Examines predictors of alcohol and marijuana use at school among a sample of high school students (N=208). Results reveal that personal predispositions are more strongly related to substance use at school when students believe they have the opportunity to use alcohol and drugs without getting caught. (Contains 39 references and 5 tables.)…

Examines the academic, behavioral, and social outcomes of a cohort of children and adolescents (N=43) following a traumatic brain injury. Findings reveal that premorbid functions were significant predictors of reading and spelling achievement and adaptive functioning. Discusses implications of results including program development, reintegration…

Medical records of residents of a facility for persons with mental retardation from January 1, 1978, through December 31, 1997, were analyzed to identify incidence of sudden unexpected death for 180 individuals with and 125 without comorbid epilepsy. Eighty deaths were identified, with 55 occurring in those with epilepsy. (Contains 15 references.)…

A study of 28 infants (ages 8-12 months) investigated their ability to drink from a straw. Results indicate 22 percent were not able to drink from a straw, whereas 78 percent were able to do so. Data failed to reveal any significant differences based on gender, age, or ethnicity. (Contains nine references.) (Author/CR)

An eight-semester study of university students indicated that student achievement expectancies were predictors of subsequent academic performance, providing support for the consideration of student achievement expectancies in instructional design. Notes gender differences. (PEN)

Describes a study that investigated the use of natural language questions on Web search engines. Highlights include query languages; differences in search engine syntax; and results of logistic regression and analysis of variance that showed aspects of questions that predicted significantly different performances, including the number of words,…

Evaluated the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in sixth grade students. Student surveys on physical activity behavior and attitudes and measurement of MVPA indicated that the TRA and TPB accounted for only a small percentage of the variance in MVPA. (SM)

Examined smoking behaviors and predictors from fifth through eighth grades by ethnicity, gender, and geographic location. Overall, Hispanic and white adolescents had a similar 30-day smoking prevalence. Predictor variables were powerful across different geographic regions. There were no differences in predictor variables between blacks, whites,…

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of self-efficacy in older adults, with physical activity, age, and sex as the predictor variables. Regression analyses revealed physical activity to be the only statistically significant predictor of self-efficacy. These findings may be of interest to counselors who work with older people.…

Explores the relationship between couples' stable personality variables associated with interpersonal competencies and marital satisfaction with conflict resolution style as the mediating factor. Results indicate strong mediational effects across time. The relationship personality variables correspond closely with conflict resolution styles, which…

This study identified characteristics of girls likely to have positive medical findings for child sexual-abuse. Females who were suspected to be child sexual abuse victims (n=1,456) were medically evaluated. Associations were found between positive findings of trauma and age and a history of sexual contact. A prediction model for suspected victims…

Finnish job seekers (n=559) were followed up after 1 year (n=401) after 84.3% participated in guidance courses, subsidized employment, vocational training, or some combination. Guidance courses enhanced reemployment. None of the interventions increased job-seeking activity. Training temporarily decreased psychological distress. Deteriorating…

This review of the literature on the relationship between domestic violence and adolescent aggression focuses on the added risks to the normative stresses of adolescence when the adolescent's family is characterized by conflict, the role of the family in the child's development of social competence, and warning signs of children affected by…

A study of 57 Australian children (ages 6-7) found that children who experienced a recurrent event were more accurate about details that remained constant across events in comparison with children who experienced the event only once. They also produced more responses to both free recall and to general questions. (CR)

Latina adolescent mothers were videotaped at home interacting with their children and interviewed regarding their social support. Consistent with existing models, mothers who reported greater overall social support were more expressive across three observation tasks and more sensitive during unstructured play; in contrast, specific aspects of…