This study of the choice behavior of 14 adults with severe disabilities in residential programs found that 24 staff members correctly predicted the individuals' choices 78% of the time, when compared to choices made by the individuals themselves. (Author/DB)

A 1991 Florida survey of teachers and students identified five crucial characteristics of effective teacher advisors, including ability to care about students and relate to advisees' individuality, availability, and possession of a positive attitude and a unique advising style. The main qualification is enjoyment of children. (MLH)

Discusses experimental work with computer-simulated microworlds as a means for overcoming the tension between laboratory research and field research in psychology. Topics addressed include characteristics of microworlds; examples of microworlds; and three approaches to research with microworlds, including the individual differences approach, case…

A total of 127 pairs of twins completed a measure of personality at 20 and 30 years of age. Analyses revealed that variance in negative emotionality was the result of diminishing genetic influence; personality stability was the result of genetic factors; and personality change was the result of environmental factors. (BC)

Comparison of the individual reading strategies of 26 severely impaired developmental dyslexics and 26 nonhandicapped readers found a distribution of skills and strategies over a continuum in both groups. Dyslexic students were specifically impaired in phonological processing, and half of them employed more whole-word oriented strategies than the…

A latent-class scaling approach is presented for modeling paired comparison and "pick any/t" data obtained in preference studies. The utility of this approach is demonstrated through analysis of data from studies involving consumer preference and preference for political candidates. (SLD)

The paper suggests that the current aptitude-treatment interaction approach to accommodating individual differences in special education has not been proved instructionally useful. Formative evaluation is offered as a promising alternative that addresses individual uniqueness rather than dimensionalized individual differences. (Author/DB)

Since teachers at Frontier Central High School in Hamburg, New York, began using a learning styles approach, the number of special education students earning regular high school diplomas has grown dramatically. The secret of their success is a well-researched, faculty-developed curriculum that considers the needs and strengths of individual…

Examined relationship satisfaction and commitment among African-American (n=34 couples) and white (n=61 couples) dating heterosexual couples. Found that extent to which variables from interdependence, individual differences, and problem-solving models were linked to both relationship satisfaction and relationship commitment did not differ for…

Special educational methods need to develop beyond the diagnostic use of IQ tests. Individual differences in cognitive abilities of students need to be understood and need to be incorporated into effective individualized educational interventions. The goal is to raise the level of performance and the standard deviation of performance. (MMU)

Examined whether early individual differences in look duration were related to general mechanisms of the infant nervous system combining attention and emotion. Found significant positive correlations between attention measures and duration of facial expressions of pain/distress after vaccinations at 3, 5, and 11 months. Concluded that individual…

Explored genetic and environmental underpinnings of temperamental differences in 3- to 16-month-old twins and their parents. Found that additive genetic and shared environmental effects best represented smiling, laughter, and duration of orienting. Shared environmental effects fully accounted for co-twin similarity for soothability. Additive…

Presents three mini-essays reviewing progress made on three problems in text comprehension (two traditional and one newer problem): their relationship between sentence processes and text processes; individual differences in discourse comprehension; and the representation of multiple-text information, which exposes fresh views of problems of…

This study investigated learning styles differences of 500 students in grades 4-8 using the Learning Style Inventory. Although significant overall differences were found between average and above average achieving students in learning style preferences, specific findings contradicted an earlier study suggesting that it is inappropriate to…

This discussion of exceptionally and profoundly gifted students suggests that these students have special needs that are often not being met. It distinguishes five levels of giftedness and identifies developmental differences in extremely gifted children. It suggests that radical acceleration is often an appropriate placement that may reverse…