Causal modeling is examined for its heuristic value by describing its use in an introductory course in educational evaluation, and presenting a student-developed model. Subjects included students in either master's programs in statistics or doctoral programs in administration and curriculum. Before preparing an evaluation plan and path analysis,…

The present study investigated developmental pathways between inattention and depression, particularly the roles of school maladjustment and child cognitions. Additionally, a measure of conduct problems was included in all analyses to test competing theories about the emergence of depressive symptoms. Results supported the hypothesized path models…

Decomposable models, which allow for the interdependence of structure among observable variables, are described. Each model is fully characterized by a set of conditional interdependence restrictions and can be visualized with an undirected as well as a special type of directed graph. (Author/JKS)

Path analysis was used to test the T into model of college dropouts using a sample drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. Findings support the notion that commitment to the goal of college completion has the strongest effect on persistence. (Author/GK)

Using a multi-theory approach, the current study was designed to identify gender differences in the psychological mechanisms by which urban adolescents' motivation in physical education transfers into their leisure-time activities. The theoretical frameworks of Self-Determination Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior were integrated to…

The study presented in this document was designed to test, through path analysis, a modified version of the Bean and Metzner (1985) model of nontraditional student attrition in an effort to understand why older students frequently dropped out of a large public university in the Midwest. Four variables from Bean and Metzner's model were deleted and…

Examined marital cohesion as a component of marital adjustment. Seven variables related to adjustment were entered into a path model. Over 36 percent of the variance in cohesion was explained by the model. Four hypothesized direct effects were supported (i.e., for comparison level, self-disclosure anxiety, spousal hostility, and sex). (JAC)

The National Educational Longitudinal Study database was used to examine the educational development of students of low socioeconomic status (SES). A path analysis was conducted to determine the effects of student background, psychological, and behavioral variables on postsecondary educational attainment of low-SES students. The results show that…

The overidentification of structural equation models with latent variables is discussed. The use of two- and three-indicator models is not recommended since such models do not allow a testing of the crucial assumption of unidimensionality among indicators in most cases. Models with four or more indicators may be more sensitive to departures from…

Path analyses revealed that one's tendency to conceal distressing information, psychological distress, and attitudes toward seeking help predicted intended use of counseling services for college students who had and had not previously been in counseling. Prospective analyses revealed attitudes toward seeking help predicted actual use of campus…

A hypothetical model was formulated to explore factors that influenced academic and clinical achievement for undergraduate nursing students. Sixteen latent variables were considered including the students' background, gender, type of first language, age, their previous successes with their undergraduate nursing studies and status given for…

Career paths and transition services were investigated for students with disabilities who were exiting special education for comparison with two models of transition developed by Siegel (1998) and Greene (2003). Teachers and parent-mentors from 52 local education agencies (LEAs) conducted a record review and an exit interview of 741 students with…

This study assessed the importance of teacher preference of individual students, relative to peer rejection and student aggression, as an independent predictor of children's emotional adjustment and grades. First, a longitudinal, cross-lagged path analysis was conducted to determine the patterns of influence among teacher preference, peer…

In a community sample of 116 children, assessments of parent-child interaction, parent-child attachment, and various parental, child, and contextual characteristics at 15 and 28 months and at age 5 were used to predict externalizing behavior at age 5, as rated by parents and teachers. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis and path analysis…

Findings yielded a comprehensive portrait of the predictive relations among children's aggressive or withdrawn behaviors, peer rejection, and psychological maladjustment across the 5-12 age period. Examination of peer rejection in different variable contexts and across repeated intervals throughout childhood revealed differences in the timing,…