Analyzes results from 38 distraction studies. Concludes it is necessary to distinguish between communication-relevant and communication-irrelevant distractors. Suggests the effect of communication-irrelevant distractors on attitude change is minor. (MS)

Two studies investigated clients' reactions to evaluations of, expectations for, or willingness to seek counseling as a function of fee conditions and problems. Results indicated fee conditions did not affect willingness to seek help or expectations. Although there were some sex differences on expectancies, there was no interaction effect for sex…

Using interview and survey data, two major variables (cognitive ability and student expectations) were identified as predictors of grade point average in a community college population. (Author)

Examined developmental patterns in children's attempts to regulate their expressive behavior in a mildly conflictful situation where they expected to receive a desirable reward but in fact received an undesirable one. Major findings included significant age by sex interactions. (Author/RH)

Used two-by-two factorial design employing two levels of age and two levels of work status to examine whether young people (N=126) ascribe different sick-role expectations to the elderly than to the middle-aged. Results partially supported contention that the young do ascribe an elderly sick role. (NRB)

Argues that criteria for assessing excellence in higher education should be based on a definition of excellence which stresses how well people, programs, departments, or institutions perform. Maintains that excellence occurs when people, programs, or institutions perform beyond expected levels. (BL)

Describes characteristics and treatment of the divorce-produced single-parent family, in which intergenerational boundaries have become blurred and role expectations ill-defined. (Author/BL)

Investigated expected outcome on a test as a determinant of mood among college students. No correlation between mood and expected result was found. However, anticipated emotions, attributions of the expected result to chance and attribution of mood to the exam did correlated with mood. Female students were more affected than males. (Author/BL)

This report, based on data collected from 166 Cuban refugees who registered with the International Rescue Committee, Catholic Charities, or Church World Service, explores refugees' (1) hopes and fears upon arrival, (2) expectations about how they would be received by Cubans and non-Cubans, (3) appraisal of the Cuban situation before departure, and…

Values of 16- and 18-year olds were examined by a questionnaire developed from essays written by 250 secondary students on life in the year 2000 and hopes for the future. Results showed them to be pessimistic and not very materialistic. Technological society seemed to be rejected by many, particularly girls. (SK)

Attempts to assess whether social learning or attributional theory best accounts for expectancies of future success in college students (N=159) with a modification of a task used by Weiner and Kukla (1970). Results indicated partial support for elements of both the social learning and attribution theories. (LLL)

Describes the Expectations About Counseling (EAC) questionnaire, a promising instrument that may help standardize research on expectations. Used the EAC to compare expectations of student nonclients, student clients, and nonstudent clients (N=78). No statistically significant differences were found among the groups. (BH)

The "Test Anxiety Scale for Children" and the "Lie Scale for Children" were administered to 60 children, half of whom were defined by schools as learning disabled (LD). LD subjects were more anxious than the nondisabled, and their test anxiety was significantly related to reading and mathematics achievement scores. (Author)

Explains the rationale, methodology, and advantages of the regression equation approach to quantifying academic discrepancy, an aspect of learning disability. Variations of the expectancy formula and IQ-achievement difference approach produce serious errors of including too many above average children and too few below average. (JAC)

Reports on a series of four experiments designed to study the importance of the variables of task structure and method of expectancy inducement in effecting systematic observer bias. (Author/RK)