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This paper describes an investigation of the effects of group interaction and consensus on information processing behavior when information is received sequentially or simultaneously by the information processing unit. Responses were compared to the Bayesian norm and further analyzed to determine the extent to which groups differed from individuals in processing information and how information processing behavior was affected by the mode of message transmission. Findings of the study showed that groups processed information more conservatively than "statistical" groups or individuals. Moreover, group conservatism was partially an artifact of the consensus process. In the aggregate, information received sequentially was also processed more conservatively than information received simultaneously. Neither risk attitudes of the information processing units nor perceived data credibility were related to information processing behavior. A number of statistical tables and graphs summarize various findings of the study. (Author/JG)

This paper describes an investigation of some effects of group interaction and consensus on information processing behavior. When individuals were asked to assess a hypothetical situation on the basis of various sequentially received data, a definite primacy effect was observed; individuals gave more weight to data they received first. This primacy effect, however, was vitiated by group interaction. The study also showed that after group discussion and consensus, individual opinions were closer to the group assessment than to the individual's original assessment. A tendency toward convergence within groups was also observed, although it was not statistically significant. Responses of the subjects were compared to the Bayesian norm and to utility and trustworthy data. A number of statistical tables and graphs summarize the findings of the study. (Author/JG)

This paper examines the application of different planning models to the new product development process. Various models are discussed in relation to the four principal stages of the process: product search, project development, market structure analysis, and investment analysis. The authors emphasize that all useful planning models must address a manager's real decision-making problems and must be sufficiently understandable to inspire managerial confidence. And since different firms face different problems, the application of a particular model must be evaluated in light of each firm's specific needs. Throughout the paper, the authors describe a number of planning models that they feel meet these requirements. (JG)

The STRATOP algorithm was developed to help planners and proponents find and test effectively designed choice objects and communication strategies. Choice objects can range from complex social, scientific, military, or educational alternatives to simple economic alternatives between assortments of branded convenience goods. Two classes of measured input data are used, one cognitive and the other affective. In addition, data on brand choice are needed to fit the parameters of the choice model. The STRATOP technique and the assorted preliminary analytical methods used modest amounts of standard data and yield very extensive findings, explicitly tailored to the needs of strategists and designers. Further experience is being accomulated with the expectation that the methods will find application in a number of areas involving significant social and economic choices among competing alternatives. (Author/JG)

The document contains papers presented at a conference on global population trends. Conference participants, who represented international agencies and governments in developing nations, investigated social determinants of population trends, population policy, and population program assistance. Eleven papers are presented. Topics discussed include status of population development, sociopolitical implications of family planning, population agency activities, social research and population policy, medical developments in the field of contraception, collection and analysis of demographic data, and population education programs. A summary of conference proceedings indicates that population problems are (1) closely related to each nation's development process, (2) more complex than is generally understood, (3) best understood by scholars in countries where problems are most severe, and (4) in need of more social research. (DB)

This symposium report summarizes three studies from the Houston Parent-Child Development Center dealing with aspects of a Parent Involvement Program for low-income Mexican-American families. The studies reviewed are: (1) First Results of a Longitudinal Parent Education Program, (2) Prediction of Success in a Parent Education Program, (3) Concurrent and Longitudinal Relationships between Mother and Child Variables. The first paper presents a brief description of the experimental design and the evaluation measures used in the Houston PCDC model program, followed by a listing of some initial results based on a preliminary analysis of the data. The second paper discusses which participants benefited most from the parent education program by examining the relationships between a set of baseline or demographic variables (predictor variables) and a set of evaluative measures (outcome variables). In the third study, four sets of data are presented: first, the stability of mother and child measures over 1-year periods; second, the concurrent and longitudinal relationships within the set of child variables over one or two years; third, concurrent and longitudinal relationships within the set of mother variables over one or two years; and finally, the concurrent and longitudinal relationships between child and mother variables. (CS)

This paper reviews work done since January 1972 in children's language acquisition and development. It is divided into the following sections: (1) a brief summary of descriptive studies of adult and child speech, (2) a review of the results of three types of manipulative studies, and (3) a discussion of J. Gruber's interpretation of early acquisition data. A discussion of apparent problems and trends in the current approaches to language acquisition study and an extensive bibliography conclude the paper. (Author/PMP)

There are two distinct but related purposes for carrying out a "discriminant analysis": (1) discrimination, and (2) classification. The primary objective of this paper was to review the outputs of selected computer programs often used to carry out a "discriminant analysis" with respect to these two purposes. Information provided by the programs on requisite date conditions for each type of analysis is discussed. The evidence indicates that to say one has carried out a "discriminant analysis" when using any of the selected programs would be misleading. The information obtained from any of the program is quite inadequate for either of the two purposes mentioned above. (Author)

