Comparing OECD PISA Reading in English to Other Languages: Identifying Potential Sources of Non-Invariance

The use of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) across nations, cultures, and languages has been criticized. The key criticisms point to the linguistic and cultural biases potentially underlying the design of reading comprehension tests, raising doubts about the legitimacy of comparisons across economies. Our research focused on the type and magnitude of invariance or non-invariance in the PISA Reading Comprehension test by language, culture, and economic development relative to performance of the Australian English-speaking reference group used to develop the tests. Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis based on means and covariance structure (MACS) modeling was used to establish a d_MACS effect size index for each economy for the degree of non-invariance. Only three wealthy, English-speaking countries had scalar invariance with Australia. Moderate or large effects were observed in just 31% of the comparisons. PISA index of economic, social and cultural status had a moderate inverse correlation with dMACS suggesting that socioeconomic resourcing of education played a significant role in measurement invariance, while educational practice and language factors seemed to play a further small role in non-invariance. Alternative approaches to reporting PISA results consistent with non-invariance are suggested.     

Accessing Digital Images

SUMMARY

This article discusses sources for and issues related to digital Christian art images available on the Internet. An annotated list of relevant Web sites is listed, along with advice on how to locate specific images. Also included in the article are discussions of vocabulary, fact verification, and copyright issues.     

Calibration of phase field parameters demonstrated on kinetics of a shrinking single grain

The phase field method is frequently employed to simulate evolution of rather complex microstructures. In order to accurately describe the real kinetics of a specific material system, the phase field parameters must be calibrated to standard thermodynamic quantities such as interface mobilities or interface energies. This letter presents a convenient method, based on thermodynamic modelling of shrinking of a single grain embedded in single crystal (matrix), how to calibrate the phase field parameters. It also shows, how the required thermodynamic quantities can be met by proper rescaling of a phase field simulation carried out for given phase field parameters.     

Are boys better off with male and girls with female teachers? A multilevel investigation of measurement invariance and gender match in teacher–student relationship quality

Although research consistently points to poorer teacher-student relationships for boys than girls, there are no studies that take into account the effects of teacher gender and control for possible measurement non-invariance across student and teacher gender. This study addressed both issues. The sample included 649 primary school teachers (182 men) and 1493 students (685 boys). Teachers completed a slightly adapted version of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale. The results indicated limited measurement non-invariance in teacher reports. Female teachers reported better (i.e., more close, less conflictual, and less dependent) relationships with students than male teachers. In addition, both male and female teachers reported more conflictual relationships with boys than with girls, and female teachers also reported less close relationships with boys than with girls. The findings challenge society's presumption that male teachers have better relationships with boys than women teachers.     

Egocentric organization of spatial activities in imagined navigation

Studies on spatial frameworks suggest that the way we locate objects in imagined environments is influenced by the physical and functional properties of the world and our body. The present study provides evidence that such an influence also characterizes imagined navigation. In Experiment 1, participants followed spatial directions to construct an imagined path, while either keeping constant or updating their orientation at each step. A pattern of step times diagnostic of spatial frameworks was obtained in the updated-orientation but not in the constant-orientation condition. In Experiment 2, participants performed the updated-orientation condition with two levels of external support for the reference frame being used. Step times conformed to the predictions of spatial frameworks in both conditions. Both experiments also provided support that the processes involved in imagined navigation exhibit the operator-operand dynamics of other mental skills previously documented in the mental arithmetic domain. These results reinforce Piaget's (1954) notion that spatial displacements and integer arithmetic share a set of structural characteristics     

工作场所领导愤怒的有效性及其作用机制

领导愤怒(leader anger)作为最常见、最易被感受到的工作场所负面情绪之一, 对于改善工作关系、行为和绩效具有显著影响。然而, 已有文献关于领导愤怒阻碍还是促进领导有效性的观点存在许多争议, 对于领导愤怒为什么以及何种条件下影响领导有效性的问题尚不明确。在回顾工作场所领导愤怒概念起源和内涵特点的基础上, 从消极效应和积极效应双刃视角厘清了工作场所领导愤怒的有效性, 基于情绪即社会信息理论阐释了工作场所领导愤怒有效性的双路径中介机制, 并从个体/团队/组织三层面分析了领导愤怒有效性的边界条件。未来研究应从工作场所领导愤怒的概念和结构测量、事件前因和后果、中介机制、情境因素、研究方法和研究层面等方面进一步拓展。     

