Comprehension,recall, and dyslexia: A proposal for the application of schema theory

Evidence suggesting that dyslexia is a multifaceted syndrome is beginning to accumulate. Furthermore, a reexamination of some literature suggests that in addition to having word recognition problems, some dyslexics may also have problems understanding language. Whereas there is a rather extensive literature on word recognition, and even on word understanding, few studies have examined the problems dyslexics may have in understanding and remembering connected discourse. This paper explores issues related to certain possible problems of comprehension and recall among dyslexics and proposes a new direction for research through the application of schema theory. A version of this paper was presented at the meeting of the New England Branch of the Orton Society, Boston, May 1978. Preparation of this paper was supported in part by a grant from Harvard University with funds supplied by the Spencer Foundation. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of Harvard or the Spencer Foundation, and no official endorsement should be inferred.     

Present/absent sample matching in pigeons: Is comparison choice controlled by the sample stimulus or by differential sample responding?

In two experiments involving present/absent sample matching, we tested whether the visual stimuli or differential sample behavior served as the basis for comparison choice. In both experiments, one group (FR/DRO) was required to peck the present sample and to refrain from pecking the absent sample (as typically occurs with fixed duration present/absent samples), and the other group (FR/FR) was required to peck both samples. In Experiment 1, the samples were a black dot on a white field (present) and the white field alone (absent). In Experiment 2, the samples were a yellow hue (present) and a dark response key (absent). In both experiments, divergent retention functions were found only for the FR/DRO group. These results suggest that, in nonhedonic present/absent sample matching, it is the behavior directed toward the present sample, rather than the visual stimulus itself, that serves as the basis for comparison choice.     

INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND AGENDA MELDING: A THEORY OF SOCIAL DISSONANCE

Many studies have established that there is a degree of audiencelearning from the mass media, especially of new issues enteringthe news. But recent studies show an agenda-setting effect atdeeper levels beyond broad news categories. Audiences also absorbthe attributes of news—the frames and slants in the waynews is presented—and this suggests that while the massmedia do not tell us what to think, the mass media do have considerablepower to tell us how to think about topics, with implicationsfor social policy. Beyond these two levels of agenda setting,however, is something more significant—agenda melding.Agenda melding argues that individuals join groups, in a sense,by joining agendas. There is a powerful impulse to affiliatewith others in groups as one leaves the original family setting,and one joins these groups via media of connections, mostlyother people but also other media. This paper suggests a modelof agenda melding that accounts for the role of media (massor interpersonal) in helping individuals move toward or awayfrom groups. This attempts to build toward general social theoryby suggesting the role of media in how individuals functionwith others in a coherent social system.     

An Examination of the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS:88) Database to Probe the Correlation Between Computer Use in School and Improvement in Test Scores

The database for the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS:88), compiled by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), was examined for connections between student use of computers in math and science classes and their academic success. Data were studied from the surveys carried out in the base year in 1988, first follow-up 2 years later, and second follow-up 2 years after that. Composite variables from the three datasets were examined for their connections to socioeconomic status, parent's level of education, respondent's race, and respondent's gender. Race was the only one of these four factors that was not found to correlate to the amount of computer use in schools. Values for the Item Response Theory (IRT) scores and gains in those IRT scores between subsequent follow-ups were examined with respect to average computer use in math and science classes. It was found that gains in IRT scores could be positively correlated to the amount and type of computer use in science and math classes.     

Footballers,migrants and scholars: the globalization of US men’s college soccer

US intercollegiate soccer is unique in world football by melding competitive amateur play with higher education and operating independently of FIFA. While immigrants have driven much of the 150-year history of college soccer, there has been an unprecedented foreign influx in the twenty-first century. We quantify the modern internationalization of men’s college soccer and assess factors driving this change via analysis of rosters from 1317 teams and a survey of coaches’ perceptions on foreign players and international recruitment. We estimate that 7600 players from 170 different countries played men’s college soccer in 2016, a 120% increase since 2000. Perceived growth drivers include expanding international recruiting by coaches, growing international awareness of college soccer as an option, a burgeoning industry of recruiting agencies, and technological globalization. Overall, US college soccer has become a globally attractive niche as an alternate pathway for players seeking quality competition while continuing their education.     

Validity of Wrist-Worn photoplethysmography devices to measure heart rate: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Heart rate (HR), when combined with accelerometry, can dramatically improve estimates of energy expenditure and sleep. Advancements in technology, via the development and introduction of small, low-cost photoplethysmography devices embedded within wrist-worn consumer wearables, have made the collection of heart rate (HR) under free-living conditions more feasible. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the validity of wrist-worn HR estimates to a criterion measure of HR (electrocardiography ECG or chest strap). Searches of PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, and EMBASE resulted in a total of 44 articles representing 738 effect sizes across 15 different brands. Multi-level random effects meta-analyses resulted in a small mean difference (beats per min, bpm) of ?0.40 bpm (95 confidence interval (CI) ?1.64 to 0.83) during sleep, ?0.01 bpm (?0.02 to 0.00) during rest, ?0.51 bpm (?1.60 to 0.58) during treadmill activities (walking to running), while the mean difference was larger during resistance training (?7.26 bpm, ?10.46 to ?4.07) and cycling (?4.55 bpm, ?7.24 to ?1.87). Mean difference increased by 3 bpm (2.5 to 3.5) per 10 bpm increase of HR for resistance training. Wrist-worn devices that measure HR demonstrate acceptable validity compared to a criterion measure of HR for most common activities.     

Adolescents’ Interpretations of Parental Control: Differentiated by Domain and Types of Control

To determine whether adolescents interpret parental behavioral and psychological control differently, type, level, and domain of control were manipulated across 3 interpretations (adolescents’ competence, mattering to parents, and parental intrusiveness). As expected, adolescents (N = 67, M = 14.25 years) generally interpreted high levels of behavioral control more negatively than moderate behavioral control. At high levels, however, adolescents did not differentiate behavioral control and psychological control, interpreting both as indicating less mattering and more intrusiveness. Furthermore, high levels of control over personal domain issues, regardless of type, tended to be interpreted most negatively. In conclusion, adolescents construe control in ways that may have import for their adjustment and this should be accounted for in theoretical models of parental control.     

Enhancing resident morning report with "daily learning packages"

The daily "Morning Report" is a fixture in many residency programs. In the past, librarians have attended this meeting and, in various ways, worked to enhance the resident learning experience. At the academic children's hospital discussed in this study, the concept was taken a step further. Together with the chief residents, the librarian provided a complete "learning package" consisting of the case write-up along with relevant, librarian-filtered, evidence-based information. The learning package was then e-mailed to all residents and some of the attending physicians. This program led to a huge increase in the use of library resources and services as well as a renewed recognition of the value of the library and the librarians.     

The bibles of the research scientist

Considerable attention has been focused on the relationship between nonverbal communication behavior and student perceptions of the teacher. One important observation is that teachers frequently emit nonverbal messages that contradict their verbal ones, but the effects of this modal discrepancy are not well understood. In the present study, vocal cues are isolated as the nonverbal behavior for study. The interaction of vocal cues and verbal messages is examined with respect to its impact on teacher credibility. The results indicate that the students’ perceptions of sociability are influenced by perceived discrepancy between words and attitudes. Perception of competence, on the other hand, appears to be dependent on positive vocal cues.