Interrelationships among students' study activities,self-concept of academic ability,and achievement as a function of characteristics of high-school biology courses

This investigation focused on the interrelationships among students' study activities, students' self-concept of academic ability ratings, students' academic achievement, and instructional practices in 12 high school biology courses. Using a framework derived from a previous investigation, course features were classified into those that appear to (a) place demands on, (b) support, or (c) compensate for student engagement in particular study activities. Students' study activities, self-concept of academic ability ratings, and achievement were measured with experimenter-developed instruments. Results are reported for (a) characteristics of instruments and course features, (b) relationships between central factors of the investigation, and (c) multi-level relationships between course features and student variables. Results at the student level indicated that self-concept of academic ability and, to a lesser extent, students' study activities were positively associated with student achievement. Students' self-concept of academic ability ratings were also linked to students' engagement in generative, proactive study activities. At the course level the supportive practices of providing challenging homework assignments and extensive feedback on student coursework were associated with student engagement in effortful, generative, proactive study activities. The provision of extensive feedback was also associated with high student achievement. Multi-level relationships were analysed using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analyses. These analyses revealed, for example, that in courses in which little or no feedback is given on homework assignments, the relationship between achievement and student engagement in diligent effort management activities was enhanced. Other HLM analyses were conducted to examine the mediating role of course features on the relationship between students' self-concept of academic ability and their study activities and achievement. For example, the presence of challenging course demands was associated with an enhancement of the relationship between self-concept of academic ability and achievement whereas the presence of instructor provisions (supports and compensations) designed to reduce course demands was associated with a reduction in this relationship.     

Frog embryos use multiple levels of temporal pattern in risk assessment for vibration-cued escape hatching

Animal Cognition - Stereotyped signals can be a fast, effective means of communicating danger, but animals assessing predation risk must often use more variable incidental cues. Red eyed-treefrog,...     

Experiential psychotherapy

Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy -     

College Men's Perceived Likelihood to Perpetrate Sexual Aggression

This study implemented a prospective design to explore the relationship between college men's perceived likelihood to perpetrate sexual aggression and their perpetration of sexual aggression over a three-month interim (N = 414). Compared to men's report of their likelihood to use physical force to obtain sex play or sexual intercourse, college men reported higher levels of perceived likelihood to use arguments or pressure to obtain sex play or sexual intercourse as well as drugs and alcohol to obtain sexual intercourse. Prospective analyses revealed that the majority of men who perpetrated sexual aggression over the follow-up period indicated that they were at some risk to do so at the pretest assessment. Implications for sexual assault prevention programming are discussed.