Selection procedures for the Wellington (New Zealand) Polytechnic Journalism Program were studied. An exploratory analysis of 1983 selection data was undertaken, resulting in elimination of one selection test and establishment of a provisional cutoff for 1984 applicants. In the principal study, the following four aspects were examined: (1)…

Data were collected to develop special norms for the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABSs) for educable mentally retarded (EMR) and trainable mentally retarded (TMR) children. These scales currently report special norms for retarded adults. The study also sought to determine if the low to moderate relationship typically found between…

The third of five volumes on the means by which Canadian communities can reduce the incidence of mental retardation, minimize existing impairment, and improve the quality of life of the mentally retarded, this booklet focuses on the education of handicapped children and the value of integration with non-handicapped peers in the home and community.…

The controversy over what divergent thinking tests measure was addressed by conducting a study of the relationship between divergent thinking and vocational interests. Forty-one above-average fifth graders were administered Pattern and Line Meanings a year before they took the American College Testing Program (ACT) Interest Inventory. Divergent…

Construct validity of a prototype baccalaureate generic problem solving skills test was explored through a structural analysis. The assessment method used three real-life problem situations crossed by six generic skills, namely Decision-Making, Communication, Analysis, Synthesis, Valuing and Execution. There were six written responses for each…

In order to gain a better understanding of metaphor comprehension in different cultural contexts, this study compared the performances of two groups of children from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds but with common schooling experiences on two tests of metaphor: the Metaphor Triads Task (MTT) and the Proverbs Test. The Ravens Colored…

In a study of the relationship between speed of information processing and general intelligence, vocational college students (50 black males and 56 white males) took eight different reaction time tests measuring the speed with which individuals perform various elementary cognitive processes, and a group test of scholastic aptitude (the Armed…

Research findings indicate that major breakthroughs in education will have to occur through direct cortical intervention, using either chemical or electronic means. It will eventually be possible to build sophisticated intelligence amplifiers that will be internal extensions of our brains, significantly more powerful than present day computers,…

Several empirical and theoretical analyses related to scientific problem-solving are reviewed, including: detailed studies of individuals at different levels of expertise, and computer models simulating some aspects of human information processing during problem solving. Analysis of these studies has revealed many facets about the nature of the…

This sabbatical report surveys some computer software presently being developed, already in use, and/or available, and describes computer use in several Massachusetts colleges. A general introduction to computers, word processors, artificial intelligence, and computer assisted instruction is provided, as well as a discussion of what computers can…

The objective of this study was to empirically validate West Germans' classifications of 11 attributions according to dimensions of locus, stability, controllability, predictability, and globality. The West German sample was then compared to an American sample. It is believed that West Germans and Americans develop different beliefs about the…

The use of standardized testing in secondary schools (with students between 10 and 19 years old) is described for four European countries: (1) England; (2) West Germany; (3) the Netherlands; and (4) Sweden. In the decentralized English system, several published standardized tests are available; they are used less at the secondary level than in…

This study investigated the relationship between day care and young children's language performance. Receptive, expressive and a combined language score plus an intelligence quotient (IQ) were derived for middle-class, Caucasian 3-year-olds from intact families who attended high quality day care since infancy and were compared to the scores of…

The history of divergent-thinking tests suggests that new approaches to creativity testing are needed. Research has focused on the relation of creativity to insight, divergent problem solving, problem finding, and intelligence. A proposed situational model of creativity defines creativity as a meaningful response to open-problem, open-solution…

The few studies concentrating on adult age changes in discrimination shift behavior have reported that the performance of elderly adults on such tasks is inferior to that of younger adults and, in fact, similar to that of children. To determine whether verbal labeling, which has facilitated the performance of young children, would also reduce age…