Dogs do not demonstrate a human-like bias to defer to communicative cues

Human children and domesticated dogs learn from communicative cues, such as pointing, in highly similar ways. In two experiments, we investigate whether dogs are biased to defer to these cues in the same way as human children. We tested dogs on a cueing task similar to one previously conducted in human children. Dogs received conflicting information about the location of a treat from a Guesser and a Knower, who either used communicative cues (i.e., pointing; Experiments 1 and 2), non-communicative physical cues (i.e., a wooden marker; Experiment 1), or goal-directed actions (i.e., grasping; Experiment 2). Although human children tested previously struggled to override inaccurate information provided by the Guesser when she used communicative cues, in contrast to physical cues or goal-directed actions, dogs were more likely to override the Guesser’s information when she used communicative cues or goal-directed actions than when she used non-communicative physical cues. Given that dogs did not show the same selective bias towards the Guesser’s information in communicative contexts, these findings provide clear evidence that dogs do not demonstrate a human-like bias to defer to communicative cues. Instead, dogs may be more likely to critically evaluate information presented via communicative cues than either physical or non-communicative cues.     

Factors affecting the state anxiety level of higher education students in Macau: the impact of trait anxiety and self‐esteem

The aim of this study is to find out the levels of anxiety of 589 day‐ and night‐class students in higher education in Macau two weeks before the final examination period. The Chinese version of the 40‐item Spielberger’s State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, Gorsuch & Lusherier, 1970 Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. and Lusherier, R. 1970. STAI manual for the state trait anxiety inventory, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press.  [Google Scholar]) was applied in this study. The two anxiety scales are nicely constructed into several logical and explainable factors. In addition, the Chinese version of Rosenberg’s self‐esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965 Rosenberg, M. 1965. Society and the adolescent self‐image, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. [Crossref] [Google Scholar]) was applied to find out the relationship between students’ self‐esteem and their trait and state anxieties. Generally speaking, night‐class students, who had full‐time jobs during the day, had significantly higher levels of anxiety than day class students, who were either unemployed or engaged in part‐time employment. Furthermore, based on the results of the path analysis, students’ general anxiety levels might be affected by their general state of anxiety and their self‐esteem. It is hoped that through this study, the educational context of higher education might be better understood.     

The development and maintenance of odor-based double-alternation responding under conditions of Thorazine and Elavil injection

Two experiments investigating odor production and utilization in rats under the effects of Thorazine and Elavil injections, respectively, are reported. In Experiment 1, significantly slower speeds shown by the Thorazine-injected subjects indicated that this drug depressed performance. It is felt that depressed performance allowed these subjects to attend and respond to odor cues earlier in Phase 1 than did saline-injected control animals. Reversing the injection conditions (Phase 2) failed to disrupt already-established patterning. During the first phase of Experiment 2, Elavil-injected subjects failed to establish patterned responding, whereas such responding was readily established by saline-injected subjects. Reversing the injection conditions (Phase 2) resulted in the rapid development of double-alternation patterning by the subjects that were shifted from Elavil to saline and in the maintenance of such responding by the animals shifted from saline to Elavil.     

Short-term retention in rats: The effect of goal-arm confinement on delayed alternation performance

Gordon and his associates (e.g., Gordon & Feldman, 1978,Learning and Motivation,9, 164–178; Feldman & Gordon, 1979,Learning and Motivation,10, 198–210; Gordon, Taylor, & Mower, 1981,American Journal of Psychology,94, 309–322) have reported that a reactivation treatment significantly enhances memory for prior forcings in delayed alternation using rats. The reactivation treatment consisted of placing the rat in the goal arm to which it had been forced previously on that trial. The confinement occurred in the absence of food and was 5 sec in duration. The present experiments explored the possibility that the treatment might influence performance by affording an opportunity for new information to be acquired during the confinement period. Evidence consistent with this view was found in that (1) accuracy was reduced on trials in which the initial event was a 5-sec confinement to the arm opposite that of the target forcing and (2) increasing the duration of the confinement from 5 to 15 to 45 sec increased the magnitude of this effect. It was concluded that the effectiveness of goal-arm confinement as a reactivation treatment does not necessarily implicate processes of retrieval in delayed alternation behavior.     

