Psychological adjustment and family functioning of boys with learning disabilities

This study examined parent reports of behavioral and family functioning for 59 boys with learning disabilities (LD) and 65 nondisabled boys (NLD) of ages 6 to 12 years. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III). Boys with LD were reported as having significantly more behavior problems of both the Internalizing and Externalizing types than NLD boys. Individual scales yielded group differences indicating higher scores (more problems) for the group with LD on the Hyperactive, Schizoid or Anxious, Depressed, and Obsessive Compulsive scales, but no differences on the Aggressive or Social Withdrawal scales. Furthermore, families of boys with LD tended to score more frequently in the extreme (disturbed) range of family functioning. However, boys of families in the extreme range did not have more behavior problems than the boys of other families. The findings suggest that a greater than average proportion of boys with LD are at risk for developing psychological adjustment problems.     

Cognitive Development in Gifted Children: Toward a More Precise Understanding of Emerging Differences in Intelligence

To truly understand gifted performance, it is necessary to merge research on giftedness with current thinking in cognitive development and intelligence. This article presents traditional research on gifted children's cognitive development then considers how the application of newer models and theories from the field of cognitive development can be combined with research on giftedness to change the way people think about gifted performance. First four factors that have often been associated with giftedness are discussed from the perspectives of cognitive developmental psychology and gifted education. Next, emphasis is placed on investigating the strategic development of gifted children. Specifically, R. S. Siegler's (Emerging Minds: The Process of Change in Children's Thinking, Oxford University Press, New York, 1996) model of strategy development is addressed in terms of what it may contribute to understanding gifted cognition. Finally, future lines of research using models from cognitive development and complex systems models of development are recommended.     

The effects of localised fatigue on upper extremity jump shot kinematics and kinetics in team handball

Team handball is a popular sport worldwide that requires numerous throws to be made throughout the course of a game. Because of the upper extremity demands of repetitive throwing, it is possible that fatigue can alter the mechanics of a shot. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of localised fatigue on jump shot kinematics and kinetics. Eleven male team handball players (23.1 ± 3.1 years; 185.1 ± 8.3 cm; 89.7 ± 12.2 kg) volunteered. An electromagnetic tracking system was used to examine the jump shot prior to and following localised fatigue. The fatiguing protocol consisted of throwing a 2.2 kg medicine ball into a rebounder until volitional fatigue. No significant kinematic or kinetic differences were observed following fatigue. Shoulder external rotation was ?74.8 ± 14.9° prior to and ?79.0 ± 14.7° following fatigue at MER. Scapula, external rotation at ball release (BR) prior to fatigue was ?2.2 ± 7.0° and ?3.2 ± 11.1° following fatigue. Scapular internal rotation, at maximum shoulder internal rotation (MIR), changed from 18.4 ± 11.2° to 20.4 ± 11.8°. Ball velocity decreased from19.8 m · s^–1 to 18.8 m · s^–1 (P = 0.12). Accuracy percentage in the pre-fatigue trials was 60.8 ± 14.1% and 52.8 ± 12.7% following fatigue (P = 0.20). While no significant changes were observed, it is possible that other fatiguing protocols that more closely represent the aerobic and throwing demands of the sport may have a greater effect on the kinematics and kinetics of the jump shot.     

COMMUNITY SERVICES: COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND PARTICIPATION

This study determined full‐time faculty members’ perceptions of and involvement in community services at community colleges in Ohio. A total of 249 full‐time faculty responded to the survey instrument representing 83.0% of the total sample. Data were analyzed by either the t test or the one‐way analysis of variance and Scheffe's post hoc analysis.

Results showed that involvement in planning and teaching within community services seem to be a key factor relative to how full‐time faculty perceive community services activities. Moreover, certain personal and professional characteristics of full‐time faculty members seem to influence their attitudes toward and their involvement in community services.     

The link between student-perceived teacher talk and student enjoyment,anxiety and discursive engagement in the classroom

This study seeks to understand the emotional connection of teachers' academically productive talk (APT) with student learning from the students' perspective. Using a sample of 2,225 students (N_{7th grade} = 1,146 and N_{8th grade} = 1,079) from 16 middle schools in a city of China, we investigate the relationship between students' perceptions of their teachers’ APT, student emotions (enjoyment and anxiety) and their discursive engagement with others in the mathematics classroom. Results from structural equation modelling and mediation analysis show that after controlling for gender, family resources and mathematics achievement, student-perceived teacher APT was positively associated with their discursive engagement with classmates. Furthermore, student enjoyment and anxiety in class mediated the relationship between student-perceived teacher APT and student discursive engagement with classmates. Multi-group analysis revealed that the model was invariant across genders and grades, indicating that the associations were applicable to male and female students as well as to seventh and eighth graders. These findings shed light on the emotional relationship of teacher APT with the discursive engagement of their students. Although prior research observes a positive relationship between teacher productive classroom talk and student discursive engagement primarily through classroom observations and teacher reflections, this study provides evidence from the students’ perspective and highlights the mediating role of student emotions in the relationship.     

Stepping out of rhythm: an embodied artifact for noticing rate of change

Educational technology research and development - Making sense of data is fundamental to science. Yet, the form in which data are represented can make their interpretation challenging for students....     

Does (No) Discovery Lead to (ILL) Delivery? Comparing Transaction Logs to ILL Requests to Determine the Persistence of Library Patrons

This study looks at known-item searches within a university catalog that come up with a “no results” response to see whether patrons will then place an ILL request for that material and how persistent a user might be in order to obtain something that they want. Catalog search transaction logs were compared against interlibrary loan (ILL) requests placed during the same time frame. Overall, the rate of persistence, or the frequency with which ILL requests were placed when no results were found in the catalog is very low.     

The effects of virtual racial embodiment in a gaming app on reducing prejudice

This research experimentally examined the effectiveness of the use of virtual racial embodiment in a digital gaming application for reducing bias against a non-dominant group. The findings of this study advance theory and have practical implications for the design of immersive diversity initiatives. We tested avatar creation and the gaming app as a new modality for stimulating perspective-taking. In addition, we explored how sex and race intersect in virtual embodiment and stereotyping. Results showed that creating and embodying a Black avatar produced more favorable beliefs about African American men, but not African American women, and greater support for “pro-minority” policies in comparison to creating and playing a White avatar. Avatar liking was a significant moderator, but self-presence had no effect.     

Women,torture, & spectacle on Chilean television

ABSTRACT

In the years since the fall of the civil–military dictatorships in the Southern Cone, considerable attention has been paid to first-person testimonies of human rights victims. A great number of these have been by women who narrated sexual political violence. However, while there has been work done on the relation between terror, trauma, and spectacle in postdictatorial television shows, rarely has this also included a gendered perspective. In this article we seek to open this area of discussion by evaluating the manner in which women’s televised testimonies of political sexual violence have been constructed on late night talk shows in Chile, using recent history and memory theory, as well as feminist theory on the representation of sexual violence in mass media.     

Predicting Success: Revisiting Assumptions about Family Political Socialization

This study, guided by family communication patterns theory, examined the role of family communication in political socialization. We tested whether certain communication styles were associated with higher levels of political similarity within the family. Additionally, the independent influences of the mother and father, as well as the direction of these influences, were considered. Results suggest that different communication styles are associated with higher levels of political similarity. Additionally, it was found that children were more likely to share their mothers' political attitudes than their fathers'. Explanations for these findings are discussed and implications focusing on the role of communication in the socialization literature are considered.