Frequency and predictability effects in eye fixations for skilled and less-skilled deaf readers

The illiteracy rate in the deaf population has been alarmingly high for several decades, despite the fact that deaf children go through the standard stages of schooling. Much research addressing this issue has focused on word-level processes, but in the recent years, little research has focused on sentence-levels processes. Previous research (Fischler, 1985) investigated word integration within context in college-level deaf and hearing readers in a lexical decision task following incomplete sentences with targets that were congruous or incongruous relative to the preceding context; it was found that deaf readers, as a group, were more dependent on contextual information than their hearing counterparts. The present experiment extended Fischler's results and investigated the relationship between frequency, predictability, and reading skill in skilled hearing, skilled deaf, and less-skilled deaf readers. Results suggest that only less-skilled deaf readers, and not all deaf readers, rely more on contextual cues to boost word processing. Additionally, early effects of frequency and predictability were found for all three groups of readers, without any evidence for an interaction between frequency and predictability.     

Secondary Traumatic Stress,Psychological Wellbeing and Life Satisfaction of Social Workers in Namibia

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among secondary traumatic stress, psychological wellbeing (purpose in life, environmental mastery and self-acceptance) and life satisfaction of social workers of Namibia. A cross-sectional survey design was used with a sample population of 116 social workers. The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, three subscales of the Psychological Well-being Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The results showed that secondary traumatic stress (including arousal, avoidance and intrusion) was negatively related to purpose in life, environmental mastery, self-acceptance and life satisfaction of social workers. Satisfaction with life was best predicted by environmental mastery and low arousal. Avoidance impacted life satisfaction indirectly and negatively via low environmental mastery.     

Structural Stability within the Lateral Cerebellar Nucleus of the Rat Following Complex Motor Learning

Complex motor learning, but not mere motor activity, has been previously shown to induce structural modifications within the cerebellar cortex. The present experiment examined whether similar changes occur within one of the primary output targets of the region of the cerebellar cortex in which these structural changes were described, the lateral cerebellar nucleus (LCN; dentate nucleus). Adult female rats were randomly allocated to one of three training conditions. Acrobatic condition (AC) rats were trained to complete a complex motor learning task consisting of a series of elevated obstacles while motor control (MC) condition animals were forced to traverse a flat obstacle-free runway equal in length to the AC task. Inactive condition (IC) animals received no motor training. Unbiased stereological techniques and electron microscopy were used to obtain estimates of synapse number and postsynaptic density (PSD) length within the LCN. Results showed that neither synapse number nor PSD length was significantly altered as a function of training condition. These results indicate that complex motor skill learning is associated with structural plasticity within the cerebellar cortex and with structural stability within the lateral cerebellar nucleus.     

The Long Arm of Religion: Childhood Adversity,Religion, and Self‐perception Among Black Americans

Significant associations between childhood adversity and adult mental health have been documented in epidemiological and social science research. However, there is a dearth of research examining this relationship among black Americans, as well as into what cultural institutions and practices may help individuals in dealing with childhood adversity. This study suggests that religion may be an important resource for black Americans in the face of early‐life socioeconomic and health disadvantage. Using data from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative sample of both African Americans and black Caribbeans (n = 5,191), this study outlines a series of arguments linking childhood adversity, religiosity, and self‐perception among black Americans. The results suggest some support for religious involvement in moderating—or buffering—the harmful effects of childhood adversity on the self‐esteem and mastery among black Americans, specifically religious service attendance and religious coping. In addition, the results reveal that religion may also amplify the deleterious effects of childhood disadvantage on adult mental health. Study limitations are identified and several promising directions for future research are discussed.     

