Using what children know to improve their learning

Eighty children from three to seven years of age were tested on two forms of a matrix task, one of which was designed to take into account children's limited problem solving skills. The tasks involved seriating nine items (geometric shapes or birds) across two dimensions in a 3 × 3 matrix. The children were required to replace items that had been removed from a matrix board, to reproduce the entire matrix when all items had been removed from the board, and to transpose the matrix, that is, to reproduce the same spatial relations between the items, rotated ninety degrees. Results showed that children performed better when tested using common materials than when they were given standard materials. Furthermore, a greater percentage of children were able to complete the tasks and were able to respond correctly on the first trial of the tasks when using common materials (bird families) than when using the standard geometric shapes. The results were discussed in terms of task variables that influence children's performance and the problems resulting from generating theories of children's cognitive competence based on their performance in specific situations.     

Diagnostic scale for evaluation of graduate-level teaching assistants

The TA Evaluator, 20 5-point ratings of the effectiveness of graduate teaching assistants, showed split-half reliability of .95. All 20 items loaded greater than .59 on a single iterative principal axis factor. Average for 10 items pairs was .55. Use in diagnosis and improvement will be undertaken.     

The influence of stimulus properties on multisensory processing in the awake primate superior colliculus.

Multisensory integration is a process whereby information converges from different sensory modalities to produce a response that is different from that elicited by the individual modalities presented alone. A neural basis for multisensory integration has been identified within a variety of brain regions, but the most thoroughly examined model has been that of the superior colliculus (SC). Multisensory processing in the SC of anaesthetized animals has been shown to be dependent on the physical parameters of the individual stimuli presented (e.g., intensity, direction, velocity) as well as their spatial relationship. However, it is unknown whether these stimulus features are important, or evident, in the awake behaving animal. To address this question, we evaluated the influence of physical properties of sensory stimuli (visual intensity, direction, and velocity; auditory intensity and location) on sensory activity and multisensory integration of SC neurons in awake, behaving primates. Monkeys were trained to fixate a central visual fixation point while visual and/or auditory stimuli were presented in the periphery. Visual stimuli were always presented within the contralateral receptive field of the neuron whereas auditory stimuli were presented at either ipsi- or contralateral locations. Many of the SC neurons responsive to these sensory stimuli (n = 66/84; 76%) had stronger responses when the visual and auditory stimuli were combined at contralateral locations than when the auditory stimulus was located on the ipsilateral side. This trend was significant across the population of auditory-responsive neurons. In addition, some SC neurons (n = 31) were presented a battery of tests in which the quality of one stimulus of a pair was systematically manipulated. A small proportion of these neurons (n = 8/31; 26%) showed preferential responses to stimuli with specific physical properties, and these preferences were not significantly altered when multisensory stimulus combinations were presented. These data demonstrate that multisensory processing in the awake behaving primate is influenced by the spatial congruency of the stimuli as well as their individual physical properties.     

Early gesture selectively predicts later language learning

The gestures children produce predict the early stages of spoken language development. Here we ask whether gesture is a global predictor of language learning, or whether particular gestures predict particular language outcomes. We observed 52 children interacting with their caregivers at home, and found that gesture use at 18 months selectively predicted lexical versus syntactic skills at 42 months, even with early child speech controlled. Specifically, number of different meanings conveyed in gesture at 18 months predicted vocabulary at 42 months, but number of gesture+speech combinations did not. In contrast, number of gesture+speech combinations, particularly those conveying sentence‐like ideas, produced at 18 months predicted sentence complexity at 42 months, but meanings conveyed in gesture did not. We can thus predict particular milestones in vocabulary and sentence complexity at age by watching how children move their hands two years earlier.     

I Dig Therefore We Are: Community Archaeology,Place‐based Social Identity,and Intergroup Relations Within Local Communities

Community involvement in archaeological digs aims to reconnect people with the history and heritage of where they live. This paper applies social psychological theories to understand how community archaeological projects create opportunities for place‐based social identity and positive intergroup relations. Focus groups were conducted across five areas of Greater Manchester (UK) with 24 participants who volunteered for Dig Greater Manchester, a community archaeology initiative. The focus groups aimed to understand how experiences of participating in digs and exploring local heritage modified, strengthened or initiated identification with place and community, thus moving from individual levels to social levels of identity. The findings offer insight as to the ways in which people make sense of their own—and others'—place‐based social identities as a result of participating in community archaeological digs . Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Dynamics of a Genetic Counseling Peer Supervision Group

Supervision is a practice that is utilized by a variety of practitioners to hone their counseling skills. Genetic counselors have embraced the supervision process, and some seek out supervision in a group setting with peers. Researchers have described the structure and content of genetic counseling peer supervision groups, and provided evidence for the benefits of seeking peer supervision. This study aimed to describe the interpersonal aspects of one genetic counseling peer supervision group, including personality traits and group dynamics, and how those factors influenced our experiences within the group. We also describe how the process of evaluating these factors impacted us individually and collectively. There was consensus that the group was a safe and trusting one, which was united by similar goals and mutual respect. Members reported gaining insights about how their own personality functioned within the group milieu, and also how the group setting impacted them. Based on our experiences, we recommend that other peer supervision groups consider similar self-evaluations on a periodic basis, both to enhance group functioning and to allow for increased self-awareness and professional growth.     

Is mindfulness associated with stress and burnout among mental health professionals in Singapore?

High levels of stress and burnout have been reported among mental health professionals worldwide, including Singapore, with concerning potential implications for the quality of patient care. Mindfulness has been associated with decreased stress and burnout; however, associations between mindfulness, stress, and burnout have not been examined in Singapore. The aim of this study was to investigate whether mindfulness is associated with stress and burnout among healthcare professionals working in a mental health setting in Singapore. A total of 224 Singaporean mental health professionals completed a cross-sectional survey which included measures of: mindfulness (observe, describe, act with awareness, non-judge, and non-react), stress, and burnout (exhaustion and disengagement). Using multiple regression, significant negative associations were found between each of the mindfulness facets and: stress, exhaustion, and disengagement, while controlling for years of experience. Of the five mindfulness facets, act with awareness demonstrated the strongest negative association with all three variables. This study showed that mental health professionals in Singapore who have higher levels of mindfulness also have lower levels stress and burnout (disengagement and exhaustion). Future longitudinal research is warranted to better understand the directionality of these associations, with implications for the development of interventions aimed to reduce stress and burnout within this population.     

Further refinement of video‐based brief multiple‐stimulus without replacement preference assessments

We compared the results of a brief video‐based multiple‐stimulus without replacement preference assessment with no access to chosen activities (MSWO‐NO) to the results of the same assessment with access (MSWO‐WA) with four children with autism. We also compared instructor rankings of activities to MSWO‐WA results. Strong to moderate correlations between MSWO‐NO and MSWO‐WA assessment results were found across all participants. The correlation between MSWO‐WA and instructor rankings ranged from strong to low across all participants. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.