The Parent Threat Inventory: development, reliability, and validity

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to develop a retrospective inventory of parental threatening behavior to facilitate a better understanding of such behavior's role in the etiology of psychological distress. METHOD: Inventory items were developed based on theory and 135 students' responses to a question eliciting examples of threatening parental behavior. Following item development, two additional student samples (n = 200 and n = 603) completed batteries of self-report measures. Responses were used to eliminate unstable or redundant items from the inventory and to examine the inventory's psychometric properties. RESULTS: Factor analysis of the inventory revealed three factors, accounting for 66.2% of variance; this factor structure is compatible with theory, and consistent across maternal behavior scores, paternal behavior scores, and combined maternal and paternal scores. Cronbach's coefficient alphas indicated acceptable internal consistency; Pearson correlation coefficients indicated acceptable 4-week test-retest reliability. Moderate intercorrelations with two retrospective measures of childhood experiences suggested construct validity. Regression analyses demonstrated the ability of the inventory to predict both anxious and depressive symptomatology and lifetime symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorder. Normative data on combined parent scores, maternal scores, and paternal scores are also presented. CONCLUSIONS: Initial psychometric testing of the Parent Threat Inventory (PTI) suggests it is a reliable and valid tool for investigating the developmental antecedents of adult psychological distress. Further research should focus on addressing two limitations: (1) lack of normative and psychometric data on men and women suffering from clinical disorders, and (2) lack of validation by parental reporting.     

When parents are deaf versus hard of hearing: patterns of sign use and school placement of deaf and hard-of-hearing children

This paper investigates the importance of knowing whether or not deaf and hard-of-hearing students have one or more deaf or hard-of-hearing parents. As noted by Mitchell and Karchmer (2004), deaf and hard-of-hearing school-age children and youth in the United States with at least one parent identified as "hearing impaired" are nearly evenly split between having at least one deaf parent and having at least one hard-of-hearing parent. However, there is no literature on the importance, if any, of this distinction. Findings from the investigation reported herein suggest that the distinction between having a deaf versus a hard-of-hearing parent is quite substantial, particularly as it pertains to the use of signing in the home. Further, signing in the home, which is reliably predicted by parental hearing status, is a significant predictor of the school setting in which the student is currently placed and the instructional use of signing in the classroom. Limitations related to the available measure of parental hearing status are discussed.     

A longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis of indirect and physical aggression: evidence of two factors over time?

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether indirect aggression was distinct from physical aggression across developmental periods. Participants were 3,089 Canadian children aged 4 to 7 years (Time 1), 6 to 9 years (Time 2), and 8 to 11 years (Time 3). Confirmatory factor analysis using an accelerated longitudinal design confirmed a 2-factor model that was stable across cohorts, time, and sex. The longitudinal predictive links between indirect and physical aggression were also examined in a path analysis. Findings did not support the notion that maturation is associated with changes in the ways children aggress but rather suggest that children are consistent in the type of aggression they use over time, whether it be indirect or physical.     

不可能性的定理

我们在通常谈话中说到某件事情不可能时，我们的意思常常并不是指它真的不可能，而是说我们还看不到有什么办法可以解决这件事情。以前许多人曾认为比空气重的机器飞起米是不可能的，而更早之前还有许多人认为比水重的机器要浮在水卜是不可能的。但人的智慧不断地克服了这些乍看起来似乎是不可能的事情。     

机械性出错

根据摩尔定律，计算机的运算速度和内存能力大约每18个月翻一番，据此所推今天的主流PC机性能可以大大超过以往的高档主机。如果你确实不想要正确答案的话，那就去相信上面的说法吧。对此我可不敢苟同。因为摩尔定律有一个     

搜寻中微子

搜※寻※中※微※子郭凯声译余炎校地球上难得再有一处地方拥有南极大陆上连续数月的漆黑而明净的天空这一优越条件,它使南极冰盖成了天文学家探寻星空的一块新圣地。然而,目前在南极进行的最富有革命性的天文学项目要利用的却不是南极的清晰视野,而是它那异常洁净的冰...     

寻找其他行星

寻找其他☆行星郭凯声译林木校大约一年半以前,天文学家们发现有一颗与木星相似的行星绕着飞马座５１号星运行（飞马座５１是一颗距地球约４０光年的类日恒星）。现在天文学家们正在争论通过哪种方式从空间进行这类行星探索活动最为合适。在用地面望远镜寻找太阳系外的...     

Teacher-as-researcher: theory-into-practice

This introductory article establishes the foundation for a special issue of the American Annals of the Deaf on teacher action research. The authors first introduce the definition of the teacher-as-researcher model, formally known as teacher action research. Four elements of teacher action research are discussed in detail: cyclical, systematic, reflective, and collaborative. Next, the history of teacher action research is discussed. Subsequently, the multi-paradigmatic and multimethodological nature of teacher action research is proposed. Finally, as a means of guiding readers, the scope of the special issue is described. The introduction concludes with the suggestion that in-service and preservice teachers integrate theory into practice and engage in systematic inquiry into their own practice to develop the mindset necessary to cope with the pedagogical challenges they face on a daily basis.