Transfer of control between causal predictive judgments and instrumental responding

Four experiments were conducted to explore outcome-specific transfer from causal predictive judgments to instrumental responding. A video game was designed in which participants had to defend Andalusia from navy and air force attacks. First, they learned the relationship between two instrumental responses (two keys on a standard keyboard) and two different outcomes (destruction of the ships or destruction of the planes). Then they learned to predict which of two different stimuli predicted which outcome. Finally, they had the opportunity of making either of the two instrumental responses in the presence of either stimulus. Transfer was shown as a preference for the response that shared an outcome with the current stimulus. The presentation of the stimulus during the test produced a decrease in the overall rate of response. Responding to a neutral stimulus in Experiments 2 and 3 suggested that this overall decrease in responding was due to a combination of the time needed to process the meaning of the stimulus and the activation of the representation of the outcome in the presence of the stimulus during the test. Transfer between predictive judgments and instrumental responding mirrors the outcome-specific Pavlovian instrumental transfer observed in conditioning studies with rats.     

Physiological responses according to rules changes during 3 vs. 3 small-sided games in youth soccer players: stop-ball vs. small-goals rules

Abstract

Small-sided games (SSGs) are effective for soccer-specific aerobic endurance training. To date, no study has investigated the effect of stop-ball (SB-SSG) rule on the physiological responses to SSG. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of SB-SSG vs. small-goals (SG-SSG) rules on physiological responses during a 3 vs. 3 SSG in young soccer players. Twelve male amateur young soccer players (age, 14.0 ± 0.7 years; body mass, 51.8 ± 8.0 kg; height, 164 ± 7 cm) randomly performed either SB-SSG or SG-SSG for 4 × 4 min separated by 2 min of recovery on a 20 × 15 m pitch. During the SB-SSG, participants were instructed to stop the ball with the soles of their boots in a 15 × 1 m surface behind the pitch bottom line; whereas during the SG-SSG, the participants were instructed to score to a mini-goal (i.e., 1 × 0.5 m). During each test session, the mean heart rate (HR), the post-SSG rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scores and blood lactate concentrations ([La^?]) were recorded. Results showed that SB-SSG induced significantly higher mean HR (178 ± 3 vs. 174 ± 3 bpm; P < 0.05) and [La^?] (4.66 ± 0.98 vs. 4.16 ± 1.02 mol · L^–1; P < 0.05) than SG-SSG. However, there was no significant difference between SB-SSG and SG-SSG for the RPE scores. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the effectiveness of SB-SSG in SSG training. Indeed, SB-SSG can influence the effort intensity in SSG (i.e., resulted in a higher intensity than SG-SSG). Therefore, coaches have the possibility to choose between SB-SSG and SG-SSG rules during training sessions according to their physical and technical objectives.     

The role of the family and the school in the reproduction of educational inequalities in the post‐Communist Czech Republic

Among the more relevant questions in educational research is how the governments and policy‐makers in transition countries address the high educational inequality inherited from the past and what policies they develop in order to reduce the strong effects of the background family and the type of school on students' achievements, their aspirations and their chances of succeeding in the most important educational transitions. This paper addresses one of the most topical issues in this area, namely the social selectivity of Czech basic and secondary education. Special attention is paid to the role of ‘multi‐year’ gymnasia. The results of analyses carried out on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 study corroborate the initial hypothesis according to which multi‐year gymnasia, introduced into the Czech educational system after 1989, represent one of the main sources of the variation in students' achievements at the end of compulsory education. However, this variation can be almost entirely accounted for by the specific socio‐economic background of the students. The same holds true for their future aspirations. The results of the analysis support the conclusions of the OECD Review of National Policies for Education from 1996.     

‘Sexual violence is not good for our country's development’. Students’ interpretations of sexual violence in a secondary school in Addis Ababa,Ethiopia

It has been increasingly recognised that sexual violence in schools is one of the major concerns with regard to promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights. This paper examines how boys and girls define, experience, and interpret sexual violence in a secondary school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and considers from their perspectives, how sexual violence can be addressed effectively in formal educational settings. Fifteen in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions revealed how these views can be strikingly different for boys and girls: boys sharing a theoretical and instrumental view on sexual violence, as opposed to girls’ emotional views based on their experiences. This major difference in understanding complicates teaching about sexuality, and leaves room for sexual violence to remain tolerated in schools. Nevertheless, all students express the need to learn openly about sexuality, and particularly to reflect on the contradicting messages they receive from their environment.     

