Who SKIPS? Using Temperament to Explain Differential Outcomes of a Motor Competence Intervention for Preschoolers

Purpose: Although motor skill interventions often improve fundamental motor skills (FMS) during preschool, the extent of individual children’s success in development of FMS still varies among children receiving the same intervention. Temperament is multifaceted and includes negative affect (high levels of frustration or anger), effortful control (focus, self-regulation, and concentration), and surgency (energy and activity level). Temperament often influences cognitive, social, and behavioral outcomes and may be a significant factor in the development of FMS. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of temperament on children’s improvement in FMS within a gross motor intervention. Method: Participants (N = 80; M_age = 55.36 months, SD = 6.99 months) completed the Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition prior to and after intervention. Teachers completed the Child Behavior Questionnaire-Very Short Form to examine each child’s temperament. To account for possibility of a Type 1 error, we conducted 6 separate 2 (temperament variable: high, low) × 2 (treatment: intervention, control) analyses of covariance and examined posttest scores for locomotor and object-control skills with pretest scores as covariates among participants with high and low surgency, negative affect, and effortful control. Results: Results revealed children with low levels of negative affect and surgency and high levels of effortful control demonstrated greater gains (η_p² = .05–.34) in both locomotor and object-control skills during motor skill intervention compared with their peers. Conclusion: Providing interventions tailored to temperamental profiles could maximize gains in FMS through intervention.     

Visual abilities distinguish pitchers from hitters in professional baseball

This study aimed to evaluate the possibility that differences in sensorimotor abilities exist between hitters and pitchers in a large cohort of baseball players of varying levels of experience. Secondary data analysis was performed on 9 sensorimotor tasks comprising the Nike Sensory Station assessment battery. Bayesian hierarchical regression modelling was applied to test for differences between pitchers and hitters in data from 566 baseball players (112 high school, 85 college, 369 professional) collected at 20 testing centres. Explanatory variables including height, handedness, eye dominance, concussion history, and player position were modelled along with age curves using basis regression splines. Regression analyses revealed better performance for hitters relative to pitchers at the professional level in the visual clarity and depth perception tasks, but these differences did not exist at the high school or college levels. No significant differences were observed in the other 7 measures of sensorimotor capabilities included in the test battery, and no systematic biases were found between the testing centres. These findings, indicating that professional-level hitters have better visual acuity and depth perception than professional-level pitchers, affirm the notion that highly experienced athletes have differing perceptual skills. Findings are discussed in relation to deliberate practice theory.     

Identifying Sequences of Advice-Giving in Online Military Discussion Forums

Advice can be beneficial yet risky, particularly when offering suggestions in sensitive and unique situations. Applying the integrated model of advice-giving as a guiding framework, we examined 916 supportive messages exchanged on 12 web-based military discussion forums to investigate the link between the characteristics of support-seeking requests and the types of support provided. Only 1% of replies displayed the theoretically preferable sequence of emotional support, analysis of the problem, then advice. Individuals who used sad language were less likely to receive advice only and more likely to receive emotional support upfront. Users who sought advice often encountered responses that contained only advice. Responses to individuals who discussed their troubles or requested only emotional support followed a slightly different pattern. We discuss implications for advice-givers/receivers and users of military online forums.     

A latent-class discrete-choice model of demand for economics electives: a case study on the challenge to increase enrollment

Increasing enrollment in undergraduate and graduate economics courses that focus on the natural world (natural resource, environmental, energy, and mineral economics) is important for preparing a work force capable of addressing complex environmental issues. This is especially challenging for smaller universities that want to offer diverse electives in economics. This study seeks to obtain information on the effects of course attributes and student characteristics on preferences for and probabilities to enroll in economics courses offered at Michigan Technological University. A discrete-choice experiment is used to elicit 723 students’ stated preferences for eight different course attributes. A latent-class model is used to probabilistically group students into different preference classes. The cost-effective methods demonstrated in this study can be applied to any courses in any fields to inform course-level marketing efforts aimed at bolstering enrollment while addressing administrative budget constraints.     

Fifteen years of building performance in Central Europe

The past 15 years have been quite a tumultuous ride for those involved in performance improvement in former communist Europe. This article traces the case of a boutique performance consultancy, KNO, whose American principals landed in the former Czechoslovakia at the onset of the “velvet revolution” in 1991. We analyze progress through the lens of three 5‐year cycles against dimensions of investor focus, infrastructure, employee mindset, business relationships, and performance services treated in the context of the changing political and economic times.     

BACS: evolution of an integrated library system toward information management

The evolution of the Washington University School of Medicine BACS integrated library system toward information management functions is outlined. The creation of a machine-readable database and its extension through telecommunications have consequences that reach beyond the functions of the library as we have perceived them. It is argued that libraries are flexible institutions that, with automation, are likely to enlarge rather than to diminish.