Early Parenting and the Development of Externalizing Behavior Problems: Longitudinal Mediation Through Children's Executive Function

Path analysis was used to investigate the longitudinal associations among parenting and children's executive function and externalizing behavior problems from 36 to 90 months of age in the Family Life Project (N = 1,115), a study of child development in the context of rural poverty. While controlling for stability in the constructs, semistructured observations of parenting prospectively predicted performance on a battery of executive function tasks and primary caregivers' reports of externalizing behavior. Furthermore, the association between early parenting and later externalizing behavior was longitudinally mediated by executive function, providing support for a process model in which sensitive parenting promotes children's self‐regulation, which in turn reduces children's externalizing behavior.     

Children's Views on Quality Standards for Children's Television Programs

Extending a recent study of the standards mothers apply in evaluating the quality of children's programs (Nikken et al., 1996), this study investigated the standards children between 9 and 12 years of age (N = 427) use to evaluate the quality of four types of children's programs: children's news programs, educational programs for children, dramatic programs for children, and cartoons. Data were collected by means of questionnaires. A factor analysis resulted in a list of nine types of quality standards. The two quality standards children considered most important were: (a) comprehensibility, and (b) aesthetic quality. Additional standards were: (c) entertainment, (d) involvement, (e) credibility, (f) innocuousness, (g) restfulness, (h) thought provocation, and (i) presence of role models. The importance children attached to the nine quality standards varied with both program type and child characteristics. Seven of the quality standards found in the present study are similar to the maternal quality standards observed in Nikken et al. ‘s study. The children in the present study generally viewed these seven quality standards as less important than the mothers in Nikken et al.’s study. However, the relative importance children and mothers attached to these quality standards showed similarity, especially in the case of cartoons, and to a lesser extent for children's news programs and dramatic programs.     

Statistical Power to Detect the Correct Number of Classes in Latent Profile Analysis

Little research has examined factors influencing statistical power to detect the correct number of latent classes using latent profile analysis (LPA). This simulation study examined power related to interclass distance between latent classes given true number of classes, sample size, and number of indicators. Seven model selection methods were evaluated. None had adequate power to select the correct number of classes with a small (Cohen's d = .2) or medium (d = .5) degree of separation. With a very large degree of separation (d = 1.5), the Lo–Mendell–Rubin test (LMR), adjusted LMR, bootstrap likelihood ratio test, Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and sample-size-adjusted BIC were good at selecting the correct number of classes. However, with a large degree of separation (d = .8), power depended on number of indicators and sample size. Akaike's Information Criterion and entropy poorly selected the correct number of classes, regardless of degree of separation, number of indicators, or sample size.     

Progress and Backlash in the Wake of Obergefell: Reaching Conservative Southern Teachers Through the Power of Literature

This paper uses a mixed narrative and quantitative analysis to examine how a graduate class of predominantly politically and religiously conservative (self-identified), elementary teachers in the South made discursive sense of gender and sexually diverse (GSD) young adult and children's literature in the context of concurrent, relevant national events, especially the U.S. Supreme Court's legalization of gay marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges. Using narrative data, supplemented with quantitative pre- and postsurveys, this study provides fruitful insights into conservative professionals' attitudes and practices regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth and adults. Our findings suggest effective ways to help prepare conservative professionals to sensitively address GSD issues in elementary school settings.     

Using Total Sample Size Weights in Meta-Analysis of Log-Odds Ratios

The log-odds ratio (ln[OR]) is commonly used to quantify treatments' effects on dichotomous outcomes and then pooled across studies using inverse-variance (1/v) weights. Calculation of the ln[OR]'s variance requires four cell frequencies for two groups crossed with values for dichotomous outcomes. While primary studies report the total sample size (n..), many do not report all four frequencies. Using real data, we demonstrated pooling of ln[OR]s using n.. versus 1/v weights. In a simulation study we compared two weighting approaches under several conditions. Efficiency and Type I error rates for 1/v versus n.. weights used to pool ln[OR] estimates depended on sample size and the percent of studies missing cell frequencies. Results are discussed and guidelines for applied meta-analysts are provided.     

