditioning for childhood nocturnal enuresis were examined for 47 children (ages 5-14). The function containing number of previous techniques used, presence of child behavior problems, and parent tolerance of enuresis was a significant predictor of early termination of…

Examined nature and correlates of self-reported relationship quality for husband/wife pairs (N=458) in six types of newlywed couples. Classified couples' according to marital history and presence/absence of stepchildren. Found demographic, marital history, and presence/absence of stepchildren variables weak when compared to individual-differences…

Surveyed undergraduate college students (N=212) near completion of an introductory nutrition course to identify their patterns of food usage, changes in food habits, and previous nutrition background. Found one-half increased use of milk/milk products and one-half decreased fat and sugar. Cluster analysis indicated students could not be…

College students participated in a study to test competing hypotheses derived from Bem's gender schema theory and Spence's gender identity theory. In two samples, sex, self-concept, and spatial activities made significant direct contributions to the prediction of spatial performance, supporting Spence's theory. (RH)

Examines the relationship between the total number of absences from a single community college class in fall 1985 and four measures of academic achievement (i.e., cumulative grade point average, ratio of courses passed to courses attempted, graduation, and course withdrawals) obtained three years later. (DMM)