Exploring Teaching Practices in Physical Education with Culturally Diverse Classes: A Cross-Cultural Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dagkas, Symeon

2007-01-01

This is a cross-cultural comparative study that sets out to explore teachers' knowledge, understanding and practices of the teaching of Physical Education (PE) to students from different cultural backgrounds. More specifically, it explores key issues in the teaching of PE to Muslim students. Thirteen PE teachers, six from England and seven from…

Identity Exploration and Commitment in Early Adolescence: Genetic and Environmental Contributions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markovitch, Noam; Luyckx, Koen; Klimstra, Theo; Abramson, Lior; Knafo-Noam, Ariel

2017-01-01

Identity formation is a key developmental task in adolescence. Although many adolescents in modern societies face issues of identity, there are substantial individual differences in identity exploration and commitment. Little is known about the origins of these individual differences. The current study investigated the genetic and environmental…

Learners with Dyslexia: Exploring Their Experiences with Different Online Reading Affordances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chwen Jen; Keong, Melissa Wei Yin; Teh, Chee Siong; Chuah, Kee Man

2015-01-01

To date, empirically derived guidelines for designing accessible online learning environments for learners with dyslexia are still scarce. This study aims to explore the learning experience of learners with dyslexia when reading passages using different online reading affordances to derive some guidelines for dyslexia-friendly online text. The…

Different visual exploration of tool-related gestures in left hemisphere brain damaged patients is associated with poor gestural imitation.

PubMed

Vanbellingen, Tim; Schumacher, Rahel; Eggenberger, Noëmi; Hopfner, Simone; Cazzoli, Dario; Preisig, Basil C; Bertschi, Manuel; Nyffeler, Thomas; Gutbrod, Klemens; Bassetti, Claudio L; Bohlhalter, Stephan; Müri, René M

2015-05-01

According to the direct matching hypothesis, perceived movements automatically activate existing motor components through matching of the perceived gesture and its execution. The aim of the present study was to test the direct matching hypothesis by assessing whether visual exploration behavior correlate with deficits in gestural imitation in left hemisphere damaged (LHD) patients. Eighteen LHD patients and twenty healthy control subjects took part in the study. Gesture imitation performance was measured by the test for upper limb apraxia (TULIA). Visual exploration behavior was measured by an infrared eye-tracking system. Short videos including forty gestures (20 meaningless and 20 communicative gestures) were presented. Cumulative fixation duration was measured in different regions of interest (ROIs), namely the face, the gesturing hand, the body, and the surrounding environment. Compared to healthy subjects, patients fixated significantly less the ROIs comprising the face and the gesturing hand during the exploration of emblematic and tool-related gestures. Moreover, visual exploration of tool-related gestures significantly correlated with tool-related imitation as measured by TULIA in LHD patients. Patients and controls did not differ in the visual exploration of meaningless gestures, and no significant relationships were found between visual exploration behavior and the imitation of emblematic and meaningless gestures in TULIA. The present study thus suggests that altered visual exploration may lead to disturbed imitation of tool related gestures, however not of emblematic and meaningless gestures. Consequently, our findings partially support the direct matching hypothesis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Career exploration behavior of Korean medical students

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Purpose This study is to analyze the effects of medical students’ social support and career barriers on career exploration behavior mediated by career decision-making self-efficacy. Methods We applied the t-test to investigate the difference among the variables based on gender and admission types. Also, we performed path analysis to verify the effect of perceived career barriers and social support on career exploration behavior with career decision efficacy as a mediator. Results First, we noted statistically significant gender and admission type difference in social support, career barriers and career exploration behaviors. Second, social support and career barriers were found to influence career exploration behavior as a mediating variable for career decision-making self-efficacy. Conclusion Social support and career barriers as perceived by medical students influenced their career exploration behavior, with their decision-making self-efficacy serving as a full mediator. Therefore, this study has educational implications for career program development and educational training for career decision-making self-efficacy. PMID:28870020

Creating a Different Kind of Normal: Parent and Child Perspectives on Sibling Relationships when One Child in the Family Has Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bachraz, Vijetta; Grace, Rebekah

2009-01-01

This article reports findings from a study that explored the nature of sibling relationships when one child in the family has autism. It employs a collective case study approach to capture the perspectives of parents and young children (aged four to seven years) from three different families. A multifaceted exploration of sibling relationships was…

The Effects of Epistemic Beliefs in Science and Gender Difference on University Students' Science-Text Reading: An Eye-Tracking Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Fang-Ying; Huang, Rui-Ting; Tsai, I-Ju

2016-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to explore not only the effects of epistemic beliefs in science on science-text reading but also the gender differences in epistemic beliefs and the reading process. The interactions between gender and epistemic beliefs during reading were also explored. A total of 25 university students, 13 male and 12…

Exploring Different Patterns of Love Attitudes among Chinese College Students.

PubMed

Zeng, Xianglong; Pan, Yiqin; Zhou, Han; Yu, Shi; Liu, Xiangping

2016-01-01

Individual differences in love attitudes and the relationship between love attitudes and other variables in Asian culture lack in-depth exploration. This study conducted cluster analysis with data regarding love attitudes obtained from 389 college students in mainland China. The result of cluster analysis based on love-attitude scales distinguished four types of students: game players, rational lovers, emotional lovers, and absence lovers. These four groups of students showed significant differences in sexual attitudes and personality traits of deliberation and dutifulness but not self-discipline. The study's implications for future studies on love attitudes in certain cultural groups were also discussed.

Autobiographical Interrogations of Multicultural Education: Complicating Conversations in Curriculum Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moon, Seungho

2011-01-01

This dissertation study explores how dominant discourses in multicultural education can be informed by perspectives in poststructuralist theories and curriculum studies, and vice versa. This inquiry explores possibilities of conducting identity research that go beyond unitary ways of understanding cultural sameness/difference. A major focus in…

Calibration and data collection protocols for reliable lattice parameter values in electron pair distribution function studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abeykoon, A. M. Milinda; Hu, Hefei; Wu, Lijun

2015-01-30

Different protocols for calibrating electron pair distribution function (ePDF) measurements are explored and described for quantitative studies on nanomaterials. It is found that the most accurate approach to determine the camera length is to use a standard calibration sample of Au nanoparticles from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Different protocols for data collection are also explored, as are possible operational errors, to find the best approaches for accurate data collection for quantitative ePDF studies.

Calibration and data collection protocols for reliable lattice parameter values in electron pair distribution function (ePDF) studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abeykoon, A. M. Milinda; Hu, Hefei; Wu, Lijun

2015-02-01

We explore and describe different protocols for calibrating electron pair distribution function (ePDF) measurements for quantitative studies on nano-materials. We find the most accurate approach to determine the camera-length is to use a standard calibration sample of Au nanoparticles from National Institute of Standards and Technology. Different protocols for data collection are also explored, as are possible operational errors, to find the best approaches for accurate data collection for quantitative ePDF studies.

Exploring Learning and Teaching Profiles of Elementary Physical Educators in Different Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ko, Bomna

2014-01-01

Teachers learn many of the teaching practices they use to survive and sustain their teaching careers within their school context. This study explored teaching practices and teachers' learning of their teaching practices among teachers in different contexts. A concurrent mixed-model research design was used to identify the teaching profiles of…

America's Democracy Colleges: The Civic Engagement of Community College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angeli Newell, Mallory

2014-01-01

This study explored the civic engagement of current two- and four-year students to explore whether differences exist between the groups and what may explain the differences. Using binary logistic regression and Ordinary Least Squares regression it was found that community-based engagement was lower for two- than four-year students, though…

Exploring Effects of Background Context Familiarity and Signaling on Comprehension, Recall, and Cognitive Load

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Minjung; Bruning, Roger

2016-01-01

This study was designed to explore the effects of different geographical background contexts and signalling for information about global warming on comprehension, recall and cognitive load. Two different geographical contexts, US and Korean, were employed to frame explanations of global warming phenomena to US students. Two signalling conditions…

Informal Formative Assessment and Scientific Inquiry: Exploring Teachers' Practices and Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz-Primo, Maria Araceli; Furtak, Erin Marie

2006-01-01

What does informal formative assessment look like in the context of scientific inquiry teaching? Is it possible to identify different levels of informal assessment practices? Can different levels of informal assessment practices be related to levels of student learning? This study addresses these issues by exploring how 4 middle school science…

Competence and Quality in Real-Life Decision Making.

PubMed

Geisler, Martin; Allwood, Carl Martin

2015-01-01

What distinguishes a competent decision maker and how should the issue of decision quality be approached in a real-life context? These questions were explored in three studies. In Study 1, using a web-based questionnaire and targeting a community sample, we investigated the relationships between objective and subjective indicators of real-life decision-making success. In Study 2 and 3, targeting two different samples of professionals, we explored if the prevalent cognitively oriented definition of decision-making competence could be beneficially expanded by adding aspects of competence in terms of social skills and time-approach. The predictive power for each of these three aspects of decision-making competence was explored for different indicators of real-life decision-making success. Overall, our results suggest that research on decision-making competence would benefit by expanding the definition of competence, by including decision-related abilities in terms of social skills and time-approach. Finally, the results also indicate that individual differences in real-life decision-making success profitably can be approached and measured by different criteria.

Exploring Dimensions of Change: The Case of MOOC Conceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Cormac; Stenfors-Hayes, Terese; Roxå, Torgny; Bolander Laksov, Klara

2017-01-01

This paper addresses a relatively new phenomenon in higher education, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and explores conceptions around this new and emerging development from the perspective of a number of stakeholders in the university. A phenomenographic approach is adopted. The study explores how different stakeholders at a university…

Exploring the Effects of Intercultural Learning on Cross-Cultural Adaptation in a Study Abroad Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Yau

2011-01-01

This study targets Asian students studying abroad and explores the effects of intercultural learning on their cross-cultural adaptation by drawing upon a questionnaire survey. On the one hand, the results of this study find that under the influence of intercultural learning, students respond differently in their cross-cultural adaptation and no…

Examining Administrators' Instructional Feedback to High School Math and Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lochmiller, Chad R.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore high school administrators' instructional leadership in math and science. Specifically, the study explored the feedback administrators provided to math and science teachers as part of their instructional supervision. A central goal for this study was to determine how differences in these content…

Exploring Community College Faculty Perceptions of Student Outcomes: Findings of a Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Royal, Kenneth D.; Eli, Jennifer A.; Bradley, Kelly D.

2010-01-01

This study explored the paradigmatic differences in perceptions of community college faculty employed at select Virginia and West Virginia community colleges collected via a web-based survey. The study is framed within the faculty self-classification along the "hard" and "social/behavior" science paradigm continuum. Given the…

Being Poor at School: Exploring Conditions of Educability in the "Favela"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonal, Xavier; Tarabini, Aina

2016-01-01

This article explores how different ways of experiencing poverty affect the possibilities of poor children to make the most of their education. The study uses the concept of conditions of educability to reflect how the different dimensions of the experience of poverty facilitate or hinder the success of educational practices and the learning of…

Parallel realities: exploring poverty dynamics using mixed methods in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Davisa, Peter; Baulch, Bob

2011-01-01

This paper explores the implications of using two methodological approaches to study poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh. Using data from a unique longitudinal study, we show how different methods lead to very different assessments of socio-economic mobility. We suggest five ways of reconciling these differences: considering assets in addition to expenditures, proximity to the poverty line, other aspects of well-being, household division, and qualitative recall errors. Considering assets and proximity to the poverty line along with expenditures resolves three-fifths of the qualitative and quantitative differences. Use of such integrated mixed-methods can therefore improve the reliability of poverty dynamics research.

The Mediation Effects of Career Exploration on the Relationship between Trait Anxiety and Career Indecision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Kira; Woo, Sungbum; Park, Kibok; Kyea, Jina; Yang, Eunjoo

2017-01-01

This study investigated trait anxiety, career exploration behaviors, and career indecision. Using longitudinal data, career exploration behavior was examined as a mediator in the relationship between trait anxiety and career indecision. Five hundred and one Korean college students completed online questionnaires at three different time points with…

An Exploration of Global Leadership Practices Implemented by Successful Higher Education Faculty Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Vicki Lynn

2015-01-01

This qualitative research study explored global leadership practices implemented by higher education faculty members from eight different states in the U.S. who lead in a global environment. Four research questions guided the exploration of personal and scholarly practices that successful higher education faculty members implement. A purposeful,…

The Changing Landscape of Grading Systems in US Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleinman, Steven B.; Leidman, Mary Beth; Longcore, Andrew J.

2018-01-01

The following study explores the landscape of grading systems utilised in higher education, focusing on the frequency of different types of assessment scales (including Straight Letter, Plus/Minus, and other alternative policies). Although numerous studies have explored the relationship between university grading system and student behaviour,…

Library Users' Service Desires: A LibQUAL+ Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Bruce; Kyrillidou, Martha; Cook, Colleen

2008-01-01

The present study was conducted to explore library users' desired service quality levels on the twenty-two core LibQUAL+ items. Specifically, we explored similarities and differences in users' desired library service quality levels across user groups (i.e., undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty), across geographic locations (i.e.,…

Emergent Literacy and Reading Acquisition: A Longitudinal Study from Kindergarten to Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinto, Giuliana; Bigozzi, Lucia; Vezzani, Claudio; Tarchi, Christian

2017-01-01

This study explores the predictivity of an emergent literacy model on the acquisition of reading in primary school in a language with a transparent writing system. As writing systems have different levels of transparency, results cannot be easily transferred between languages. In this study, we explored the predictivity of phonological awareness,…

Exploring Nominalization in Scientific Textbooks: A Cross-Disciplinary Study of Hard and Soft Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jalilifar, Alireza; White, Peter; Malekizadeh, N.

2017-01-01

Given the importance of disciplinary specificity in terms of the potential differences in the functionality of nominalizations in scientific textbooks and the dearth of studies of this type, the current study explores the extent to which nominalization is realized across two disciplines. To this aim, eight academic textbooks from Physics and…

Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms among Children Enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Lisa D.; Levy, Susan E.; Daniels, Julie; Schieve, Laura; Croen, Lisa A.; DiGuiseppi, Carolyn; Blaskey, Lisa; Giarelli, Ellen; Lee, Li-Ching; Pinto-Martin, Jennifer; Reynolds, Ann; Rice, Catherine; Rosenberg, Cordelia Robinson; Thompson, Patrick; Yeargin-Allsopp, Marshalyn; Young, Lisa; Schendel, Diana

2015-01-01

This study examined the phenotypic profiles of children aged 30-68 months in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED). Children classified as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay (DD) with ASD symptoms, DD without ASD symptoms, and population comparison (POP) differed significantly from each other on cognitive, adaptive,…

Consistent inter-individual differences in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in Boldness-Shyness, Stress-Activity, and Exploration-Avoidance.

PubMed

Šlipogor, Vedrana; Gunhold-de Oliveira, Tina; Tadić, Zoran; Massen, Jorg J M; Bugnyar, Thomas

2016-09-01

The study of animal personality, defined as consistent inter-individual differences in correlated behavioral traits stable throughout time and/or contexts, has recently become one of the fastest growing areas in animal biology, with study species ranging from insects to non-human primates. The latter have, however, only occasionally been tested with standardized experiments. Instead their personality has usually been assessed using questionnaires. Therefore, this study aimed to test 21 common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) living in three family groups, in five different experiments, and their corresponding controls. We found that behavioral differences between our animals were not only consistent over time, but also across different contexts. Moreover, the consistent behaviors formed a construct of four major non-social personality components: Boldness-Shyness in Foraging, Boldness-Shyness in Predation, Stress-Activity, and Exploration-Avoidance. We found no sex or age differences in these components, but our results did reveal differences in Exploration-Avoidance between the three family groups. As social environment can have a large influence on behavior of individuals, our results may suggest group-level similarity in personality (i.e., "group personality") in common marmosets, a species living in highly cohesive social groups. Am. J. Primatol. 78:961-973, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A multidimensional approach to explore cross-cultural differences in coping behavior: comparing Druze and Jews in Israel.

PubMed

Israelashvili, Moshe; Taubman-Ben-Ari, Orit; Hochdorf, Zipora

2011-01-01

Assuming that culture is a multidimensional variable, the current study explored the possibility that the interactions between ethnicity and other culture-related variables--rather than ethnicity alone--will better describe differences in coping behavior. In the study, cross-cultural differences among Israeli Jews and Israeli Druze in the use of various ways of coping were examined while also taking into account respondents' gender, age, self-esteem, sense of coherence, national identification, and religiosity. Comparing Israeli Jews and Israeli Druze, results indicate significant differences in levels of religiosity and coherence. Referring to coping behavior, findings show that differences in ways of coping could be attributed mainly to gender differences rather than ethnic differences Thus, at least in the case of comparing Israeli Jews vs. Israeli Druze, religiosity and gender are powerful determinants of coping behavior, while ethnicity has only a limited contribution in explaining variance in a preferred way of coping. It is suggested that ethnicity has a moderating role in shaping coping behavior, as it might influence person's self-perception and level of emotionality, which in turn shape the person's ways of coping. Future explorations among various age and ethnic groups are needed to enable generalization of the current study findings.

An Examination of Middle School Students' STEM Self-Efficacy with Relation to Interest and Perceptions of STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Patrick L.; Concannon, James P.; Marx, Donna; Donaldson, Christopher W.; Black, Alicia

2016-01-01

The purpose of this teacher research study is to ascertain students' interest in STEM and beliefs about STEM before and after STEM specific instruction, explore possible differences in STEM self-efficacy by gender, and explore differences in STEM self-efficacy by group role. Our primary data sources include a modified attitudinal survey and…

Competence and Quality in Real-Life Decision Making

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

What distinguishes a competent decision maker and how should the issue of decision quality be approached in a real-life context? These questions were explored in three studies. In Study 1, using a web-based questionnaire and targeting a community sample, we investigated the relationships between objective and subjective indicators of real-life decision-making success. In Study 2 and 3, targeting two different samples of professionals, we explored if the prevalent cognitively oriented definition of decision-making competence could be beneficially expanded by adding aspects of competence in terms of social skills and time-approach. The predictive power for each of these three aspects of decision-making competence was explored for different indicators of real-life decision-making success. Overall, our results suggest that research on decision-making competence would benefit by expanding the definition of competence, by including decision-related abilities in terms of social skills and time-approach. Finally, the results also indicate that individual differences in real-life decision-making success profitably can be approached and measured by different criteria. PMID:26545239

Children's Conceptions of Air Pressure: Exploring the Nature of Conceptual Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tytler, Russell

1998-01-01

Constructs case studies of individuals to explore the way conceptions change over time, and the difficulties presented by the concept of atmospheric pressure. Evaluates different structural theories of conceptual change. Contains 62 references. (DDR)

Evolution of space drones for planetary exploration: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassanalian, M.; Rice, D.; Abdelkefi, A.

2018-02-01

In the past decade, there has been a tendency to design and fabricate drones which can perform planetary exploration. Generally, there are various ways to study space objects, such as the application of telescopes and satellites, launching robots and rovers, and sending astronauts to the targeted solar bodies. However, due to the advantages of drones compared to other approaches in planetary exploration, ample research has been carried out by different space agencies in the world, including NASA to apply drones in other solar bodies. In this review paper, several studies which have been performed on space drones for planetary exploration are consolidated and discussed. Design and fabrication challenges of space drones, existing methods for their flight tests, different methods for deployment and planet entry, and various navigation and control approaches are reviewed and discussed elaborately. Limitations of applying space drones, proposed solutions for future space drones, and recommendations are also presented and discussed.

Image Representation and Interactivity: An Exploration of Utility Values, Information-Needs and Image Interactivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Elise C.

2011-01-01

This study was designed to explore the relationships between users and interactive images. Three factors were identified and provided different perspectives on how users interact with images: image utility, information-need, and images with varying levels of interactivity. The study used a mixed methodology to gain a more comprehensive…

Wrestling with the Spirit(ual): Grappling with Theory, Practice and Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Daniel G.

2006-01-01

This article explores the challenges of researching the spirit(ual) when the researcher questions the processes of research and their applicability to a study of spirituality. Must the spirit(ual) be explored with different considerations and with non-traditional approaches because of the nature of what is being studied? The question arises…

Exploring the Disjunctures between Theory and Practice in Community College Visual Arts Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Arnold

2012-01-01

This study explored the perceptions of ten community college visual arts faculty in five different community college settings with regard to the theory and practice disjunctures they were experiencing in their roles as instructors teaching foundational level courses within visual arts programs. The study illuminated the responses of community…

Knowledge Restructuring in Biology: Testing a Punctuated Model of Conceptual Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mintzes, Joel; Quinn, Heather J.

2007-01-01

Emerging from a human constructivist view of learning and a punctuated model of conceptual change, these studies explored differences in the structural complexity and content validity of knowledge about prehistoric life depicted in concept maps by learners ranging in age from approximately 10 to 20 years. Study 1 (cross-age) explored the…

A Comparison Study of Polyominoes Explorations in a Physical and Virtual Manipulative Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Y.; Lee, C. -Y.; Wang, C. -H.

2010-01-01

This study develops virtual manipulative, polyominoes kits for junior high school students to explore polyominoes. The current work conducts a non-equivalent group pretest-post-test quasi-experimental design to compare the performance difference between using physical manipulatives and virtual manipulatives in finding the number of polyominoes.…

Interactions among Future Study Abroad Students: Exploring Potential Intercultural Learning Sequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borghetti, C.; Beaven, A.; Pugliese, R.

2015-01-01

The study presented in this article aims to explore if and how intercultural learning may take place in students' class interaction. It is grounded in the assumption that interculturality is not a clear-cut feature inherent to interactions occurring when individuals with presumed different linguistic and cultural/national backgrounds talk to each…

Guides to Sustainable Connections? Exploring Human-Nature Relationships among Wilderness Travel Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimwood, Bryan S. R.; Haberer, Alexa; Legault, Maria

2015-01-01

This paper explores and critically interprets the role wilderness travel may play in fostering environmental sustainability. The paper draws upon two qualitative studies that sought to understand human-nature relationships as experienced by different groups of wilderness travel leaders in Canada. According to leaders involved in the studies,…

Exploring Global Competence with Managers in India, Japan, and the Netherlands: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ras, Gerard J. M.

2011-01-01

This qualitative study explores the meaning of global competence for global managers in three different countries. Thirty interviews were conducted with global managers in India, Japan and the Netherlands through Skype, an internet based software. Findings are reported by country in five major categories: country background, personal…

Digital Equity in Cultural Context: Exploring the Influence of Confucian Heritage Culture on Hong Kong Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuen, Allan H.; Park, Jae Hyung; Chen, Lu; Cheng, Miaoting

2017-01-01

Our study examines digital equity in a cultural context. Many studies have used classic analytical variables such as socioeconomic status and gender to investigate the problem of unequal access to, and more recently differences in the use of, information and communication technology (ICT). The few studies that have explored cultural variables have…

To See the World or Stay at Home: Applying an Integrated Student Choice Model to Explore the Gender Gap in the Intent to Study Abroad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salisbury, Mark H.; Paulsen, Michael B.; Pascarella, Ernest T.

2010-01-01

Although interest in study abroad has grown consistently in recent decades, study abroad professionals and higher education scholars have been unable to explain or rectify the long-standing gender gap in study abroad participation. This study applies an integrated model of the student-choice construct to explore differences between male and female…

Exploring Possible Neural Mechanisms of Intelligence Differences Using Processing Speed and Working Memory Tasks: An fMRI Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waiter, Gordon D.; Deary, Ian J.; Staff, Roger T.; Murray, Alison D.; Fox, Helen C.; Starr, John M.; Whalley, Lawrence J.

2009-01-01

To explore the possible neural foundations of individual differences in intelligence test scores, we examined the associations between Raven's Matrices scores and two tasks that were administered in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) setting. The two tasks were an n-back working memory (N = 37) task and inspection time (N = 47). The…

Within-Year Changes of Lesson Structure: An Exploration of Pedagogical Functions of Lessons by Means of Multilevel Growth Curve Modelling in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maulana, Ridwan; Opdenakker, Marie-Christine; den Brok, Perry

2015-01-01

Teaching is undoubtedly complex and the complexity of classroom practice implies that the structure of lessons making up teaching may differ and subject to change over time. The aims of this study were to investigate changes in observed lesson structure, and explore the effects of several teacher and contextual characteristics on differences in…

Becoming a Teacher in Multiple Voices: An Exploration of Teacher Identity Formation among Teachers of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilt, Mary E.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the formation of teacher identity among four teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and my own by examining our perspectives, influences, and experiences at different points in our careers and determining the similarities and differences that exist in our professional and educational…

Exploring Capability to Move--Somatic Grasping of House-Hopping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyberg, Gunn Birgitta; Carlgren, Ingrid Maria

2015-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore what it means to be able to move in different ways. What does it mean, from the perspective of the learners, to know how to carry out a specific movement? What is there to know and how could this insight contribute to the planning of developing learners' capability to move in different ways? As an…

International food patterns for space food

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmed, Selina; Cox, Amanda; Cornish, Pauline V.

1989-01-01

The purpose of this research was to obtain basic data on ethnic foods by studying dietary patterns and multicultural foods, and to determine nutritional status of multicultural space explorers by evaluating dietary, clinical, biochemical, and socioeconomic factors. The study will plan a significant role in providing nutritional research for space explorers of different ethnic backgrounds. It will provide scientific background information by bringing together cross cultural dietary and nutritional from different ethnic groups. Results will also help the health care personnel including physicians, dietitians, and nutritionists to better understand and assist patients from other cultures illness. Also, the results will provide data which will help in the development of future food plans for long duration flights involving manned exploration to Mars and lunar base colonies.

Conceptions of Responsibility within and beyond Neoliberal Frames: A Story of Leadership in an English Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keddie, Amanda

2018-01-01

This paper explores different conceptions of responsibility within and beyond neoliberal frames. Such exploration draws on the experiences and accounts of "Ashleigh," a head teacher at a primary school in outer London that is part of an academy chain. Ashleigh and her school were key participants in a study that explored matters of…

Exploring Different Patterns of Love Attitudes among Chinese College Students

PubMed Central

Zeng, Xianglong; Pan, Yiqin; Zhou, Han; Yu, Shi; Liu, Xiangping

2016-01-01

Individual differences in love attitudes and the relationship between love attitudes and other variables in Asian culture lack in-depth exploration. This study conducted cluster analysis with data regarding love attitudes obtained from 389 college students in mainland China. The result of cluster analysis based on love-attitude scales distinguished four types of students: game players, rational lovers, emotional lovers, and absence lovers. These four groups of students showed significant differences in sexual attitudes and personality traits of deliberation and dutifulness but not self-discipline. The study’s implications for future studies on love attitudes in certain cultural groups were also discussed. PMID:27851784

Medical Grade Water Generation for Intravenous Fluid Production on Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niederhaus, Charles E.; Barlow, Karen L.; Griffin, DeVon W.; Miller, Fletcher J.

2008-01-01

This document describes the intravenous (IV) fluids requirements for medical care during NASA s future Exploration class missions. It further discusses potential methods for generating such fluids and the challenges associated with different fluid generation technologies. The current Exploration baseline mission profiles are introduced, potential medical conditions described and evaluated for fluidic needs, and operational issues assessed. Conclusions on the fluid volume requirements are presented, and the feasibility of various fluid generation options are discussed. A separate report will document a more complete trade study on the options to provide the required fluids.At the time this document was developed, NASA had not yet determined requirements for medical care during Exploration missions. As a result, this study was based on the current requirements for care onboard the International Space Station (ISS). While we expect that medical requirements will be different for Exploration missions, this document will provide a useful baseline for not only developing hardware to generate medical water for injection (WFI), but as a foundation for meeting future requirements. As a final note, we expect WFI requirements for Exploration will be higher than for ISS care, and system capacity may well need to be higher than currently specified.

