The impact of an online intervention (Brainology) on the mindset and resiliency of secondary school pupils: a preliminary mixed methods study

This preliminary study investigated the impact of the online interactive programme Brainology (which aimed to encourage a growth mindset) on the mindset, resiliency and sense of mastery of secondary school pupils. A quasi-experimental pre-, post- and follow-up mixed-methods study was carried out with 33 participants aged 13–14?years. The measures were Dweck’s theories of intelligence scale and Prince-Embury’s resiliency scales for children and adolescents. Quantitative data were analysed using analysis of variance. Qualitative data from focus groups were categorised and coded. The programme led to a significant increase in pre- to post-mindset scores for the intervention group. However, there was a significant decline at follow-up and the initial impact of the intervention was not sustained. There were no significant changes in mindset for the comparison group. There were no significant changes in resiliency or sense of mastery for either group. The significant short-term impact of Brainology and non-significant follow-up findings are discussed. The present study has limitations such as small sample size, which has implications for generalisability. Future research should investigate the longer term effectiveness of educational interventions in schools.

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.     

Caregiver instability and early life changes among infants reported to the child welfare system

This study describes the extent of caregiver instability (defined as a new placement for 1 week or longer in a different household and/or with a new caregiver) in a nationally representative sample of infants, followed for 5–7 years. Data were drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), a longitudinal study of 5,501 children investigated for child maltreatment. The analysis sample was restricted to 1,196 infants. Overall, 85.6% of children who were infants at the time of the index maltreatment experienced at least one caregiver instability event during their first 2 years of life. Caregiver instability was associated with the child having a chronic health condition and the caregiver being older than 40 years of age at baseline. The levels of instability reported in this study from infancy to school entry are extremely high. Children with more risk factors were significantly more likely to experience caregiver instability than children with fewer risk factors. The repeated loss of a young child's primary caregiver or unavailable, neglectful care can be experienced as traumatic. Some evidence-based programs that are designed to work with young maltreated children can make a substantial positive difference in the lives of vulnerable infants.     

Basic Research-Reference Material

Audiovisual Market Place 1978: A Multimedia Guide (431 pp.—$21.50, paper)

Fine Arts Market Place edited by Paul Cumnings (403 pp.—$19.95, paper)

Photography Market Place edited by Fred W. McDarrah (502 pp.—$15.50, paper)

Keith A. Larson's Public Relations, the Edward L. Bernaypes and the American Scene: A Bibliography (Westwood, Mass.: F.W. Faxon Co. "Useful Reference Series No. 114"—$25.00)

Ching-Chih Chen's Scientific and Technical Information Sources, (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1977—$24.95)

Book Dealers in North America: A Directory of Dealers in Secondhand and Antiquarian Books in Canada and the United States of America (London: Sheppard Press, updated every four-five years—inquire on price)     

Broadcasting

TALK RADIO AND THE AMERICAN DREAM by Murray B, Levin (Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 1987—$22.00)

WHO SHOT THE SHERIFF? THE RISE AND FALL OF THE TELEVISION WESTERN by J. Fred MacDonald (New York: Praeger, 1987—$29.95)

LIVE TV: AN INSIDE LOOK AT DIRECTING AND PRODUCING by Tony Verna (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1987—$22.95)

TV CAREERS BEHIND THE SCREEN by Jane Blanksteen and Avi Odeni (New York: John Wiley, 1987—$12.95, paper)

THE BROADCASTER'S DICTIONARY by James R. McDonald (Windriver Books, Box 481, Broomfield, CT 80020—$20.00 incl. postage, paper)

Three recent publications by the National Association of Broadcasters (Publications Dept., 1771 N St. NW. Washington, DC 20036)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT: THE BROADCAST &; CABLE INDUSTRIES by Barry L. Sherman (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1987—$29.95)

CHANNELS OF DISCOURSE: TELEVISION AND CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM edited by Robert C. Allen (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987—$25.00/7.95)

THE HOUR OF TELEVISION: CRITICAL APPROACHES by N.D. Batra (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. 1987—$29.50)     

Radio

RADIO: A REFERENCE GUIDE by Thomas Allen Greenfield (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1989—$39.95, ISBN 0-313-22276-2)

THE RADIO STATION by Michael Keith and Joseph Krause (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1989—$24.95, paper, ISBN 0-240-80028-1)

PROGRAMMING RADIO TO WTN IN THE NEW AMERICA by John Parikhal and David Oakes (1989—$40.00 but $20 to NAB/BEA members, paper, ISBN 0-89324-062-1)

PROFITING FROM RADIO RATINGS: A MANUAL FOR RADIO MANAGERS, SALES MANAGERS AND PROGRAMMERS by James E. Fletcher (1989—$40.00 but $20 to NAB/BEA members, paper, ISBN 0-89324-065-6)

DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING PLAN: A WORKING GUIDE FOR RADIO BROADCASTERS by John Geason and John Sutherland (1989—$20.00, paper, ISBN 0-89324-066-4)

AMERICAN RADIO SPRING 1989 by James H. Duncan, Jr. (Duncan's American Radio, Box 90284, Indianapolis, IN 46290—$79.00, paper)     

Bundling in Cable Television: A Pedagogical Note With a Policy Option

Bundling can be a pricing mechanism by which monopolists capture economic surplus from consumers.We suggest that given the cost structure of media markets, channel bundling in the cable and satellite market could also emerge in a competitive environment. A la carte channel pricing on cable television may or may not increase consumer welfare and could decrease total welfare. Because bundling may create other problems, policymakers may consider allowing cable and satellite networks to sell packages of channel space to viewers at a given price, allowing viewers to choose which channels they want in their packages. We term this option quasi-bundling.     

The Relationships between Driver Anger and Aggressive Communication Traits

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between college students’ level of driver anger and their aggressive communication traits. Driving anger is an individual's tendency to become angry while driving. In 1994 the driving anger scale (DAS) identified six dimensions of driver anger: hostile gestures, illegal driving, police presence, slow driving, discourtesy, and traffic obstructions. Results of Pearson correlations show that police presence, slow driving, discourteous driving, and traffic obstructions were positively related to all of the aggressive communication traits. “Hostile gestures” was related to assertiveness. Illegal driving was related to indirect verbal aggression and assertiveness.     

Visual Framing of the Early Weeks of the U.S.-Led Invasion of Iraq: Applying the Master War Narrative to Electronic and Print Images

A content analysis of 1,822 images from U.S. mainstream media—network and cable television news outlets, news Web sites, newspapers, and news magazines—revealed that the visual framing of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 shifted from conflict to human interest. During the campaign's first 5 weeks, 5 distinct scenarios—shock and awe, conquering troops, hero, victory, and control—often coalesced around iconic images and supported a “master war narrative” identified by other scholars. These visual frames reflected a government-promoted patriotic perspective seen in media content at the outset of previous U.S. wars, from the Civil War through the Gulf War.