Following a discussion of various methods of evaluating the effectiveness of developmental programs, this paper presents a research design for the evaluation of a developmental math program. First, the paper examines the objectives and benefits of conducting formative and summative program evaluations. The paper then identifies the single group…

Described and critiqued are studies that attempt to describe how personality factors affect foreign policy decision making. Political behavior cannot be explained in terms of personality alone. Such an attempt is a psychological reductionism that ignores the chains of causation that run from underlying personality construct to social and political…

There are at least four distinct uses of the term "competence" in speech communication: (1) to refer to some set of standards used in evaluating aspects of communication processes, (2) to refer to some set of objects to be evaluated, (3) to refer to a method for evaluating aspects of communication against some standard, and (4) to refer to a…

White subjects were asked to evaluate toddler behavior after viewing a 14-minute film of a white child and a black child playing spontaneously. Each toddler was presented as both a male and a female to 208 well-educated adult subjects. In Treatment I, the children were called John and Mike; in Treatment II, Jane and Mary; in Treatment III, John…

This paper deals with two questions: (1) what are the the applications that might be made of microcomputers in evaluation? and (2) what are the kinds of problems (personnel, organizational, and technical) that must be overcome if microcomputers are to be used effectively? The applications include proposals and planning, management, data…

Lawrence Walker's (1984) meta-analysis of 108 samples concluded that there are no sex differences in stages of moral reasoning. This paper reviews Walker's work and points out that some of his analyses, however, are controversial and favored unwarranted conclusions. Walker neither tested the hypothesis that males are more advanced than females in…

The study of nonformal education is recast into a broader contextual framework so as to better understand its potential, limitations, and significance. Emphasis is on considering commonalities in nonformal education, as well as its differences from schooling, in relation to processes of social change. The paper considers nonformal education from…

In its evaluation of the effectiveness of driver education as taught in secondary and commercial schools, this report (1) investigates the objectives of driver education, (2) determines what is presently known about its effectiveness through a review of previous evaluative research, (3) discusses what driver education is likely/unlikely to…

Exciting developments in family theory construction over the past few years demand a constant survey and evaluation of measurable progress. This paper documents some developmental trends that have taken place in the use of family theory and in the theory construction itself, as well as the relation of theory to advances in methodology. In summary,…

Noting that junior college institutional research is being affected by two major influences--changing student populations and information demands of state and federal agencies--the author suggests specific questions for research important to college operations and emphasizes the need to reconcile the frequently contradictory internal and external…

Listening is a crucial element in the communication process. To date, however, research efforts have been unsuccessful in identifying the proper role that listening should play in the building of communication theory. To be a legitimate part of the communication process, listening must be placed in a conceptual framework similar to those found in…

In order to determine the extent of loss due to theft of books and bound journals from the main stacks of Doe Library, three types of inventories were conducted: a volume count, an item-by-item inventory of the D-classed materials, and three sample inventories. Depending on certain assumptions, the results show that losses could range as high as…

Recent research on the role of personal space has demonstrated the effects of violating or not violating a spatial norm on the perceived persuasiveness, credibility, and attractiveness of the message source. The persuasive impact of personal space violations has been difficult to interpret because of the failure to effectively manipulate source…

In the area of aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) research, an outcome variable which has received relatively little attention is differential student learning times, or students' relative learning efficiency on one treatment as opposed to another. Although it has been argued that learning times are not appropriate variables for evaluating…

DATA GATHERED FROM FORMER STUDENTS WERE FOUND TO HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR COLLEGE PROGRAM PLANNING. AREAS OF FOCUS CAN PROFITABLY INCLUDE STUDIES OF DROPOUT CHARACTERISTICS AND THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENT POPULATIONS, EFFECTIVENESS OF VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL PROGRAMS, TRANSFER STUDENT SUCCESS, VALUE OF GENERAL EDUCATION…