Spiritual and Affective Responses to a Physical Church and Corresponding Virtual Model.

PubMed

Murdoch, Matt; Davies, Jim

2017-11-01

Architectural and psychological theories posit that built environments have the potential to elicit complex psychological responses. However, few researchers have seriously explored this potential. Given the increasing importance and fidelity of virtual worlds, such research should explore whether virtual models of built environments are also capable of eliciting complex psychological responses. The goal of this study was to test these hypotheses, using a church, a corresponding virtual model, and an inclusive measure of state spirituality ("spiritual feelings"). Participants (n = 33) explored a physical church and corresponding virtual model, completing a measure of spiritual feelings after exploring the outside and inside of each version of the church. Using spiritual feelings after exploring the outside of the church as a baseline measure, change in state spirituality was assessed by taking the difference between spiritual feelings after exploring the inside and outside of the church (inside-outside) for both models. Although this change was greater in response to the physical church, there was no significant difference between the two models in eliciting such change in spiritual feelings. Despite the limitations of this exploratory study, these findings indicate that both built environments and corresponding virtual models are capable of evoking complex psychological responses.

Comparison of quality of life between two biliary drainage procedures in laparoscopic common bile duct exploration.

PubMed

Xin, Ying; Zhu, Xin; Wei, Qi; Cai, Xiujun; Wang, Xianfa; Huang, Diyu

2007-03-01

With various kinds of minimal access surgery being introduced, quality of life must be considered as a measure of whether minimal access surgery is good or not. We evaluate the difference in quality of life using two kinds of biliary drainage procedures in laparoscopic common bile duct exploration. Forty cases of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration with cholecystectomy were studied to compare gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) preoperatively and postoperatively at two, five and sixteen weeks in two groups using different biliary drainage procedures. There was no preoperative GIQLI difference between the two groups. Cases with biliary drainage through the cystic duct achieved earlier recovery. GIQLI of all cases reached normal sixteen weeks postoperatively. Biliary drainage through the cystic duct in laparoscopic common bile duct exploration may help to improve the postoperative GIQLI in patients.

Effects of Density Stratification in Compressible Polytropic Convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manduca, Cathryn M.; Anders, Evan H.; Bordwell, Baylee; Brown, Benjamin P.; Burns, Keaton J.; Lecoanet, Daniel; Oishi, Jeffrey S.; Vasil, Geoffrey M.

2017-11-01

We study compressible convection in polytropically-stratified atmospheres, exploring the effect of varying the total density stratification. Using the Dedalus pseudospectral framework, we perform 2D and 3D simulations. In these experiments we vary the number of density scale heights, studying atmospheres with little stratification (1 density scale height) and significant stratification (5 density scale heights). We vary the level of convective driving (quantified by the Rayleigh number), and study flows at similar Mach numbers by fixing the initial superadiabaticity. We explore the differences between 2D and 3D simulations, and in particular study the equilibration between different reservoirs of energy (kinetic, potential and internal) in the evolved states.

Modelling with Difference Equations Supported by GeoGebra: Exploring the Kepler Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kovacs, Zoltan

2010-01-01

The use of difference and differential equations in the modelling is a topic usually studied by advanced students in mathematics. However difference and differential equations appear in the school curriculum in many direct or hidden ways. Difference equations first enter in the curriculum when studying arithmetic sequences. Moreover Newtonian…

Task-Based Oral Computer-Mediated Communication and L2 Vocabulary Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yanguas, Inigo

2012-01-01

The present study adds to the computer-mediated communication (CMC) literature by exploring oral learner-to-learner interaction using Skype, a free and widely used Internet software program. In particular, this task-based study has a two-fold goal. Firstly, it explores possible differences between two modes of oral CMC (audio and video) and…

Tool Mediation in Focus on Form Activities: Case Studies in a Grammar-Exploring Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karlstrom, Petter; Cerratto-Pargman, Teresa; Lindstrom, Henrik; Knutsson, Ola

2007-01-01

We present two case studies of two different pedagogical tasks in a Computer Assisted Language Learning environment called Grim. The main design principle in Grim is to support "Focus on Form" in second language pedagogy. Grim contains several language technology-based features for exploring linguistic forms (static, rule-based and statistical),…

Exploring the Relationship between State Financial Aid Policy and Postsecondary Enrollment Choices: A Focus on Income and Race Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jiyun

2012-01-01

This study explores the relationship between state financial aid policies and postsecondary enrollment for high school graduates (or equivalent diploma holders). Utilizing an event history modeling for a nationally representative sample from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS:88/2000) in addition to state-level policy variables, this…

Identity Dystopias, Empire Framing and Theoretical Hegemonies: Two Case Studies, India and Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allender, Tim; O'Donoghue, Tom

2014-01-01

This article explores the connections between official contemporary identity formation and colonial pasts. Using the case studies of India and Ireland the article explores how different traditions of theorisation are powerful in these formations. India and Ireland were two colonial domains that had many linkages outside the ambit of the British.…

Imaginative Possibilities or Moral Fable? Different Ways of Reading "A Christmas Carol"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bracken, Elspeth

2018-01-01

This essay considers the assumption that the study of English involves engaging students' imaginations to explore a range of interpretations and hypothesise about meaning. It goes on to explore the reading positions of two students in a Year 10 class, who were studying "A Christmas Carol" at GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary…

A Survey of Student and Instructor Perceptions of Personal Mobile Technology Usage and Policies for the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Ieda M.; Bocheco, Otávio; Habak, Claudine

2018-01-01

This study explored student and instructor perceptions of personal mobile device usage and policies for appropriate practices in the classroom at a Brazilian higher education institution. The study also explored significant differences in perceptions, and relationships between perceptions and demographic data. A total of 176 undergraduates and 13…

An Exploration of a Genre Set: Research Article Abstracts and Introductions in Two Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samraj, Betty

2005-01-01

Disciplinary variation in academic writing has been explored for the most part by comparing a particular genre, such as the research article, across different disciplines. However, genre theorists have not systematically studied relationships among related genres. It is argued in this article that a study of relationships among related genres from…

Diversity and Journalism Pedagogy: Exploring News Media Representation of Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Shawn

2016-01-01

This essay explores disability studies in broadcast journalism education and seeks to help answer a question faced by teachers: Does the material discussed in class make a difference in their lives, including how they approach their work? This essay draws on a case study of university broadcast journalism students who took part in classes that…

Negotiating Policy in an Age of Globalization: Exploring Educational "Policyscapes" in Denmark, Nepal, and China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carney, Stephen

2009-01-01

This article aims to explore processes of policy implementation with respect to an ongoing empirical study in three very different sites: (1) Denmark; (2) Nepal; and (3) China. Rather than treat these investigations in the traditional manner of separate and contained national case studies, the author attempts to create a "policyscape"…

Report sent to NASA concerning the USU grant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The goals of the study were to explore the effects of microgravity upon peroxidases in super dwarf wheat. The study was to explore peroxidase activities and isozyme patterns associated with different plant organs and to determine whether any changes in peroxidases in microgravity were related to altered lignin deposition or to hydrogen peroxide formation in the plant tissues.

An exploration of heart rate response to differing music rhythm and tempos.

PubMed

da Silva, Ariany G; Guida, Heraldo L; Antônio, Ana Márcia Dos S; Marcomini, Renata S; Fontes, Anne M G G; Carlos de Abreu, Luiz; Roque, Adriano L; Silva, Sidney B; Raimundo, Rodrigo D; Ferreira, Celso; Valenti, Vitor E

2014-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate acute cardiac response and heart rate variability (HRV) when listening to differing forms of music. Eleven healthy men aged between 18 and 25 years old were included in the study. HRV was recorded at rest for ten minutes with no music, then were asked to listen to classical baroque or heavy metal music for a period of 20 min. It was noted that heart rate variability did not affect HRV indices for time and frequency. In conclusion, music with different tempos does not influence cardiac autonomic regulation in men. However more studies are suggested to explore this topic in greater detail. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using maximum topology matching to explore differences in species distribution models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poco, Jorge; Doraiswamy, Harish; Talbert, Marian; Morisette, Jeffrey; Silva, Claudio

2015-01-01

Species distribution models (SDM) are used to help understand what drives the distribution of various plant and animal species. These models are typically high dimensional scalar functions, where the dimensions of the domain correspond to predictor variables of the model algorithm. Understanding and exploring the differences between models help ecologists understand areas where their data or understanding of the system is incomplete and will help guide further investigation in these regions. These differences can also indicate an important source of model to model uncertainty. However, it is cumbersome and often impractical to perform this analysis using existing tools, which allows for manual exploration of the models usually as 1-dimensional curves. In this paper, we propose a topology-based framework to help ecologists explore the differences in various SDMs directly in the high dimensional domain. In order to accomplish this, we introduce the concept of maximum topology matching that computes a locality-aware correspondence between similar extrema of two scalar functions. The matching is then used to compute the similarity between two functions. We also design a visualization interface that allows ecologists to explore SDMs using their topological features and to study the differences between pairs of models found using maximum topological matching. We demonstrate the utility of the proposed framework through several use cases using different data sets and report the feedback obtained from ecologists.

Social Representations Used by the Parents of Mexican Adolescent Drug Users under Treatment to Explain Their Children's Drug Use: Gender Differences in Parental Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuno-Gutierrez, Bertha Lidia; Alvarez-Nemegyei, Jose; Rodriguez-Cerda, Oscar

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the social representations used by the parents of adolescent drug users to explain the onset of drug use. Differences in explanations between the parents of male and female adolescents were also explored. Sixty parents who accompanied their children to four rehabilitation centers in 2004 completed two…

Demographic profile of families and children in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED): Case-control study of autism spectrum disorder

PubMed Central

DiGuiseppi, Carolyn G.; Daniels, Julie L.; Fallin, Daniele M.; Rosenberg, Steven A.; Schieve, Laura A.; Thomas, Kathleen C.; Windham, Gayle C.; Goss, Cynthia W.; Soke, Gnakub N.; Currie, Dustin W.; Singer, Alison B.; Lee, Li-Ching; Bernal, Pilar; Croen, Lisa A.; Miller, Lisa A.; Pinto-Martin, Jennifer A.; Young, Lisa M.; Schendel, Diana E.

2016-01-01

Background The Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) is designed to enhance knowledge of autism spectrum disorder characteristics and etiologies. Objective This paper describes the demographic profile of enrolled families and examines sociodemographic differences between children with autism spectrum disorder and children with other developmental problems or who are typically developing. Methods This multi-site case-control study used health, education, and birth certificate records to identify and enroll children aged 2–5 years into one of three groups: 1) cases (children with autism spectrum disorder), 2) developmental delay or disorder controls, or 3) general population controls. Study group classification was based on sampling source, prior diagnoses, and study screening tests and developmental evaluations. The child's primary caregiver provided demographic characteristics through a telephone (or occasionally face-to-face) interview. Groups were compared using ANOVA, chi-squared test, or multinomial logistic regression as appropriate. Results Of 2768 study children, sizeable proportions were born to mothers of non-White race (31.7%), Hispanic ethnicity (11.4%), and foreign birth (17.6%); 33.0% of households had incomes below the US median. The autism spectrum disorder and population control groups differed significantly on nearly all sociodemographic parameters. In contrast, the autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay or disorder groups had generally similar sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions SEED enrolled a sociodemographically diverse sample, which will allow further, in-depth exploration of sociodemographic differences between study groups and provide novel opportunities to explore sociodemographic influences on etiologic risk factor associations with autism spectrum disorder and phenotypic subtypes. PMID:26917104

Demographic profile of families and children in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED): Case-control study of autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

DiGuiseppi, Carolyn G; Daniels, Julie L; Fallin, Daniele M; Rosenberg, Steven A; Schieve, Laura A; Thomas, Kathleen C; Windham, Gayle C; Goss, Cynthia W; Soke, Gnakub N; Currie, Dustin W; Singer, Alison B; Lee, Li-Ching; Bernal, Pilar; Croen, Lisa A; Miller, Lisa A; Pinto-Martin, Jennifer A; Young, Lisa M; Schendel, Diana E

2016-07-01

The Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) is designed to enhance knowledge of autism spectrum disorder characteristics and etiologies. This paper describes the demographic profile of enrolled families and examines sociodemographic differences between children with autism spectrum disorder and children with other developmental problems or who are typically developing. This multi-site case-control study used health, education, and birth certificate records to identify and enroll children aged 2-5 years into one of three groups: 1) cases (children with autism spectrum disorder), 2) developmental delay or disorder controls, or 3) general population controls. Study group classification was based on sampling source, prior diagnoses, and study screening tests and developmental evaluations. The child's primary caregiver provided demographic characteristics through a telephone (or occasionally face-to-face) interview. Groups were compared using ANOVA, chi-squared test, or multinomial logistic regression as appropriate. Of 2768 study children, sizeable proportions were born to mothers of non-White race (31.7%), Hispanic ethnicity (11.4%), and foreign birth (17.6%); 33.0% of households had incomes below the US median. The autism spectrum disorder and population control groups differed significantly on nearly all sociodemographic parameters. In contrast, the autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay or disorder groups had generally similar sociodemographic characteristics. SEED enrolled a sociodemographically diverse sample, which will allow further, in-depth exploration of sociodemographic differences between study groups and provide novel opportunities to explore sociodemographic influences on etiologic risk factor associations with autism spectrum disorder and phenotypic subtypes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SEE locomotor behavior test discriminates C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mouse inbred strains across laboratories and protocol conditions.

PubMed

Kafkafi, Neri; Lipkind, Dina; Benjamini, Yoav; Mayo, Cheryl L; Elmer, Gregory I; Golani, Ilan

2003-06-01

Conventional tests of behavioral phenotyping frequently have difficulties differentiating certain genotypes and replicating these differences across laboratories and protocol conditions. This study explores the hypothesis that automated tests can be designed to quantify ethologically relevant behavior patterns that more readily characterize heritable and replicable phenotypes. It used SEE (Strategy for the Exploration of Exploration) to phenotype the locomotor behavior of the C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mouse inbred strains across 3 laboratories. The 2 genotypes differed in 15 different measures of behavior, none of which had a significant genotype-laboratory interaction. Within the same laboratory, most of these differences were replicated in additional experiments despite the test photoperiod phase being changed and saline being injected. Results suggest that well-designed tests may considerably enhance replicability across laboratories.

Recent faulting in western Nevada revealed by multi-scale seismic reflection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frary, R.N.; Louie, J.N.; Stephenson, W.J.; Odum, J.K.; Kell, A.; Eisses, A.; Kent, G.M.; Driscoll, N.W.; Karlin, R.; Baskin, R.L.; Pullammanappallil, S.; Liberty, L.M.

2011-01-01

The main goal of this study is to compare different reflection methods used to image subsurface structure within different physical environments in western Nevada. With all the methods employed, the primary goal is fault imaging for structural information toward geothermal exploration and seismic hazard estimation. We use seismic CHIRP a swept-frequency marine acquisition system, weight drop an accelerated hammer source, and two different vibroseis systems to characterize fault structure. We focused our efforts in the Reno metropolitan area and the area within and surrounding Pyramid Lake in northern Nevada. These different methods have provided valuable constraints on the fault geometry and activity, as well as associated fluid movement. These are critical in evaluating the potential for large earthquakes in these areas, and geothermal exploration possibilities near these structures. ?? 2011 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Planetary Geology: Goals, Future Directions, and Recommendations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Planetary exploration has provided a torrent of discoveries and a recognition that planets are not inert objects. This expanded view has led to the notion of comparative planetology, in which the differences and similarities among planetary objects are assessed. Solar system exploration is undergoing a change from an era of reconnaissance to one of intensive exploration and focused study. Analyses of planetary surfaces are playing a key role in this transition, especially as attention is focused on such exploration goals as returned samples from Mars. To assess how the science of planetary geology can best contribute to the goals of solar system exploration, a workshop was held at Arizona State University in January 1987. The participants discussed previous accomplishments of the planetary geology program, assessed the current studies in planetary geology, and considered the requirements to meet near-term and long-term exploration goals.

Geoscience and a Lunar Base: A Comprehensive Plan for Lunar Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, G. Jeffrey (Editor); Spudis, Paul D. (Editor)

1990-01-01

This document represents the proceedings of the Workshop on Geoscience from a Lunar Base. It describes a comprehensive plan for the geologic exploration of the Moon. The document begins by explaining the scientific importance of studying the Moon and outlines the many unsolved problems in lunar science. Subsequent chapters detail different, complementary approaches to geologic studies: global surveys, including orbiting spacecraft such as Lunar Observer and installation of a global geophysical network; reconnaissance sample return mission, by either automated rovers or landers, or by piloted forays; detailed field studies, which involve astronauts and teleoperated robotic field geologists. The document then develops a flexible scenario for exploration and sketches the technological developments needed to carry out the exploration scenario.

Exploring Gender Difference in Motivation, Engagement and Enrolment Behaviour of Senior Secondary Physics Students in New South Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Jessy; Barker, Katrina

2015-01-01

Although substantial gender differences in motivation, engagement and enrolment behaviour are frequently reported in the international physics education literature, the majority of studies focus on students who intend to choose physics for their future study. The present multi-occasional study examines the gender difference in motivation,…

Are fast explorers slow reactors? Linking personality type and anti-predator behaviour

PubMed Central

Jones, Katherine A.; Godin, Jean-Guy J.

2010-01-01

Response delays to predator attack may be adaptive, suggesting that latency to respond does not always reflect predator detection time, but can be a decision based on starvation–predation risk trade-offs. In birds, some anti-predator behaviours have been shown to be correlated with personality traits such as activity level and exploration. Here, we tested for a correlation between exploration behaviour and response latency time to a simulated fish predator attack in a fish species, juvenile convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata). Individual focal fish were subjected to a standardized attack by a robotic fish predator while foraging, and separately given two repeated trials of exploration of a novel environment. We found a strong positive correlation between exploration and time taken to respond to the predator model. Fish that were fast to explore the novel environment were slower to respond to the predator. Our study therefore provides some of the first experimental evidence for a link between exploration behaviour and predator-escape behaviour. We suggest that different behavioural types may differ in how they partition their attention between foraging and anti-predator vigilance. PMID:19864291

Exploring the Relationship between Patron Type, Carnegie Classification, and Satisfaction with Library Services: An Analysis of LibQUAL+® Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guder, Christopher S.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how faculty and students responded to the Information Control section of the LibQUAL+® survey at two libraries with different Carnegie Classifications. As one of the institutions being studied was considering a shift from a research institution to one more focused on teaching and learning, this study used…

Do medical students like communication? Validation of the German CSAS (Communication Skills Attitude Scale).

PubMed

Busch, Anne-Kathrin; Rockenbauch, Katrin; Schmutzer, Gabriele; Brähler, Elmar

2015-01-01

Attitudes towards communication skills of medical undergraduates can be gathered using the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS). We aimed to develop a German version of the CSAS (CSAS-G) in order to explore attitudes towards communication skills in a German cohort. Additionally the potential influence of demographic factors was examined. We realized the CSAS-G and conducted a survey with 529 participants from 3 different years of study. We then carried out an explorative as well as confirmatory factor analysis and compared the attitudinal scores. Multiple regression analysis was performed. The confirmatory analysis confirmed the two-subscale system revealed by the explorative factor analysis. Students indicate low levels of negative attitudes and moderate levels of positive attitudes. Attitudinal scores differ significantly in relation to gender. The CSAS-G can be used in German cohorts to evaluate attitudes towards communication skills. Medical students in our study show basically a positive approach. Further investigation is necessary to explore and understand attitudes towards communication skills of German medical students.

Are Happiness and Life Satisfaction Different Across Religious Groups? Exploring Determinants of Happiness and Life Satisfaction.

PubMed

Ngamaba, Kayonda Hubert; Soni, Debbie

2017-09-26

This study explores whether different religions experience different levels of happiness and life satisfaction and in case this is affected by country economic and cultural environment. Using World Value Survey (from 1981 to 2014), this study found that individual religiosity and country level of development play a significant role in shaping people's subjective well-being (SWB). Protestants, Buddhists and Roman Catholic were happier and most satisfied with their lives compared to other religious groups. Orthodox has the lowest SWB. Health status, household's financial satisfaction and freedom of choice are means by which religious groups and governments across the globe can improve the SWB of their citizens.

Exploring the Learner's Knowledge Construction and Cognitive Patterns of Different Asynchronous Platforms: Comparison of an Online Discussion Forum and Facebook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hou, Huei-Tse; Wang, Shu-Ming; Lin, Peng-Chun; Chang, Kuo-En

2015-01-01

The primary purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge construction behaviour and cognitive patterns involved in students' online discussion using online forum and Facebook (FB). This study employed quantitative content analysis and lag sequential analysis to examine the content and behavioural patterns of 50 students from a private…

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Korean and American Social Network Sites: Exploring Cultural Differences in Social Relationships and Self-Presentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Seong Eun

2010-01-01

National culture is being challenged as societies evolve from their homogeneous origins. The theoretical base of this study uses two cultural dimensions, individualism-collectivism (Hofstede, 2001) and high-and low-context cultures (Hall, 1976), to unpack the effects of national culture on social network sites (SNSs). This study explores cultural…

Exploring Suitable Emotion-Focused Strategies in Helping Students to Regulate Their Emotional State in a Tutoring System: Malaysian Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yusoff, Mohd Zaliman Mohd; Zin, Nor Azan Mat

2013-01-01

Introduction: This study explored the suitable emotion-focused strategies in helping students to regulate their emotional state in a self-regulated tutoring system. Method: A questionnaire which consists of 25 different regulation strategies adapted from Way of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) was used to determine the strategies deployed by the…

A Tablet Computer for Young Children? Exploring Its Viability for Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Couse, Leslie J.; Chen, Dora W.

2010-01-01

This study explored the viability of tablet computers in early education by investigating preschool children's ease in acclimating to tablet technology and its defectiveness in engaging them to draw. A total of 41 three- to six-year-old children were videotaped while they used the tablets. The study found significant differences in level of tablet…

"I Was Just so Different": The Experiences of Women Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adulthood in Relation to Gender and Social Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanfiszer, Lucie; Davies, Fran; Collins, Suzanne

2017-01-01

Existing literature exploring autism spectrum disorders within female populations predominantly utilises quantitative methodology. A limited number of small-scale, qualitative studies have explored the experiences of adolescent girls with autism spectrum disorder, but adult women have remained largely unheard. This study aims to broaden the…

"Should We Kill the Grey Squirrels?" A Study Exploring Students' Justifications and Decision-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evagorou, Maria; Jimenez-Aleixandre, Maria Pilar; Osborne, Jonathan

2012-01-01

A problem that is still unexplored in the field of socioscientific issues (SSI) and that was explored in this study is how different students decide upon a SSI they are discussing, how their justifications change during the instruction and how they use (or not) the evidence from the learning environment to support their justifications. For the…

Online Learning: A Comparison of Web-Based and Land-Based Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Joy L. M.

2012-01-01

Distance learning has become more popular in recent years. Due to concern about the quality of web-based courses, the purpose of this study was to explore the differences in web-based versus land-based courses. In this study, the researcher compares web-based and land-based education courses to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each type of…

Exploring the free energy surface using ab initio molecular dynamics

DOE PAGES

Samanta, Amit; Morales, Miguel A.; Schwegler, Eric

2016-04-22

Efficient exploration of the configuration space and identification of metastable structures are challenging from both computational as well as algorithmic perspectives. Here, we extend the recently proposed orderparameter aided temperature accelerated sampling schemes to efficiently and systematically explore free energy surfaces, and search for metastable states and reaction pathways within the framework of density functional theory based molecular dynamics. The sampling method is applied to explore the relevant parts of the configuration space in prototypical materials SiO 2 and Ti to identify the different metastable structures corresponding to different phases in these materials. In addition, we use the string methodmore » in collective variables to study the melting pathways in the high pressure cotunnite phase of SiO 2 and the hcp to fcc phase transition in Ti.« less

Energy state affects exploratory behavior of tree sparrows in a group context under differential food-patch distributions.

PubMed

Lee, Ya-Fu; Kuo, Yen-Min; Chu, Wen-Chen

2016-01-01

When facing a novel situation, animals can retreat or leave to avoid risks, but will miss potential resources and opportunities. Alternatively they may reduce environmental uncertainty by exploration, while risking no energy rewards and exposure to hazards, and use the information retrieved for subsequent decision making. When exploring, however, animals may adopt different tactics according to individual states. We tested that energy states will affect exploratory behavior by experimenting with wild-caught untrained Eurasian tree sparrows ( Passer montanus ) in fasted or fed states exploring in a novel space with hidden food supply in different patch distribution patterns. Our data revealed that fasted sparrows risked being earlier explorers more often, initiated more exploratory bouts before patches were found, and stayed longer on the ground under both patch patterns. Fasted sparrows discovered more patches and consumed more food than fed sparrows in dispersed, but not necessary so in clumped, patch patterns; whereas fed birds also increased patch finding to a certain level in dispersed patterns. Sparrows of both energy states, however, did not differ in feeding rates in either patch pattern. Exploratory behavior of tree sparrows is state-dependent, which supports our prediction that birds with an energy shortage will be risk-prone and explore more readily. Our study also indicates a game nature of tree sparrow exploratory behavior in a group context when explorers are in different energy states and are exposed to different patch distributions. Birds of lower energy state adopting an active exploring tactic may be favored by obtaining higher energy gains in dispersed patch patterns with lower patch richness. More satiated birds, however, achieved a similar feeding rate by lowered exposure time.

Sex Differences in the Brain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimura, Doreen

1992-01-01

Explores the neural and hormonal basis of human intellectual function that gives rise to sex differences in the brain. Discusses behavioral, neurological, endocrinological studies, and studies of the effects of hormones on brain functioning that show a relationship between cognitive variations and sex. (MCO)

Prison inmates' suicidal ideation in China: a study of gender differences and their impact.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Liang, Bin; Zhou, Yong; Brame, Wendy

2010-12-01

Suicide is one of the leading causes of inmate death, and many studies have explored suicidal risks among inmates in Western countries. Such studies, however, have been extremely rare in China. Because of China's unique cultural and social conditions, suicide displays many distinctive features and one of them is the greater percentage of women (than men) who commit suicide. With data collected from three adult prisons in China, this study tests gender differences on prison inmates' suicidal risk factors and explores the correlation of gender's impact with other factors. Findings show that male and female inmates present distinctive patterns of suicidal ideation, although gender fails to exert a significant direct impact on the outcome. The results call for different approaches and treatments toward both gender groups for suicide prevention in Chinese correctional facilities.

[The relevance of qualitative techniques in biomedical research].

PubMed

de Camargo, Kenneth Rochel

2008-01-01

On observing how qualitative and quantitative studies are reported in the biomedical literature it becomes evident that, besides the virtual absence of the former, they are presented in different ways. Authors of qualitative studies seem to need almost invariably to explain why they choose a qualitative approach whereas that does not occur in quantitative studies. This paper takes Ludwik Fleck's comparative epistemology as a means of exploring those differences empirically, illustrating on the basis of two studies dealing with different aspects of biomedical practices how qualitative methods can elucidate a variety of questions pertaining to this field. The paper concludes presenting some structural characteristics of the biomedical field which on one hand, would not be explored properly without employing qualitative methods and, on the other hand, can help understanding the little value given to qualitative techniques in this area.

