The "surprisingly popular" method (SP) of aggregating individual judgments has shown promise in overcoming a weakness of other crowdsourcing methods--situations in which the majority is incorrect. This method relies on participants' estimates of other participants' judgments; when an option is chosen more often than the average…

Previous characterizations of rumination do not account for why a reflective style of ruminative response to negative mood, as opposed to a brooding style, is linked with greater creativity--especially when indecision is high. Moreover, less is known about ruminative responses to positive mood. The purpose of this investigation is to demonstrate…

During the transition period between the use of exclusively old SAT® scores and the use of exclusively new SAT scores, college admission offices will be receiving both types of scores from students. Making an admission decision based on new SAT scores can be challenging at first because institutions have methods, procedures, and models based on…

With large student enrollment, MOOC instructors face the unique challenge in deciding when to intervene in forum discussions with their limited bandwidth. We study this problem of "instructor intervention." Using a large sample of forum data culled from 61 courses, we design a binary classifier to predict whether an instructor should…

A recent resurgence in logical-rule theories of categorization has motivated the development of a class of models that predict not only choice probabilities but also categorization response times (RTs; Fific, Little, & Nosofsky, 2010). The new models combine mental-architecture and random-walk approaches within an integrated framework and…

Forming, pursing, and achieving life tasks constitute important determinants of subjective well-being (SWB). A principal life task for emerging adults involves deciding about career goals. Prior research indicates that depression predicts SWB and may be linked to lower levels of career decidedness. We tested whether or not career decidedness…

Among the plethora of career theories and counseling practices, human emotion continues to be underrepresented. The paucity is evoking discontentment. For many career specialists, a distal role for emotionality has become untenable. This study demonstrated emotional intelligence (EI) associates with familiar constructs within the career…

Community colleges continue to experience growth in online courses. This growth reflects the need to increase the numbers of students who complete certificates or degrees. Retaining online students, not to mention assuring their success, is a challenge that must be addressed through practical institutional responses. By leveraging existing student…

Investigated whether delinquency is the result of a rational decision. The Subjective Expected Utility (SEU) model from decision theory was used with male juvenile offenders (N=45) as the model of the decision process. Results showed that the SEU model predicted 62.7 percent of the subjects' decisions. (Author/RC)

The study tests the appropriateness of multiplicative versus additive expectancy-valency models for grouping motivational force decisions of 82 undergraduate students. Arguments are offered favoring a non-nested regression models analysis over a traditional hierarchical analysis of nested regression models. Discriminant analysis indicated one of…

A decision-making or utility theory model (which deals effectively with affirmative action goals and allows standardized tests to be placed in the service of those goals) is discussed as an alternative to traditional predictive admissions. (Author/PN)

Teachers' and psychologists' ratings of children's potential performance in reading and mathematics are influenced by selected information in referral statements read prior to having objective test scores or rating scales for evaluation. (JMF)

A predictive validation study of the Career Decision-Making System (CDM), using as criteria the stated career choices and expected postsecondary majors of high school seniors (N=164), yielded support for the instrument. (Author)

Describes various methods of measuring information contained in a database or in a document collection. Economic worth or utility of information to the user is discussed, the value of data in decision making is considered, and an example comparing information in two library collections is presented. (41 references) (LRW)

A nonadditive linear model consisting of both Graduate Management Admission Test scores and undergraduate grades adequately portrayed the decision-making process of a Master of Business Administration program admissions officer. The results are discussed in light of the recent criticisms of the use of standardized tests as admissions criteria.…