A Closer Look at the Notorious Birthday Coincidences

The article asks about the minimal number of persons required for achieving a probability 1/2 that a . At least two share a birthday, b . At least one shares the reader's birthday. A basic question about the necessary number of checks underlies both problems.     

Specialized Study Skills,Developmental-Reading Instruction and Counseling

Ninety beginning freshmen at the University of Missouri-Rolla were utilized as subjects. The sample was sub-divided into three equal groups; the experimental group was composed of pre-registered students enrolled in an intensified instructional program in Study Skills and Developmental Reading and were provided specialized counseling services; one control group was composed of students that had taken part in the pre-registration program at UMR, but were not enrolled in the Study Skills and Developmental Reading instruction and were not provided specialized counseling services; and the other control group was accorded no variation in traditional method of enrollment or instruction. All three groups were matched on their obtained School and College Ability Test scores, English and Mathematics Placement Test scores, college majors and semester hours attempted. All students in these groups were above average in quantitative skills and below average in verbal skills.

The experimental group met for developmental reading and study skills instruction on a bi-weekly basis for no academic credit. The study skills instruction included material dealing specifically with both study habits and study attitudes. The developmental reading sequence consisted of both machine and workbook instruction. The counseling service was provided on a voluntary basis and was initiated at the time of pre-registration. A statistically significant difference in grade point average (GPA) was discerned after the first semester of the project. While no significant differences in GPA existed after the second and third semesters of the investigation, the attrition rate was considerably lower for the experimental group than for the control groups. Highly significant gains were evidenced in reading rates with no significant loss in reading comprehension.     

The counseling and consultation component of TIP'S summer residential program

Although more academic summer programs are developing for the gifted population, little attention has been paid to the psychosocial needs and adjustment of gifted students attending such programs. Duke University's Talent Identification Program has developed a strong counseling and consultation component within its Summer Residential Program in an attempt to deal with the normal developmental problems and emotional difficulties experienced by academically gifted adolescents. The personnel who administer this component, the methods they employ, and the presenting problems of students in Duke University's TIP Summer Residential Program are described. Future directions for counseling and consultation are discussed.     

A tale of two probabilities

Two contestants debate the notorious probability problem of the sex of the second child. The conclusions boil down to explication of the underlying scenarios and assumptions. Basic principles of probability theory are highlighted.     

Predictors of Children's Kindergarten Classroom Engagement: Preschool Adult–Child Relationships,Self-Concept,and Hyperactivity/Inattention

The aim of this prospective study was to identify preschool factors that are associated with children's classroom engagement during their 1st school year. The study was guided by a social-motivational process model that highlights the importance of parent–child and teacher–child relationships in promoting engagement. In preschool, parents and teachers completed questionnaires assessing children's (n = 562) parent–child and teacher–child relationships, global self-concept, and mental health problems. Teachers rated children's engagement levels 1 year later in kindergarten. Research Findings: Results from structural equation modeling suggested that experiencing good-quality relationships with parents and teachers and positive self-concept during preschool were only indirectly associated with children's kindergarten classroom engagement through their negative associations with hyperactivity/inattention; only hyperactivity/inattention had a significant direct (small-moderate and negative) association with children's engagement. Practice or Policy: Interventions that improve adult–child relationships may reduce childhood hyperactivity/inattention during preschool and potentially improve children's engagement, helping them start school ready and eager to learn.     

Inference and Interval Estimation Methods for Indirect Effects With Latent Variable Models

Although much is known about the performance of recent methods for inference and interval estimation for indirect or mediated effects with observed variables, little is known about their performance in latent variable models. This article presents an extensive Monte Carlo study of 11 different leading or popular methods adapted to structural equation models with latent variables. Manipulated variables included sample size, number of indicators per latent variable, internal consistency per set of indicators, and 16 different path combinations between latent variables. Results indicate that some popular or previously recommended methods, such as the bias-corrected bootstrap and asymptotic standard errors had poorly calibrated Type I error and coverage rates in some conditions. Likelihood-based confidence intervals, the distribution of the product method, and the percentile bootstrap emerged as leading methods for both interval estimation and inference, whereas joint significance tests and the partial posterior method performed well for inference.     

The Social Embeddedness of Transactions: Evidence from the Residential Real-Estate Industry

Information and communications technologies (ICT) are becoming pervasive in the residential real-estate industry and their usage is affecting the work lives of real-estate agents. Drawing on data from a regional study of the residential real-estate industry in the United States, we focus on the disintermediation or, more accurately, the reintermediation of real-estate agents in the sales process. Using data collected from interviews, direct observation, and archival records, we examine how real-estate agents are (1) taking advantage of new ICT in their work, and (2) protecting themselves from others wishing to displace their position in the real-estate value chain. Our analysis of this activity draws on two contrasting theoretical perspectives to illuminate the roles of residential real-estate agents: transaction cost and social capital. The results of this study provide insights into the ways in which ICT are used to build and draw on the social relationships that underpin the actual transactions, to help guide the process of buying/selling a house, and to invoke expertise as needed.