Water Babies: an evolutionary parable

The nineteenth-century Anglican theologian Charles Kingsley was immediately impressed by Darwin's Origin of Species. Whilst many in Victorian Britain reacted against the idea of natural selection, Kingsley saw in the contingency of selection a divinely ordained imperative for human endeavour, not least the pursuit of scientific knowledge. Here, Kingsley believed, was a crucial insight into the seemingly indifferent laws of nature, one that humankind could use to elevate themselves to ever-greater heights. Kingsley chose to teach these lessons about the moral nature of evolution through 'Water Babies', one of the most charming and enduring of children's fairy tales.     

“Our speech”;

Stage Scenery and Lighting. By Samuel Selden and Hunton D. Sellman. New York: F. S. Crofts &; Co., 1934; pp. xvii+398. $4.50.

Modern Theatre Practice—A Handbook for Non‐Professionals. By Hubert C. Heffner, Samuel Selden, and Hunton D. Sellman. New York : F. S. Crofts &; Co., 1935 ; pp. xviii+378. $3.00.

A Companion to Shakespeare Studies. Edited by Harley Granville‐Barker and G. B. Harrison. New York : The Macmillan Company, 1934 ; pp. x+408. $3.

Shakespeare and the Audience. By Arthur Colby Sprague. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1935; pp. xi+327. $2.50.

Comparative Comedies Present and Past. By Rowena Keith Keyes and Helen M. Roth. New York: Noble and Noble, Inc., 1935; pp. viii+628.

Behind the Footlights. By Charles Chambers Mather, Alice Howard Spaulding and Melita Hamilton Skillen. New York: Silver, Burdett, 1935; pp. 495. $1.72.

The Theatre. By Malcolm Morley. New York: Pitman Publishing Corp., 1935; pp. xiii+204. $1.50.

Public Speaking — As Listeners Like It! By Richard C. Borden. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1935; pp. 111. $1.50.

Principles and Types of Speech. By Alan H. Monroe. Chicago: Scott, Foresman and Co., 1935 ; pp. 410.

Good Speech Primer. By Fannie E. Daniels. New York: E. P. Dutton &; Co., 1935; pp. x + 83: together with Teachers’ Manual for same, separately bound; pp. x + 65.

The Psychology of Wants, Interests and Attitudes. By Edward L. Thorndike and others. New York: D. Appleton‐Century Company, 1935; pp. 301.

The Psychology of Radio. By Hadley Cantril and Gordon W. Allport. New York: Harper &; Bros., 1935; pp. 276.     

A research note on the dimensions of communication reticence

The present investigation extends the debate regarding the underlying structure of a general communication reticence construct. The Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, the Unwillingness‐to‐Communicate Scale and the Writing Apprehension Test were factor‐analyzed. Separate factor analyses produced multidimensional solutions for each measure. A single factor analysis of all of the scale items produced a seven factor solution that offers a better understanding of the elements contributing to a communication reticence syndrome. The emerging factors indicated that communication reticence varies according to context of communication, mode of communication, personality type of the communicator, attitudes toward the communication process, and communication history.     

The Impact of Registration Timing on Student Performance

This study compares the impact of timing of registration on the student learning outcomes of students taking courses at three rural community colleges in the southeastern U.S. during the school years 2001–2003. Findings from this study indicate that early registration has a positive influence on students' grades and course completion rates. Also contributing to differences in student outcomes were student race, Pell Grant status, gender, program of study, and age.     

Predictors of Cheating among Early Adolescents: Academic and Social Motivations

This study examined the relations between middle school students' self-reported cheating and several indicators of academic and social motivation. It was hypothesized that students' academic self-efficacy and personal and classroom goal orientations would predict cheating. Social motivations were presumed to predict cheating above and beyond achievement motivation. Four dimensions of relationships within schools were measured: participation structure, teacher commitment and competence, teacher respect, and sense of school belonging. Logistic regression analyses were used to predict classification as a cheater or noncheater. Although academic motivation variables predicted cheating, the addition of the relationship variables significantly improved the classification rates. The final model included grade in school, academic self-efficacy, extrinsic goal orientation, participation structure, teacher commitment, and teacher respect. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Notices

Kinanthropometry III. Proceedings of the VIII Commonwealth and International Conference on Sport, Physical Education, Dance, Recreation and Health. T. Reilly, J. Watkins and J. Borms (eds), E. &; F.N. Spon, London, 1986, xii + 312 pp, £25 (hb), ISBN 0 419 13970 2

Sensible fitness. J.H. Wilmore, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois, USA, 1986, xii + 300 pp, $11.95, ISBN 0 88011 270 0

Running without fear. K.H. Cooper, Bantam Books, London, 1985, 256 pp, £3.95, ISBN 0 553 17356 1

Athletic training and sports medicine. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Churchill Livingstone, Chicago, USA, 1986. viii + 602 pp, £40, ISBN 0 89203 002 X

Athletics and the heart. R. Rost, Year Book Medical Publishers Inc., Chicago, 1987, vii+159 pp, £21.50 (pb), ISBN 0 8151 7397 0

Psychology and sociology of sport: current selected research, Volume 1. L.V. Velden and J.M. Humprey (eds), AMS Press, New York, 1986, ix + 237 pp, £49.50 (hb), ISBN 0 404 63401 X     

Development of a boxing dynamometer and its punch force discrimination efficacy

The development of sport-specific dynamometers is an important step towards ecological validity in analysing athlete performance. Design limitations in previous punch-measuring devices have resulted in values which may not or cannot fully reflect the force and multidirectional components in a punch. In developing this boxing dynamometer, a triaxial force measurement system and a boxing manikin interface were combined. The repeatability and accuracy of the dynamomoter were assessed using simulated straight punches. Discrimination efficacy was assessed by comparison of the maximal punching force of seven elite, eight intermediate and eight novice boxers during simulated boxing, throwing straight punches. For the elite, intermediate and novice groups, respectively, the maximal straight punching forces (mean - s x ¥ ) were 4800 - 227 N, 3722 - 133 N and 2381 - 116 N for the rear hand, and 2847 - 225 N, 2283 - 126 N a d 1604 - 97 N for the lead hand. For all groups, maximal forces were larger for the rear than the lead hand ( P ? 0.001). Maximal punching force was greater in the elite than the intermediate group, and greater in the intermediate than the novice group ( P ? 0.05). The boxing dynamometer discriminated eff ectively between punching performance at three standards of performance and between the punching force of the rear and lead hands.     

From nurturing the H in HR to developing the D in OD – systemic benefits where action learning and organisational development combine

The authors review the Organisational Development and Design (OD&D) capability building programmes they have facilitated in the UK Civil Service and consider the learning and impact which they have had at an individual and organisational level. These programmes have been delivered to over 350 professional civil servants across a broad range of business functions, ministries, departments and agencies. This paper builds on the article published in this journal entitled ‘Nurturing the H in HR’ (Hale, R. and Saville, M. 2014. “Nurturing the H in HR: Using Action Learning to Build Organisation Development Capability in the UK Civil Service.” Action Learning: Research and Practice 11 (3): 333–351) which explained the early stages of programme roll out. Data to inform these findings has been drawn from a desk based review of the postgraduate level accredited papers written by participants as an integral requirement of the programme and an impact review exercise which used a storytelling approach in order to understand and interpret real accounts of practice. It can be seen how combining the Action Learning Question methodology with a humanistic approach to organisation development has made a significant cultural contribution beyond individual learning and this is impacting the wider system of a complex and dynamic government organisation that has faced, and most likely will continue to face, unprecedented and unpredictable political, social and economic change.