The role of the 1976 televised presidential debates in the political socialization of adolescents

On the day immediately following their viewing of the first Carter‐Ford televised debate, 156 junior‐high‐school students were interviewed to determine the role of interpersonal communication, media exposure patterns, and family and social environments in the prediction of perceptions of victory and learning about the candidates by adolescents. It was found that parents' social class was the best predictor of adolescents' perceptions of the importance of the debates, whereas the best predictor of the. students' ability to attribute victory to one of the candidates was interpersonal communication prior to and immediately following the telecast. Results are discussed in terms of previous findings, which reflect low importance of the debates in political socialization.     

Internationalization of the postdoctorate in the United States: analyzing the demand for international postdoc labor

The American academic research enterprise relies heavily on contributions made by foreign nationals. Of particular note is the large number of international postdocs employed at universities in the United States (US). Postdocs are among the fastest growing group of academic staff in the US, and over 50 % of all postdocs in the US are temporary visa holders. While academic mobility is sometimes understood using a ‘push–pull’ model, we argue that demand for educational migrants must be considered. Drawing from Marginson’s (Handbook on globalization and higher education. Edward Elger, Northampton, 2011; Marginson and Rhoades in High Educ 43:281–309, 2002) work, we develop a model for assessing local, national, and institutional (or local) variables that may shape the employment of international postdocs at universities in the United States, and we operationalize the model through a panel regression analysis using data covering the period 1989–2009. We find that the passage of time and federally supported research and development expenditures are strong predictors of postdoc employment. Institutional characteristics predict changes only in the subsample of private universities.     

Time pressure in scenario-based online construction safety quizzes and its effect on students’ performance

Online quizzes have been shown to be effective learning and assessment approaches. However, if scenario-based online construction safety quizzes do not include time pressure similar to real-world situations, they reflect situations too ideally. The purpose of this paper is to compare engineering students’ performance when carrying out an online construction safety quiz with time pressure versus an online construction safety quiz without time pressure. Two versions of an online construction safety quiz are developed and administered to randomly assigned engineering students based on a quasi-experimental post-test design. The findings contribute to scenario-based learning and assessment of construction safety in four ways. First, the results confirm earlier findings that ‘intrinsic stress’ does not seem to impair students’ performance. Second, students who carry out the online construction safety quiz with time pressure are less likely to ‘learn by trial and error'. Third, students exposed to time pressure appreciate that they become better prepared for real life. Finally, preparing students to work under time pressure is an important industry requirement. The results of this study should encourage engineering educators to explore and implement ways to include time pressure in scenario-based online quizzes and learning.     

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FRIENDS FOR LIFE PROGRAM IN PORTUGUESE SCHOOLS: STUDY WITH A SAMPLE OF HIGHLY ANXIOUS CHILDREN

The FRIENDS for Life program is a cognitive–behavioral group program that targets anxiety in children. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the Portuguese version of the FRIENDS for Life Program, which was implemented in schools to reduce anxiety problems in a group of highly anxious children. The study used a quasi‐experimental research design with two groups of children, an intervention (n = 17) and a wait‐list control group (n = 21), aged 8 to 12 years old. The impact of the program in reducing anxiety symptoms as assessed by children and mothers was analyzed through the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders‐Revised (SCARED‐R). The results show a statistically significant post intervention effect on anxiety symptoms evaluated by the child, but not by the mother. The implications of these results for the prevention of anxiety disorders in Portuguese schools are discussed.     

ENABLING COMMUNICATION A FOURTH FUNCTION FOR TELEVISION?

The author has worked for six years with two experimental community cable television networks at Swindon and Milton Keynes. He argues that Channel 40, the Milton Keynes network, has become a significant and regularly used communication channel for the local community. It is suggested that such an activity (enabling people to communicate could and should become a fourth function for television, in addition to the three classic functions, to inform, educate and entertain. Such a development is seen as particularly likely in the post‐industrial world we are entering.     

Adolescents and music lyrics: Implications of a cognitive perspective

This essay addresses the relevance of cognitive research in memory processes and auditory information processing for the resolution of policy issues concerning the regulation of popular music. Several assumptions are offered regarding music listening, and conclusions are presented which center on appropriate research methods for resolution of questions surrounding music listening and regulation.