Qualitative Differences in the Exploration of Upright and Upside-Down Faces in Four-Month-Old Infants: An Eye-Movement Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallay, Mathieu; Baudouin, Jean-Yves; Durand, Karine; Lemoine, Christelle; Lecuyer, Roger

2006-01-01

Four-month-old infants were habituated with an upright or an upside-down face. Eye-movement recordings showed that the upright and upside-down faces were not explored the same way. Infants spent more time exploring internal features, mainly in the region of the nose and mouth, when the face was upright. They also alternated as frequently between…

Aircrew Discourse: Exploring Strategies of Information and Action Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irwin, Cheryl M.; Veinott, Elizabeth S.; Shafto, Michael G. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

This paper explores methodology issues encountered in the analysis of flightcrew communications in aviation simulation research. Examples are provided by two recent studies which are compared on three issues: level of analysis, data definition, and interpretation of the results. The data discussed were collected in a study comparing two levels of aircraft automation. The first example is an investigation of how pilots' information transfer strategies differed as a function of automation during low and high-workload flight phases. The second study focuses on how crews managed actions in the two aircraft during a ten minute, high-workload flight segment. Results indicated that crews in the two aircraft differed in their strategies of information and action management. The differences are discussed in terms of their operational and research significance.

In the Eye of the Beholder: Exploring Variations in the Perceptions of Pornography.

PubMed

Willoughby, Brian J; Busby, Dean M

2016-01-01

While many studies have explored the correlates and outcomes associated with pornography use, the measurement of such use has relied heavily on self-definitions of pornography from research participants, and little is known regarding how individuals define pornography for themselves. Using a diverse sample of 2,089 individuals sampled from the online MTurk Web site, participants were asked to rate whether they felt 20 different examples of sexual media were pornography. Differences by gender, religious attendance, marital status, and pornography use patterns were explored. Results suggested significant variation across the sample in how specific examples of sexual media were perceived. In addition, response profiles significantly differed by gender, religious attendance, marital status, and use of pornography. Implications for the measurement of pornography are discussed.

Motivational Factors as They Relate to College Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dacay, Monique

2011-01-01

Addressing inconsistencies in student achievement between students of different racial backgrounds has been acknowledged and explored for over fifty years. Policies and programs have been developed and funded to decrease the discrepancies between groups with limited evidence of success. This study will explore the presence of achievement…

Question, Explanation, Follow-Up: A Mechanism for Learning from Others?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurkul, Katelyn E.; Corriveau, Kathleen H.

2018-01-01

This study explored differences in caregiver-child interactions following children's information-seeking questions. Naturalistic speech from thirty-seven 4-year-olds and their caregivers was used to explore children's information-seeking questions, the caregiver's response, and children's subsequent follow-up. Half of the families were…

Shifting Selves: Constructing and Negotiating Academic Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandeyar, S.

2010-01-01

This study set out to explore how academics construct and negotiate their identities within the world of the academe. Identity construction involves different forms of community participation and identification. Utilising the research methodology of narrative inquiry, this article explores how academics came to see themselves across those…

Exploring Collaborative Learning Effect in Blended Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Z.; Liu, R.; Luo, L.; Wu, M.; Shi, C.

2017-01-01

The use of new technology encouraged exploration of the effectiveness and difference of collaborative learning in blended learning environments. This study investigated the social interactive network of students, level of knowledge building and perception level on usefulness in online and mobile collaborative learning environments in higher…

Exploring Parental Involvement Strategies Utilized by Middle School Interdisciplinary Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Chris; Searby, Linda

2013-01-01

Adolescents present a unique collection of characteristics and challenges which middle school interdisciplinary teams were designed to address. This article describes a research study which explored parental involvement strategies employed by interdisciplinary teaching teams from three very different middle schools: an affluent suburban school, a…

Key aspects in managing safety when working with multiple contractors: A case study.

PubMed

Drupsteen, Linda; Rasmussen, Hanna B; Ustailieva, Erika; van Kampen, Jakko

2015-01-01

Working with multiple contractors in a shared workplace can introduce and increase safety risks due to complexity. The aim of this study was to explore how safety issues are recognized in a specific case and to identify whether clients and contractors perceive problems similarly. The safety issues are explored through a brief survey and a workshop in the maintenance department of a logistics company. The results indicate that culture and behavior are recognized differently by clients and by contractors. The contractors and client had different perceptions of involvement of contractors by the client. The contractors complained on lack of involvement, which was not fully recognized by the client. The case study used a practical approach to show differences in perception of safety within a project. The study illustrates the need for more applied studies and interventions on contractor safety.

Locomotor activity, object exploration and space preference in children with autism and Down syndrome.

PubMed

Kawa, Rafał; Pisula, Ewa

2010-01-01

There have been ambiguous accounts of exploration in children with intellectual disabilities with respect to the course of that exploration, and in particular the relationship between the features of explored objects and exploratory behaviour. It is unclear whether reduced exploratory activity seen with object exploration but not with locomotor activity is autism-specific or if it is also present in children with other disabilities. The purpose of the present study was to compare preschool children with autism with their peers with Down syndrome and typical development in terms of locomotor activity and object exploration and to determine whether the complexity of explored objects affects the course of exploration activity in children with autism. In total there were 27 children in the study. The experimental room was divided into three zones equipped with experimental objects providing visual stimulation of varying levels of complexity. Our results indicate that children with autism and Down syndrome differ from children with typical development in terms of some measures of object exploration (i.e. looking at objects) and time spent in the zone with the most visually complex objects.

Sex Differences in Faculty Salaries: A Cohort Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perna, Laura Walter

This study examined sex differences in faculty salaries, exploring how lower salaries for women varied across different rank/experience cohorts. Data came from the 1993 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty. Six cohorts were defined: assistant professors with 1-2 years experience, 3-6 years experience, 7-12 years experience, or 13-20 years…

Bullying and Repeated Conventional Transgressions in Swedish Schools: How Do Gender and Bullying Roles Affect Students' Conceptions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornberg, Robert; Pozzoli, Tiziana; Gini, Gianluca; Hong, Jun Sung

2017-01-01

Bullying is a moral transgression. Recognizing the importance of approaching bullying from a moral perspective, the present study examines whether children's judgments and reasoning to justify their judgments differ between bullying and repeated conventional transgressions. Our study also explores differences by gender and differences among…

A Comparative Study of Digital Library Use: Factors, Perceived Influences, and Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ziming; Luo, Lili

2011-01-01

This study explores the extent to which undergraduate and graduate students in China differ in their digital library use. Unlike the factors promoting digital library use, non-use factors, perceived influences, and degree of satisfaction are quite different between undergraduate and graduate students due to their differing emphases and…

Visuospatial Anatomy Comprehension: The Role of Spatial Visualization Ability and Problem-Solving Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Ngan; Mulla, Ali; Nelson, Andrew J.; Wilson, Timothy D.

2014-01-01

The present study explored the problem-solving strategies of high- and low-spatial visualization ability learners on a novel spatial anatomy task to determine whether differences in strategies contribute to differences in task performance. The results of this study provide further insights into the processing commonalities and differences among…

Similar Situations? Special Needs in Different Groups of Independent Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnússon, Gunnlaugur; Göransson, Kerstin; Nilholm, Claes

2015-01-01

This study explores differences between different groups of Swedish independent schools' work with pupils in need of special support (PNSS). Data comes from a total population study of independent schools. Data is analyzed using six categories of profile that may affect the special educational values at the schools, and therefore the situation for…

Baseline antenna design for space exploration initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Y. L.; Nasir, M. A.; Lee, S. W.; Zaman, Afroz

1993-01-01

A key element of the future NASA Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) mission is the lunar and Mars telecommunication system. This system will provide voice, image, and data transmission to monitor unmanned missions to conduct experiments, and to provide radiometric data for navigation. In the later half of 1991, a study was conducted on antennas for the Mars Exploration Communication. Six antenna configurations were examined: three reflector and three phased array. The conclusion was that due to wide-angle scan requirement, and multiple simultaneous tracking beams, phased arrays are more suitable. For most part, this report studies phased array antenna designs for two different applications for Space Exploration Initiative. It also studies one design for a tri-reflector type antenna. These antennas will be based on a Mars orbiting satellite.

[Social-Emotional Competence in Young Children with Hearing, Visual or Intellectual Impairments - an Explorative Study with the ITSEA].

PubMed

Sarimski, Klaus; Hintermair, Manfred; Lang, Markus

2016-10-01

Social-Emotional Competence in Young Children with Hearing, Visual or Intellectual Impairments - an Explorative Study with the ITSEA Early emotional and social competence is considered as an important requirement for social participation in family and child care settings. We report on a study exploring the usefulness of the competence scales as a part of the "Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment" (ITSEA) for one- to three-year old children in a sample of 253 toddlers with hearing, visual or intellectual impairments. Internal consistency of the six scales is good (alpha > .86). An ANOVA reveals significant differences between the three groups and a correlation with additional disabilities. These explorative results support the development of a German standardization of the ITSEA.

Unified physical mechanism of frequency-domain controlled-source electromagnetic exploration on land and in ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Changsheng; Lin, Jun; Zhou, Fengdao; Hu, Ruihua; Sun, Caitang

2013-12-01

The frequency-domain controlled-source electromagnetic method (FDCSEM) has played an important role in the terrestrial and oceanic exploration. However, the measuring manners and the detecting abilities in two kinds of environment are much different. This paper analyses the electromagnetic theories of the FDCSEM exploration on land and in ocean, simulates the electromagnetic responses in the two cases based on a united physical and mathematical model, and studies the physical mechanism leading to these differences. In this study, the relationship between the propagation paths and the detecting ability is illuminated and the way to improve the detecting ability of FDCSEM is brought forward. In terrestrial exploration, FDCSEM widely adopts the measuring manner of controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotelluric method (CSAMT), which records the electromagnetic fields in the far zone in the broadside direction of an electric dipole source. This manner utilizes the airwave (i.e. the Earth surface wave) and takes the stratum wave as interference. It is sensitive to the conductive target but insensitive to the resistive one. In oceanic exploration, FDCSEM usually adopts the measuring manner of marine controlled-source electromagnetic method (MCSEM), which records the electromagnetic fields, commonly the horizontal electric fields, in the in-line direction of the electric dipole source. This manner utilizes the stratum wave (i.e. the seafloor wave and the guided wave in resistive targets) and takes the airwave as interference. It is sensitive to the resistive target but relatively insensitive to the conductive one. The numerical simulation shows that both the airwave and the stratum wave contribute to the FDCSEM exploration. United utilization of them will enhance the anomalies of targets and congregate the advantages of CSAMT and MCSEM theories. At different azimuth and different offset, the contribution of the airwave and the stratum wave to electromagnetic anomaly is different. Observation at moderate offset in the in-line direction is the best choice for the exploration of resistive targets, no matter the environment is land or shallow sea. It is also the best choice for the exploration of conductive targets in terrestrial environment. As for the conductive targets in shallow sea, observation at moderate offset in the broadside direction is better. Synthetic and felicitous utilization of the airwave and the stratum wave will optimize the performance of FDCSEM.

Exploring the Use of Video-Conferencing Technology in the Assessment of Spoken Language: A Mixed-Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakatsuhara, Fumiyo; Inoue, Chihiro; Berry, Vivien; Galaczi, Evelina

2017-01-01

This research explores how Internet-based video-conferencing technology can be used to deliver and conduct a speaking test, and what similarities and differences can be discerned between the standard and computer-mediated face-to-face modes. The context of the study is a high-stakes speaking test, and the motivation for the research is the need…

Challenging Fiction: Exploring Meaning-Making Processes in the Crossover between Social Media and Drama in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knudsen, Kristian Nødtvedt

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore how meaning-making activity can be expressed and shaped in the crossover between drama in education and social media. This study concerns the use of empirical material from an educational drama project called #iLive, which was designed and implemented, on four different occasions with a total of 89 students…

Student Participation and Grade Performance in an Undergraduate Online Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

V. KunhiMohamed, Balkeese Binti

2012-01-01

This study explored learning and teaching of online classes. Examining the relationship between undergraduate students' participation and their final grades in five selected courses in an online learning environment and exploring differences between the demographics characteristics of age, race, and gender to students' participation (total number…

Ability and Motivation: Assessing Individual Factors that Contribute to University Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alarcon, Gene M.; Edwards, Jean M.

2013-01-01

The current study explored individual differences in ability and motivation factors of retention in first-year college students. We used discrete-time survival mixture analysis to model university retention. Parents' education, gender, American College Test (ACT) scores, conscientiousness, and trait affectivity were explored as predictors of…

Exploring Young Learners' Foreign Language Learning Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muñoz, Carmen

2014-01-01

The present study explores young learners' awareness of foreign language learning and of their learning conditions. The participants were 76 Catalan-Spanish children who were learning English at primary school. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data were collected by means of two different interviews that contained questions related to pupils'…

Exploring University Students' Online Information Seeking about Prescription Medications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkhalaf, Ahmad Abdullah

2013-01-01

This study explored university students' information seeking behaviors related to prescription medication (PM) information. Specifically, it examined the different sources students use for PM information, their use and perceptions of online sources, the types of PM information they seek, their concerns about, and methods they apply to verify the…

What's So Bad about Being Wet All Over: Investigating Leaf Surface Wetness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Carol A.

1996-01-01

Presents investigations of leaf surface wetness that provide ideal opportunities for students to explore the relationships between leaf form and function, to study surface conditions of leaves and plant physiology, and to make predictions about plant adaptation in different environments. Describes simple procedures for exploring questions related…

Does Research Information Meet the Needs of Stakeholders? Exploring Evidence Selection in the Global Management of Invasive Species

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayliss, Helen R.; Wilcox, Andrew; Stewart, Gavin B.; Randall, Nicola P.

2012-01-01

This study explored factors affecting information selection by international stakeholders working with invasive species. Despite differences in information requirements between groups, all stakeholders demonstrated a clear preference for free, easily accessible online information, and predominantly used internet search engines and specialist…

Exploring College Student Health Literacy: Do Methods of Measurement Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackert, Michael; Champlin, Sara; Mabry-Flynn, Amanda

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was twofold: Assess health literacy among college students using an accepted assessment tool (the Newest Vital Sign, NVS) and utilize different methods of administration to explore strategies for practically increasing usage of health literacy measurement tools--which currently emphasize in-person, oral administration.…

Socialization for New and Mid-Level Community College Student Affairs Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hornak, Anne M.; Ozaki, C. Carolyn; Lunceford, Christina

2016-01-01

This study was designed to explore the socialization of student affairs professionals in community colleges. The authors used the theory of organizational socialization (Van Maanen & Schein, 1979) and explored these nuances through a qualitative research design. Findings include differences in socialization in institutions versus the…

Infant Memory for Primitive Perceptual Features.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adler, Scott A.

Textons are elongated blobs of specific color, angular orientation, ends of lines, and crossings of line segments that are proposed to be the perceptual building blocks of the visual system. A study was conducted to explore the relative memorability of different types and arrangements of textons, exploring the time course for the discrimination…

Making the Transition to Hospice: Exploring Hospice Professionals' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldrop, Deborah P.; Rinfrette, Elaine S.

2009-01-01

Hospice care is available for 6 months before death but the length of use varies widely, suggesting that there are different perspectives on the appropriate timing for this transition. This qualitative study explored hospice professionals' views on the appropriate timing for and communication about hospice. Ethnography of team meetings informed…

Maple Explorations, Perfect Numbers, and Mersenne Primes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghusayni, B.

2005-01-01

Some examples from different areas of mathematics are explored to give a working knowledge of the computer algebra system Maple. Perfect numbers and Mersenne primes, which have fascinated people for a very long time and continue to do so, are studied using Maple and some questions are posed that still await answers.

Multiracial Women Students and Racial Stereotypes on the College Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Jessica C.

2017-01-01

Researchers have explored how multiracial women students encounter different racialized experiences when compared to their monoracial peers and multiracial men on campus, suggesting that their experiences with racial stereotypes may also diverge from both of these populations. Guided by critical race theory, in this study I explored 10 multiracial…

Adolescents' Perceptions of the Words "Health" and "Happy"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Higgins, Siobhan; Sixsmith, Jane; Gabhainn, Saoirse Nic

2010-01-01

Purpose: The shared language of youth includes understandings of concepts that can be different from those of adults. Researchers, in their efforts to explore and illuminate the health behaviours and decision-making processes of young people, use generic terms in their data collecting protocols. This study aims to explore what adolescents…

Exploring Mass Perception with Markov Chain Monte Carlo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Andrew L.; Ross, Michael G.

2009-01-01

Several previous studies have examined the ability to judge the relative mass of objects in idealized collisions. With a newly developed technique of psychological Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling (A. N. Sanborn & T. L. Griffiths, 2008), this work explores participants; perceptions of different collision mass ratios. The results reveal…

Exploring Developmental Differences in Students' Sensemaking during the Transition to Graduate School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez, Rosemary J.

2016-01-01

Historically, research examining graduate student socialization has attended to the structure of the socialization process, rather than how individuals interpret it. This qualitative study explored how 21 student affairs master's degree candidates made sense of surprises that emerged during their initial socialization experiences. The findings…

A Phonological Exploration of Oral Reading Errors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moscicki, Eve K.; Tallal, Paula

1981-01-01

Presents study exploring oral reading errors of normally developing readers to determine any developmental differences in learning phoneme-grapheme units; to discover if the grapheme representations of some phonemes are more difficult to read than others; and to replicate results reported by Fowler, et. al. Findings show most oral reading errors…

Children, Objects, and Relations: Constructivist Foundations in the Reggio Emilia Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swann, Annette C.

2008-01-01

This article examines how children's construction of relationships in exploring materials helps to explain the constructivist foundations of the Reggio Emilia approach. A quasi-naturalistic study of 12 preschool children, ages 3 and 4 years, individually exploring different kinds of collage papers reveals a range of constructivist categories…

Change and Diversity in Grandparenting Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jeanne L.; Datan, Nancy

In this study, change over time in grandparenting experience, sex differences in grandparenting, and differences among relationships with different grandchildren were explored. Thirteen grandmothers and six grandfathers were interviewed; content analysis and thematic analysis of interview transcripts were performed. Grandparents described changes…

NCS-1 dependent learning bonus and behavior outputs of self-directed exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mun, Ho-Suk

Animals explore a new environment and learn about their surroundings. "Exploration" refers to all activities that increase the information obtained from an animal. For this study, I determined a molecule that mediates self-directed exploration, with a particular focus on rearing behavior and vocalization. Rearing can be either self-directed exploration or escape-oriented exploration. Self-directed exploration can be driven by the desire to gather information about environments while escape-oriented exploration can be driven by fear or anxiety. To differentiate between these two concepts, I compared rearing and other behaviors in three different conditions 1) novel dim (safe environment), which induces exploration based rearing; 2) novel bright (fearful environment), which elicits fear driven rearing; and 3) familiar environment as a control. First, I characterized the effects on two distinct types of environment in exploratory behavior and its effect on learning. From this, I determined that self-directed exploration enhances spatial learning while escape-oriented exploration does not produce a learning bonus. Second, I found that NCS-1 is involved in exploration, as well as learning and memory, by testing mice with reduced levels of Ncs-1 by point mutation and also siRNA injection. Finally, I illustrated other behavior outputs and neural substrate activities, which co-occurred during either self-directed or escape-oriented exploration. I found that high-frequency ultrasonic vocalizations occurred during self-directed exploration while low-frequency calls were emitted during escape-oriented exploration. Also, with immediate early gene imaging techniques, I found hippocampus and nucleus accumbens activation in self-directed exploration. This study is the first comprehensive molecular analysis of learning bonus in self-directed exploration. These results may be beneficial for studying underlying mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disease, and also reveal therapeutic targets for them.

Exploring the Trajectory of Personal, Moral and Spiritual Values of 16- to 18-Year-Old Students Taking Religious Studies at A Level in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Leslie J.; Village, Andrew; Parker, Stephen G.

2017-01-01

This study set out to explore the trajectory of personal, moral and spiritual values of students taking Religious Studies at A level in the UK. A sample of 150 students completed a battery of measures at the beginning of their period of A level study and again at the end. The data found no difference over this period of time in personal values…

Snacking now or later? Individual differences in following intentions or habits explained by time perspective.

PubMed

Onwezen, M C; Van 't Riet, J; Dagevos, H; Sijtsema, S J; Snoek, H M

2016-12-01

Even when individuals are aware of long-term health effects of their diet, and form healthy intentions, they often engage in relatively unhealthy snacking habits. Some individuals fall back on unhealthy habits more easily than others. We aim to explore whether time perspective can explain why some individuals are more prone to rely on habits and others on intentions. Study 1 (N = 1503) provides a first exploration of the role of time perspective by exploring individual differences in perception of long-term and short-term consequences. In accordance with our hypotheses, Study 1 shows that habits are associated with short-term consequences and intentions with long-term consequences. Study 2 (N = 1497) shows that the effects of habits on snacking behaviour are strengthened by a present time perspective, whereas the effects of intentions on snacking behaviour are strengthened by a future time perspective. These findings imply that there is a fundamental difference in the guiding function of intentions and habits which might explain individual differences in following intentions versus habits. Individuals with a long-term perspective are more inclined to follow intentions and individuals with a short-term perspective are more inclined to follow habits. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost-Effectiveness of Alternative Approaches to Computer-Assisted Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, Henry M.; And Others

Operating on the premise that different approaches to computer-assisted instruction (CAI) may use different configurations of hardware and software, different curricula, and different organizational and personnel arrangements, this study explored the feasibility of collecting evaluations of CAI to evaluate the comparative cost-effectiveness of…

[Language acquisition in preterm infants during the first year of life].

PubMed

Nazzi, T; Nishibayashi, L L; Berdasco-Muñoz, E; Baud, O; Biran, V; Gonzalez-Gomez, N

2015-10-01

Previous studies have shown that preterm children are at a higher risk for cognitive and language delays than full-term children. Most of these studies have concentrated on the effects of prematurity during the preschool or school years, while the effect of preterm birth on the early development of language, much of which occurs during the first year of life, remains very little explored. This article focuses on this crucial period and reviews the studies that have explored early phonological and lexical development in preterm infants. The results of these studies show uneven proficiency in different language subdomains in preterm infants. This raises the possibility that different constraints apply to the acquisition of different linguistic subcomponents in this population, in part as a result of a complex interaction between maturation, experience, and language subdomains. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Mollusc diversity associated with the non-indigenous macroalga Asparagopsis armata Harvey, 1855 along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula.

PubMed

Rubal, Marcos; Costa-Garcia, Ricardo; Besteiro, Celia; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel; Veiga, Puri

2018-05-01

The aims of this study were to explore mollusc assemblages associated with the non-indigenous macroalga Asparagopsis armata, to compare them with those on other macroalgae at the study region and to explore potential differences on mollusc assemblages between two regions in the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, where A. armata is present. To achieve this, at each region, four intertidal shores were sampled. Twenty-nine mollusc species were reported and thus, A. armata harboured similar or higher diversity than other annual macroalgae in this area. When compared with perennial macroalgae, results depend on the species and studied area. Moreover, significant differences in structure of mollusc assemblages between the two studied regions were found. However, these were due to differences in the relative abundance of species rather than the presence of exclusive species at each region. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Music to the inner ears: exploring individual differences in musical imagery.

PubMed

Beaty, Roger E; Burgin, Chris J; Nusbaum, Emily C; Kwapil, Thomas R; Hodges, Donald A; Silvia, Paul J

2013-12-01

In two studies, we explored the frequency and phenomenology of musical imagery. Study 1 used retrospective reports of musical imagery to assess the contribution of individual differences to imagery characteristics. Study 2 used an experience sampling design to assess the phenomenology of musical imagery over the course of one week in a sample of musicians and non-musicians. Both studies found episodes of musical imagery to be common and positive: people rarely wanted such experiences to end and often heard music that was personally meaningful. Several variables predicted musical imagery, including personality, musical preferences, and positive mood. Musicians tended to hear musical imagery more often, but they reported less frequent episodes of deliberately-generated imagery. Taken together, the present research provides new insights into individual differences in musical imagery, and it supports the emerging view that such experiences are common, positive, and more voluntary than previously recognized. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Test Anxiety Associated with High-Stakes Testing among Elementary School Children: Prevalence, Predictors, and Relationship to Student Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Segool, Natasha Katherine

2009-01-01

The current study explored differences in test anxiety on high-stakes standardized achievement testing and classroom testing among elementary school children. This is the first study to directly examine differences in student test anxiety across two testing conditions with different stakes among young children. Three hundred and thirty-five…

Teachers' Cultural Differences: Case Studies Of Geography Teachers In Brisbane, Changchun and Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Chi Chung; Lidstone, John

2007-01-01

The primary purpose of this exploratory study is to identify variations in the ways in which individual teachers in different educational contexts interpret their curriculum and plan their lessons and in particular to explore the possibility that cultural differences as identified by Hofstede (1991) may be a contributing factor to understanding…

Communication, Relationships, and Religious Difference in the Northern Ireland Workplace: A Study of Private and Public Sector Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, David; Hargie, Owen; Wilson, Noel

2008-01-01

Four large organizations, two each from the private and public sectors of the Northern Ireland economy, were selected for this study which, first, explored the effects of religion-based workforce difference on intergroup relationships, second, investigated the contribution of organizational sector to communicative differences, and third, gauged…

Letter-Sound Knowledge: Exploring Gender Differences in Children When They Start School Regarding Knowledge of Large Letters, Small Letters, Sound Large Letters, and Sound Small Letters

PubMed Central

Sigmundsson, Hermundur; Eriksen, Adrian D.; Ofteland, Greta Storm; Haga, Monika

2017-01-01

This study explored whether there is a gender difference in letter-sound knowledge when children start at school. 485 children aged 5–6 years completed assessment of letter-sound knowledge, i.e., large letters; sound of large letters; small letters; sound of small letters. The findings indicate a significant difference between girls and boys in all four factors tested in this study in favor of the girls. There are still no clear explanations to the basis of a presumed gender difference in letter-sound knowledge. That the findings have origin in neuro-biological factors cannot be excluded, however, the fact that girls probably have been exposed to more language experience/stimulation compared to boys, lends support to explanations derived from environmental aspects. PMID:28951726

Gender Differences in Perceptions of Studying for the GCSE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Lynne; Hallam, Susan

2010-01-01

This study explored gender differences in perceptions of studying for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). The sample comprised 644 pupils drawn from eight schools in Outer London, UK. The schools encompassed pupils who could be regarded as high, middle and low achievers drawn from co-educational and single-sex schools. Pupils…

Pre-Existing Background Knowledge Influences Socioeconomic Differences in Preschoolers' Word Learning and Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaefer, Tanya; Neuman, Susan B.; Pinkham, Ashley M.

2015-01-01

The goal of the current study is to explore the influence of knowledge on socioeconomic discrepancies in word learning and comprehension. After establishing socioeconomic differences in background knowledge (Study 1), the authors presented children with a storybook that incorporates this knowledge (Study 2). Results indicated that middle-income…

The Processing on Different Types of English Formulaic Sequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Li

2015-01-01

Formulaic sequences are found to be processed faster than their matched novel phrases in previous studies. Given the variety of formulaic types, few studies have compared processing on different types of formulaic sequences. The present study explored the processing among idioms, speech formulae and written formulae. It has been found that in…

The Bureaucratising of Lesson Study: A Javanese Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kusanagi, Kanako N.

2014-01-01

Lesson study developed organically in Japan over a period of 140 years, whereas in Indonesia, lesson study was introduced as a top-down initiative. This research explores beyond general cultural differences by illustrating how the daily concerns of teachers and their social interactions differ in Japan and in the case of an Indonesian school, the…

Examining Variation in Mental Models of Influence and Leadership Among Nursing Leaders and Direct Care Nurses.

