Data on reading-disabled and control probands (pairs matched for sex, age, and school district) and their families were subjected to a comprehensive longitudinal-familial path analysis. Covariance matrices were constructed from composite scores for reading performance and for coding and symbol processing speed, and maximum likelihood estimates of…

Argues that nonshared within-family environmental variation is a major influence on general mental performance. Data are presented from longitudinal studies revealing that intraindividual variation over age in IQ accounts for as much or more variability than has been estimated to be the nonshared within-family environmental variability in IQ.…

A total of 120 children between four to eight years of age were administered four sets of visual perspective-taking tasks. Results supported the hypothesis that children's task competence would be a fraction of the number and type of spatial relationships embedded in the stimulus displays. (Author/MP)

Investigates, in 34 handicapped preschoolers, the role of examiner familiarity in the performance of tasks requiring high or low levels of symbolic mediation. Subjects performed better with familiar examiners on tasks requiring high symbolic mediation; no differential performance was obtained on items requiring low symbolic mediation. (Author/RH)

Fifteen deaf students (18 to 24 years old) who received the standard written form of a reading comprehension test performed significantly better than 15 deaf Ss who received an American Sign Language version. There were no differences between Ss receiving the standard form and Ss receiving a Manually Coded English videotaped form. (CL)

Twenty female and 20 male college students studied a passage in quiet surroundings or while listening to preferred music and then either relaxed or read unrelated material. Reading comprehension of the passage was facilitated by silent study for subjects who seldom listen to music and by poststudy relaxation. (Author)

To determine whether the idea is empirically supported that the majority of left-handers were intellectually inferior to right-handers, current research was examined. Inquiry indicated that the cognitive performance of left-handers was not significantly lower. (Author/CM)

Results obtained from 44 children (ages 7 through 16) with sex chromosome abnormalities and from 17 chromosomally normal siblings demonstrated that children in the former group have an increased risk of encountering learning problems. (MP)

The ability of moderately mentally retarded children who received training on the relational concept of "between" to set self-performance standards was investigated with 14 Ss (mean age 11 years). Results indicated that the Ss learned concepts that allowed them to set appropriate or realistic self-performance standards. (Author/SW)

During training of cognitive and motor skills, the effects of massed, distributed, and spaced trial sequencing were evaluated relative to performance of 11 severely handicapped students (5-19 years old). Results supported the addition of distributed trial sequencing to the technology of instruction for severely handicapped learners. (Author/CL)

Attention is directed to identification of the various individuals and groups ("constituencies") with an interest in system performance, and to the investigation of those items of system relevant information (their "performance measure sets") which do, in fact, change their evaluations of how well the system is performing. (Author/RL)

Studies how monetary-incentive effects might be mediated by anxiety. College students (N=52) were administered six backward digit trails in a preexperimental, baseline phase and six trials in an experimental, test phase. Results showed the offer of reward did not elevate state anxiety scores and did improve performance. (Author)

A study was made of factors that affect the comprehension of technical discourse. Results showed that when no visual was used: (1) the schematic organization enhanced comprehension and (2) students who participated in the activity outperformed those who did not participate. (CT)

Investigated the importance of assigned versus participative goal setting in defining effective supervisory behavior. Government employees (N=57) were assigned to self-set, participatively set, and assigned goal setting conditions. Results showed no significant difference in goal difficulty between those with participatively set goals and self-set…

The influence of task difficulty on aberrant behavior was investigated with three severely handicapped students (10, 13, and 15 years old). Noticeably higher rates of problem behavior occurred in demand compared to no demand conditions. In addition, there were higher rates of problem behaviors on difficult versus easy tasks. (Author)