The relationship between intelligence and performance on the test of variables of attention (TOVA)

The present study explored the relationship between the intelligence of young adults and their performance on the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA). The study also examined whether significant differences existed between adults with and without attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on TOVA errors of omission, errors of commission, mean correct response time, and variability, as well as on performance on the freedom from distractibility (FD) factor on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R). Seventy-nine adults participated in the study, including 17 with ADHD and 62 college students without ADHD. Pearson product-moment correlations indicated that none of the correlations between Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and TOVA variables were significant. Analysis of variance results revealed that adults with ADHD made more errors of omission on the TOVA than did controls. Between-group differences were not found on the remaining dependent variables.     

The roles of peritraumatic dissociation, child physical abuse, and child sexual abuse in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder and adult victimization

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has indicated that women who experience childhood physical abuse or childhood sexual abuse are at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adult victimization. Recently, peritraumatic dissociation (PD) has been suggested as another possible risk factor for PTSD and adult victimization. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of childhood physical and sexual abuse and PD on PTSD and adult victimization. METHOD: A sample of 467 female college students completed questionnaires about childhood and adult sexual and physical abuse experiences, PD, and PTSD symptoms. RESULTS: The combined sexual and physical abuse (CA) and sexual abuse only (SA) groups reported significantly higher numbers of PTSD symptoms than the physical abuse only (PA) and no abuse (NA) groups. The CA and PA groups reported significantly more adult sexual and physical victimization than the SA and NA groups. Across all four groups, higher levels of PD were associated with higher levels of PTSD and adult sexual and physical victimization. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study suggest that different types of childhood abuse may lead to different adult problems. The results also indicated that PD may have a broad effect on PTSD development and adult victimization.     

Developing a student-led school mental health strategy

Although there is increasing interest in promoting mental health and wellbeing within education, to date, the voices of young people appear to have been almost completely overlooked in the development of school-based mental health practices. This is despite increasing focus on young people’s participation; and the fact that young people may be best positioned to understand the pressures of contemporary society. This paper, co-authored by educational psychologists (EPs), school students and the school vice-principal, documents the development of a student-led mental health initiative within a high-achieving girls’ grammar school, led by students aged 12–18. Following EP input, the students devised a whole-school, student-friendly mental health strategy with the support of the EPs and senior school staff. As the project progressed, it became evident that applying even carefully selected adult mental health models to school contexts might not be appropriate; instead the students advocated for young person-friendly, innovative, contemporary and creative ways of communicating information about mental health, which avoided stigma. The students involved were well-placed to identify environmental stressors and to disseminate their strategy. The authors conclude that mental health planning in schools should encourage greater student participation, show caution over applying adult mental health models and promote greater use of technology or visual resources.     

Whose Citizenship Education? Hong Kong from a spatial and cultural politics perspective

Citizenship (education) is de facto a political and spatial concept and should be considered in local, national, and global contexts. Adopting a spatial and cultural politics perspective and with the dynamic formation of Hong Kong's citizenship education as a case study, this article tries to illustrate the politics at three different levels. It shows how citizenship and identity are hotly contested, with the result that, while the official civic education programme is oriented towards “national education”, a pluralistic and vibrant civil society allows the hybridization and cross-fertilization of multiple discourses and practices to run parallel with the state project, either in a complementary or competitive way. Civic education launched by the democratic camp in civil society may be viewed as empowerment struggles for human rights and democracy vis-à-vis the domestication efforts made by the government and the pro-Beijing camp, as well as the tyranny of global capitalism.     

The Impact of Learner’s Prior Knowledge on Their Use of Chemistry Computer Simulations: A Case Study

It is complicated to design a computer simulation that adapts to students with different characteristics. This study documented cases that show how college students’ prior chemistry knowledge level affected their interaction with peers and their approach to solving problems with the use of computer simulations that were designed to learn electrochemistry. Students with different prior knowledge levels were found to use different approaches to solving problems with the use of computer simulations. In particular, the cases showed that students with a high level of prior knowledge tended to use the equations and formulas to accomplish the learning tasks and then use the computer simulations to confirm their predictions. Students with a low level of prior chemistry knowledge used the computer simulations as the main resources to accomplish their tasks. Considerations of individual differences and the integration of learning materials were suggested for further research on instructional use of computer simulations.     

Social conversation and effective discussion in online group learning

This paper studies the social talk of high school students in online discussion forums. On-task talk has generally been assessed as valuable discussion because it contributes directly to productive learning. Off-task conversation, on the other hand, is often regarded as useless and a waste of time. Should this social talk indeed be regarded as an off-task activity? Is social talk such as greeting, excusing, comforting and sharing personal feelings irrelevant to learning? This study analyzes threads and argues that social talk is interwoven with on-task talk. It is interesting to note that a substantial quantity of off-task messages served the latent function of guiding group discussion toward making progress in solving collaborative problems in a subtle and indirect manner. The power of “soft talk” embedded in off-task social conversation is explored and fully discussed.     

Exploring the effects of substituting basketball players in high-level teams

Substituting basketball players during competition is a key process to optimise collective performance. Available research on this topic is scarce, probably due to the difficulty in isolating these effects; thus, the aim of this study was to identify the temporal effects of substitutions in basketball (Spanish professional basketball league). The sample was composed of 1118 substitutions gathered from 21 basketball games. The analysed variables were coach-controlled (player and team’s personal fouls, player in and player out roles, player’s in and out minutes on-court and timeout situation); on-court (foul committed, free throws, 2- and 3-point field-goal effectiveness) and situational variables (scoreline, quality of opposition, game location and game quarter). The results showed positive scoring performances after the substitution for all the analyses. During the first quarter, there were significant effects for fouls committed, scoreline and game location after the substitution. The player’s out personal fouls, free-throw effectiveness, player in, minutes on-court player in, timeout situation and 3-point field-goal effectiveness were significant during the second quarter. The team’s personal fouls, game location, and scoreline were identified as important in the third quarter. The fourth quarter did not show significant effects on the independent variables. Current findings allow optimising coaches’ plans and team management of on-court and bench players throughout the game.