Quiet eye duration is responsive to variability of practice and to the axis of target changes

We tested the hypothesis that quiet eye the final fixation before the initiation of a movement in aiming tasks, is used to scale the movement's parameters. Two groups of 12 participants (N=24) threw darts to targets in the horizontal and vertical axes under conditions of higher (random) or lower (blocked) target variability. Supporting our predictions, random practice and target changes in the vertical axis led to longer quiet eye duration than did blocked practice and target changes in the horizontal axis. Our data suggest that quiet eye is not simply a mediating factor in accuracy, but is responsive to the task's programming demands, being influenced by the necessity to reparameterize the movement from one trial to the next.     

Rituals in Committed Romantic Relationships: The Creation and Validation of an Instrument

Rituals are widely studied in interpersonal communication research, but no instrument for assessing the preceived use of rituals among couples in committed romantic relationships exists. The purpose of this investigation was to create and validate such a measure (Rituals in Committed Romantic Relationships; RCRR). Five-hundred-sixty individuals in committed romantic relationships responded to a 50-item questionnaire that measured 5 sets of rituals pertaining to daily routines and tasks, idiosyncratic behavior, everyday talk, intimacy, and couple-time. In addition, they completed measures of perceived relational quality and perceived relational intimacy. Multiple analyses supported a 5-factor model consisting of 30 of the original 50 items. Perceived use of rituals was predictive of alterations in both perceived relational quality and perceived relational intimacy.     

Learning approaches and lecture attendance of medical students

There are arguably many factors that affect the way a student learns. A recent report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) on student academic experience in the UK states that class size is an important factor in the quality of the student experience and that smaller class sizes provide greater educational benefit than the delivery of lectures. This article assesses research related to lectures, lecture attendance of medical students and their learning approaches in higher education outside the clinical setting. A questionnaire and focus groups were employed to gather quantitative and qualitative data. The results show that students value lectures in the curriculum alongside other teaching and learning methods.     

Changing Behaviors and Intrinsic Motivation Through Scenario‐Based Learning: A Case Study

When training occurs on the job over time, the collective wisdom of the organization becomes the norm. This knowledge or way of doing things is not always the best way and may cause problems elsewhere in the system. This article is a case study that looks at the order entry process of a midsized company and describes the motivational aspects of the performance intervention, as well as the systematic design and development of scenario‐based learning.     

“They’re Going to Forget About Their Mother Tongue”: Influence of Chinese Beliefs in Child Home Language and Literacy Development

Early Childhood Education Journal - The primary aim of this study was to explore and understand Chinese American parents’ language and literacy beliefs, perceptions, and practices with regard...     

Clinically Meaningful Change Estimates for the Six-Minute Walk Test and Daily Activity in Individuals With Chronic Heart Failure

Purpose

The purpose of the present pilot study was to provide a preliminary estimate of the minimum detectable difference (MDD) and minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of the six-minute walk test (6MWT) and daily activity in outpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods

A convenience sample of 22 adults with stable New York Heart Association Functional Class II and III CHF performed two baseline 6MWTs separated by 30 minutes of rest. Subjects then wore a triaxial accelerometer for 7 days to monitor daily activity. After 7 weeks of usual care, subjects again wore the accelerometer for 7 days and then returned to the clinic to complete the Global Rating of Change Scale (GRS) with regard to their heart disease and perform another set of 6MWTs. For the 6MWT, the MDD was calculated using the two baseline 6MWT distances. For daily activity, the MDD was calculated using two methods: (1) day-to-day test-retest reliability during baseline monitoring, and (2) baseline to follow-up test-retest reliability in those who reported no change on the GRS. The MCID for the 6MWT and daily activity was calculated using the mean and 95% confidence interval (CI_95%) for those subjects who reported ‘improvement’ on the GRS.

Results

The MDD at the CI_95% for the 6MWT was 32.4 meters. The MCID for the 6MWT was 30.1 (CI_95% 20.8, 39.4) meters. The MDD for daily activity was 5,909 vector magnitude units (VMU·hr.⁻¹) The MCID for daily activity was 1,337 VMU·hr.⁻¹ There was good alignment of the MDD and MCID for the 6MWT, suggesting that clinically meaningful change is approximately 32 meters. However, the calculated MCID was substantially less than measurement error as represented by the MDD, indicating that the MCID was underestimated in this sample or that daily activity may be robust to change in overall disease status.Key Words: six-minute walk test, daily activity, heart failure, clinically meaningful change     

School psychology and medical diagnosis: The fragile X syndrome

A fragile site on the X chromosome has been implicated in developmental disabilities among both males and females who possess learning disabilities, mental retardation, attention deficit disorders, and behavior problems. For the most part, medical diagnosis has been of little value to the school psychologist or educator. The diagnosis of fragile X syndrome does possess specific educational implications, especially during the early school years. Data on the characteristics and treatment of patients that can assist the school psychologist in program planning and appropriate referral are presented. The school psychologist is in a most advantageous position to recognize children who are in need of medical consultation and chromosomal analysis. Treatment includes appropriate educational programming, trials of folic acid among prepubescent males, and medical treatment for those manifesting an attention deficit disorder. Family counseling is available for “at-risk” families and should include prenatal diagnosis.     

Understanding children's epistemic beliefs in elementary education

Research shows that the beliefs individuals hold about knowledge and knowing (epistemic beliefs) influence learning approaches and outcomes. However, little is known about the nature of children's epistemic beliefs and how best to measure these. In this pilot study, 11 Australian children (in Grade 4 or Grade 6) were asked to ‘draw, write and tell’ about their epistemic beliefs using drawings, written responses and interviews, respectively. Drawings were analysed, with the majority of children depicting external, one-way sources of knowledge. The written statements and interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis, showing that children predominantly described knowledge acquisition as processes of task-based learning. Interviews also enabled children to describe a wider range of views. These results indicate that the methodological combination of ‘draw, write and tell’ allowed for a deeper understanding of the children's epistemic beliefs which holds implications for future research.