Gene-environment processes linking aggression, peer victimization, and the teacher-child relationship

Aggressive behavior in middle childhood is at least partly explained by genetic factors. Nevertheless, estimations of simple effects ignore possible gene-environment interactions (G × E) or gene-environment correlations (rGE) in the etiology of aggression. The present study aimed to simultaneously test for G × E and rGE processes between aggression, on the one hand, and peer victimization and the teacher-child relationship in school, on the other hand. The sample comprised 124 MZ pairs and 93 DZ pairs assessed in Grade 1 (mean age = 84.7 months). Consistent with rGE, children with a presumed genetic disposition for aggression were at an increased risk of peer victimization, whereas in line with G × E, a positive relationship with the teacher mitigated the genetically mediated expression of aggression.     

Impact of English-Language and French-Language Student and Faculty Populations on the Use of Online Databases in a Bilingual Canadian University

This article reports the results of a quantitative study comparing usage rates between English- and French-language online databases at the J.N. Desmarais Library of Laurentian University, Canada. For Canadian institutions of higher learning, the comparison between English- and French-language services is particularly relevant in that English and French are considered to be the country’s two official languages. Overall, French-language online databases are used at very different rates by French-language student and faculty populations at Laurentian University compared to English-language students and faculty’s use of English-language databases. Where English-language student and faculty populations exhibit consistently strong and positive relationships with English-language online database use, French-language student and faculty populations exhibit the complete opposite with a consistently negative relationship with French-language online databases.     

Strong Genetic Contribution to Peer Relationship Difficulties at School Entry: Findings From a Longitudinal Twin Study

This study assessed the genetic and environmental contributions to peer difficulties in the early school years. Twins' peer difficulties were assessed longitudinally in kindergarten (796 twins, M_age = 6.1 years), Grade 1 (948 twins, M_age = 7.1 years), and Grade 4 (868 twins, M_age = 10 years) through multiple informants. The multivariate results revealed that genetic factors accounted for a strong part of both yearly and stable peer difficulties. At the univariate level, the genetic contributions emerged progressively, as did a growing consensus among informants with respect to those who experienced peer difficulties. These results underline the need to intervene early and persistently, and to target the child and the peer context to prevent peer difficulties and their consequences.     

New Exams for New Professional Styles

Recruiting professionals for schools’ media resources centres needs to take into account the new dimensions of the information society. This article describes the radical reform of the very high‐stakes and competitive national selection of those professionals in France. The new exam is now driven by a problem‐solving approach and based on an extensive use of electronic resources. This has raised very serious issues in terms of fairness, reliability and security. This article describes how those issues have been addressed.

De nouveaux examens pour de nouveaux styles professionels. Recruter les personnels en charge des centres de documentation des établissements scolaires exige de prendre en compte les nouvelles dimensions de la Société de l’Information. Cet article décrit la transformation radicale de ce difficile concours de recrutement en France. Les nouvelles épreuves sont désormais conçues selon une approche de résolution de problèmes et fondées sur l’utilisation systématique des ressources électroniques. Ce qui a soulevé de délicats problèmes d’équité, de fiabilité et de sécurité. Cet article explique comment ils ont été résolus.

Neue Prüfungen für neue Berufsanforderungen. Mitarbeiter für die Medien Ressource Zentren der Schulen einzustellen, erfordert, die neuen Dimensionen der Informationsgesellschaft mit in Betracht zu ziehen. Dieser Artikel beschreibt die radikale Reform der mit hohem Einsatz und konkurrenzbetont ablaufenden nationalen Auswahl dieser Berufstätigen in Frankreich. Die neue Prüfung basiert jetzt auf einem Problemlöse‐ Ansatz und wird von umfassender Verwendung elektronischer Ressourcen bestimmt. Damit ergaben sich sehr ernste Fragen in Bezug auf Gerechtigkeit, Zuverlässigkeit und Sicherheit. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt, wie diese Problemstellungen angesprochen worden sind.     

