Sense about sex: media,sex advice,education and learning

The media are widely acknowledged as important in sex and relationship education, but they are usually associated with ‘bad’ effects on young people in contrast to the ‘good’ knowledge represented by more informational and educational formats. In this paper we look at sex advice giving in newspapers, magazines and television in the UK, in sex advice books and in online spaces for sexual learning. We examine some of the limitations of the information provided, consider the challenges for sex advice in the contemporary context, and outline some of the opportunities for academics, researchers, therapists, sex educators and activists to contribute productively to sex advice giving and sexual learning more generally.     

Effects of a rule change that eliminates body-checking on the relative age effect in Ontario minor ice hockey

Relative age effects in sport reflect an over-representation of athletes born early in a selection year that lead to selection and performance advantages. These effects might be enhanced by rules that increase physicality. An opportunity to investigate these influences arose when Hockey Canada altered its body-checking rules. Two studies are described that investigate the possible influence of this rule change. Study 1 used cross-sectional data to contrast relative age effects for 9-year-olds in games with and without body-checking (birth quartile 1 ranged from 27 to 39%; birth quartile 4 from 10 to 20%). Study 2 used quasi-longitudinal data to examine age effects when players transitioned from a season in which body-checking was permitted to one that prohibited such checking (birth quartile 1 ranged from 27 to 39%; birth quartile 4 from 11 to 20%). Chi-square statistics demonstrated relative age effects in both studies irrespective of body-checking. Post-hoc analyses indicated reductions in these effects that were limited to some second and third quartiles when body-checking was prohibited. Body-checking is not a critical mechanism of relative age effects. The physicality of ice hockey, regardless of body-checking, and increased experience in ice hockey are influential.     

Cable and Educational Media

Mary Louise Hollowell, ed, The Cable/Broadband Communications Book, 1977-1978 (Washington: Communications Press [1346 Connecticut Ave. N.W., 20036], 1977—$16.25 including postage, paper)

1976 NCTA Cable Services Directory (National Cable Television Association, 918 Sixteenth St. NW, Washington D.C. 20006—$4.00, paper)

Regulatinzfable Television Subscriber Rates: A Guide for Local Officials (Cable Television Information Center, Yrban Institute, 2100 M St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20037—$17.50 including postage, paper)

Alan Hancock Planning for Educational Mass Media (London and New York: Longman, 1977—$20.00)

Kenyon C. Rosenberg and John S. Doskey Media Equipment: A Guide and Dictionary (Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1976—$11.50)     

Going Forth: Equal Employment Opportunity in a Deregulatory Climate

While previous studies indicate that participation in sport has the potential to facilitate positive developmental outcomes, there is a lack of consensus regarding the possible transfer of these outcomes to other environments (i.e., school or work). An important issue within the positive development literature concerns how sport programs should approach the issue of transfer. This article outlines two distinct approaches to the transfer debate: the explicit approach and the implicit approach. Specifically, this article discusses the relative strengths and limitations of these two approaches with regards to their effectiveness, sustainability, and balance of adult- and youth-driven learning. Recommendations for future research directions are also presented.     

Aboriginal non-attendance at school: Revisiting the debate

Non-attendance at school among significant numbers of Aboriginal students has been officially recognised as a major problem since at least the mid 1980s. This article reviews the findings from recent literature on non-attendance within the context of a case study in Perth, Western Australia. Data for the study was obtained from a questionnaire of service providers and district-wide statistics on non-attendance. From this data the following have been identified: the various forms of non-attendance, causal factors associated with non-attendance, and limitations in service provision. Implications relating to policy development are also discussed.     

Comparing social desirability responding on world wide web and paper-administered surveys

Social desirability responding (SRD) on surveys administered on the World Wide Web (WWW) and on paper was examined using 178 graduate and undergraduate students randomly assigned to a 2 (World Wide Web and Paper) ×2 (Anonymous and Nonanonymous) true experimental design. The findings reveal no differences in SDR between the WWW and the paper-administered survey conditions, and no differences in SDR between the anonymous and nonanonymous conditions. These findings and potential explanations are examined for consideration by anyone interested in using the WWW to obtain accurate information from survey participants.     

An Expanded Control Model for the Use of Instructional Feedback

The strengths of the now classic Kulhavy/Stock model of instructional feedback are summarized and various researchers′ suggestions for improvement are incorporated into an expanded model. Data from two computer drill experiments demonstrate that the use of feedback varies systematically between subjects: the highest achieving subjects use feedback as the Kulhavy/Stock model predicts, the intermediate achievers use of feedback is less predictable, and the lowest achievers use feedback in a nearly random manner. These response patterns can be addressed in a feedback processing model which adds higher level goals related to certitude and correct responding. The expanded model has the following characteristics: feedback processing is not automatic, but varies in mindfulness; learner′s individual goals are incorporated; analysis and modeling are conducted on a subject by subject basis; and instructional feedback is understood more in terms of each learner′s control systems and less in terms of a stimulus-response orientation.