Newton and the age of reason

During the spring semester of 1987 a mathematician and a physicist from Oberlin College went with twenty-one undergraduates to London to use the resources of England as the basis for a course with the above title. This unusual interdisciplinary course is described, with emphasis on its experimental, experiential nature and the challenges and satisfactions which it provided.Joseph L. Snider is Professor of Physics at Oberlin College. He received his undergraduate degree in physics from Amherst College in 1956 and his Ph.D. in experimental physics from Princeton University in 1961. He has taught and done research at Harvard University and at Oberlin College. His areas of interest are solar physics, astrophysics, relativity, and the history and philosophy of science. Recently he has become interested in working to improve the teaching of physics and astronomy to pre-college students.Bruce Pollack-Johnson is Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Oberlin College, where he is responsible for the operations research program. He received a B.A. in sociology with a minor in education from Brandeis University in 1975, an M.A. in mathematics from Temple University in 1979, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in operations research from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and 1983, respectively. He has published in the areas of human resource modeling, forecasting, educational planning, simulation, and project management, and his current research includes project scheduling and conflict resolution. He has helped develop new courses for liberal arts students on introductory computer science and educational philosophy, as well as the course described in this article, and is also Co-Director of the Lorain County Peace Education Project.     

Effects of sample size,estimation methods,and model specification on structural equation modeling fit indexes

A Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted to investigate the effects on structural equation modeling (SEM) fit indexes of sample size, estimation method, and model specification. Based on a balanced experimental design, samples were generated from a prespecified population covariance matrix and fitted to structural equation models with different degrees of model misspecification. Ten SEM fit indexes were studied. Two primary conclusions were suggested: (a) some fit indexes appear to be noncomparable in terms of the information they provide about model fit for misspecified models and (b) estimation method strongly influenced almost all the fit indexes examined, especially for misspecified models. These 2 issues do not seem to have drawn enough attention from SEM practitioners. Future research should study not only different models vis‐à‐vis model complexity, but a wider range of model specification conditions, including correctly specified models and models specified incorrectly to varying degrees.     

Flashcard: Alternating between Visible and Invisible Identities

This article addresses how my experiences as a black deaf female viscerally and simultaneously shape me. I use the metaphor of flashcards. Flipping over flashcards or “flashing” depicts how certain contexts incite and/or promote the visibility or invisibility of identities, particularly between the familial and educational contexts. Also, I utilize moments from my childhood to narrate alternating reflections of lived experiences (visible) and the theoretical constructs (invisible) that inform and shape these experiences.     

Enhanced neophobia induced by incentive contrast

In two experiments, a successive negative contrast effect in licking was produced by shifting rats from 32% to 4% sucrose solution. Subsequent to the downshift in reward, the rats were tested for licking either a plain 12% sucrose solution or 12% plus a neutral flavor. Licking for the 12% solution was depressed in downshifted rats when a flavor was present, regardless of whether this flavor was novel or had been present in the shift solution. The results were interpreted in terms of an enhancement of neophobia by reward reduction.     

The Utility of Social Attitudes Theory

Kerlinger’s social attitudes theory indicates that attitudes regarding educational practices can be subsumed by the two uncorrelated dimensions, progressivism and traditionalism. This study examined in detail the nature of educators’ education-related attitudes. A stratified sample of 195 students completed two instruments measuring educational attitudes. The results suggest that the already potent explanatory power of Kerlinger’s constructs can be augmented by measuring additional constructs when examining educational phenomena. The results also suggest that Kerlinger’s theoretical principle that social attitudes are dualistic may need to be qualified when the attitudes studied involve the vital roles of subjects.