Improving ‘at-action’ decision-making in team sports through a holistic coaching approach

This article draws on Game Sense pedagogy and complex learning theory (CLT) to make suggestions for improving decision-making ability in team sports by adopting a holistic approach to coaching with a focus on decision-making ‘at-action’. It emphasizes the complexity of decision-making and the need to focus on the game as a whole entity, where players, individually and collectively, attempt to manage disorder in the face of an opposition. It rejects the complicated, mechanistic approach to learning and cognitivist views that dominate the literature on decision-making in team sports that see it as being a linear process of conscious thinking limited to the individual mind. It offers an alternative, holistic view grounded in a practical example of how this might be achieved in coaching rugby union football and theorized within a CLT framework.     

European Media

Leonard W. Doob, ed. "Ewa Pound Speaking" Radio Speeches of World War II (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1978—$29.95)

L'Informatisation de la societe, by Simon Nora and Alain Minc (Paris: La Documentation francaise, l978—22FF)

La presse francaise by Pierre Albert (Paris: La documentation francaise, 1978 —18FF)

Dossier H....comme Hersant by Dominique Pons (Paris: Alain Moreau, 1977— 35FF)

Le Monde en miniformat (two volumes for 1977) (Paris: Editions France Expansion, 1978—1500FF)

La Correspondance de presse (13 avenue de l'Opéra, 75001 Paris—24FF per issue/ 4750FF per year for the daily)

La television fait-elle l'élection: une analyse comparative—France, Grande-Bretagne, Belgique by J.G. Blumler, R. Cayrol and G. Thoveron (Paris: Presses de la fondation nationale des sciences politiques, 1978—135FF)

La television et son tlublic, 1974-1977 (Paris: La documentation francaise, l978—25FF)

Le village à l'heure de la télé (Paris: Stock, 1978—35FF)

Corsaires des Ondes: Europel, RTL, RMC c Cie by Jean-Emmanuel and Muriel Ray (Paris: Cerf, 1978—39FF)

Les radios libres by Collectif Radios Libres (Paris: Maspero, l978—14FF)

Les chemins de la persuasion: le mode d'influence des media et de la publicité sur les comportements by Jean-Noel Kapferer (Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1978— 98FF)

Les spectres de la bande: essai sur la BD by Alain Rey (Paris: Editions de Minuit, l978—39FF)

Actuel par Actuel: Chronique d'un journal et de ses lecteurs, 1970-1975 (Paris: Stock, 1977—32 FF)

Cinq monopoles de l'information by Institut national de l'audiovisuel (Paris: INA, Service des relations exterieures, 1977—price not given)

Irish Broadcasting Review (Radio Telefís Eireann, Dublin 4, Ireland—E4.50 in Ireland and UK; E5.50 in Europe and E10.00 in rest of world ($20.00 in USA)/three times per year)

Bibliography of Austrian Mass Communication Literature 1945-1975 prepared by the Department of Mass Communication, University of Salzburg (Verlag Wolfgang Neugebauer, Box 64, A-5033 Salzburg, Austria—AS180.00/DM28.00/US$14.00)

Fernsehen, Program, Pyogrammanalyse: Auswahlbibliographie 1970-1977 (Television, Program, Program Analysis: Selected Bibliography 1970-1977) by Josef Hackforth et al. (Munich: Verlag Dokumentation Saur KG, Poessenbacher Strasse 2, D-8000 Munich 71, 1978—price not given)

Hörfunk and Fernsehen in der DDR (Radio and Television in the German Democratic Republic by Heide Riedel (Literarischer Verlag Braun, Duennwalder Mauspfad 390, D-5000 Cologne, 1977—DM 20.00/US$10.00 approximately)

Massenmedien Spontan. Die Zuschauer Machen Ihr Programm (Spontanious Mass Media: Viewers Produce Their Own Programs) edited by Rudolf Brun (Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Geleitsstrasse 25, D-6000 Frankfurt, 1978—DM6.00/US$3.00)

Kabelcommunikation. Organisation and Programme (Cable Communication: Organization and Programs) edited by Ulrich Paetzold (Verlag Oelschlaeger, Amalienstrasse 81, D-8000 Munich 40, 1978—DM25.00/US$12.50)

Tontraeger in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Recording Industry in the Federal Republic of Germany) by Werner Zeppenfeld (Bochum: Studienverlag Dr. N. Brockmeyer, 1978—DM35.00/US$17.50)

Handbuch des Presserechts (Handbook of Press Law) by Martin Loeffler and Reinhart Ricker (Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Wilhelmstrasse 9, D-8000 Munich 40, 1978—DM80.00/US$40.00)