Presented utilization profiles for community services and activities for psychologically vulnerable (N=59) and well (N=643) elderly residents of small towns. The vulnerable group walked and rode with others more often. Few significant differences were found on frequency of service use, but the well group participated in activities more often.…

Determined whether three life roles of student, worker, and homemaker would be distinguished by career and achievement motivation. A survey of high school graduates (N=212) showed that generally students had higher level career and education aspirations and homemakers had higher social approval values. Characterizations of workers were less…

Surveyed families (N=910) regarding sources of childrearing information. Results indicated that different family types (e.g., step-, single-parent) utilized different sources of information, but all families tended to be interested in similar topics. Single parents often appeared to have limited support networks; other families most often relied…

Suggests a cognitive-emotional approach to understanding loneliness, explores some empirical work on the subject, and offers social workers and counselors some possible intervention strategies. Researchers must examine the relationship between loneliness, depression, and negative attitudes. (Author/JAC)

Reports a study of the effect of variables at the personal, school, and district/division level on these aspects of the attitudinal professionalism of 1,205 Manitoba teachers: use of professional organization as major referent, belief in public service, belief in self-regulation, sense of calling to the field, and autonomy. (SB)

The effectiveness of a measure of the processing capacity of working memory, called the reading span test, is demonstrated in predicting performance and understanding individual differences in reading comprehension. (Author/PN)

Examines the shift in the theoretical basis of learning from a behavioral theory to a cognitive theory, exploring implications of the shift for educational practice. Compares behavioral and cognitive theories in relation to educational goals/objectives, individual differences, instructional strategies, learner motivation, and learner…

Describes invulnerable children as those who function well despite an unfortunate family life. Case studies illustrate the backgrounds of two invulnerable children. Common characteristics of such children are discussed, and implications are outlined for social workers who may be the best resources for these children. (JAC)

Reviews problems with early survey research methods. Recent studies are examined in terms of characteristics of the stimuli and contexts, and characteristics of the perceivers employed in them. Methodological and conceptual issues in these three categories are used to organize the body of research that exists. (Author)

This article showed that students demonstrate individual differences in their composition of text. It was found that noncontingent students tended to write more creative essays and used more text-creative or schema-creative propositions in composing their descriptions than did the other two register groups (imitative and contingent). (Author/GK)

Investigated proposal that, in an unstructured small-group training situation, participants with dominant behavioral characteristics learn more than other members. Studied two such groups. Established personality tendencies by analyzing verbal behavior. Used two measures of learning level: the Problem Expression Scale and group members' ratings.…

Compared women in nontraditional fields of study with women in traditional fields over four years. Data indicated that women in nontraditional fields had higher ACT scores and degree expectations, felt better prepared in math, had higher high school grades in math, and came from higher family-income levels. (Author/RC)

Describes aspects of Guided Design, a recent instructional strategy designed to teach process skills, in which students engage in the decision-making process to devise solutions for a series of open-ended problems. (CS)

Forty-five brief papers cover four areas: research integration methodology; standard curriculum topics in educational research and evaluation; individual differences and special programs suited to particular groups of students; and programs of research integration being conducted by the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle and the National…

A longitudinal research strategy was employed to explore the developmental changes in the self-concept of 260 preadolescent girls from three different ethnic groups over a three-year period. (Author/MP)