The construction of experience: a longitudinal study of representation and behavior

Continuity in relationship representation and developmental links between relationship representation and behavior from infancy to late adolescence were examined using longitudinal data from a risk sample (N = 185). Significant correlations were found among diverse representational assessments (e.g., interview, drawing, projective narrative) and between representational and concurrent observational measures of relationship functioning. Structural equation models were analyzed to investigate the relations among caregiving experience in infancy; relationship representation and experience in early childhood, middle childhood, and early adolescence; and socioemotional functioning in adolescence. A model representing interactive contributions of representational and behavioral experience represented the data significantly better than a model representing noninteractive contributions. Findings support an organizational developmental view that socioemotional adaptation arises from the progressive construction of mutually informing expectations and experience.     

FROM A DOMESTIC TO AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION: THE OPEN UNIVERSITY,THE UNITED KINGDOM,AND EUROPE

This article describes the change of the Open University of the United Kingdom during the 1990‐1993 period from being a domestic to an international organization, with the expansion of its provision throughout the whole of the European Union and a range of other European countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. As a case study, it raises issues about the development of universities from the unique organizations which they have been in European society to international organizations which understand their roles in business terms, and suggests that distance teaching universities, because of their industrialized nature and volume of activity, may become leading examples of this trend.     

The Effects of Training in Social Perspective Taking on Socially Maladjusted Girls

A paucity of research exists concerning training programs for the development of interpersonal functioning in socially maladjusted or delinquent adolescent females. Females in a residential institution participated in a role-play program designed to enhance social perspective-taking ability. In 15 sessions girls were coached in specific social skills and acted multiple role perspectives in typical problem situations. Compared to girls in a fitness training program, girls in the role-play training program showed enhanced performance on a measure of social perspective taking. Generalized effects were also found for performance on tests of interpersonal problem analysis, empathy, and the acceptance of individual differences. Additionally, observational data indicated that role-play training resulted in increased prosocial behaviors. Role-play training had no effect on a measure of referential communication.     

Individualised educational programmes. Part I: a literature review

This review was undertaken as part of a research project commissioned by the Scottish Executive and carried out by a team from Glasgow and Newcastle Universities between January 2000 and January 2001 when the report was published ( Banks et al., 2001 ). The research study, entitled 'Raising the Attainment of Pupils with Special Educational Needs', followed the issuing of new guidelines ( SOEID, 1998a ; SEED, 1999 ) which linked the use of individualised educational programmes (IEPs) to the wider political enterprise of raising standards through target-setting.     

Knowing what you know: improving metacomprehension and calibration accuracy in digital text

This paper presents results from an experimental study that examined embedded strategy prompts in digital text and their effects on calibration and metacomprehension accuracies. A sample population of 80 college undergraduates read a digital expository text on the basics of photography. The most robust treatment (mixed) read the text, generated a summary for each page of text, and then was prompted with a metacognitive strategy. The metacognitive treatment received metacognitive strategy prompts only, and the cognitive group implemented the cognitive strategy (summarization) only. A control group read the text with no embedded support. Groups were compared on measures of achievement, attitudes, cognitive load, and metacomprehension and calibration accuracy. Results indicated that a combination of embedded cognitive and metacognitive strategies in digital text improved learner achievement on application-level questions, yielded more accurate predictive calibration, and strengthened the relationship between metacomprehension and performance, all of which are common attributes of an academically successful learner.     

Assessing institutional performance in higher education: a managerial perspective

Although many institutions are expending considerable effort in attempts to assess institutional performance and to utilize the results in improving performance, there are many impediments to the success of these endeavours. These include conceptual problems with the notion of institutional performance, inadequacies in the current measurement techniques and judgement procedures, and the mis-match between the results produced and management's information requirements. Institutional management in higher education has unique characteristics which give rise to particular information needs. The existing approaches to institutional evaluation vary in their ability to provide information meeting management's requirements.     

The developmental consequence of different patterns of maltreatment

From a longitudinal study of 267 high risk families, four different patterns of maltreatment were identified. The mothers have been tested, interviewed and observed in a number of situations starting during the last trimester of pregnancy and continuing at regularly scheduled intervals through the preschool period. The four maltreatment groups were: physical abuse; hostile/verbally abusive; psychologically unavailable; and neglecting. A control group of mothers who provided adequate care was selected from the remaining high risk sample. In an earlier follow-up, among the maltreated children a disproportionately large number of infants were found to be anxiously attached to their mothers at 12 and 18 months, and their performance in a problem-solving situation at age two was poor. In the current follow-up, the children were videotaped at 42 months in a "barrier box" and teaching situation, and at 56 months they were observed in a preschool situation. The physically abused children were distractible, lacked persistence, ego control and enthusiasm, and experienced considerable negative emotion. The children whose mothers were psychologically unavailable showed marked increases in maladaptive patterns of functioning from infancy through preschool. As expected, they were avoidant of their mother, angry, noncompliant, and they were highly dependent. The neglected children had the most difficulty pulling themselves together to deal with various tasks. They lacked self-esteem and agency necessary to cope with their environment.