Idiomatic Communication in the Stages of Coming Together and Falling Apart

Idiomatic communication is a strategic and unique form of communication that is indicative of a close relationship. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between idiomatic communication with solidarity and satisfaction to validate Social Penetration Theory using Knapp's stages of escalation and de-escalation. The results of the study (N = 275) found that couples in de-escalation stages report less idioms, and use idioms with less frequency, than couples in the escalation stages. Couples in de-escalating stages use confrontation, nickname, and teasing insult idioms with more negative effects than escalating couples. Finally, the use of idiomatic communication is significantly related to solidarity and relational satisfaction.     

Social inequalities in body weight and physical activity: exploring the role of fitness centers

Fitness centers are a viable option for physical activity, particularly in climates with significant weather variation. Due to variation in economic and social expressions ofexclusivity, fitness centers may have some relation to social inequalities in physical inactivity and related health outcomes; thus, our objective was to explore this relation. Using publicly available data and guided by Bourdieu's theory of habitus, we classified fitness centers in Calgary, Canada, on three dimensions of exclusivity (economic, social, and appearance). We found that, although some highly exclusive centers exist, most demonstrated low exclusivity based on our dimensions. An overall contribution of centers to inequalities appears to be limited; however, caution is warranted in light of cutbacks to municipal budgets that can have an impact on publicly funded facilities.     

The impact of past dating relationship solidarity on commitment,satisfaction, and investment in current relationships

The purpose of this study was to determine how previous romantic relationships impact subsequent romantic relationships. Specifically, this study examined if past relationship solidarity is related to current relationship commitment, satisfaction, and investment among individuals in dating relationships. Participants were 204 undergraduates at an Eastern university who were currently in a dating relationship. Results indicated that past relationship solidarity is significantly and negatively related to current relationship commitment and satisfaction, but not significantly related to current investment. Several moderating variables were also examined, including the nature and attribution of individuals' breakups, the length of past and current relationships, and participant sex. Results revealed that the nature and style of past breakups were particularly salient moderating variables, such that past solidarity was related to future relationship commitment and satisfaction only when breakups were mutual and somewhat ambiguous. Furthermore, these relationships were significant only for women and not men.     

Field-Based Evaluation of Two-Tiered Instruction for Enhancing Kindergarten Phonological Awareness

Research Findings: This study reports on the outcomes of a multisite, two-tiered, response-to-intervention instructional model for delivering phonological awareness instruction and intervention to kindergartners. Fifty-seven kindergartners from 3 classrooms participated in a supplemental phonological awareness program, and 56 kindergartners from 3 classrooms received the prevailing school-adopted literacy curriculum. All children in the supplemental condition received supplemental classroom-based phonological awareness instruction in addition to the adopted literacy curriculum. At mid-year, 6 low literacy achievers were identified in each supplemental classroom (n = 18) to participate in an additional 12-week small-group intervention. The classroom-based supplemental curriculum did not produce statistically significant gains for typically achieving children on measures of letter–sound knowledge, word recognition, or developmental spelling. However, an add-on tier of supplemental instruction exerted a substantial advantage for low-achieving children on a measure of developmental spelling. Practice or Policy: Results suggest that a 2-tiered intervention model provides an effective means for improving the literacy outcomes of low-achieving kindergarten children.     

Case-based learning in virtual groups – collaborative problem solving activities and learning outcomes in a virtual professional training course

This article analyzes the collaborative problem solving activities and learning outcomes of five groups that worked on two different complex cases in a virtual professional training course. In this asynchronous virtual learning environment, all knowledge management content was delivered virtually and collaboration took place through forums. To measure the effects of the problem solving activities, learners' contributions were analyzed with respect to four different problem solving activities: Two content-specific problem solving activities, namely gathering information and developing a solution, and two coordination-specific problem solving activities, namely planning the common approach and steering the interaction process. Results indicated that the learning process was dominated by two central activities: developing a solution and steering the interaction process. Furthermore, the results indicated that the groups with the more complex case used more overall problem solving activities than the groups with the less complex case. There was also a greater range of learning outcomes for learners with the more complex case than for learners with the less complex case. Finally, the number of overall problem solving activities for most of the successful groups was higher than for the less successful groups. Additionally, the more successful groups used more coordination-specific activities than content-specific activities during the problem solving process.