Preschoolers’ Motivation to Over-Imitate Humans and Robots

From preschool age, humans tend to imitate causally irrelevant actions—they over-imitate. This study investigated whether children over-imitate even when they know a more efficient task solution and whether they imitate irrelevant actions equally from a human compared to a robot model. Five-to-six-year-olds (N = 107) watched either a robot or human retrieve a reward from a puzzle box. First a model demonstrated an inefficient (Trial 1), then an efficient (Trial 2), then again the inefficient strategy (Trial 3). Subsequent to each demonstration, children copied whichever strategy had been demonstrated regardless of whether the model was a human or a robot. Results indicate that over-imitation can be socially motivated, and that humanoid robots and humans are equally likely to elicit this behavior.     

Anthropometric profiles are associated with long-term career attainment in elite junior rowers: A retrospective analysis covering 23 years

Introduction: Successful rowers are heavier and taller than their opponents, but the effect of these variables on long-term career attainment in juniors has not been examined. We therefore analysed this in a large sample of elite German junior rowers. Methods: Former German Junior National Team rowers (N?=?910; 399 females) were grouped according to their highest career attainment, i.e., participation in U19-, U23-, Senior World Championships or Olympic Games (OG). Differences in standing height (SH), body mass (BM) and body mass index (BMI) between groups were analysed using unpaired t-tests and magnitude-based inferences (MBI), effects of anthropometrics on career attainment were analysed with a proportional odds model. Interquartile ranges of the OG group were used to define normative data ranges. Results: SH and BMI very likely differed between career attainment in females. The same was found in males for SH and BM. BM (odds ratio (OR)?=?0.958, P?=?.0171) and BMI (OR?=?0.787, P?=?.0004) had a significant effect on career attainment in females as SH (OR?=?1.072, P?=?.0002) and BM (OR?=?1.049, P?=?.0004) had in males. Interquartile ranges of SH and BM were 178–184?cm and 68–73?kg in females, 190–196?cm and 84–93?kg in males. Conclusion: Anthropometric characteristics at junior age affect long-term career attainment even within elite U19 National Team rowers, underlining the relevance of anthropometric assessments and their consideration for talent identification and development programmes in rowing. We provide evidence-based normative data that rule out an anthropometric limitation of junior rowers for career progression to Olympic level.     

Diversity in early childhood education: a German perspective

This paper outlines the theoretical foundation of a skill enhancement programme in early childhood settings which follows the ideas of the Anti-Bias approach. A focal point of the concept is to acknowledge the connection between societal, structural and individual biases. It challenges those biases and assists educators in improving their competences to promote diversity. The paper describes the history of the transfer of the Anti-Bias approach across?three different international contexts. An empirical study is then introduced which is based on the combination of a document analysis and expert interviews of those who facilitate the concept. The findings reveal that developing competences in reflecting the individual self and professional actions are key methods, and they entail implications for concepts of enabling educators to support inclusion. Those implications as well as input on dealing with diversity in Germany are outlined.     

Quality of Reciprocated Friendships of Students with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Seventh Grade

This study focuses on companionship, intimacy, and support of reciprocated friendships of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), students with motor and/or sensory disabilities, and typically developing students with their classmates at the start of mainstream secondary school. The study included 1379 typically developing students, 65 students with ASD, and 50 students with motor and/or sensory disabilities of 100 different classes in 56 schools. Sociometric techniques were used. No differences were found between companionship and support of the reciprocated friendships of the three groups. Students with ASD did report significantly less intimacy in their friendships than typically developing students did. The number of friends was not related to companionship or intimacy, but was positively associated with support of the students' reciprocated friendships. Furthermore, perceptions of shared friendship quality did not differ among students with ASD, students with motor and/or sensory disabilities, and their typically developing friends. Future research is needed to tap into the predictors and consequences of reciprocated friendships of students with special education needs in mainstream classes.     

Continuous training and wages: An empirical analysis using a comparison-group approach

Using German linked employer-employee data, this paper investigates the short-term impact of on-the-job training on wages. The applied estimation approach was first introduced by Leuven and Oosterbeek (2008). Wages of employees who intended to participate in training but did not do so because of a random event are compared to wages of training participants. The estimated wage returns are statistically insignificant. Furthermore, the decision to participate in training is associated with sizeable selection effects. On average, participants have a wage advantage of more than 4% compared to non-participants.     

Exploring the Mechanisms of Knowledge Transfer in University‐Industry Collaborations: A Study of Companies,Students and Researchers

This article discusses mechanisms, enablers and barriers for knowledge transfer in university‐industry collaboration projects involving companies, students and researchers. Data is collected through 35 qualitative interviews with Danish and Norwegian representatives from the above categories. All respondents have been involved in collaborative projects, such as student‐industry cooperation or collaboration projects between scientists and businesses. This research shows that to secure real value adding through knowledge transfer in university‐industry collaboration projects, it is important that the involved parties view each other as equal partners. It is argued that creating a better understanding of roles and competences of the involved parties can help diminish this problem. A final conclusion is that continuous knowledge sharing throughout the project seems more highly valued by the involved parties than a final report does. Best practice for collaborative projects is suggested.     

Is being gifted always an advantage? Peer relations and self-concept of gifted students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between identified gifted adolescents and adolescents not identified as gifted in terms of social acceptance and self-concept (peer relations, academic, and general). In addition, we aimed to investigate the differences between two groups of students identified according to different identification criteria (i.e. intelligence test and teacher assessment), and whether the relationship between students’ giftedness and the indicators of their social adjustment was moderated by gender. A total of 404 Slovenian elementary school students (191 males; 47%, 213 females; 53%) participated in the study; among them 85 (21%) were identified as gifted. No significant differences were found between gifted and non-gifted students in positive sociometric nominations and social preference; gifted students received less negative nominations and had lower social impact, but were assessed as more socially accepted by their teachers. Gifted students reported higher academic and general but not peer relations self-concept. No differences in social acceptance and self-concept were found between the groups of gifted students identified with regard to different identification criteria. In addition, we found significant interaction effects between gender and giftedness for peer relations self-concept. The results indicate the importance of investigating individual differences among gifted students in future studies.