Does shame influence nonsuicidal self-injury among college students? An investigation into the role of shame,negative urgency,and brooding

College students experience high levels of life stress that put them at increased risk for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). It is important to understand which vulnerabilities put students most at risk, in order to inform treatment in college counseling centers. This study investigated the joint contributions of specific vulnerabilities to lifetime history and frequency of NSSI among a sample of undergraduates (50% reported a history of NSSI). Results showed shame-proneness was uniquely associated with NSSI frequency beyond other negative emotions. Negative urgency and brooding exacerbated this effect. This study provides insights into the contributions of specific vulnerabilities to NSSI and implications for practice.     

Teacher tensions: expectations in a professional development institute

The purpose of this study was to better understand teacher tensions in professional development. The population under study was practicing mathematics teachers engaged in a week-long professional development institute. Data sources included observations, interviews, and teacher products (such as registration forms, surveys, journals, and notebooks). The data were analyzed to determine what tensions were evident in the institute and how those tensions arose. In this paper, we examine participants’ tensions in a professional development situation when their expectations did not match reality. We have done so by presenting a theoretical model of professional development based on an instructional rhombus that illuminates the actual and applicatory aspects of teachers’ professional development experiences. The main tensions expressed by the teachers were related to the content and pedagogy of the institute. This study points toward the importance of teachers’ expectations in professional development.     

An Exploration of a Website Design Process and Results of a Usability Study

A transition of content management systems provided Kornhauser Health Sciences Library with an opportunity to redesign the library’s website to be more user-friendly, efficient, and visually appealing. A multistage approach was taken: (1) informal interviews of various stakeholders from the library, (2) a redesign using information gained from those stakeholders, and (3) a retrospective comparative usability study. This study was conducted with the goal to inform library staff whether the redesigned website improved accuracy and efficiency of information retrieval through the completion of timed tasks. In addition, user satisfaction was measured through guided interview questions.     

Flexible Interventions to Increase Family Engagement at Natural History Museum Dioramas

A research/practice collaboration designed, implemented, and tested strategies to facilitate family engagement with natural history dioramas. Across a series of design studies, 295 family groups with at least one adult and one child aged 4–18 were observed at a wildlife diorama of deer in their natural habitat. Each mini‐study tested a different intervention intended to encourage families to engage more deeply with the diorama. Compared to a baseline condition where families used the original diorama with no intervention, findings suggested that all interventions supported increased engagement, but that some interventions were more successful at engaging younger children, increasing conversations about biodiversity and ecosystems issues, or in developing science skills such as observation and classification. We make recommendations for supporting family learning at dioramas and also reflect upon how our research/practice partnership was vital to the work.     

The Role of Life-Space,Social Activity,and Depression on the Subjective Memory Complaints of Community-Dwelling Filipino Elderly: A Structural Equation Model

Subjective memory complaints are one of the major concerns of the elderly and remain a challenging area in gerontology. There are previous studies that identify different factors affecting subjective memory complaints. However, an extended model that correlates life-space on subjective memory complaints remains a blank spot. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of life-space, social activity and depression on subjective memory complaints among the selective group of Filipino elderly in the community. To test the factors affecting subjective memory complaints, a structural equation modeling was employed among all parameters. One hundred eighty-nine Filipino elderly aged 60 years and above located in Parañaque City, Makati City and Malabon City were given a multiaspect questionnaire consisting of a robotfoto, Life-Space Assessment (LSA), Research and Development (RAND) Social Health Battery, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and Subjective Memory Questionnaire (SMQ). Results revealed that life-space and social activity inversely affect depression while subjective memory complaints are directly affected by depression. New pathways emerged suggesting the interrelationship between life-space and social activity. Additionally, social activity directly affects subjective memory complaints. This study provides a confirmation of the impact of the factors affecting subjective memory complaints. Incorporation of these factors into the existing practice can help the health care providers in optimizing the quality of care rendered and quality of life of the elderly.     

School of shock: film,television and anal education

Since their inception, film and television have been accused of having all kinds of magical powers to alter behaviour, coerce malfeasance and encourage debauchery. Decades of media theory later, the powers of persuasion are in fact thought to be much more modest. One area where popular media is considered to be particularly influential is education, with film and television being perceived to have a role in teaching audiences about certain topics, notably sexuality. This paper focuses specifically on the education provided by film and television about anal heterosex. Screen depictions have a function in not just putting such a sex act onto the audience agenda but in guiding viewers' reception. In this paper, the use of pleasure, pain and power frames is examined to explore the specifics of the anal education provided by screen fiction.     

Teacher and observer ratings of young African American children's social and emotional competence

Children's social and emotional competence abilities have been linked to successful social interactions and academic performance. This study examined the teacher and observer ratings of social and emotional competence for 89 young (3‐ to 5‐year‐old), African American children from economically stressed urban environments. There was a specific interest in understanding the convergence and divergence of the raters on these competence behaviors within the classroom. This study also examined the association among children's competence abilities and their overall functioning at school. There were significant associations between teacher and observer reports of children's competence. Children who were observed to be socially and emotionally competent were rated by their teachers as functioning well in school. However, there were differences among teacher and observer reports in terms of the specific behaviors that represented social and emotional competence. These findings provide support for the use of multi‐method, multi‐informant measures to assess competence among African American children. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.