Age as a factor in scholastic aptitude: Some Israeli findings

The primary aim of this study was to test the cross-cultural validity of previous cross-sectional research conducted among adult college student populations in America, reporting a differential relationship between age and verbal versus nonverbal measures of scholastic aptitude. The analyses were based on the scholastic aptitude test scores of 1,711 student candidates in Israel applying for admission to a major Israeli university. On the whole, the data are consistent with previous research conducted in the American academic community, reporting a modest positive correlation between age and tests designed to assess verbal ability, on the one hand, and a modest negative correlation between age and tests designed to assess reasoning ability, on the other. Age is shown to have a distinctive effect on the array of subset scores, which is markedly different from the effects of either sex or cultural background, respectively. Furthermore, highly similar relationships between age and ability are observed within varying ethnic and sex subgroups, although age accounts for only a modicum of score variance within and across ethnic groups. On the whole, this study lends some support to the generality of previous research among adult populations in general and student populations specifically, pointing to the differential relationship between age and varying forms of intellectual ability.     

Sex differences in scholastic aptitude: The Israeli scene

The major goal of the present study is two-fold: (a) To assess the direction, magnitude and profile of sex differences in scholastic aptitude test performance among Israeli college student candidates and (b) to test for possible sex bias in the construct validity of aptitude test scores. The analyses are based on the college admissions aptitude test scores of 1088 female and 690 male college candidates, applying for admissions to a major Israeli campus. On the whole, the data are consistent with much previous research, generated mainly from the American scene, showing small but consistent sex differences in favor of male examinees for the test as a whole and for the quantitative subscale, in particular. Also, the sex difference profiles for varying ethnic groups in the sample are surprisingly similar. Furthermore, our data show little evidence for differential construct validity of ability test scores by gender. On the whole, our data lend a greater degree of generality and cross-cultural validity to the bulk of previous research negating the sex bias contention and pointing to negligible gender differences in scholastic aptitude.     

Explaining individual differences in scholastic behaviour and achievement

Background. This paper presents results from the first wave of a longitudinal study examining the effects of various psychosocial variables on scholastic achievement and behaviour at school. Aims. The main aim is to investigate the nature and strength of the effects of major individual difference dimensions on important outcome variables at school level, including academic performance, truancy, and antisocial behaviour. Samples. Data were collected from a sample of 901 pupils on verbal ability (as a proxy for cognitive ability), personality traits, and a number of behavioural indices, including academic performance at 14 and 16 years, number of authorized and unauthorized absences, and exclusions from school due to antisocial conduct. Methods. During the first stage of the study, seven schools participated in all three phases. Teachers administered a questionnaire battery in class according to a detailed protocol. Additional data were collected from school archives. Results. Analysis of the data through multi‐group (male and female puplis) structural equation modelling indicated a very strong effect of verbal ability on academic performance. Extraversion and psychoticism were negatively related to academic performance, although their effects were weak and moderated by gender. Verbal ability, extraversion, and psychoticism predicted absenteeism, truancy, and exclusions from school due to disruptive conduct. The latter three were negatively associated with academic performance. Conclusions. The findings indicate that major individual difference dimensions like verbal ability and personality traits, have a strong influence on important outcome variables at school level, including academic performance, truancy, and antisocial behaviour. Without fully acknowledging the crucial role of individual differences in shaping behaviour and achievement at school, the timely identification of pupils at risk, and the development of effective intervention schemes will be difficult.     

Independence training,need achievement and need affiliation

American white and American Indian grade school boys and girls from the North Central Plains are studied. The previously shown significant and positive relationship between high need achievement and low need affiliation is hypothesized to be a culturally based and sex related phenomenon. The early training of Plains Indian children especially that of boys emphasizes early independence rather than either affiliation or achievement. As hypothesized, it was found in this study both that white children had significantly higher need affiliation scores than Indian children and that boys indicated higher need achievement than girls, indicating cultural and sexual differences. It appeared also that success is a more potent condition for Indian boys in intensifying need achievement scores, whereas failure intensifies the need achievement scores of white children. This suggests that perceived success and failure operate differentially between these cultural groups. Other results also corroborate earlier findings of the culture bias of « standard » intelligence tests.     

