A Markov chain is used to model the movement of undergraduates through the higher education system in Australia. Given the student's age on commencing a course of study, the model provides estimates of the probability of course completion, mean time for completion, and mean time spent in the higher education system. (Author/MSE)

Examined television viewing over three years among two cohorts of 2- and 4-year olds. Found that viewing declined with age. With age, time in reading and educational activities increased on weekdays but declined on weekends, and sex differences in time-use patterns increased. Increased time in educational activities, social interaction, and video…

Examined predictors of nonmarital motherhood between eighth and twelfth grade in nationally representative sample. Found that risk for early motherhood was predicted by low individual educational performance measures, being held back in school, and repeatedly changing schools. Lower risk was associated with substantial involvement in school clubs…

Examined young children's social development of effortful control in a longitudinal study. Found that between 22 and 33 months, effortful control improved considerably, its coherence increased, it was stable, and it was higher for girls. Found that children's focused attention at 9 months, mothers' responsiveness at 22 months, and mothers'…

Analysis of National Postsecondary Student Aid Study data for 11,000 students in loan programs at 1,400 institutions found borrowers with similar earned degrees, marital status, number of dependent children, showed similar levels of income/loan default, regardless of racial/ethnic group. Findings dispute national policy and suggest that campuses…

Studied efficiency differences in Finnish senior secondary schools by Data Envelopment Analysis, using four variant models. Average efficiencies in the most extensive models were 82% to 84%. Considering parents' educational level increased average efficiency to 91%. Tobit analysis showed school size did not affect efficiency. Input and output…

Correlated parents' reports of children's literacy prepared when they were 3 and 4 years old with children's subsequent test performance and teachers' evaluation. Found that parental reports accounted for about a quarter of the variance in kindergarten tests and grade 1 teacher assessments and over a third of the variance in a decoding assessment…

A study at the University of Texas, San Antonio's dental school resulted in development of a system of caries risk assessment, applied to all undergraduate clinic patients. The rationale, structure, elements, and application of the system are outlined, and course content supporting the system is noted. Need for validation and other improvements is…

Describes an empirical evaluation that investigated the criteria by which designers of human-machine systems evaluate design information. Professional designers of nuclear power plant control rooms rated hypothetical information search questions in terms of relevance, importance, cost, and effort based on Rouse's model of information search…

Analyzed 88 articles from 7 popular women's magazines published between 1977 and 1990 to determine treatment of day care and maternal employment effects on children. Results suggest that coverage of the topics increased. However, the change from positive to mixed views appears to reflect conflicting opinions of child care experts regarding effects…

Contrasted characteristics of antisocial adolescents who desist from crime in adulthood with characteristics of those who became adult criminals. Proposed that psychophysiological differences between the two groups could reveal procedures to protect vulnerable individuals against crime. Findings suggest that better conditioning and enhanced…

Examined the extent to which risk factors for concurrent binge drinking in adolescence can predict changes during transition to young adulthood. Found that being male, possessing low self-efficacy, and drinking primarily "to get drunk" were unconditional risk factors for increased binge drinking over time. Other adolescent risk factors…

Examines the combined effects of race and gender on teachers' perceptions of students' social behaviors. Responses from 984 black and white teachers who rated 6- to 11-year-old black and white children suggest teachers' perceptions are predicted by race and gender. Positive perceptions generally aligned themselves according to teachers' race and…

A study investigated the usefulness of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory in predicting college students' academic performance, focusing on whether the scores enhance the accuracy of traditional predictors such as college entrance examinations and high school rank. Results indicate the scores produce a slight but not significant increase…

Examined associations of self-esteem, relationship harmony, and academic achievement with perceptions of parents' styles and supervisory practices among 212 adolescents in Islamic Bangladesh. Found that parental supervisory practices were associated with a warm parental style for girls and parental dominating control for boys. Girls' (but not…