The prediction of attrition in trade school courses.

For a sample of 350 trade school students, a test battery comprising the Bennett Test of Mechanical Comprehension, Revised Minnesota PFB, and AGCT were used to develop a selection battery. In addition, data were collected on 18 background and socioeconomic factors. "The results obtained indicate that it is possible to predict, with significantly greater than chance success, persistence in trade school training for at least six months, [but]… the degree of accuracy of prediction achieved leaves much to be desired." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trajectories of school engagement during adolescence: Implications for grades, depression, delinquency, and substance use.

Using longitudinal data from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, the authors assessed 1,977 adolescents across Grades 5 to 8 to determine if there were distinctive developmental paths for behavioral and emotional school engagement; if these paths varied in relation to sex, race/ethnicity, and family socioeconomic status (SES); and whether links existed between trajectories of school engagement and grades, depression, substance use, and delinquency. Four trajectories for behavioral school engagement and four trajectories of emotional engagement were identified using a semiparametric mixture model. These trajectories were distinct with regard to initial levels of and changes in engagement, as well as to their shapes. Trajectories varied in regard to sex, SES, and race/ethnicity. Different trajectories of behavioral and emotional engagement were linked to grades, depression, delinquency, and substance use. Directions for future research and application are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interobserver consistency for measurements of the intangible products of performance.

8 performance tests (5 for Naval aviation structural mechanic tasks, 3 for aerial photographer tasks) were constructed to be scored by the check-list method. 4 types of items were included: observations of procedures followed, observations of adherence to safety precautions, observations of use of tools and equipment, and measurements of final products. Items in the first 3 areas were intangible measurements; items in the last area were tangible. Percentage of interexaminer agreement failed to reveal superior consistency for the tangible measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-discipline gives girls the edge: Gender in self-discipline, grades, and achievement test scores.

Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, girls earn higher grades than boys in all major subjects. Girls, however, do not outperform boys on achievement or IQ tests. To date, explanations for the underprediction of girls' GPAs by standardized tests have focused on gender differences favoring boys on such tests. The authors' investigation suggests an additional explanation: Girls are more self-disciplined, and this advantage is more relevant to report card grades than to achievement or aptitude tests. Eighth-grade girls at an urban magnet school were more self-disciplined than their male counterparts according to delay of gratification measures and self-report, teacher, and parent ratings. Whereas girls earned higher grades in all courses, they did only marginally better on an achievement test and worse on an IQ test. Mediation analyses suggested girls earned higher GPAs at least in part because they were more self-disciplined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal consistency of adolescent ethnic identification across varying school ethnic contexts.

The present study examined consistency and inconsistency in adolescents' ethnic identification (i.e., self-reported ethnicity) across the 6 middle-school semesters. The sample (N = 1,589, of whom 46% were boys and 54% were girls) included African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Caucasian/White, Latino/Latina, Mexican/Mexican American, and multiethnic students. Latent class analyses yielded 3 key patterns in ethnic identification across the middle-school years: consistent, late consistent, and inconsistent. Ethnic identification remained consistent across fall and spring of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades for only about 60% of the students. Asian/Pacific Islander students were more consistent, and multiethnic students were less consistent than students from other ethnic groups. School ethnic composition was associated with systematic shifts in ethnic identification from the beginning to the end of middle school for those students who initially identified as Latino/Latina, African American, or multiethnic but not for Mexican-origin students. In combination, the results provide insight into the consistency of ethnic identification, the role of context in adolescents' self-representation, and considerations for longitudinal studies that examine ethnic differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between grades and a predictive test battery in the school of pharmacy of the George Washington University.

"A predictive battery of four tests [ACE, Ohio State PE, Purdue Mathematics Training Test and Iowa Chemistry Test] has been studied in relation to success in the School of Pharmacy of the George Washington University. The sample included… 74 cases. The following conclusions may be drawn: (1) The battery… showed a substantial validity with grades in the pharmacy school; (2) Elimination of the Purdue Mathematics Training Test… does not decrease the effectiveness of the battery." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The behavioral science in the primary grades.