Repeated sprint ability in young basketball players: one vs. two changes of direction (Part 2)

The aim of this study was to compare the training effects based on repeated sprint ability (RSA) (with one change of direction) with an intensive repeated sprint ability (IRSA) (with two changes of direction) on jump performance and aerobic fitness. Eighteen male basketball players were assigned to repeated sprint ability and intensive repeated sprint ability training groups (RSAG and IRSAG). RSA, IRSA, squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ) and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 test were assessed before and after four training weeks. The RSA and IRSA trainings consisted of three sets of six sprints (first two weeks) and eight sprints (second two weeks) with 4-min sets recovery and 20-s of sprints recovery. Four weeks of training led to an overall improvement in most of the measures of RSA, but little evidence of any differences between the two training modes. Jump performance was enhanced: CMJ of 7.5% (P < 0.0001) and 3.1% (P = 0.016) in IRSAG and RSAG respectively. While SJ improved of 5.3% (P = 0.003) for IRSAG and 3.4% (P = 0.095) for RSAG. Conversely the Yo-Yo distance increased 21% (P = 0.301) and 34% (P = 0.017) in IRSAG and RSAG respectively. Therefore, short-term repeated sprint training with one/two changes of direction promotes improvements in both RSA and IRSA respectively but the better increase on jump performance shown a few changes on sprint and endurance performances.     

Developing critical thinking skills in computer-aided extended reading classes

One of the skills that can be taught in an English proficiency class that adopts literary texts for teaching the language is critical thinking. The background, characters and their motives are among those that invite critical inquiry and interpretation. Although it has been claimed that discussing literary texts in the traditional way can help develop students’ critical thinking skills, it is yet to be proved whether the use of a teaching aid can help the process. This study is, therefore, carried out to see if the use of computer software can help to develop such skills. It specifically looks at the potential of a literary text, Othello, and a concordancer in developing and enhancing critical thinking abilities of 40 English as a Second Language (ESL) students at the International Islamic University Malaysia. An experimental study was carried out, where an experimental group was exposed to text analysis using a concordancer whilst the control group analysed the text manually. The Cornell Critical Thinking Test was used to analyse the critical thinking ability of the students. The experimental group outperformed the control group in all the subscales measured, but the percentage of variance in the scores was low.     

Investigating importance and key factors for information governance implementation in Nigerian Universities

Education and Information Technologies - Information governance (IG) embraces underlying necessities to organize information using consistent method for meeting organizational needs. This demand...     

Effects of elements or compound preexposure on conditioned taste aversion as a function of retention interval

The effects of element or compound preexposure and retention interval were examined in three experiments with the taste-aversion paradigm. In Experiment 1, preexposure to the elements of a compound flavor produced less latent inhibition to the compound than did preexposure to the compound itself when a 1-day preexposure-conditioning interval was used. However, preexposing the elements or the compound resulted in equivalent latent inhibition effects when a 21-day retention interval was used. In Experiment 2, a similar pattern of results was observed when the conditioning-test interval was manipulated. Experiment 3 explored the effect of element or compound preexposure when preexposure and test were carried out in different contexts. Attenuated latent inhibition following preexposure to the elements was found when preexposure and test were carried out in the same context. In contrast, preexposure to the elements resulted in as much latent inhibition as did preexposure to the compound when the context was switched from preexposure to testing. The implications of these findings for a retrieval-oriented view of latent inhibition are discussed.     

Assessment of answers to questions about a text and knowledge of cognitive processes

This study examines to what extent assessment of text comprehension involves knowledge of the properties of human cognition (theory of mind) and the social context of assessment. The subjects (N=332) were asked to read a text and then assess eight answers to questions about this text. The independent variables were the quality of the answers to requests for paraphrases, the quality of answers to direct questions about the meaning of the text, the order of the paragraphs in the text and the human vs. artificial source attributed to the answers. Results show that answers to requests for paraphrases were thought to be better when the source was artificial rather than human. Inversely, answers to direct questions about the meaning of the text were thought to be better when their source was human. The assessment of answers attributed to a human source were differentiated by a greater integration of contiguous assessments (contrast effect between contiguous assessments). This was noted more particularly for a person than for a machine, poor paraphrasing being followed by a better assessment of answers to questions about the meaning of the text. The assessment of human understanding of a text is hypothesised to be guided by an expectation of answer coherency and a wider and more structured knowledge than the assessment of artificial answers.     

Parents as Social Influences Encouraging Book Reading: Research Directions for Librarians’ Literacy Advocacy

Abstract

Despite the competing roles that contemporary public and school librarians juggle, advocating for youth literacy remains a priority. Both school and public librarians can support parents by providing the most current research insights to inform their approach to supporting reading in the home. Quantitative survey data from the 997 young participants illuminate the relationships between reading frequency, gender and parental encouragement. Semi-structured interviews explore the kinds of parental encouragement children perceived, allowing for an exploratory investigation to yield novel findings. While encouragement is generally being focused on the children who need it, girls receive more encouragement to read than boys even though they typically read more frequently. Reading encouragement was perceived to be related to varying parental objectives, such as valuing literacy skills and learning benefits, screen respite, providing access, shared reading, and establishing expectations, with children cognizant of parental hypocrisy in relation to low modeling. As literacy advocates, librarians can communicate that boys need to receive greater parental encouragement, encouragement may need to be high-quality to be effective, and parental modeling remains important.