Familial resemblance for measures of reading performance in families of reading-disabled and control twins

In order to assess familial resemblance for measures of reading performance, data from 314 pairs of twins in which at least one member of each pair is reading-disabled [142 monozygotic (MZ) and 172 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs], 273 matched control pairs (131 MZ and 142 DZ pairs), and their parents were subjected to both correlation and regression analyses. Results indicate that parent-offspring resemblance in families of reading-disabled probands does not differ substantially from that in families of controls. In general, the correlations and regressions for MZ twin pairs are greater than those for DZ twins; thus, individual differences in reading performance are due at least in part to heritable influences. As expected, regression coefficients are consistently larger than correlation coefficients for both parent-offspring and proband-cotwin comparisons in the reading-disabled sample, illustrating that regression analyses are more appropriate than correlations for assessing familial resemblance in selected samples.     

Social Support,Psychological Well-being,and Health Among the Elderly

This article is based on the influence that participation in the Third Age University Program has on the health and well-being of the elderly and with the mediation of social support. The data were obtained from a longitudinal study of 147 elderly students of the Third Age University of Seville (Spain). The hypothesis was that the elders who belong to the program would have, as a consequence of their participation in it, better health, well-being, and social support. The results revealed the influence that social support exercises on well-being and, as a result, upon health.     

Cultural patterns in attending to two events at once

This study examined cultural differences in children's simultaneous attention to 2 events versus quick alternation in which attending to 1 event momentarily interrupted attending to another. Thirty-one 6- to 10-year-old U.S. children of Mexican and European American heritage folded paper figures with 2 other first- to third-grade children and an adult. Mexican heritage children whose mothers averaged 7 grades of school more commonly attended to events simultaneously. European heritage and Mexican heritage children whose mothers had more than 12 grades of school more commonly alternated attention. Differences are interpreted in light of traditional indigenous North and Central American emphasis on learning through observation of ongoing events as well as school practices that emphasize learning by attending to one event at a time.     

Academic achievement among a sample of youth in foster care: The role of school connectedness

Research shows that youth in foster care experience poor academic performance and disciplinary actions in school more frequently than do non-foster care youth. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to further examine youth in foster care and the relationship between individual/intrapersonal factors (future orientation and school connectedness) and exosystem factors (number of placement and school moves) and academic performance (grades) and disciplinary referrals among 363 youth (9–11 years of age; males = 52.9%). Controlling for key variables, hierarchical linear regression analysis was utilized to understand how well students' school connectedness, future outlook, number of placement changes, and number of school moves predicted academic and disciplinary outcomes. Beyond the variance explained by control variables, school connectedness made a significant contribution to this model. Results are discussed in the context of implementing interventions that foster school connectedness among this vulnerable population.     

Do teachers’ conflicting testimonies influence children’s decisions about unconventional rules of counting?

This study addresses the influence of schoolteachers’ testimonies on children’s conceptions about unconventional correct counts or pseudoerrors. A total of 158 kindergarteners and second graders were individually interviewed: Fifty children participated in the baseline group (to determine their judgments about pseudoerrors without the presence of informants), and 108 children participated in the experimental group. There were two sessions—2 weeks apart—for the experimental group: in session 1, children faced the conflicting claims provided by three teachers vs. a dissident teacher about the correctness of different pseudoerrors made by the characters of a computer game. The participants had to decide which of the informants was right, providing a rationale for their choice. In session 2, children evaluated the same types of pseudoerrors but in absence of informants (similar to the baseline group procedure). We assessed the relative influence of the majority, and whether the presentation of teachers’ controversial judgments improved children’s understanding of counting. The findings revealed that children’s own ideas prevailed over the pressure of the majority: at both ages, children tended to endorse claims that considered pseudoerrors as incorrect counts, regardless of the source of information (majority or dissenter), and their tendency to reject pseudoerrors remained firm in session 2. Overall, results from the experimental and the baseline groups suggest that children’s adherence to the conventional rules of counting is strong and little susceptible to influence and revision. We discuss the educational implications of these findings as well as the limitations of the experimental paradigm used in this and other studies in the field of testimony.     

Evaluating the school assets that promote positive adolescent development from the perspective of the student / La evaluación de los activos escolares para el desarrollo positivo adolescente desde la perspectiva del alumnado

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating students’ perceptions of their school’s key strengths, or school assets, using the positive adolescent development approach. To do this, we first created a scale after carrying out a review of the instruments already in use to evaluate school climate and aspects related to the school context which have been identified as factors that promote the socio-personal development and adjustment of adolescents. Secondly, expert judgement was sought to ensure the validity of the scale’s content. And finally, in order to analyse the psychometric properties of the scale, it was given to a sample of 2,400 adolescents (1,068 boys and 1,332 girls) aged 12–17 (M = 14.73, SD = 1.25) in secondary education in state and private schools in Western Andalusia. The results obtained endorsed the scale’s psychometric properties. The external and predictive validity of the instrument remains to be tested in future studies.     

A synthesis of research on effectiveness of school-based drug prevention programmes / Claves de eficacia de los programas de prevención de consumo de sustancias en el contexto escolar: una meta-revisión

Abstract

Relevant information on effectiveness of school-based drug prevention programmes is available. Despite this, there is still contradictory evidence that makes it necessary to continue to shed light on this issue. Based on a synthesis research method, the aim of this study was to determine the relevant variables that enhance the efficacy of these programmes and to determine the weight of their empirical evidence. Furthermore, several features of the evaluation designs whose variables had been proven effective were examined. A systematic review of periodical literature was conducted, which led us to extract 1,622 papers, of which 17 studies were analysed. An in-depth analysis of these publications led us to identify 29 key variables associated with the efficacy of the programme, which were ranked according to the weight of their empirical evidence. Moreover, the characteristics of the studies included in the review highlighted the need to improve the rigorousness and quality of the evaluation designs in this field.     

Gender differences in cognitive abilities of opposite-sex and same-sex twin pairs with reading disabilty

In order to compare the pattern of gender differences for cognitive measures in opposite-sex twin pairs to that in independent samples of twins from same-sex pairs, psychometric test data were obtained from four research-identified samples of children: (1) 96 pairs of opposite-sex fraternal twins in which at least one member of each pair is reading disabled; (2) 62 pairs of opposite-sex fraternal twins with no history of reading problems; (3) 167 males and 155 females from same-sex identical and same-sex fraternal twin pairs in which at least one member of each pair is reading disabled; and (4) a comparison sample of 126 males and 132 females from same-sex twin pairs with no history of reading problems. Results of multivariate analyses indicate that gender differences for cognitive measures are similar in twin pairs with and without reading disabilities. Moreover, a highly similar pattern of gender differences occurs for opposite-sex twin pairs who shared both prenatal and early postnatal influences and for independent samples of children from different families.