The temper of the times "makes it extremely likely… that the behavioral sciences will be taught in the lower grades." Classroom experiences are summarized. The nature of such a behavioral sciences course, the level at which it should be taught, and the qualifications of the teacher are some of the issues raised. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality scale validities increase throughout medical school.

Admissions and personnel decisions rely on stable predictor–criterion relationships. The authors studied the validity of Big Five personality factors and their facets for predicting academic performance in medical school across multiple years, investigating whether criterion-related validities change over time. In this longitudinal investigation, an entire European country’s 1997 cohort of medical students was studied throughout their medical school career (Year 1, N = 627; Year 7, N = 306). Over time, extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness factor and facet scale scores showed increases in operational validity for predicting grade point averages. Although there may not be any advantages to being open and extraverted for early academic performance, these traits gain importance for later academic performance when applied practice increasingly plays a part in the curriculum. Conscientiousness, perhaps more than any other personality trait, appears to be an increasing asset for medical students: Operational validities of conscientiousness increased from .18 to .45. In assessing the utility of personality measures, relying on early criteria might underestimate the predictive value of personality variables. Implications for personality measures to predict work performance are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity and factor analyses of naval air training predictor and criterion measurers.

"The most substantial relationships existed between tests of academic aptitude and grades in the pre-flight phase of training. Tests of spatial and perceptual abilities correlated highest with final basic and advanced flight grades. Four significant factors derived by factor analysis were: perceptual, academic potential, comprehension of relationships, and applied spatial relations [these factors, however, accounted for only 51 percent of the total variance]. Although the inclusion of criterion variables did not reveal any new factors, it did aid considerably in defining those factors found." 15 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognition, anxiety, and prediction of performance in 1st-year law students.

Two models to predict academic performance using ability, affective, and cognitive variables were evaluated using students in their 1st year of law school. Participants were assessed before the beginning of classes and prior to and immediately following 2 anxiety-arousing 1st-year academic milestones: a final exam and an oral argument. In the path analysis for the exam model, only the Law School Aptitude Test was predictive of performance. Trait anxiety predicted self-efficacy for cognitive control, which predicted thoughts, which in turn predicted state anxiety. State anxiety, however, did not predict exam grades. In the oral argument model, a clear path of significant predictors could be traced from communication apprehension to self-efficacy for affective control, to state anxiety, and finally to oral argument score. Thus, different processes appear to operate in each of the 2 academic tasks. The implications of the results for law school education and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment at school age and academic performance.

The association between attachment and school-related cognitive functioning was longitudinally examined for a French Canadian sample of 108 school-age children. The affective quality of mother-child interaction patterns, child cognitive engagement, and quality of child attachment to mother were evaluated during a laboratory visit that included a separation-reunion procedure occurring when the children were approximately 6 years of age. Children's mastery motivation and academic performance were assessed 2 years later (at age 8). Analyses indicated that secure children had higher scores than their insecure peers on communication, cognitive engagement, and mastery motivation. Controlling children were at greatest risk for school underachievement, with the poorest performance on all measures except mastery motivation. Avoidant and ambivalent children were lowest on mastery motivation. Results of mediational analyses support the salience of mother–child interactional processes and child cognitive engagement at school age in explaining relations between attachment and cognitive functioning in school. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Skew and internal consistency.

The effects of skew on the standardized item alpha were examined with Monte Carlo techniques. Alphas computed from normal variables were compared with alphas from lognormal variables, ranks, and skewed versus normal Likert-type variables. The extent and direction of skew were varied, as was the size of the population interitem correlation (rho), the number of items, and the number of categories for Likert-type variables. Because the average interitem correlation affects alpha and skew affects the average interitem correlation, the effect of skew on the average interitem correlation also was examined. Results indicated that skew decreased the average interitem correlation and produced small decreases in alpha that were largest when skew was large, rho was small, items were skewed in opposite directions, and there were fewer items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Four semantic rating scales compared.

