Depending on age and the demands of the task, people may use different processing strategies in object categorization. Three-year-olds used a wholistic approach with strong effects of object typicality on three categorization tasks. Older children and adults showed differential effects of typicality, suggesting various strategies including…

A four-part taxonomy was used to analyze first-, third-, and fifth-grade children's ability to throw and to anticipate the position of a target. The children's performances were assessed under conditions in which both the thrower and the target were stationary, both were moving, and one was moving and the other stationary. (Authors/PP)

Examined the effects of training high school students (N=56) to accurately label facial affects of happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust, and neutrality. The treatment period extended over three, one-hour group presentations. Found the experimental group significantly improved its ability to accurately label facial affect following…

Presents a taxonomy of influences on decision making in mass media. Illustrates the use of the taxonomy and research strategy in a quantitative analysis of influences on the decision autonomy of reporters. Results indicate that reporters' experience plays the most important role in explaining their story selection/content autonomy. (PD)

For six tests, coefficient delta as an index for internal optimality is computed. Internal optimality is defined as the magnitude of risk of the decision procedure with respect to the true score. Results are compared with an alternative index (coefficient kappa) for assessing the consistency of decisions. (Author/JKS)

Social area analysis (SAA) is defined, and its conceptual roots and principal applications identified. The utility of SAA is assessed by reviewing use of demographic data among several disciplines. Authors review seminal and recent contributions to the field. Ecological fallacies and other problematic facets of SAA are considered. (Author/DWH)

Discusses the scientific and common names of numerous plants and the satisfaction children derive from mastering them. Includes drawings which illustrate the connections between plant structures and their names. (MA)

Software design is still a craft; techniques are based on the way things have been done, not on basic theorems or design principles. Suggests that academic software design needs to be more like a science or technology and that a taxonomy of design solutions or classification method is required. Describes two case studies. (MLW)

To determine whether objective test items could measure cognitive processes more complex than recall of isolated facts, the committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons preparing the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination classified test items into three taxonomic levels according to the cognitive process required to answer the item.…

Proposes that college teachers in most of the academic disciplines teach students to write essays in their given subject matter area. Bloom's "Taxonomy of Educational Objectives" is offered as a guide to organizing instruction and student learning around the demands of well-constructed essay questions. Sample questions and classroom…

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory and Heilbrun Masculinity and Femininity Scales were compared. Correlations between the masculine and feminine scales of both instruments were significant for males but not for females. Misclassification into sex role categories occurred primarily in those categories in which personality characteristics overlap. (MH)

Schuberth and Eimas (EJ 159 939) reported that context and frequency effects added to determine reaction times in a lexical decision (word v nonword) task. The present reexamination shows that context and frequency do interact, with semantic context facilitating the processing of low-frequency words more than high-frequency words. (Author/CP)

Outsourcing library cataloging offers advantages and disadvantages. This article discusses case studies of outsourcing projects at Michigan State University, SUNY Binghamton, Loyola University, Truckee Meadows Community College, and Wright State University. Highlights the retrospective conversion and reclassification of the Mines/Engineering…

These activities explore classification and logical reasoning by providing students with opportunities to generate multiple answers and engage in multiple classifications of the same item. No solutions are suggested so that students will look to themselves as the mathematical authorities. Sample items for classification include birthday months,…

This study characterized individual advocacy performance differences of 3 individuals with developmental disabilities and 21 parents before and after participating in training programs called Partners in Policymaking. A three group taxonomy of advocate development (beginner, involved, and activist) is suggested. (DB)