Item analyses of the concept assessment kit-conservation for educable mentally retarded children

A series of item analyses of the CAK-C was conducted for a sample of 155 educable mentally retarded children. The probability of a correct response was found to differ from task to task, and there was evidence that the order of difficulty of the tasks for this sample resembled that for nonretarded children. The probabilities of the two incorrect responses were generally not equal, and the choice of one or the other incorrect response showed some relation to CA, MA, and IQ, particularly the last two variables.     

Wishes of fourth-through seventh-grade gifted students

Three wishes and primary wishes of fourth- through seventh-grade gifted students participating in a residential program for the gifted were collected and categorized. The results indicated that males wished for material things more often than did females. With the exception of fourth graders, subjects made altruistic wishes more frequently than any other wish.     

Continuing education and school psychology: A review of state requirements

Continuing professional education has become increasingly important over the past several years. Recognizing that school psychologists need to update skills on a regular basis, professional organizations in school psychology have developed programs for continuing education. While the interest to participate in such programs seems high, possible conflicts with the requirements of state departments of education may prevent such programs from achieving their potential for success. A survey was conducted to determine present standards for continuing education of school psychologists among state departments of education. The results of this survey are discussed and recommendations are offered to local and state school psychology organizations.     

Effects of involving conduct problem adolescents in goal setting: An exploratory investigation

Effects of involving conduct problem adolescents in goal setting were assessed. Two levels of goal setting were compared: Level 1—pupils were involved with a school counselor in goal setting as a basis for individual behavioral counseling intervention; Level 2—pupils were informed by a counselor that goals were being set, but were not involved in the goal-setting process. Four public school counselors and 16 adolescents were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions, with individual behavioral counseling being provided during a 10-week period. Results indicated greater degree of goal attainment and satisfaction with counseling for pupils who participated in goal setting.     

Matching teaching to learners: A review of a decade of research

Thirty-five studies relating to D. E. Hunt's notion of matching environments to learners were reviewed. The studies were grouped according to their outcome measures into affective, behavioral, and achievement outcomes. Empirical support for the matching principle was found for all three outcomes, but varied from strong support for affective and behavioral criteria to moderate support for achievement. The article discusses these differences, and advocates that future research studies give greater attention to the conceptualization and measurement of teaching environments. It concludes that there is empirical validation for the matching principle, and that matching is a meaningful way of describing the process of adapting instructional approaches to student differences.     

A guide to McCarthy interpretation

The aim of the present study was to develop a system of tables to facilitate interpretation of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities. Tables are presented that organize the McCarthy subtests according to Bannatyne's, Sattler's, and Meeker's systems of interpretation. In addition, tables that organize the McCarthy Scales into categories that reflect factors likely to influence various subtests are presented. These tables will provide a more structured approach to McCarthy interpretation and a straightforward empirical method for generating hypotheses regarding individual strengths and weaknesses in intellectual ability.     

The effects of extrinsic reinforcement on intrinsic motivation

In this paper, the role of extrinsic reinforcement in intrinsic motivation is discussed in terms of Deci's cognitive attribution theory. The competing response hypothesis and the frustration hypothesis are presented as alternative modes of analysis. “Undermining” is the phenomenon proposed by the cognitive attribution theorists that accounts for reported decrements in intrinsically motivated behaviors following external rewards. The literature regarding undermining in token economy research is critically evaluated. The author concludes that: (a) Cognitive attribution theory lacks parsimony, in that extant reinforcement analysis can account for undermining with equal facility. (b) Undermining is of little significance as a concept, due to its elusive and transient impact on operant behavior.     

Does the WISC-R measure verbal intelligence for nonenglish-speaking children?

Zarske, Moore, and Petersen's (1981) article that examined the factor structure of the WISC-R for “diagnosed learning disabled” children was critiqued. These authors concluded that the WISC-R “is an appropriate measure of general intellectual abilities” (p.407), but the present author suggests that this conclusion does not follow from their factor analytic data. The makeup of the sample also is questioned, and implications of their findings for the practitioner are discussed.