This comprehensive paper proposing the use of evolutionary theory as a basis for studies in developmental psychology includes these specific sections: (1) Developmental Theories--a brief overview, (2) Individual Differences, (3) Culture and Inbreeding, (4) Sexual Dimorphism, (5) Critical Periods in the Development of Attachments, (6) Continuity…

The research described is based on videotapes of 40 toddlers interacting with peers during 10 small playgroup sessions spaced throughout the children's second year of life. The paper outlines the development of an observational system for studying the development of peer relations in toddlers, considers the behavioral forms which characterize peer…

This paper discusses discourse comprehension with respect to individual differences. First, some general principles of discourse structure and the processing of discourse are presented. These principles emphasize the role of sentence and thematic structure. Second, possible sources of individual differences in discourse processing are discussed.…

This report collects together three presentations given by the author at scientific and professional meetings during the Spring of 1977. The first discusses present views of the variety and complexity of individual differences among human beings in the context of current research on cognitive processing in learning and instruction. The second…

The use of performance objectives in vocational agriculture is put into perspective with two assumptions. First, in formulating performance objectives, the teacher must consider the program objectives, the characteristics of the students, and the teaching resources of the community. Second, the diversity of interests, abilities, and other…

Recent trends in college admissions are discussed in terms of their influence test validation procedures. In particular, the effects of new college admission practices are considered with respect to the problem of validating placement tests. Traditional test validation techniques are reviewed and compared to the needs specific to placement tests;…

A formative review of the Interim Version of the "Social Conflict and Negotiative Problem Solving" system, conducted November 19-21, 1975 in Portland, Oregon is presented. The purposes of the review were to obtain expert opinion on the quality of the system's theoretical base and training materials, and to secure recommendations…

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect post-adjunct questions exert on: learning from oral and written instruction, learning by high and low ability readers, and learning material which requires different levels of intellectual processing. No significant main effects occurred between question and no-question groups. Post-adjunct…

Project PLAN (Program for Learning in Accordance with Needs) is an ungraded, computer supported, learner oriented, individualized program of education for elementary and secondary levels. This paper reviews and describes the development and improvement of the individualization procedures over a period of four years of operation of the program.…

This project is based on the premise that a low self-concept can handicap a child's academic and social achievement to such a degree that a pattern of failure, frustration and "school dropout" is evidenced. The project design included the development of a 12-month program in three phases: (1) summer session, during which relationships…

An interactional view of the factors of school success or failure is presented which encompasses the student's strengths, weaknesses, and limitations on the one hand and specific classroom situational factors on the other. The child's success in the classroom is seen as dependent upon the congruity of his characteristics and the characteristics of…

Cognitive styles--defined as information processing habits--should be considered as a criterion variable in the evaluation of instruction. Research findings identify the characteristics of different cognitive stles. Used in educational practice and evaluation, cognitive styles would be new process variables extending the assessment of mental…

The generalizability of factor structures of student ratings of instruction based on instructors' individual differences was examined. The subjects were instructors from the humanities, social science, and mathematics divisions who had had their courses evaluated at least twice using the same evaluation questionnaire. The data from the three…

This document addresses itself to the broad topic of recent structural approaches to personality development and to the major research problem of structural consistency and change in young children's social behaviors. As part of a larger longitudinal study, the author assessed the classroom personal-social development of economically disadvantaged…

Four selected scales from the Learning Environment Inventory (LEI) were rewritten to measure the students' individual perceptions of their classroom environment, rather than their estimates of the opinions of the class as a whole. Both scales were then administered to 10 7th grade math classes and 4 10th grade social studies classes. The rewritten…