Previous studies concerned with subjective organization occurring during free-recall learning have not provided consistent evidence for a hypothesis of organizational deficiency in the elderly. To assess the role of recall conditions in this discrepancy, the free-recall learning of younger and older adults was examined under conditions where the recalled words were either visible or not visible. Also, 5 measures of subjective organization, including measures used in earlier studies, were used to assess the role of measurement factors in producing the inconsistent findings. Younger adults, regardless of recall condition, recalled more words and showed more subjective organization than did the older adults with each of the measures. List length, rather than type of recall trial or measure of subjective organization, seems to be responsible for the conflicting findings obtained by other investigators.

A survey containing institutional and program-specific items examined psychology and other graduates' evaluations of their undergraduate education (1 983-1 985) at Southeast Missouri State University. Psychology respondents resembled respondents from other majors in their social and personal interests, but differed from other resbondents in their educational and career attitudes. ~s~chology respondents were more likely to be enrolled in graduate coursework than were other respondents and indicated greater agreement that preparation for this coursework was important to them. In contrast, they expressed less agyeement than other respondents that career preparation was important. Also, psychology respondents who did not pursue gradwte education expressed some dissatisfaction with the career advising and preparation offered in their major. These findings reaffirm the need for psychology departments to develop flexible curricula to meet the diverse needs and interests of their majors and to provide better career advising to majors.A growing number of researchers have examined the educational and career goals (Lunneborg) of psychology majors as well as satisfaction with their education and employment (Lunneborg, 1985;Lunneborg & Wilson, 1985; hdalin & Timmreck, 1979). Investigation of these issues was stimulated by efforts to improve undergraduate curricula and by institutional demands to demonstrate both the aualitv of academic programs and the impact that these programs have on graduates' career and personal growth.In 1984, Southeast Missouri State Universitv initiated an annual follow-up survey that examines recent graduates' reactions to their university education and to their initial career position. The university develolped a survey that includes an institutional instrument co~mpleted by all graduates and a program-specific instrument completed by graduates with a particular major. The institut~onal items were developed by a campus-wide faculty committee and permit evaluation of university-wide issues and comparison of student opinions and outcomes across majors. The programspecific items were developed by faculty in the departments that teach the major. The items completed by the graduates of specific programs provide more detailed information that can be used to examine issues unique to a major.Much of the research on graduates from psychology programs has not involved comparisons of their responses to those of graduates from other programs. Such comparisons could provide additional insight into the educational and employment value of a major in psychology. A primary purpose of our study was to provide this perspective on the attitudes and outcomes of psychology majors, using the data provided by Southeast Missouri State University's follow-up of its eraduates from 1983 to 1985. " Principal analvses of survey items compared the responses of psychology graduates to responses of all other graduates. Other supplemental analyses are also reported. Multiple regression was used to identify the aspects of psychology ...

This research attempted to more adequately dimensionalize the study of affective family relations during adolescent pubertal maturation by employing a multivariate approach. Fifty-one families responded to an assessment battery consisting of a series of questionnaires designed to measure affective relations between parents and their adolescent children. Families were classified into prepubertal, transpubertal, or postpubertal groups according to their modal response on pubertal status criteria. A stepwise discriminant analysis was performed to identify measures that maximize between groups differences. Based on this analysis, a correct classification rate of 70% was achieved for all families. The two significant discriminant functions that emerged indicate that differences in family relationships are due to the transformation of mother-adolescent and father-adolescent relations. The pattern of results replicate those of other researchers and provide elaborations concerning the affective nature of family relations during adolescence.

The purpose of this study was to describe domains of family conflict and to examine variations in these domains by adolescent pubertal status, gender, and status as a family member. Sixty-three intact family triads completed an instrument designed to assess pubertal status and the Issues Checklist. Principal Factor Analysis with Varimax rotation resulted in the retention of seven factors accounting for 78.52 percent of the variance. Separate Stepwise Regression analyses were conducted for each factor (using factor scores) with adolescent pubertal status, gender, and status as a family member as predictors. Persistent Concerns and Appearance Issues were more disruptive in families with daughters than sons. Room Care and School Issues varied among family members. Leisure and Time Management Issues varied by adolescent pubertal status. Only Household Issues were unrelated to any of the predictor variables. In summary, the affective climate of the family can be characterized by a variety of conflictual domains, the intensity of which are related to adolescent pubertal status, gender, the role as a family member.

The relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation and the use of specific coping strategies was investigated among 58 volunteers who ranged in age from 17 to 57 years and who reported experiencing either high or low stress. Dependent upon the amount of stress, age interacted with religious orientation to influence the use of two coping strategies, turning against an object and turning against self.