To investigate the psychometric feasibility of replacing a paper-and-pencil licensing examination with a computer-administered test, a validity study was conducted. The computer-administered test (Cadm) was a common set of items for all test takers, distinct from computerized adaptive testing, in which test takers receive items appropriate to…

According to item response theory (IRT), examinee ability estimation is independent of the particular set of test items administered from a calibrated pool. Although the most popular application of this feature of IRT is computerized adaptive (CA) testing, a recently proposed alternative is self-adapted (SA) testing, in which examinees choose the…

This report presents findings from a study of the effects of televised beer commercials on fifth and sixth grade children (N=468), aged 10-13 years. Each child was interviewed in-person at his or her home. The findings indicated: (1) most children are frequently exposed to beer commercials on television; (2) children's skepticism of television…

A study reexamined data from an earlier study of the effect of teacher questioning techniques on students' understanding of and responses to literature. Data were reexamined for instructional correlates of difficulty of recall and difficulty of depth of understanding. Subjects, 1,041 students in 58 eight-grade English classes in 16 midwestern…

A study examined the questioning behavior of teachers following the reading of a basal reader story. The four teachers who served as subjects were chosen from a pool of 18 fourth grade teachers, and were selected because their classes produced the two highest and two lowest mean scores on a standardized reading comprehension measure. Each…

Reflecting the reader-response theory of literature--a theory suggesting that literature is made dynamic through interaction between reader and text--this report presents ways of extending high school students' imaginative grasp of human experience. Using three works--Randall Jarrell's poem, "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner," Ambrose…

Measures assessing non sex-typed behavior continue to define that behavior in traditional sex role terms. A status/role distinction formulation of behavior provides a broader context in which to account for the characteristics and competencies of an individual under specific circumstances. Under the status assignment model, individuals with a…

Since the late 1960's, researchers have been concerned with the influence of teacher expectations on student performance. Teacher expectations generally can be categorized into three types: assessments of ability, predictions of progress, and natural discrepancies between teacher estimates and actual student performance. Expectations can have the…

To examine the consequences of responsiveness in dyadic interaction, explore the effects of irrelevant response on listener processing and retention of content, and determine the impact of irrelevant responses on listener perception of speaker attributes, 108 college students were asked to read a debate between two fictitious political candidates…

Studies suggesting appropriate literature for children at various stages of social and intellectual development can offer only a general picture of children's changing response to literature. While smaller children appear to prefer shorter stories in simple language, for example, they readily accept the unfamiliar place names or nonsense words of…

From ancient times, physical exercise has been linked to good mental health and positive self-concepts. To investigate the effects of weight training on self-concept, 62 college males participated in a one semester (40 hours) weight training, physical education course. Subjects were pre- and post-tested on subscales of the Tennessee Self Concept…

Investigated were school children's recognition of social class distinctions, cues they used, and the relationship of their ideas about social class to other beliefs and attitudes about the social world. An ethnically mixed group of 201 male and female subjects participated in the study. Five age groups were represented: second, fifth, and sixth…

Height is one important variable among many in the elicitation of the submissive response. In addition to overt behavioral components, the submissive response involves a cognitive component, in which oneself is perceived as smaller and weaker, and an affective component, consisting of a feeling of intimidation by the other. Submission is a…

Bias based on race, ethnicity, sex, color, class, or other characteristics is a problem nationally and internationally. Both overt and covert incidences occur in educational settings where most educators begin to work with little or no practical experience with the cultural groups they encounter in the student population. Thus the behaviors of…

The assumption that readers understand best and respond most positively to writing and illustrations which reflect their own first-hand experience was tested. To elicit response from children, four books by Byrd Baylor were used in three classes of fifth graders, in urban, suburban, and rural schools. After the books were read and the pictures…