Team-Based Learning: Moderating Effects of Metacognitive Elaborative Rehearsal and Middle School History Content Recall

Promoting Acceleration of Comprehension and Content through Text (PACT) and similar team-based models directly engage and support students in learning situations that require cognitive elaboration as part of the processing of new information. Elaboration is subject to metacognitive control, as well (Karpicke, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 138(4):469–485, 2009)—successful learners use metacognitive elaborative rehearsal to process and make sense of incoming information even in the absence of structured opportunities or instructional prompts for elaborating. Levels of processing and cognitive load theories suggest that students in PACT classrooms may outperform students in comparison classes because PACT engages and supports deep cognitive processing (via elaboration and discussion) at the time of learning, allowing participants to better conserve and more consistently reallocate cognitive and metacognitive resources (compared to students in the non-treated group) for encoding content. In other words, PACT may moderate the relationship of metacognitive elaborative rehearsal and content retrieval. Extant data from years 1 (n?=?419) and 2 (n?=?704) of the PACT/RFU project suggests such an effect. As hypothesized, there were no mean differences in reported metacognitive rehearsal use across the groups because metacognitive elaborative rehearsal was not taught. However, regression coefficients for content recall on metacognitive elaboration were greater in the treatment group in both samples suggesting that an instructional emphasis on deep processing leads to better content recall. The findings are discussed in the context of the Common Core State Standards and the large-scale testing programs in place currently across the USA.     

Inside information — A door to the future?

Information Technology has the potential to provide virtually any educational requirement which the human mind can imagine. Before ideas can become applications, however, there have to be a suitable infrastructure and detailed procedures, otherwise they merely become historical footnotes. Inside Information, a scheme developed by the B.B.C. and the City and Guilds of London Institute, uses Information Technology in some novel ways and in some new contexts. The linking of it to a short-course programme sponsored by the Department of Education and Science opens up a much wider range of possibilities. The article explains the background to the development of Inside Information and its linking to the Department's short-course programme. It shows how such linking is necessary to enable the potential of the scheme to be realised. Inside Information, as it is now being developed, makes distinctions between formal, nonformal and informal education meaningless for most purposes. Medium- and long-term scenarios are suggested. Exciting as they are, these scenarios cannot become reality until the necessary infrastructure and procedures have been created.     

Do We Fear Ageing? A Multidimensional Approach to Ageing Anxiety

Ageing anxiety is the expression of peoples' fear of ageing (Lynch, 2000 Lynch, S. M. (2000). Measurement and prediction of aging anxiety. Research on Aging, 22(5), 533.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Despite greater longevity in the population, there is a lack of research into this aspect of life (Lasher &; Faulkender, 1993 Lasher, K. P., &; Faulkender, P. J. (1993). Measurement of aging anxiety: Development of the Anxiety about Aging Scale. The International Journal of Aging &; Human Development, 37(4), 247–259.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This research explored fears of ageing across four dimensions: Fear of Old People, Physical Appearance, Psychological Concerns, and Fear of Losses. Three hundred and forty eight participants aged 18–88 participated in an online survey. Findings were: (a) men and women have different fears of ageing; (b) greater quality contact is related to less ageing anxiety; (c) poor health is related to greater ageing anxiety, (d) ageism, defined by Nelson (2005 Nelson, T. D. (2005). Ageism: Prejudice against our feared future self. Journal of Social Issues, 61(2), 207–221.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) as prejudice toward ageing is positively correlated with ageing anxiety. The implications of these findings are that better quality contact and more positive attitudes toward ageing are associated with less ageing anxiety. As such, possible key target areas in developing appropriate interventions are provided, with hope to prepare adults of all ages for the inevitable—life is a terminal illness, so enjoy while you can.     

