The matter of assessor variance in early childhood education—Or whose score is it anyway?

Useful assessment outcomes (as manifest through assigned scores) must show reasonable variation across children because it is that variation that presumably defines children's individual differences. Alternatively it is conceivable that some portion of the variability in assessment outcomes does not reflect child differences but rather differences in the performance of the assessors who carry out assessments. Hierarchical linear modeling is applied in this article to identify the amount of score variation attributable to assessors rather than children. Working with multiple cohorts of Head Start and kindergarten children, score variation is analyzed for measures administered outside of classrooms by extramural assessors and for teacher-administered measures within classrooms. The amount of assessor variance (vs. actual child variance) was negligible as associated with extramural assessors but substantial for teacher assessors, indicating that large portions of the variability in teacher-administered assessments have nothing to do with children's unique performances. Recommendations are provided to assist the interpretation of assessment outcomes in future research and practice.     

Quantitative structure-activity relationships of antimicrobial fatty acids and derivatives against Staphylococcus aureus

Fatty acids and derivatives (FADs) are resources for natural antimicrobials. In order to screen for additional potent antimicrobial agents, the antimicrobial activities of FADs against Staphylococcus aureus were examined using a microplate assay. Monoglycerides of fatty acids were the most potent class of fatty acids, among which monotridecanoin possessed the most potent antimicrobial activity. The conventional quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) were performed to establish two statistically reliable models (conventional QSAR: R ²=0.942, Q ² _LOO=0.910; CoMFA: R ²=0.979, Q ²=0.588, respectively). Improved forecasting can be achieved by the combination of these two models that provide a good insight into the structure-activity relationships of the FADs and that may be useful to design new FADs as antimicrobial agents.     

Gender Differences in Strength

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in upper and lower body strength as a function of lean body weight and the distribution of muscle and subcutaneous fat in the upper and lower limbs. The subjects were 103 physically active men (n = 48) and women (n = 55). The peak torques produced during shoulder flexion (SF) and knee extension (KE) were used as measures of upper body and lower body strength, respectively. Flexed arm girth, thigh girth, triceps skinfold, and thigh skinfold were used to estimate the distribution of muscle and subcutaneous fat in the limbs. Results of the MANOVA revealed that the overall strength of men was significantly greater than that of women. Results of MANCOVA indicated that the SF and KE strength of women and men did not differ significantly when differences in lean body weight, arm girth, thigh girth, triceps skinfold and thigh skinfold were statistically controlled. High levels of SF and KE strength were associated with a high lean body weight and a large arm girth. Results of the multiple regression analysis indicated that for men a substantial portion of the variance in both SF and KE strength was explained by lean body weight alone; whereas strength variations in women were explained more adequately by including limb variables along with lean body weight. Within the limitations of this study, it was concluded that gender differences in upper and lower body strength are a function of differences in lean body weight and the distribution of muscle and subcutaneous fat in the body segments. Upper body strength is relatively more important than lower body strength in characterizing the gender difference in strength.     

Unpacking immigration in youths' academic and occupational pathways

This study sought to unpack how immigration is associated with youths' educational choices during the transition to college and adulthood. Surveys and school records were collected on 789 youth (ages 18-25) with Asian Pacific, Latino, African/Afro-Caribbean, and European backgrounds. The results indicated generational differences in educational choices, such that children of immigrants chose courses of study with higher math and science content than that of their peers with U.S.-born parents. Mediation analyses indicated that children of immigrants reported higher social and economic aspirations than did their peers, and their economic aspirations accounted for part of the generational difference in educational choices. Generational differences in educational choices were also mediated by verbal achievement test scores and perceived English skills.     

Blocking in autoshaped lever-pressing procedures with rats

Rats will approach and contact a lever whose insertion into the chamber signals response-independent food delivery. This “autoshaping” or “sign-tracking” phenomenon has recently attracted considerable attention as a platform for studying individual differences in impulsivity, drug sensitization, and other traits associated with vulnerability to drug addiction. Here, we examined two basic stimulus selection phenomena—blocking and overshadowing—in the autoshaped lever pressing of rats. Blocking and overshadowing were decidedly asymmetrical. Previously reinforced lever-extension conditioned stimuli (CSs) completely blocked conditioning to auditory cues (Exps. 1 and 2), and previously nonreinforced lever-extension CSs overshadowed conditioning to auditory cues. By contrast, conditioning to lever-extension CSs was not blocked by either auditory (Exp. 3) or lever-insertion (Exp. 4) cues, and was not overshadowed by auditory cues. Conditioning to a lever-insertion cue was somewhat overshadowed by the presence of another lever, especially in terms of food cup behavior displayed after lever withdrawal. We discuss several frameworks in which the apparent immunity of autoshaped lever pressing to blocking might be understood. Given evidence that different brain systems are engaged when different kinds of cues are paired with food delivery, it is worth considering the possibility that interactions among them in learning and performance may follow different rules. In particular, it is intriguing to speculate that the roles of simple cue–reinforcer contiguity, as well as of individual and aggregate reinforcer prediction errors, may differ across stimulus classes.     

