The orienting role of objectives was examined in relation to text organization--defined in terms of ideational prominence of elements. Ideational prominence, which was manipulated, did influence learning, but lost its effect when relevant objectives were provided. Both orienting factors were also found to be little influenced by a time constraint.…

Previous "educational seduction" research suggested that teacher differences in expressiveness controlled the degree to which lecture content affected student ratings differently from student achievement. We attempted to replicate this Expressiveness x Content x Measures interaction in four simulated college classes. Student incentive and study…

The generalizability and validity of student ratings were examined by studying within-class and between-classes correlations of ratings with other variables for regular faculty and their teaching assistants. Most ratings are generalizable, but only some are related to learning. Certain aspects vary with instructor's role and the level of data.…

Gifted and nongifted children in grades 4 to 6 judged the importance of intelligence, creativity, and personal-social characteristics in teachers' classroom behavior. All children, regardless of intelligence, creativity, sex, or age, valued the intelligence domain of teacher behavior much more than the other two. (Author/RD)

Twenty primary abilities were measured using the Comprehensive Ability Battery. Factor analysis produced six oblique second-stratum factors. Four were identified as capacities in Cattell's triadic theory of ability structure. Correlations among factors yielded three oblique third-stratum factors. Implications for a hierarchical conceptualization…

Effects of desegregation on interethnic attitudes, interethnic contact, and self-esteem of fifth and sixth grade Blacks, Whites and Mexican Americans were investigated. All groups were found to be highly ethnocentric. White and Black students from segregated backgrounds had more negative attitudes toward out-group and in-group members after…

Children's metacognitive awareness of variables (such as person, task, goals, and strategy) that influence reading was assessed with an interview. Second graders were aware of some reading dimensions but were less sensitive to semantic structure than sixth graders. Relations among instruction, metacognitive development, and reading proficiency are…

Kindergarten children were administered a paired-associate learning task at the beginning and end of the school-year, under either regular (control) or self-generated visual imagery instructions. Age predicted performance in the imagery but not in the control condition. Results supported the developmental imagery hypothesis. (Author/RD)

In both cued and noncued conditions, young adult and middle aged females were presented with immediate and delayed free recall tasks using historical prose passages. Results indicated there were no significant age differences and that having lived through an era helped slightly recall of that era's events. (Author/RD)

Self-esteem of 350 seventh-grade students from open and traditional elementary schools was measured. The seven open and eight traditional classes represented significantly different treatment groups. No group differences in self-esteem were found, nor were effects found for socioeconomic status, IQ, or sibling position. Girls had higher…

Ability test scores were decomposed into district, class, and individual components. First-order factor analyses at the individual level showed the usual Primary Mental Abilities test pattern. Second-order analyses grouped the primary factors into one power and one speed factor. Decomposition of variances in multilevel educational research is…

Three experiments examined the relationship between reading skill and decoding. Children decoded and matched words and pseudowords of different syllable lengths presented in both aural and printed form. Prior verbal experience was manipulated. Decoding differences were not wholly attributable to prior experience with word units, as processes…

Vocalization latencies of young readers were a function of set size, number of syllables, and stimulus material. Differences between skilled and less skilled readers were absent for naming colors, digits, and pictures, but present for words; differences increased with number of syllables (and letters). Reading skill and decoding are discussed.…

This study evaluated the applicability of the averaging model of the information integration theory to attitude formation in a classroom situation and compared the results of an in-classroom and an in-laboratory application of equivalent stimuli (verbal vs printed). Results confirmed both the information integration theory and the averaging model.…

Effects of verbal and pictorial elaboration on long-term memory were assessed. Second-graders learned a list of nouns by the paired-associate method, and long-term retention was assessed after seven days. Results indicated that although elaboration facilitates initial acquisition, it neither helps nor hinders long-term retention. (Author/RD)