The Validity of Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Measures with Spanish-Speaking Kindergarteners Learning English

Research examined construct meaning and validity for two new measures of receptive and expressive vocabulary for Spanish-speaking kindergarteners learning English. Substantive validity and generalizability of score meaning was assessed by examining correlations between an established measure (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–PPVT) and new measures (Stanford English Language Proficiency Test–SELP; Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, Word Use Fluency, DIBELS–WUF). Positive correlations between the SELP and PPVT supported validity of the SELP as a measure of receptive and expressive vocabulary for these children. DIBELS–WUF results were less clear with lower correlations between the PPVT raising questions about appropriateness.     

Regulation of Teacher Elicitations in the Mathematics Classroom

Using the perspective of instructional conversation, we investigated how one teacher regulated student participation and conceptual reasoning in the middle-school mathematics classroom. We examined the elicitations—questions and provocative statements—made by the teacher over a four-day algebra lesson. Analyses showed how the teacher systematically regulated the level of cognitive complexity of his elicitations in reaction to students' responses. When students gave inaccurate or incomplete answers, the teacher tended to reduce the level of cognitive complexity needed to respond to a subsequent elicitation, with the apparent impact being that he scaffolded participation and reasoning. When students provided responses that were mathematically accurate, the teacher usually increased the elicitation level, which subsequently engaged students in more sophisticated forms of reasoning.     

On Measuring and Modeling Physiological Synchrony in Dyads

Physiological synchrony within a dyad, or the degree of temporal correspondence between two individuals' physiological systems, has become a focal area of psychological research. Multiple methods have been used for measuring and modeling physiological synchrony. Each method extracts and analyzes different types of physiological synchrony, where ‘type’ refers to a specific manner through which two different physiological signals may correlate. Yet, to our knowledge, there is no documentation of the different methods, how each method corresponds to a specific type of synchrony, and the statistical assumptions embedded within each method. Hence, this article outlines several approaches for measuring and modeling physiological synchrony, connects each type of synchrony to a specific method, and identifies the assumptions that need to be satisfied for each method to appropriately extract each type of synchrony. Furthermore, this article demonstrates how to test for between-dyad differences of synchrony via inclusion of dyad-level (i.e., time-invariant) covariates. Finally, we complement each method with an empirical demonstration, as well as online supplemental material that contains Mplus code.     

Notions of Destiny in Women's Self-Construction

Robert K. C. Forman, Mysticism, Mind, Consciousness. Albany, State University of New York Press, 1999, x+214 pp., $49.50 (hardback) ISBN 0 7914 4169 5, $16.96 (paperback) ISBN 0 7914 4170 9.

Deborah F. Sawyer and Diane M. Collier (eds), Is There a Future for Feminist Theology? Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press, 1999, 210 pp., £35.00, $57.50 (hardback) ISBN 1 85075 963 4, £14.95, $24.75 (paperback) ISBN 1 85075 979 0.

Adnan Aslan, Religious Pluralism in Christian and Islamic Philosophy: The Thought of John Hick and Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Richmond, Curzon, 1998, £45.00 ISBN 0 7007 1025 6.

Carol S. Anderson, Pain and its Ending: The Four Noble Truths in the Theravada Buddhist Canon. Richmond, Curzon, 1999, xi+255 pp., £40.00 ISBN 0 7007 1065 5.

Michael P. Morrisey, Consciousness and Transcendence: The Theology of Eric Voegelin. Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame Press, 1994, xiii+334 pp., $41.95 ISBN 0 268 00793 4.

Robert A. Segal, Theorizing About Myth. Amherst, University of Massachusetts Press, 1999, $50.00 (hardback) ISBN 1 55849 194 5, $15.95 (paperback) ISBN 1 55849 191 0.

Eleanor Abdella Doumato, Getting God's Ear: Women, Islam, and Healing in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. New York, Columbia University Press, 2000, xiv+312 pp. $45.00, £28.50 (hardback) ISBN 0231 11666 7, $18.50, £12.00 (paperback) ISBN 0231 11667 5.

Thomas A. Carlson, Indiscretion: Finitude and the Naming of God. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1999, xiv+307 pp., $45.00, £35.95 (hardback) ISBN 0226 09293 3, $18.00, £14.50 (paperback) ISBN 0226 09294 1.

