A representative sample of 347 college men and women were queried on their experience with premarital sex. Responses were correlated to subjects' self-reported philosophy of sex, relationship with parents, physical attractiveness, religious feelings, drug use, commitment to last sexual partner, and attitudes toward marriage and women's liberation.…

Institutionalized retarded clients (N=142) were assessed on the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS) within six months of their admission to Woodhaven Center (Philadelphia) and approximately 12 to 18 months later. While clients were found to progress significantly on seven of the 10 domains of Part One of the ABS, no significant gains were noted on Part…

Presents a study which attempts to link current theory to practical problems of applied communication. The power of coorientational variables is tested and compared with the power of commonly used individual characteristics in predicting the amounts and types of information sought by buyers of cosmetics. (JMF)

Analyzes eight variables in diagnostic tests to determine which are the most predictive of reading levels and then discusses how much each variable adds to this prediction and whether the answers are equally applicable to grades three, six, and nine. (FL)

Reports on a study that used 182 entering college freshmen to investigate the relationship between social position and level of study habits, and the prediction of study habits by the addition of two family correlates (birth order and family size) to social position. (RL)

A model of voluntary behavior change is developed and applied to higher education faculty and the process of instructional innovation. It identifies individual and organizational variables that determine whether a faculty member will change his instructional practices by adopting new practices, and also determines the likelihood that he will…

A study of 30 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teachers and 300 of their students showed that a teacher's age, sex, and years of experience did not relate to students' mathematics achievement, but that more effective teachers showed greater "freedom from defensive behavior" than did less effective teachers. (DT)

Faculty members can use information about six components of the learning situation to increase student learning. The nature, function, and interrelationships of the following elements are described: instructor, content, medium, student, evaluation, environment, and implementation. (Editor/LBH)

Since grade prediction remains an important factor in medical student selection procedures, the ability to make accurate predictions is important. The Prediction Index used at the University of California at Irvine is described which considers overall premedical grade point average (GPA), GPA of specified science courses, and two subtests of the…

This study tested the influence of writing self-efficacy, writing apprehension, perceived usefulness of writing, and writing aptitude on 218 fifth graders' essay-writing performance. Students' beliefs about their abilities directly influenced apprehension, perceived usefulness, and performance, and partially mediated the effects of gender and…

In response to O'Brien et al., who examined predictors of child outcomes among at-risk infants, this article suggests that the goal of prevention and early detection can be more efficiently met if the focus shifts from prediction to ongoing monitoring of children's developmental growth. A three-step model involving ongoing screening, eligibility…

This study of 249 Quebec secondary students explored predictors of school disciplinary events. Results revealed both positive and negative correlations of family involvement with student behavior; for example, parental supervision was positively associated with fewer classroom infractions. Overall findings indicate that interventions and…

Using a classroom survey of 3061 secondary school students, analyzed the relationship among a set of predictors including personality trait, social and cultural variables, and drug use. Findings reveal problems in applying the personality trait theory in a rural subgroup. Measures of global and local cultural orientation predicted drug use. (RJM)

Assesses Ontario nursing student scores on the Nursing Comprehensive Examinations, and compares them with those from the Registered Nurse Exams. A positive correlation between the two examinations was found, suggesting that the comprehensive examinations predict success on the R.N. Exams. (YKH)