Indexicals and Reference‐Shifting: Towards a Pragmatic Approach

I propose a pragmatic approach to the kind of reference‐shifting occurring in indexicals as used in e.g. written notes and answering machine messages. I proceed in two steps. First, I prepare the ground by showing that the arguments against such a pragmatic approach raised in the recent literature fail. Second, I take a first few steps towards implementing this approach, by sketching a pragmatic theory of reference‐shifting, and showing how it can handle cases of the relevant kind. While the immediate scope of the paper is restricted to indexicals and reference‐shifting, and the discussion is confined to a specific range of theories and cases, the approach proposed is compatible with a fairly broad range of more or less semantically conservative theories, and many of the conclusions drawn are significant for the evaluation of pragmatic explanations in philosophy more generally. The overall goal is to offer a new perspective on the issues under discussion, and to prompt philosophers to reconsider some of the established methods by which pragmatic explanations are evaluated.     

Mental lexicon research in the new millennium

This article presents an overview of current research on the mental lexicon, as it is represented by articles in the spring 2002 Special Issue of Brain and Language. We examine current findings in terms of language, task, and population effects associated with how words are presented and processed in the mind. We discuss how such mental representations may be linked to neurological instantiations and address the issue of ecological validity in the field. These discussions are organized in order to both provide an overview of the issues and to enable the reader to locate specific articles that bear on these issues. Finally, we present an organizational framework for the characterization of mental lexicon research within which challenges for advancement are isolated.     

Domestic cat walking parallels human constrained optimization: Optimization strategies and the comparison of normal and sensory deficient individuals

To evaluate how fundamental gait parameters used in walking (stride length, frequency, speed) are selected by cats we compared stride characteristics selected when walking on a solid surface to those selected when they were constrained to specific stride lengths using a pedestal walkway. Humans spontaneously select substantially different stride length–stride frequency–speed relationships in walking when each of these parameters is constrained, as in walking to a metronome beat (frequency constrained), evenly spaced floor markers (stride length constrained) or on a treadmill (speed constrained). In humans such adjustments largely provide energetic economy under the prescribed walking conditions. Cats show a similar shift in gait parameter selection between conditions as observed in humans. This suggests that cats (and by extension, quadrupedal mammals) also select gait parameters to optimize walking cost-effectiveness. Cats with a profound peripheral sensory deficit (from pyridoxine overdose) appeared to parallel the optimization seen in healthy cats, but without the same level of precision. Recent studies in humans suggest that gait optimization may proceed in two stages – a fast perception-based stage that provides the initial gait selection strategy which is then fine-tuned by feedback. The sensory deficit cats appeared unable to accomplish the feedback-dependent aspect of this process.     

DSM-5 personality traits and DSM-IV personality disorders

Two issues pertinent to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) proposal for personality pathology, the recovery of DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs) by proposed DSM-5 traits and the validity of the proposed DSM-5 hybrid model, which incorporates both personality pathology symptoms and maladaptive traits, were evaluated in a large undergraduate sample (N = 808). Proposed DSM-5 traits as assessed with the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 explained a substantial proportion of variance in DSM-IV PDs as assessed with the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+, and trait indicators of the 6 proposed DSM-5 PDs were mostly specific to those disorders with some exceptions. Regression analyses support the DSM-5 hybrid model in that pathological traits, and an indicator of general personality pathology severity provided incremental information about PDs. Findings are discussed in the context of broader issues around the proposed DSM-5 model of personality disorders.     

Effect of walking surface,late-cueing,physiological characteristics of aging,and gait parameters on turn style preference in healthy,older adults

Turning while walking is a crucial component of locomotion, often performed on irregular surfaces with little planning time. Turns can be difficult for some older adults due to physiological age-related changes. Two different turning strategies have been identified in the literature. During step turns, which are biomechanically stable, the body rotates about the outside limb, while for spin turns, generally performed with closer foot-to-foot distance, the inside limb is the main pivot point. Turning strategy preferences of older adults under challenging conditions remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine how turning strategy preference in healthy older adults is modulated by surface features, cueing time, physiological characteristics of aging, and gait parameters. Seventeen healthy older adults (71.5 ± 4.2 years) performed 90° turns for two surfaces (flat, uneven) and two cue conditions (pre-planned, late-cue). Gait parameters were identified from kinematic data. Measures of lower-limb strength, balance, and reaction-time were also recorded. Generalized linear (logistic) regression mixed-effects models examined the effect of (1) surface and cuing, (2) physiological characteristics of ageing, and (3) gait parameters on turn strategy preference. Step turns were preferred when the condition was pre-planned (p < 0.001) (model 1) and when the gait parameters of stride regularity and maximum acceleration decreased (p = 0.010 and p = 0.039, respectively) (model 3). Differences in turn strategy selection under dynamic conditions ought to be evaluated in future fall-risk research and rehabilitation utilizing real-world activity monitoring.     

