Cognitive processes, particularly in regard to negative content schemata, seem to play an instrumental role in the development and maintenance of depression. In order to better understand the nature of negative schemata in depressed individuals, both depressed and nondepressed subjects participated in two studies in which they were required to…

A study of the gravity of non-native speakers' speech errors, particularly as viewed in the workplace, was based on two assumptions: that certain features of spoken English contribute more to speech acceptability than others, and that native speakers have an internalized, ordered list of criteria for making judgments about non-native speakers'…

A study examined the particular variables utilized in argumentative spots (political advertisements that attempt to tell the audience where the candidate stands on particular topics) of the 1984 GOP senatorial hopefuls, in an attempt to ascertain if any advantages were manifested in different commercial patterns in content and format of the ads…

Many television viewers construct their social reality from media content as well as from sensory and interpersonally communicated information. One aspect of this media-influenced social reality is television viewers' estimates of crime in society, or their fear of criminal victimization. Several media-effects studies have demonstrated the…

Good teachers leave teaching not because pay is low but because of poor working conditions and too little recognition. Since students can be strongly affected by teachers, teachers who feel negatively about themselves can adversely affect students. A five-evening workshop was developed in Dade County, Florida to boost teachers' self-esteem and to…

A survey of 6th and 12th grade students in a Midwest school district reveals largely indifferent or negative attitudes toward social studies subjects. Forty-six students responded to questions which asked them to name the most important, favorite, and least favorite subjects and to recall what was interesting and uninteresting in former social…

A qualitative study examined the way in which literacy is perceived by illiterate adults. To identify the perceptions of illiterate adults toward literacy, researchers conducted in-depth unstructured interviews with 40 illiterate native English speaking adults living in a northeastern urban area. Half the members of the study sample are currently…

The current emphasis on thinness has had a negative impact on many women and girls who suffer from a negative body image, poor self-concept, and depression, three conditions that often manifest themselves behaviorally through chronic dieting, compulsive exercise, and eating disorders. Socio-cultural factors that have contributed to this emphasis…

Images that nations have of each other become barriers to effective intercultural communication if they are overgeneralized, oversimplified, or unfairly exaggerated. The communication difficulties between Japan and the United States, for example, exemplify how images negatively influence the political and economic relations between two countries.…

Data from interviews with 1,966 potential voters in Summit County, Ohio, in 1972 were analyzed to determine the relationship between political disaffection and reliance on television or newspapers for campaign news. The question that assessed media reliance was "How much do you count on (television/newspapers) to help you make up your mind…

The paper analyzes the failure of the ecology/environmental movement to develop into a social movement and to generate a mass following. The movement has had difficulty not only in organizing collective behavior but also in maintaining the necessary momentum to change into a full-fledged social movement. Obvious reasons are that ecologists…

The effect of gender on retirement attitudes among college faculty and other university professionals were studied, and variables that might affect attitudes toward retirement were investigated. A 35-item questionnaire was mailed to all faculty and nonteaching professionals at a university center, a four-year college, and a community college of…

As a means of exploring public attitudes toward political institutions, the research analyzes theories explaining public trust and confidence in the president and the congress. Hypotheses examined include that there exists a connection between discontent with authorities and institutions, that certain groups in society (the young and…

This report describes an experiment in which elementary school children with negative self-concepts as measured by the Bolea Pictorial Self-Concept Scale and teacher ratings were exposed to a behavioral procedure designed to raise their self-concepts. Subjects were 30 children, grades K-4, who were randomly divided into experimental and control…

This paper reports on teachers' views of the effects of compulsory numeracy testing in Years 3, 5, and 7 in Queensland schools. Teachers were surveyed on (i) the validity and worth of the tests, (ii) the impact the tests had on their teaching of mathematics, and (iii) how they were using the results of the tests. Although the results reveal a…