Describes an experiment conducted at the University of Goteborg (Sweden) that investigated social and cognitive differences in communication and recall in face-to-face communication versus computer-mediated communication. Prior experience in computer-mediated communication is examined, and spoken and written communication are contrasted. (18…

At 4-year followup on 110 Mexican-American adolescents in a drug abuse prevention program, association with deviant peers was strongly predictive of alcohol and drug use and criminality, whereas parental influences were minor predictors. Low school satisfaction was related to greater drug use, particularly for females. (Author/SV)

A path model of lifelong education was developed using longitudinal data from a cohort of 671 Swedish men. Instead of a reduced gap between initially poorly and well-educated people, a cycle of accumulation exists, in which the quality of earlier educational experience predicts the quality and quantity of subsequent participation in adult…

This literature review discusses gender differences in psychosocial determinants of adolescent smoking. Studies show that external pressures (e.g., peer and parental smoking) are important for boys and girls, although their influence may be moderated differently by age and type of smoking behavior assessed. Gender-specific components of…

Longevity of 12,543 Down's syndrome clients of the California Department of Developmental Services was examined. Findings indicated that predictors of survival were not different from mortality-related variables in the general population. Lack of mobility or poor feeding skills were better predictors of early death than variables associated with…

Describes a study that examined student attributes and achievements in previous Open University courses to determine what effect they had on the drop-out rate and achievement in a project work course. The use of partial order structuple (scalogram) analysis (POSA) is explained, and the results for occupation and previous course performance are…

Assessed academic locus of control, self-esteem, and geographical distance from home (actual and perceived) as predictors of college adjustment in 88 female college freshmen. An internal academic locus of control, a high level of self-esteem, and a perception that the distance from home was "just right" were related to four dimensions of college…

A discussion of research needs on physicians' choice of specialty looks at methodological problems identified in the literature and suggests six areas for further development: distinction between career preference and career attainment; multiple predictors; larger samples; more specific specialty subdivisions; longitudinal approach; and testing of…

Discussion of scholarly productivity (i.e., publication based on research) highlights a study of library and information science faculty that investigated gender differences in scholarly publication. Variables related to productivity are compared by sex, and results are reported that show findings are inconclusive. (21 references) (LRW)

The article explores the value of three categories of factors in predicting achievement in fast-paced mathematics classes for 108 high ability adolescents: ability, previous experience and exposure to the content area, and individual student characteristics. Previous experience variables were the most important in predicting learning outcomes.…

A study developed and tested a model that examines the relative powers of support and work stress indicators in explaining faculty research productivity. Empirical examination indicates the model is most influential in physics, least in education, and that different indicators are significant in determining publication in hard and soft sciences.…

Investigated quality indicators of prereferral interventions (behavioral definition, direct measure, step-by-step plan, treatment integrity, graphing of results, direct comparison to baseline) as predictors of prereferral intervention outcomes among teachers and related services personnel on 312 students. Interventions varied in quality, use of…

Reviews the different types of models that can be used in groundwater modeling. Discusses the flow and contaminant transport models in the saturated zone, flow and contaminant transport in variably saturated flow regime, vapor transport, biotransformation models, multiphase models, optimization algorithms, and potentials pitfalls of using these…

Survey investigated female college students' knowledge about toxic shock syndrome (TSS), noting relationships between knowledge, self-perceived risk of developing TSS, and menstrual product use. Data analysis indicated knowledge about TSS was inadequate, particularly among young females. Neither risk perception nor product use were mediated by…

Evaluates children at-risk for reading failure as kindergartners and again as first graders. Suggests that lexical access ability is an important factor in reading acquisition and that different combinations of phonological processes may be related to different aspects of reading. (RS)