Randall Jarrell's mermaid:The Animal Family and “semifeminine” poetics

Richard Flynn is the author ofRandall Jarrell and the Lost World of Childhood (Georgia, 1990) which was recently named a 1992 Outstanding Academic Book byChoice magazine. He teaches contemporary poetry and children's literature at Georgia Southern University, and serves on the executive board of MLA's Division on Children's Literature.     

The fictional con man as a teaching tool

The con man has long been a powerful figure in American history and fiction. This study examines that figure in three popular novels: Jim Thompson's The Grifters (1963), Stephen Robinett's Unfinished Business (1990), and Lawrence Sanders's Sullivan's Sting (1990). These novels trace the con man from the street hustler to the swindler, using worldwide modern technology. The authors' insights into the character, motivation, jargon, and methods of the con man will illuminate him for students, who will be exposed at the same time to the syntactical and narrative skills of fiction writers.     

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Applying concepts of Hugh Dalziel Duncan and Kenneth Burke to the rhetoric of Erik H. Erikson reveals that Erikson's thesis supports a social hierarchy that is based upon sex roles and supported by the mysteries of sex and science.     

Measuring Beliefs in Centimeters: Private Knowledge Biases Preschoolers' and Adults' Representation of Others' Beliefs

A novel task, using a continuous spatial layout, was created to investigate the degree to which (in centimeters) 3‐year‐old children's (N = 63), 5‐year‐old children's (N = 60), and adults' (N = 60) own privileged knowledge of the location of an object biased their representation of a protagonist's false belief about the object's location. At all ages, participants' knowledge of the object's actual location biased their search estimates, independent of the attentional or memory demands of the task. Children's degree of bias correlated with their performance on a classic change‐of‐location false belief task, controlling for age. This task is a novel tool for providing a quantitative measurement of the degree to which self‐knowledge can bias estimates of others' beliefs.     

Hope for Children Trapped in Failing Schools: The Promise of Crawford v. Davy

On October 4, 2007, a trial level court in New Jersey dismissed Crawford v. Davy, a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of 60,000 schoolchildren throughout the state seeking the court's authority to leave schools that fail to educate their students. By filing suit, plaintiff schoolchildren had hoped to be transferred to an alternative successful public or private school utilizing their pro rata share of state and local school funds to subsidize the transfer. Now, the dismissal of Crawford consigns these children to poor inadequate neighborhood schools indefinitely. If the dismissal of Crawford v. Davy is not reversed on appeal, it will not only extinguish the hope of plaintiff schoolchildren to receive an equal and adequate educational opportunity, but could threaten the right of a thorough and efficient education guaranteed by the State Constitution and reverse gains achieved over the past 40 years in New Jersey's education jurisprudence. This article places Crawford in the context of the state's enduring legal struggle to equalize educational opportunities and discusses its claims and purposes in relation to that history. The article then addresses the significance of the Crawford dismissal on the state's legal precedents, especially rulings in the on-going Abbott v. Burke equity funding litigation. Finally, the article concludes with a prediction of the impact that Crawford's dismissal may pose for the larger equity/adequacy litigation movement playing out across the country. For the moment, the hope of 60,000 plaintiff schoolchildren is diminished. Only time and New Jersey's appellate courts will dictate whether their hope for an equal and adequate education shall survive.     