PubMed

Weaver, Sallie J; Mossburg, Sarah E; Pillari, MarieSarah; Kent, Paula S; Daugherty Biddison, Elizabeth Lee

This study explored similarities and differences in the views on team membership and leadership held by nurses in formal unit leadership positions and direct care nurses. We used a mixed-methods approach and a maximum variance sampling strategy, sampling from units with both high and low safety behaviors and safety culture scores. We identified several key differences in mental models of care team membership and leadership between formal leaders and direct care nurses that warrant further exploration.

Smoking and the bandit: a preliminary study of smoker and nonsmoker differences in exploratory behavior measured with a multiarmed bandit task.

PubMed

Addicott, Merideth A; Pearson, John M; Wilson, Jessica; Platt, Michael L; McClernon, F Joseph

2013-02-01

Advantageous decision-making is an adaptive trade-off between exploring alternatives and exploiting the most rewarding option. This trade-off may be related to maladaptive decision-making associated with nicotine dependence; however, explore/exploit behavior has not been previously investigated in the context of addiction. The explore/exploit trade-off is captured by the multiarmed bandit task, in which different arms of a slot machine are chosen to discover the relative payoffs. The goal of this study was to preliminarily investigate whether smokers differ from nonsmokers in their degree of exploratory behavior. Smokers (n = 18) and nonsmokers (n = 17) completed a 6-armed bandit task as well as self-report measures of behavior and personality traits. Smokers were found to exhibit less exploratory behavior (i.e., made fewer switches between slot machine arms) than nonsmokers within the first 300 trials of the bandit task. The overall proportion of exploratory choices negatively correlated with self-reported measures of delay aversion and nonplanning impulsivity. These preliminary results suggest that smokers make fewer initial exploratory choices on the bandit task. The bandit task is a promising measure that could provide valuable insights into how nicotine use and dependence is associated with explore/exploit decision-making. (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Smoking and the bandit: A preliminary study of smoker and non-smoker differences in exploratory behavior measured with a multi-armed bandit task

PubMed Central

Addicott, Merideth A.; Pearson, John M.; Wilson, Jessica; Platt, Michael L.; McClernon, F. Joseph

2014-01-01

Advantageous decision-making is an adaptive trade-off between exploring alternatives and exploiting the most rewarding option. This trade-off may be related to maladaptive decision-making associated with nicotine dependence; however, explore/exploit behavior has not been previously investigated in the context of addiction. The explore/exploit trade-off is captured by the multi-armed bandit task, in which different arms of a slot machine are chosen to discover the relative payoffs. The goal of this study was to preliminarily investigate whether smokers differ from non-smokers in their degree of exploratory behavior. Smokers (n = 18) and non-smokers (n = 17) completed a six-armed bandit task as well as self-report measures of behavior and personality traits. Smokers were found to exhibit less exploratory behavior (i.e. made fewer switches between slot machine arms) than non-smokers within the first 300 trials of the bandit task. The overall proportion of exploratory choices negatively correlated with self-reported measures of delay aversion and nonplanning impulsivity. These preliminary results suggest that smokers make fewer initial exploratory choices on the bandit task. The bandit task is a promising measure that could provide valuable insights into how nicotine use and dependence is associated with explore/exploit decision-making. PMID:23245198

Using quantitative and qualitative data in health services research - what happens when mixed method findings conflict? [ISRCTN61522618].

PubMed

Moffatt, Suzanne; White, Martin; Mackintosh, Joan; Howel, Denise

2006-03-08

In this methodological paper we document the interpretation of a mixed methods study and outline an approach to dealing with apparent discrepancies between qualitative and quantitative research data in a pilot study evaluating whether welfare rights advice has an impact on health and social outcomes among a population aged 60 and over. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected contemporaneously. Quantitative data were collected from 126 men and women aged over 60 within a randomised controlled trial. Participants received a full welfare benefits assessment which successfully identified additional financial and non-financial resources for 60% of them. A range of demographic, health and social outcome measures were assessed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 month follow up. Qualitative data were collected from a sub-sample of 25 participants purposively selected to take part in individual interviews to examine the perceived impact of welfare rights advice. Separate analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data revealed discrepant findings. The quantitative data showed little evidence of significant differences of a size that would be of practical or clinical interest, suggesting that the intervention had no impact on these outcome measures. The qualitative data suggested wide-ranging impacts, indicating that the intervention had a positive effect. Six ways of further exploring these data were considered: (i) treating the methods as fundamentally different; (ii) exploring the methodological rigour of each component; (iii) exploring dataset comparability; (iv) collecting further data and making further comparisons; (v) exploring the process of the intervention; and (vi) exploring whether the outcomes of the two components match. The study demonstrates how using mixed methods can lead to different and sometimes conflicting accounts and, using this six step approach, how such discrepancies can be harnessed to interrogate each dataset more fully. Not only does this enhance the robustness of the study, it may lead to different conclusions from those that would have been drawn through relying on one method alone and demonstrates the value of collecting both types of data within a single study. More widespread use of mixed methods in trials of complex interventions is likely to enhance the overall quality of the evidence base.

Exploring EFL Students' Use of Writing Strategies and Their Attitudes towards Reading-To-Write and Writing-Only Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soltani, Azimeh; Kheirzadeh, Shiela

2017-01-01

This study aimed to explore EFL students' use of writing strategies and their attitudes towards reading-to-write and writing-only tasks. The primary purpose of this study was to see whether there was any significant difference between the writing performance of reading-to-write and writing-only task groups of Iranian EFL learners. Also, this study…

Identifying the values and preferences of prosthetic users: a case study series using the repertory grid technique.

PubMed

Schaffalitzky, Elisabeth; NiMhurchadha, Sinead; Gallagher, Pamela; Hofkamp, Susan; MacLachlan, Malcolm; Wegener, Stephen T

2009-06-01

The matching of prosthetic devices to the needs of the individual is a challenge for providers and patients. The aims of this study are to explore the values and preferences that prosthetic users have of their prosthetic devices; to investigate users' perceptions of alternative prosthetic options and to demonstrate a novel method for exploring the values and preferences of prosthetic users. This study describes four case studies of upper limb and lower limb high tech and conventional prosthetic users. Participants were interviewed using the repertory grid technique (RGT), a qualitative technique to explore individual values and preferences regarding specific choices and events. The participants generated distinctive patterns of personal constructs and ratings regarding prosthetic use and different prosthetic options available. The RGT produced a unique profile of preferences regarding prosthetic technologies for each participant. User choice is an important factor when matching prosthetic technology to the user. The consumer's values regarding different prosthetic options are likely to be a critical factor in prosthetic acceptance and ultimate quality of life. The RGT offers a structured method of exploring these attitudes and values without imposing researcher or practitioner bias and identifies personalized dimensions for providers and users to evaluate the individuals' preferences in prosthetic technology.

Effects of food processing on polyphenol contents: a systematic analysis using Phenol-Explorer data.

PubMed

Rothwell, Joseph A; Medina-Remón, Alexander; Pérez-Jiménez, Jara; Neveu, Vanessa; Knaze, Viktoria; Slimani, Nadia; Scalbert, Augustin

2015-01-01

The Phenol-Explorer web database (http://www.phenol-explorer.eu) was recently updated with new data on polyphenol retention due to food processing. Here, we analyze these data to investigate the effect of different variables on polyphenol content and make recommendations aimed at refining estimation of intake in epidemiological studies. Data on the effects of processing upon 161 polyphenols compiled for the Phenol-Explorer database were analyzed to investigate the effects of polyphenol structure, food, and process upon polyphenol loss. These were expressed as retention factors (RFs), fold changes in polyphenol content due to processing. Domestic cooking of common plant foods caused considerable losses (median RF = 0.45-0.70), although variability was high. Food storage caused fewer losses, regardless of food or polyphenol (median RF = 0.88, 0.95, 0.92 for ambient, refrigerated, and frozen storage, respectively). The food under study was often a more important determinant of retention than the process applied. Phenol-Explorer data enable polyphenol losses due to processing from many different foods to be rapidly compared. Where experimentally determined polyphenol contents of a processed food are not available, only published RFs matching at least the food and polyphenol of interest should be used when building food composition tables for epidemiological studies. © 2014 The Authors Molecular Nutrition & Food Research Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Malay Childhood, Temperament and Individuality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Ellen

This study of children in a Malay community assesses the cross-cultural validity of one conceptualization of temperament, identifies cultural differences in child rearing practices and beliefs, and explores parents' recognition of individual differences emerging in early childhood. The community studied consisted of three villages located about 20…

Simulation analysis of resource flexibility on healthcare processes

PubMed Central

Simwita, Yusta W; Helgheim, Berit I

2016-01-01

Purpose This paper uses discrete event simulation to explore the best resource flexibility scenario and examine the effect of implementing resource flexibility on different stages of patient treatment process. Specifically we investigate the effect of resource flexibility on patient waiting time and throughput in an orthopedic care process. We further seek to explore on how implementation of resource flexibility on patient treatment processes affects patient access to healthcare services. We focus on two resources, namely, orthopedic surgeon and operating room. Methods The observational approach was used to collect process data. The developed model was validated by comparing the simulation output with actual patient data collected from the studied orthopedic care process. We developed different scenarios to identify the best resource flexibility scenario and explore the effect of resource flexibility on patient waiting time, throughput, and future changes in demand. The developed scenarios focused on creating flexibility on service capacity of this care process by altering the amount of additional human resource capacity at different stages of patient care process and extending the use of operating room capacity. Results The study found that resource flexibility can improve responsiveness to patient demand in the treatment process. Testing different scenarios showed that the introduction of resource flexibility reduces patient waiting time and improves throughput. The simulation results show that patient access to health services can be improved by implementing resource flexibility at different stages of the patient treatment process. Conclusion This study contributes to the current health care literature by explaining how implementing resource flexibility at different stages of patient care processes can improve ability to respond to increasing patients demands. This study was limited to a single patient process; studies focusing on additional processes are recommended. PMID:27785046

Simulation analysis of resource flexibility on healthcare processes.

PubMed

Simwita, Yusta W; Helgheim, Berit I

2016-01-01

This paper uses discrete event simulation to explore the best resource flexibility scenario and examine the effect of implementing resource flexibility on different stages of patient treatment process. Specifically we investigate the effect of resource flexibility on patient waiting time and throughput in an orthopedic care process. We further seek to explore on how implementation of resource flexibility on patient treatment processes affects patient access to healthcare services. We focus on two resources, namely, orthopedic surgeon and operating room. The observational approach was used to collect process data. The developed model was validated by comparing the simulation output with actual patient data collected from the studied orthopedic care process. We developed different scenarios to identify the best resource flexibility scenario and explore the effect of resource flexibility on patient waiting time, throughput, and future changes in demand. The developed scenarios focused on creating flexibility on service capacity of this care process by altering the amount of additional human resource capacity at different stages of patient care process and extending the use of operating room capacity. The study found that resource flexibility can improve responsiveness to patient demand in the treatment process. Testing different scenarios showed that the introduction of resource flexibility reduces patient waiting time and improves throughput. The simulation results show that patient access to health services can be improved by implementing resource flexibility at different stages of the patient treatment process. This study contributes to the current health care literature by explaining how implementing resource flexibility at different stages of patient care processes can improve ability to respond to increasing patients demands. This study was limited to a single patient process; studies focusing on additional processes are recommended.

The Mandarin Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST): Sex Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Xiang; Allison, Carrie; Auyeung, Bonnie; Matthews, Fiona E.; Sharp, Stephen J.; Baron-Cohen, Simon; Brayne, Carol

2014-01-01

Sex differences in social and communication behaviours related to autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have been investigated mainly in Western populations. Little research has been done in Chinese populations. This study explored sex differences related to ASC characteristics by examining differences in item responses and score distributions in…

Cross-Informant Evaluations of Preschoolers' Adjustment in Different Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Israelashvili, Moshe

2017-01-01

An accurate and agreed upon evaluation of preschoolers' behavior is crucial for young children's positive development. This study explores possible cultural differences in cross-informants' evaluations. The premise is that informants who are from different cultures tend to give different evaluations of preschoolers' adjustment and/or that the…

Exploring posttraumatic growth in Tamil children affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.

PubMed

Exenberger, Silvia; Ramalingam, Panch; Höfer, Stefan

2016-10-13

Few studies explore posttraumatic growth (PTG) in children from Eastern cultures. To help address this gap, the present study examined PTG among 177 South Indian children aged 8-17 years who were affected by the 2004 Tsunami. The study identifies the underlying factor structure of the Tamil version of the Revised Posttraumatic Growth Inventory for Children (PTGI-C-R), and aims to explore the prevalence of PTG, the relationship between distress and growth, and gender and age differences in PTG. The results of the principal component analysis indicated a two-factor structure with an interpersonal and a person-centred dimension of growth. The total scores of the Tamil PTGI-C-R were positively associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and age. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between age and the person-centred growth subscale. Non-parametric tests found no gender differences in perceived growth. The role of socio-cultural factors on the nature of PTG is discussed. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

Effects of intrinsic aging and photodamage on skin dyspigmentation: an explorative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobos, Gabor; Trojahn, Carina; D'Alessandro, Brian; Patwardhan, Sachin; Canfield, Douglas; Blume-Peytavi, Ulrike; Kottner, Jan

2016-06-01

Photoaging is associated with increasing pigmentary heterogeneity and darkening of skin color. However, little is known about age-related changes in skin pigmentation on sun-protected areas. The aim of this explorative study was to measure skin color and dyspigmentation using image processing and to evaluate the reliability of these parameters. Twenty-four volunteers of three age-groups were included in this explorative study. Measurements were conducted at sun-exposed and sun-protected areas. Overall skin-color estimates were similar among age groups. The hyper- and hypopigmentation indices differed significantly by age groups and their correlations with age ranged between 0.61 and 0.74. Dorsal forearm skin differed from the other investigational areas (p<0.001). We observed an increase in dyspigmentation at all skin areas, including sun-protected skin areas, already in young adulthood. Associations between age and dyspigmentation estimates were higher compared to color parameters. All color and dyspigmentation estimates showed high reliability. Dyspigmentation parameters seem to be better biomarkers for UV damage than the overall color measurements.

Exploring the relationship between convenience and fish consumption: a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Olsen, Svein Ottar; Scholderer, Joachim; Brunsø, Karen; Verbeke, Wim

2007-07-01

The purpose of the present study is to explore cultural differences in the meaning of convenience and the relationships between convenience, attitudes and fish consumption in five European countries. The results suggest that the meaning of meal convenience is not culture specific, whilst the absolute levels of convenience orientation and the perceived inconvenience of fish differ between cultures. Convenience orientation was highest in Poland, followed by Spain, and was lowest in the Netherlands. The relationships between convenience orientation and attitudes towards fish, and convenience orientation and fish consumption, were insignificant in most countries. However, convenience orientation was positively related to the perceived inconvenience of fish. Perceived inconvenience of fish was negatively related to both attitudes towards fish and to fish consumption. Together, these results confirm some earlier findings that fish is generally perceived as a relatively inconvenient type of food. This study suggests that convenience orientation can be crucial to understanding food choice or behaviour only when critical mediating constructs are explored.

Motivational Factors Underlying Problem Solving: Comparing Wolf and Dog Puppies' Explorative and Neophobic Behaviors at 5, 6, and 8 Weeks of Age.

PubMed

Marshall-Pescini, Sarah; Virányi, Zsófia; Kubinyi, Enikő; Range, Friederike

2017-01-01

Background: Wolves have been shown to be better in independent problem-solving tasks than dogs, however it is unclear whether cognitive or motivational factors underlie such differences. In a number of species problem solving has been linked to both persistence in exploration and neophobia, suggesting both these aspects may underlie dog-wolf differences in problem solving. Indeed adult wolves have been shown to be more likely to approach a novel object and more persistent in their investigation of it, but also slower in making contact with it and more fearful of it than dogs. Methods: In the current study we investigated potential differences in equally-raised dogs' and wolves' explorative and neophobic behaviors in a novel environment and with novel objects at 5, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Results: Results showed that wolves were more persistent in exploring both the environment and the objects than dogs, and this was the case at all ages. There were no differences in the frequency of fear-related behaviors and time spent in proximity to humans. Stress-related behaviors were similarly expressed at 5 and 6 weeks, although wolves showed a higher frequency of such behaviors at 8 weeks. Discussion: Overall, results with puppies confirm those with adult animals: wolves appear to be more explorative than dogs. Such motivational differences need to be taken into account when comparing dogs and wolves in cognitive tasks.

Motivational Factors Underlying Problem Solving: Comparing Wolf and Dog Puppies' Explorative and Neophobic Behaviors at 5, 6, and 8 Weeks of Age

PubMed Central

Marshall-Pescini, Sarah; Virányi, Zsófia; Kubinyi, Enikő; Range, Friederike

2017-01-01

Background: Wolves have been shown to be better in independent problem-solving tasks than dogs, however it is unclear whether cognitive or motivational factors underlie such differences. In a number of species problem solving has been linked to both persistence in exploration and neophobia, suggesting both these aspects may underlie dog-wolf differences in problem solving. Indeed adult wolves have been shown to be more likely to approach a novel object and more persistent in their investigation of it, but also slower in making contact with it and more fearful of it than dogs. Methods: In the current study we investigated potential differences in equally-raised dogs' and wolves' explorative and neophobic behaviors in a novel environment and with novel objects at 5, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Results: Results showed that wolves were more persistent in exploring both the environment and the objects than dogs, and this was the case at all ages. There were no differences in the frequency of fear-related behaviors and time spent in proximity to humans. Stress-related behaviors were similarly expressed at 5 and 6 weeks, although wolves showed a higher frequency of such behaviors at 8 weeks. Discussion: Overall, results with puppies confirm those with adult animals: wolves appear to be more explorative than dogs. Such motivational differences need to be taken into account when comparing dogs and wolves in cognitive tasks. PMID:28232814

Purple head broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck), a functional food crop for antioxidant and anticancer potential.

PubMed

Chaudhary, Ashun; Choudhary, Sonika; Sharma, Upendra; Vig, Adarsh Pal; Singh, Bikram; Arora, Saroj

2018-05-01

Natural foods are used in many folks and household treatments and have immense potential to treat a serious complication and health benefits, in addition to the basic nutritional values. These food products improve health, delay the aging process, increase life expectancy, and possibly prevent chronic diseases. Purple head Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck is one of such foods and in current studies was explored for chemical compounds at different development stages by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antioxidant potential was explored employing different assays like molybdate ion reduction, DPPH, superoxide anion radical scavenging and plasmid nicking assay. Inspired by antioxidant activity results, we further explored these extracts for antiproliferative potential by morphological changes, cell cycle analysis, measurement of intracellular peroxides and mitochondrial membrane potential changes. Current study provides the scientific basis for the use of broccoli as easily affordable potent functional food.

Exploring the Changes in Students' Understanding of the Scientific Method Using Word Associations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gulacar, Ozcan; Sinan, Olcay; Bowman, Charles R.; Yildirim, Yetkin

2015-01-01

A study is presented that explores how students' knowledge structures, as related to the scientific method, compare at different student ages. A word association test comprised of ten total stimulus words, among them "experiment," "science fair," and "hypothesis," is used to probe the students' knowledge structures.…

What Is the Difference between a Calorie and a Carbohydrate?--Exploring Nutrition Education Opportunities in Alternative School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norquest, Michele; Phelps, Josh; Hermann, Janice; Kennedy, Tay

2015-01-01

Extension-based nutrition educators have indicated current curricula do not engage alternative school students' interests. The study reported here explored nutrition education opportunities at alternative schools in Oklahoma. Data collection involved focus groups gathering student perspectives regarding preferred teaching and learning styles, and…

Improvising with Material in the Higher Education Dance Technique Class: Exploration and Ownership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rimmer, Rachel

2013-01-01

In this article the author, Rachel Rimmer, explores how improvisation can facilitate skills that are transferable to other areas of dance practice, enabling different areas of study to complement each other. The experimental forum of improvisation as an alternative method of learning technique is considered, contemplating the value of this…

Exploring Native American Students' Perceptions of Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laubach, Timothy A.; Crofford, Geary Don; Marek, Edmund A.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore Native American (NA) students' perceptions of scientists by using the Draw-A-Scientist Test and to determine if differences in these perceptions exist between grade level, gender, and level of cultural tradition. Data were collected for students in Grades 9-12 within a NA grant off-reservation…

Exploring Functional Disability in Older Adults with Low Vision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Travis, Linda A.; Boerner, Kathrin; Reinhardt, Joann P.; Horowitz, Amy

2004-01-01

This article reports on a study that explored the prevalence and predictors of functional disability that are due to visual problems as opposed to functional disability that is due to other health problems. It also discusses the implications for psychosocial and rehabilitative interventions that target different types of disability. (Contains 5…

Implicit Theories of Ability, Epistemic Beliefs, and Academic Motivation: A Person-Centered Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Jason

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to (1) explore which distinct student profiles emerge from measures of science epistemic beliefs and implicit theories of science ability; (2) investigate how these emergent student profiles relate to science motivation and achievement; and (3) explore how these emergent student profiles differ by…

"There's so Much Data": Exploring the Realities of Data-Based School Governance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selwyn, Neil

2016-01-01

Educational governance is commonly predicated around the generation, collation and processing of data through digital technologies. Drawing upon an empirical study of two Australian secondary schools, this paper explores the different forms of data-based governance that are being enacted by school leaders, managers, administrators and teachers.…

Entrepreneurial Learning through Action: A Case Study of the Six-Squared Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittaway, Luke; Missing, Caroline; Hudson, Nigel; Maragh, Dean

2009-01-01

This paper explores the role of "action" in entrepreneurial learning and illustrates how programs designed to support action learning can enhance management development in entrepreneurial businesses. The paper begins by exploring action learning and the way "action" is conceived in different types of program. In the second part, the paper details…

Exploring the Complexities of Learning Motivation in Pre-Service Teacher Education Students: A Grounded Theory Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grosskopf, Kristin

2009-01-01

This qualitative, grounded-theory study investigated learning motivation differences among three achievement groupings of undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nine students participated in in-depth interviews that explored their reasons for pursuing their degree,…

An Exploration of Complimentary Factors in Career and Student Development in the Liberal Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luke, Chad; Diambra, Joel F.; Gibbons, Melinda

2014-01-01

This study explored factors associated with both career and student development, and with persistence decisions. Findings revealed differences in which students perceived their abilities, responsibilities, adaptability, and connections between academics and vocation among those at a liberal arts college who intended to return to the institution…

Teachers' Knowledge of ADHD, Treatments for ADHD, and Treatment Acceptability: An Initial Investigation. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vereb, Rebecca L.; DiPerna, James C.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to begin to explore the relationship among teachers' knowledge of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), knowledge of common treatments for ADHD, and acceptability of different approaches to treatment for ADHD (medication and behavior management). Relationships also were explored between these variables and…

Exploring Students' Interactions, Arguments, and Reflections in General Chemistry Laboratories with Different Levels of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Haozhi

2012-01-01

Students' learning in inquiry-based investigations has drawn considerable attention of the science education community. Inquiry activities can be viewed as knowledge construction processes in which students are expected to develop conceptual understanding and critical thinking abilities. Our study aimed to explore the effect of experiments…

Relationships between Observations of Elementary Mathematics Instruction and Student Achievement: Exploring Variability across Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Kathleen; Chin, Mark; Blazar, David

2017-01-01

Much debate surrounding teacher quality has focused on students' standardized test scores, but recent federal and state initiatives have emphasized the use of multiple measures to evaluate teacher quality, including classroom observations. In this study, we explore differences across school districts in the relationship between student achievement…

Exploring Bullying: An Early Childhood Perspective from Mainland China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arndt, Janet S.; Luo, Nili

2008-01-01

This article explores bullying in mainland China. The authors conducted a study to determine the existence of a problem with bullying in younger Chinese children. Samples included 40 randomly selected, early childhood educators serving children ages 2 through 6, located in 10 different urban school settings along the Yangzi River. The authors…

Exploring the Limitations of Measures of Students' Socioeconomic Status (SES)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickinson, Emily R.; Adelson, Jill L.

2014-01-01

This study uses a nationally representative student dataset to explore the limitations of commonly used measures of socioeconomic status (SES). Among the identified limitations are patterns of missing data that conflate the traditional conceptualization of SES with differences in family structure that have emerged in recent years and a lack of…

Consistency in boldness, activity and exploration at different stages of life

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Animals show consistent individual behavioural patterns over time and over situations. This phenomenon has been referred to as animal personality or behavioural syndromes. Little is known about consistency of animal personalities over entire life times. We investigated the repeatability of behaviour in common voles (Microtus arvalis) at different life stages, with different time intervals, and in different situations. Animals were tested using four behavioural tests in three experimental groups: 1. before and after maturation over three months, 2. twice as adults during one week, and 3. twice as adult animals over three months, which resembles a substantial part of their entire adult life span of several months. Results Different behaviours were correlated within and between tests and a cluster analysis showed three possible behavioural syndrome-axes, which we name boldness, exploration and activity. Activity and exploration behaviour in all tests was highly repeatable in adult animals tested over one week. In animals tested over maturation, exploration behaviour was consistent whereas activity was not. Voles that were tested as adults with a three-month interval showed the opposite pattern with stable activity but unstable exploration behaviour. Conclusions The consistency in behaviour over time suggests that common voles do express stable personality over short time. Over longer periods however, behaviour is more flexible and depending on life stage (i.e. tested before/after maturation or as adults) of the tested individual. Level of boldness or activity does not differ between tested groups and maintenance of variation in behavioural traits can therefore not be explained by expected future assets as reported in other studies. PMID:24314274

Consistency in boldness, activity and exploration at different stages of life.

PubMed

Herde, Antje; Eccard, Jana A

2013-12-07

Animals show consistent individual behavioural patterns over time and over situations. This phenomenon has been referred to as animal personality or behavioural syndromes. Little is known about consistency of animal personalities over entire life times. We investigated the repeatability of behaviour in common voles (Microtus arvalis) at different life stages, with different time intervals, and in different situations. Animals were tested using four behavioural tests in three experimental groups: 1. before and after maturation over three months, 2. twice as adults during one week, and 3. twice as adult animals over three months, which resembles a substantial part of their entire adult life span of several months. Different behaviours were correlated within and between tests and a cluster analysis showed three possible behavioural syndrome-axes, which we name boldness, exploration and activity. Activity and exploration behaviour in all tests was highly repeatable in adult animals tested over one week. In animals tested over maturation, exploration behaviour was consistent whereas activity was not. Voles that were tested as adults with a three-month interval showed the opposite pattern with stable activity but unstable exploration behaviour. The consistency in behaviour over time suggests that common voles do express stable personality over short time. Over longer periods however, behaviour is more flexible and depending on life stage (i.e. tested before/after maturation or as adults) of the tested individual. Level of boldness or activity does not differ between tested groups and maintenance of variation in behavioural traits can therefore not be explained by expected future assets as reported in other studies.

Do medical students like communication? Validation of the German CSAS (Communication Skills Attitude Scale)

PubMed Central

Busch, Anne-Kathrin; Rockenbauch, Katrin; Schmutzer, Gabriele; Brähler, Elmar

2015-01-01

Objectives: Attitudes towards communication skills of medical undergraduates can be gathered using the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS). We aimed to develop a German version of the CSAS (CSAS-G) in order to explore attitudes towards communication skills in a German cohort. Additionally the potential influence of demographic factors was examined. Methods: We realized the CSAS-G and conducted a survey with 529 participants from 3 different years of study. We then carried out an explorative as well as confirmatory factor analysis and compared the attitudinal scores. Multiple regression analysis was performed. Results: The confirmatory analysis confirmed the two-subscale system revealed by the explorative factor analysis. Students indicate low levels of negative attitudes and moderate levels of positive attitudes. Attitudinal scores differ significantly in relation to gender. Conclusion: The CSAS-G can be used in German cohorts to evaluate attitudes towards communication skills. Medical students in our study show basically a positive approach. Further investigation is necessary to explore and understand attitudes towards communication skills of German medical students. PMID:25699103

A pilot study exploring the contribution of working memory to "jumping to conclusions" in people with first episode psychosis.

