Twelve-Month-Old Infants Respond to Speech About Absent Inaccessible Objects

This article investigated the interplay of 12-month-old infants’ perception of affordances for locomotion and their ability to respond to the mention of hidden objects. In Experiment I, a toy was hidden in an ottoman that was placed on a cabinet out of infants’ reach. Infants were more likely to look at, point to or approach the ottoman when there were stairs leading to it than when there were none. The stairs did not help infants respond by highlighting the target corner of the room (Experiment II) or by boosting their engagement with the study events (Experiment III). This suggests that infants’ perception of the accessibility of the hiding location influences their ability to respond to speech about absent things.     

Economies of scope in artists’ incubator projects

Although economies of scale are relatively well studied in the arts, economies of scope have received less attention. Yet recent trends toward freelancing and technological connectivity make scope economies especially timely in addressing structural challenges to artist-led incubators. This paper offers a conceptual framework for cooperative strategies that employ economies of scope both in the economic sense of joint production and in the financial sense of risk pooling. This framework distinguishes franchise, federation, and resource-sharing organizational structures as developed through case studies of two US-based organizations: ArtBuilt and REC (Resources for Every Creator), placed in a larger context of cooperative organizational strategy in the USA and Europe. The proposed strategies of cooperative networks (quasi-franchises, federations, or resource-sharing networks) also draw on a literature of spatial agglomeration in creative industries. The framework leads to more speculative ideas of “balance-sheet philanthropy” through credit backstopping by foundations, and of novel investment trusts that can be piloted across a range organizations including foundations, grant-makers, artist residency programs, and even for-profit companies engaged in reinsurance. The paper contributes managerial tools and strategies for the creative engagement of capacity building in arts organizations.

     

Digital Module 18: Automated Scoring https://ncme.elevate.commpartners.com

In this digital ITEMS module, Dr. Sue Lottridge, Amy Burkhardt, and Dr. Michelle Boyer provide an overview of automated scoring. Automated scoring is the use of computer algorithms to score unconstrained open-ended test items by mimicking human scoring. The use of automated scoring is increasing in educational assessment programs because it allows scores to be returned faster at lower cost. In the module, they discuss automated scoring from a number of perspectives. First, they discuss benefits and weaknesses of automated scoring, and what psychometricians should know about automated scoring. Next, they describe the overall process of automated scoring, moving from data collection to engine training to operational scoring. Then, they describe how automated scoring systems work, including the basic functions around score prediction as well as other flagging methods. Finally, they conclude with a discussion of the specific validity demands around automated scoring and how they align with the larger validity demands around test scores. Two data activities are provided. The first is an interactive activity that allows the user to train and evaluate a simple automated scoring engine. The second is a worked example that examines the impact of rater error on test scores. The digital module contains a link to an interactive web application as well as its R-Shiny code, diagnostic quiz questions, activities, curated resources, and a glossary.     

Effects of developmental relationships with teachers on middle-school students’ motivation and performance

We examined how middle-school students’ motivation, belonging, school climate, and grade point average (GPA) are affected by students experiencing developmental relationships—those that go beyond teachers being caring (e.g., showing warmth to students) and providing challenge (e.g., high expectations) to also include teachers providing support, sharing power, and expanding students’ sense of possibilities. We also examined variations in those associations by student socioeconomic status (SES). The study included 534 diverse Grades 6–8 students (51% female, 46% non-White, 33% eligible for free and reduced price meals). Structural equation modeling and regressions showed that students with better developmental relationships with their teachers had better outcomes. Developmental relationships strongly predicted academic motivation at both the beginning and end of the school year, and also directly predicted students’ sense of belonging and school climate. Relationships indirectly predicted GPA, through motivation. Student–teacher relationship quality for low-SES students was lower and declined more than for other students. The results both reflect current literature in showing the importance of strong student–teacher relationships, and extend it in showing the worsening relationships quality for low-income students, and in suggesting that strengthening multiple facets of student–teacher developmental relationships may have important effects on motivation and achievement of middle-school students.     

Influence of Adiposity and Maturation on the Motor Performance of Girls Aged 8 to 16 Years

ABSTRACT

Excess adipose tissue may impact the motor performance of youth. Therefore, the current study examined (a) if adiposityinfluenced performance in the jump and reach and 30-yard dash and (b) if maturation predicted motor performance. Participants (N = 267) included girls aged 8 to 16 years. Latent growth curves were used to assess changes in motor performance. Sum of skinfolds predicted jump and reach performance from age 8.5 to 10.5 years, 11.5–12.0 years, 13.0 years, and from age 14 to 14.5 years (b = ?0.013 to 0.051, p < 0.05). Sum of skinfolds predicted 30-yard dash performance from age 8.5 to 14.0 years and at age 15.5 years (b = 0.003 to 0.005, p < 0.05). Maturation did not predict performance. Future research should examine determinants that explain the link between adiposity and motor performance.