Parenting and Beyond: Common Neurocircuits Underlying Parental and Altruistic Caregiving

Interpersonal relationships constitute the foundation on which human society is based. The infant-caregiver bond is the earliest and most influential of these relationships. Driven by evolutionary pressure for survival, parents feel compelled to provide care to their biological offspring. However, compassion for non-kin is also ubiquitous in human societies, motivating individuals to suppress their own self-interests to promote the well-being of non-kin members of the society. We argue that the process of early kinship-selective parental care provides the foundation for non-exclusive altruism via the activation of a general Caregiving System that regulates compassion in any of its forms. We propose a tripartite structure of this system that includes (1) the perception of need in another, (2) a caring motivational or feeling state, and (3) the delivery of a helping response to the individual in need. Findings from human and animal research point to specific neurobiological mechanisms including activation of the insula and the secretion of oxytocin that support the adaptive functioning of this Caregiving System.     

The contributions of vocabulary and letter writing automaticity to word reading and spelling for kindergartners

In the present study we examined the relation between alphabet knowledge fluency (letter names and sounds) and letter writing automaticity, and unique relations of letter writing automaticity and semantic knowledge (i.e., vocabulary) to word reading and spelling over and above code-related skills such as phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge. These questions were addressed using data from 242 English-speaking kindergartners and employing structural equation modeling. Results showed letter writing automaticity was moderately related to and a separate construct from alphabet knowledge fluency, and marginally (p = .06) related to spelling after accounting for phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge fluency, and vocabulary. Furthermore, vocabulary was positively and uniquely related to word reading and spelling after accounting for phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge fluency, and letter writing automaticity.     

Proving Our Worth: The Impact of Electronic Resource Usage on Academic Achievement

Samford University Library conducted a study to determine correlation between library use and student achievement. This research used electronic resources as a measure of library use and grade point average as an indicator of academic success. The data demonstrate that students with higher GPAs tend to use library online resources more and with a higher frequency than those with lower GPAs. While this does not prove that use of online resources leads to a higher GPA, it provides strong evidence that the two are positively correlated for some populations. This study provides persuasive evidence of the library's contribution to the academic success of students.     

Communication apprehension and the type‐a personality

Do Type‐A individuals experience communication apprehension? Consistent with theoretical expectations, the data at hand suggest the answer is a qualified “no.” Individuals evidencing a Type‐A personality reported significantly less CA than their Type‐B counterparts. This pattern of findings was strongest for apprehension about communicating in “collective” contexts (e.g., public, group, meeting) but diminished for CA in more “intimate” circumstances (e.g., interpersonal).     

Library Collections for the Support of Academic Sport Management Programs

Sport management is a relatively new and rapidly growing academic discipline. Despite the proliferation of sport management programs in the United States, a review of the library literature reveals few publications concerning library support for such programs. In addition to providing background knowledge about the sport management discipline, this article provides practical information for academic librarians by recommending essential databases, journals, academic publishers, industry publishers, and associations in the arena of sport management.     

Human Rights Reference Sources: A Critical Annotated Bibliography

The area of human rights has had significant attention both nationally and internationally in the press and in the political arena. While there is a renewed commitment to human rights advocacy, there is also an upward trend in popular culture of depictions of torture. This article provides critical annotations of English-language reference sources published since 1990 and available both in print and online, in an effort to aid librarians collecting and weeding materials for human rights research.     

Collaborating With Faculty to Assess Research Consultations for Graduate Students

Due to the time commitment on the part of the librarian to schedule, prepare, and execute effective research consultations, it is important to continue to evaluate how these consultations impact student learning. The purpose of this investigation was to assess graduate students' perceptions of their learning as a result of working individually with a librarian in a research consultation. A librarian and a member of the teaching faculty collaborated to embed required research consultations with the librarian in two graduate classes. Research journals and a focus group were used to assess the impact the consultations had on student learning.     

Proactive Outreach to Adult Students: A Department and Library Collaborative Effort

The number of adult learners in institutions of higher education is increasing, and these students' reasons for attending, ways of learning, challenges, and methods for overcoming challenges often differ from those of traditional-age students. Faculty and library personnel can support these students in their research efforts using several collaborative endeavors. One department and university library recognized the struggles of many of their adult students as they sought to conduct research for coursework, as well as theses or dissertations. Collaborative activities proved effective in reducing students’ anxieties and frustrations with using the library and its resources.