A Comprehensive Investigation of Youth Deviance: Theoretical Distinction by Deviant Behavior Sub-Types

Scholars have critiqued the field of criminology as focusing too heavily on positioning theories against one another in competition to reveal a “general theory of crime.” Such an approach assumes that the same factors influence all forms deviance, which is a problematic assumption, given that different forms of deviance can be influenced by different sets of factors. This study draws on two prominent criminological theories to specify the individual mechanisms driving several different forms of juvenile delinquency. Findings demonstrate the need for different theories of crime and deviance, and have implications for the way scholars approach and study theories in criminology.     

Extracting the Variance Inflation Factor and Other Multicollinearity Diagnostics from Typical Regression Results

Multicollinearity is a potential problem in all regression analyses. However, the examination of multicollinearity is rarely reported in primary studies. In this article we discuss and show several post hoc methods for assessing multicollinearity. One such multicollinearity diagnostic is the variance inflation factor. We outline the post hoc variance inflation factor method, which computes the variance inflation factor from the standardized regression coefficient and semi-partial correlation, both of which can be calculated from commonly reported regression results. Three examples of computing multicollinearity diagnostics using data from published studies are shown. We conclude with a discussion and practical implications.     

Math Talk and Student Strategy Trajectories: The Case of Two First Grade Classrooms

This study investigated different math-talk facilitations, and conceptualized the teachers' talk moves for productive student mathematics discussions. Our findings suggest that students' strategy development is supported by talk moves coordinating a wide range of student strategies, representations and discussions that are at a process-level and maintain student ownership of ideas, and transitional strategies that connect students' beginning ideas with target strategies.     

On the AlN precipitation and grain refinement in the Al(N)-added medium C–Mn steels

The precipitation of AlN particles and grain refinement in the Al(N)-added medium C–Mn steel have been studied using a Gleeble hot-deformation simulator and extraction replica TEM technique. No significant grain refinement occurs during either hot-rolling or hot-deformation/isothermal-holding, which is due to the absence of AlN precipitation; the lack of precipitation is caused by an unusually high-energy barrier for nucleation. Abrupt grain refinement occurs on reheating because of the copious precipitation of AlN during reheating. The copious precipitation of AlN during reheating is possible because thermally unstable Fe-rich sulphides act as precursors for AlN precipitation during reheating.     

Korean American Adolescents’ Depression and Religiousness/Spirituality: Are There Gender Differences?

The purpose of this study was to examine depression and religiousness/spirituality (R/S) in Korean American adolescents with an interest in exploring gender differences. The sample consisted of 182 adolescents attending ethnic Catholic churches in the NY and NJ metropolitan area. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, and R/S was measured by the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality. Results suggest no gender difference in depression, but a high rate of depression in both genders. Additionally, girls showed higher levels of Forgiveness and boys showed higher levels of Negative Religious Coping. Further, we found four R/S variables are associated with depression in each gender: Daily Spiritual Experiences, Forgiveness, Positive Religious Coping, and Negative Religious Coping for girls; and Forgiveness, Negative Religious Coping, Congregational Support, and Overall Self-Ranking for boys. Lastly, the four R/S variables together explained 20 % and 23 % of the variance in depression for boys and girls, respectively, with Forgiveness and Negative Religious Coping remaining significant for girls, and Negative Religious Coping staying significant for boys. The current findings are discussed along with limitations and directions for future research, and clinical implications.     

Child Abuse—Suicide Resilience Link in African American Women: Interpersonal Psychological Mediators

The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior (IPTS) is an exemplary model for understanding the desire for suicidal behavior. As such, it is important to explore its applicability in ethnoracial minority groups at increasing risk for suicidal behavior, such as low-income, African American women. Guided by the IPTS, the current study used 5 parallel mediation models to examine if there are links between individual types of childhood abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) and suicide resilience, and between cumulative abuse (higher levels of abuse inclusive of all three types, more types of severe levels of abuse) and suicide resilience, and whether the three components of the model (thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, acquired capability for suicide) mediate these associations. In a sample of low-income, African American women (n = 179), higher levels of each of the 3 types of childhood abuse and cumulative abuse correlated with lower levels of suicide resilience. Parallel mediation analyses using bootstrapping techniques revealed that increased acquired capability for suicide mediated all 5 associations and perceived burdensomeness mediated 3 of the links (emotional abuse, cumulative abuse, and cumulative abuse–severe with suicide resilience). Attention is paid to the clinical implications of the findings in terms of attending to the acquired capability for suicide and suicide resilience in the assessment and treatment of low-income, suicidal, African American women.     

The best teacher is like a famous mage everyone knows – Just not any of your favorites

This essay draws out the useful parallels between the best kind of teacher and the Good Witch of the North, Glinda, from The Wizard of Oz. Unappealing to many viewers or readers of the classic children's story, Glinda offers an inspiring reminder of four important pedagogical points: (1) the master teacher always treats her student as a peer; (2) the master teacher acknowledges and encourages her student's abilities but lets her learn how to exercise them on her own; (3) the master teacher is often not equivalent or even similar to anyone the student has encountered before; and (4) the master teacher is not a surrogate parent but a more distant figure.     

‘Music of the Soul’ (animae musica): Marsilio Ficino and the Revival of musica humana in Renaissance Neoplatonism

Ficino explained the relationship between music, the soul and body along with the cultivation of singing as an integral part of intellectual and spiritual exercise – as the ‘contemplation of the divine.’ This article elucidates the musica humana which underlies the Platonic theology of music reclaimed by Ficino, in terms of the animae musica that exists in reason alone. It explains how the animae musica was perceived and pursued by Ficino, drawing upon his theory of the music-spirit (spiritus) relationship. It argues that the musica humana, which consists only in the voice, is embodied when the animae musica is imitated by the music involving speech (sermo), which the Platonists find in the gravis musica that is vocal, poetic and modulated. It then explains why as a human imitation of divina musica, vocal music in various metres, especially metrical psalmody, lies at the core of the sixteenth-century reform of sacred music.     

How to detect which variables are causing differences in component structure among different groups

When comparing the component structures of a multitude of variables across different groups, the conclusion often is that the component structures are very similar in general and differ in a few variables only. Detecting such “outlying variables” is substantively interesting. Conversely, it can help to determine what is common across the groups. This article proposes and evaluates two formal detection heuristics to determine which variables are outlying, in a systematic and objective way. The heuristics are based on clusterwise simultaneous component analysis, which was recently presented as a useful tool for capturing the similarities and differences in component structures across groups. The heuristics are evaluated in a simulation study and illustrated using cross-cultural data on values.