The effects of conditioned taste aversions on schedule-induced polydipsia: An analysis of the initiation and postpellet temporal distribution of licking

Animals poisoned following the schedule-induced consumption of saccharin initially continued to drink following spaced pellet deliveries. Neither the initiation of postpellet drinking (i.e., bout, initiation) nor the size and duration of the bouts was effected by the conditioned aversion procedure. With repeated conditioning trials (i.e., repeated pairings of saccharin and LiCl), schedule induced drinking was eventually reduced. The specific components underlying schedule-induced consumption, however, were differentially affected by the aversion training. Specifically, the decrease in schedule-induced drinking was effected primarily by a decrease in licking occurring between 10 and 60 sec after pellet delivery. Bout initiation and licking immediately postpellet (i.e., within the first 10 sec following pellet delivery) were most resistant to suppression and appeared to be responsible for the relative insensitivity of schedule-induced drinking to conditioned taste aversions. The differential effects of taste aversion conditioning on individual components of elicited behavior are discussed.     

Learning to teach with the web: Factors influencing teacher education faculty

Professional development at postsecondary institutions has primarily been supported through a central faculty development center. With purposive sampling, this small case study explored the ways in which teacher education faculty members were influenced to participate in decentralized professional development focused on learning to teach with WebCT. Results suggest that university faculty were influenced by both intrinsic factors (including convenience, comfort, common interests, and future purposes) and an extrinsic factor (external pressures). This research suggests that these factors also contributed to the faculty's satisfaction with the professional development. A follow-up interview explored how faculty coped with budgetary limitations and encouragement to pursue other distance education technologies.     

Measures of reading comprehension: do they measure different skills for children learning English as a second language?

The validity of two measures of English reading comprehension was examined across three different groups of English language learners (ELLs; 64 Portuguese, 66 Spanish and 65 Cantonese). All three groups were achieving within the average range in second grade. An exploratory principal components analysis of reading skills was carried out to determine which skills were related to two commonly used tests of reading comprehension, the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery??s test of Passage Comprehension (WLPB-PC; Woodcock, 1991) and the Gray Oral Reading Test-4 (GORT-4; Wiederholt & Bryant, 2001). The factor solutions were different for the three language groups but showed many similarities in that the GORT-4 and WLPB-R tests of reading comprehension fell on the same factor within each group. Hierarchical regression analyses examining relationships among vocabulary, decoding and reading comprehension showed that language group membership did not significantly predict performance on either measure of reading comprehension. Differences that arose are likely due to issues with task validity and not ELL status. Limitations and future research are discussed.     

Little pitchers use their big ears: preschoolers solve problems by listening to others ask questions

Children ask questions and learn from the responses they receive; however, little is known about how children learn from listening to others ask questions. Five experiments examined preschoolers' (N = 179) ability to solve simple problems using information gathered from listening to question-and-answer exchanges between 2 parties present in the same room. Overall, the ability to efficiently use information gathered from overheard exchanges improved between ages 3 and 5. Critically, however, across ages children solved the majority of problems correctly, suggesting preschoolers are capable of learning from others' questions. Moreover, children learned from others' questions without explicit instruction and when engaged in another activity. Implications for the development of problem-solving skills are discussed.     

The power of information: health information and UK agendas

The Department of Health published a new health information strategy in May 2012. The document provides a framework for health information in England over the next 10 years. Health information developments in England, however, do not mirror developments in other parts of the United Kingdom. This article is a personal reflection on the new health information strategy in England, including comparison with developments in the other UK nations.     

Verbal aggression: A study of the relationship between communication traits and feelings about a verbally aggressive television show

This study investigated the relationship between people's communication tendencies for sending and receiving verbally aggressive messages with their opinions and feelings about a verbally aggressive television show. Participants (N=216) completed measures of verbal aggressiveness and psychological hurt before viewing a 7‐minute clip from the television show Daddy Dearest. Participants then completed measures for show affinity, character affinity, and show realism. The results showed that people who were verbally aggressive, tended to watch more television weekly, and did not report being hurt by receiving verbally aggressive messages, expressed more affinity for the character and the show and perceived the show to be similar to real life. People who reported greater psychological hurt from receiving verbally aggressive messages and tended to watch more television weekly also reported that the show was similar to real life.     

Relational messages associated with nonverbal involvement,pleasantness, and expressiveness in romantic couples

Previous research suggests that individual nonverbal cues and cue complexes communicate multiple relational messages simultaneously. This work examines the contention that nonverbal percepts may predict relational message interpretations in romantic relationships. Results provide support for the hypothesis that nonverbal cues indicative of greater involvement, pleasantness, and expressiveness connote messages of intimacy. Specifically, the current study reveals that perceptions of intimacy and composure are associated with greater vocalic involvement. Interpretations are provided in line with the social meanings model.