A method for statistical analysis of semantic differential data in educational evaluation is discussed. Estimated scores for unobserved affective variables are obtained using the canonical factor regression method. This method overcomes previous prolems of bias and inefficiency in computing composite affective indices. In an application of the…

There has been much work on social networks and interpersonal worlds, but until recently little discussion of the unique aspects of women's networks. To examine the factors that constrain or facilitate such female bonding, 43 low-income urban mothers were interviewed. For these respondents, female bonding was a significant aspect of their lives.…

This research reports the development of a semantic differential for rating nonverbal style of expressiveness in a population of expectant mothers. Mothers' nonverbal features (facial expression, gestures, voice quality) were emphasized as uniquely valid indices of emotional attitudes towards parenthood and as the principal forms of interpersonal…

As sex-role equality becomes more acceptable in heterosexual relationships, it is important to examine traditional assumptions about "appropriate" masculine and feminine behaviors. Subjects (N=203) reacted to descriptions of initiations of heterosexual relationships in which the sequence of two initiations (starting a conversation and issuing a…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among teachers' goal orientations, structure (amount of directiveness provided by the teacher), and observable classroom behaviors to determine: (1) if teachers with different goal orientations differ in verbal and nonverbal affective responses; and (2) if teachers with different goal…

Recent research that has attempted to define the good language learner can also yield information about the good language teacher. While it remains clear that there is much variation among learners, the following characteristics have been distinguished as identifying the good language learner: (1) field independence in classroom or tutored…

A sample of 51 fourth graders' perceptions of the quality of their school life, including satisfaction with school, commitment to their classwork, and attitudes toward teachers was assessed at the beginning and end of the school year, as were beliefs concerning responsibility for successful, unsuccessful, and overall academic achievements. Results…

Role theory predicts that when expectations are disconfirmed, the perception of persons who do not conform to the stereotypes may be distorted. To investigate the evaluation of sex-typed behavior in males and females, male and female college students (N=120) read about one of four persons described as either a man or woman in either a masculine or…

Under a mastery learning system students can take successive parallel tests with study interspersed between tests until they demonstrate a minimal level of competency. For most students, such procedures increase final performance, yet some may experience repeated subjective failure. Self-worth theory predicts that repeated failure in the face of…

The study reported in this paper focuses on teacher perceptions of students' affective or noncognitive behavior in the classroom. Elementary school teachers were asked to describe in writing five events or situations involving students that they judged to be fairly typical and that had occurred in their classrooms. The emphasis was upon events…

The hypothesis that teacher personality characteristics affect student achievement is examined. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the relationship of teachers' selfdescriptions to their students' changes over a school year. Two types of teacher measurement were obtained: observations of behavior and self reports. All student…

Instructional Curriculum Mapping (ICM) is a set of guidelines for diagramming the interrelationships among objectives from different domains of learning. Five major learning domains are identified: (1) intellectual skills; (2) cognitive strategies; (3) verbal information; (4) motor skills; and (5) attitudes. This paper examines the functional…

The attitude and motivation of twenty-one Venezuelan students learning English at Boston University was assessed using two means: a controlled interview and a bilingual adaptation of the Gardner et al. 1974 Attitude Scales. Neither measure showed statistically significant correlations between positive attitude or strong motivation and progress in…

Chicanos comprise both the oldest and newest minority in the United States with the largest number being second and third generation. They are characterized by great intra-group diversity along generational, locational, socioeconomic, and acculturational lines. There is also evidence of increasing differentiation in social relations with…

The paper outlines several studies over a two-year period to develop a self-report and observer-rating measure of sensitivity/encounter group outcome. The initial form of the scale was taken from McMillan (1971) who developed a measure of 16 categories of group outcome; McMillan's work indicated the scale had high reliability. Subsequent study…