The influences of roommate assignments upon students' maturity

One hundred ten entering freshmen were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups representing three types of roommate assignments in the residential halls. The three types of assignments included the pairing of two high-maturity students, a high- and a low-maturity student, or two low-maturity students. A pretest measure of maturity from Heath's Perceived Self Questionnaire (PSQ) was used to determine high or low maturity. About 90% of the sample was retested with the PSQ after one semester to study mean differences in maturity among the three experimental groups and between the initial status of high or low maturity after controlling for pretest maturity scores. Results showed that the maturity of one's roommate does have an impact on that student's degree of Symbolism, that is, on the student's awareness and insight of his or her values and experiences and an increased ability to express those values and experiences symbolically.     

The effects of background television on the toy play behavior of very young children

This experiment tests the hypothesis that background, adult television is a disruptive influence on very young children's behavior. Fifty 12-, 24-, and 36-month-olds played with a variety of toys for 1 hr. For half of the hour, a game show played in the background on a monaural TV set. During the other half hour, the TV was off. The children looked at the TV for only a few seconds at a time and less than once per minute. Nevertheless, background TV significantly reduced toy play episode length as well as focused attention during play. Thus, background television disrupts very young children's play behavior even when they pay little overt attention to it. These findings have implications for subsequent cognitive development.     

Operation ARA: A computerized learning game that teaches critical thinking and scientific reasoning

Operation ARA (Acquiring Research Acumen) is a computerized learning game that teaches critical thinking and scientific reasoning. It is a valuable learning tool that utilizes principles from the science of learning and serious computer games. Students learn the skills of scientific reasoning by engaging in interactive dialogs with avatars. They are tutored by avatars with tutoring sessions that vary depending on how well students have responded to questions about the material they are learning. Students also play a jeopardy-like game against a feisty avatar to identify flaws in research and then generate their own questions to determine the quality of different types of research. The research examples are taken from psychology, biology, and chemistry to help students transfer the thinking skills across domains of knowledge. Early results show encouraging learning gains.     

Bringing Content into the Picture: Proposing a Tri-Partite Model for Digital Preservation

Digital preservation is a complex field that is rapidly maturing and increasingly focusing on content as well as the human element of digital preservation. This conceptual article examines a number of digital preservation models meeting a variety of needs created by different communities. Given the guidance these models have afforded digital preservation, considering the present, and looking to the future, this article proposes a tri-partite model for thinking about digital preservation in an era of robust community involvement: the Digital Preservation Triad. The Triad focuses on 1) Management, including elements relating to documentation and human resources; 2) Technology; and 3) Content.     

Shooting motion in high school,collegiate, and professional men’s lacrosse players

The purposes of this research were to quantify the kinematics of the lacrosse shot, based on arm dominance and player experience level. Male players (N = 39; 14–30 years; high school [n = 24], collegiate [n = 9], professional [n = 6]), performed overhead shots using dominant and non-dominant sides. Motion was captured using a high-speed, 12-camera optical system and high-speed filming. Body segment rotational velocities and joint angles were determined at key points in the shot cycle from foot contact (0% of shot) to ball release (100% of shot). All players shot with less anterior trunk lean, less transverse shoulder rotation, and slower trunk-shoulder rotational velocities with the non-dominant side than the dominant side (all p < 0.05). Professional players produced crosse angular velocities 21% faster than high school or collegiate players (p < 0.05). Transverse shoulder rotation range of motion on both dominant and non-dominant and trunk rotation sides was highest in the professional players (p < 0.05). These kinematic features enable professional players to produce faster ball speeds than younger players (138 ± 7 km/h vs. 112 ± 15 km/h, respectively; p < 0.05). Less anterior lean or suboptimal rotation sequence could increase proximal shoulder forces that could contribute to injury as in other throwing sports.     

Women caught in the multi‐causal web: A gendered analysis of Healthy People 2010

This essay is a gendered analysis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Healthy People 2010 initiative (HP 2010). HP 2010 sets national health goals and priorities for public health agencies throughout the nation with a stated goal to “reduce health disparities” (p. 2), including disparities based on “gender, race, education or income, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation” (p. 11). Given the focus on women’s medical research since the 1990s and the continued presence of gendered health disparities, it is important to investigate how public health policy defines, depicts, and prioritizes issues related to women’s health, particularly poor and minority women. A close reading of three sets of chapters related to physical disease, health care services, and sexual health issues from the perspective of women suggests that despite renewed promises, the “multi‐causal web” approach to public health does not promote conditions that would empower marginalized groups because it fails to address sex differences in health advice and prioritize economic and political changes necessary for marginalized groups. Underlying these issues is a lack of consideration for the role of socially constructed gender roles along with race and class in health status and inequities.