This paper presents the research design for a longitudinal study of elementary school students, which will examine patterns of cognitive, affective, and social growth and identify the school and home variables which influence such growth. Shifts in dependent variables during a single school year will be examined during the initial year for all grades at the elementary school level. During this year, considerable attention will be paid to the actual classroom behavior of the teacher. During the subsequent 2 years, continuing data will be collected for a first and fourth grade cohort. Thus, in a 3-year period a picture of growth during the initial 6 years of schooling will be obtained. Various aspects of the longitudinal study which are discussed in some detail in this research design are: assessment of variables, testing instruments, sampling plan, testing sequence, testing schedule, migrating children, and plans for data analysis. (Author/CS)

With some justification, the inability to answer most of the important questions in higher education is due to the lack of necessary information. But careful examination of our many faceted questions suggests that more information may not be the only answer. The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) has found other aspects to the postsecondary information problem. First, a huge communication gap often looms between those asking the fundamental questions and those in the best position to answer them. Second, information resources do exist, collected either by individual researchers for purposes of investigating a relatively narrow specific aspect of postsecondary education or for purposes not directly related to postsecondary education. The NCHEMS believes these data can be used in postsecondary education decision-making much more extensively than they have been used in the past. In pursuit of this hypothesis, NCHEMS called together people with unique knowledge of information needs and information availability at all levels: federal, state, and institutional both inside and outside the postsecondary education community. This document presents seven major papers delivered by these people at a seminar, and includes responses to each paper. (Author)

The study examined: (1) the effects of rural-urban background and social class on scholastic performance in college, and (2) the rural-urban differences in scholastic performance when controlled for social class, sex, and measured intelligence. Data originally collected by students' self-reports and administrative records for panel-designed researches at Stanford University (1958-1965) and the University of Oregon (1961-1967) were pooled for this study. The sample consisted of 645 students from "urban" backgrounds and 84 students from "rural-small town" backgrounds selected from all full-time, first-year, unmarried, native-born, Caucasian freshmen males and females between the ages of 17 and 20 attending Stanford University, the University of Oregon, or the Oregon Honors College. Major variables were rural-urban background, social class, measured intelligence, and academic performance. Results indicated that: (1) there are very slight rural-urban differences in high school and college performance regardless of sex and/or social class; (2) while neither rural-urban nor social class background is more important it is the combination of rural-urban background, social class, and sex that has more predictive potential; (3) the top one-third of the 12 types of achievers consists mostly of urban non-middle class female students while the lower one-third is composed of rural, middle class males; and (4) since college performance is influenced by college potential (which is affected by sex, class, and rural-urban background) selection effects are operative. (NQ)

This paper documents a successful methodology for the validation of data in general and for evaluating educational finance data in particular. The report addresses the errors found as a result of the independent completion of Part B-1 of the Elementary-Secondary General Information System (ELSEGIS)--the Local Education Agency Fiscal Report. This survey collects data on beginning balances, revenues, expenditures, and ending balances from a sample of 2,500 school districts across the country. No discussions of the value of the instrument or the data reported there are provided. While all errors discovered are reported, the major focus is on systematic errors, those errors by type or data element that appear with great frequency. This study is significant in that it shows the magnitude and direction of the errors that may enter a large-scale survey and the steps that could be taken to avoid them. Awareness of the types of errors that may be encountered in a survey could permit a researcher to design his data collection system so that more accurate data could be obtained. (Author/DN)

This paper describes data collection procedures for the part of the New York City Infant Day Care Study concerned with day care environment and caregiver-child interaction. This study is a 5-year, longitudinal investigation in which infants in group and family day care programs and infants reared at home are compared. Study data will be collected from two major sources: (1) observation of each child in his/her usual day care environment (at 6-month intervals), and (2) interviews with the child's caregiver(s) (once a year). The systematic observation and recording of aspects of the behavior of both the child and the caregiver are described as they occur during a typical day of observation. The child, rather than the caregiver, is the major focus of observation. An annual interview with the caregiver is also described. Both longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons of the data will be made at three levels of analysis: the global assessment (a superordinate score provided by the Infant Day Care Environment Index--IDCEI), the subscales which comprise the IDCEI, and specific hypotheses. (ED)

