Rejoinder: Spanking and externalizing problems: Examining within-subject associations

This study examined the effects of spanking on externalizing on a within-subject level, while excluding causally irrelevant between-subject variance. Results from two longitudinal studies which used participants from the Child Development Project (n = 585) were reanalyzed with a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model using yearly measurements over ages 6–8. After removing between-subject variance, there were no significant effects of general spanking on externalizing (β = .06, .07). However, when done without objects and at a rate of about once per month or less, spanking showed beneficial effects (β = −.17, −.21). Results suggest that previous findings may be due to a failure to separate between-subject and within-subject variance. Additionally, results illustrate the need to examine limited spanking separately from more general forms of physical punishment.     

Determining Intensity Levels of Selected Wii Fit Activities in College Aged Individuals

The purpose of this study was to determine the intensity of Nintendo Wii Fit games using indirect calorimetry. Twenty-five college students completed Wii Fit activity sessions at two difficulty levels within aerobics, strength, and yoga categories. Resting metabolic rate and exercise oxygen uptake were measured, and metabolic equivalents were calculated. Measured metabolic equivalents and calculated metabolic equivalents ranged from 2.30 ± .42 and 2.44 ± .38 for Yoga to 5.73 ± 1.36 and 6.04 ± 1.09 for aerobics, respectively. All selected Wii Fit activity intensities were significantly higher than resting, p < .001; aerobic and strength activities met the moderate intensity threshold (three metabolic equivalents, p < .001), while yoga activities did not (p < .005). Aerobic and yoga activities of medium difficulty were more intense than the corresponding easy-rated activities (p < .005). There were no statistical differences between measured and calculated metabolic equivalents. Wii Fit has potential as an effective tool for helping college-aged individuals increase their physical activity.     

Predictors of Academic Stress Among College Students

The purpose of this study was to examine factors predictive of college students' academic stress. Three hundred seven undergraduate students (179 men, 128 women) participated in the study. Results indicated that female college students had higher academic stress than did male college students. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression analyses revealed that life satisfaction, locus of control, and gender were significant predictors of academic stress. Directions for future research and implications for counselors are discussed.     

Student Recruitment into Postsecondary Educational Program

The recruitment of students into educational programs is an area that is underexplored in the literature. This piece capitalizes on two unique features to provide insights. First, the sample comes from a larger experimental evaluation of a summer bridge program that required the eight participating institutions to significantly increase—even more than double—their recruitment from the previous year. Second, because the program was designed for recent high school graduates, the institutions were required to work across educational sectors to recruit students while they were in the spring of their senior year of high school. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, I report that the most successful methods of recruitment involved two components: a personal aspect and multiple exposures to the information. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

数字图像分析方法在螺纹检测中的应用

This paper describes the use of computer-aided measurement for external metric screw threads.Thread parameters,including thread pitch,thread angle,pitch giameter and major diameter,were measured with CCD cameras and image analysis software.New technologies such as digital image processing were used to increase the efficiency of measurements.In this study,by reconstructing the toolmaker‘s microscope,the computer-aided semi-automated measuring system was developed,which could evaluate the accuracy of screw thread fpofile.It is concluded that the measuement accuracy is comparable to that of traditional toolmaker‘s microscope method.     

Categories in conflict: Combating the application of an intuitive conception of inheritance with category construction

The idea that characteristics acquired by an organism during its lifetime can be inherited by offspring and result in evolution is a substantial impediment to student understanding of evolution. In the current study, we performed a preliminary examination of how acquiring physical changes in a question prompt may differentially cue intuitive and scientific justifications of inheritance and evolution and how this varies based on how student learned the concept. Middle school students in a suburban northeastern district (N = 314) either learned about evolutionary change with a category construction task (with different levels of feedback support) or completed a worksheet. Three days later students responded to two free response scenarios (one where a physical change is acquired). Responses were coded based on student justifications for either science accuracy or intuitive nature. Specific reasons were coded by justification type with high inter-rater agreement (k > 0.93). Results showed that students were more likely to apply intuitive reasoning when a physical change was acquired (50%) than if the change was behavioral in nature (16%). Additionally, students who completed the category construction task provided significantly more scientifically accurate justifications about inheritance (M = 1.12) than control students (M = 0.47), and significantly less intuitive justifications (M = 0.67) than control (M = 1.13). Finally, category construction produced the most scientific reasoning when feedback was provided. Taken together, these results suggest that intuitive reasoning is differentially applied based on physical organismal changes, intuitive reasoning is less frequent when learning via category construction, and the category construction task is more effective for this population with the inclusion of feedback.     

Designing With Multiple Interactives: Five Common Pitfalls

Abstract Interactive museum exhibits are ubiquitous in science centers, and are becoming increasingly popular in art, history and cultural museums. At an interactive exhibit, visitors can act on the exhibit and the exhibit reacts. While there is much theoretical and empirical support for the idea that interactive features promote science learning, we believe that serious design problems can arise if an uncritical “more is better” approach is taken to interactivity. This article describes five common pitfalls of designing exhibits with high levels of interactivity or multiple interactive features: 1) multiple options with equal salience, 2) features allowing multiple users to interfere with one another, 3) options that encourage users to disrupt the phenomenon being displayed, 4) features that make the critical phenomenon difficult to find, and 5) secondary features that obscure the primary feature. Examples of each of the five problems are presented, and possible design solutions are offered.