PubMed

Ormrod, John; Shaftoe, Debra; Cavanagh, Kate; Freeston, Mark; Turkington, Douglas; Price, Jason; Dudley, Robert

2012-01-01

People with delusional beliefs "jump to conclusions" (JTC). This finding is well replicated. However, there is only limited exploration of the factors that might lead a person to JTC. The aim of the present study was to explore the contribution of working memory processes (WM) and IQ to hasty decision making and to investigate the stability of this bias over time. A single group cross-sectional design was utilised. The study was conducted in 2 phases: (1) an initial screening phase and (2) an experimental phase whereby we explored and tested hypotheses regarding the cognitive origins of the JTC bias. In Study 1, participants completed the beads task as well as measures of mood and symptoms. In Study 2, the same participants repeated the beads task, and completed a battery of neuropsychological tests designed to assess different facets of WM and IQ. In most cases, "jumpers" were indistinguishable from "nonjumpers" in terms of their neuropsychological profiles. The only exception to this pattern was for visual working memory, in which "jumpers" performed better than "nonjumpers". In terms of the temporal stability of the JTC bias, 8 individuals (out of the 29) effectively switched from being "jumpers" at T1 to "nonjumpers" at T2. This study casts doubt on reduced global WM as an explanation of JTC. Rather it may be that the differences in reasoning are related to the manipulation of visual material and do not extend to other areas of neuropsychological functioning. However, as our sample is small it may be underpowered to detect important differences. Future work is therefore needed to replicate these findings.

Working, sex partner age differences, and sexual behavior among African American youth.

PubMed

Bauermeister, José A; Zimmerman, Marc; Xue, Yange; Gee, Gilbert C; Caldwell, Cleopatra H

2009-10-01

Participation in the workplace has been proposed as a potential structural-level HIV/STI prevention strategy for youth. Only a few cross-sectional studies have explored the effect of work during adolescence and young adulthood on sexual behavior and their results have been mixed. This study builds on this literature by exploring whether work influences youths' sexual behavior in a cohort of African American youth (N = 562; 45% males; M = 14.5 years, SD = 0.6) followed from adolescence to young adulthood (ages 13-25 years). Using growth curve modeling, we tested whether working was associated with older sex partners. Then, we explored the association between sex partner age differences and sexual behaviors (i.e., number of sex partners, condom use, and frequency of sexual intercourse). Finally, we tested whether the relationship between sex partner age differences and sexual behaviors was confounded by working. Working greater number of hours was not significantly associated with having older sex partners. Sex partner age differences was associated with number of partners, condom use, and higher sex frequency. These associations were larger for females. Working was associated with higher sex frequency, after accounting for age differences. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research and program planning, particularly in the context of youth development programs.

Working, Sex Partner Age Differences, and Sexual Behavior among African American Youth

PubMed Central

Bauermeister, José A.; Zimmerman, Marc; Xue, Yange; Gee, Gilbert C.; Caldwell, Cleopatra H.

2009-01-01

Participation in the workplace has been proposed as a potential structural-level HIV/STI prevention strategy for youth. Only a few cross-sectional studies have explored the effect of work during adolescence and young adulthood on sexual behavior and their results have been mixed. This study builds on this literature by exploring whether work influences youths’ sexual behavior in a cohort of African American youth [N = 562; 45% males; M = 14.5 years, SD = 0.6] followed from adolescence to young adulthood (ages 13 to 25). Using growth curve modeling, we tested whether working was associated with older sex partners. Then, we explored the association between sex partner age differences and sexual behaviors (i.e., number of sex partners, condom use, and frequency of sexual intercourse). Finally, we tested whether the relationship between sex partner age differences and sexual behaviors was confounded by working. Working greater number of hours was not significantly associated with having older sex partners. Sex partner age differences was associated with number of partners, condom use, and and higher sex frequency. These associations were larger for females. Working was associated with higher sex frequency, after accounting for age differences. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research and program planning, particularly in the context of youth development programs. PMID:18574686

Exploring Evolving Media Discourse Through Event Cueing.

PubMed

Lu, Yafeng; Steptoe, Michael; Burke, Sarah; Wang, Hong; Tsai, Jiun-Yi; Davulcu, Hasan; Montgomery, Douglas; Corman, Steven R; Maciejewski, Ross

2016-01-01

Online news, microblogs and other media documents all contain valuable insight regarding events and responses to events. Underlying these documents is the concept of framing, a process in which communicators act (consciously or unconsciously) to construct a point of view that encourages facts to be interpreted by others in a particular manner. As media discourse evolves, how topics and documents are framed can undergo change, shifting the discussion to different viewpoints or rhetoric. What causes these shifts can be difficult to determine directly; however, by linking secondary datasets and enabling visual exploration, we can enhance the hypothesis generation process. In this paper, we present a visual analytics framework for event cueing using media data. As discourse develops over time, our framework applies a time series intervention model which tests to see if the level of framing is different before or after a given date. If the model indicates that the times before and after are statistically significantly different, this cues an analyst to explore related datasets to help enhance their understanding of what (if any) events may have triggered these changes in discourse. Our framework consists of entity extraction and sentiment analysis as lenses for data exploration and uses two different models for intervention analysis. To demonstrate the usage of our framework, we present a case study on exploring potential relationships between climate change framing and conflicts in Africa.

What is in the feedback? Effect of induced happiness vs. sadness on probabilistic learning with vs. without exploration.

PubMed

Bakic, Jasmina; De Raedt, Rudi; Jepma, Marieke; Pourtois, Gilles

2015-01-01

According to dominant neuropsychological theories of affect, emotions signal salience of events and in turn facilitate a wide spectrum of response options or action tendencies. Valence of an emotional experience is pivotal here, as it alters reward and punishment processing, as well as the balance between safety and risk taking, which can be translated into changes in the exploration-exploitation trade-off during reinforcement learning (RL). To test this idea, we compared the behavioral performance of three groups of participants that all completed a variant of a standard probabilistic learning task, but who differed regarding which mood state was actually induced and maintained (happy, sad or neutral). To foster a change from an exploration to an exploitation-based mode, we removed feedback information once learning was reliably established. Although changes in mood were successful, learning performance was balanced between the three groups. Critically, when focusing on exploitation-driven learning only, they did not differ either. Moreover, mood valence did not alter the learning rate or exploration per se, when titrated using complementing computational modeling. By comparing systematically these results to our previous study (Bakic et al., 2014), we found that arousal levels did differ between studies, which might account for limited modulatory effects of (positive) mood on RL in the present case. These results challenge the assumption that mood valence alone is enough to create strong shifts in the way exploitation or exploration is eventually carried out during (probabilistic) learning. In this context, we discuss the possibility that both valence and arousal are actually necessary components of the emotional mood state to yield changes in the use and exploration of incentives cues during RL.

Visually Exploring Transportation Schedules.

PubMed

Palomo, Cesar; Guo, Zhan; Silva, Cláudio T; Freire, Juliana

2016-01-01

Public transportation schedules are designed by agencies to optimize service quality under multiple constraints. However, real service usually deviates from the plan. Therefore, transportation analysts need to identify, compare and explain both eventual and systemic performance issues that must be addressed so that better timetables can be created. The purely statistical tools commonly used by analysts pose many difficulties due to the large number of attributes at trip- and station-level for planned and real service. Also challenging is the need for models at multiple scales to search for patterns at different times and stations, since analysts do not know exactly where or when relevant patterns might emerge and need to compute statistical summaries for multiple attributes at different granularities. To aid in this analysis, we worked in close collaboration with a transportation expert to design TR-EX, a visual exploration tool developed to identify, inspect and compare spatio-temporal patterns for planned and real transportation service. TR-EX combines two new visual encodings inspired by Marey's Train Schedule: Trips Explorer for trip-level analysis of frequency, deviation and speed; and Stops Explorer for station-level study of delay, wait time, reliability and performance deficiencies such as bunching. To tackle overplotting and to provide a robust representation for a large numbers of trips and stops at multiple scales, the system supports variable kernel bandwidths to achieve the level of detail required by users for different tasks. We justify our design decisions based on specific analysis needs of transportation analysts. We provide anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of TR-EX through a series of case studies that explore NYC subway service, which illustrate how TR-EX can be used to confirm hypotheses and derive new insights through visual exploration.

Does Professional Development School Preparation Make a Difference? A Comparison of Three Teacher Candidate Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castle, Sharon; Fox, Rebecca K.; Fuhrman, Caroline

2009-01-01

The article compares three replication studies that explore potential differences between teacher candidates trained in professional development schools and those trained in a traditional program. Data sources included student teaching evaluations (analyzed quantitatively) and portfolio reflections, oral and written (analyzed qualitatively). The…

Social and Experiential Influences on the Development of Inheritance Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Joanne M.; Smith, Lesley A.

2006-01-01

This study explored social and experiential differences in children's (aged 4 to 14 years) concepts of inheritance. The study utilized semi-structured interviews including four tasks that were designed to elicit judgements and explanations about different aspects of inheritance understanding. A variety of social and experiential factors were…

Spiritual Exchange in Pluralistic Contexts: Sharing Narratives across Worldview Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rockenbach, Alyssa Bryant; Bachenheimer, Aaron; Conley, Abigail Holland; Grays, Shaefny

2014-01-01

Grounded in narrative inquiry, this study explored the ways in which graduate and undergraduate students representing different worldview identities come together in dyads to share stories that reflect their existential and spiritual development. The study revealed two contrasting types of exchange: (1) deep, personal exchanges that involved a…

Observing Aggression of Teachers in School Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben Sasson, Dvora; Somech, Anit

2015-01-01

To fill the gap in theoretical and empirical knowledge on workplace aggression by teachers working in teams, this study explored its components, its targets, and its contextual determinants. Data were collected through three observations at different schools and at different times on 29 math, homeroom, language, and science studies teams.…

Representational Task Formats and Problem Solving Strategies in Kinematics and Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibrahim, Bashirah; Rebello, N. Sanjay

2012-01-01

Previous studies have reported that students employed different problem solving approaches when presented with the same task structured with different representations. In this study, we explored and compared students' strategies as they attempted tasks from two topical areas, kinematics and work. Our participants were 19 engineering students…

The Omitted Variable in Accounting Education Research: The Non-Traditional Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohrweis, Lawrence C.

2010-01-01

Few studies have examined the empirical question of whether nontraditional students are different from traditional students in learning performance. This study explores this issue. Specifically, is there a performance difference between traditional and nontraditional students in the first course in accounting? The model regressed students'…

A Comparative Study of Immigrant Children Starting Childcare

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Karen

2017-01-01

This comparative study investigated the experiences of starting childcare of three immigrant children in three different learning environments in New Zealand. The notion of learning environment was explored as a way of thinking about how different people, places, and approaches to learning have interacted to create a particular site for the…

Gender Differences in Mental Simulation during Sentence and Word Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wassenburg, Stephanie I.; de Koning, Björn B.; de Vries, Meinou H.; Boonstra, A. Marije; van der Schoot, Menno

2017-01-01

Text comprehension requires readers to mentally simulate the described situation by reactivating previously acquired sensory and motor information from (episodic) memory. Drawing upon research demonstrating gender differences, favouring girls, in tasks involving episodic memory retrieval, the present study explores whether gender differences exist…

Urban/Rural and Gender Differences among Canadian Emerging Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheah, Charissa S. L.; Trinder, Krista M.; Gokavi, Tara N.

2010-01-01

Although cultural and subcultural differences during the transition to adulthood have been examined, important factors like rural/urban upbringing and gender differences among Canadian emerging adults have been neglected. The present study explored developmentally significant tasks including criteria for adulthood, beliefs about religiosity, and…

Exploring the Relationship of Organizational Culture and Implicit Leadership Theory to Performance Differences in the Nuclear and Fossil Energy Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cravey, Kristopher J.

Notable performance differences exist between nuclear and fossil power generation plants in areas such as safety, outage duration efficiency, and capacity factor. This study explored the relationship of organizational culture and implicit leadership theory to these performance differences. A mixed methods approach consisting of quantitative instruments, namely the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument and the GLOBE Leadership Scales, and qualitative interviews were used in this study. Subjects were operations middle managers in a U.S. energy company that serves nuclear or fossil power plants. Results from the quantitative instruments revealed no differences between nuclear and fossil groups in regards to organizational culture types and implicit leadership theories. However, the qualitative results did reveal divergence between the two groups in regards to what is valued in the organization and how that drives behaviors and decision making. These organizational phenomenological differences seem to explain why performance differences exist between nuclear and fossil plants because, ultimately, they affect how the organization functions.

Different Instructional Preferences between Western and Far East Asian Adult Learners: A Case Study of Graduate Students in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chuang, Szu-Fang

2012-01-01

As the workplace becomes more international, it is necessary to periodically examine the learning preferences of adults from different cultures in order to enhance their transfer of learning. This study explored whether there was any different instructional preference between Western and nonresident Far East Asian (NFEA, also Confucian-influenced)…

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Oral Communicative Competence and Peer Rejection: An Explorative Study in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Wilt, Femke; van Kruistum, Claudia; van der Veen, Chiel; van Oers, Bert

2016-01-01

This study investigated gender differences in the relationship between oral communicative competence and peer rejection in early childhood education. It was hypothesized that children with poorer oral communicative competence would be rejected by their peers more frequently and that the strength of this relationship would differ for boys and…

Exploring the Factors That Affect the Intention to Use Collaborative Technologies: The Differing Perspectives of Sequential/Global Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Yong-Ming

2015-01-01

The use of collaborative technologies in learning has received considerable attention in recent years, but few studies to date have examined the factors that affect sequential and global learners' intention to use such technologies. Previous studies have shown that the learners of different learning styles have different needs for educational…

Exploring the capabilities of support vector machines in detecting silent data corruptions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Subasi, Omer; Di, Sheng; Bautista-Gomez, Leonardo

As the exascale era approaches, the increasing capacity of high-performance computing (HPC) systems with targeted power and energy budget goals introduces significant challenges in reliability. Silent data corruptions (SDCs), or silent errors, are one of the major sources that corrupt the execution results of HPC applications without being detected. Here in this paper, we explore a set of novel SDC detectors – by leveraging epsilon-insensitive support vector machine regression – to detect SDCs that occur in HPC applications. The key contributions are threefold. (1) Our exploration takes temporal, spatial, and spatiotemporal features into account and analyzes different detectors based onmore » different features. (2) We provide an in-depth study on the detection ability and performance with different parameters, and we optimize the detection range carefully. (3) Experiments with eight real-world HPC applications show that support-vector-machine-based detectors can achieve detection sensitivity (i.e., recall) up to 99% yet suffer a less than 1% false positive rate for most cases. Our detectors incur low performance overhead, 5% on average, for all benchmarks studied in this work.« less

Exploring the capabilities of support vector machines in detecting silent data corruptions

DOE PAGES

Subasi, Omer; Di, Sheng; Bautista-Gomez, Leonardo; ...

2018-02-01

As the exascale era approaches, the increasing capacity of high-performance computing (HPC) systems with targeted power and energy budget goals introduces significant challenges in reliability. Silent data corruptions (SDCs), or silent errors, are one of the major sources that corrupt the execution results of HPC applications without being detected. Here in this paper, we explore a set of novel SDC detectors – by leveraging epsilon-insensitive support vector machine regression – to detect SDCs that occur in HPC applications. The key contributions are threefold. (1) Our exploration takes temporal, spatial, and spatiotemporal features into account and analyzes different detectors based onmore » different features. (2) We provide an in-depth study on the detection ability and performance with different parameters, and we optimize the detection range carefully. (3) Experiments with eight real-world HPC applications show that support-vector-machine-based detectors can achieve detection sensitivity (i.e., recall) up to 99% yet suffer a less than 1% false positive rate for most cases. Our detectors incur low performance overhead, 5% on average, for all benchmarks studied in this work.« less

An exploration of sexual minority stress across the lines of gender and sexual identity.

PubMed

Hequembourg, Amy L; Brallier, Sara A

2009-01-01

Despite growing evidence to suggest that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals experience a range of stressors and consequences related to their sexual minority status, no known studies to date have employed focus group discussion to explore and document their perceptions of sexual minority stress. In this exploratory study, we present focus group data on a range of sexual minority stressors as described by 43 gay men, lesbians, and bisexual men and women. We explore gender and sexual identity differences in the respondents' perceptions of heteronormativity, disclosure issues in different social settings, sources of support, and strategies for coping with stress. Respondents reported that women's same-sex relationships were eroticized and distorted to accommodate heterosexual male desire, while men were negatively depicted as sexually promiscuous and deviant. These differing stereotypes held important consequences for disclosure decisions and affected men's and women's social interactions with heterosexual men. Bisexual respondents reported unique strategies to cope with exclusion and isolation associated with misunderstandings about their sexual identities. Directions for future research on sexual minority stress are discussed.

The Deficit Representation of Youth at Different Levels of Curriculum-Making: A Case Study on the Liberal Studies Curriculum in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Chitat; Ting, Wai-Fong

2012-01-01

This study explores whether the deficit approach to understanding youth, which has been widely critiqued in contemporary youth studies, could still be a dominant paradigm in an emerging curriculum which emphasises multiple-perspective thinking. The analysis compares the representations of youth in selected reference sources at different levels of…

An Empirical Study of the Distributional Changes in Higher Education among East, Middle and West China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Chunjiao; Li, Song

2008-01-01

Based on the quantitative research and comparative study method, this paper attempts to make a systematic study and analysis of regional differences which have existed since 1949 in higher education among East, Middle and West China. The study is intended to explore the causes, regional differences, social changes, and their co-related…

Recruiting young people with a visible difference to the YP Face IT feasibility trial: a qualitative exploration of primary care staff experiences.

PubMed

Hamlet, Claire; Williamson, Heidi; Harcourt, Diana

2017-11-01

Qualitative research methods embedded within feasibility trials are of significant value as they can provide important information for a definitive trial, often unable to be fulfilled by quantitative methods alone. In addition, such information can aid researchers running other trials or evaluating interventions on a similar topic. Aim This study aimed to explore GP and nurses' experiences of recruiting to a trial exploring the feasibility of evaluating YP Face IT, a novel online psychosocial intervention to support young people with appearance-altering conditions. During the recruitment period, a focus group with participating GPs and nurses explored recruitment challenges. In addition, at the end of the recruitment period, telephone interviews were conducted with eight GPs and nurses involved in recruiting to the study, in order to inform a definitive trial of YP Face IT. Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Findings Despite reporting that the study was valuable and interesting, interviewees struggled to recruit in-consultation. They appeared to lack confidence in raising the sensitive issue of a visible difference and adopted strategies to avoid mentioning the topic. Participants felt the nature of the target population, as well as pressures of the primary care environment presented challenges to recruitment, but welcomed YP Face IT as an intervention that could address unmet support needs. Primary care staff may benefit from training to help them raise the subject of a visible difference with young people in order to identify those that require additional support.

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Productivity-Related Costs: A Longitudinal Analysis.

PubMed

Arnold, Amélie E; Coffeng, Jennifer K; Boot, Cécile R L; van der Beek, Allard J; van Tulder, Maurits W; Nieboer, Dagmar; van Dongen, Johanna M

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between job satisfaction and total productivity-related costs, and between job satisfaction and absenteeism and presenteeism costs separately. A secondary aim was to explore whether these relationships differed across job types. Linear generalized estimating equation analyses were used to explore the longitudinal relationships. To explore whether the relationships differed across job types, stratified analyses were performed. A significant relationship was found between job satisfaction and total productivity-related costs [β = &OV0556;-273; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -407 to -200] and between job satisfaction and presenteeism costs (β = &OV0556;-276; 95% CI: -367 to -235), but not between job satisfaction and absenteeism costs. These relationships differed across job types. Higher levels of job satisfaction were longitudinally related to lower total productivity-related costs and presenteeism costs, but not to lower absenteeism costs. These relationships seem to differ across job types.

Sex Differences and Gendered Behaviors: An Analysis of School-Age Children and Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dean, Michelle Carol

2013-01-01

This dissertation contains two studies, which are intended to expand our current knowledge about girls with ASD without intellectual disability. The first study examined sex-differences in ASD symptom endorsement and coexisting internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The second study explored the social behaviors of boys and girls with ASD at…

Acoustic Analyses and Intelligibility Assessments of Timing Patterns among Chinese English Learners with Different Dialect Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hsueh Chu

2015-01-01

This paper includes two interrelated studies. The first production study investigates the timing patterns of English as spoken by Chinese learners with different dialect backgrounds. The second comprehension study explores native and non-native speakers' assessments of the intelligibility of Chinese-accented English, and examines the effects of…

Exploring the impact of positive and negative emotions on cooperative behaviour in a Prisoner’s Dilemma Game

PubMed Central

Thompson, Sam

2013-01-01

Objective. To explore the influences of discrete positive and negative emotions on cooperation in the context of a social dilemma game. Design. Two controlled studies were undertaken. In Study 1, 69 participants were randomly assigned to an essay emotion manipulation task designed to induce either guilt, joy or no strong emotion. In Study 2, 95 participants were randomly assigned to one of the same three tasks, and the impact of emotional condition on cooperation was explored using a repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma Game. Results. Study 1 established that the manipulation task was successful in inducing the specified emotions. The analysis from Study 2 revealed no significant main effects for emotions, in contrast to previous research. However, there was a significant effect for participants’ pre-existing tendency to cooperate (social value orientation; SVO). Conclusion. Methodological explanations for the result are explored, including the possible impact of trial-and-error strategies, different cooperation games and endogenous vs exogenous emotions. PMID:24432196

Exploring the impact of positive and negative emotions on cooperative behaviour in a Prisoner's Dilemma Game.

PubMed

Kjell, Oscar N E; Thompson, Sam

2013-12-19

Objective. To explore the influences of discrete positive and negative emotions on cooperation in the context of a social dilemma game. Design. Two controlled studies were undertaken. In Study 1, 69 participants were randomly assigned to an essay emotion manipulation task designed to induce either guilt, joy or no strong emotion. In Study 2, 95 participants were randomly assigned to one of the same three tasks, and the impact of emotional condition on cooperation was explored using a repeated Prisoner's Dilemma Game. Results. Study 1 established that the manipulation task was successful in inducing the specified emotions. The analysis from Study 2 revealed no significant main effects for emotions, in contrast to previous research. However, there was a significant effect for participants' pre-existing tendency to cooperate (social value orientation; SVO). Conclusion. Methodological explanations for the result are explored, including the possible impact of trial-and-error strategies, different cooperation games and endogenous vs exogenous emotions.

Infective endocarditis and thoracic aortic disease: A review on forgotten psychological aspects.

PubMed

Suárez Bagnasco, Mariana; Núñez-Gil, Iván J

2017-07-26

To summarize the current evidence on psychological issues in thoracic aortic disease (TAD) and infective endocarditis (IE) setting. We performed a narrative review about psychological issues in adults with IE and TAD. Through the electronic databases, PubMed and PsycINFO, we searched full manuscripts in English and published until September 1, 2014. We found sixteen studies exploring psychological issues in patients with IE (six studies) and in TAD (ten papers). Psychological issues assessed were quality of life, depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Quality of life was explored in IE (four papers) and in TAD (eight papers). Depression and anxiety were analyzed in TAD only (five papers). Post-traumatic stress disorder was assessed in IE (one study). Quality of life was found impaired in three of four studies about IE and in three of eight studies about TAD. Posttraumatic stress disorder was present in 11% and was associated with lower levels of quality of life in IE patients. In TAD patients, anxiety and depression levels after different invasive interventions did not differ. Sixteen studies report about psychological issues in IE and TAD. Most of them explore quality of life and to a less extent anxiety and depression.

Exploring heterogeneity in clinical trials with latent class analysis

PubMed Central

Abarda, Abdallah; Contractor, Ateka A.; Wang, Juan; Dayton, C. Mitchell

2018-01-01

Case-mix is common in clinical trials and treatment effect can vary across different subgroups. Conventionally, a subgroup analysis is performed by dividing the overall study population by one or two grouping variables. It is usually impossible to explore complex high-order intersections among confounding variables. Latent class analysis (LCA) provides a framework to identify latent classes by observed manifest variables. Distal clinical outcomes and treatment effect can be different across these classes. This paper provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to perform LCA with R. A simulated dataset is generated to illustrate the process. In the example, the classify-analyze approach is employed to explore the differential treatment effects on distal outcomes across latent classes. PMID:29955579

Reference Mission Version 3.0 Addendum to the Human Exploration of Mars: The Reference Mission of the NASA Mars Exploration Study Team. Addendum; 3.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Bret G. (Editor)

1998-01-01

This Addendum to the Mars Reference Mission was developed as a companion document to the NASA Special Publication 6107, "Human Exploration of Mars: The Reference Mission of the NASA Mars Exploration Study Team." It summarizes changes and updates to the Mars Reference Missions that were developed by the Exploration Office since the final draft of SP 6107 was printed in early 1999. The Reference Mission is a tool used by the exploration community to compare and evaluate approaches to mission and system concepts that could be used for human missions to Mars. It is intended to identify and clarify system drivers, significant sources of cost, performance, risk, and schedule variation. Several alternative scenarios, employing different technical approaches to solving mission and technology challenges, are discussed in this Addendum. Comparing alternative approaches provides the basis for continual improvement to technology investment plan and a general understanding of future human missions to Mars. The Addendum represents a snapshot of work in progress in support of planning for future human exploration missions through May 1998.

Review of literature of radial nerve injuries associated with humeral fractures-an integrated management strategy.

PubMed

Li, YuLin; Ning, GuangZhi; Wu, Qiang; Wu, QiuLi; Li, Yan; Feng, ShiQing

2013-01-01

Radial nerve palsy associated with fractures of the shaft of the humerus is the most common nerve lesion complicating fractures of long bones. However, the management of radial nerve injuries associated with humeral fractures is debatable. There was no consensus between observation and early exploration. The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, CINAHL, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, and Social Sciences Citation Index were searched. Two authors independently searched for relevant studies in any language from 1966 to Jan 2013. Thirty studies with 2952 humeral fractures participants were identified. Thirteen studies favored conservative strategy. No significant difference between early exploration and no exploration groups (OR, 1.03, 95% CI 0.61, 1.72; I(2) = 0.0%, p = 0.918 n.s.). Three studies recommend early radial nerve exploration in patients with open fractures of humerus with radial nerve injury. Five studies proposed early exploration was performed in high-energy humeral shaft fractures with radial nerve injury. The conservative strategy was a good choice for patients with low-energy closed fractures of humerus with radial nerve injury. We recommend early radial nerve exploration (within the first 2 weeks) in patients with open fractures or high-energy closed fractures of humerus with radial nerve injury.

Exploring Gender Differences in Solving Open-Ended Mathematical Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Jinfa

Open-ended tasks were used to examine gender differences in complex mathematical problem solving. The results of this study suggest that, overall, males perform better than females, but the gender differences vary from task to task. A qualitative analysis of student responses to those tasks with gender differences showed that male and female…

Exploring Motivational and Learning Differences with Mature Students in Post-Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, William C.; Smith, Leslie; Nielson, Keith

2010-01-01

This study examines the differences that exist among various age cohorts attending a post-secondary educational institution. Respondents were from the New Brunswick Community College's six separate campuses (n = 251). Significant differences were found to exist predominantly around social and family issues. Although differences did appear based on…

Generational Differences in Japanese Attitudes toward Women's Employment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, John W.