This paper analyzes responses to questionnaires distributed to all teachers in the Alum Rock School District in the fall of 1972 and the spring of 1973. Major focus of the analysis is on the two-part question, (1) How do the experiences of teachers in voucher schools differ from the experiences of teachers in other schools? and (2) How do these different experiences affect the teachers' evaluations of the voucher demonstration? Secondarily, the analysis is concerned with a set of role conflicts involving professional autonomy and freedom versus a hierarchical organization, professional autonomy and freedom versus public accountability, and professional expertise versus demands for parent involvement and influence. (Author)

A Formative Evaluation Questionnaire and a Summative Evaluation Questionnaire, developed specifically to assess the Institute's goals and objectives, were administered to the participants. Administered midway through the Institute, the 13-item Formative Evaluation Questionnaire was composed of 2 parts designed to secure information about their: (1) sex, employment status, participation in bilingual bicultural programs, and description of the program; and (2) reactions to the Institute. There were 220 responses. The Summative Evaluation Questionnaire, which was given at 2 different times, consisted of 15 items designed to secure information about their ethnic identification, employment status, and reaction to the Institute. There were 190 responses. Items in each questionnaire were analyzed individually. In analyzing the 2 surveys findings, it was found that the respondents were indicating the significant expectations for Bilingual Bicultural Education. This paper gives: (1) the item as it appeared on the questionnaire, (2) an item frequency selection from a computer print out showing how the respondents answered, (3) a narrative of the item's purpose, and (4) an analysis of the results. (NQ)

Recent trends indicate the increasing concern regarding the broad issue of accountability at institutions of higher education. Because of this, colleges and universities are being forced more and more to base their decisions on hard fact instead of intuition. The institutional research function is instrumental in assisting in this kind of data collection and analysis. To determine the extent to which predominantly Black colleges were fulfilling this function, a questionnaire was devised to solicit information regarding institutional activities and products at the predominantly Black colleges. An assessment of the institutional research activities and products at these colleges suggest that the growing complexities of management and the societal pressures for a greater degree of accountability in the last two decades serves as a mandate and as an impetus to organize and synthesize data that supports the existence of these insitutions. This trend is in keeping with the national and local questions raised as to the quality and legitimacy of higher education in general. (Author/KE)

This report discusses secondary level psychology instruction in Florida public schools. The typical high school psychology student is described. The composite picture is of a student who is white, most often female, attends a large urban high school, and receives instruction with a behavioral emphasis from a social studies teacher with a Masters Degree. Psychology instruction is also discussed in terms of teacher and school characteristics, course emphasis, textbooks, and instructional materials. The bulk of the report analyzes twelve general introductory psychology textbooks. Information is included on the types, kinds, and frequencies of textbook treatment of units, chapters, content, and illustrations. Data are presented on unit headings, chapter headings, percentage of pages devoted to illustrations, and mention of individual names which appear in at least five of the 12 textbooks. Data on the frequently named persons, generally psychologists, psychiatrists, and other social scientists, are analyzed according to the number of pages which contain the name and by cross text comparison of treatment of a person mentioned on at least three pages in any one of the texts. Tables relating to the textbook evaluation, a list of textbooks studied, and description of five precollege psychology teaching workshop sessions are included in the document. (Author/DB)

A three-dimensional model was developed to assist researchers in conceptualizing the research-study-impact process. Drawing on communication and decision making literature, the model relates time, action, and audience dimensions. The results of these relationships is labeled "institutional study impact." Impact is viewed as the outcomes from a variety of audiences producing various actions over a longitudinal time period. A longitudinal case-study approach is the general research metodology used to implement the model. A variety of criterion measures and data collection instruments are used to insure an exhaustive and reliable assessment of the research-impact process. To provide a comprehensive analysis mechanism, a Research Impact Gram (RIG), adapted from the sociologists' sociogram, which incorporates the time, audience, and action dimensions, is used. Other quantitative measures can focus on comparing attitudinal changes over time by audience type, and communication networks can be constructed as an aid in determining dissemination time estimates and communication links. Qualitative analysis can focus on the written and verbal feedback on the report's content, format, and significance. Decision making reactions can be categorized and labeled. Data analysis limitations inherent in the model are that measures become more unobtrusive as the audience goes from primary to tertiary; data become less reliable as the time dimension lengthens; and action becomes more difficult to assess when the behavior is either nonresponsive or rejecting. (DB)

The school district fiscal capacity data (1962 and 1967) of the National Finance Project were analyzed for psychometric adequacy and robustness of component composition. The procedures involved: (1) the computation of the Kaiser, Meyer, Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy, (2) inspection of the off-diagonal elements of the antiimage covariance matrix, and (3) determination of the oblique image components. The results indicated that the matrixes were generally appropriate for factor analysis, but that several revenue variables failed to meet the criterion of psychometric adequacy. The image components, although minimally related, generally verified the originally derived patterns. (Author)