Microscopic mobility in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract

A recent letter by Kakalios (1987) has criticized our suggestion that the microscopic mobility of hydrogenated amorphous silicon increases under high-level double injection. In this Letter, we show that Kakalios misinterpreted our model and misrepresented our data.     

Brief Book,Software, and Test Announcements

This study extended previous cross-cultural work regarding the tripartite model of anxiety and depression by developing Serbian translations of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS–C), the Physiological Hyperarousal Scale for Children (PH–C), and the Affect and Arousal Scale (AFARS). Characteristics of the scales were examined using 449 students (M age = 12.61 years). Applying item retention criteria established in other studies, PH–C, PANAS–C, and AFARS translations with psychometric properties similar to English-language versions were identified. Preliminary validation of the scales was conducted using a subset of 194 students (M age = 12.37 years) who also completed measures of anxiety and depression. Estimates of reliability, patterns of correlations among scales, and age and gender differences were consistent with previous studies with English-speaking samples. Findings regarding scale validity were mixed, although consistent with existing literature. Serbian translations of the PH–C, PANAS–C, and AFARS mirror the original English-language scales in terms of both strengths and weaknesses.     

Psychometric Properties of the Wiggins and Winder Peer Nomination Inventory

The present study explored audience effects as a function of (a) age of performer and (b) role as model or performer. Five-, eight-, and 11–year-old children (N # 72 boys and girls) performed seven acquisition trials of the WISC Object Assembly item #3 (FACE) and seven trials of Object Assembly #4 (AUTO) alone or in the presence of a peer who was a confederate of the E. In the audience conditions, the performer was told in the model condition that the observer would learn by watching him perform, or in the neutral audience condition that the observer was simply waiting for the E to return. Compared to the alone condition, the neutral audience produced a negative audience effect in 11-year-olds but not in the five- and eight-year-olds. For all ages, the model group was consistently superior to the alone and neutral audience conditions. Implications for social-learning theories of development are discussed.     

Character Disposition and Behavior Type: Influences of Valence on Preschool Children's Social Judgments

The authors studied the influences of valence information on preschool children's (n = 47) moral (good or bad), liking (liked or disliked by a friend), and consequence-of-behavior (reward or punishment) judgments. The authors presented 8 scenarios describing the behavior valence, positive valence (help, share), negative valence (verbal insult, physical aggression), and disposition valence (nice or mean) of characters in social interaction with a friend. Overall, character disposition and behavior valence significantly influenced children's judgments. Moral, liking, and consequence-of-behavior judgments varied significantly by character disposition for both positive behavior scenarios. In contrast, there were fewer significant findings as a function of character disposition for negative behavior scenarios, suggesting that the negative behavior cue somewhat diminished the effect of character disposition on children's judgments. The authors discuss preschool students’ coordination of information about valence of behavior and character disposition and the students’ reluctance to judge that misbehavior warrants punitive consequence.     

It Was Nice to Be There: Construct Validity Then and Now

I appear to be one of the few persons who attended both the colloquium at Princeton titled Construct Validity in Psychological Measurement held in 1979 and the conference at Newport Beach titled Construct Validity: Issues and Opportunities held in 1990. As a discussant for both meetings, I have compared construct validity as seen by participants at the 1979 meetings with construct validity as seen by participants at the 1990 meeting. Comparisons are drawn according to conceptualizations of construct validity, construct va- lidity as scientific inquiry, and construct validity in assessment technology. A most noteworthy conclusion is that these three aspects no longer apply very well to the articles herein that were originally delivered at the 1990 meeting. Instead these articles show strongly that classification according to scientific inquiry versus applications is not possible. Such a conceptual gap no longer seems to exist for construct validity. Instead, these articles as well as the one by Hogan (1991) all emphasize large scale programmatic efforts characterized by approaches driven primarily by conceptualizations derived from construct validity. A secondary theme in these articles emphasizes analysis according to taxonomies at both the predictor and criterion levels. A primary conclusion from reviewing these articles is that construct validity no longer revolves around issues, but it clearly does connote opportunities for future research and applications.     

Sex-Labeling of Selling Jobs and their Applicants

Abstract

By use of the Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), students were classified in terms of their self-described sex-role personalities (e.g., masculine, feminine, or androgynous) as well as by their relative career interests in each of five distinct selling positions. Results revealed a strong desire on the part of the female students to invade male-dominated selling strongholds. But the reverse was not true. The findings are generally predictive of the broadening of the scope of interests of female graduates seeking entry positions in selling.     

When the Sales Manager is a Woman: An Exploration into the Relationship Between Salespeople's Gender and their Responses to Leadership Styles

This paper reports the results of an exploratory study comparing the responsiveness of male versus female salespersons to differing leadership styles of female sales managers. Responding triads, made up of one female sales manager and two subordinate salespersons (one male and one female), completed questionnaires assessing the managers' leadership style, the salespersons' satisfaction with supervision, and the salespersons' selling performance. Partial correlational analysis revealed gender differences in the way satisfaction with supervision and performance effectiveness related to the female managers' leadership styles. Male sales force members were most responsive to leaders who displayed individualized consideration and used a transactional style (contingent rewards or management by exception). Saleswomen preferred charismatic leaders and those who were capable of intellectually stimulating methods. The results are discussed and recommendations made for future research.     

A randomized trial examining the effects of parent engagement on early language and literacy: the Getting Ready intervention

Language and literacy skills established during early childhood are critical for later school success. Parental engagement with children has been linked to a number of adaptive characteristics in preschoolers including language and literacy development, and family-school collaboration is an important contributor to school readiness. This study reports the results of a randomized trial of a parent engagement intervention designed to facilitate school readiness among disadvantaged preschool children, with a particular focus on language and literacy development. Participants included 217 children, 211 parents, and 29 Head Start teachers in 21 schools. Statistically significant differences in favor of the treatment group were observed between treatment and control participants in the rate of change over 2 academic years on teacher reports of children's language use (d = 1.11), reading (d = 1.25), and writing skills (d = 0.93). Significant intervention effects on children's direct measures of expressive language were identified for a subgroup of cases where there were concerns about a child's development upon entry into preschool. Additionally, other child and family moderators revealed specific variables that influenced the treatment's effects.