In support of content theories of art

A standard view of reference holds that a speaker's use of a name refers to a certain thing in virtue of the speaker's associating a condition with that use that singles the referent out. This view has been criticized by Saul Kripke as empirically inadequate. Recently, however, it has been argued that a version of the standard view, a response-based theory of reference, survives the charge of empirical inadequacy by allowing that associated conditions may be largely or even entirely implicit. This paper argues that response-based theories of reference are prey to a variant of the empirical inadequacy objection, because they are ill-suited to accommodate the successful use of proper names by pre-school children. Further, I argue that there is reason to believe that normal adults are, by and large, no different from children with respect to how the referents of their names are determined. I conclude that speakers typically refer positionally: the referent of a use of a proper name is typically determined by aspects of the speaker's position, rather than by associated conditions present, however implicitly, in her psychology.     

A concurrent attention-demanding task did not interfere with balance recovery function in standing and walking among young adults – An explorative laboratory study

This study aimed to explore the ability to overcome unannounced surface perturbations of different magnitudes during standing and walking under single-task and dual-task conditions. Balance recovery abilities during perturbed walking and concurrently performing cognitive tasks has rarely been investigated although it provides more ecological information in regard to real-life situations than perturbations during single-task conditions (i.e., just walking). Thirteen young adults were asked to perform: 1) a cognitive task while sitting; 2) perturbed standing; 3) a concurrent cognitive task during perturbed standing; 4) perturbed walking; and 5) a concurrent cognitive task during perturbed walking. The cognitive task was to perform number subtractions by seven. The participants were instructed to “try to avoid a fall” during the perturbation trials. Step threshold, cognitive task performance, and 3D kinematic analysis of the first recovery step, i.e., the spatiotemporal characteristics, were compared between all conditions. Step threshold and the spatiotemporal parameters of the first recovery stepping responses were similar between all task conditions. Cognitive performance was also unaffected by the postural challenges in all task conditions. These results suggest that the first balance recovery stepping response among young adults is automatic. Furthermore, young adults seem to have sufficient motor-cognitive resources to perform concurrently both balance recovery and cognitive tasks with no interference effects.     

Measuring anxiety by ordered categorical items in data with subgroup structure: the case of the Hungarian version of the trait anxiety scale of the state-trait anxiety inventory for children (staic-h)

The present study suggests a modelling methodology for examining measurement invariance of ordered categorical item indicators of latent constructs such as anxiety, coping, motives etc., in research settings with few subgroups and a large sample of individuals. The Hungarian version of the Anxiety Trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC-H) was administered to 605 boys and 975 girls of age 10–15 in 12 schools. A MIMIC model was suggested for examining measurement invariance across subgroups of schools and ages, while a multi-group analysis was recommended for investigating invariance across gender. High degree of invariance across groups was obtained for the Anxiety Trait scale in terms of item factor loadings, item thresholds and item homogeneity with respect to group contrast variables. Based on the diagnostic information obtained by the present methodology, the few item indicators showing non-invariance were discussed with reference to methodological and conceptual considerations.     

2004–2009 : révision de la loi de bioéthique en France,quels enjeux,quels débats ? Assistance médicale à la procréation,gestation pour autrui,transplantation

