Content validity of the wrat and grade level achievement of primary grade students

The Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) arithmetic and reading performance of randomly selected primary grade children in a suburban school district was compared to grade placement in reading and math, and text placement in reading. WRAT scores overestimated actual achievement in all grades tested. Because of differences in curriculum, the WRAT may not adequately identify significant underachievement in suspected learning-disabled students at kindergarten and grades 1 and 2.     

Long-term stability of cognitive behavioral therapy effects for panic disorder with agoraphobia: A two-year follow-up study

Objective

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to help patients establish new behaviors that will be maintained and adapted to the demands of new situations. The long-term outcomes are therefore crucial in testing the durability of CBT.

Method

A two-year follow-up assessment was undertaken on a subsample of n = 146 PD/AG patients from a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Treatment consisted of two variations of CBT: exposure in situ in the presence of the therapist (T+) or on their own following therapist preparation (T−).

Results

Both variations of CBT had high response rates and, overall, maintained the level of symptomatology observed at post-treatment with high levels of clinical significance. Effect sizes 24 months following treatment were somewhat lower than at the 6-month follow up. Once patients reached responder status, they generally tended to remain responders at subsequent assessments. Differences were observed for patients that obtained additional treatment during the follow-up period. Expert opinion and subjective appraisal of treatment outcome differed. No robust baseline predictors of 2-year outcome were observed.

Conclusion

Most patients maintain clinically meaningful changes two years following treatment across multiple outcome measures. Approximately 1/3 of patients continued to experience meaningful residual problems.     

Against Metaphorical Meaning

The commonplace view about metaphorical interpretation is that it can be characterized in traditional semantic and pragmatic terms, thereby assimilating metaphor to other familiar uses of language. We will reject this view, and propose in its place the view that, though metaphors can issue in distinctive cognitive and discourse effects, they do so without issuing in metaphorical meaning and truth, and so, without metaphorical communication. Our inspiration derives from Donald Davidson’s critical arguments against metaphorical meaning and Richard Rorty’s exploration of the diverse uses of language. But unlike these authors we ground our discussion squarely in distinctions about causal mechanisms in cooperative activity developed by H.P. Grice and others.     

Differences in paper-and-pencil versus computerized line bisection according to ADHD subtype and hand-use

Two versions of the line bisection task, paper-and-pencil and computerized, were administered to non-medicated children (5-12 years) with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Fifteen children were classified with ADHD-Inattentive type (ADHD-I), 15 were classified with ADHD-Combined or Hyperactive-Impulsive type (ADHD-C), and 15 children served as controls. During the paper-and-pencil task, and irrespective of hand-use, participants with ADHD-C bisected lines with a right bias, whereas participants with ADHD-I showed a leftwards bias. Interestingly, during the computerized version, an opposite pattern of hemineglect was observed with a leftwards bias for participants with ADHD-C and a rightwards bias for participants with ADHD-I. These findings suggest that different task demands are associated with the paper-and-pencil and computerized tasks. The findings also suggest that the two subtypes differ according to their cognitive profile, and possibly differ as to their underlying neural impairment.     

A comparison of colour,shape, and flash induced illusory line motion

When a bar suddenly appears between two boxes, the bar will appear to shoot away from the box that matches it in colour or in shape—a phenomenon referred to as attribute priming of illusory line motion (ILM; _colourILM and _shapeILM, respectively). If the two boxes are identical, ILM will still occur away from a box if it changes luminance shortly before the presentation of the bar (_flashILM). This flash condition has been suggested to produce the illusory motion due to the formation of an attentional gradient surrounding the flashed location. However, _colourILM and _shapeILM cannot be explained by an attentional gradient as there is no way for attention to select the matching box prior to the presentation of the bar. These findings challenge the attentional gradient explanation for ILM, but only if it is assumed that ILM arises for the same underlying reason. Two experiments are presented that address the question of whether or not _flashILM is the same as _colourILM or _shapeILM. The results suggest that while _colourILM and _shapeILM reflect a common illusion, _flashILM arises for a different reason. Therefore, the attentional gradient explanation for _flashILM is not refuted by the occurrence of _colourILM or _shapeILM, which may reflect transformational apparent motion (TAM).     

Truth and meaning redux

In this paper, we defend Davidson's program in truth-theoretical semantics against recent criticisms by Scott Soames. We argue that Soames has misunderstood Davidson's project, that in consequence his criticisms miss the mark, that appeal to meanings as entities in the alternative approach that Soames favors does no work, and that the approach is no advance over truth-theoretic semantics.     

Replies

We are in the curious position of disagreeing with Bach about what exactly we disagree about. As we see it, his characterization of our disagreement introduces largely irrelevant terminological issues; and these in turn cover up the fact that he simply hasn't replied to our central criticism. We start with two failed attempts to characterize the disagreement, and then move on to what is central.     

The influence of background music on learners with varying extraversion: Seductive detail or beneficial effect?

Seductive details in general affect learning and cognitive load negatively. However, especially background music as a seductive detail may also influence the learner's arousal, whose optimal level depends on the learner's extraversion. Therefore, the effects of extraversion and background music on learning outcomes, cognitive load, and arousal were investigated. We tested 167 high school students and found better transfer outcomes for the group with background music. They also reported higher germane load, but no impact of background music on extraneous cognitive load or arousal was found. In the group without background music, learners with higher extraversion reached better recall scores, which was not found in the group with background music. Results may cautiously be interpreted that there is a beneficial impact of background music that compensates for the disadvantages of low extraverted learners and which cannot be explained through arousal.     

Do birds of a feather flock together? The variable bases for African American, Asian American, and European American adolescents' selection of similar friends

Variability in adolescent-friend similarity is documented in a diverse sample of African American, Asian American, and European American adolescents. Similarity was greatest for substance use, modest for academic orientations, and low for ethnic identity. Compared with Asian American and European American adolescents, African American adolescents chose friends who were less similar with respect to academic orientation or substance use but more similar with respect to ethnic identity. For all three ethnic groups, personal endorsement of the dimension in question and selection of cross-ethnic-group friends heightened similarity. Similarity was a relative rather than an absolute selection criterion: Adolescents did not choose friends with identical orientations. These findings call for a comprehensive theory of friendship selection sensitive to diversity in adolescents' experiences. Implications for peer influence and self-development are discussed.     

Teachers’ perceptions of middle schoolers’ social concerns: strategies and barriers to supporting students’ social success

Social Psychology of Education - Teachers are often at the forefront of efforts to help students struggling socially at school and their support may be particularly critical during the early...