Initial Validity Evidence for the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity With Youth

Experiencing mindfulness during movement-based interventions (e.g., yoga) may help support adaptive physical activity motivation processes in youth. However, there is currently no measure for assessing state mindfulness with youth within the context of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate a measure of state mindfulness for physical activity in youth. In study one, cognitive interviews with youth (N = 15) ages 8–13 evaluated the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity item comprehension and preference for developmentally worded modifications. Results suggest that problems with item comprehension were more likely in youth younger than 10. In study two, the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity, or a modified version, was administered randomly to middle-school students (N = 481). Internal consistency reliability, confirmatory factor analyses, model-based reliability omega, and correlations with theoretically relevant variables combined with the qualitative evidence provided stronger initial support for the use of the original State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity with middle-school students.     

Very Long-Term Memory for Information Taught in School

Students who completed a Child Development course (N = 1168) from 3 to 16 years prior to retention testing were tested for recognition and recall of facts and application of mental skills. Students who subsequently served as course tutors were also tested for retention. Fact retention was superior to application retention and retention for both question types declined rapidly from year 3 to year 7 after which it stabilized. Recognition items were superior to recall items for high achieving students only. Tutors retained more than non-tutors for eight years after which there were no differences.     

College Presidents and Black Student Protests: A Historical Perspective on the Image of Racial Inclusion and the Reality of Exclusion

This essay revisits college presidents during the early 1960s to investigate the long history of how academic leaders manage racial unrest on college campuses. Throughout time, the concept of a welcoming and inclusive climate for black students on majority-white campuses has functioned as an illusion alongside the prevailing reality of racism on and off American campuses. In turn, this essay exhibits how political structures, as well as university hierarchy, have shaped academic leaders' approach to social change in higher education. Therefore, this work demonstrates the need to reevaluate higher education history as a lens for understanding the current American sociopolitical context that shapes present-day academic leaders and their challenges of addressing racism on college campuses. In summary, this work renders a richer and more nuanced understanding of the complexities college presidents, students, and campus stakeholders, such as governors and boards of trustees, face to provide equal and meaningful educational opportunities to all students.