Differences in readers' interpretations of a given text illustrate premises of the transactional or reader response theory of literature. The theory holds that: (1) meaning resides in the coming together of reader and text; (2) the reader affects the reading of the text and is affected by the text; and (3) there are potentially as many meanings to…

Tutor training programs in composition which emphasize interpersonal skills while offering concentrated correctness doses of mechanics and grammar are inherently limiting. While interpersonal skills are important, they only superficially address the complex situation of tutoring. A prescription for a healthy tutor program, one which would allow…

This study compared the effectiveness of computer simulation with that of traditional videotaped role playing in a helping skills course for nurses. Subjects were 78 nursing students at the University of Minnesota's School of Nursing who enrolled in a helping relationships course during either the winter or spring quarter of 1987. During each…

While research efforts have determined that decision making is of major importance in lesson planning, there has been little work that systematically explores the effect of training in decision making on lesson planning, particularly in terms of preservice teachers. This study used four computer simulations designed to teach decision making skills…

This study replicated a social skills training program previously designed to eliminate verbally aggressive behavior in six institutionalized elderly, by substituting physical acts of aggression for verbal ones. The treatment package consisted of instructions, modeling, role playing, and feedback. Dependent measures included confirmed incidents of…

This game simulates trade and food production in the West African region of the Sahel which is susceptible to drought. Players are divided into teams of two and four persons, each team assuming the role of a farming household in the Sahel. Teammates collaborate on production and trade decisions under conditions of dearth and plenty. The game…

Imaging is creating a material picture in the mind that a person can scan as he or she would scan a real current event in the environment. The concept of imaging offers a way of explaining intrapersonal communication, the process of talking to oneself. Imaging also offers a useful way of looking at the role of language in intrapersonal…

When a person encounters a problem, the character, form, and content of his or her response provides psychologists with useful and interesting information about processes of challenge and their relationship to intellectual development. In essence, challenge is a developing relationship that is defined on the one hand by objective factors (a person…

Educators are always dealing with subcultures, whether or not they are labeled as such. The distinguishing elements of a subculture are the values behind observable cultural traits. Each person belongs to one or more subcultures, and the values ascribed either by the subculture to itself or by the greater culture to that subset have continual…

This study investigated the effects on group performance of both the promotion origin of new leaders (from within the group or brought in from the outside) and the reassignment of the former leader (either remaining with or leaving the group). Using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) moon survival exercise, same-sex groups of…

The validity of six instruments designed to assess counselor effectiveness was studied. Four videotaped counselor role conditions were created. Participants, 160 undergraduates at the University of Cincinnati (Ohio), were asked to rate the counselors using each of the six commonly used instruments. Three were drawn from social influence theory:…

The use of video recording and role playing are considered as instructional methodologies to support school discipline management systems, foster the positive self-concepts of students, and improve school achievement. Research in the following fields is detailed: (1) interventions intended to maintain school discipline and improve classroom…

A training program is described that was developed to improve administrators' supervisory skills in conducting classroom observations and conferences with teachers. The program includes training in the seven phases of clinical supervision and their respective skill components, including an understanding of the six forces that affect conferences.…

This research project analyzed the manifest and hidden curriculum of a sixth-grade writing project to determine how it transmitted societal values. Entitled "Right is Write", the writing project was a simulation game in which students played roles of writers, agents, editors, and publishers interacting to produce, evaluate, buy, and sell…

An adventure game is a role-playing game that usually, but not always, has some fantasy aspect. The role-playing aspect is the key element because players become personally involved when they assume a role, and defeat becomes personal and less acceptable than in other types of games. Computer-based role-playing games are extremely popular because…