Teachers' views on the nature of models

A semi‐structured interview was used in Brazil to enquire into the ‘notion of model’ held by a total sample of 39 science teachers who were: employed in ‘fundamental’ (6–14 years) and ‘medium’ (15–17 years) schools; student science teachers currently doing their practicum; and university science teachers. Seven ‘aspects’ of their notions of a model were identified: the nature of a model, the use to which it can be put, the entities of which it consists, its relative uniqueness, the time span over which it is used, its status in the making of predictions, and the basis for the accreditation of its existence and use. Categories of meaning were identified for each of these aspects. The profiles of teachers' notions of ‘model’ in terms of the aspects and categories were complex, providing no support for the notion of ‘Levels’ in understanding. Teachers with degrees in chemistry or physics had different views about the notion of ‘model’ to those with degrees in biology or with teacher training certificates.     

Knowing When to Be “Rational”: Flexible Economic Decision Making and Executive Function in Preschool Children

Failure to delay gratification may not indicate poor control or irrationality, but might be an adaptive response. Two studies investigated 3.5‐ and 4.5‐year‐old children's ability to adapt their delay and saving behavior when their preference (e.g., to delay or not delay) became nonadaptive. In Study 1 (N = 140), children's delay preference was associated with a risk of losing rewards. In Study 2 (N = 142), children's saving preference was associated with an inability to play an attractive game. Whereas baseline delaying and saving preferences were unrelated to a standardized executive function measure, children who switched to their nonpreferred choice scored higher, suggesting flexibility of decision‐making may be a more meaningful dependent variable than baseline performance in developmental research on self‐control.     

Youth's Conceptions of Adolescence Predict Longitudinal Changes in Prefrontal Cortex Activation and Risk Taking During Adolescence

The development of cognitive control during adolescence is paralleled by changes in the function of the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC). Using a three‐wave longitudinal neuroimaging design (N = 22, M_age = 13.08 years at Wave 1), this study examined if youth's stereotypes about teens modulate changes in their neural activation during cognitive control. Participants holding stereotypes of teens as irresponsible in the family context (i.e., ignoring family obligations) in middle school showed increases in bilateral ventrolateral PFC activation during cognitive control over the transition to high school, which was associated with increases in risk taking. These findings provide preliminary evidence that youth's conceptions of adolescence play a role in neural plasticity over this phase of development.     

Teacher identity development in the first year of teacher education: A developmental and social psychological perspective

The present study examined the development of teacher identity in a cohort of first year student teachers from a developmental and social psychological perspective, relying on Erikson's (1964) theory of identity development and Turner, Oakes, Haslam, and McGarty's (1994) self-categorization theory. As hypothesized, aspects of both personal identity development and social identity were significantly associated with higher teacher identity after controlling for several covariates. The findings have several implications for teacher education programs and point to the potential utility of applying well-researched psychological theory when examining the processes by which student teachers develop a professional teaching identity.     

Sex education and human rights—a lawyer's perspective

The Human Rights Act 1998 is the most significant British statute to have been passed in the last decade. It has already been the catalyst for a series of high profile cases, ranging from the privacy rights of celebrities (Douglas v Hello! [2001] QB 967) to the Home Secretary's sentencing powers in murder cases (R (Anderson) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2002] 4 All ER 1089). Yet, beyond the media spotlight, the real influence of the Human Rights Act 1998 lies in the fact that individuals and groups have, for the first time, been accorded the opportunity to invoke in the national courts a series of fundamental human rights. In this paper I will consider one area that is likely to be affected—the extent to which the Human Rights Act will have an impact on the law relating to sex and relationship education (SRE).     

Further investigating thinking styles and psychosocial development in the Chinese higher education context

