Association of “Macho Man” Sexual Attitudes and Behavioral Risks in Urban Adolescents

We examined whether sexual attitudes of adolescents were related to their self-reported sexual risk behavior by analyzing survey data from 1,052 boys and girls aged 14 to 17 years from a low income, urban community. Sexual behavior norms that may increase sexually transmitted infection/HIV risks in youth were sanctioned more by males and by sexually experienced youth, but their attitudes were unassociated with either their age or race/ethnicity. Endorsement was correlated with greater intention to have sexual intercourse among all youth. Among sexually experienced participants, it was associated with earlier sexual debut, more partners, and less intention to use condoms but not with the number of unprotected sexual episodes in the prior six months. Sexual attitudes of youth may conflict with initiation and maintenance of safer sex practices, making them vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Risk reduction interventions for adolescents should address this.     

The influence of dive direction on the movement characteristics for elite football goalkeepers

This study biomechanically quantified the movement patterns for six elite goalkeepers making diving saves to their preferred and non-preferred side at three different dive heights. Synchronised three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic biomechanical data analysis found diving direction to significantly (P < 0.05) influence the movement patterns of the diving save. The non-preferred side displayed greater lateral rotation of the pelvis and thorax at the initiation event. These over-rotational differences were reduced during the time on plate phase with the thorax displaying no significant difference at take-off; although a difference still remained for the pelvis. These over rotations were subsequently linked to greater peak knee joint moments, lower peak ankle joint moments, less hip extension at take-off, and for the centre of mass (COM) to travel slower and less directly to the ball, as measured by the net projection angle at take-off. These results indicate that joint movements in the transverse plane at or before the initiation event for the dive for the pelvis and thorax are the causation for subsequent asymmetries. These observed differences indicate that there is an advantage in having prior knowledge of limb preference in an opposing goalkeeper.     

Selected Mechanical Factors Associated with Acceleration in Ice Skating

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the techniques of ice skating acceleration through analysis of specific characteristics of the movement pattern during a “front start” skating task. Two Locam 16 mm cameras operating at 100 frames per second were used to record side and overhead views of the first 6.0m of the skating starts of 69 male subjects. Data were collected on three skating start criteria, three structural variables, and twelve performance variables measured over the first three strides of the start. Summary statistics were generated and Pearson product moment correlation analysis was used to assess relationships between the criteria and performance variables. In addition, stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to predict time to skate 6.0m from a combination of the structural and performance variables. Results revealed that the mean time taken to skate 6.0m was 1.95 sec; the mean instantaneous velocity at the 6.0 mark was 5.75 m/s; and the mean average acceleration over 6.0m was 2.96m/s². Evaluation of correlation coefficients, the regression model and summary statistics resulted in several conclusions: (1) There is a statistically significant positive relationship between velocity attained and the average rate of acceleration over a 6.0m distance in a front style skating start. (2) There are statistically significant negative relationships between both mean acceleration and final instantaneous velocity, and the time taken to skate 6.0m in a front style skating start. (3) In general, the stride pattern associated with a high rate of acceleration and a minimal skating time in a front style skating start includes: a high stride rate, significant forward lean at the point of touchdown of the recovery skate, short single support periods, and placement of the recovery foot below the hip of the recovery leg at the end of the single support period.     

Using multidimensional scaling to improve functionality of the Revised Learning Process Questionnaire

The Revised Learning Process Questionnaire has been part of the development of a conceptual understanding of how students learn and what motivates them to engage in particular tasks. We obtained responses from 329 student volunteers at a mid‐sized public university in the southeast USA. We first investigated whether the psychometric properties and latent factor structure of this questionnaire are replicable in a different educational context and with students from a different country than that originally used to create and validate the questionnaire. We found this to be true. Second, we used Profile Analysis via Multidimensional Scaling (PAMS) to improve the diagnostic functionality of the instrument as well as further explore the latent structure of the questionnaire. The factor structure was evident in this solution, but we found that interpreting the latent structure in terms of the dimensions of Strategy and Motive as opposed to the factors of Deep and Surface approaches to be more appropriate for diagnostic use. We also found that PAMS has the inherent ability to assess an individual’s fit within the model, thereby acting as a measure of self‐report credibility. The Strategy dimension was found to have ecological validity through analysing its relationship to academic performance.     

Deaf and hard of hearing students' problem-solving strategies with signed arithmetic story problems

The use of problem-solving strategies by 59 deaf and hard of hearing children, grades K-3, was investigated. The children were asked to solve 9 arithmetic story problems presented to them in American Sign Language. The researchers found that while the children used the same general types of strategies that are used by hearing children (i.e., modeling, counting, and fact-based strategies), they showed an overwhelming use of counting strategies for all types of problems and at all ages. This difference may have its roots in language or instruction (or in both), and calls attention to the need for conceptual rather than procedural mathematics instruction for deaf and hard of hearing students.     

Bilingual effects on cognitive and linguistic development: role of language, cultural background, and education

A total of 104 six-year-old children belonging to 4 groups (English monolinguals, Chinese-English bilinguals, French-English bilinguals, Spanish-English bilinguals) were compared on 3 verbal tasks and 1 nonverbal executive control task to examine the generality of the bilingual effects on development. Bilingual groups differed in degree of similarity between languages, cultural background, and language of schooling. On the executive control task, all bilingual groups performed similarly and exceeded monolinguals; on the language tasks the best performance was achieved by bilingual children whose language of instruction was the same as the language of testing and whose languages had more overlap. Thus, executive control outcomes for bilingual children are general but performance on verbal tasks is specific to factors in the bilingual experience.     

Networked Cultural Diffusion and Creation on YouTube: An Analysis of YouTube Memes

Web 2.0-based cultural diffusion occurs not only through viral word-of-mouth communication but also through Internet memes in which cultural consumers review, resemble, and recreate old cultural components, resulting in the creation of new cultural forms. YouTube features a platform for memetic creation with a host of user-generated parodies, reviews, and mashups derived from viral videos. This study examines the cultural ecosystem of YouTube memes inspired by Korean artist Psy’s viral production “Gangnam Style.” The study focuses on the salience of various genres of YouTube memes and structural connections between memetic videos. According to the results, the viral video of “Gangnam Style” sparked a sizable amount of user creativity, including remixes, parodies, self-directed performances, and reviews, among others. A network analysis of connections between memetic videos shows that various memetic genres drew different levels of audience attention and actions across various stages of the 3-month-long diffusion process. In addition, the content of the traditional mass media played a key role in giving the viral video wider publicity and acknowledgement, but this role was later shared by user-generated content.     

Academic Life and Motherhood: Variations by Institutional Type

This paper explores the interface between work and family at different types of institutions from the perspective of women faculty who are on the tenure track and who are mothers of young children. Such a perspective provides insight into institutional variation on academic life in general, and for new faculty as mothers in particular. A macro view of the findings points to two major concerns: time (and lack thereof) and its impact on the “ideal worker” norms that shape what it means to be a good mother and good professor at different institutional types; and, the idea of “choice” as an illusion.     

Rubric formats for the formative assessment of oral presentation skills acquisition in secondary education

Educational technology research and development - Acquiring complex oral presentation skills is cognitively demanding for students and demands intensive teacher guidance. The aim of this study was...