In the social sciences, evaluating the effectiveness of a program or intervention often leads researchers to draw causal inferences from observational research designs. Bias in estimated causal effects becomes an obvious problem in such settings. This article presents the Heckman Model as an approach sometimes applied to observational data for the…

In Dodge's model of "social information processing" depression is the result of a linear sequence of five stages of information processing ("Annu Rev Psychol" 44: 559-584, 1993). These stages follow a person's reaction to situational stimuli, such that each stage of information processing mediates the relationship between earlier and later stages.…

This study reports on an analysis of preservice teachers' dialogue journal entries for evidence of ways in which teachers develop conceptual understanding for writing instruction. Teachers' propositional statements were identified and coded at a specific level for three themes: (1) level of instructional scaffolding, (2) focus of proposed…

Purpose: This paper aims to demonstrate that students' self-evaluations contribute to improving academic results and life skills. Design/methodology/approach: Taking as reference a group of previously validated scales (part 1: measurement), a causal model is developed. Hypotheses are tested through the structural equations methodology by using the…

This paper describes several common types of research studies in special education transition literature and the threats to their validity. It then describes how the evidential base may be broadened, how diverse sources of evidence can be combined to strengthen causal inferences, and the role of judgment within quasi-experimentation. The paper…

This study examined the problems of postgraduate research assistants in the Netherlands. The study was conducted as a result of Government plans to introduce a new educational system for obtraining a doctorate equivalent to a Ph.D.--the "assistants-in-training system" (aio system). On the basis of a literature study on the American and…

This paper examines leadership and its links to success in five urban schools in Melbourne (Australia), reflecting the view that the role of leaders and the process of leadership are significant contributing factors to the achievement of successful school improvement. The elementary and secondary schools studied offer a range of the…

Using data from a national survey of faculty, a study examined the role of male/female wage differentials in a model of job satisfaction for full-time female faculty. Results indicated that as gender-based wage differentials increased, females' global job satisfaction decreased, with the effect mainly in faculty perceptions of the institution.…

Defines and illustrates basic concepts of dichotomous logistic regression (DLR) and presents strategies for teaching these concepts. Strategies include using analogies between ordinary least squares regression and logistic regression; illustrating concepts with contingency tables; and linking logistic regression concepts to interpretation of…

Examined relationship between verbal and physical aggression in marriage, using data from 1985 National Family Violence Re-Survey. Results indicated that when physical aggression occurred, verbal aggression occurred also. Concludes that for male-to-female aggression subculture of violence theory best explains movement from verbal to physical…

Critical incident methodology was used to study the attributional beliefs of 211 junior high school students in 4 subject areas. Results highlight the context-specific nature of causal beliefs and their linkages to reported classroom achievement. External attributions were more likely to generalize across subject areas. (SLD)

Considers eight models for the study of pubertal change that explore possible links between hormones and negative affective experiences, such as depression and aggression. Notes that hormonal effects, though small, have demonstrated stability and have interacted with psychological and social factors, implicating hormonal changes in the development…

Illustrates how the details of a real-life traffic accident may be analyzed with simple physics to prove that evidence can be enough to convict a motorist of a serious offense. (DDR)

This study examined causal relationships between anxiety, racism, and self-esteem in a sample of White graduate and undergraduate students (N=169). Results indicated that level of anxiety had a direct effect on anti-Black attitudes, which, in turn, had a direct effect on self-esteem. Implications for counseling interventions aimed at preventing…

Five experiments were conducted to explore trial order and retention interval effects upon causal predictive judgments. Experiment 1 found that participants show a strong effect of trial order when a stimulus was sequentially paired with two different outcomes compared to a condition where both outcomes were presented intermixed. Experiment 2…