In the construction of semantic rating scales, what format works best? "The questionnaire used in this investigation consisted of 24 eight-step rating scales… . All the scales were bipolar, and were defined by words or phrases at the scale poles, in the manner of the Semantic Differential… . The ratings were made by approximately 400 housewives… interviewed in their own homes by 11 professional interviewers." Rating and interviewer reports were the criteria. Methods were compared. "Whatever method is chosen, the choice should be made with a thoughtful evaluation of the influences these details of format and administration may have upon results." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construction and validation of a Thurstone scale of liberalism—conservatism.

A 23-item scale of liberalism—conservatism was constructed by the Thurstone method of equal-appearing intervals and found to correlate highly (point-biserial r = .64) with a naturalistic behavioral criterion consisting of self-selected, actively campaigning political groups (Young Democrats and Young Republicans). The scale yielded an internal-consistency coefficient of .79, indicating substantial common variance among items, and a coefficient of reproducibility of .87, indicating quasiscalability. A considerably greater proportion of non-perfect scale types, as evidenced by a significantly greater number of errors of reproducibility (p     

Intra-individual consistency in conceptualization.

An examination of intra-individual consistency in the conceptual behavior of subjects "whether normal, schizophrenic or brain damaged." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive consistency and attitude change.

The effect of temporal presentation of ideas, consistency of presented attitude, and wishful thinking on the logicalness of thinking was investigated. The results were discussed in relation to previous empirical and theoretical research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Car-driving consistency and measures of personality.

Three groups of Ss—10 skilled police driving instructors, 10 skilled car club drivers, and 6 drivers of lesser skill—were studied to determine the relationship of driving consistency to neuroticism and to introversion-extroversion. The driving consistency measures (based on vehicle acceleration and deceleration) were found to be negatively related to the two personality measures for the skilled police drivers and the lesser-skilled drivers, but not for the skilled car club drivers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diagnostician, EdS, and PhD programs for school psychologists in Michigan: A correction and an addition.

Reports an error in "State Certification of School Psychologists" by Walter L. Hodges (American Psychologist, 1960[June], Vol 15, 346-349; see record 1961-02947-001). In Table 1 on page 347, for the University of Michigan, items are listed incorrectly. This article provides the corrections, and points out the rather effective compromise on the much debated problem of teacher certification and teaching experience. We believe that there are two good routes to becoming a school psychologist, one through psychology and the other through education, but course work is necessary in both. We now have a new academic degree, Specialist in Education (EdS), awarded by the Graduate School of the University of Michigan. This requires the completion of a carefully prepared program of studies leading to specific occupational opportunities. We do not refer to those who complete the diagnostician or EdS program as school psychologists, however they may be designated by employing institutions. We reserve this title for those who have completed the doctorate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of the forced-choice rating scale technique.

Forced-choice (FC) rating scales came about because of dissatisfaction with conventional scales. Reliabilities and validities of FC methods compare favorably with other methods. Studies on the FC method show this scale is more resistant than other scales to effects of bias. Formats using 4 favorable items, from which the rater chooses the items most characteristic of the person rated, prove superior to other formats. This superiority appears in validities, reliabilities, and preferences of raters using the form. Conditions under which statement indices are obtained should be as similar as possible to conditions under which the final scale will be administered. Combining FC scores with other scale scores yields better results than using either instrument alone. Ample evidence exists that more research can fruitfully be done in the area. (54 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A portrait of benchmark school: How a school produces high achievement in students who previously failed.

This is a case study of Benchmark School, which educates 6- to 15-year-olds with a history of school failure. Grounded theory methodology was employed to generate a theory about how the school promotes achievement. Many elements potentially promoting academic achievement were identified, including ones informed by psychological theory and research (e.g., evidence-based literacy instructional practices, strategies instruction, conceptually focused content instruction, many mechanisms to motivate students) but also, selective admissions, human resources (i.e., well-trained teachers, supportive parents, skilled counselors), small class size, and a supportive physical context. The theory that emerges is that many elements must be articulated to remediate struggling elementary students, although some are more important than others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)