Twenty-two preschool children with cognitive delays were observed during independent play at home and group free play at school. Assessed developmental age was more predictive of play behaviors in home independent play than in classroom free play. Findings highlight the need to consider contextual variation associated with play-based assessment…

A study investigated causes of initial interest in and attrition from natural sciences and engineering among 5,320 students entering 4 highly selective institutions in 1988, with attention to probable causes of disproportionate attrition of women. Reasons for high attrition were based on cognitive variables or the perceived "chilly"…

Assessed the cognitive functioning and psychological well-being of women and men of 60 to 74 years, and 75 to 92 years, respectively. Delineated age and gender differences and identified individual differences that predicted memory. The intentional memory of women was more accurate than that of men. Education and gender, along with processing…

Comparison of college students with learning disabilities who either graduated (n=23) or did not graduate (n=17) from college found that the two groups differed on frequency of self-contained placement, duration of private tutoring, high school English courses, and age and prior college experience at college entrance. Gender differences were also…

Telephone interviews were conducted with parents of 1,601 children to investigate the utility of a statewide (Ohio), first-step screening procedure called Developmental Profile II. With developmental delay specified as the outcome variable, six independent variables representing environmental and biological determinants were identified.…

Reviews recent research exploring the relationship between school inputs and student outcomes, focusing on the work of Ronald F. Ferguson (1991). Ferguson's research provides new information about what school inputs are important in predicting outcomes, and where expenditures are most likely to improve student performance. (SLD)

Research on self-concept, attributions, anxiety, depression, and suicide among adolescents with learning disability is examined for the purpose of detecting consistency of emotional and developmental indicators. Analysis indicates that these students appear to be at increased risk for severe depression and suicide. (Author/DB)

This study investigated the relationship between specific teacher evaluation items and course rating by students (n=1,064) at the University of Yaounde (Cameroon). Results suggest variables (such as student increase in interest during the course, overall course organization, and student perceptions of what they are gaining) are most predictive of…

A study of logical reasoning ability of endusers searching a CD-ROM index and its correlation to searching performance was conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Findings showed a correlation between cognitive skills and citation selection and indicated that computer system design can be improved using a cognitive engineering…

Examines effects of local taxes and schooling on private nonfarm employment growth in Illinois since 1980, assessing educational outcomes determinants (ACT scores, school attendance, and dropout rates). Jobs are negatively affected by property taxes, positively affected by ACT scores, and unaffected by expenditures per pupil. Family background…

Study investigated relationships among personality and academic achievement measures and supervisors' ratings of student teacher behaviors using undergraduate grade point average (GPA), Preprofessional Skills Test (PPST), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and Classroom Procedures Evaluation Form (CPEF). Results indicate significant relationships…

A total of 86 girls of 2 to 6 years completed Level 1 spatial and affective perspective-taking tasks. Results showed increasingly accurate performance with age. Task intercorrelations and factor analyses provided support for the coherence of the Level 1 perspective-taking construct. (Author/BB)

Applied multivariate causal modeling techniques to study of college women's (N=663) career development. Found the independent variables ability and agentic characteristics predicted career choice; agentic characteristics and sex role attitudes predicted career orientation. (Author/CM)

Analysis of service needs of families caring for 571 young adults with mental retardation found that requests for community living were related more to family stressors than to characteristics of the young adult or participation in regular daytime activities. Services most requested were those representing normalizing activities. (Author/JDD)

Examines the similarities and differences in the socialization of activists who participated in two sets of 1960s-era movements: the antiwar, student, and civil rights protesters; and community environmental movements. Findings show that social class, social-psychological orientation, and religious socialization are predictors of participation in…