Cost efficacy of two social learning training procedures with withdrawn/isolate children

This investigation compared the cost effectiveness of two approaches—the social learning approach and the social learning approach with reinforcement—to increase the frequency of targeted social skills with socially withdrawn/isolate children. Twelve grade three subjects were selected whose mean score was higher than 2.00 on the social withdrawal subscale of the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklist. The frequency of four behaviours—asking questions, giving directions, praising and encouraging, and social other—were observed and compared to the frequency of behavior of an “average” peer. The results indicated that the social learning approach paired with reinforcement for teaching targeted social skills was more cost effective, thus more feasible for classroom application.     

PREDICTING TEST--RETEST RELIABILITY FROM BEHAVIOR CODING

In attempting to move questionnaire design from art to science,researchers use different evaluation techniques to help determinehow well questions are working. Techniques such as behaviorcoding, respondent debriefing, interviewer debriefing, cognitiveinterviewing, and nonresponse analysis all provide informationto help the questionnaire designer assess whether respondentsunderstand questions as intended and whether they are able toprovide adequate answers to them. However, these techniquesdo not actually measure question reliability. It is assumedthat questions that pass the screen of the questionnaire evaluationtechniques described above are also more likely to produce datathat are reliable and valid. In this paper, we use behaviorcoding data to predict test–retest reliability. Respondentbehavior codes significantly predict such reliability whereasinterviewer codes—at least in this survey—do not.We also report the results of sensitivity testing to determinewhat percentage of adequate respondent answers best predictstest—retest reliability.     

Associations Between Perceived Material Deprivation,Parents’ Discipline Practices,and Children's Behavior Problems: An International Perspective

This study investigated the association between perceived material deprivation, children's behavior problems, and parents’ disciplinary practices. The sample included 1,418 8- to 12-year-old children and their parents in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. Multilevel mixed- and fixed-effects regression models found that, even when income remained stable, perceived material deprivation was associated with children's externalizing behavior problems and parents’ psychological aggression. Parents’ disciplinary practices mediated a small share of the association between perceived material deprivation and children's behavior problems. There were no differences in these associations between mothers and fathers or between high- and low- and middle-income countries. These results suggest that material deprivation likely influences children's outcomes at any income level.     

Development of dyslexic subgroups:

There is a consensus that dyslexia is on a continuum with normal reading skill and that dyslexics fall at the low end of the normal range in phonological skills. However, there is still substantial variability in phonological skill among dyslexic children. Recent studies have focused on the high end of the continuum of phonological skills in dyslexics, identifying a “surface” dyslexic, or “delayed” profile in which phonological skills are not out of line with other aspects of word recognition. The present study extended this work to a longitudinal context, and explored differences among subgroups of dyslexics on a battery of component reading skills. Third grade dyslexics (n=72) were classified into two subgroups, phonological dyslexics and delayed dyslexics, based on comparisons to younger normal readers at the same reading level (RL group). The children were tested at two points (in third and fourth grade). The results revealed that the classification of dyslexics produced reliable, stable, and valid groups. About 82 percent of the children remained in the same subgroup category when retested a year later. Phonological dyslexics were lower in phoneme awareness and expressive language. Delayed dyslexics tended to be slower at processing printed letters and words but not at rapid automatic naming of letters, and relied more heavily on phonological recoding in reading for meaning than did phonological dyslexics. A subset of the delayed dyslexics with the traditional “surface dyslexic” pattern (relatively high pseudoword and low exception word reading) was also identified. The surface subgroup resembled the RL group on most measures and was not very stable over one year. The results are discussed in light of current models of dyslexia and recent subgrouping schemes, including the Double-Deficit Hypothesis.     

Calibration and Scoring of Tests With Multiple-Choice and Constructed-Response Item Types

This article discusses and demonstrates combining scores from multiple-choice (MC) and constructed-response (CR) items to create a common scale using item response theory methodology. Two specific issues addressed are (a) whether MC and CR items can be calibrated together and (b) whether simultaneous calibration of the two item types leads to loss of information. Procedures are discussed and empirical results are provided using a set of tests in the areas of reading, language, mathematics, and science in three grades.