Construct validity of the pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence

ObjectivesThe Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence (PMSC) assesses young children's perceptions of movement skill competence: 12 perceived Fundamental Movement skills (FMS; based on the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd edition TGMD-2) and six Active Play activities (e.g. cycling). The main study purpose was to assess whether children's movement perception scores fit within the imposed constructs of Active Play and FMS by testing the latent structure and construct validity of the PMSC.DesignConstruct validation study.MethodsParticipants were part of the Melbourne Infant Feeding, Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT). The latent structure of the PMSC responses was tested through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling (BSEM). Internal consistency was conducted using polychoric correlation-based alphas.ResultsThe 303 children (boys 53.1%, n = 161) were aged 4–5 years (M = 4.7, SD = 0.46). The final model had an 18 item 3-factor solution with good fit indices (using CFA and BSEM). Factors were: Active Play (Bike, Board Paddle, Climb, Skate/Blade, Scooter, and Swim), Object Control – Hand Skills (Bounce, Catch, Hit, Throw), and FMS skills with a leg action (Gallop, Hop, Jump, Leap, Run, Step Slide, Kick, Roll). Alpha reliability values were: Active Play (0.78), Object Control-Hand Skills (0.76) and FMS-Dynamic Leg (0.84).ConclusionYoung children can distinguish between movement perceptions. The factors reflect the hypothesized structure in terms of FMS being distinguished from Active Play. Further research should investigate how and if these constructs change in children over time.     

元认知的本质与要素

该文就元认知的本质和要素进行了探讨。文章首先对已有的相关观点进行了分析,在此基础上,将元认知的内涵界定为“个体对当前认知活动的认知调节”,并确定了元认知活动的三要素,即元认知技能、元认知知识、元认知体验,论述了每一要素在元认知活动中的作用,并以元认知三要素关系示意图描述了三者之间的关系。     

行为评价对3岁儿童掌控动机的影响

运用情境实验法,考察了71名3岁儿童掌控动机的基本特点及行为评价对其影响。结果发现:3岁儿童:(1)对新奇玩具具有强烈的掌控动机;(2)丰富的视听反馈会更加激发其探索与操控;(3)当成人对其探索行为有积极评价时,儿童获得更多愉悦感;(4)掌控成败体验出现;(5)积极评价可增强掌控成功时的兴趣感,缓解失败后的不良情绪;(6)多数(94.42%)儿童愿意尝试挑战,并能坚持较长时间以期成功,但坚持性存在个体差异。     

On the assessment of procedural knowledge: From problem spaces to knowledge spaces

By generalizing and completing the work initiated by Stefanutti and Albert (2003, Journal of Universal Computer Science, 9, 1455), this article provides the mathematical foundations of a theoretical approach whose primary goal is to construct a bridge between problem solving, as initially conceived by Newell and Simon (1972, Human problem solving. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.), and knowledge assessment (Doignon and Falmagne, 1985, International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 23, 175; Doignon and Falmagne, 1999, Knowledge spaces. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.; Falmagne et al., 2013, Knowledge spaces: Applications in education. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag; Falmagne and Doignon, 2011, Learning spaces: Interdisciplinary applied mathematics. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.). It is shown that the collection of all possible knowledge states for a given problem space is a learning space. An algorithm for deriving a learning space from a problem space is illustrated. As an example, the algorithm is used to derive the learning space of a neuropsychological test whose problem space is well known: the Tower of London (TOL; Shallice, 1982, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 298, 199). The derived learning space could then be used for adaptively assessing individual planning skills with the TOL.     

The effects of different mastery criteria on the skill maintenance of children with developmental disabilities

The acquisition of skills by individuals with developmental disabilities typically includes the attainment of a certain mastery criterion. We conducted a survey of practitioners who indicated the most commonly used mastery criterion as 80% accuracy across three consecutive sessions. Based on these results, we conducted a series of three experiments to evaluate the relation between mastery criterion and subsequent skill maintenance with 4 individuals with various developmental disabilities. Results suggest that 80% accuracy across three consecutive sessions may be insufficient for producing maintenance in some cases.     

对象概念的具身认知能力模型构建

研究旨在从具身认知视角重新建构概念熟悉度、概念掌握度及名词具身性的定义和评价指标,探索了具体名词的具身性与概念掌握度的关系。借助Amsel等(2012)的调查结果和MRC心理语言学数据,采用逻辑演绎与回归分析结合的建模法构建了376个具体名词的具身性与概念掌握度的关系模型,提出了具身认知能力假设。结果表明,对象概念的在线加工过程呈现出一个较长的“停滞期”,反映了认知主体的具身认知潜势。