The bioethics law, adopted for the first time in 1994 and revised in 2004, is under revision again. This process has raised numerous debates at various institutional, professional and social levels. The government also organised a unique type of citizens’ consultation: the General Estates in Bioethics (GEB). Several panels of citizens had the opportunity to express their informed opinion on a selected set of topics concerning the law revision, after having received a special training by an expert committee. We have analysed the contributions of six public bodies – the Parliament Office for Scientific and Technological Choices Evaluation (OPECST), the National Consultative Ethics Committee, (CCNE), the State Council, (CE), the Biomedical Agency, (ABM), the Senate and the Parliamentary Information Mission for this bioethics law revision – as well as the final GEB's report. In this article, we present and compare their proposals on three themes: Medically assisted procreation (MAP), surrogacy and transplantation. Whereas a consensus emerged from the debates on certain issues – apart from the Senate, all institutions seem to be in favour of maintaining the current banning of surrogacy – other points are still under debate – how to open the access to MAP technologies, under what conditions should we grant access to selected data concerning gamete donors, how is death defined in the difficult conditions of a potential non heart beating donor, should the presumed consent regime for post mortem donation be revised, and if so how, – The parliament should discuss the law during 2010's first semester, and will have the difficult responsibility to take measures on issues raising medical, scientific, social, philosophical and moral questions.     

Semantic knowledge and the acquisition of proper names

This article explores the proposal that children learn proper names by exploiting implicit universal semantic knowledge. This knowledge directs children to interpret object-directed words used under particular conditions as proper names referring to specific objects. Provided that caregivers use proper names as object-directed labels under the same conditions, the knowledge can explain children's mastery of these expressions.     

Consistent Truth

Modern Logic has generated a lot of problems for itself through inattention to natural forms of speech. In particular it has had difficulties with a large group of ‘logical paradoxes’ through its preoccupation with the Predicate Calculus and related structures to the exclusion of other formal structures that represent natural language more fully, and thereby escape these paradoxes. In natural speech the unrecognized forms involved are principally individual referring terms with a non‐specific or fictional reference. For, under the influence of the Logical Empiricists, the focus in formal logic has been on individual terms with a specific, factual reference. But a similar point arises with certain predicates, and indeed even the proper concept of a predicate has been lost, producing the most notorious of the standard puzzles: Russell's Paradox. The paper inevitably makes reference to contemporary logical symbolism in places, but its purpose is to show that the only way forward is to use a symbolism that is abbreviatory only, i.e. maps directly onto natural speech.     

On the evaluation and application of different scales for quantifying pairwise comparisons in fuzzy sets

One of the most critical issues in many applications of fuzzy sets is the successful evaluation of membership values. A method based on pairwise comparisons provides an interesting way of evaluating membership values. That method was proposed by Saaty, almost 20 years ago, and since then has captured the interest of many researchers around the world. However, recent investigations reveal that the original scale may cause severe inconsistencies in many decision-making problems. Furthermore, exponential scales seem to be more natural for humans to use in many decision-making problems. In this paper two evaluative criteria are used to examine a total of 78 scales which can be derived from two widely used scales. The findings in this paper reveal that there is no single scale that can outperform all the other scales. Furthermore, the same findings indicate that a few scales are very efficient under certain conditions. Therefore, for a successful application of a pairwise-comparison-based method the appropriate scale needs to be selected and applied.     

Accounting for Parcel-Allocation Variability in Practice: Combining Sources of Uncertainty and Choosing the Number of Allocations

Item parceling remains widely used under conditions that can lead to parcel-allocation variability in results. Hence, researchers may be interested in quantifying and accounting for parcel-allocation variability within sample. To do so in practice, three key issues need to be addressed. First, how can we combine sources of uncertainty arising from sampling variability and parcel-allocation variability when drawing inferences about parameters in structural equation models? Second, on what basis can we choose the number of repeated item-to-parcel allocations within sample? Third, how can we diagnose and report proportions of total variability per estimate arising due to parcel-allocation variability versus sampling variability? This article addresses these three methodological issues. Developments are illustrated using simulated and empirical examples, and software for implementing them is provided.     

Spatial encoding of hidden objects in dogs (Canis familiaris)

The authors investigated the type of spatial information that controls domestic dogs' (Canis familiaris) search behavior in a situation in which they have to locate a spatial position where they saw an object move and disappear. In Experiments 1 and 2, the authors manipulated all local and global sources of allocentric spatial information surrounding the hiding location. The results revealed that dogs relied on an egocentric frame of reference. Experiment 3 showed that dogs also encoded allocentric information when egocentric information was irrelevant. The authors conclude that dogs simultaneously encode both egocentric and allocentric spatial information to locate a spatial position, but they primarily base their search behavior on an egocentric frame of reference. The authors discuss under which natural conditions dogs might use these 2 sources of spatial information and detail the nature of spatial egocentric information and the circumstances underlying its use by dogs.