Much theorization and research have been done independently on thinking styles and psychosocial development. The primary objective of this research was to further investigate the predictive power of thinking styles for psychosocial development through replicating Zhang and He's (in press) study of Chinese university students in Shanghai, mainland China. Data were collected from two Chinese contexts: Nanjing (N = 362) in mainland China and Hong Kong (N = 117). All participants responded to the Thinking Styles Inventory-Revised II (TSI-R2, Sternberg, Wagner, & Zhang, 2007) and to the Measures of Psychosocial Development (MPD, Hawley, 1988). The TSI-R2 is grounded in Sternberg's (1997) theory of mental self-government, while the MPD is rooted in Erikson's (1968) theory of psychosocial development. Hierarchical multiple regression results confirmed Zhang and He's finding that Type I styles (typified by their creativity-generating characteristics) positively contributed to psychosocial development, whereas Type II styles (noted for their norm-favoring features), especially the monarchic and conservative styles, negatively contributed to psychosocial development. Two of the Type III styles (Type III styles may display the characteristics of either Type I or Type II styles, depending on the specific situation) consistently predicted psychosocial development: the external style positively contributed to psychosocial development, whereas the anarchic style did so negatively. Implications of these results are discussed for university students, faculty members, and for university student development educators.     

Teaching styles in adult education: an exploratory essay

Lapides, J. “Teaching styles in adult education. An exploratory essay,” Revue ATEE Journal 3 (1980) 191‐205.

Two approaches to teaching styles are explored. The first is a static approach borrowed from management research and organizational development practice. In this approach teaching styles were derived from Maslow's hierarchy of needs. They were seen as the interpersonal styles of behavior with others, which grow out of people's needs. Seven teaching styles were identified and described. The second approach, in contrast with the life‐style approach, is based on the assumption that teachers can be trained in alternative styles. Mosston believes that everyone can change through learning and that teaching style is a learned characteristic. Seven styles from command to discovery have been identified and described. Suggestions for teacher training are included.     

《实践论》与《矛盾论》的当代价值

《实践论》和《矛盾论》是面向中国问题的哲学,是毛泽东哲学思想的两篇核心著作,开创了马克思主义中国化的先河,在实践基础上产生了马克思主义中国化的第一次飞跃——毛泽东思想,进而指导中国革命、建设和改革,取得了一次又一次的重大胜利。时至当今,《实践论》和《矛盾论》所蕴含的马克思主义哲学立场、观点和方法仍具有十分重要的价值。     

Treating children's aggressive behavior problems using cognitive behavior therapy with virtual reality: A multicenter randomized controlled trial

This multicenter randomized controlled trial investigated whether interactive virtual reality enhanced effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to reduce children's aggressive behavior problems. Boys with aggressive behavior problems (N = 115; M_age = 10.58, SD = 1.48; 95.7% born in Netherlands) were randomized into three groups: CBT with virtual reality, CBT with roleplays, or care-as-usual. Bayesian analyses showed that CBT with virtual reality more likely reduced aggressive behavior compared to care-as-usual for six of seven outcomes (ds 0.19–0.95), and compared to CBT with roleplays for four outcomes (ds 0.14–0.68). Moreover, compared to roleplays, virtual reality more likely enhanced children's emotional engagement, practice immersion, and treatment appreciation. Thus, virtual reality may be a promising tool to enhance CBT effectiveness for children with aggressive behavior problems.     

Unlikely Crusader: John Eldred Swearingen and African-American Education in South Carolina

Although not a well-known figure either in educational or South Carolina history, John Eldred Swearingen had a profound impact on the schools of the Palmetto State. Guiding the schools to transition from 19th-century academies to 20th-century schools, Swearingen held office from 1907–1922. During these years, Swearingen oversaw unprecedented legislation impacting attendance, funding, and curriculum. Swearingen's stance on African American education was unlike many of his contemporaries—he used a variety of methods to improve education and raiseconsciousness amongst his White politician counterparts.

All of these facts would make him a worthy subject of biographical study; however, that he achieved all these things while blind makes his life and career all the more worthy. Almost as overlooked as Swearingen's contributions to South Carolina is the role the state played in the Brown v. Board of Education decision via the Briggs v. Eliott case. Drawing from Swearingen's own words, the papers of his contemporaries, and both legal and historical analysis of the involved legal cases to present an overview of both Swearingen and Briggs, this article argues that without Swearingen's visionary leadership—or if he had not been undone politically—the road to Briggs would have been quite different—if it existed at all.