An evaluation of differential prediction of WIAT achievement scores from WISC-III FSIQ across ethnic and gender groups

This study examines differential prediction of WIAT achievement scores based on WISC-III FSIQ in white as compared with African American and Hispanic children, and in females as compared with males. A procedure which allows simultaneous comparisons of slopes and intercepts across groups is employed. The results are consistent with previous research findings in supporting the general absence of bias in predicting achievement from IQ.     

Cortical stimulation and speech timing: A preliminary observation

Audio recordings of the speech of seven patients receiving cortical stimulation during epilepsy surgery were acoustically analyzed, and duration measurements of the sound /s/ under stimulation and nonstimulation conditions were compared. It was found that in the dominant hemisphere, stimulation tended to significantly increase the duration of /s/; but not all stimulation sites were comparably affected. Stimulation of frontal lobe locations was also observed to more frequently result in durational increases than when temporal or parietal sites were stimulated. However, for sites affected, the actual magnitude of durational increase was comparable among the three lobes.     

Passion,grit and mindset in the ages 14 to 77: Exploring relationship and gender differences

This study aims to investigate the relationship between passion, grit and mindset across the life span. The sample consisted of 917 participants between 14 to 77 years old. The eight item Passion Scale was used to assess passion, and the Grit-S scale to assess grit. Mindset was measured with the Theories of Intelligence Scale (TIS). The scale has 8-items.The results showed that for the group as a whole there was a significant relationship between passion and grit (r = .325); passion and mindset (r= .166) and grit and mindset (r= .167).For the female group (N = 502) the correlation was significant for the three factors: between passion and grit (r = .311), for passion and mindset (r = .195), and grit and mindset (r = .170). For the male group (N = 415) the correlation between the factors was also significant: for passion and grit (r = . 362), for passion and mindset (r = . 161), and grit and mindset (r = . 163).For the youngest age groups (14–19, 20–36, 37–53) the correlation between passion and grit was significant: 14–19: r = .588; 20–36: r = .317; 37–53: r = . 491. For the two oldest age groups the correlation was not significant. For passion and mindset the correlation was significant for the two youngest age group only. 14–19: r = .226; 20–36: r = . 161. For grit and mindset there was significant correlation for age group 2 only. 20–36: r = . 195).These findings might be potentially important for better understanding of the relationship between these constructs positively related to learning, achievement, well-being and life satisfaction.     

Passion,grit and mindset: Exploring gender differences

The main aim of the study was to explore the gender differences in passion, grit and mindset in a large sample. The sample consisted of 917 participants in the age range 14–77. The eight item Passion Scale was used to assess passion, and the Grit-S scale was used to assess grit. Mindset was measured with the Theories of Intelligence Scale (TIS). The scale has 8-items. The results show significant difference between female and male in the passion factor only, in favor of males. The difference was significant in 6 of 8 questions. In addition, we computed a score, PGM total score, from the averages of z-scores for the three factors, passion score total, grit score total and growth mindset score total. Here it was a significant difference between the genders in favor of the males. The results are discussed in relation to more active dopamine system in males.     

Parental Involvement and Adolescents’ Academic Achievement: Latent Profiles of Mother and Father Warmth as a Moderating Influence

Parental involvement in their adolescents’ education plays an important role in promoting their children's academic outcomes. Yet, more research is needed to examine the relationship between parenting practices and parental warmth as well as to consider the potential joint contribution of warmth from both fathers and mothers. Thus, the primary purpose of the current study is to examine the extent to which patterns of parental warmth across fathers and mothers moderate the association between parental involvement and adolescents’ grade point average (GPA) and school engagement behaviors. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify disparate profiles of fathers’ and mothers’ warmth within a nationally representative sample of 2,306 youths (51% male; mean age = 15.31 years, SD = 1.50; 77% non-Hispanic White) residing in opposite-sex, two-parent families from Wave I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Latent-class enumeration processes support a five-profile solution characterized by differences in levels of parental warmth and congruency across parents: (a) Congruent High Warmth, (b) Congruent Moderate Warmth, (c) Congruent Low Warmth, (d) Incongruent High Mother/Low Father Warmth, and (e) Incongruent Low Father/Lower Mother Warmth. Subsequent multiple linear regression analyses reveal a moderating effect for Congruent Low Warmth on the relationship between parental involvement and adolescents’ GPA. Ultimately, the results show that variation in parental warmth exists across fathers and mothers with differing impact on adolescents’ outcomes. Excluding one parent without considering the joint effects of both parents will not produce an accurate and precise understanding of parenting in research or practice.     

Achievement motive,autonomous motivation,and attendance at fitness center: A longitudinal prospective study

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to test whether achievement motive, autonomous forms of exercise motivation (intrinsic motivation, identified regulation), and controlled forms of exercise motivation (introjected regulation, external regulation) would predict gym attendance over 30 consecutive weeks in a sample of new gym members.DesignA longitudinal prospective study with four distinct measurement occasions was employed. Psychological variables and gym attendance were assessed in the first, fourth, 15th, and 30th week after starting the membership.MethodParticipants were 229 new gym members. The implicit achievement motive was measured using the Picture Story Exercise. The explicit achievement motive and exercise motivations were measured with questionnaires. Gym attendance was obtained via self-reports and also recorded electronically. Multilevel growth modeling was used as the main analysis method.ResultsParticipants overestimated their self-reported gym attendance; the overall gap between self-reported and actual attendance was 39%. The achievement motive did not predict participants’ gym attendance over the 30-week period, neither for self-reported nor for actual. The effect of autonomous motivation was mixed. Intrinsic motivation predicted self-reported, but not actual, gym attendance over the 30-week period, whereas the evolution of intrinsic motivation was unrelated to gym attendance. Identified regulation was unrelated to gym attendance, but the increase in identified motivation over time positively predicted both self-reported and actual gym attendance. Controlled motivation was unrelated to gym attendance.ConclusionsContinuous and regular participation in an exercise program is more likely when individuals enjoy the program and consider it personally important.     

Perceived Neighborhood Social Resources as Determinants of Prosocial Behavior in Early Adolescence

The present study aims to develop an integrative model that links neighborhood behavioral opportunities and social resources (neighborhood cohesion, neighborhood friendship and neighborhood attachment) to prosocial (sharing, helping, empathic) behavior in early adolescence, taking into account the potential mediating role of perceived support of friends. Path analysis was used to test the proposed theoretical model in a sample of 1,145 Italian early adolescents (6th through 8th graders). More perceived opportunities and social resources in the neighborhood are related to higher levels of adolescent prosocial behavior, and this relationship is partially mediated by perceived social support from friends. The results offer promising implications for future research and intervention programs that aim to modify social systems to improve child and adolescent social competencies.