The aim of this paper is to explore the conditions under which generalisation from single case studies, in the sense of making inferences concerning a wider class of phenomena beyond a case, is reasonable. Two sets of conditions, in particular, provide the basis for our consideration of this issue. The first is an exploration of the impressive…

A little imagination, a little drama, a little mystery. Using the guided inquiry model in this updated, second edition, students become detectives at Information Headquarters. They solve a mystery-and enhance their problem-solving and literacy skills. Middle school is a crucial time in the development of problem-solving, critical-thinking, and…

The problem of drawing causal inferences from retrospective case-controlled studies is considered. A model for causal inference in prospective studies is applied to retrospective studies. Limitations of case-controlled studies are formulated concerning relevant parameters that can be estimated in such studies. A coffee-drinking/myocardial…

This paper explores the historical evolution of views of score validity beginning with J. Guilford (1946) and ending with the writings of L. Cronbach (1989), S. Messick (1989), M. Kane (1992), P. Moss (1992), and L. Shepard (1993). Current treatments of validity have emphasized that it is the inferences made from scores, and not tests, that are…

Developed a closed form expression for the asymptotic bias of the explained common variance, or the unexplained common variance under assumptions of multivariate normality in minimum rank factor analysis. Findings from existing data sets show that the presented asymptotic statistical inference is based on a recently developed perturbation theory…

Results from a simulation study confirm that under reasonably representative conditions the replication demonstrated by clustering mean profiles from several preliminary cluster analyses of independent subsets of multivariate profiles is an adequate criterion for inferring the correct number of underlying populations when they are reasonably well…

Introduces a new inferential test for acyclic structural equation models (SEM) without latent variables or correlated errors. The test is based on the independence relations predicted by the directed acyclic graph of the SEMs, as given by the concept of d-separation. A wide range of distributional assumptions and structural functions can be…

The TETRAD for constraint-based aids to causal model specification project and related work in computer science aims to apply standards of rigor and precision to the problem of using data and background knowledge to make inferences about a model's specifications. Several algorithms that are implemented in the TETRAD II program are presented. (SLD)

Developed a sample-based nonanalytical degrees-of-freedom correction factor for situations sampling both subjects and conditions with measurement data departing from essentially parallel form. Assessed the application of this correction factor through a simulation study involving data sets with a range of design characteristics and manifesting…

How accurately do spouses know their partner's feelings when the partner is not physically present, but in a specific setting (at work, or at home)? This question addresses a special kind of empathic inference that relies mainly on content knowledge and projection rather than perception. We answered this question using a computer assisted diary…

This study analyzes the interpretive activities of scientists related to familiar and unfamiliar graphs. The analyses show that when scientists were familiar with a graph, they read it transparently and thereby leapt beyond the material basis to the thing the graph is said to be about. In contrast, when scientists were less familiar with the…

Theories of analogical reasoning have assumed that a 1-to-1 constraint discourages reasoners from mapping a single element in 1 analog to multiple elements in another. Empirical evidence suggests that reasoners sometimes appear to violate the one-to-one constraint when asked to generate mappings, yet virtually never violate it when asked to…

Lesioning studies are often used in cognitive neuroscience to make inferences about the architecture of cognition. Recently, computational models have been used to address some of the underlying assumptions-such as modularity and locality-often implicitly used when interpreting lesion data. In this article, we explore the ''functional…

The reliance of comprehension processes on knowledge to form explanatory inferences has been well established (Grasser, Singer, & Trabasso, 1994), yet the evidence that supports these studies is derived from sentence pairs that are largely unexamined. While some recent studies have suggested that the stimulus sentences utilized in comprehension…

Two experiments are described that investigate the ability to infer the number of items in one-to-one corresponding sets for two age groups. We assess the influence of set size, the visibility of sets, and the way in which set equivalence is derived - pairing versus sharing - using a repeated-measures design. Three-year-olds are largely restricted…