Investigates kinds of map information selected and supplementary information desired by experienced orienteers. Reports that, based on lab and field studies, that contour lines were the most important map information, followed by information reducing physical or technical requirements. Concludes action theory is applicable to decision-making…

Several examples illustrate the human tendency to underestimate the degree of uncertainty present in any theory about the nature of the world. The fallibility of conclusions must always be recognized by the researcher, who must continually challenge assumptions and rethink beliefs. (SLD)

Tacit knowledge is a generally unarticulated, preconscious form of knowledge that forms a basis for human judgment and decision making. Tacit knowledge is acquired primarily through experience, usually observation of and working with "qualified" teachers or mentors. Tacit knowledge may also be described as "practical," that is,…

A study conducted in Columbus, Ohio, assessed the importance of voter uncertainty in motivating media use and use of specific campaign information. Data were collected from a telephone survey of 540 persons registered to vote in Columbus or surrounding Franklin County. Decisional difficulty, likelihood of vote change, and knowledge about the…

One problem confronting theater directors is how to revive a play in such a way as to give it new relevance to a contemporary audience, and there many unhappy examples of this dilemma. Each director is concerned with exploring the text, and in some cases, manipulating the content, in order to bring out new meanings. Whether controversial or…

Reviews the subjective probability estimation literature of six schools of human judgement and decision making: decision theory, behavioral decision theory, psychological decision theory, social judgement theory, information integration theory, and attribution theory. Implications for probabilistic information retrieval are discussed, including…

The National Foundation for Educational Research report, Primary French in the Balance, was published fifteen months ago. How valid were its conclusions? How much influence has it had on primary schools? Author suggested that there are serious shortcomings in the report. (Editor/RK)

A physician has developed ten guidelines for the planning and implementation of drug education programs that are oriented toward the decision making process and the issue of credibility. (Author/MLF)

Reviews criticism of research on judgmental biases in cognitive psychology and recommends using caution in applying the findings of this research to research in school psychology. Provides suggestions regarding the potential of theory in cognitive psychology to reconcile discrepant findings in selected research on special education decision…

This issue presents six papers that provide both a historical perspective on and state-of-the-art knowledge about the study of clinical reasoning in medicine. A retrospective is followed by reviews of four approaches to clinical reasoning and an empirical study of current work in the field. (SLD)

Examines social constructivism as an intellectual movement in the mental health field that directs a social consensual interpretation of reality. Presents a social constructivism approach to counseling which redefines the ethical decision-making process as an interactive rather than individual or intrapsychic process. Explores how the process…

A judgment checklist can be presented to camp counselors through brainstorming sessions in which actual or imagined situations are reviewed. Camper and counselor behavior results from choices they make. Talking to children about their behavior is easier when adult jargon like "inappropriate behavior" is replaced with child-friendly…

Social theories (beliefs about relationships between variables in the social environment) are often used in making judgments, predictions, or decisions. Three experiments on the role of explanation processes in the development and use of social theories were conducted. The first experiment assessed the effects of explaining a hypothetical…

Two experiments examined the determinants of children's belief or disbelief of statements made to them by other children. In both, the personal characteristics of the child transmitting the message were varied against message type and age of child receiving the message; transmitter characteristics were relative age and social dominance. (RH)