Referencing: the cohesive use of pronouns in the written narrative of college underprepared writers, nondisabled writers, and writers with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to explore whether college normally achieving writers (n = 35), writers with learning disabilities (n = 35), and underprepared writers (n = 35) demonstrated any differences in their ability to utilize the semantic roles and syntactic rules needed to apply cohesive referencing in written text. Cohesive referencing (the ability to assign roles to the speaker and addressee in written communication) is a critical aspect of written language. In addition, the study explored the relation between referential cohesion and the quality and coherence of a written text.     

Sense of audience and the adult writer: A study across competence levels

The purpose of this research was to investigate five audience-related constructs impacting on the written expression of adult writers who demonstrate varying degrees of literacy competence. Four specific groups of adult writers were targeted for this study, including 35 college-able writers demonstrating learning disabilities, 22 writers with learning disabilities attending a rehabilitation vocational training program, 35 remedial English college writers, and 35 normally achieving college writers. A primary trait scale was developed to investigate five major constructs identified in the literature as impacting on audience. These constructs included general characteristics, organization of text, analyzing/constructing the audience, construct differentiation of voice, and execution. The results of this research indicate that the population of adult writers demonstrating learning disabilities have difficulties with certain aspects of the writing process that may impact on the audience (reader). Implications for assessment and instruction are discussed.     

Extracting energy from warm seawater

While the phrase energy crisis is widely used in the context of the rising cost and diminishing availability of fossil fuels, there is in fact no lack of energy from alternative sources. The present situation has led to much more intensive investigation of these, which has revealed formidable—but certainly not insuperable—technological and economic obstacles to their exploitation. This article reviews the prospects for generating power on a large scale from the warm surface waters of the ocean, which represent a massive energy storage system.     

Written sentence production error patterns of college writers with learning disabilities

Utilizing a controlled stimulus passage to control for verbosity and topic selection, this research investigated the written syntax of 81 (60 males, 21 females) collegeable individuals demonstrating a specific learning disability. Four models of speech production disturbance (i.e., syntactical, lexical, monitoring, control) were evaluated in light of the errors identified in the rewrite paragraphs of this population. The data from this research supports the control impairment hypothesis, predicting that sentence production errors will be of the same kind as found in the language of writers demonstrating no handicapping conditions. In addition, the study investigated the correlation of specific cognitive and achievement variables to syntactical competence and error type.     

Measurement of motivational imagery abilities in sport

Athletes report using imagery most often to successfully cope with and master challenging situations. This function of imagery is termed "motivational general-mastery" and includes imagining being focused, confident and in control in difficult circumstances. Also, athletes often use imagery to regulate their arousal levels (e.g. relaxing, psyching up) and this function of imagery is termed "motivational-general arousal". While most athletes report employing these two motivational functions of imagery, their ability to do so has not been examined. The aim of the present study was to develop a measure of motivational general sport imagery ability, the Motivational Imagery Ability Measure for Sport (MIAMS). This was accomplished through three phases. Across these phases, evidence was generated showing that the psychometric properties of the instrument are adequate. In addition, the relationship of scores on the MIAMS to demographic variables, including sex, sport type and competitive standard, were examined. It was found that athletes participating at a competitive level scored higher on the MIAMS than athletes participating at a recreational level.     

Leveraging Survey Results in Support of a Library Renovation: A Case Study

Abstract

The Health Sciences Library (HSL) at Stony Brook University along with the School of Medicine were motivated to make improvements in seating and hours based on survey results from an LCME self-study. Preparation for the site visit from the Liaison Committee for Medical Education helped to garner resources and support for this initiative. To meet the evolving needs of the HSL patrons, librarians completed an overdue collection assessment project which allowed for 142 new seats, including newly designed spaces and furnishings. Ongoing assessment of the redesigned space will be conducted to evaluate success and areas for continued improvement.     

Privileged Identity Exploration: Examining Counselor Trainees' Reactions to Difficult Dialogues

In this qualitative study, the authors examined master's‐level counselor trainees' reactions to difficult dialogues in the classroom regarding racism, heterosexism/homophobia, and ableism over a 3‐year period. Using the Consensual Qualitative Research method as introduced by C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, and E. N. Williams (1997), the data analysis team analyzed narrative and reaction papers submitted during a didactic course on multiculturalism. Behavioral reactions were identified that form the basis for this study: denial, deflection, rationalization, intellectualization, principium, false envy, minimization, and benevolence.     

Toward expediting the resolution of debates in the social sciences 1

Four reasons for the prevalent delays in resolving debates in the social sciences are discussed. These are the difficulty in clearly answering certain questions for investigation, the inadequacy of common research designs for establishing “firm inferences,”; the lack of methods for reviewing and synthesizing disparate results from different studies of the same topic, and the inappropriateness of present debate arenas for expediting resolution. Some characteristics of the arenas of social science debates are described, and several suggestions for improving these arenas are proposed.