Traditional ideals discourage Japanese women from working outside the home. This study was conducted to explore generational differences in Japanese attitudes toward women's employment and to interpret those differences in terms of social change. Questionnaires were distributed to approximately 900 Japanese men and women. Subjects were classified…

A Qualitative Study of Interference with Communicative Participation across Communication Disorders in Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baylor, Carolyn; Burns, Michael; Eadie, Tanya; Britton, Deanna; Yorkston, Kathryn

2011-01-01

Purpose: To explore the similarities and differences in self-reported restrictions in communicative participation across different communication disorders in community-dwelling adults. Method: Interviews were conducted with 44 adults representing 7 different medical conditions: spasmodic dysphonia, multiple sclerosis, stroke, stuttering,…

Space transfer concepts and analysis for exploration missions. Implementation plan and element description document. Volume 1: Major trades. Book 1: Draft final

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This document presents trade studies and reference concept designs accomplished during a study of Space Transfer Concepts and Analyses for Exploration Missions (STCAEM). This volume contains the major top level trades, level 2 trades conducted in support of NASA's Lunar/Mars Exploration Program Office, and a synopsis of the vehicles for different propulsion systems under trade consideration. The vehicles are presented in more detail in other volumes of this report. Book 1 of Volume 1 covers the following analyses: lunar/Mars commonality trades, lunar/Mars mission operations, and Mars transfer systems.

Exploration of Intimacy in Intercultural and Intracultural Romantic Relationships in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reiter, Michael D.; Richmond, Katherine; Stirlen, Amber; Kompel, Natalia

2009-01-01

This study explores the area of intercultural dating relationships. An intercultural relationship is characterized by two individuals that come from different religions, cultures, and/or races and label their relationship as romantic. Such couples have been taboo for much of history, but have rapidly increased within the past thirty years (Crohn,…

An Exploration of the Readiness, Challenges and Expected Support for Their Overseas Study of Chinese Business and Management Programme Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Chengbo; Li, Xiaomei; Ou, Xuan; O'Kane, James; Mao, Zhaofang; Zhang, Wenquan

2015-01-01

Chinese students are the largest international student cohort in the higher education institutions of English-speaking developed countries. The paper explores strategies to enhance the Chinese students' learning efficacy in overseas institutions. This research differs from other research focusing on international students already in…

Exploring How and Why Young People Use Social Networking Sites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Laura

2018-01-01

Upcoming statutory UK government guidance for keeping children safe in education reflects the use of social media, which is one of the most common activities undertaken by young people. This study explores how and why young people are using social networking sites (SNS) and whether there are age or gender differences. A key feature of the study…

Exploring Student Characteristics of Retention That Lead to Graduation in Higher Education Using Data Mining Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raju, Dheeraj; Schumacker, Randall

2015-01-01

The study used earliest available student data from a flagship university in the southeast United States to build data mining models like logistic regression with different variable selection methods, decision trees, and neural networks to explore important student characteristics associated with retention leading to graduation. The decision tree…

Narrating and Performing Identity: Literacy Specialists' Writing Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Marilyn; Giorgis, Cyndi

2009-01-01

In this study, we explored ways that four literacy specialists who worked in three schools that were part of one state's Reading Excellence Act (REA) grant constructed their identities as writers and as teachers of writing. We also explored how they negotiated the performance of those identities in different contexts over a two-year period.…

The Relationship between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Aggressive Behaviour in Preschool Boys and Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kakouros, Efthymios; Maniadaki, Katerina; Karaba, Rania

2005-01-01

Research regarding attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) among preschoolers is limited. This study explored prevalence rates of AD/HD on a community-based sample of preschoolers in Athens. Moreover, it examined the relationship between AD/HD and aggressive behaviour and explored sex differences in this relationship. Nursery teachers…

Online Education: Perceptions of Faculty and Administrators at Three Different Types of Institutions of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Sneha Elizabeth

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty and administrator perceptions of online learning compared to traditional face-to-face instruction by exploring the factors that impact online instruction. Strategies that can lead to effective online learning environments were explored. Faculty and administrators working with online education at…

An Exploration of the Burnout Situation on Teachers in Two Schools in Macau

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luk, Andrew L.; Chan, Bessie P. S.; Cheong, Selwyne W.; Ko, Stanley K. K.

2010-01-01

To explore the burnout situation of teachers in two schools in Macau and to investigate any differences made of demographic characteristics. The relation of burnout on social problem solving and holistic health of teachers is also studied. A self reported questionnaire with the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory (C-MBI), Chinese Social Problem…

Coupled influences of topography and wind on wildland fire behaviour

Treesearch

Rodman Linn; Judith Winterkamp; Carleton Edminster; Jonah J. Colman; William S. Smith

2007-01-01

Ten simulations were performed with the HIGRAD/FIRETEC wildfire behaviour model in order to explore its utility in studying wildfire behaviour in inhomogeneous topography. The goal of these simulations is to explore the potential extent of the coupling between the fire, atmosphere, and topography. The ten simulations described in this paper include five different...

Exploring Stakeholders' Perspectives of the Influences on Student Learning in Cooperative Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, Jenny

2015-01-01

Fundamental to cooperative education is a philosophical commitment to learning through the experience of work. The workplace can be viewed as a social environment and provides a context for learning that is very different from that provided within a university. The aim of this research was, through an interpretive case study, to explore the…

An Exploration of the Science Teaching Orientations of Indian Science Teachers in the Context of Curriculum Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nargund-Joshi, Vanashri

2012-01-01

This study explores the concepts and behaviors, otherwise referred to as "orientations", of six Indian science teachers and the alignment of these orientations to the 2005 India National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005). Differences in teachers' orientations across grade bands (elementary, middle, and secondary) and school types (public…

Exploring Differences in Youth and Parent Reports of Antisociality among Adolescent Sexual and Nonsexual Offenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skilling, Tracey A.; Doiron, James M.; Seto, Michael C.

2011-01-01

This study examined the extent of, and explored several possible explanations for, the discrepancies found between adolescent and parent reports of conduct problems in adolescent sexual and nonsexual offenders. We found that adolescent sexual offenders scored lower on measures of conduct problems than did nonsexual offenders, whether on the basis…

Research on the Field of Education Policy: Exploring Different Levels of Approach and Abstraction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mainardes, Jefferson; Tello, César

2016-01-01

This paper, of theoretical nature, explores the levels of approach and abstraction of research in the field of education policy: description, analysis and understanding. Such categories were developed based on concepts of Bourdieu's theory and on the grounds of epistemological studies focused on education policy and meta-research. This paper…

Centralising Space: The Physical Education and Physical Activity Experiences of South Asian, Muslim Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stride, Annette

2016-01-01

This paper explores the physical education (PE) and physical activity experiences of a group of South Asian, Muslim girls, a group typically marginalised in PE and physical activity research. The study responds to ongoing calls for research to explore across different spaces in young people's lives. Specifically, I draw on a…

Exploring Children's Perceptions of Two School-Based Social Inclusion Programs: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, Sally; McPherson, Amy C.; Aslam, Henna; McKeever, Patricia; Wright, Virginia

2013-01-01

Background: Although social exclusion among typically developing school-aged children has been well explored, it is under-researched for children with disabilities even though they are at a higher risk for being excluded. While there are a number of different programs available to improve social inclusion at school, the appeal of these programs to…

Exploring Socio-Ecological Factors Influencing Active and Inactive Spanish Students in Years 12 and 13

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devís-Devís, José; Beltrán-Carrillo, Vicente J.; Peiró-Velert, Carmen

2015-01-01

This paper explores socio-ecological factors and their interplay that emerge from a qualitative study and influence adolescents' physical activity and sport participation. A total of 13 boys and 7 girls active and inactive adolescents, from years 12 and 13 and different types of school (state and private), participated in semi-structured…

Collaborative Inquiry with a Web-Based Science Learning Environment: When Teachers Enact It Differently

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Daner; Looi, Chee-Kit; Xie, Wenting

2014-01-01

Though discussion of the teacher factor in ICT-enabled science learning abounds in the literature, the investigation of Teacher Enactments (TEs) of ICT-facilitated lessons through exploring teaching practices is still under-explored and under-recognized. Current studies are still lacking in evidence-based findings of TEs based on the investigation…

Factors Affecting Differential Equation Problem Solving Ability of Students at Pre-University Level: A Conceptual Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aisha, Bibi; Zamri, Sharifa NorulAkmar Syed; Abdallah, Nabeel; Abedalaziz, Mohammad; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Satti, Umbreen

2017-01-01

In this study, different factors affecting students' differential equations (DEs) solving abilities were explored at pre university level. To explore main factors affecting students' differential equations problem solving ability, articles for a 19-year period, from 1996 to 2015, were critically reviewed and analyzed. It was revealed that…

Exploring How Children Use Their Hands to Think: An Embodied Interactional Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antle, Alissa N.

2013-01-01

In order to better understand how to design hands-on child-computer interaction, we explore how different styles of interaction facilitate children's thinking while they use their hands to manipulate objects. We present an exploratory study of children solving a spatial puzzle task. We investigate how the affordances of physical, graphical…

Exploring the Effectiveness of a Measurement Error Tutorial in Helping Teachers Understand Score Report Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zapata-Rivera, Diego; Zwick, Rebecca; Vezzu, Margaret

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a short web-based tutorial in helping teachers to better understand the portrayal of measurement error in test score reports. The short video tutorial included both verbal and graphical representations of measurement error. Results showed a significant difference in comprehension scores…

Creative Abilities in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prieto, Maria Dolores; Parra, Joaquin; Ferrando, Mercedes; Ferrandiz, Carmen; Bermejo, Maria Rosario; Sanchez, Cristina

2006-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore creativity in Spanish children during their early years and to explore differences regarding gender and age. We have used a sample of 285 children between five and seven years old. To measure their creativity we used the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). We have used the test of figured expression that…

Exploring Students' E-Learning Effectiveness through the Use of Line Chat Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Limsuthiwanpoom, Tassaneenart; Kanthawongs, Penjira; Kanthawongs, Penjuree; Suwandee, Sasithorn

2016-01-01

This study explores the impact of motivational goals for using social networking sites (SNS) usage and computer self-efficacy towards e-learning effectiveness of the 155 students from different schools at a private university, in Pathum Thani province, Thailand during April to May of academic year 2015/2016. Social dimension and human interaction…

The gender gap in peer-reviewed publications by physical therapy faculty members: a productivity puzzle.

PubMed

Kaufman, Regina R; Chevan, Julia

2011-01-01

Studies of peer-reviewed article publication by faculty in higher education show men publish more than women. Part of the difference in publishing appears to be attributable directly to gender. Gender differences in publishing productivity have not been explored in physical therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore effects of gender on peer-reviewed publication productivity in physical therapy. This was a cross-sectional study using survey methods. A survey was administered to a random sample of 881 physical therapy faculty members; 459 responses were used for analysis. Men were more likely than women to be married, have children, hold a PhD degree, be tenured or on a tenure track, and hold the position of department chair. There was a significant difference in peer-reviewed publication rates between male and female respondents. Negative binomial regression models revealed that female gender was a negative predictor of peer-reviewed publication, accounting for between 0.51 and 0.58 fewer articles per year for women than for men over the course of a career. Reasons for the gender differences are not clear. Factors such as grant funding, laboratory resources, nature of collaborative relationships, values for different elements of the teaching/research/service triad, and ability to negotiate the academic culture were not captured by our model. The gender gap in peer-reviewed publishing productivity may have implications for individuals and the profession of physical therapy and should be subject to further exploration.

Building v/s Exploring Models: Comparing Learning of Evolutionary Processes through Agent-based Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagh, Aditi

Two strands of work motivate the three studies in this dissertation. Evolutionary change can be viewed as a computational complex system in which a small set of rules operating at the individual level result in different population level outcomes under different conditions. Extensive research has documented students' difficulties with learning about evolutionary change (Rosengren et al., 2012), particularly in terms of levels slippage (Wilensky & Resnick, 1999). Second, though building and using computational models is becoming increasingly common in K-12 science education, we know little about how these two modalities compare. This dissertation adopts agent-based modeling as a representational system to compare these modalities in the conceptual context of micro-evolutionary processes. Drawing on interviews, Study 1 examines middle-school students' productive ways of reasoning about micro-evolutionary processes to find that the specific framing of traits plays a key role in whether slippage explanations are cued. Study 2, which was conducted in 2 schools with about 150 students, forms the crux of the dissertation. It compares learning processes and outcomes when students build their own models or explore a pre-built model. Analysis of Camtasia videos of student pairs reveals that builders' and explorers' ways of accessing rules, and sense-making of observed trends are of a different character. Builders notice rules through available blocks-based primitives, often bypassing their enactment while explorers attend to rules primarily through the enactment. Moreover, builders' sense-making of observed trends is more rule-driven while explorers' is more enactment-driven. Pre and posttests reveal that builders manifest a greater facility with accessing rules, providing explanations manifesting targeted assembly. Explorers use rules to construct explanations manifesting non-targeted assembly. Interviews reveal varying degrees of shifts away from slippage in both modalities, with students who built models not incorporating slippage explanations in responses. Study 3 compares these modalities with a control using traditional activities. Pre and posttests reveal that the two modalities manifested greater facility with accessing and assembling rules than the control. The dissertation offers implications for the design of learning environments for evolutionary change, design of the two modalities based on their strengths and weaknesses, and teacher training for the same.

Does the Short-Term Effect of Air Pollution Influence the Incidence of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Different Patient Groups? Big Data Analysis in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chien, Ting-Ying; Ting, Hsien-Wei; Chan, Chien-Lung; Yang, Nan-Ping; Pan, Ren-Hao; Lai, K Robert; Hung, Su-In

2017-12-10

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) has a high mortality rate. Research has demonstrated that the occurrence of sICH is related to air pollution. This study used big data analysis to explore the impact of air pollution on the risk of sICH in patients of differing age and geographic location. 39,053 cases were included in this study; 14,041 in the Taipei region (Taipei City and New Taipei City), 5537 in Taoyuan City, 7654 in Taichung City, 4739 in Tainan City, and 7082 in Kaohsiung City. The results of correlation analysis indicated that there were two pollutants groups, the CO and NO₂ group and the PM 2.5 and PM 10 group. Furthermore, variations in the correlations of sICH with air pollutants were identified in different age groups. The co-factors of the influence of air pollutants in the different age groups were explored using regression analysis. This study integrated Taiwan National Health Insurance data and air pollution data to explore the risk factors of sICH using big data analytics. We found that PM 2.5 and PM 10 are very important risk factors for sICH, and age is an important modulating factor that allows air pollutants to influence the incidence of sICH.

Does the Short-Term Effect of Air Pollution Influence the Incidence of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Different Patient Groups? Big Data Analysis in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chien, Ting-Ying; Ting, Hsien-Wei; Chan, Chien-Lung; Lai, K. Robert; Hung, Su-In

2017-01-01

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) has a high mortality rate. Research has demonstrated that the occurrence of sICH is related to air pollution. This study used big data analysis to explore the impact of air pollution on the risk of sICH in patients of differing age and geographic location. 39,053 cases were included in this study; 14,041 in the Taipei region (Taipei City and New Taipei City), 5537 in Taoyuan City, 7654 in Taichung City, 4739 in Tainan City, and 7082 in Kaohsiung City. The results of correlation analysis indicated that there were two pollutants groups, the CO and NO2 group and the PM2.5 and PM10 group. Furthermore, variations in the correlations of sICH with air pollutants were identified in different age groups. The co-factors of the influence of air pollutants in the different age groups were explored using regression analysis. This study integrated Taiwan National Health Insurance data and air pollution data to explore the risk factors of sICH using big data analytics. We found that PM2.5 and PM10 are very important risk factors for sICH, and age is an important modulating factor that allows air pollutants to influence the incidence of sICH. PMID:29232865

Boldness predicts an individual's position along an exploration-exploitation foraging trade-off.

PubMed

Patrick, Samantha C; Pinaud, David; Weimerskirch, Henri

2017-09-01

Individuals do not have complete information about the environment and therefore they face a trade-off between gathering information (exploration) and gathering resources (exploitation). Studies have shown individual differences in components of this trade-off but how stable these strategies are in a population and the intrinsic drivers of these differences is not well understood. Top marine predators are expected to experience a particularly strong trade-off as many species have large foraging ranges and their prey often have a patchy distribution. This environment leads these species to exhibit pronounced exploration and exploitation phases but differences between individuals are poorly resolved. Personality differences are known to be important in foraging behaviour but also in the trade-off between exploration and exploitation. Here we test whether personality predicts an individual exploration-exploitation strategy using wide ranging wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) as a model system. Using GPS tracking data from 276 wandering albatrosses, we extract foraging parameters indicative of exploration (searching) and exploitation (foraging) and show that foraging effort, time in patch and size of patch are strongly correlated, demonstrating these are indicative of an exploration-exploitation (EE) strategy. Furthermore, we show these are consistent within individuals and appear stable in the population, with no reproductive advantage. The searching and foraging behaviour of bolder birds placed them towards the exploration end of the trade-off, whereas shy birds showed greater exploitation. This result provides a mechanism through which individual foraging strategies may emerge. Age and sex affected components of the trade-off, but not the trade-off itself, suggesting these factors may drive behavioural compensation to maintain resource acquisition and this was supported by the evidence that there were no fitness consequence of any EE trait nor the trade-off itself. These results demonstrate a clear trade-off between information gathering and exploitation of prey patches, and reveals for the first time that boldness may drive these differences. This provides a mechanism through which widely reported links between personality and foraging may emerge. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

Outcomes measurement: compliance tool or strategic initiative?

PubMed

Linder, J C

1991-01-01

This article explores how hospitals are using outcomes measurement to deal with their changing environment. Based on interviews at thirty-one hospitals, the study reveals three very different management approaches and three different uses of the same outcomes measurement tool.

Sex Differences in Performance over 7 Years on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised among Adults with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kittler, P.; Krinsky-McHale, S. J.; Devenny, D. A.

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore changes related to sex differences on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised (WISC-R) subtest performance over a 7-year interval in middle-aged adults with intellectual disability (ID). Cognitive sex differences have been extensively studied in the general population, but there are few reports…

Psychopathology: Differences among Adults with Intellectually Disabled, Comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorders and Epilepsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kimberly R. M.; Matson, Johnny L.

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to systematically examine group differences among adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), comorbid autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and epilepsy through a detailed exploration of the characteristics that these disorders present in the area of psychopathology. Previous studies indicating that individuals with ID have…

Cultural Differences in Early Math Skills among U.S., Taiwanese, Dutch, and Peruvian Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paik, Jae H.; van Gelderen, Loes; Gonzales, Manuel; de Jong, Peter F.; Hayes, Michael

2011-01-01

East Asian children have consistently outperformed children from other nations on mathematical tests. However, most previous cross-cultural studies mainly compared East Asian countries and the United States and have largely ignored cultures from other parts of the world. The present study explored cultural differences in young children's early…

Similarity and Difference in Learning L2 Word-Form

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamada, Megumi; Koda, Keiko

2011-01-01

This study explored similarity and difference in L2 written word-form learning from a cross-linguistic perspective. This study investigated whether learners' L1 orthographic background, which influences L2 visual word recognition (e.g., Wang et al., 2003), also influences L2 word-form learning, in particular, the sensitivity to phonological and…

Different Pathways to Leadership Development of College Women and Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shim, Woo-jeong

2013-01-01

Analyzing data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, this study explored gender differences in the development and learning of college students' leadership capacities as framed with the Social Change Leadership Model (SCM). The results show that female students reported higher scores on six out of eight SCM values, and…

Mentorship in Practice: A Multi-Method Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schreck, Timothy J.; And Others

This study was conducted to evaluate a field-based mentorship program using a multi-method approach. It explored the use of mentorship as practiced in the Florida Compact, a business education partnership established in Florida in 1987. The study was designed to identify differences between mentors and mentorees, as well as differences within…

"Good" Academic Writing in Hebrew: The Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers and Their Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezer, Hanna; Sivan, Tamar

2005-01-01

This study explores the perceptions of different groups of L1 and L2 Israeli pre-service teachers and their instructors regarding "good" academic writing. The study further investigates whether those perceptions accurately reflect their knowledge of academic writing. Eighty-one participants graded three different essays written by…

Individual Differences in Written Corrective Feedback: A Multi-Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Su; Li, Pengjing

2012-01-01

Written corrective feedback (WCF) has been a long time practice in L2 writing instruction. However, in many cases, the effects are not satisfactory. There have been controversies about it both theoretically and empirically. This paper reports a multi-case study exploring individual differences that impact learners' responses to WCF. Four students'…

Preliminary Evolutionary Explanations: A Basic Framework for Conceptual Change and Explanatory Coherence in Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kampourakis, Kostas; Zogza, Vasso

2009-01-01

This study aimed to explore secondary students' explanations of evolutionary processes, and to determine how consistent these were, after a specific evolution instruction. In a previous study it was found that before instruction students provided different explanations for similar processes to tasks with different content. Hence, it seemed that…

Rhetorics of Professional Change: Assembling the Means to Act Differently?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Jenny; I'Anson, John

2014-01-01

In an earlier study of learning on a practice-based postgraduate programme participants indicated that certain artefacts were critically important in enabling them to gain "permission" to act differently in their schools. Picking up on this suggestion, this study begins to explore how looking at the composition of texts by teachers as a…

Preferences for Interactional Feedback: Differences between Learners and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaivanpanah, Shiva; Alavi, Sayyed Mohammad; Sepehrinia, Sajjad

2015-01-01

The present study examines Iranian language learners' views on different types of oral corrective feedback and explores the relationship with learners' language proficiency. It then compares the learners' views with those of their teachers. The study is based on a 36-item questionnaire completed by 154 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners…

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Taiwanese Adolescents' Mathematics Attitudes and Their Perceptions toward Virtual Manipulatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chun-Yi; Yuan, Yuan

2010-01-01

This study explored gender differences in the relationship between young people's mathematics attitudes and their perceptions toward virtual manipulatives. Seven hundred eighty junior high school adolescents who participated in the problem-solving activity using virtual manipulatives were selected for examination. The study found the male…

Differences between Public and Private Universities' Fields of Study in Argentina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabossi, Marcelo Alberto

2011-01-01

The literature on private higher education has identified striking differences between the public and private sectors in terms of fields of study. For example, unlike their public counterparts, private universities have traditionally specialised in the social sciences and humanities. This paper explores the university market in Argentina to see if…

An Exploration of Young Adolescents' Social Achievement Goals and Social Adjustment in Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Allison M.; Shim, S. Serena

2008-01-01

Two studies investigated the proposition that social achievement goals (different orientations toward social competence) are an important aspect of young adolescents' social motivation. Study 1 (N = 153 6th-grade students) established that different orientations toward developing or demonstrating social competence can be seen in young adolescents'…

The Differences between Intellectually Gifted and Average Students on a Set of Leadership Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muammar, Omar M.

2015-01-01

The current study investigates differences in the leadership skills between intellectually gifted and average students and explores the relationship between intelligence and leadership potential. Participants in this study were 176 students (57 males and 120 females) from an Eastern Province University in Saudi Arabia. Students were selected on a…

All Different or All the Same? Exploring the Diversity of Professional Practices in Portuguese School Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendes, Sofia A.; Lasser, Jon; Abreu-Lima, Isabel M.; Almeida, Leandro S.

2017-01-01

Studies have generally characterized school psychologists as a relative homogenous population. Understanding the differences in professional practices and related variables is important for the development of the profession. Using a sample of 446 Portuguese school psychologists, this study used cluster analysis to identify distinct profiles of…

Racial Differences in Perceptions of Social Support in Consumer-Centered Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, Amanda Toler; Mowbray, Carol T.; Holter, Mark C.; Bybee, Deborah

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore potential racial differences in the experience of support offered by consumer-centered services for adults with serious mental illness. The study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the level of support consumers report receiving from programs and the extent to which program-level characteristics…

Predicting Word Reading and Comprehension with Executive Function and Speed Measures across Development: A Latent Variable Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christopher, Micaela E.; Miyake, Akira; Keenan, Janice M.; Pennington, Bruce; DeFries, John C.; Wadsworth, Sally J.; Willcutt, Erik; Olson, Richard K.

2012-01-01

The present study explored whether different executive control and speed measures (working memory, inhibition, processing speed, and naming speed) independently predict individual differences in word reading and reading comprehension. Although previous studies suggest these cognitive constructs are important for reading, the authors analyze the…

Gender Differences in Factors Related to Parenting Styles: A Study of High Performing Science Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hein, Carol; Lewko, John H.

1994-01-01

Examined parenting styles within families of high performing science students and explored gender differences in the factors associated with authoritative parenting style. Found that the authoritative parenting style was predominant among study participants and that a greater number of family-related variables emerge for females, whereas more…

The Persistence of "Solid" and "Liquid" Naive Conceptions: A Reaction Time Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babai, Reuven; Amsterdamer, Anat

2008-01-01

The study explores whether the naive concepts of "solid" and "liquid" persist in adolescence. Accuracy of responses and reaction times where measured while 41 ninth graders classified different solids (rigid, non-rigid and powders) and different liquids (runny, dense) into solid or liquid. The results show that these naive conceptions affect…

The Building of Pre-Service Primary Teachers' Knowledge of Mathematics Teaching: Interaction and Online Video Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llinares, Salvador; Valls, Julia

2009-01-01

This study explores how preservice primary teachers became engaged in meaning-making mathematics teaching when participating in online discussions within learning environments integrating video-clips of mathematics teaching. We identified different modes of participation in the online discussions and different levels of knowledge-building. The…

Task Complexity, Focus on L2 Constructions, and Individual Differences: A Classroom-Based Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Revesz, Andrea

2011-01-01

Motivated by cognitive-interactionist frameworks for task-based learning, this study explores whether task complexity affects the extent to which learners focus on form-meaning connections during task-based work in a classroom setting, and whether this relationship is modulated by 3 individual difference factors--linguistic self-confidence,…

Grade Differences in Reading Motivation among Hong Kong Primary and Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Kit-Ling

2009-01-01

Background: Most previous studies in Western societies have demonstrated a general decline in school motivation. However, it is not clear whether motivational decline occurs uniformly for all students. The moderating effects of individual and cultural differences on students' motivational decline need to be further explored. Aims: This study aimed…

Can Test Construction Account for Varying Gender Differences in International Reading Achievement Tests of Children, Adolescents and Young Adults?--A Study Based on Nordic Results in PIRLS, PISA and PIAAC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solheim, Oddny Judith; Lundetrae, Kjersti

2018-01-01

Gender differences in reading seem to increase throughout schooling and then decrease or even disappear with age, but the reasons for this are unclear. In this study, we explore whether differences in the way "reading literacy" is operationalised can add to our understanding of varying gender differences in international large-scale…

Differences in Students' Reading Comprehension of International Financial Reporting Standards: A South African Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coetzee, Stephen A.; Janse van Rensburg, Cecile; Schmulian, Astrid

2016-01-01

This study explores differences in students' reading comprehension of International Financial Reporting Standards in a South African financial reporting class with a heterogeneous student cohort. Statistically significant differences were identified for prior academic performance, language of instruction, first language and enrolment in the…

Educational Achievement and Black-White Inequality. Statistical Analysis Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Jonathan; Olsen, Cara; Rice, Jennifer King; Sweetland, Stephen

This study explored relationships between black-white differences in educational achievement and black-white differences in various educational and economic outcomes. Three data sets examined the extent to which black-white differences in labor market outcomes, in educational attainment, and in mathematics and reading achievement were present for…

Analyzing the Effects of Various Concept Mapping Techniques on Learning Achievement under Different Learning Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiou, Chei-Chang; Lee, Li-Tze; Tien, Li-Chu; Wang, Yu-Min

2017-01-01

This study explored the effectiveness of different concept mapping techniques on the learning achievement of senior accounting students and whether achievements attained using various techniques are affected by different learning styles. The techniques are computer-assisted construct-by-self-concept mapping (CACSB), computer-assisted…

Gender Differences in Online High School Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowes, Susan; Lin, Peiyi; Kinghorn, Brian R. C.

