A study examined the effects of manipulating the representation and organizational features of mathematical problems on students' abilities to solve them. Subjects for the study were 238 high school students who had demonstrated ability in computing percentages in a nonproblem solving format. The data analyzed in the study were student responses…

A series of six experiments was conducted to increase understanding of human performance on diagnostic tasks, and in the process to investigate the feasibility of using context-free computer-based simulations to train troubleshooting skills. Three simulated diagnostic tasks were developed: a simple context-free task, a complex context-free task,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of different tasks on behavior in mother-child interactions. Five tasks, varying in degree of structure and difficulty, were used in mothers' interactions with their children at 24 and 36 months of age. Subjects were Mexican-American mothers and their children. All were participants in an…

The Department of Defense directed that the military services move toward the use of a common aptitude battery for satisfaction of their personnel selection requirements. The content of existing service classifications were studied during the initial phase of battery redesign. Elements from the Army Classification Inventory, the Navy Vocational…

This document contains one of two assessment tools developed by Project Proud Option, which developed and field-tested a set of student- and job-assessment instruments that provide a strategy for determining (1) the vocational skills required on a particular job; (2) the functional skill levels of a particular student; (3) a process to determine…

Undergraduate students using an imagery mnemonic mediating technique involving "keywords" to learn definitions of thirty unfamiliar words performed better on a 1-week delayed comprehension test, on at least half of the definitions, than those who read and copied definitions. Mnemonic mediating strategies worked better than nonmediating strategies…

A method for establishing minimal acceptable performance levels for criterion referenced multiple choice examinations is described and two procedures for evaluating its validity are discussed. The method involves assigning a priori item difficulties based on the similarity between the distractor and the correct response. In estimating the validity…

This study investigates the effect of mode of expression on the syntactic complexity of writing produced by third-grade children. Approximately 200 samples of writing in the modes of argumentation, exposition, narration, and description were collected from 50 third graders in the Atlanta school district. Syntactic complexity, as measured by length…

These two papers concentrate on criteria for judging nonprofessional jobs or new careers for the poor, steps in developing a career advancement plan, and the systems approach to manpower development in the human services. Attention is given to the need for meaningful and challenging assignments, flexibility in recruitment and program planning,…

The problems of teaching poetry in the elementary classroom are (1) the choice of poems and (2) the way in which the teacher presents the poems. Becuase good poetry can encourage the child's imagination, a teacher should avoid the mediocre "children's poems" generally found in textbooks and should present students with worthwhile poems from other…

In this study, a systems methodology was devised for determing knowledge and skills common to piloting tasks required by differing aircraft missions to form a data base for developing a task oriented flight training program. The general approach was to identify and classify specific tasks performed by Air Force pilots, with the required level of…

Nine studies are summarized which investigated the relation between attributes of performance as perceived by the subject and corresponding objective measurements. The attributes studied were: (1) intellectual activity perceived to be involved when dealing with a task (Studies 1 and 2), and (2) perceived difficulty (Studies 4 to 9). Study 3…

The study of human learning has neglected interpersonal learning, mainly because of its complexity. However, with the recent development of a new methodology and research paradigm, empirical studies have been initiated. This is a report on one such study, involving 40 male University of Oregon students divided into two groups of 10 pairs of…

In this study comprehension of sentences describing two events occurring simultaneously or in sequence was assessed in 5-, 7- and 9-year-old children. The sentences were at three different levels of linguistic complexity, differing only in whether simultaneity or sequentiality was described. Subjects were kindergarten, second, and fourth grade…

Scores on the Role Construct Repertory Test exhibited significant correlations with other forms of cognitive functioning, including American College Test scores in science and mathematics for a group of 79 college students. The Grid Form of the test was used. Test-retest reliability was low. (Author/CTM)