Childhood abuse,adult interpersonal abuse,and depression in individuals with extreme obesity

This study sought to examine (a) a mediational model of childhood abuse, adult interpersonal abuse, and depressive symptoms and (b) the impact of weight-related teasing on rates and correlates of childhood abuse. Charts of 187 extremely obese individuals seeking psychological clearance for bariatric (weight-loss) surgery were retrospectively examined. Among the participants, 61% reported a history of childhood abuse, 30.5% reported adult interpersonal abuse, and 15% reported clinically significant depressive symptoms. Initially, the relationship between childhood abuse and current depressive symptoms was significant (p < .001). However, the introduction of adult interpersonal abuse as a mediator in the model reduced the magnitude of its significance (Sobel's test p = .01). The associations between childhood abuse and adult interpersonal abuse and between adult interpersonal abuse and depressive symptoms were significant (p < .001 and p = .002, respectively), and the model showed a good fit across multiple indices. Finally, weight-related teasing was a significant moderator in the relationship between childhood and adult interpersonal abuse. Bariatric surgery patients report elevated rates of childhood abuse that are comparable to rates in psychiatric populations (e.g., eating disorders, depression), and higher than those in community samples and other medical populations. The relationship between child abuse and depressive symptomatology may be partially explained by the presence of adult interpersonal abuse; additionally, the relationship between childhood and adult interpersonal abuse was stronger for those who did not endure weight-related teasing than for those who did.     

Testing the Predictive Validity of the GRE Exam on Communication Graduate Student Success: A Case Study at University at Buffalo

GRE scores for entering M.A. and Ph.D. students in Communication at University at Buffalo from 1990 to 2001 were used to predict graduate student success. Graduate student success was measured in two ways: grade point average (GGPA) and graduation rates. Preliminary analyses on Master's students (M.A.) revealed that international students, compared to domestic students, earned lower GRE verbal (GRE-V) scores, higher GRE quantitative (GRE-Q) scores, had higher undergraduate grade point averages and were more likely to graduate from the program (82% vs. 49%). Only GRE scores were different for International vs. Domestic students when examining doctoral students. For M.A. students, GRE-V was positively correlated with GGPA and GRE-Q was positively related to earning the M.A. degree. Regression analyses controlling for several factors, including domestic student status, found only undergraduate GPA to predict GGPA and graduation for M.A. students. GGPA and GRE-V predicted graduation rates for M.A. students when GGPA was included in logistic regression analysis. GRE, GPA, and GGPA failed to predict Ph.D. success when examined together.     

Choosing a secondary school for young people on the autism spectrum: a multi-informant study

Deciding on a secondary school for children with autism is notoriously difficult for parents. While current UK legislation emphasises the choice that parents of children with special educational needs should have in educational decision-making, there is a dearth of research in this area, which means that little is known about how parents come to make decisions about secondary school placements and the types of support, if any, they receive from professionals. The present study aimed to determine the factors that immediately influence secondary school choice for young people with autism in one London local authority from the perspectives of multiple informants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of children with autism (n?=?7), young people themselves prior to secondary school entry (n?=?6), parent advisors (n?=?5) and secondary school professionals (n?=?5). Parents emphasised the anxiety and burden of the decision-making process. There was, however, substantial agreement among adult groups on the factors necessary for a successful secondary school placement: a nurturing, flexible and inclusive environment that emphasised both academic and life skills. Few adults, however, mentioned the importance of children's social relationships – a factor that featured prominently in the reports of young people. These findings highlight both the different perceptions of those involved in making decisions about the educational placements of children with autism and the challenges associated with weighing up these potentially conflicting perspectives. More work is needed to ensure both that information is transparent and accessible to all parents and that young people are actively involved in decisions that ultimately affect their lives.