Analysing novices analysing Prolog: what stories do novices tell themselves about Prolog?

Informal observations of Prolog learners showed that, despite being presented with correct information and models, students still tended to construct their own idiosyncratic explanations of events, and, characteristically, they defended these ‘stories’ fiercely when tutorial intervention was attempted. Although the stories were often so flawed that the student's future progress was potentially hampered, it was nevertheless true that learning could not have proceeded at all without them. It seems that if we are to understand the novice Prolog programmer, we need to know about these stories, their source, and what, if anything, they have in common from one learner to another. Pain and Bundy (1987) posed the question “What stories should we tell novice Prolog programmers?” in order to teach them Prolog. In our research, we ask: “What stories do novices Prolog programmers tell themselves?” in order to learn Prolog. Observational studies undertaken showed that students used tacit knowledge of human discourse processes both to interpret the language used to communicate with the computer and to interpret the behaviour of the machine. Students did not appreciate the fundamental differences between natural discourse (as takes place amongst humans) and formal discourse (as takes place between humans and machines), and confused elements of the discourse levels. This can be an effective initial learning strategy, but unless its limitations are recognised, programs are inevitably incomplete at some level. Examples from these studies are reported here with illustrative protocol fragments.     

The Preschool Learning Assessment Device: An approach to the dynamic assessment of young children

This paper describes the Preschool Learning Assessment Device, a dynamic assessment approach appropriate for use with children between the ages of three through five years. The approach is related to Feuerstein’s Learning Potential Assessment Device and to a general dynamic assessment paradigm. Research information from two studies investigating this procedure is described, and a specific case example is provided.     

Time dependent effects of double cuing in directed forgetting

Previous research in directed forgetting in pigeons has focused on the effect of single forget cues (F-cues) interpolated within the retention interval in delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS). The present series of experiments focuses on the ability of a remember cue (R-cue) to cancel the effects of a previously presented forget cue both when the forget cue occurs within the retention interval and when the forget cue precedes sample presentation. In the first experiment, an R-cue decreased the effect of an F-cue within the same retention interval in successive DMTS if the R-cue immediately followed the F-cue, but not if the second cue was delayed until the end of the retention interval. In Experiment 2, the double-cue effect was extended to choice DMTS. In addition, when a novel stimulus replaced the R-cue in the double-cue probe trials, matching performance was not restored, indicating that through its conditioning history the R-cue had gained control over memory processes in a direction opposite to that of the F-cue. Experiment 3 presents evidence that presample R- and F-cues can also effectively gain control over matching performance. Matching to R-cued samples was superior to matching to F-cued samples. When F-cued samples were followed immediately by R-cues, matching performance was not restored to R-cue levels, suggesting differential encoding of the R-cued and F-cued samples.     

Mathematical education versus critical education

This paper concentrates upon the relationship between mathematical education (ME) and critical education (CE) connected with the Frankfurt School and Critical Theory. To make the discussion as precise as possible a distinction is made between three alternatives in ME: Structuralism, pragmatism, and process-orientation. These alternatives are related to the key terms of CE in order to show the extent to which ME and CE contradict each other. The conclusion is that there does not exist any integration — nor even any close relationship-between ME and CE. Finally, this result is discussed in the light of the following two theses:

1. It is necessary to increase the interaction between ME and CE, if ME is not to degenerate into one of the most important ways of socializing students into the technological society and at the same time destroying the possibilities for developing a critical attitude towards precisely this technological society.
2. It is important for CE to interact with subjects from the technical sciences, and among these ME, if CE is not to be taken over by the technological development and fade away into an unimportant and uncritical educational theory.

     

Perceptual context effects on line discriminations by monkeys as measured by choice response accuracy and eye movements

Stumptailed monkeys (Macaca arctoides) were given two two-choice line-discrimination problems in which the lines were presented either alone or embedded in a patterned context that was the same in all cases. When the stimuli were a left- and a right-tilting line, the addition of the context significantly improved performance, as measured by frequency of correct choice responses. It also decreased choice response latency, duration of visual fixations, and frequency of scanning back and forth between the two stimuli. When the stimuli were a horizontal and a vertical line, the addition of the context had the opposite effect on all the performance measures. These results are very similar to those found with adult and infant humans when given the same stimuli. They suggest that the pattern perception of monkeys, like that of humans, involves top-down or holistic processing of incoming visual information.     

Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and home learning environment (HLE): findings from a longitudinal study

The concept of “Home Learning Environment” (HLE) covers activities in a family providing intellectual stimulation for a child, such as reading to him or her or visiting libraries. Numerous studies have shown an association between HLE and children's cognitive development. In this longitudinal study, we focus on HLE as a predictor for children's behavioral development, namely, for later symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), controlling for relevant aspects like socioeconomic status (SES), or television viewing behavior. We analyzed the development of ADHD symptoms from kindergarten to the end of grade 2 and possible associations with HLE, SES, and television exposure, using a German community sample (N?=?924). Results indicated that ADHD symptoms were negatively and significantly correlated to HLE for all five measurement points as well as to SES (except T4) and to television exposure for T1 to T4. Observing later development, only early HLE but not SES or television exposure served as a significant predictor for ADHD symptoms at school, when age, sex, and ADHD symptoms in kindergarten were controlled for. A structural equation model showed that HLE acted as a mediator between SES and later ADHD symptoms. Our results highlight the importance of the concept of home learning environment also for children's behavioral development. As a consequence, parents should be supported in offering their children a more favorable learning environment.     

The PISA mathematics regime: knowledge structures and practices of the self

Within mathematics education research, the responses to the Programme for International Student Assessment’s (PISA’s) international testing regime tend to accept its framework and results as necessary points of reference, even when offering a critical reinterpretation or challenging national policy discourses based on PISA. In this article, we offer a different approach to the critique of PISA, drawing on theoretical tools provided by Bernstein and Foucault, to ask what the PISA regime achieves. Our understanding of this achievement encompasses both the production of knowledge structures and the production of students, teachers and other agents as subjects. We propose that the theoretical approach we offer provides a methodological entry point into analysis of the texts comprising the PISA mathematics regime. Analysis of a single PISA item is used to illustrate the insights that may be gained from such a theoretical lens. Such insights into the logic of PISA have the potential to allow us better to understand and hence contest the role that PISA and other large-scale assessment regimes may play in global and local policy discourses.     

Changes in education in the U.K. and Australia: Common imperatives,predictable outcomes

This paper draws comparisons between the U.K. and Australia (with particular reference to New South Wales) with regard to proposals to a changed school curriculum together with proposed changes in Higher Education. The authors note that the content of the proposed common core curriculum in U.K. schools is very similar to the New South Wales proposal. Further there seems to be little change in the U.K. at least from what was offered there in 1904. In looking at the parallels between the two education systems it is suggested by the authors that there is a hidden agenda particularly in the U.K. Does this hold for Australia as well? The implication is that Australia is following this path. The authors conclude that a divided society is too high a price for us to pay in Australia.     

Short-term memory for order but not for item information is impaired in developmental dyslexia

Recent findings suggest that people with dyslexia experience difficulties with the learning of serial order information during the transition from short- to long-term memory (Szmalec et al. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition 37(5): 1270-1279, 2011). At the same time, models of short-term memory increasingly incorporate a distinction of order and item processing (Majerus et al. Cognition 107: 395-419, 2008). The current study is aimed to investigate whether serial order processing deficiencies in dyslexia can be traced back to a selective impairment of short-term memory for serial order and whether this impairment also affects processing beyond the verbal domain. A sample of 26 adults with dyslexia and a group of age and IQ-matched controls participated in a 2?×?2?×?2 experiment in which we assessed short-term recognition performance for order and item information, using both verbal and nonverbal material. Our findings indicate that, irrespective of the type of material, participants with dyslexia recalled the individual items with the same accuracy as the matched control group, whereas the ability to recognize the serial order in which those items were presented appeared to be affected in the dyslexia group. We conclude that dyslexia is characterized by a selective impairment of short-term memory for serial order, but not for item information, and discuss the integration of these findings into current theoretical views on dyslexia and its associated dysfunctions.     

