In this chapter, the authors explore the effect of incentives on attrition and nonresponse in a multi-institutional longitudinal study. They organize this chapter into three sections. First, they review the literature regarding nonresponse among students and the effects of incentives on attrition and nonresponse in studies that employ…

The impact of biotechnologies on peoples' everyday lives continuously increases. Measuring young peoples' attitudes toward biotechnologies is therefore very important and its results are useful not only for science curriculum developers and policy makers, but also for producers and distributors of genetically modified products. Despite of…

Epistemic beliefs are notoriously difficult to measure with self-report instruments. In this study, the authors used large samples to assess the factor structure and internal consistency of 3 self-report measures of domain-general epistemic beliefs to draw conclusions about the trustworthiness of findings reported in the literature. College…

College students grouped by scores on the Bem Sex Role Inventory rated 74 toys on their appropriateness for girls or boys, their educational value, and whether they required activity or cooperation. Male subjects sex-typed toys more than females, though responses overall were traditional. Gender role (BSRI) proved unrelated to sex-typed ratings.…

Montreal college students (n=457) rated 21 life domains (for example, education, friends, leisure, health) in terms of degree of importance, frequency of involvement, and level of impact. The list of domains significantly related to life satisfaction proved to be much broader for females than for males. (DM)

Examines the relationship of individual religious commitment and campus climate to voluntary community service among college students. Finds a positive association between campus climate and participation in community service among students who lack a clear religious commitment. (FMW)

A sample of 202 students filling in a student evaluation of teaching (SET) questionnaire were asked to complete another questionnaire asking about the specific reasons for awarding a score to the specific SET questionnaire items. The aim was to find out what influenced students' judgements on those items. It was found that students' interpretation…

This study explored the ways in which college students conveyed elder respect. Based on data from a questionnaire survey of 521 subjects, 12 forms of elder respect, ranging from care respect to celebratory respect, were measured. Of these forms, six--acquiescent respect, care respect, linguistic respect, salutatory respect, consulting respect, and…

A computer literacy assessment instrument was developed to evaluate the current level of computer literacy of students enrolled in agricultural classes at Texas A&M University. A faculty member from each of the 19 departments in the College of Agriculture was asked to recommend two classes representative of the students in his or her department,…

Eighty male and female students at the University of British Columbia responded to a questionnaire on the acceptability of cross-sex behavior in children. Effeminate boys were viewed more negatively than masculine girls. Discusses the reasons for this distinction, and the consequences of cross-sex behavior. (DM)

College students' preferences for childbearing and timing of childbearing were investigated with a socialization approach. Specifically investigated were two questions: Are unmarried males and females similar in their attitudes toward desired family size and preferred age at first birth? Do similar factors influence male and female attitudes? To…

Analyzes the sources, types, and amounts of sex information received by 59 male and 73 female college students. Findings indicate that many sources contribute importantly to an individual's sex education, and that females may be more open to formal sources of sex education than males. (FMW)

This study investigated college students' use of and attitudes toward traditional and nontraditional news media, and the role of cable news network (CNN) and its integration into evolving news consumption patterns. Results indicate later college years are associated with heavier consumption. CNN viewers are heavier users of traditional media.…

Evaluation of the impact of prospective students' contacts with the institution is an objective of the admissions research agenda at Tufts University (Massachusetts). An annual survey gathers information on individuals who make inquiries but do not submit an application and on the parents of matriculating students. (MSE)

This study examined the relationship between college students' preference for an immediately available option (e.g., go to a favorite concert the day before a test) or a delayed alternative (e.g., stay at home to study for the test). Analysis focused on how much a student would like to engage in a specific activity, the importance of the activity…