Predicting vocational performance of engineers from selected vocational interest,personality, and scholastic aptitude variables

The study examines the validity of the ACE and selected subscales of the EPPS and SVIB in predicting the vocational performance of engineers. Multidimensional criteria of vocational performance assessed from both external and internal frames of reference were employed. Six predictors were related to 17 vocational performance criteria; of the 102 tests that were made, 7 were found to be statistically significant. The results indicate that, in general, vocational performance cannot be accurately predicted by vocational interest, personality, and scholastic aptitude variables. The only consistent finding was that subjective ratings of vocational performance were predicted by SVIB Group V scores; a “self-esteem” interpretation was posited. Implications of the results for counselors and employers were discussed.     

A research note on deviant behavior and declining scholastic aptitude test scores

Much to the disappointment of American educators, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores have shown a steady national decline for about the last twenty years. Various investigations have attempted to explain this decline by examining such factors as the changing racial and sexual composition of the examinees, high school grade inflation, declining academic standards in general, excessive television viewing, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, water gate, and nuclear fallout. These investigations show a higher level of theoretical abstraction than is necessary to understand the SAT score decline.

Essays were solicited from college freshman enrolled in introductory sociology courses under my instruction. The essays were to describe their physical and mental condition and the perceived condition of others while taking the SAT examination.

Representative quotes from the essays suggest that many of the examinees are drunk, stoned, hungover, indifferent or sleepy during the examinations. It is suggested that future research concerned with declining SAT scores take these factors into account. A hypothesis and research strategy are suggested.     

Psychological well-being and scholastic achievement among university students in a Canadian Prairie City

This article reports the findings from a questionnaire survey of university students’ scholastic achievement and psychological well-being in a Canadian prairie city. Multiple ordinary least-squares regression analyses revealed that sex, educational aspirations, hours spent on studying, father’s education, physical health, financial stress, and stress due to balancing work, school, and social life were found to be significantly associated with academic performance. More specifically, female students and those who reported higher educational aspirations, indicated better physical health, experienced less financial stress or stress due to finance or to balancing work, school, and social life, spent more time on studying, and those whose father had a higher level of education were found to perform better academically. On the other hand, income, physical health, relationship with significant other, relationship with family, relationships with friends, self image, and academic stress were found to be significantly related to psychological well-being. Put succinctly, respondents who had a higher family income, reported better physical health, expressed a higher degree of satisfaction with their relationships with family, friends, and significant other, indicated a more positive self-image, and experienced less academic stress were found to exhibit a significantly higher level of psychological well-being.     

Children's acquisition and reversal behavior in a probability learning situation as a function of programed instruction,internal-external control,and schedules of reinforcement

A three-choice, contingent task was used with 192 fifth and sixth graders in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design combining instruction (programed instruction on selected probability concepts vs no programed instruction), locus of control (internal vs external), and schedules of reinforcement (33, 66, and 100%). The dependent measures were the percentage of correct acquisition responses, of correct reversal responses, and of pattern responses, as well as posttests on probability concepts. The major findings of the study were associated with schedule of reinforcement. In acquisition and reversal, Ss under 100% reinforcement during acquisition tended to maximize the greatest, followed by the 66 and 33% conditions, in that order. The ordinal relationship among schedules was the exact reverse of the maximizing approach for the pattern responses. A partial reinforcement effect was obtained in reversal. Evidence indicated that programed instruction and locus of control affected maximizing behavior, patterning behavior, and resistance to extinction (though these variables did not interact with reinforcement schedule in the predicted direction). Finally the posttest data showed that instructed Ss did learn more relative to noninstructed Ss.     

Reinforcement magnitude and pausing on progressive-ratio schedules

Rats responded under progressive-ratio schedules for sweetened milk reinforcers; each session ended when responding ceased for 10 min. Experiment 1 varied the concentration of milk and the duration of postreinforcement timeouts. Postreinforcement pausing increased as a positively accelerated function of the size of the ratio, and the rate of increase was reduced as a function of concentration and by timeouts of 10 s or longer. Experiment 2 varied reinforcement magnitude within sessions (number of dipper operations per reinforcer) in conjunction with stimuli correlated with the upcoming magnitude. In the absence of discriminative stimuli, pausing was longer following a large reinforcer than following a small one. Pauses were reduced by a stimulus signaling a large upcoming reinforcer, particularly at the highest ratios, and the animals tended to quit responding when the past reinforcer was large and the stimulus signaled that the next one would be small. Results of both experiments revealed parallels between responding under progressive-ratio schedules and other schedules containing ratio contingencies. Relationships between pausing and magnitude suggest that ratio pausing is under the joint control of inhibitory properties of the past reinforcer and excitatory properties of stimuli correlated with the upcoming reinforcer, rather than under the exclusive control of either factor alone.