Secure Base Representations in Children With Asthma: Links With Symptoms,Family Asthma Management,and Cytokine Regulation

Children's perceptions of caregivers as a secure base have been linked with socioemotional outcomes, but little is known about connections to physical health. We examined whether secure base representations are associated with children's symptoms, family management strategies, and inflammatory processes in children with asthma. Participants included 308 children (ages 8–17) and one parent. Children completed a blood draw to measure asthma-related immune functions and reported on perceptions of their mothers as a secure base and their asthma symptoms. Dyads completed interviews about asthma management. Analyses revealed that children's secure base perceptions were associated with better family asthma management and lower Type 2 T-helper cell cytokine production. These findings suggest that secure base representations may be protective for children with asthma.     

Choose Your Evidence

Science & Education - Schooling traditionally affords students more experience in learning and practicing procedures than in identifying what a situation calls for. When asked to choose...     

Children born from artificial reproductive technology: Implications for children,parents, and caregivers

One in six couples in the United States suffer infertility. Reproductive technology has been advancing at an astonishing rate. Thousands of children are being born from artificial reproductive technology (ART) that has existed for only a few years. These children are in your classrooms-as teachers do you know who they are? This article summarizes information on infertility treatments and the needs of parents and children, and it provides examples of what child care providers can do to assist in the healthy development of these families.     

When in Rome,Do as the Romans Do: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese and American New Teachers' Compliance-Gaining Strategies

The exchange of information and of member preferences are two different avenues for social influence during group discussion with potentially differing implications. The goal of the study was to evaluate the impact of three factors proposed to influence the relative proportion of preference and reason statements during group problem-solving discussion. As hypothesized, groups beginning in consensus discussed relatively more preferences than groups beginning in disagreement. Contrary to expectation, judgmental and intellective tasks did not differ in proportions of preference and reason statements. Opposite of prediction, the opportunity to form a pre-discussion preference resulted in a smaller proportion of preference statements than the absence of this opportunity.     

Examining the dimensionality of performance feedback messages: Source and recipient perceptions of influence attempts

Performance feedback is considered an effective means of influencing organizational members. Nevertheless, recipient perceptions regarding such attempts to motivate, change, and/or reinforce certain behaviors and attitudes will determine the eventual response. Often these responses are unexpected and less than desirable. Efforts to better understand the performance feedback construct have produced conceptions emphasizing its complexity and multidimensionality. However, a recent challenge to the usefulness and /or validity of such conceptualizations has prompted the research reported here. This study explores feedback recipients’ and sources’ perceptions of the underlying dimensionality or “hidden structure” of performance feedback messages.     

Testing the usability of a portable DVD player and tailored photo instructions with older adult veterans

DVD-delivered behavioral skills training may help disseminate efficacious treatments to older adults independent of internet access. The present study examined the usability of a portable DVD player alongside iterative revisions of accompanying instructions to be used by older adults in a DVD-delivered behavioral skills treatment study. The sample comprised 20 older adults with a mean age of 69.5 years (SD = 7.3). Behavior observations revealed that three of five steps to play the DVD were completed by more than 90% of participants. Quantitative ratings revealed that 75% could play the DVD easily. Qualitative content analysis further elucidated the usability of the player and the clarity of the instructions. Findings suggest user-centered design of instructional support in DVD-delivered treatments for older adults may be critical to minimizing user error and frustration and increase user experience.     

Educators as Authors: Teaching Beyond the Classroom

This article discusses why educators might consider writing and submitting papers for consideration of publication in professional journals and magazines. A general overview of teachers’ challenges to the writing process and corresponding responses is provided.     

Do students need to be taught how to reason?

In this theoretical essay, the author addresses the existence of divergent evidence, portraying both competence and lack of competence in a fundamental realm of higher order thinking - causal and scientific reasoning - and explores the educational implications. Evidence indicates that these higher order reasoning skills are not ones that can be counted on to develop naturally among students exposed to a traditional curriculum. Instead, it is argued, such skills warrant attention in their own right as legitimate and significant educational objectives.