Four behavioral scientists in a colloquium at the University of Wisconsin discussed various aspects of language learning. Concerned primarily with pre-high-school pupils and addressing their remarks to language teachers, the scientists offered these proposals: (1) language teaching is more effective if taught in a natural setting, (2)…

Based on data derived from a study of three generations of black women in Philadelphia in 1975, the report offers a new explanation of fertility differences between generations, population subgroups, and individuals. The authors hypothesize that varying fertility patterns are due to societal norms and circumstances which influence womens'…

The present study evaluates the immediate effects of an experimentally manipulated social comparison on the subsequent behavior of lower socioeconomic status black children four to five and seven to eight years of age. The effects of four conditions of social comparison are measured with respect to the children's self-reinforcement,…

Research into children's responses to constructive and aggressive behavior in a television drama is provided. This study is also reported in related document SO 008 573. A 22-minute action-adventure television program depicting an intense interpersonal conflict was edited into two versions. In one version the hero responded with physical…

Black psychologists have indicated that new methods which are culturally aware, appropriate, and relevant are needed to deal with mental health problems in the Black community. In this study an attempt was made to determine if university student trainees (one Chicano, two White, eight Black) who had no prior experience could be trained to observe,…

The problem areas of motivation, job enrichment, recruiting, and retention are addressed from the viewpoint of the behavioral scientist. Special attention is given to relating job enrichment and motivation techniques, as successfully demonstrated in industry, to the United State Army Reserve. Research method utilized was a literature review…

The complex nature of grammar and its relevance to teaching today are explored in the light of modern linguistics. Reviewing the development and fundamental theory of transformational generative grammar, the author points out its substantial merit and also its failure to be understood as exemplary grammatical analysis of language rather than…

An analysis of the interrelationship of speaking and reading skills in second language acquisition is the object of an experiment described in this article. The hypothesis tested suggests that written stimuli have a negative influence on the formation of speech habits of beginning students. Objectives, methods, and subject and data selection are…

This report by the Schools Council Project in England examines questions and responses of children aged 8-16, and in particular, the role that curiosity and questions can play in learning. Chapter 1 compares comments of various government-sponsored reports. The second chapter reviews ideas and evidence about both curiosity and questions and the…

The purpose of this paper is to relate psychology to teaching generally, and to relate behavior shaping to curriculum, specifically. Focusing on operant conditioning and learning, many studies are cited which illustrate some of the work being done toward effectively shaping or modifying student behavior whether in terms of subject matter or…

This study illustrates the underlying premise that certain classes of participants may be adversely affected by organizational experiences in ways that are not normally recognized. Schools belong to a set of organizations whose primary function is to socialize organizational members. This function is described as the providing of a process to a…

The objectives of this research conducted between 1966 and 1968 were to analyze: 1) the role of education within the new Polish political system and the political culture; 2) the existing school organization, including the various reforms; 3) the process of teacher education and the role as well as place of teachers in the new political and…

Behavior in organizations was conceptualized to be based on self-perceived power and perceived organizational climate. Power and climate perceptions were investigated as a function of three dimensions of organizational environment. The 2 x 2 x 3 (level of participation, profit or service orientation, and position level, respectively) design (N =…

A methodology for the assessment and prediction of recidivism in terms of degree or extent of environmental deprivation or support is presented. The Environmental Deprivation Scale (EDS) was employed as an objective means of assessing environmental circumstances in a group of recidivists as contrasted with non-recidivists. The EDS consists of a…

A set of tests that might be reasonably used as provisional criterion measures in research on scientific thinking, particularly creative thinking, were developed and an assessment was made of the suitability of these tests as criterion variables from the standpoint of their psychometric properties. The Tests of Scientific Thinking are performance…