Minds, modules, and meta-analysis

Wellman and colleagues' meta-analysis of performance on the false-belief task is methodologically useful, but it does not lead to any theoretical progress concerning the nature of the mechanisms that underlie the existence and development of "theory of mind." In particular, the results of this meta-analysis are perfectly compatible with "early competence" accounts that posit a specific, innate, and possibly modular basis for theory of mind. The arguments presented by Wellman and colleagues against such views stem not from their meta-analytic data, but from mistaken assumptions regarding the requirements of such theories (e.g., that there exist manipulations that improve performance only, or to a greater degree, in young children). Contrary to what Wellman and colleagues claim, their meta-analysis, while consistent with conceptual change, does not lend any new support for such theories.     

Analysekompetenz von Lehrpersonen – Modellierung und Messung

This article reports on a project in which the analytical competence of teachers and trainee teachers is measured. The term analytical competence refers to the ability to assess and evaluate the quality of lessons which are observed. The sample consists of 800 teaching staff (200 students, 200 probationary teachers, 200 qualified teachers, 200 teacher training personnel). They are shown a video of a school lesson (in Physics) and then given a test in the form of a questionnaire in which they are asked to analyse the lesson. In the evaluation, the item scale of the test is checked for Rasch homogeneity. In the medium term, the results of this study should lead to consequences for the development of analytical competence in the various phases of teacher training.     

Pedagogical content knowledge of experts and novices—what knowledge do they activate when analyzing science lessons?

In the current debate on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), the term is used to refer to the context‐specific knowledge that teachers activate when reflecting on practice. Against the background of this debate, we conducted an empirical study and sought to answer the question of which knowledge experts and novices activated in assessing a videotaped lesson in relation to its effectiveness for learning. Our assumption was that the participants activate their PCK as a blending of content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK) as suggested by Shulman's amalgam thesis. The participants (9 experts and 9 novices) were shown a lesson on optics, in which the law of refraction (Snell's law) was being studied. In a subsequent interview, the participants were asked to analyze the observed lesson. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the interviews showed that experts activated both CK and PK intensively and in this respect they differed significantly from novices. Further analysis of the expert statements also proved that they do not activate their CK and PK in isolation, but instead combine both kinds of knowledge together, in line with Shulman's amalgam thesis. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 55: 44–67, 2018     

Predictors of Client Preferences for Counselor Roles

This study examined 152 undergraduate clients' interpersonal styles as they relate to preferences for counselor roles. The results indicated a moderate positive association between clients' interpersonal styles and their preferences for counselor roles. Moreover, beginning clients were found to prefer advice giving to active listening. Counselors can promote continuation and improve the quality of the working relationship by adapting their initial approach to match the preference of the client.     

The Influence of Expectations for Health-Related Talk on Reports of Marital Satisfaction A version of this paper was presented at the 2002 annual meeting of the National Communication Association in New Orleans,LA.

The present study empirically operationalizes the health-related talk of married individuals (N?=?349) and reports on the factor structure of these health-related talk expectations and the reliability and convergent validity of the two-factor solution. Both factors were significantly correlated with participants’ self reports of marital satisfaction. Implications for the relationships between health-related talk and marriage are discussed.     

Prevention of Targeted School Violence by Responding to Students' Psychosocial Crises: The NETWASS Program

The standardized, indicated school‐based prevention program “Networks Against School Shootings” combines a threat assessment approach with a general model of prevention of emergency situations in schools through early intervention in student psychosocial crises and training teachers to recognize warning signs of targeted school violence. An evaluation study in 98 German schools with 3,473 school staff participants (M_age = 46.2 years) used a quasi‐experimental comparison group design with three measurement points (pre, post, and 7 months followup) with schools randomly allocated to implementation conditions. The study found increases in teachers' expertise and evaluation skills, enhanced abilities to identify students experiencing a psychosocial crisis, and positive secondary effects (e.g., teacher–student interaction, feelings of safety).