Characteristics of students who benefit from high-quality mathematics instruction

The present study examined characteristics of students who took advantage of the opportunity to learn Algebra II from a highly skilled teacher. In particular, student information was gathered concerning: (a) the amount of mathematics students knew prior to the class, (b) their motivation for learning mathematics, (c) the number and types of interactions they had with the teacher during class, (d) degree of self-regulation, and (e) general aptitude. A model for achievement was used that suggests both opportunity and propensity are important (i.e., students must be willing and able to take advantage of opportunity). Support for the model was found. Propensity to take advantage of a highly favorable opportunity accounted for almost sixty percent of the variance in achievement. In particular, students who were self-regulated, had strong mathematics backgrounds, and had low levels of frustration benefited more from high-quality instruction.     

Muscle Soreness Following Resistance Exercise With and Without Eccentric Contractions

The present study reported on translating the Exercise Identity Scale (EIS: Anderson &; Cychosz, 1994) into Greek and examining its psychometric properties and cross-cultural validity based on U.S. individuals' EIS responses. Using four samples comprising 33, 103, and 647 Greek individuals, including exercisers and nonexercisers, and a similar sample comprising 800 U.S. individuals, the concurrent validity, factor structure, internal reliability, test-retest reliability, external validity, gender invariance, and cross-cultural validity of the EIS responses were examined using confirmatory factor analytical procedures. The results supported the concurrent validity, an adequate unidimensional factor structure for the translated EIS and the internal reliability and test-retest reliability over a 6-week interval. Further, cross-gender configural, partial metric, partial strong factorial, and partial strict factorial invariance and cross-cultural configural and partial metric invariance supported the cross-cultural equivalence of the EIS versions. Moreover, the external validity of the translated EIS responses was also supported. Overall, the findings supported the validity of the exercise identity construct outside North American boundaries and the EIS items' equivalence, providing initial evidence for its cross-cultural applicability.     

Categorizing and combining theories of cognitive development and learning

The present paper considers the centrality of meta-theoretical belief systems (MTBSs) for theories of cognitive development and learning. It is argued that MTBSs guide and constrain the construction of theoretical models and developmental mechanisms. Moreover, it is shown how MTBSs can be effectively used to categorize theories and to address the issue of whether theories of cognitive development and learning can be coherently combined to form larger, more comprehensive theories. The paper proceeds by first defining the nature of theories and then defining eight major MTBSs: nativism, empiricism, constructivism, structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, neobehaviorism, and cognitivism. Following this exposition, it is shown how MTBSs underlie model construction. Next, the issue of whether theories can be combined is discussed in terms of the logical compatibility of their underlying MTBSs. Then, two contemporary theories which combine constructs from several different theoretical perspectives are described to illustrate how theories can be combined coherently. Finally, implications are drawn.     

Gender Differences on the Math Subtest of the Scholastic Aptitude Test may be Culture-Specific

Cross-cultural studies can shed new light on theories of gender differences in cognition. In the present study, Chinese students were given items from the math subtest of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) that have been found to produce the largest gender differences in American students. The authors describe how four different explanations of gender differences make different predictions regarding the possible size of the gender difference in Chinese students. Consistent with the Differential Coursework view but contrary to the predictions of several other views, the results revealed no difference in performance on the SAT items between Chinese males and females.     

The Relationship Between College Students' Self-Reports of Class Participation and Perceived Instructor Impressions

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the extent to which college students' self-reports of their in-class participation are related to their impressions of instructors (i.e., credibility, attractiveness, and homophily). Participants were 223 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory communication course at a large Mid-Atlantic university. Students' self-reports of their in-class participation were positively correlated with perceived instructor social attractiveness, physical attractiveness, background homophily, and attititude homophily, but not with perceived instructor competence, character, caring, and task attractiveness. Furthermore, class size, perceived instructor social attractiveness, and perceived instructor background homophily emerged as significant predictors of in-class participation.     

Topic Avoidance,Everyday Talk,and Stress in Romantic Military and Non-Military Couples

Relationships are increasingly impacted by military involvement, necessitating a deeper understanding of communication within these couples. This study examined perceptions of everyday talk, topic avoidance, and stress of participants romantically involved with (a) a military partner (n = 118) or (b) a non-military partner (n = 94). Couple types avoided similar topics, but non-military partners avoided these topics more frequently than military partners. Both couple types engaged in everyday talk, but military partners found this communicative exchange to be more important. Non-military partners experienced greater stress than military partners, and communication was predictive of the stress experienced. The results of this study highlight similarities and differences in romantic couples and reveal areas in which relationship education can address these communicative nuances of military couples.