The hypothesis of positive skew in distributions of response to creative thinking tasks was studied. Data were obtained from examinees' responses to problem-solving tasks in three published studies of creative thinking. Subjects included 23 fifth graders (12 females and 11 males), 29 high school students (10 females and 19 males), and 47 female…

To determine how often children falsely report being sexually abused, this study asked professionals to indicate the percentage of children with whom they had worked who had made false reports. In addition, this study examined the variables that might be associated with the percentage of false allegations reported by professionals. The factors…

A causal model of reactions to violence that incorporated the role of attribution processes, emotions, in-group bias, and cognitive development was studied with children 8-12 years old. Participants were 121 third and sixth graders who attended a private elementary school in southern California. In groups of six, subjects were presented one of a…

Parents, educators, psychologists, and linguists are concerned about the effects of bilingualism on children, particularly young children. Although it is generally agreed that the minority-language child should develop bilingual and bicultural competence, there is disagreement concerning the role the two languages should play in the child's early…

Reading encompasses a wide range of verbal processes, among them such simple verbal processes as word decoding, letter recognition, name retrieval, and semantic access. The question is whether simple verbal processing differences are adequate to account for general reading ability differences. Across different verbal domains and different ages,…

Microresearch of the type performed by W. Loban and K. Hunt was used to describe two functions of macroresearch methodology--reporting and classifying--of the type conducted by J. Britton. This was done by contrasting the use of nine linguistic features of writing produced by four groups of students in each of the functions. The features were…

A study assessed the communication skills of practicing lawyers in order to determine whether they had needs that could be met by the speech communication discipline. Specifically, the study investigated (1) the importance lawyers attached to certain communication skills, (2) how proficienty they considered themselves to be in using those skills,…

This paper presents the results of an educational equity program designed to reduce racial and sexual stereotyping at all grade levels among students. The project was instituted in a southeastern United States school district in 1981. Following evaluations in 1980-81 and 1981-82, this present study was conducted: (1) to determine whether…

Colleges and universities are having to design instructional formats for both traditional and nontraditional, second career individuals. To compare the learning styles and other related educational factors (e.g., test preferences, educational goals) of traditional and nontraditional students at the University of Akron (Ohio), 154 traditional…

The study examined correlates of self-esteem in 54 adolescents and young adults (ages 12-22) with spina bifida. Core issues identified were the relationships of global self-esteem and perceived competencies in specific areas, perceptions of control, and identification with the physically handicapped. Relationships of self-esteem to age, gender,…

The validity of inferences drawn from readiness tests used to place children in a regular or a 2-year kindergarten program was investigated. Data from nine school districts in Virginia were used in the study. The study explored technical characteristics of four commonly used readiness tests: the Brigance Kindergarten and First Grade Screen, the…

Analysis of information gained from the March 1986 Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the Bureau of the Census shows the following results for the year 1985: (1) median family money income continued to move ahead of inflation; (2) the median earnings of men showed no statistically significant change from 1984, but the earnings of women…

This study explored the age variable within the framework of Stephen Krashen's (1973, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982) monitor hypothesis. The experiment conducted two types of English language lessons based on antithetical pedagogical strategies. The first aimed at the activation of monitor use, constructed around formal learning tasks and the second…

Initial general discussion of reading and writing is followed by discussions focusing on the process of learning to read, methods and texts, and ways to promote reading. The topic of the way one learns to read is addressed in terms of: (1) a definition of "knowing how to read"; (2) the distinction between teaching and learning; and (3) basic…

While clinical populations of obese children have been shown to possess negative self-images, little evidence exists that overweight children in non-clinical populations are discriminated against by their peers or possess negative psychological self-evaluations. A study was conducted to examine the relationship among body type, sociometric…