2016-01-01

Prior research has suggested that there may be differences in the ways that male and female students approach their online courses. Using data for 802 high school students enrolled in 14 online courses, this study explored gender differences in the interrelationships among online behaviors and course performance. The findings show that females…

Exploring varieties of knowledge in safe work practices - an ethnographic study of surgical teams

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Within existing research in health and medicine, the nature of knowledge on how teams conduct safe work practices has yet to be properly explored. Methods We address this concern by exploring the varieties in which knowledge is expressed during interdisciplinary surgical operations. Specifically, the study was conducted in a surgical section of a Norwegian regional general hospital, between January and April of 2010, by means of an ethnographic design combining detailed non-participant observations, conversations and semi-structured interviews. Results Based on an analysis of the gathered data, we identify three particular themes in how knowledge is expressed by operating room personnel: (i) the ability and variety individuals demonstrate in handling multiple sources of information, before reaching a particular decision, (ii) the variety of ways awareness or anticipation of future events is expressed, and (iii) the different ways sudden and unexpected situations are handled by the individual team members. Conclusions We conclude that these facets of knowledge bring different insights into how safe work practices are achieved at an individual and team level in surgical operations, thus adding to the existing understanding of the nature of knowledge in safe work practices in surgical operations. Future research should focus on exploring and documenting the relationships between various elements of knowledge and safe work practices, in different surgical settings and countries. PMID:21914183

Psychosocial work factors and long sickness absence in Europe.

PubMed

Slany, Corinna; Schütte, Stefanie; Chastang, Jean-François; Parent-Thirion, Agnès; Vermeylen, Greet; Niedhammer, Isabelle

2014-01-01

Studies exploring a wide range of psychosocial work factors separately and together in association with long sickness absence are still lacking. The objective of this study was to explore the associations between psychosocial work factors measured following a comprehensive instrument (Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire, COPSOQ) and long sickness absence (> 7 days/year) in European employees of 34 countries. An additional objective was to study the differences in these associations according to gender and countries. The study population consisted of 16 120 male and 16 588 female employees from the 2010 European working conditions survey. Twenty-five psychosocial work factors were explored. Statistical analysis was performed using multilevel logistic regression models and interaction testing. When studied together in the same model, factors related to job demands (quantitative demands and demands for hiding emotions), possibilities for development, social relationships (role conflicts, quality of leadership, social support, and sense of community), workplace violence (physical violence, bullying, and discrimination), shift work, and job promotion were associated with long sickness absence. Almost no difference was observed according to gender and country. Comprehensive prevention policies oriented to psychosocial work factors may be useful to prevent long sickness absence at European level.

Psychosocial work factors and long sickness absence in Europe

PubMed Central

Slany, Corinna; Schütte, Stefanie; Chastang, Jean-François; Parent-Thirion, Agnès; Vermeylen, Greet; Niedhammer, Isabelle

2014-01-01

Background: Studies exploring a wide range of psychosocial work factors separately and together in association with long sickness absence are still lacking. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the associations between psychosocial work factors measured following a comprehensive instrument (Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire, COPSOQ) and long sickness absence (>7 days/year) in European employees of 34 countries. An additional objective was to study the differences in these associations according to gender and countries. Methods: The study population consisted of 16 120 male and 16 588 female employees from the 2010 European working conditions survey. Twenty-five psychosocial work factors were explored. Statistical analysis was performed using multilevel logistic regression models and interaction testing. Results: When studied together in the same model, factors related to job demands (quantitative demands and demands for hiding emotions), possibilities for development, social relationships (role conflicts, quality of leadership, social support, and sense of community), workplace violence (physical violence, bullying, and discrimination), shift work, and job promotion were associated with long sickness absence. Almost no difference was observed according to gender and country. Conclusions: Comprehensive prevention policies oriented to psychosocial work factors may be useful to prevent long sickness absence at European level. PMID:24176393

Exploring cultural differences in feedback processes and perceived instructiveness during clerkships: replicating a Dutch study in Indonesia.

PubMed

Suhoyo, Yoyo; van Hell, Elisabeth A; Prihatiningsih, Titi S; Kuks, Jan B M; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke

2014-03-01

Cultural differences between countries may entail differences in feedback processes. By replicating a Dutch study in Indonesia, we analysed whether differences in processes influenced the perceived instructiveness of feedback. Over a two-week period, Indonesian students (n = 215) recorded feedback moments during clerkships, noting who provided the feedback, whether the feedback was based on observations, who initiated the feedback, and its perceived instructiveness. Data were compared with the earlier Dutch study and analysed with χ(2) tests, t-tests and multilevel techniques. Cultural differences were explored using Hofstede's Model, with Indonesia and the Netherlands differing on "power distance" and "individualism." Perceived instructiveness of feedback did not differ significantly between both countries. However, significant differences were found in feedback provider, observation and initiative. Indonesian students perceived feedback as more instructive if provided by specialists and initiated jointly by the supervisor and student (βresidents = -0.201, p < 0.001 and βjoint = 0.193, p = 0.001). Dutch students appreciated feedback more when it was based on observation. We obtained empirical evidence that one model of feedback does not necessarily translate to another culture. Further research is necessary to unravel other possible influences of culture in implementing feedback procedures in different countries.

Volume I A Comparative Case Study Exploring How Federal Probation Officers Experience Different Distance Education Formats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caufield, Eileen Claire

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of federal probation officers' perceived value of different distance education formats, the learning strategies they used to facilitate their learning, and the degree to which learner autonomy varied among the probation officers. This comparative case study sought to answer the following three…

How Do Roots and Suffixes Influence Reading of Pseudowords: A Study of Young Italian Readers with and without Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Traficante, Daniela; Marcolini, Stefania; Luci, Alessandra; Zoccolotti, Pierluigi; Burani, Cristina

2011-01-01

The study explored the different influences of roots and suffixes in reading aloud morphemic pseudowords (e.g., vetr-ezza, "glass-ness"). Previous work on adults showed a facilitating effect of both roots and suffixes on naming times. In the present study, pseudoword stimuli including roots and suffixes in different combinations were…

Younger vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) are more likely than adults to explore novel objects.

PubMed

Carter, Gerald G; Forss, Sofia; Page, Rachel A; Ratcliffe, John M

2018-01-01

The effects of age on neophobia and exploration are best described in birds and primates, and broader comparisons require reports from other taxa. Here we present data showing age-dependent exploration in a long-lived social species, the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus). A previous study found that vampire bats regurgitated food to partners trapped in a cage. Interestingly, while only a few adult bats visited the trapped bat, in every trial all or most of the eight young males in the colony would visit the trapped bat without feeding it. To test whether this behavioral difference resulted from age class differences in exploration, we compared responses of the bats to a trapped conspecific versus an inanimate novel object. Some adults and young showed interest in trapped conspecifics, but only the young males explored the novel objects. Additional novel object tests in a second captive colony showed that higher rates of novel object exploration were shown by young of both sexes. Our results corroborate past findings from other mammals and birds that age predicts exploration. If age-dependent exploration is indeed adaptive, then the role of age as a predictor of exploration tendency should depend on species-specific life history traits. Finally, because younger vampire bats also appear to have higher exposure to pathogens such as rabies virus, there may be implications for pathogen transmission if younger and more exploratory vampire bats are more likely to feed on novel hosts.

Self-efficacy, mathematics' anxiety and perceived importance: an empirical study with Portuguese engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, Manuela; Rodrigues, Cristina S.; Rocha, Ana Maria A. C.; Coutinho, Clara

2016-01-01

The accomplishment in mathematics has gained attention from educators and arises as an emerging field of study, including in engineering education. However, in Portugal, there is still incipient research in the area; so it is high time to explore factors that might enlighten the gap in the study of the relationship between Portuguese engineering students and the learning of mathematics. The main purpose of this study is to explore three factors identified in the literature as influencing the learning of mathematical concepts - self-efficacy, anxiety towards mathematics and perceived importance of mathematics - and search for differences by gender and by type of engineering course, a dimension not much reported in the literature but which was revealed as important in the team's previous research. Based on a sample of 140 undergraduate students of different engineering courses from University of Minho, results only identify differences in the type of course and not in gender. These results constitute a contribution and open new paths for future research in the engineering education.

Delusional Ideation, Cognitive Processes and Crime Based Reasoning.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Dean J; Caulfield, Laura S

2017-08-01

Probabilistic reasoning biases have been widely associated with levels of delusional belief ideation (Galbraith, Manktelow, & Morris, 2010; Lincoln, Ziegler, Mehl, & Rief, 2010; Speechley, Whitman, & Woodward, 2010; White & Mansell, 2009), however, little research has focused on biases occurring during every day reasoning (Galbraith, Manktelow, & Morris, 2011), and moral and crime based reasoning (Wilkinson, Caulfield, & Jones, 2014; Wilkinson, Jones, & Caulfield, 2011). 235 participants were recruited across four experiments exploring crime based reasoning through different modalities and dual processing tasks. Study one explored delusional ideation when completing a visually presented crime based reasoning task. Study two explored the same task in an auditory presentation. Study three utilised a dual task paradigm to explore modality and executive functioning. Study four extended this paradigm to the auditory modality. The results indicated that modality and delusional ideation have a significant effect on individuals reasoning about violent and non-violent crime (p < .05), which could have implication for the presentation of evidence in applied setting such as the courtroom.

Delusional Ideation, Cognitive Processes and Crime Based Reasoning

PubMed Central

Wilkinson, Dean J.; Caulfield, Laura S.

2017-01-01

Probabilistic reasoning biases have been widely associated with levels of delusional belief ideation (Galbraith, Manktelow, & Morris, 2010; Lincoln, Ziegler, Mehl, & Rief, 2010; Speechley, Whitman, & Woodward, 2010; White & Mansell, 2009), however, little research has focused on biases occurring during every day reasoning (Galbraith, Manktelow, & Morris, 2011), and moral and crime based reasoning (Wilkinson, Caulfield, & Jones, 2014; Wilkinson, Jones, & Caulfield, 2011). 235 participants were recruited across four experiments exploring crime based reasoning through different modalities and dual processing tasks. Study one explored delusional ideation when completing a visually presented crime based reasoning task. Study two explored the same task in an auditory presentation. Study three utilised a dual task paradigm to explore modality and executive functioning. Study four extended this paradigm to the auditory modality. The results indicated that modality and delusional ideation have a significant effect on individuals reasoning about violent and non-violent crime (p < .05), which could have implication for the presentation of evidence in applied setting such as the courtroom. PMID:28904598

Bilinguals’ Working Memory (WM) Advantage and Their Dual Language Practices

PubMed Central

Yang, Eunju

2017-01-01

The present study investigates a possible working memory (WM) difference between monolingual and bilingual groups and explores the relationship between their WM advantage and language practices. A mixed methods design was employed for the study. To measure participants’ WM, auditory and visual digit span tasks were conducted on the different language groups: 20 Korean near-monolinguals, and 40 Korean–English bilinguals with two different levels of second language (L2) proficiency. Bilinguals’ daily language practices were explored through semi-structured interviews with eight bilinguals. The convergence of the findings from both tests and interview data suggests that knowing two languages does not guarantee bilingual WM advantages over monolinguals, but the advantage might be linked to bilinguals’ unique L2 use environment where they need to hold incoming L2 information while decoding it. PMID:28718840

Individual Differences and Possible Effects from Outdoor Education: Long Time and Short Time Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiskum, Tove Anita; Jacobsen, Karl

2012-01-01

This study explores differences in the children's outcomes from outdoor education. The results revealed different outcomes within different subgroups: The children with an easy or a withdrawal temperament are good functioning both indoor and outdoor. Their outcomes from outdoor education are an increased vitality, which might be seen as a short…

Culture and Difference. Critical Perspectives on the Bicultural Experience in the United States. Critical Studies in Education and Culture Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darder, Antonia, Ed.

The teaching and politics of cultural difference and identity are explored in these essays, which examine the possibilities of living with cultural differences through new ethical and pedagogical frameworks. The following chapters are included: (1) "Introduction. The Politics of Biculturalism: Culture and Difference in the Formation of…

The Relationship between Sensory Processing Difficulties and Leisure Activity Preference of Children with Different Types of ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel-Yeger, Batya; Ziv-On, Daniella

2011-01-01

Sensory processing difficulties (SPD) are prevalent among children with ADHD. Yet, the question whether different SPD characterize children with different types of ADHD has not received enough attention in the literature. The current study characterized sensory processing difficulties (SPD) of children with different types of ADHD and explored the…

Exploring culture, language and the perception of the nature of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, Dawn

2002-01-01

One dimension of early Canadian education is the attempt of the government to use the education system as an assimilative tool to integrate the First Nations and Me´tis people into Euro-Canadian society. Despite these attempts, many First Nations and Me´tis people retained their culture and their indigenous language. Few science educators have examined First Nations and Western scientific worldviews and the impact they may have on science learning. This study explored the views some First Nations (Cree) and Euro-Canadian Grade-7-level students in Manitoba had about the nature of science. Both qualitative (open-ended questions and interviews) and quantitative (a Likert-scale questionnaire) instruments were used to explore student views. A central hypothesis to this research programme is the possibility that the different world-views of two student populations, Cree and Euro-Canadian, are likely to influence their perceptions of science. This preliminary study explored a range of methodologies to probe the perceptions of the nature of science in these two student populations. It was found that the two cultural groups differed significantly between some of the tenets in a Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS). Cree students significantly differed from Euro-Canadian students on the developmental, testable and unified tenets of the nature of scientific knowledge scale. No significant differences were found in NSKS scores between language groups (Cree students who speak English in the home and those who speak English and Cree or Cree only). The differences found between language groups were primarily in the open-ended questions where preformulated responses were absent. Interviews about critical incidents provided more detailed accounts of the Cree students' perception of the nature of science. The implications of the findings of this study are discussed in relation to the challenges related to research methodology, further areas for investigation, science teaching in First Nations communities and science curriculum development.

Exploration and risk assessment in female wild house mice (Mus musculus musculus) and two laboratory strains.

PubMed

Augustsson, Hanna; Dahlborn, Kristina; Meyerson, Bengt J

2005-02-15

In an evolutionary prospective, it is possible that female mice have a differential perception of novel events than male mice and use a different behavioural strategy for risk assessment. However, female mice are less studied than male mice in behavioural tests of emotional reactivity. The aim of the present study was to investigate how wild-derived female house mice differ from domesticated female mice in their risk assessment strategy. A total of 46 adult female mice, 14 BALB/c, 16 C57BL/6 and 14 Wild mice were tested in the Concentric Square Field (CSF), Open Field (OF) and Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) at three consecutive days. Parameters from all three tests were categorized according to their relevance to activity, exploration, approach-avoidance and use of open areas-shelter. Principal Component Analysis (PCA-SIMCA) of the animals' behaviour in the CSF arena was performed both for females alone and in comparison with earlier findings in male mice under the same test conditions. The results clearly show that female wild mice had a higher avoidance of open areas than the laboratory strains. There was also a trend indicating differences in exploration and approach-avoidance between female Wild and the laboratory strains. The multivariate test, CSF, was able to detect differences between Wild and laboratory strains in three (exploration, approach-avoidance, open-shelter) of the four functional categories measured. Wild female mice also had a higher frequency of rearing and grooming and a lower duration in the corridors in the CSF. Clear strain differences were found between BALB and C57BL in all tests where BALB generally had higher risk assessment and lower risk taking than C57BL. No general sex differences were found, however the sex differences were greater in Wild mice compared to the laboratory strains.

[Assessment of functional and dysfunctional impulsivity in substance-addicted patients by means of Dickman's Inventory].

PubMed

Pedrero Pérez, Eduardo J

2009-11-01

Impulsivity is a dispositional trait consistently linked to addiction. Nevertheless, Dickman proposed two different types of impulsivity, a functional variant and another, dysfunctional one. Almost all studies in addiction have exclusively explored the dysfunctional facet of impulsivity. The main purpose of this study was to check the applicability of the Dickman Impulsivity Inventory to explore both types of impulsivity in addicted individuals. We applied a Spanish version of the inventory and studied its psychometric properties. We found adequate internal consistency, construct validity and convergence of measures with related instruments, both in non-clinical (N = 398) and in treated substance-addicted (diacetylmorphine, cocaine, alcohol and cannabis; N = 140) samples. Addicted individuals did not differ from the non-clinical population in their functional impulsivity, but we found a great effect size (eta2p = 0.35) in the differences when exploring the dysfunctional type, with higher scores in addicts. Dysfunctional impulsivity was related to dysexecutive symptoms (r2 = 0.39), and personality traits such as Novelty Seeking (r2 = 0.57), but not with the Exploratory Excitability subdimension (r2 = 0.01), this latter being more closely related to functional impulsivity (r2 = 0.16). Data support the usefulness of this inventory to estimate types of impulsivity related to the prevention and treatment of addictive behaviors.

An Attempt for the Exploration of Academicians' Experiences of the Standard Foreign Language Tests Held in Turkey through Metaphors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yesilyurt, Savas

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore academicians' perceptions and experiences about the public high-stakes Foreign Language Test(s) (YDS, formerly UDS, KPDS, and their counterparts in different times and contexts) used to measure foreign language proficiency in Turkey. For this purpose, data were collected from academicians with different…

Exploring Temporal Sequences of Regulatory Phases and Associated Interactions in Low- and High-Challenge Collaborative Learning Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobocinski, Márta; Malmberg, Jonna; Järvelä, Sanna

2017-01-01

Investigating the temporal order of regulatory processes can explain in more detail the mechanisms behind success or lack of success during collaborative learning. The aim of this study is to explore the differences between high- and low-challenge collaborative learning sessions. This is achieved through examining how the three phases of…

Audio versus Written Feedback: Exploring Learners' Preference and the Impact of Feedback Format on Students' Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Cecile; Chikwa, Gladson

2016-01-01

Very little is known about the impact of the different types of feedback on students' academic performance. This article explores students' preference in the use of audio and written feedback and how each type of feedback received by students impacts their academic performance in subsequent assignments. The study involved 68 students who were…

How Does a Project Manager's Level of Development Influence Conceptualizations of Project Management and the Project Development Environment?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Margaret M.

2013-01-01

This study explores the meaning project managers (PMs) make of their project environment, how they lead their teams and have incorporate complexity into their project management approach. The exploration of the PM's developmental level and meaning making offers a different angle on the project management and leadership literature. The study…

The Relevance of Diversity in the Job Attribute Preferences of College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Angela J.; Collins, Jennifer M.

2015-01-01

The study explores the role of diversity in the underlying job attributes that college students use to evaluate careers and if there are differences in the individual job attributes based on the race, gender, and major of the participants. We use a factor analysis to explore the underlying factors associated with 16 job attributes. Findings reveal…

A study of flame spread in engineered cardboard fuelbeds: Part II: Scaling law approach

Treesearch

Brittany A. Adam; Nelson K. Akafuah; Mark Finney; Jason Forthofer; Kozo Saito

2013-01-01

In this second part of a two part exploration of dynamic behavior observed in wildland fires, time scales differentiating convective and radiative heat transfer is further explored. Scaling laws for the two different types of heat transfer considered: Radiation-driven fire spread, and convection-driven fire spread, which can both occur during wildland fires. A new...

Conduct Problems in Children Attending Pre-Primary Schools in Rural Areas of Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhamani, Shelina; Ayub, Nadia

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the conduct problems faced by school going children in the rural areas of Pakistan. Two hypotheses were formulated to explore the significant differences between the intervention and non-intervention groups and gender on the variables of conduct and internalization. The data of a total 386 young children were…

An Exploration of Issues around Menstruation for Women with Down Syndrome and Their Carers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Linda; Cunningham, Cliff

2008-01-01

Background: There is little research on issues related to menstruation for women with Down syndrome, yet they may experience menstruation in a qualitatively different way from normal women, which impacts on their quality of life and that of their families and carers. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore issues with the women and/or…

Research-Based Teacher Education? Exploring the Meaning Potentials of Swedish Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvunger, Daniel; Wahlström, Ninni

2018-01-01

In this article, we explore the meaning potentials of teacher education in terms of the significance of a research-based approach and the different pedagogic identities that such an approach implies. The study's aim is to examine the important factors for education to be considered research-based and to identify and analyse the research base of…

"One Equal Music": An Exploration of Gender Perceptions and the Fair Assessment by Beginning Music Teachers of Musical Compositions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Legg, Robert

2010-01-01

Previous research in education has investigated the relationship between gender and perceptions of musicality, suggesting that teachers' assessments of boys' and girls' achievements in music are different and unequal. This empirical study attempts to explore that relationship in more detail, building on research from the late 1990s, by asking…

Factors Influencing Career Choice of Management Students in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agarwala, Tanuja

2008-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the influence of a range of factors on the career choice of management students in India. The importance of different individuals in the family and at work in making career choices among these students is also to be explored. In addition, the study seeks to address the relationship of the cultural values of…

Use of Semivariances for Studies of Landsat TM Image Textural Properties of Loblolly Pine Forests

Treesearch

Jarek Zawadzki; Chris J. Cieszewski; Roger C. Lowe; Michael Zasada

2005-01-01

We evaluate the applicability of Landsat TM imagery for analyzing textural information of pine forest images by exploring the spatial correlation between pixels measured by semivariances and cross-semivariances calculated from transects of the Landsat TM images. Then, we explore differences in semivariances associated with images of young, middle-aged, and old, and...

Can One Learn to Think Critically? – A Philosophical Exploration

PubMed Central

Raymond-Seniuk, Christy; Profetto-McGrath, Joanne

2011-01-01

Within nursing, critical thinking is a required skill that educators strive to foster in their students’ development for use in complex healthcare settings. Hence the numerous studies published measuring critical thinking as a terminal outcome of education. However, an important comparison between different philosophical underpinnings such as person, truth and the nature of nursing, and how one defines and utilizes critical thinking in practice, has been absent from discussions about critical thinking and learning. When one views critical thinking with varying philosophical lenses, important questions are raised and discussion is expanded. These questions illuminate different perspectives of critical thinking and attempt to explore whether critical thinking can be learned in nursing. The implications of taking a single philosophical viewpoint and a pluralistic approach to understanding critical thinking and learning are explored. PMID:21760871

Repeatable and heritable behavioural variation in a wild cooperative breeder

PubMed Central

Burke, Terry; Dugdale, Hannah L.

2017-01-01

Abstract Quantifying consistent differences in behaviour among individuals is vital to understanding the ecological and evolutionary significance of animal personality. To quantify personality, the phenotypic variation of a behavioural trait is partitioned to assess how it varies among individuals, which is also known as repeatability. If pedigree data are available, the phenotypic variation can then be further partitioned to estimate the additive genetic variance and heritability. Assessing the repeatability and heritability of personality traits therefore allows for a better understanding of what natural selection can act upon, enabling evolution. In a natural population of facultative cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis) on Cousin Island, a lack of breeding vacancies forces individuals into different life-history strategies, and these differences in reproductive state could generate behavioural differences among individuals in the population. We used this population to estimate the repeatability of 4 behavioural traits (novel environment exploration, novel object exploration, obstinacy/struggle rate, and escape response), and narrow-sense heritability (of behavior, h2B; behavior minus observer variance; and personality), and evolvability, of the repeatable behavioural traits. We also tested for an among-individual correlation between the repeatable traits. We found that, compared to estimates in other study species, the exploratory behaviours were moderately repeatable (0.23–0.37), there was a positive among-individual correlation (0.51) between novel environment and novel object exploration, and that novel environment exploration was moderately heritable (0.17; h2B was low as it includes observer variance). This study further clarifies the additive genetic variance available for selection to act upon in this cooperatively breeding bird. PMID:29622921

Using quantitative and qualitative data in health services research – what happens when mixed method findings conflict? [ISRCTN61522618

PubMed Central

Moffatt, Suzanne; White, Martin; Mackintosh, Joan; Howel, Denise

2006-01-01

Background In this methodological paper we document the interpretation of a mixed methods study and outline an approach to dealing with apparent discrepancies between qualitative and quantitative research data in a pilot study evaluating whether welfare rights advice has an impact on health and social outcomes among a population aged 60 and over. Methods Quantitative and qualitative data were collected contemporaneously. Quantitative data were collected from 126 men and women aged over 60 within a randomised controlled trial. Participants received a full welfare benefits assessment which successfully identified additional financial and non-financial resources for 60% of them. A range of demographic, health and social outcome measures were assessed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 month follow up. Qualitative data were collected from a sub-sample of 25 participants purposively selected to take part in individual interviews to examine the perceived impact of welfare rights advice. Results Separate analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data revealed discrepant findings. The quantitative data showed little evidence of significant differences of a size that would be of practical or clinical interest, suggesting that the intervention had no impact on these outcome measures. The qualitative data suggested wide-ranging impacts, indicating that the intervention had a positive effect. Six ways of further exploring these data were considered: (i) treating the methods as fundamentally different; (ii) exploring the methodological rigour of each component; (iii) exploring dataset comparability; (iv) collecting further data and making further comparisons; (v) exploring the process of the intervention; and (vi) exploring whether the outcomes of the two components match. Conclusion The study demonstrates how using mixed methods can lead to different and sometimes conflicting accounts and, using this six step approach, how such discrepancies can be harnessed to interrogate each dataset more fully. Not only does this enhance the robustness of the study, it may lead to different conclusions from those that would have been drawn through relying on one method alone and demonstrates the value of collecting both types of data within a single study. More widespread use of mixed methods in trials of complex interventions is likely to enhance the overall quality of the evidence base. PMID:16524479

Cross-Cultural Variation in Political Leadership Styles

PubMed Central

Paramova, Petia; Blumberg, Herbert

2017-01-01

Guided by gaps in the literature with regard to the study of politicians the aim of the research is to explore cross-cultural differences in political leaders’ style. It compares the MLQ (Avolio & Bass, 2004) scores of elected political leaders (N = 140) in Bulgaria and the UK. The statistical exploration of the data relied on multivariate analyses of covariance. The findings of comparisons across the two groups reveal that compared to British political leaders, Bulgarian leaders were more likely to frequently use both transactional and passive/avoidant behaviours. The study tests Bass’s (1997) strong assertion about the universality of transformational leadership. It contributes to the leadership literature by providing directly measured data relating to the behaviours of political leaders. Such information on the characteristics of politicians could allow for more directional hypotheses in subsequent research, exploring the contextual influences within transformational leadership theory. The outcomes might also aid applied fields. Knowledge gained of culturally different leaders could be welcomed by multicultural political and economic unions, wherein understanding and allowances might aid communication. PMID:29358986

Cross-Cultural Variation in Political Leadership Styles.

PubMed

Paramova, Petia; Blumberg, Herbert

2017-11-01

Guided by gaps in the literature with regard to the study of politicians the aim of the research is to explore cross-cultural differences in political leaders' style. It compares the MLQ (Avolio & Bass, 2004) scores of elected political leaders (N = 140) in Bulgaria and the UK. The statistical exploration of the data relied on multivariate analyses of covariance. The findings of comparisons across the two groups reveal that compared to British political leaders, Bulgarian leaders were more likely to frequently use both transactional and passive/avoidant behaviours. The study tests Bass's (1997) strong assertion about the universality of transformational leadership. It contributes to the leadership literature by providing directly measured data relating to the behaviours of political leaders. Such information on the characteristics of politicians could allow for more directional hypotheses in subsequent research, exploring the contextual influences within transformational leadership theory. The outcomes might also aid applied fields. Knowledge gained of culturally different leaders could be welcomed by multicultural political and economic unions, wherein understanding and allowances might aid communication.

