Coding online content-informed scaffolding of mathematical thinking

This article describes the Mathematical Mentoring Coding Scheme (MMCS), a coding scheme that identifies indicators relevant to the study of content-informed scaffolding. Content-informed scaffolding refers to the use of subject matter content in ill-defined problem spaces to focus the learner, and provide and fade feedback so that the learner becomes autonomous. It is suggested that the MMCS could also double as a rubric for instruction in content-informed scaffolding. Two case examples of preservice teachers’ scaffolding of elementary students’ problem solving serve as illustrations.     

When hurt will not heal: exploring the capacity to relive social and physical pain

ABSTRACT— Recent discoveries suggest that social pain is as real and intense as physical pain, and that the social-pain system may have piggybacked on the brain structure that had evolved earlier for physical pain. The present study examined an important distinction between social and physical pain: Individuals can relive and reexperience social pain more easily and more intensely than physical pain. Studies 1 and 2 showed that people reported higher levels of pain after reliving a past socially painful event than after reliving a past physically painful event. Studies 3 and 4 found, in addition, that people performed worse on cognitively demanding tasks after they relived social rather than physical pain. Implications for research on social pain and theories about social pain are discussed.     

Changes in Attitudes Toward Religion Among Those with Mental Illness

Despite the increased attention given to the religious experiences of those with mental illness, the specific nature of the changes in religious attitudes that occur within this population remain yet unknown. In this study, 406 individuals with persistent mental illness who attended one of 13 Los Angeles County Mental Health facilities completed a demographic questionnaire, an adapted version of the Religious Coping Index, and the Symptom Checklist 90-R. Over 54% of the participants reported a change in their religious beliefs such that their faith became stronger or weaker as a result, and 66% perceived these changes to be positive in nature. Qualitative codings suggest that a constructive or destructive use of religion and the quality of one's self-image and relationship with God are the primary themes underlying these changes. Those changes that were predominantly positive were associated with less severe symptomatology and more religious coping when compared to predominantly negative changes. These findings suggest that religious attitudes may be an ongoing and dynamic part of the experience of mental illness that should be considered in the treatment and research afforded by mental health professionals.     

Evaluating the outcome of counselling in primary care using a goal attainment scale

This study evaluates the outcome of counselling in primary care. The method replicates part of a previous study in the same setting and finds similar results. Outcome was assessed by clients using a goal attainment scale. A high rate of goal attainment was reported. A content analysis system was used to categorize goals, a high level of inter-rater reliability was found. The majority of goals were those aspiring to some 'change' in the clients' lives. This study found that these goals were predominately expressed in positive rather than negative terms. Limitations of the study include the lack of data on the clients who chose not to participate. Recommendations for future research are to include the opinions of these clients.     

Recent and emerging trends in marital and family therapy regulation

The number of states in the United States that formally credential marital and family therapists has tripled to 31 during the last decade. This paper reviews and compares the basic licensure and certification requirements in these states, and explores a number of broad issues currently confronting the field of marital and family therapy regulation. Several recommendations for improving the quality of MFT regulation are also provided.president of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards.     

Suppes Predicates for Space-Time

We formulate Suppes predicates for various kinds of space-time: classical Euclidean, Minkowski's, and that of General Relativity. Starting with topological properties, these continua are mathematically constructed with the help of a basic algebra of events; this algebra constitutes a kind of mereology, in the sense of Lesniewski. There are several alternative, possible constructions, depending, for instance, on the use of the common field of reals or of a non-Archimedian field (with infinitesimals). Our approach was inspired by the work of Whitehead (1919), though our philosophical stance is completely different from his. The structures obtained are idealized constructs underlying extant, physical space-time.     

Preventing Nuclear War: Beliefs and Attitudes as Predictors of Disarmist and Deterrentist Behavior1

A survey of peace activists, defense industry workers and psychology students (n= 283) was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of Protection Motivation Theory (Maddux & Rogers, 1983; Rogers, 1975) for predicting the extent and direction (Disarmist vs. Deterrentist) of respondents' efforts to prevent nuclear war. Regression analyses showed that the Protection Motivation model did account for a significant proportion of the variance in disarmist behavior, and that extending the model to include a measure of belief in the inevitability of war improved the model's predictive power. The model did not predict deterrentist advocacy, an outcome that suggests that activism in support of nuclear deterrence may be a response to a perceived threat from an “enemy” rather than a response to the threats represented by nuclear weapons and preparations for war.     

Effect of person and environment on heart rates in two strains of pointer dogs

Several recent studies have shown that there is a general and marked canine cardiac response to humans and to petting from humans. Additional investigations have suggested that one of the major determinants of such responding is genetic. Some studies have indicated that such a response does not occur in nervous, short-haired pointer dogs. Evidence presented in this study indicates that a heart rate response to person and petting does occur in both the nervous as well as the normal pointer dog, but only when the animal is unrestrained. When placed in a restraining harness, only normal dogs showed a heart rate response to person and the characteristic bradycardia upon petting. Moreover, in this and two other separate experiments in which tones (CS’s) were given, it was observed in both normal and nervous strains that mean baseline heart rates were as much as 40 beats per minute lower in the restrained situation than in the unrestrained situation. These experiments measured retention of cardiac response to aversive conditional signals, since most dogs (9 of 12) had received both tones and shock in a bar jumping-shock avoidance experiment one year previously. However, heart rates varied inconsistently in both magnitude and direction of change upon CS showing little or no retention. These findings clarify ambiguity in previous reports and again show that the restraining conditions in an experiment can constitute a serious stress for the animal and be a major factor in the results.     

Schizokinesis: Fragmentation of performance in two strains of pointer dogs

During the behavior shaping toward bar jumping to avoid shock at the termination of a tone, ten genetically nervous (“E”) and ten stable (“A”) dogs showed different performances in the acquisition of the adaptive motor response. When tested two months later and with concurrent monitoring of their electrocardiograms, these animals also showed differences in (1) baseline heart rate, (2) direction and degree of heart rate change to the conditioned tone stimulus (more often deceleration in the E dogs), and (3) response to the unconditioned shock stimulus. After having performed in an almost satisfactory manner for a few trials, thenervous animals often would suddenly freeze in rigid postures. These animals could frequently be made to emit the adaptive behavior by “breaking the frozen posture” through pushing, jumping, or pulling manipulation. Sometimes a forced righting reflex dramatically encouraged an integrated performance of varying duration. Thestable strain of dogs showed little or none of the rigidity and usually learned the smooth adaptive response. The stable A dogs showed retention of the cardiac Cr, but not of the motor Cr (which they re-formed after one or two reenforcements); the nervous E dogs also retained the cardiac Cr, but persisted in the maladaptive motor performance. The fragmented disorganized behavior in acquiring the adaptive motor act and thedifferential retention of the autonomic and motor responses are considered examples ofschizokinesis as conceptualized by Gantt. This schism is seen in clearer form in behavioral acquisition than in the usual frequency measure of the well-practiced act.