Serial learning and transfer in rats: Effects of changes in stimulus-stimulus associations,pattern structure,and serial position information

Four groups of rats (n=6 per group) were trained in a runway on a serial learning task. Groups were treated identically in Phase 1, receiving two daily presentations of a five-element series consisting of decreasing numbers of .045-g food pellets over successive runs, for example, 14-7-3-1-0. All groups learned to anticipate, and run slowly to, the terminal 0-pellet element, behavior that has been attributed to learning of a less-than rule, stimulus-stimulus (S-S) associations, and knowledge of the serial position of items. In Phase 2, subjects were transferred to one of four test series: 20-14-7-3-0,20-7-3-14-0, 20-14-7-3-1-0, or 20-7-14-3-1-0. Anticipation was disrupted on the first two series, which maintained the integrity of serial position information and in the first case the less-than rule, but eliminated the terminal portion of the associative chain. Anticipation was unimpaired by transfer to either of the last two series. These series maintained the integrity of the terminal 3-1-0 portion of the associative chain but presented altered information about serial position, and in the last case also altered the less-than rule. The results, which supported the memory-discrimination model of rat serial learning, are discussed with reference to related transfer experiments in human serial learning.     

Academic Competence in Preschool: Exploring the Role of Close Relationships and Anxiety

This study tested a conceptual model of a psychosocial pathway to academic competence in preschool. Developmental theory and research with older children suggest that social and psychological factors could have a significant impact on young children's learning and school readiness. Children in 3 preschool classrooms (N = 31) participated. Mothers' perceptions of their children as more or less trusting and secure at age 3 years were rated on the Attachment Behavior Q-Set (Waters, 1987 Waters, E. 1987. “Attachment Behavior Q-Set”. (Revision 3.0). Unpublished instrument, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Department of Psychology. [Google Scholar]). Sociometric ratings were collected from classmates 1 year later through individual picture interviews. Preschool teachers rated children's academic competence and trait anxiety. Attachment Behavior Q-Set scores at age 3 were associated with teacher ratings of academic competence the following year (ages 4–5 years). However, this effect was mediated by 2 intervening psychosocial variables: anxiety and peer acceptance. Early secure attachment to parents may (a) potentiate less anxiety, removing emotional barriers to learning; and (b) enhance positive relationships with peers, perhaps motivating children to engage more in the preschool curriculum and leading to relatively greater academic competence. Adopting preschool curricula that foster positive peer relationships, anxiety regulation skills, and supportive parent—child relationships could indirectly enhance preschool children's academic competence and school readiness.     

Homework Stress: Construct Validation of a Measure

This article presents 2 studies aimed at validating a measure of stress experienced by children and parents around the issue of homework, applying Benson's program of validation (Benson, 1998 Benson, J. 1998. Developing a strong program of construct validation: A test anxiety example. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 17: 10–17. doi: 10.1111/j.1745–3992.1998.tb00616.x[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Study 1 provides external validity of the measure by supporting hypothesized relations between stress around homework and students’ and parents’ positive and negative affect, students’ sense of competence, and students’ type of motivation. In Study 2, the measure was administered to students with and without learning disability—2 groups assumed to differ in the level of stress experienced while doing homework. Results of both studies support the validity of the measure.     

Reduction in State Anxiety Scores of Freshmen through a Course in Career Decision

A total of 112 Taiwanese junior college freshmen, assigned to an experimental group (N=59) and a control group (N=62), responded to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. After they had participated in a career education course the experimental group scores on state anxiety decreased. An analysis of variance of the state anxiety scores yielded two main significant effects (group and trait anxiety) and a two-way interaction was found with trait anxiety and group. There was clear support for the importance of the career education course. The results and implications for continuing research are discussed.