A test was given to 322 secondary students to develop a profile of mathematical ability based on four components: computation, pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and symbolic manipulation. These profiles were compared to mathematics test scores; the results verified hypotheses about individual differences in mental processes and knowledge…

Presents a new measure of retrieval evaluation called corrected precision, which refines the traditional measures of recall and precision by taking into account differences among users in their selectivity when judging document relevance. The formula for calculating corrected precision is explained, and results from an empirical study of relevance…

Deviations in children's mental test performance were studied for children of 169 disadvantaged mothers at 24, 48, and 96 months to determine whether aspects of the child rearing environment predicted the deviations from expected values. Relationships between aspects of the environment, child intelligence, and child characteristics are discussed.…

Reviews research conducted on adult populations dealing with correlates or predictors of proficiency in a second language. Four classes of individual difference variables are considered, including (1) attitudes and motivation; (2) language aptitude and intelligence; (3) language learning strategies; and (4) personality variables. (83 references)…

Individual differences may partly explain how students react to potentially offensive sexual behaviors from peers. This study focused on situational and personal characteristics that may make such behaviors more or less upsetting. Six hundred and thirty two Quebecois high-school students in Grades 8-11 completed questionnaires regarding their…

The "end of ideology" was declared by social scientists in the aftermath of World War II. They argued that: (1) ordinary citizens' political attitudes lack the kind of stability, consistency, and constraint that ideology requires; (2) ideological constructs such as liberalism and conservatism lack motivational potency and behavioral…

Reviews and critiques research that has assessed the effect of infant temperament on caregiver behaviors and concludes that the relationship between temperament and caregiving behavior has not been adequately tested. Offers conceptual and methodological guidelines for future research. (HOD)

Used data from a college classroom to demonstrate the value of taking student learning styles into consideration when designing and revising a course. Learning styles were assessed in 58 students using the Inventory of Learning Processes. Casual path analyses revealed relationships between certain evaluation components and certain learning styles.…

Outlines a conceptual framework, the Reflective Judgement model, which describes predictable differences in the intellectual development of college students. Validation attempts are discussed, and applications leading to sound counseling and educational interventions are suggested. The model is illustrated with an example of a classroom assignment…

Studied factors that might differentially underlie test anxiety and academic performance of college students (N=72). Results revealed that high anxious students differed from low anxious students on traditional cognitive and somatic indicators of text anxiety but not on any measure of study or test-taking skills. (WAS)

Reviews studies that use the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) with delinquents and criminals. Studies illustrate the ability of the CPI to measure: (1) personality differences; (2) personality typologies and classifications; (3) personality variables that predict future criminal or asocial behavior; and (4) the historical development of…

Gifted high school students (N=199) were evaluated using the Sternberg Triarchic Abilities Test; their academic performance was judged by independent raters; and their thinking styles were measured by two converging self-report questionnaires. After controlling for ability level, styles of thinking significantly contributed to prediction of…

This study interviewed 51 children, ages 3 to 7, about an inoculation after an approximate 2-week delay. Responses indicated a relationship between parents' attachment avoidance and children's distress during the inoculation. Parental attachment anxiety and the interaction between parental avoidance and children's stress predicted children's…

Examined the prevalence of mental health disorders and the sociodemographic factors associated with having a mental health disorder in a probability sample of 185 African American and white single mothers. Analyses revealed that race and being on welfare were associated with increased risk of having a mental health disorder, highlighting the need…

This study investigated relations between social interaction during infancy and children's subsequent theory of mind (ToM). Findings indicated that children's performance on ToM tasks at 45 and 48 months positively correlated with mothers' appropriate comments on her infant's mental state, but not with attachment security. Mothers' appropriate…