A Historical Examination of Self-Regulation: Helping Children Now and in the Future

Using content and archival analysis as a mixed method research design, this study addresses the broad issue of self-regulation since this subject area first appeared in the developmental psychology journals, addressing the question of whether each historical period had its own particular perspective on self-regulation, or was there, in fact, a progressive development? This research also explored the historical basis of current perspectives in order to provide background and continuity for present theories and the discussion of implications for families, professionals, and communities in supporting the development of self-regulation in infants and children.     

Propensity Score Analysis of Complex Survey Data with Structural Equation Modeling: A Tutorial with Mplus

Propensity score (PS) analysis aims to reduce bias in treatment effect estimates obtained from observational studies, which may occur due to non-random differences between treated and untreated groups with respect to covariates related to the outcome. We demonstrate how to use structural equation modeling (SEM) for PS analysis to remove selection bias due to latent covariates and estimate treatment effects on latent outcomes. Following the discussion of the design and analysis stages of PS analysis with SEM, an example is presented which uses the Mplus software to analyze data from the 1999 School and Staffing Survey (SASS) and 2000 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) to estimate the effects teacher’s participation in a network of teachers on the teacher’s perception of workload manageability.     

Predicting academic success for disabled students in higher education

Research has indicated that disabled and nondisabled persons experience communication strained by high levels of uncertainty for both communicators. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of being disabled on the academic progress of disabled college students. It was felt that academic success will be contingent upon positive communication with faculty, fellow students, and university personnel. A questionnaire assessing the campus' social climate, the quality of its programs and instruction, and the students' academic and career expectations was administered to 100 disabled students. Analyses of the data revealed that the disabled students' motivation was significantly related to their level of social alienation, while the students' perceived competence was most related to their level of social adjustment. The theoretical implications of these findings and avenues for future research are discussed.     

Multiple Representations in Computational Thinking Tasks: A Clinical Study of Second-Grade Students

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Computational thinking requires high cognitive load as students work to manage multiple tasks in their problem-solving environment. Through research in...     

An Empirical Appraisal of Canadian Doctoral Dissertations Using Grounded Theory: Implications for Social Work Research and Teaching

Grounded theory is a popular methodological approach in social work research, especially by doctoral students conducting qualitative research. The approach, however, is not always used consistently or as originally designed, compromising the quality of the research. The aim of the current study is to assess the quality of recent Canadian social work doctoral dissertations implementing a grounded theory approach. Our analysis is based on the premise that presentations of grounded theory approaches in doctoral dissertations impact the conduct of teaching and future research and have direct implications for the legitimacy of qualitative research. Using Saini and Shlonsky’s Qualitative Research Quality Checklist, the authors appraised dissertations in terms of credibility, dependability, confirmability, transferability, authenticity, and relevance. The article concludes with implications regarding the quality of studies utilizing grounded theory approaches and consequences for future doctoral education and research.     

Puberty Predicts Approach But Not Avoidance on the Iowa Gambling Task in a Multinational Sample

According to the dual systems model of adolescent risk taking, sensation seeking and impulse control follow different developmental trajectories across adolescence and are governed by two different brain systems. The authors tested whether different underlying processes also drive age differences in reward approach and cost avoidance. Using a modified Iowa Gambling Task in a multinational, cross‐sectional sample of 3,234 adolescents (ages 9–17; M = 12.87, SD = 2.36), pubertal maturation, but not age, predicted reward approach, mediated through higher sensation seeking. In contrast, age, but not pubertal maturation, predicted increased cost avoidance, mediated through greater impulse control. These findings add to evidence that adolescent behavior is best understood as the product of two interacting, but independently developing, brain systems.     

Positive psychology in the prevention of eating disorders

Traditionally the identification of, and treatment for, eating disorders has been based on developmental psychopathology theory and research, thereby emphasizing risk factors and the elimination of maladaptive behaviors. This article seeks to reconceptualize the prevention of, and protective factors for, eating disordered behavior from the positive psychology framework proposed by Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi. This philosophy posits that psychology should strive to identify characteristics relating to positive subjective experiences, constructive individual traits, and affirmative institutions for the purpose of emphasizing and enhancing these strengths. To this end, we present recent literature on promoting protective factors with respect to these variables in the prevention of eating disorders. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 111–117, 2004.     

Reviews

Smith , P. (1977). Developing Handwriting. Mc Kenzie , Moira and Warlow , Aidan (editors) (1977). Reading Matters, Selecting and Using Books in the Classroom. Otto , W., Peters , C. W. and Peters , N. (1977). Reading Problems: A Multidisciplinary Perspective.     

Clery Act: Road to Compliance

The purpose of this study was to explore what factors served as impediments to institutional efforts to comply with Clery Act guidelines through the perceptions of campus law administrators. Statistical analyses were performed on data collected from an online survey, which was distributed to members of the International Association of Campus Law Administrators currently working at colleges and universities in the United States. Survey items were designed to explore the relationship between the following factors and Clery Act compliance: (a) institutional resistance, (b) ambiguity in the Act, (c) lack of funding, (d) lack of support, and (e) inaccurate reporting. Mazmanian and Sabatier’s Theory of Effective Policy Implementation was used as a conceptual framework to examine challenges to institutional compliance with the Clery Act statute. The findings in this study will be used to help college administrators assess how to improve the performance level of campus law personnel in relation to promoting campus safety and complying with the Clery Act statute.