Presents an alternative approach to DNA fingerprinting. Demonstrates how undergraduate students can be involved in many aspects of this type of experiment and how DNA fingerprinting experiments can be incorporated into the laboratory curriculum of courses for majors and nonmajors. (NB)

Studied whether the theoretical sampling distribution of the U3 person-fit statistic is in agreement with the simulated sampling distribution under different item response theory models and varying item and test characteristics. Simulation results suggest that the use of standard normal deviates for the standardized version of the U3 statistic may…

Investigates the commonly suggested rounding rule for addition and subtraction including its derivation from a basic assumption. Uses Monte-Carlo simulations to show that this rule predicts the minimum number of significant digits needed to preserve precision 100% of the time. (Author/KHR)

This article suggests a teaching method, the Classic Studies Inquiry Simulation, which allows health educators to use the epidemiologic model to teach critical thinking skills. This technique is demonstrated for teaching major research designs and major rates used in epidemiology. (IAH)

Uses game theory to help practitioners make decisions about educational games, simulations, or workshops whose outcomes depend to some extent on chance. Highlights include principles for making decisions involving risk; elementary laws of probability; utility theory; and principles for making decisions involving uncertainty. (eight references)…

Two forms, pure-rank and mixed-rank, of a nonparametric, general, linear model-based statistic that can be used to test several hypotheses are presented. A Monte Carlo study was used to investigate the distributional properties of these forms, and their use is discussed. (SLD)

Describes an inexpensive, easily prepared demonstration to teach the concepts of human blood grouping, antigen-antibody reactions, and medical transfusions. (ZWH)

Through Project EXCEL (Excellence in Community Elected and Appointed Leadership), 63 participants (Ohio county commissioners) completed simulation exercises in 7 assessment centers. Participants received personalized feedback on 15 behavioral dimensions. (SK)

This paper presents an analysis of the stability of principal components. Stability is measured by the expectation of the absolute inner product of the sample principal component with the corresponding population component. The usefulness and predictive validity of the model were supported through simulation. (SLD)

It is proposed that attributes of automatization depend on the strength of a processing pathway, and that strength increases with training. With the Stroop effect as an example, automatic processes are shown through simulation to be continuous and to emerge gradually with practice. (SLD)

The scoring pattern of the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List--Revised (MAACL-R) (M. Zuckerman and B. Lubin, 1985) was studied under "simulate good" and "simulate bad" conditions and under instructional sets of "simulate" or "simulate with caution" with 320 college students. Results show that the MAACL-R…

Examines connectionist simulations indicating that starting with simplified inputs or limited memory is not necessary in training recurrent neural networks to learn pseudo-natural languages; such restrictions hinder acquisition. Suggests that Gold's theorem and possible lack of explicit negative evidence do not implicate innate,…

Presents an approach to multidimensional unfolding that reduces the occurrence of degenerate solutions and conducts a Monte Carlo study to demonstrate the superiority of the new method to the ALSCAL and KYST nonmetric procedures for student preference data. (SLD)

Clarifies several issues regarding the effects of autocorrelated errors on Type I error in ordinary least-squares models. Demonstrates through Monte Carlo simulation the conditions under which distortion in Type I error is less than predicted by asymptotic theory. Suggests a recently developed small-sample method for time-series analyses. (SLD)

Used Monte Carlo methods to compare several measures of item-parameter drift, manipulating numbers of examinees and items and numbers of drift items. Overall, Lord's chi square (F. Lord, 1968) measure was the most effective in identifying items that exhibited drift. Discusses the usefulness of other methods. (SLD)