A case study of an academically gifted college student who committed suicide resulted in three sets of findings: those that reflected exclusively on the subject's life, those that compared his life with 3 previous psychological autopsies conducted, and those that reflected the parents' observations and experiences of his life. (Contains…

Summarizes key predictors of offending discovered in longitudinal study of 411 males. Most important childhood predictors of offending were socioeconomic deprivation, poor parenting, family deviance, school problems, hyperactivity-impulsivity-attention deficit, and antisocial child behavior. Proposes theory to explain results, including…

Describes a study of college students that was conducted to isolate interactivity as an independent variable and test its effects upon student learning, the time required to complete the study unit, and student attitudes. Results are compared for a group using a traditional videotape and one using an interactive videotape. (five references) (LRW)

Two models are presented, which depict dropping out as a developmental process that may begin in the earliest grades. The frustration-self-esteem model focuses on school failure and student rejection of or by a school. The participation-identification model focuses on student involvement in schooling, with behavioral and emotional components. (TJH)

Assessed association between interspousal aggression and child problems after controlling for parents' general marital discord among 87 couples requesting marital therapy. Spouses completed measures of marital aggression, marital discord, child problems, and family demographics. Results showed that marital aggression contributed unique variance to…

A retrospective review of 249 French children (ages 8-15) with severe dyslexia found that families were characterized by low occupational status and educational level for parents and predominance of high-ranking children in large sibships. Parental age and matrimonial status seemed unimportant. (Author/JDD)

Students (N=94) enrolled in a senior-level management course over six semesters were used to investigate the ability of four measures from two industrial tests to predict course performance. The resulting multiple regression equation with four predictors could accurately predict achievement of males, but not of females. (Author/TE)

Compared generic tobacco use among Hispanic, White, Black, and Asian youths (N=4,980) in grades 4, 7, 10, and 12. Found prevalence of regular use was highest among Whites, followed by Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians. Marijuana, alcohol, and other drug use explained approximately 40 percent of variance in tobacco use in each ethnic group. Other…

Describes study of seventh graders that was conducted to examine the relationship of a knowledge of computer ethics to attitudes toward computers and sociomoral reasoning. Variables of gender and verbal ability are examined, a measure of computer ethics is described, and results are analyzed. (31 references) (LRW)

The relationship between level of program implementation and change in adolescent drug use behavior in the Midwestern Prevention Project was assessed. Results for 5,065 sixth and seventh graders at follow up are discussed in terms of research assumptions about the quality of program implementation and possible school-level predictors of…

Examines the applicability of Walberg's model of educational productivity to a community college setting. Finds that prior achievement, use of out-of-school time, motivation, social context of the classroom, and age have positive effects on grade point average, while quantity of instruction and emphasis on education at home have negative effects.…

Compares the relative effects of hands-on and teacher demonstration laboratory methods on declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge achievement. Reports that students in the hands-on class were better on the procedural knowledge test than students in the demonstration class. (Author/YP)

Whether college grades are gender-related to traditional predictors of aptitude test scores and high-school grades was studied. Fall and spring (1985-86) enrollments in 88 introductory university courses (IUCs) were analyzed. In most of the large IUCs, no gender bias held up on cross-validation in a subsequent semester. (TJH)

Discussion of regulation of learning, mind orientation, and distraction focuses on two studies of 12- to 14-year-old students with weak concentration abilities from a special education secondary school who were asked to solve arithmetic word problems. These studies explored individual differences in self-regulation processes, and the effect of…

Uses a review of literature to explain the inaccuracy and inappropriateness of routine kindergarten screening for potential first-grade learning problems for purposes of placement in kindergarten or first grade. (Author/BB)