This study investigated characteristics differentiating life-long learners from low participants in learning among 195 human service professionals in southern New England. Discriminant function analysis of seven extracted factors and three demographic variables indicated significant differences distinguishing the two groups. (TJH)

The study examined the relationship between extreme levels of depressive symptomatology and age, gender, and placement label among 465 secondary-level students in special education resource programs for the seriously emotionally disturbed and learning disabled. Gender was the only significant predictor of severe depressive symptomatology, with…

Examines individual and situational variables as factors in the behavior of computer users, namely copying of software and distribution of computer viruses. The results indicate that situational variables explain much of the variance in copying software, while the individual variable of sex is strongly related to computer virus distribution. (17…

This study was undertaken to determine whether a biology preparatory course given at an urban community college was helping students to develop the proper skills and background necessary to successfully complete follow-up courses in biology. Data indicated a mathematics score was the main discriminator between pass/fail groups of the preparatory…

Examined the accuracy and validity of self-reports and their effect on tests of attitude-behavior relationships. Self-reports were reasonably accurate, but they produced results different from actual behavior in attitude-behavior tests. Concludes that self-reports and actual behavior should be measured, tested, and modeled separately. (Author/LS)

The use of measures of overconfidence and underconfidence in predicting subsequent academic performance of medical students was studied and found to be more useful than conventional scores in predicting both clerkship and board test performance. (Author/MSE)

A study of predictors of academic withdrawal among American Indian medical students found the characteristics of those withdrawing to include lower age, larger number of siblings, attendance at reservation schools, poorer academic preparation, excessive family responsibilities, and encounters with cultural misperceptions. (MSE)

Collected data on 50 Black, 6 Oriental, and 6 White college freshmen participating in summer preparatory program. Data analysis revealed racial differences on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, but not in study habits or confidence in learning ability. Given equal SAT scores upon entering college, racial differences still existed on cumulative…

This paper identifies predictor variables for physics achievement in Nigerian high schools. Nine student variables (age, gender, home language, word knowledge, interest in physics, study habits, attitude, mathematical ability, and test anxiety) accounted for 63 percent of the total variance. Mathematical ability appeared to be the best predictor.…

Bayesian and empirical Bayes approaches to shrinkage estimation of regression coefficients and uses of these in prediction (i.e., analyzing intelligence test data of children with learning problems) are investigated. The two methods are consistently better at predicting response variables than are either least squares or least absolute deviations.…

This study compared 56 early and nonearly readers (matched individually on sex, age, and preschool and kindergarten attended) in terms of their language concepts and skills, as well as their reading achievement, in kindergarten through second grade. The early readers were found superior to nonearly readers on preschool measures of general language…

Examined whether early adolescent females' school grades, educational aspirations, educational expectations, and the discrepancy between aspirations and expectations could be predicted by maternal depressive symptoms in 44 mother-daughter dyads. Found that for only the single-mother and daughter subsample, depression scores predicted daughters'…

Multiple problem behaviors, stress, and personal resources were assessed over 2 years among 136 mainly black and Hispanic gay and bisexual males, age 14 to 19 years. Problem behaviors were found to be stable over time; the pattern of change in one behavior problem was not related to patterns of change in other problem behaviors. (MDM)

Presents a model that suggests the cognitive style and personality traits that are likely to affect programming stages and empirically investigates 1 portion of that model with 192 college students. Correlations between results from the Group Embedded Figures Test and design and coding tasks are discussed. (LRW)

An analysis of 47 nursing research studies from 1981-90 related to predicting student success was conducted. Grade point average in nursing and science courses was the greatest cognitive predictor, parental education and age the greatest demographic predictors. Meta-analysis of four studies showed the significant effectiveness of interventions…