Directed Thinking and Readiness to Change Self‐Beneficial Behaviors: Are You Ready for Some Studying?

Previous research has suggested that intentions to engage in studying and other self-beneficial activities might be promoted more by thinking about actions one could take than by thinking about reasons for doing so. The present experiments assessed whether the relative efficacy of actions vs. reasons might depend on individuals' readiness to change. Consistent with previous findings on the processes of change most relevant in different stages, the benefits of self-generated actions were more pronounced for participants who were in the later stages of change. This "matching-to-stage" relationship occurred in 2 experiments that differed in stage measurement, how thinking was directed, and which outcomes were measured. The results have both practical and theoretical implications for attempts to change self-beneficial behaviors.     

The use of PowerPoint shareware for making Jeopardy!--type games in the teaching of psychology

We describe the use of readily available templates to create a Jeopardy!--type game using PowerPoint slides suitable for psychology courses. The templates can accommodate information from any psychology class and can easily be used to incorporate languages other than English. A major limitation of the templates is that they are only available as shareware on internet sites and the links to such sites can be unreliable. To avoid this problem we present our own template. Differences between the shareware and our own program are noted, as are ways to use the game to stimulate interest in psychology.     

For-profit/nonprofit differences in center-based child care quality: Results from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development

In secondary analyses of National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data, multiple indicators of quality (caregiver wages and turnover; child/staff ratio; caregiver education and professionalism; positive caregiving) were compared between child care centers by sector (for-profit/nonprofit) and subsector (for-profit independent/chain, nonprofit church/nonchurch) at multiple points from infancy through prekindergarten. Nonprofit centers evidenced higher caregiver wages and education at most ages and better quality child/staff ratios, turnover, caregiver professionalism, and positive caregiving for toddlers and preschoolers. Subsector differences in preschool classrooms were more complex. In general, quality was higher in nonprofit non-religiously affiliated centers, intermediate in nonprofit religiously affiliated and for-profit independent centers, and lower in for-profit chains, but differences were not found on every indicator or between every group. Further, for-profit chain status predicted lower quality positive caregiving, controlling for family characteristics, staff, and structural quality, at 54 months, but not 36 months. Results support and extend prior research by controlling for family characteristics. Policy implications regarding supply- and demand-side quality-improvement strategies that address market competition and parent choice across subsectors are discussed.     

Characteristics of Role Models for Young African-American Men: An Exploratory Survey

Recognized leaders of African-American communities were surveyed with 24 items developed by the investigators to aid in the identification of pertinent characteristics common to successful and positive role models for young African-American men.     

Reliability and predictive validity of the WISC-R with native-American Navajos

The reliability and predictive validity of the WISC-R was examined with a sample of 40 Navajo children. Internal consistency reliability estimates of WISC-R subtests as well as composites were found to be low for the Navajo subjects as compared with the reliability coefficients reported in the WISC-R manual. Correlation coefficients between the WISC-R subtests and those of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) were low. Only the Block Design subtest correlated significantly with the WRAT-Spelling. The predictive validity of the WISC-R IQ scales was similarly found to be very low. Considering the nature and size of sample, cautions in generalizing these findings to other native-American populations are recommended.     

An Information‐processing Perspective on Leadership and Culture: A Case for Connectionist Architecture

Un mode`le de la relation entre la culture et le leadership est pre´sente´ dans cet article; ce mode`le est centre´ sur le traitement de l'information. Nous estimons qu'un re´seau connectionniste s'impose pour une bonne compre´hension de la faµon dont la culture et le leadership influencent les re´actions et la comprotement du suiveur, ce qui nous diffe´rencie des travaux ante´rieurs dans ce domaine. On examine brie`vement les structure connectionnistes en remarquant qu'il y a recouvrement entre la conceptualisation des sche´mas inclus dans ces structures et les re´flexions actuelles sur les sche´mas concernant la culture et le leadership. Ce mode`le est suffisamment souple pour expliquer les processus cognitivement efficients qui e´mergent consciemment ou subconsciemment. En outre, il peut rendre compte de la sensibilite´ a` l'information (provenant de la situation) des sche´mas du leadership et des syste`mes culturels. On traite enfin du caracte`re critique de la notion de concept de soi dans la compre´hension des processus a` travers lesquels culture et leadership interagissent pour influencer les re´action et la conduite des suiveurs.     

Teaching the Psychology of Women: Examination of a Teaching-Learning Model

A teaching-learning model for teaching courses on the psychology of women is presented and illustrated by the psychology of women course offered at the University of Tennessee. The general approach and structure of the course are described and the basic assumptions underlying the teaching-learning approach are explained. The ultimate goal of the course is to develop women (and men) who behave in an active, healthy, assertive manner and who can assume responsibility for themselves.