Perceptions of Communication With Gay and Lesbian Family Members: Predictors of Relational Satisfaction and Implications for Outgroup Attitudes

This study investigates perceptions of family communication among members with different sexual identities. Specifically, from the perspective of heterosexual family members (N = 129), the study takes an intergroup perspective to determine how accommodative and non-accommodative communication and attitudes toward homosexuality predict intergroup anxiety and relational satisfaction with gay or lesbian family members. Further, the manner in which family communication influences attitudes toward homosexuality is examined. Results are discussed in terms of implications for research on heterosexual–homosexual interaction, family communication, and intergroup communication, in general.     

A multidimensional adapted process model of teaching

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability - In the present study, we aimed to specify the key competence domains perceived to be critical for the teaching profession and depict them as...     

Alle alles lehren – Schulleistungen in Englisch,Mathematik und den Naturwissenschaften vor und nach der Neuordnung der gymnasialen Oberstufe in Sachsen

Over the last few years, German federal states have increasingly emphasized and strengthened the subjects regarded as core domains of the Gymnasium (the academic school track), including German, mathematics, foreign languages and, to some extent, science subjects (biology, chemistry, physics) by reducing the number of course and examination options through specific educational reforms. The present study investigates consequences of the reform of upper secondary schooling in the federal state of Saxony on the learning time allocated to subjects and on achievement in the domains of mathematics, English and natural sciences. As expected, the mandatory course selection of science subjects introduced through the reform led to substantially higher achievement levels in physics and chemistry. Moreover, disparities in achievement in the subjects of chemistry and biology were reduced. The reform effects on average achievement levels were strongly associated with course level choices (basic course, advanced course, drop out). Achievement rates relating to course level were, however, largely independent of the amount of allocated learning time. No changes were observed with regard to achievement levels and disparities in mathematics and English.     

Vergleichbarkeit von Abiturleistungen

This article examines differences in the mathematics and English proficiency of academic-track students in Baden-Württemberg (N?=?3526) and Hamburg (N?=?3734), investigating whether and to what extent these differences are reflected in the Abitur grades the students are awarded. The article also examines the extent to which scores in centrally conducted examinations provide better comparability than do coursework grades. Multilevel analyses predicting coursework grades in mathematics revealed clear between-state differences, with students in Hamburg being awarded higher mathematics grades than comparably able students in Baden-Württemberg. These differences are partly attributable to frame of reference effects and their impact on teachers’ grading practices. No corresponding between-state differences were found for English. Mathematics examination scores provided a much better measure of student achievement than mathematics coursework grades. The findings are discussed in terms of meritocratic access to sought-after university and training places.     

Expected reading effort in focused retrieval evaluation

This study introduces a novel framework for evaluating passage and XML retrieval. The framework focuses on a user’s effort to localize relevant content in a result document. Measuring the effort is based on a system guided reading order of documents. The effort is calculated as the quantity of text the user is expected to browse through. More specifically, this study seeks evaluation metrics for retrieval methods following a specific fetch and browse approach, where in the fetch phase documents are ranked in decreasing order according to their document score, like in document retrieval. In the browse phase, for each retrieved document, a set of non-overlapping passages representing the relevant text within the document is retrieved. In other words, the passages of the document are re-organized, so that the best matching passages are read first in sequential order. We introduce an application scenario motivating the framework, and propose sample metrics based on the framework. These metrics give a basis for the comparison of effectiveness between traditional document retrieval and passage/XML retrieval and illuminate the benefit of passage/XML retrieval.     

Young Adults’ Trait Affection Given and Received as Functions of Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultures and National Origin

Based on the work conducted by trait psychologists, this cross-cultural investigation sought to examine young adults’ trait affection given and trait affection received in the U.S., Russia, and Slovakia as functions of (a) Hofstede’s four primary dimensions of national cultures (i.e. masculinity–femininity, individualism–collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance), and (b) national origin. Undergraduate students (N = 558) from the U.S. (n = 214), Russia (n = 169), and Slovakia (n = 210) completed a questionnaire in their native languages. The results of regression analyses and analyses of variances supported the notion that the four dimensions of national cultures influence people’s trait-like attributes and therefore also result in significant differences among the three countries examined in this investigation.     

Effects of Accent Strength Expectancy Violations on Language Attitudes

This study examined how violations of listeners’ expectancies of the strength of speakers’ foreign accents influence evaluations of foreign-accented speakers. Participants (N = 275) listened to a male or female speaker reading a short passage in Spanish-accented English. Compared to participants whose expectancies about the strength of speakers’ foreign accents were confirmed, listeners whose expectancies were negatively violated reported a more negative affective reaction and attributed less status to the speaker. Affect partially mediated the effect of negative expectancy violations on ratings of status. Participants whose expectancies were positively violated did not differ from those whose expectancies were confirmed on any dependent measures.     

Correcting Measurement Error in Content Analysis

Conducting and reporting reliability tests has become a standard practice in content analytical research. However, the consequences of measurement error in coding data are rarely discussed or taken into consideration in subsequent analyses. In this article, we demonstrate how misclassification in content analysis leads to biased estimates and introduce matrix back-calculation as a simple remedy. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we investigate how different ways of collecting information about the misclassification process influence the effectiveness of error correction under varying conditions. The results show that error correction with an adequate set-up can often substantially reduce bias. We conclude with an illustrative example, extensions of the procedure, and some recommendations.