Distribution of probability assessments for almanac and future event questions

This study examines the distribution and calibration of probability assessments given to general knowledge questions and question concerning future events. Two experiments revealed that: (1) People use certainty responses less frequently in response to questions concerning then-future events than to general knowledge questions even when the then-future event questions are easier than the general knowledge questions. (2) Indonesian students previously thought to have little grasp of probabilistic thinking, are able to give realistic probability assessments for then-future events. Cultural and task influences on our findings are discussed in relation to a procedural model of the processes involved in answering a question. We conclude that, as most applications of decision analysis involve future uncertainty, research in probability assessment should concentrate on questions concerning future events rather than on general knowledge questions.     

Murphy's Law and Counseling

Counselors like anyone else need to find as much humor as possible. Following are some humorous laws encountered by counselors.     

Computerized Career Information Systems on the College Campus: A Low-Cost,Do-It-Yourself Approach

For a variety of reasons, computerized career information systems have not made any significant impact on college or university campuses. This article attempts to describe an economically feasible approach to designing computerized systems. The actual design and development of such a system on the campus of Virginia Tech University is outlined. We include a discussion of development rationale, cost, program offerings, and potential applications.     

Innovative Appraoches To Meeting Entrepreneurial Informational Needs: SBA Enters The XXI Century

ABSTRACT The need to take advantage of changes in information technology has never been more important. Because small business entrepreneurs will have to become more efficient and productive, the G.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) envisioned a means to ensure that small business entrepreneurs have access to the latest domestic and global information. Utilizing its vast network of resources, SBA launched two new innovative initiatives — the national Bulletin Board System (SBA On-Line) and the Business Information Centers (BICs). This article describes the critical importance up-to-date information is to small business entrepreneurs and describes the two new innovative initiatives identified above.     

Traditional Education and Creativity in an Afro-Arab. Islamic Culture: The Case of Sudan

This study investigated the differing effect upon creativity of traditional and modern education in the Sudan. The salient characteristics of the two types are presented, with a brief discussion of their likely effects. Four creativity tests, suitably modified for local conditions, were administered to 264 male and female students, with an age range of 15–20 years. The results indicated that the group receiving modern education performed significantly better than the traditionally educated group on two of the four creativity tests, but with equal performance on one test. The traditionally educated group performed significantly better on the fourth test. The discussion suggests there are a number of factors, both sociocultural and methodological, which may account for these findings.     

Racial Diversity, Gender Equality, and SES Diversity in Christian Congregations: Exploring the Connections of Racism, Sexism, and Classism in Multiracial and Nonmultiracial Churches

We explore the possibility that racially inclusive churches are also more inclusive in SES and supportive of gender equality. We used the Lilly Survey of Congregations to compare SES diversity and attitudes toward female leadership between multiracial and nonmultiracial churches. Findings indicate that multiracial churches promote SES diversity, but not necessarily gender equality. The relationship is straightforward as it concerns SES diversity, as multiracial churches are more likely to exhibit SES diversity than nonmultiracial churches. However, we found that a good deal of the propensity of multiracial churches to support gender equality is tied to the size of cities in which they are located. Further, theology acts as a suppressor variable in that conservative multiracial churches are less supportive of gender equality than other conservative churches, while progressive multiracial churches are more supportive of gender equality than other progressive churches.     

Impact of a College Student Academic Mentoring Program on Perceived Parental and Teacher Educational Involvement

This article examines the hypothesis that academic mentoring of college students improves perceived parental and teacher educational involvement. College students were randomly assigned to a 1‐year academic mentoring program (protégés, n = 150) or a control group (n = 167) and completed questionnaires before, during, and after the intervention. Protégés perceived greater levels of parent and teacher educational involvement than did participants from the control group. However, the impact of the mentoring program on perceived parental involvement was found only among students who reported a secure relationship with their parents. Additional analyses suggest that some of these improvements were related to quality of the working alliance between mentors and protégés and to supportive behaviors exhibited by mentors during the intervention.