HORIZONS: 2000: A model for gender fair education

This article presents evidence that girls are not receiving an equal education and describes a program model which offers solutions for counselors and teachers to adopt.     

Evidence for a calorically costly negative consummatory contrast effect in rats

For 2 h prior to their daily meal of Purina Chow, rats (which were 14% below ad-lib weight levels) had access to a sucrose solution. For half (Group 16-4), the solution was alternated daily between 18% and 4%; for the other half (Group 4-4), the solution was always 4%. On 18% days, Group 16-4 consumed significantly more calories and gained significantly more weight than did Group 4-4, because of a greater consumption of sucrose calories (Purina intake was similar for the two groups). On 4% days, however, Group 16-4 consumed both significantly fewer sucrose calories and significantly fewer Purina calories than did Group 4-4. These two contrast effects resulted in a 17% shortfall in total caloric intake for Group 16-4 on 4% days. As a consequence, Group 16-4 showed a significant drop in body weight, compared to Group 4-4, on 4% days. A second experiment was carried out to investigate whether the contrast-induced reduction in Purina intake shown by Group 16-4 on 4% days would be eliminated if (1) a 30-min interval separated sucrose ingestion from Purina ingestion, or (2) a 25-min interval plus 5-mmn exposure to 16% sucrose separated ingestion of 4% sucrose from Purina ingestion. Purina intake was still suppressed in Group 16-4 under both conditions.     

Allergies and Learning Disabilities: A Status Report

This literature review examines the relationship between allergies and learning disabilities. Do allergies cause learning disabilities and related behavioural difficulties? The existing research is summarized and evaluated. The authors conclude that the role that allergies play in LD is complex and interrelated with other factors.     

Fear of death and physical illness: a personal construct approach

The Threat Index, Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, and the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale were administered to 100 respondents in an attempt to assess their personal orientation toward death. Each respondent was a member of one of the following groups: people with no known illness; people attending their family physician for a checkup; rheumatoid arthritics; diabetics; or people recently treated for cancer. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that older respondents were significantly less death anxious, less fearful of their own death, and more integrated (that is, showed less self-death discrepancy) than younger respondents. Further analyses revealed no differences between any of the groups on fear of death or death anxiety, indicating that the current state of an individual's health was not related to his or her death orientation. Instead, correlational and regression analyses suggested that anxiety and fear were much more likely to be influenced by a respondent's level of actualization and, to a lesser extent, level of integration. The expected additive effects of actualization and integration did not emerge, a finding that was at variance with previous research.     

Research abstracts

Abstracts are compiled by Nancy R. Preston, ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-2340. Telephone: 315-443-3640. Internet: ERIC@SUVM.SYR.EDU.