Studies whether people from different cultures form different trait impressions based on identical vocal qualities, and whether cross-cultural experience influences trait impressions. Results for 48 Korean undergraduates in Korea and 32 U.S. undergraduates and 32 Korean graduate students in Boston (Massachusetts) highlight theories of ecological…

Discussion of interactive classroom technology systems highlights experiments with a new interactive system called RESPONDEX which was used for both course delivery and diagnostic data collection. Studies included class break duration; truthfulness in response to sensitive questions; course design monitoring; and personality and learning style…

The study, with 89 gifted girls in grades 1-12, found decreased self-regard, self-confidence, inner courage, and self-assurance with increased age. Levels of perfectionism, hopelessness, discouragement, and emotional vulnerability rose with increasing age. Findings suggest the need for strong identity information and models and the encouragement…

Sixty-seven female elementary education preservice teachers participated in a cognitive self-instructional procedure aimed at eliminating or reducing negative emotions related to student teaching by altering their self-talk. The training program significantly reduced subjects' anxiety about teaching. (SLD)

A survey of 555 second-year medical students from 7 schools found academic stress related to general satisfaction with life, gender, physical activity, alcohol use, sleep patterns, and recent losses and misfortunes. Personal stress was related to general satisfaction with life, gender, drug use, sensation-seeking sports, and recent losses and…

Compares personality characteristics of 20 Israeli career women in a Kibbutz with those of 20 Kibbutz women without careers (no education beyond high school). Compared to non-career women, career women attribute more instrumental characteristics to themselves, are more independent and emotionally stable, and have a higher need for achievement and…

French-Canadian high school students (n=558) participated in study of relationship between suicidal ideation and selected personality variables, stress, and social support. Results indicated that suicidal ideation was positively related to depression, negative stress, and drug and alcohol use and negatively related to self-esteem, satisfaction…

Describes incidents of school violence in the Northwest, the young killers' personalities, characteristics of extremely aggressive children, and factors that reduce such children's potential for violence. Highlights from "Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools" (August 1998) list early warning signs, what schools can do, and what…

Examined academic and social defensive pessimism and optimism strategies and adolescents' future orientation in the domains of education and military service. Found that academic strategies were significantly linked to prospective education components and social strategies to military service components. Found that investment in prospective…

Investigated long-term effects of infant temperament on problem behavior and cognitive abilities at age 5 years, taking into account interactions between infant temperament and biological and social risk. Found that when high scores on temperamental factors are combined with social or biological risk, the level of later behavioral problems is…

Examined young children's social development of effortful control in a longitudinal study. Found that between 22 and 33 months, effortful control improved considerably, its coherence increased, it was stable, and it was higher for girls. Found that children's focused attention at 9 months, mothers' responsiveness at 22 months, and mothers'…

A study of 209 youngsters (ages 5-20) with emotional and/or behavior disorders examined perceptions of traits of so-called good teachers, including personality traits, respectful treatment of students, behavior management practices, and instructional skills. African-American students perceived personality traits and respectful treatment of…

This article considers the models and beliefs of language clinicians, as reflected by their choice of specific assessment instruments or measurement methods. Differences in construct and philosophy are demonstrated in a review of personality and vocational preference inventories and several subtests of sentence production. (DB)

Examined the extent to which risk factors for concurrent binge drinking in adolescence can predict changes during transition to young adulthood. Found that being male, possessing low self-efficacy, and drinking primarily "to get drunk" were unconditional risk factors for increased binge drinking over time. Other adolescent risk factors…

A study (n=181 college students) examined effects of lexical ambiguity in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) on beginning second-language learners, focusing on whether personality type affects retention of second-language vocabulary independent of translation issues and in an ambiguous CALL context. Findings support the need for beginning…