Applications of Social Cognitive Theory to Gifted Education

Social cognitive theory emphasizes a dynamic interactive process to explain human functioning. This theory ascribes a central role to cognitive processes in which the individual can observe others and the environment, reflect on that in combination with his or her own thoughts and behaviors, and alter his or her own self-regulatory functions accordingly. The purpose of relating the theory to gifted education is to examine the implications of the theoretical extensions for planning appropriate curricular and instructional experiences for advanced learners. Some of the more commonly found gifted education service models are considered in terms of how well they align with and address what is known to be integral to student learning according to social cognitive theory.     

Inference generation, story comprehension, and language skills in the preschool years

Several researchers have shown that children’s ability to make inferences is related to their reading comprehension. The majority of research on this topic has been conducted on older children. However, given the recent focus on the importance of narrative comprehension in prereaders, the current study examined the relationship between inference making and story comprehension in 4- to 5-year-olds. We examined children’s online inferences while narrating a wordless book as well as children’s story comprehension of a different storybook. We found that children’s total number of inferences was significantly related to their story comprehension. Three types of inferences were significantly related to story comprehension—characters goals, actions that achieved those goals, and character states. In a hierarchical regression controlling for children’s age and expressive vocabulary, a composite of these three inference types significantly predicted children’s story comprehension.     

Sharpening a tool for teaching: the zone of proximal development

Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) provides an important understanding of learning, but its implications for teachers are often unclear or limited and could be further explored. We use conceptual analysis to sharpen the ZPD as a teaching tool, illustrated with examples from teaching critical thinking in zoology. Our conclusions are the following: teachers should assign tasks that students cannot do on their own, but which they can do with assistance; they should provide just enough assistance so that students learn to complete the tasks independently and, finally, teachers can increase learning gains by providing learning environments that enable students to do harder tasks than would otherwise be possible and by assigning the hardest tasks students can do with assistance. This analysis provides a sharp and useful tool for supporting learning across all curriculum areas.     

Play therapy with emotionally damaged adolescents

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical period of development for all individuals, but particularly for those who have suffered earlier emotional difficulties or abuse. If these problems go unresolved, patterns of behaviour which become established during this period may be more difficult to change later on. However, more traditional talk therapies may be resisted by adolescents. This article argues that non-directive play therapy, given age-appropriate adaptations, offers an approach which, since it encompasses both play and verbal communication, is well suited to addressing adolescent concerns, particularly those of early adolescence.This argument is illustrated by two accounts of therapy with a boy and a girl, both in early adolescence, which show how a more traditional non-directive counselling approach was combined with play therapy by the adolescents themselves, allowing exploration of emotional difficulties on all levels of mental functioning. The cases show how traumatic or painful early memories may be reworked on a bodily and emotional level, without the feeling of over-intrusion risked by a directive or interpretive stance.     

A PRELIMINARY TYPOLOGY OF MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATIONS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

The purpose of this study was to identify the reasons students were enrolled in individual courses at one metropolitan community college. Unstructured interviews, supplemented by participant observation, were used to collect data on students in eight transfer and occupational day classes observed in Fall 1980. On the basis of their motivational orientations toward individual courses, most students were classified as requirement meeters, knowledge seekers, or specific information users. These three motivational orientations were compared along three dimensions: (1) the student's major criterion of success, (2) the aspect (instrumental or expressive) of education the student emphasized, and (3) the willingness of the student to tolerate a time‐lag prior to the application of acquired knowledge and/or skills. Less common motivational orientations also were identified. The data showed that students could be guided by more than one motivational orientation or change their initial motivational orientation toward a course as the result of classroom experiences. The modal type of student in this sample was a requirement meeter. Requirement meeters establish norms whereby students derive status by spending as little time as possible on school‐related matters.     

Interpersonal conflict interaction: An examination of verbal defense of self

The purpose of this investigation was to examine defensive verbal communication behaviors that occur at observer perceived levels of interpersonal conflict intensity. Conflict was defined as an interaction that occurs when salient values are challenged. Communication behavior in conflict was conceptualized as behavior to defend self. Videotapes of 37 dyadic conflict interactions were collected and coded. Three levels of conflict interaction intensity were examined. Two major categories of verbal defensive behaviors were observed: (1) agreement‐disagreement; and (2) measures of verbal intensity. In general, a positive relationship was found between observer perceived level of conflict intensity and amount of defensive behavior.     

Religious Communication

Ronald Eyre on the Long Search (Cleveland: Collins, 1979—$5.95, paper).

Virginia Stern Owens, The Total Image, or Selling Jesus in the Modern Age (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmanns, 1980—no price given, paper).

Daniel W. Holland, et al., Using Non-Broadcast Video in the Church (Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson Press, 1980—$5.95)

Media Development (London: World Association for Christian Communications—quarterly)

Committed Christians in Secular Communications (NSCS, 1982 South Shenandoah, Los Angeles Ca. 90034—$4.00)

Growing with Television: A Studx_of Biblica Values and the Television Experience (MARC, 475 Riverside Dr., New York, N.Y. 10115—write for details)

Gregor T. Goethals, The TV Ritual Worship at the Video Altar (Boston: Beacon Press, 1980—$11.95)

Gene Jaberg and Louis G. Wargo, Jr. The Video Pencil: Cable Communications for Church and Community (University Press of America, 4720 Boston Way Lanham, Md. 20801—$15.50/7.50)

Harold Osmeiri U.S. Religious Journalism and the Korean War (Lanham, Md.: University Press of America (ac dress above, 1980—$7.50, paper)     

Evidence based library and information practice: what's in it for you?

With its roots in evidence‐based medicine, Evidence Based Library and Information Practice emerged 15 years ago and, with health librarians leading the way, has since been adopted by librarians and libraries in all sectors. EBLIP is an iterative process that may see you undertaking your own research although most likely, it will see you integrate your experience as a library and information professionals with research evidence generated both within and without the library science sector. As a library and information worker, you can use the Evidence Based Library and Information Practice process to help inform your decision‐making, streamline services and identify ways forward to fit your personal context.     

The impact of communication apprehension and fear of talking with a physician on perceived medical outcomes

This study examined the relationships among trait CA, state CA (fear of interacting with a physician), and patient perceived satisfaction with quality of medical care and physician. The results indicated that trait CA and fear of the physician were positively related. However, trait CA was not significantly related to patient perceived satisfaction with quality of medical care or physician. State CA, in contrast, was significantly negatively related to both patient perceived satisfaction with medical care and satisfaction with physician. It is concluded that future research should investigate the impact of physicians’ engaging in positive communication behaviors on patients’ apprehension and medical outcomes.     

The Relationships of Perceived Health Professionals’ Communication Traits and Credibility with Perceived Patient Confidentiality

Patients at a large medical clinic provided data permitting an analysis of the relationships of perceived communication behaviors (nonverbal immediacy, assertiveness, and responsiveness) and source credibility (competence and caring) with perceptions of the confidentiality of their medical records. Perceptions of physicians, nurses, and support staff were employed. The results indicate that patients’ perceptions of the communication behaviors and credibility of physicians, nurses, and support staff are meaningfully related to patients’ perceptions of confidentiality. The problems of actual confidentiality and perceived confidentiality are discussed in relation to the role of communication as part of the problem and a potential part of the solution.