Adolescent parenthood was investigated based on a large panel study known as the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) which has tracked over 22,000 adolescents who are now in their early 20's and have experienced many of the near-term consequences of early parenthood. Procedures for creating variables that mark entry…

This paper is a preliminary attempt to specify what "interpersonal confirmation" is by classifying and categorizing its observable phenomena as they occur in human interaction. It considers the problems in defining operationally this highly significant, but nebulous, aspect of communication and reviews the literature which alludes to…

A reply to a critique of Pascual-Leone's model of children's information processing capacity. (BD)

Abt Associates, the firm responsible for the primary analysis of the Follow Through experiment, summarize the findings. Their clearest finding indicates that local circumstances, attitudes, and activities unmeasured by evaluation have much more to do with the effectiveness of Follow Through models, without exception, than do their theoretical…

Interpretations point up the fact that research-oriented evaluation, aiming at estimation of program effects on specific test outcome measures, is capable of illuminating only part of the value of a complex social program like Follow Through. (Author/MLF)

Considers possibility of developing a computer tutor around an explicit concept-learning theory derived from machine learning techniques. Some problems with using the focusing (and similar) algorithms in this role are discussed and possible solutions are developed. Design for a guided discovery learning system for tutoring concepts is proposed.…

Focuses on the applicability of U.S.-originated communication models to research and practice in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and other countries. (MH)

This paper reports on an integrated methodology adopted to help solve the problem of accessing boys' fleeting, mobile, and often unvoiced self-work during the process of constructing their gender identity. The study is part of a larger investigation examining the experience and education of boys and young men in relation to matters of sexual…

Social researchers under the influence of social stereotypes sometimes make generalizations which are partly true and partly false, and tend to use deceptive research models which in turn increase the number and influence of stereotypes. (JM)

A temporal theory of motivation is proposed in which causes, causal dimensions, psychological consequences (expectancy and affect), and behavioral outcomes play a role in the dynamics of action. The discussion of methodological errors in attribution research that follows examines shortcomings at each of these conceptual stages in the motivational…

Critically reviews literature on school effectiveness challenging the assumption that school differences have little effect on student achievement, presents a speculative portrait of an effective school, and proposes directions for future research. (MP)

The social sciences tend to address easily quantifiable aspects of human life and produce statistical findings of value only to scholars and scientists. The Hite studies, which address ordinary human concerns and present their findings in a form easily understood by the general public, represent a model for the future. (Author/RM)

The effects of father absence on educational achievement and intellectual development of 6- to 11-year-old children were investigated by employing a nationally representative sample of 5,493 father-present and 616 father-absent children from the Health Examination Survey of the National Center for Health Statistics. (Author/RH)

A review of previous research has failed to demonstrate that a family life-cycle model is a viable theoretical framework for investigating and understanding patterns of change in marital satisfaction or discord in the American family. (Author)

Analyzes the strains that result from an intensive community renewal and development project that was accompanied by intensive process-and-outcome evaluation research. The case study, which took place in an Israeli kibbutz, illustrates a dynamic development of an alternative interaction model with split-role differentiation. (Author)