Motivation for Education and Work in Young Muslim Women: The Importance of Value for Ingroup Domains

Much work has focused on how stereotypes and discrimination negatively affect well-being, motivation, and performance in disadvantaged groups. Relatively little work has identified positive factors that contribute to motivation/performance. We focus on identity-affirmation as a positive force, presenting two studies on the effect of value by others for domains of importance to Muslims on young Muslim women's perspective on education/work. The results show how respecting identity domains that are central and salient for members of religious/ethnic minority groups maintains motivation in education/work, and secures majority-group identification. Rather than hampering societal integration, the results show that distinctive identities can be harnessed as positive sources.     

Genetic and environmental influences on rumination and its covariation with depression

This study examined the extent to which rumination and depression share genetic and environmental influences in a community sample of adult twins (N = 663). Twins completed multiple rumination questionnaires, a depressive symptoms questionnaire and a diagnostic interview. Rumination was moderately heritable (h² = .37–.41 for the latent variable) and substantially influenced by nonshared environmental factors, and these results were consistent across different measures. Nonshared environmental influences on rumination were larger for women than men. Depressive symptoms and diagnosis were influenced by genetic and nonshared environmental factors (h² = .30–.45). The genetic correlations between rumination and depression were moderate to large (rA = .40–.82), suggesting that a substantial proportion of the genetic influences on rumination overlap with those on depression. Results were similar when examining self-reported depressive symptoms and interview-based diagnosis of major depressive disorder. These results highlight the importance of rumination in the integration of cognitive and genetic models of depression risk.     

Exploring the Inconsistent Labels and Definitions of Texts Used in Informational Reading and Writing

This article discusses the various labels and definitions given for texts used for informational reading and writing and the confusion caused by the inconsistency of terms. An EBSCO search on articles published from 2006 to 2011 in the three largest literacy-related professional organizations' journals produced a total of 59 articles. Nonfiction was the most frequent label used; the term “informational text” had the greatest number of definitions and disparity in use. The authors discuss the implications of these disparities in labels and definitions for both researchers and teachers.     

Postreading Questioning and Middle School Students’ Understanding of Literature

Bibliopower can be used effectively to develop positive attitudes about reading and writing among reluctant readers and writers. The purpose of this study was to identify Newbery and Caldecott Medal books which possess bibliopower. Suggestions are made for the classroom use of these books to help students build lifetime commitments to reading and writing.     

The Relationship Between Creative Potential,Aesthetic Response to Music,and Musical Preferences

Previous studies have shown that creative individuals tend to prefer complex stimuli. This study examined the relationship between creative potential, aesthetic response to music, and musical preferences. Seventy-four participants completed two creative potential tests. They listened to three repertoire pieces of different complexity, and rated them on perceived complexity, liking, and interest. Finally, they completed a musical preference questionnaire. Results suggest the relationship between complexity, on the one hand, and liking and interest, on the other, differs between the pieces. Creative potential was found to be related to preference for the more complex musical pieces. Moreover, musical preferences were found to be related both to creative potential and to ratings of the three musical pieces.     

Early Temperament and Attachment Security with Mothers and Fathers as Predictors of Toddler Compliance and Noncompliance

This longitudinal study (n = 106) examined associations between temperament, attachment, and styles of compliance and noncompliance. Infant negative temperamental reactivity was reported by mothers at 3, 5 and 7 months. Infant attachment was assessed (Strange Situation) at 12 (mothers) and 14 months (fathers). Toddlers' styles of compliance/noncompliance were measured using two laboratory contexts (clean‐up/delay) at 20 months. Results indicated that temperament and attachment predicted toddler behaviour. Toddlers who were secure with mothers and low in temperamental negative reactivity showed more committed compliance than those who were insecure and low in negative reactivity or secure and high in negative reactivity. In addition, interactions revealed that relations between infant–mother attachment and defiance depended on infant–father attachment security, temperament and context. Findings highlight the differential and complex roles of temperament and attachment as potential precursors of later social competence. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of video-game play on information processing: A meta-analytic investigation

Do video games enhance cognitive functioning? We conducted two meta-analyses based on different research designs to investigate how video games impact information-processing skills (auditory processing, executive functions, motor skills, spatial imagery, and visual processing). Quasi-experimental studies (72 studies, 318 comparisons) compare habitual gamers with controls; true experiments (46 studies, 251 comparisons) use commercial video games in training. Using random-effects models, video games led to improved information processing in both the quasi-experimental studies, d = 0.61, 95 % CI [0.50, 0.73], and the true experiments, d = 0.48, 95 % CI [0.35, 0.60]. Whereas the quasi-experimental studies yielded small to large effect sizes across domains, the true experiments yielded negligible effects for executive functions, which contrasted with the small to medium effect sizes in other domains. The quasi-experimental studies appeared more susceptible to bias than were the true experiments, with larger effects being reported in higher-tier than in lower-tier journals, and larger effects reported by the most active research groups in comparison with other labs. The results are further discussed with respect to other moderators and limitations in the extant literature.