It Costs a Lot to Look This Cheap: Preference for Low-Quality Graphic Design

Some 1,000 surveys were conducted on Amazon's MTurk, asking respondents to rate a high- and low-quality visual design, in this case a billboard ad. While most respondents preferred the high-quality ad, over a third opted for the low-quality design. Respondents who showed a preference for the low-quality design liked it for its “static” qualities, in that it was common, typical, average, and standard. Those who preferred the high-quality design liked it for its “dynamic” qualities, such that it was innovative, fascinating, novel, creative, and rich in elements. Older participants show a significant preference for the low-quality design. Implications of these findings for different types of visual communication are discussed.     

Students’ Perspectives on LGBTQ-Inclusive Curriculum

Implementing curriculum that is inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) people has the potential to create an equitable learning environment. In order to learn more about students’ experiences of LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, 26 high school students with diverse racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender identities were recruited from the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Network in California. Students participated in focus groups conducted by telephone by GSA staff, sharing their experiences of LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum in school. Qualitative coding methods, including grounded theory, were used to identify themes and interpret students’ responses. Data revealed that LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum was most often taught in social sciences and humanities courses as stand-alone lessons. LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum rarely met standards of social justice education, though opportunities for critical conversations about systemic oppression regularly emerged. For instance, teachers often failed to intervene in LGBTQ bullying and missed teachable moments conducive to inclusive curriculum. Some students learned positive LGBTQ lessons and highlighted the ways such curriculum reflected their identities and created a supportive school climate. Implications for equitable education are discussed.     

Childhood Physical Fitness and Performance as Predictors of High School Sport Participation

ABSTRACT

Participation in youth sport is positively associated with physical fitness and performance. The purpose of the current study was to examine if physical fitness measures during childhood and early adolescence predicted high school sport participation. Participants included youth in the Michigan State University Motor Performance Study. Measures consisted of the endurance shuttle run, Wells sit-and-reach, jump and reach, standing long jump, agility shuttle run and 30-yard dash. Individual, generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate the association between each measure and the odds of participating in high school sport. For both sexes, the endurance shuttle run and agility shuttle run were related to sport participation. For boys only, the long jump and 30-yard dash were also associated with sport participation. Better physical fitness and performance across several dimensions in childhood, including those related to motor skills, enhanced the likelihood of sport participation in high school.     

University Counseling Centers at the Twenty‐First Century: Looking Forward,Looking Back

The author examines the historical foundations of the university counseling movement, including the origins of professional affiliation, training, and education. The article also reviews existing literature that attempts to determine changes the university counseling profession must address to remain viable on the dynamic, pluralistic, 21st‐century campus.     

Theory of mind and social interest in zero-acquaintance play situations

Many studies have examined associations between children's theory of mind and social behavior with familiar peers, but to date none have examined how theory of mind might relate to behavior toward unfamiliar peers in a play setting. Forty-four 4-year-olds (21 girls, 23 boys) participated in standard theory-of-mind tasks and in a play session with 3 or 4 other children who were unfamiliar. Children were also tested on general vocabulary ability. No relations were found between theory of mind and social engagement. However, positive associations were found between theory of mind and time spent observing, but not interacting with, other children. Possible explanations of the links between theory of mind, temperament, and social interest are considered.     

‘The constant rejections hurt’: Skills and personal attributes needed to successfully complete a thesis by publication

The thesis by publication (TBP) is an increasingly popular approach to doctoral education that sees candidates publishing their research during their candidature, and including these outputs in their final thesis submission. Responsive to the realities of modern academia, a TBP provides doctoral candidates with opportunities to engage in the scholarly publication process, and to build their research portfolio. As the TBP gains further traction in many fields and countries, there is a need to better understand the skills and attributes needed to complete a TBP successfully. This paper draws on the views of 246 recent doctoral graduates of Australian universities to identify the skills and attributes they felt supported their success. Their responses have implications for the development and refinement of institutional policies and programs that are sensitive to the needs and experiences of doctoral candidates seeking to publish during candidature and create a TBP. As editors, peer‐reviewers, and publishers see a growing influx of papers sole‐ or co‐authored by doctoral candidates in response to the trend toward TBP, they may find themselves involved in supporting students to develop the skills and attributes needed to successfully publish during candidature.