Does skill specialisation influence individual differences in drag flicking speed and accuracy?

Research has revealed that individual soccer goalkeepers respond differently to penalty shots, depending on their specific perceptual and motor capabilities. However, it remains unclear whether analogous differences exist between individual penalty takers, and if specialising in penalty taking affects the occurrence of differences between individuals. The present study examined individual differences in penalty shot speed and accuracy for specialists in penalty taking versus non-specialists. Expert specialist field hockey drag flickers and equivalently skilled non-specialists performed drag flicks towards predetermined targets placed in the face of a standard field hockey goal. Comparisons in shot speed and accuracy were made at a group level (specialists vs. non-specialists) as well as between individuals. Results revealed differences in both speed and accuracy between specialists, but only differences in speed between non-specialists. Specialists generated significantly greater shot speed than non-specialists (P < .001) and were more accurate to some, but not all, targets (top left, P < .006, bottom left P < .001). In addition, it was found that in specialists increasing practice correlated with decreasing accuracy. This may indicate that excessive practice could potentially reduce a specialist’s accuracy in shooting towards specific targets.     

Children's Emotionality Moderates the Association Between Maternal Responsiveness and Allostatic Load: Investigation Into Differential Susceptibility

While emotionality is often thought of as a risk factor, differential susceptibility theory argues that emotionality reflects susceptibility to both positive and negative environmental influences. The present study explored whether emotional children might be more susceptible to the effects of both high and low maternal responsiveness on allostatic load, a physiological indicator of chronic stress. Participants were 226 mother and child dyads. Mothers reported on children's emotionality at child age 9. Maternal responsiveness was measured at age 13 using self‐reports and behavioral observation. Allostatic load was measured at age 13 and 17 using neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and metabolic biomarkers. Emotionality was associated with higher allostatic load if self‐reported responsiveness was low, but with lower allostatic load, when self‐reported responsiveness was high.     

Educating homeless young children

Desiree, a four-year-old homeless child, spent the night in a subway station and has been in three different emergency shelters during the last nine months. Despite her transient life, she has missed only 10 days of her Head Start program during the school year.Sally Koblinsky is Professor, Family and Community Development, University of Maryland. Martha Taylor is Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Food Service Management, University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Stacey Relkin is Staff Assistant, House of Representatives Democratic Caucus.     

Science and Mathematics Literacy: PISA for Better School Education

In this study, we explored how a teacher used a new mobile application that enables students to collect data inside and outside the classroom, and then use the data to create scientific explanations by using claim-evidence-reasoning framework. Previous technologies designed to support scientific explanations focused on how these programs improve students’ scientific explanations, but these programs ignored how scientific explanation applications can support teacher practices. Thus, to increase our knowledge about using mobile devices in education, this study aims to portray the synergy with an emphasis on a teacher’s practices when using mobile devices in 2 different units (water quality and plants). Synergy can be thought of as various scaffolds (scaffolds in the mobile application and the teacher support) working together to enable students to support creating explanations when using the mobile application. The findings of this study showed that the decrease in the teacher’s support for claims did not affect the quality of the students’ claims. On the other hand, the quality of students’ reasoning was linked with the teacher’s practices. This suggests that when supporting students’ explanations, focusing on components that students find challenging would benefit students’ construction of explanations. To achieve synergy in this process, the collaboration between teacher’s practices, professional development days, and scaffolds designed to support the teacher played a crucial role in aiding students in creating explanations.     

Answering questions about herpes in pregnancy

Herpes during pregnancy is a common concern. Because one in every five women is infected with the herpes virus, it is likely that herpes may be a topic that will be raised during a prenatal class, or afterward in private. An expectant mother who has a history of herpes may have concerns about protecting her baby from this virus. She may also have concerns about her own health, relationship issues including the support of her husband and family, or how to communicate with her health-care provider and make the best choices for a safe birth experience. Her childbirth educator can be a source of support and empowerment.     

The Relationship Between Objectified Body Consciousness and Wellness in a Group of College Women

Objectified body consciousness theory provides a framework for understanding young women's negative body experiences and their impact on well‐being. This study examined the impact of body surveillance, body shame, and appearance control beliefs, the 3 components of objectified body consciousness, on wellness in college women. Data indicated a negative relationship between body surveillance and body shame and several components of wellness and a positive relationship between appearance control beliefs and aspects of wellness. Implications are examined.     

Assessment of preschool classroom practices: Application of Q-sort methodology

This paper reports on the application of Q-sort methodology to the development of the Preschool Classroom Practices (PCP) Q-sort. The PCP Q-sort was tested in a sample of 66 preschool teachers and assistants. Results demonstrated the existence of a 2-cluster structure within the Q-sort, comprised of Cognitive Development Activities and Socioemotional Development Activities. Specific properties of the PCP Q-sort, including cluster means, demonstrated consistency across both samples and time. Preschool teachers reported engaging in significantly more Socioemotional Development Activities than Cognitive Development Activities. Relationships to classroom observational measures are presented. Application of the PCP Q-sort as a measure of classroom practices and implications for preschool curriculum are discussed.