Harold D. Roth, Original Tao: Inward Training and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism. New York, Columbia University Press, 1999, xvii+294 pp., $29.50, £19.00 ISBN 0231 11564 4.     

Prior experience with negative spectral correlations promotes information integration during auditory category learning

Complex sounds vary along a number of acoustic dimensions. These dimensions may exhibit correlations that are familiar to listeners due to their frequent occurrence in natural sounds—namely, speech. However, the precise mechanisms that enable the integration of these dimensions are not well understood. In this study, we examined the categorization of novel auditory stimuli that differed in the correlations of their acoustic dimensions, using decision bound theory. Decision bound theory assumes that stimuli are categorized on the basis of either a single dimension (rule based) or the combination of more than one dimension (information integration) and provides tools for assessing successful integration across multiple acoustic dimensions. In two experiments, we manipulated the stimulus distributions such that in Experiment 1, optimal categorization could be accomplished by either a rule-based or an information integration strategy, while in Experiment 2, optimal categorization was possible only by using an information integration strategy. In both experiments, the pattern of results demonstrated that unidimensional strategies were strongly preferred. Listeners focused on the acoustic dimension most closely related to pitch, suggesting that pitch-based categorization was given preference over timbre-based categorization. Importantly, in Experiment 2, listeners also relied on a two-dimensional information integration strategy, if there was immediate feedback. Furthermore, this strategy was used more often for distributions defined by a negative spectral correlation between stimulus dimensions, as compared with distributions with a positive correlation. These results suggest that prior experience with such correlations might shape short-term auditory category learning.     

Increased Error-Related Brain Activity in Six-Year-Old Children with Clinical Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most frequently diagnosed form of psychopathology in children and often result in chronic impairment that persists into adulthood. Identifying neurobehavioral correlates of anxiety that appear relatively early in life would inform etiological models of development and allow intervention and prevention strategies to be implemented more effectively. The error-related negativity (ERN), a negative deflection in the event-related potential at fronto-central sites approximately 50 ms following the commission of errors, has been consistently found to be larger among anxious adults. The current study sought to extend these findings to even younger individuals: the ERN was elicited by a Go/NoGo task in 48 six year-old children with a clinical anxiety disorder assessed by diagnostic interview and 48 age-matched controls. In addition to child anxiety disorder, the ERN was examined in relation to maternal history of anxiety disorder, which was previously related to a smaller ERN. Anxious children were characterized by a larger (i.e., more negative) ERN and maternal history of anxiety disorder was associated with a smaller ERN. Thus, the relationship between an increased ERN and clinical anxiety is evident by age 6, and this effect appears independent from an opposing influence of maternal anxiety history on the ERN. These findings support the ERN as a promising neurobehavioral marker of anxiety, and implications are discussed.     

Executive Functions in Preschool Children with Externalizing Behavior Problems: A Meta-Analysis

Deficits in executive functions (EF) have been found in school-age children and adolescents with externalizing behavior disorders. Present meta-analysis was carried out to determine whether these EF impairments can also be found in preschool children with externalizing behavior problems. Twenty-two studies were included with a total of 4021 children. Four separate meta-analyses were conducted, concerning overall EF, working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility. A medium correlation effect size was obtained for overall EF (ESzr?=?0.22) and for inhibition (0.24), whereas a small effect size was found for working memory (0.17) and for cognitive flexibility (0.13). Moderator analyses revealed a stronger effect for older preschoolers compared to younger preschoolers, and for children from referred samples compared to community samples. These results show that EF, especially inhibition, is related to externalizing behavior problems already in preschool years.     

Agreement and similarity in self-other perceptions of moral character

We surveyed well-acquainted dyads about two key moral character traits (Honesty–Humility, Guilt Proneness), as well as several other individual differences. We examined self-other agreement, similarity, assumed similarity, and similarity-free agreement (i.e., self-other agreement controlling for similarity and assumed similarity). Participants projected their own level of moral character onto their peers (i.e., moderately high assumed similarity), but were nonetheless able to judge moral character with reasonable accuracy (moderately high self-other agreement and similarity-free agreement), suggesting that moral character traits can be detected by well-acquainted others. Regardless of reporting method, Honesty–Humility and Guilt Proneness were correlated with delinquency, unethical decision making, and counterproductive work behavior, suggesting that unethical behavior is committed disproportionately by people with low levels of these character traits.