Forward problem studies of electrical resistance tomography system on concrete materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ang, Vernoon; Rahiman, M. H. F.; Rahim, R. A.; Aw, S. R.; Wahab, Y. A.; Thomas W. K., T.; Siow, L. T.

2017-03-01

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is well known as non-invasive imaging technique, inexpensive, radiation free, visualization measurements of the multiphase flows and frequently applied in geophysical, medical and Industrial Process Tomography (IPT) applications. Application of ERT in concrete is a new exploration field, which can be used in monitoring and detecting the health and condition of concrete without destroying it. In this paper, ERT model under the condition of concrete is studied in which the sensitivity field model is produced and simulated by using COMSOL software. The affects brought by different current injection values with different concrete conductivity are studied in detail. This study able to provide the important direction for the further study of inverse problem in ERT system. Besides, the results of this technique hopefully can open a new exploration in inspection method of concrete structures in order to maintain the health of the concrete structure for civilian safety.

Determine Important Nuclear Fragmentation Processes for Space Radiation Protection in Human Space Explorations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Zi-wei

2004-01-01

Space radiation from cosmic ray particles is one of the main challenges for long-term human space explorations such as a permanent moon base or a trip to Mars. Material shielding may provide significant radiation protection to astronauts, and models have been developed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of different shielding materials and to predict radiation environment inside the spacecraft. In this study we determine the nuclear fragmentation cross sections which will most effect the radiation risk behind typical radiation shielding materials. These cross sections thus need more theoretical studies and accurate experimental measurements in order for us to more precisely predict the radiation risk in human space explorations.

Determine Important Nuclear Fragmentation Processes for Space Radiation Protection in Human Space Explorations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Zi-Wei

2004-01-01

Space radiation from cosmic ray particles is one of the main challenges for long-term human space explorations such as a permanent moon base or a trip to Mars. Material shielding may provide significant radiation protection to astronauts, and models have been developed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of different shielding materials and to predict radiation environment inside the spacecraft. In this study we determine the nuclear fragmentation cross sections which will most affect the radiation risk behind typical radiation shielding materials. These cross sections thus need more theoretical studies and accurate experimental measurements in order for us to more precisely predict the radiation risk in human space exploration.

Determine Important Nuclear Fragmentation Processes for Space Radiation Protection in Human Space Explorations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Zi-Wei

2004-01-01

Space radiation from cosmic ray particles is one of the main challenges for long-term human space explorations such as a permanent moon base or a trip to Mars. Material shielding may provide significant radiation protection to astronauts, and models have been developed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of different shielding materials and to predict radiation environment inside the spacecraft. In this study we determine the nuclear fragmentation cross sections which will most affect the radiation risk behind typical radiation shielding materials. These cross sections thus need more theoretical studies and accurate experimental measurements in order for us to more precisely predict the radiation risk in human space explorations.

Friendship Jealousy in Young Adolescents: Individual Differences and Links to Sex, Self-Esteem, Aggression, and Social Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Jeffrey G.; Low, Christine M.; Walker, Alisha R.; Gamm, Bridget K.

2005-01-01

Children's vulnerability to jealousy surrounding their best friends was explored in 2 studies. Study 1 involved 94 adolescents who reported on their friendship jealousy on a newly created measure. Results indicated that the jealousy measure had sound psychometric properties and produced individual differences that were robust over time and free…

School Nursing for Children with Special Needs: Does Number of Schools Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruger, Barbara J.; Toker, Karen H.; Radjenovic, Doreen; Comeaux, Judy M.; Macha, Kiran

2009-01-01

Background: Few recent studies have focused on the role of school nurses who predominantly care for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). The primary aim of this study was to explore differences related to (a) child health conditions covered, (b) direct care procedures, (c) care management functions, and (c) consultation sources used…

Recreation safety in municipal parks - Bloomington, Indiana and Tsukuba, Japan: a comparison study of risk management

Treesearch

Bruce Hronek

2001-01-01

Cultural differences affects the design and use of playground equipment in parks. Comparative research exploring the differences in playground facilities, parental supervision, and use was conducted on-site in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Perfecture, Japan and Bloomington, Indiana, USA. The study examines park design, play equipment, sports fields, use patterns, and parental...

Parallel Lives, Different Outcomes: A Twin Study of Academic Productivity in U.S. School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanna, Robert; Morris, Bo

2014-01-01

This paper explores what happens to similar groups of children educated in different school districts. In this case, the "twins" in the study are groups of students who live in the same state in similar geographies and who share certain demographic characteristics. For this report, "twin districts" have very similar sizes and…

Career Stage Differences in Pre-Tenure Track Faculty Perceptions of Professional and Personal Relationships with Colleagues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponjuan, Luis; Conley, Valerie Martin; Trower, Cathy

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between pre-tenure faculty members in different career stages during their tenure process and their perceptions of professional and personal relationships with senior colleagues and peers. Hence, the research question guiding this study explores these specific relationships: What individual…

Do Alcohol Consumption Patterns of Adolescents Differ by Beverage Type?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werch, Chudley; Jobli, Edessa C.; Moore, Michele J.; DiClemente, Carlo C.; Heather, Dore S.; Brown, C. Hendricks

2006-01-01

The overall purpose of this study was to explore the alcohol consumption patterns of adolescents by beverage type. A total of 705 primarily 9th grade students were recruited to participate in this study in the spring of 2002. Alcoholic beverage use differed significantly across gender and ethnicity on a number of beverage-specific drinking…

Race and Research Methods Anxiety in an Undergraduate Sample: The Potential Effects of Self-Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckberg, Deborah A.

2015-01-01

This study explores race as a potential predictor of research methods anxiety among a sample of undergraduates. While differences in academic achievement based on race and ethnicity have been well documented, few studies have examined racial differences in anxiety with regard to specific subject matter in undergraduate curricula. This exploratory…

Relationship between Different Combinations of Personality Traits and Motivation Mechanism: Change Leadership as Mediator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Kun-Dang

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to identify combinations of different personality traits among teaching faculty and explore for which combinations college managers should use change leadership to mediate their cognition in a motivation mechanism and for which combinations doing so is not necessary. In this study, two-stage cluster analysis and partial…

Associating Animations with Concrete Models to Enhance Students' Comprehension of Different Visual Representations in Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Balushi, Sulaiman M.; Al-Hajri, Sheikha H.

2014-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to explore the impact of associating animations with concrete models on eleventh-grade students' comprehension of different visual representations in organic chemistry. The study used a post-test control group quasi-experimental design. The experimental group (N = 28) used concrete models, submicroscopic…

Curriculum Type as a Differentiating Factor in Medical Licensing Examinations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Linjun

This study assessed the effects of the type of medical curriculum on differential item functioning (DIF) and group differences at the test level in Level 1 of the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examinations (COMLEX). The study also explored the relationship of the DIF and group differences at the test level. There are generally two…

Principal Leadership Behaviors Which Teachers at Different Career Stages Perceive as Affecting Job Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Valari

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of teachers as to how the leadership of their principal affects their job satisfaction. This study collected the view of teachers at different career stages and examined their perceptions and needs. The participants consisted of 12 elementary school teachers at three different…

Gender Disparity at Elementary Education Level in Jammu and Kashmir: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gul, Showkeen Bilal Ahmad; Khan, Zebun Nisa

2014-01-01

This paper is based on a study to explore gender disparity at elementary education level in Jammu and Kashmir. Gender disparity in education refers to differences in outcomes observed between two sexes. Education disparities can be seen in different enrolment rates, dropout rates, and survival rates among the sexes. The central government and…

Teacher Perception of Cultural Difference in L2 Materials: Is Filtering Culture the Right Approach?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermessi, Tarek

2017-01-01

With the emergence of the intercultural approach to L2 teaching, several studies investigated teachers' attitudes and beliefs concerning the cultural dimension of L2 teaching in different foreign language settings. This study explored teachers' perceptions of the relationship between teaching English and culture in Tunisia, an EFL setting where…

The Effects of Tobacco-Related Health-Warning Images on Intention to Quit Smoking among Urban Chinese Smokers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Dan; Yang, Tingzhong; Cottrell, Randall R.; Zhou, Huan; Yang, Xiaozhao Y.; Zhang, Yanqin

2015-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of different tobacco health-warning images on intention to quit smoking among urban Chinese smokers. The different tobacco health-warning images utilised in this study addressed the five variables of age, gender, cultural-appropriateness, abstractness and explicitness. Design:…

Heightened Test Anxiety among Young Children: Elementary School Students' Anxious Responses to High-Stakes Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Segool, Natasha K.; Carlson, John S.; Goforth, Anisa N.; von der Embse, Nathan; Barterian, Justin A.

2013-01-01

This study explored differences in test anxiety on high-stakes standardized achievement testing and low-stakes testing among elementary school children. This is the first study to directly examine differences in young students' reported test anxiety between No Child Left Behind (NCLB) achievement testing and classroom testing. Three hundred…

Attitudes to Diversity: A Cross-Cultural Study of Education Students in Spain, England and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molto, M. Cristina Cardona; Florian, Lani; Rouse, Martyn; Stough, Laura M.

2010-01-01

This study explores the beliefs and attitudes that university students enrolled in teacher education programmes in Spain, England and the US (Texas) hold about individuals who differ. A beliefs and attitudes toward difference scale (BATD) was constructed using nine dimensions of diversity; culture, language, socioeconomic status/social class,…

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at Schools without a Computer Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirci, Ali

2011-01-01

This article reports the results of a study that explored the applicability and effectiveness of a GIS-based exercise implemented by a teacher on a single computer in an ordinary classroom. The GIS-based exercise was implemented in two different environments with two different groups of students. The study reveals that implementing GIS exercises…

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Drinking Motives and Drinking Behaviors among Korean College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Jounghwa; Lee, Sun Young; Kwon, Myung Soon

2017-01-01

College drinking is an important public health issue in many countries, especially in South Korea. This study aims to explore drinking motives and their relationship with drinking behaviors and drinking outcomes among Korean college students (N = 553). Utilizing a Web-based survey, this study found some similarities and differences relative to…

Comparing the Impact of Online and Face-to-Face Professional Development in the Context of Curriculum Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fishman, Barry; Konstantopoulos, Spyros; Kubitskey, Beth W.; Vath, Richard; Park, Gina; Johnson, Heather; Edelson, Daniel C.

2013-01-01

This study employed a randomized experiment to examine differences in teacher and student learning from professional development (PD) in two modalities: online and face-to-face. The study explores whether there are differences in teacher knowledge and beliefs, teacher classroom practice, and student learning outcomes related to PD modality.…

Coquetting Females versus Males of Manners: Critical Discourse Analysis of Egyptian Street Songs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Falaky, Mai Samir; Ahmed, Al-Shaymaa Mohamed Mohamed

2015-01-01

The study explores gender differences and the role of the ideological background in portraying the roles of the males and the females. Socio-economic statuses affect the description of gender differences and this is proclaimed within the analysis of a recent phenomenon of poor quality street songs. The study represents a detailed description of…

Media Use and Adolescent Psychological Adjustment: An Examination of Gender Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohannessian, Christine McCauley

2009-01-01

This study examined media use and psychological adjustment (as indicated by depression and anxiety symptomatology) in a sample of 328 14- to 16-year-old adolescents. Primary goals of the study were to explore whether media use differs by gender, whether media use is related to adolescent psychological problems, and whether media use moderates the…

An Exploration of the Importance of Piloting and Access as Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gudmundsdottir, Greta Bjork; Brock-Utne, Birgit

2010-01-01

In this article we illustrate how the piloting process has influenced two widely different studies within the educational sciences. These studies differ in design but have as a common denominator that they used piloting methods in their preparatory process. They are also similar in the intention of the main researchers of conducting research with…

Investigating Invariant Item Ordering in Personality and Clinical Scales: Some Empirical Findings and a Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meijer, Rob R.; Egberink, Iris J. L.

2012-01-01

In recent studies, different methods were proposed to investigate invariant item ordering (IIO), but practical IIO research is an unexploited field in questionnaire construction and evaluation. In the present study, the authors explored the usefulness of different IIO methods to analyze personality scales and clinical scales. From the authors'…

Evaluating Two Models of Collaborative Tests in an Online Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Björnsdóttir, Auðbjörg; Garfield, Joan; Everson, Michelle

2015-01-01

This study explored the use of two different types of collaborative tests in an online introductory statistics course. A study was designed and carried out to investigate three research questions: (1) What is the difference in students' learning between using consensus and non-consensus collaborative tests in the online environment?, (2) What is…

Exploration of Parametric Integrals Related to a Question of Soil Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dana-Picard, Thierry; Zeitoun, David

2017-01-01

We study a 1-parameter family of trigonometric definite integrals, showing how the joint usage of Information and Communication Technologies and paper-and-pencil work lead to different outputs, revealing different mathematical meanings and different concrete meanings. This family of integrals is useful for describing a phenomenon in soil…

The Variability Hypothesis: The History of a Biological Model of Sex Differences in Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Stephanie A.

1982-01-01

Describes the origin and development of the variability hypothesis as applied to the study of social and psychological sex differences. Explores changes in the hypothesis over time, social and scientific factors that fostered its acceptance, and possible parallels between the variability hypothesis and contemporary theories of sex differences.…

Exploring Differences in Business Undergraduate Perceptions by Preferred Classroom Delivery Mode

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blau, Gary; Drennan, Rob

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare business undergraduate online/hybrid course perceptions across three different preferred classroom environment delivery modes: online, hybrid, or face-toface (F2F). Four different perceptions were measured: perceived favorability of online/hybrid courses (PFoOC); intent to recommend online/hybrid courses;…

Supporting and Preparing Future First-Generation College Students in the High School Environment: Implications for School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Jill K.; Nicolas, Joanna

2011-01-01

This study surveyed college freshmen from two different institutions in order to examine differences between First-Generation College Students and Continuing-Generation College Students. Differences between groups emerged for high school academic preparation, college exploration behaviors, college application behaviors, and college decision-making…

Examining Similarities and Differences among Parent-Teacher Reports of Spanish-English Productive Vocabulary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubasik, Virginia L.; Svetina, Dubravka

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purposes of the present study were to (a) explore the relationship between parent and teacher reports of children's bilingual (Spanish-English) productive vocabulary and (b) examine similarities and differences among parent-teacher reports. Word categories were examined to determine the nature of similarities and differences.…

Job Orientation of Males and Females: Are Sex Differences Declining?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brenner, O. C.; Tomkiewicz, Joseph

1979-01-01

Sex differences in job orientation found by Manhardt (1972) were explored to determine if they still exist, or if a trend toward similarity as found in studies on traits and behaviors prevails. Implications for personnel managers in handling differences on job orientation of males and females are discussed. (Author/KC)

Gender Differences in Public Relations Students' Career Attitudes: A Benchmark Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, Betty; Waugh, Lisa

1999-01-01

Explores students' perceptions of gender issues in public relations. Finds that there were no statistically significant differences in male and female students' desires to perform managerial activities, but there were statistically significant differences in several areas (i.e. female students expect to earn less money starting out and to be…

Gender Similarity or Gender Difference? Contemporary Women's and Men's Career Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitmarsh, Lona; Wentworth, Diane Keyser

2012-01-01

Career development research has often explored gender differences in and development of career patterns (Gottfredson, 2006). Hyde's (2005) meta-analysis indicated that men and women shared more similarities than differences. Applying Hyde's gender similarities hypothesis to careers, the authors conducted a 2-stage study. Stage 1 was an analysis of…

Do Men and Women Perform Academic Work Differently?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González Ramos, Ana M.; Fernández Palacín, Fernando; Muñoz Márquez, Manuel

2015-01-01

Why is the gender gap so large in researchers' career progression? Do men and women have different priorities in their academic careers? This study explores men's and women's academic work to shed light on the strategies of male and female researchers. The online survey collected data on Andalusian researchers to determine possible differences in…

Sexual arousal in East Asian and Euro-Canadian women: a psychophysiological study.

PubMed

Yule, Morag; Woo, Jane S T; Brotto, Lori A

2010-09-01

Studies of ethnic differences in self-report measures of sexuality have shown East Asian women to be more sexually conservative and less sexually experienced than Caucasian women. There is also strong evidence supporting the notion of ethnic group differences in general measures of nonsexual psychophysiological arousal; however, there have been no previous studies exploring ethnicity and physiological sexual arousal. The objective of this study was to explore group differences in self-reported and physiological sexual arousal in Euro-Canadian and East Asian women living in Canada; we also aimed to explore the association between level of acculturation (both mainstream and heritage) and sexual arousal in East Asian women only. Seventy-five women (N=38 Euro-Canadian, N=37 East Asian) completed a battery of questionnaires and underwent psychophysiological sexual arousal testing using the vaginal photoplethysmograph. They also completed a self-report measure of subjective arousal before and after erotic stimulus exposure. All women completed the Female Sexual Function Index, Vancouver Index of Acculturation, and Sexual Beliefs and Information Questionnaire. Change in genital sexual arousal (vaginal pulse amplitude; VPA), and change in subjective sexual arousal were measured during exposure to erotic stimuli. The groups did not differ in the percent increase in VPA induced by erotic stimuli, nor was there a correlation between VPA and subjective sexual arousal. Among East Asian women alone, neither heritage nor mainstream acculturation was correlated with change in VPA. East Asian and Euro-Canadian women who show similar ratings of sexual behaviors and self-reported sexual arousal do not differ in physiological or subjective arousal induced by erotic stimuli in the laboratory. © 2010 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Driver injury severity related to inclement weather at highway-rail grade crossings in the United States.

PubMed

Hao, Wei; Daniel, Janice

2016-01-01

Previous studies on crash modeling at highway-rail grade crossings were aimed at exploring the factors that are likely to increase the crash frequencies at highway-rail grade crossings. In recent years, modeling driver's injury severity at highway-rail grade crossings has received interest. Because there were substantial differences among different weather conditions for driver's injury severity, this study attempts to explore the impact of weather influence on driver injury at highway-rail grade crossing. Utilizing the most recent 10 years (2002-2011) of highway-rail grade crossing accident data, this study applied a mixed logit model to explore the determinants of driver injury severity under different weather conditions at highway-rail grade crossing. Analysis results indicate that drivers' injury severity at highway-rail grade crossings is strongly different for different weather conditions. It was found that the factors significantly impacting driver injury severity at highway-rail grade crossings include motor vehicle speed, train speed, driver's age, gender, area type, lighting condition, highway pavement, traffic volume, and time of day. The findings of this study indicate that crashes are more prevalent if vehicle drivers are driving at high speed or the oncoming trains are high speed. Hence, a reduction in speed limit during inclement weather conditions could be particularly effective in moderating injury severity, allowing more reaction time for last-minute maneuvering and braking in moments before impacts. In addition, inclement weather-related crashes were more likely to occur in open areas and highway-rail grade crossings without pavement and lighting. Paved highway-rail grade crossings with installation of lights could be particularly effective in moderating injury severity.

Play complexity and toy engagement in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder: Do girls and boys differ?

PubMed

Harrop, Clare; Green, Jonathan; Hudry, Kristelle

2017-01-01

While sex differences in play have been extensively observed in typical development, only a handful of studies have explored this phenomenon in depth with children with autism spectrum disorders. This study explored sex differences in play complexity and toy engagement within caregiver-child interaction samples for preschool-aged children (2-5 years 11 months) with an autism spectrum disorder who were matched to typically developing children on sex and non-verbal development. Overall we found that girls and boys with autism spectrum disorder were largely equivalent in their play complexity. Despite similar play, girls and boys with autism spectrum disorder differed in a number of ways in their toy engagement, replicating traditional gender differences-girls played more with dolls and domestic items (though at lower rates than typically developing girls) and boys played more with the garage and cars (though at lower rates than typically developing boys). Our findings support the importance and utility of examining sex differences in autism spectrum disorder in light of those observed within typical development. © The Author(s) 2016.

Effect of changing driving conditions on driver behavior towards design of a safe and efficient traffic system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

This simulation-based study explores the effects of different work zone configurations, varying distances : between traffic signs, traffic density and individual differences on drivers behavior. Conventional Lane : Merge (CLM) and Joint Lane Merge...

Exploring travelers' behavior in response to dynamic message signs (DMS) using a driving simulator.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-10-01

This research studies the effectiveness of a dynamic message sign (DMS) using a driving : simulator. Over 100 subjects from different socio-economic and age groups were recruited to : drive the simulator under different traffic and driving conditions...

Rheology of different hydrocolloids–rice starch blends. Effect of successive heating–cooling cycles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydrocolloids are frequently used for modifying starch functionality. In the present study the possible interaction of three different hydrocolloids - guar gum, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and xanthan gum - with rice starch was explored by determining the pasting, viscoelastic and swelling ...

School Collective Efficacy and Bullying Behaviour: A Multilevel Study.

PubMed

Olsson, Gabriella; Låftman, Sara Brolin; Modin, Bitte

2017-12-20

As with other forms of violent behaviour, bullying is the result of multiple influences acting on different societal levels. Yet the majority of studies on bullying focus primarily on the characteristics of individual bullies and bullied. Fewer studies have explored how the characteristics of central contexts in young people's lives are related to bullying behaviour over and above the influence of individual-level characteristics. This study explores how teacher-rated school collective efficacy is related to student-reported bullying behaviour (traditional and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration). A central focus is to explore if school collective efficacy is related similarly to both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Analyses are based on combined information from two independent data collections conducted in 2016 among 11th grade students ( n = 6067) and teachers ( n = 1251) in 58 upper secondary schools in Stockholm. The statistical method used is multilevel modelling, estimating two-level binary logistic regression models. The results demonstrate statistically significant between-school differences in all outcomes, except traditional bullying perpetration. Strong school collective efficacy is related to less traditional bullying perpetration and less cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, indicating that collective norm regulation and school social cohesion may contribute to reducing the occurrence of bullying.

School Collective Efficacy and Bullying Behaviour: A Multilevel Study

PubMed Central

Olsson, Gabriella; Låftman, Sara Brolin; Modin, Bitte

2017-01-01

As with other forms of violent behaviour, bullying is the result of multiple influences acting on different societal levels. Yet the majority of studies on bullying focus primarily on the characteristics of individual bullies and bullied. Fewer studies have explored how the characteristics of central contexts in young people’s lives are related to bullying behaviour over and above the influence of individual-level characteristics. This study explores how teacher-rated school collective efficacy is related to student-reported bullying behaviour (traditional and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration). A central focus is to explore if school collective efficacy is related similarly to both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Analyses are based on combined information from two independent data collections conducted in 2016 among 11th grade students (n = 6067) and teachers (n = 1251) in 58 upper secondary schools in Stockholm. The statistical method used is multilevel modelling, estimating two-level binary logistic regression models. The results demonstrate statistically significant between-school differences in all outcomes, except traditional bullying perpetration. Strong school collective efficacy is related to less traditional bullying perpetration and less cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, indicating that collective norm regulation and school social cohesion may contribute to reducing the occurrence of bullying. PMID:29261114

How Depressive Levels Are Related to the Adults' Experiences of Lower-Limb Amputation: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senra, Hugo

2013-01-01

The current pilot study aims to explore whether different adults' experiences of lower-limb amputation could be associated with different levels of depression. To achieve these study objectives, a convergent parallel mixed methods design was used in a convenience sample of 42 adult amputees (mean age of 61 years; SD = 13.5). All of them had…

A life to risk: cultural differences in motivations to climb among elite male mountaineers

Treesearch

Patrick T. Maher; Tom G. Potter

2001-01-01

This study explored the cultural differences and motivations to climb of elite, male mountaineers. The purpose of the study was to first determine the motivations of elite male mountaineers and then link these motivations to the culture in which the mountaineer lives or grew up in. Five co-researchers participated in the study: two Canadians, two Americans, and one...

The Study of Life Review. An Approach to the Investigation of Intellectual Development across the Life Span. Studien und Berichte 47.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staudinger, Ursula M.

A study looked for age differences in the quality of responses to the Life Review Task (LRT), studied the LRT itself as a tool for exploring wisdom and intellectual functioning in adulthood, and considered personality characteristics and life experience as alternative predictors of response quality. Sixty-three West German women of different ages…

A Study on the Effect of a Program Teaching Healthy Sexuality Values on Adolescent Sexual Awareness and Sexual Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moon, Sang Huy

2013-01-01

This study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of a program teaching healthy sexuality values on adolescent sexual awareness and sexual behavior. For this study, the present researcher, along with two other professors, developed a 4-h program on 4 different subjects, and conducted the full education program through four different 4-h…

Young Children's Trust Beliefs in Peers: Relations to Social Competence and Interactive Behaviors in a Peer Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, Jui-Chih

2014-01-01

Research Findings: The aim of this study was to explore the relations between children's trust beliefs and social competence as well as social preference. In addition, this study examined how children with different trust belief profiles may differ in their peer interactive behaviors. A total of 47 children ages 5 to 6 participated in this study.…

Linking Mother-Father Differences in Parenting to a Typology of Family Parenting Styles and Adolescent Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simons, Leslie Gordon; Conger, Rand D.

2007-01-01

Using longitudinal data from a sample of 451 families with a child in eighth grade at the time of study, three research questions have been addressed: First, the study explored the ways in which mothers and fathers differ with regard to four parenting styles. Second, the study examined the manner in which individual parenting styles combine to…

Rationale and Roadmap for Moon Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foing, B. H.; ILEWG Team

We discuss the different rationale for Moon exploration. This starts with areas of scientific investigations: clues on the formation and evolution of rocky planets, accretion and bombardment in the inner solar system, comparative planetology processes (tectonic, volcanic, impact cratering, volatile delivery), records astrobiology, survival of organics; past, present and future life. The rationale includes also the advancement of instrumentation: Remote sensing miniaturised instruments; Surface geophysical and geochemistry package; Instrument deployment and robotic arm, nano-rover, sampling, drilling; Sample finder and collector. There are technologies in robotic and human exploration that are a drive for the creativity and economical competitivity of our industries: Mecha-electronics-sensors; Tele control, telepresence, virtual reality; Regional mobility rover; Autonomy and Navigation; Artificially intelligent robots, Complex systems, Man-Machine interface and performances. Moon-Mars Exploration can inspire solutions to global Earth sustained development: In-Situ Utilisation of resources; Establishment of permanent robotic infrastructures, Environmental protection aspects; Life sciences laboratories; Support to human exploration. We also report on the IAA Cosmic Study on Next Steps In Exploring Deep Space, and ongoing IAA Cosmic Studies, ILEWG/IMEWG ongoing activities, and we finally discuss possible roadmaps for robotic and human exploration, starting with the Moon-Mars missions for the coming decade, and building effectively on joint technology developments.

Design and study of geosciences data share platform :platform framework, data interoperability, share approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, H.; Yi, D.

2010-12-01

The Deep Exploration is one of the important approaches to the Geoscience research. Since 1980s we had started it and achieved a lot of data. Researchers usually integrate both data of space exploration and deep exploration to study geological structures and represent the Earth’s subsurface, and analyze and explain on the base of integrated data. Due to the different exploration approach it results the heterogeneity of data, and therefore the data achievement is always of the import issue to make the researchers confused. The problem of data share and interaction has to be solved during the development of the SinoProbe research project. Through the research of domestic and overseas well-known exploration project and geosciences data platform, the subject explores the solution of data share and interaction. Based on SOA we present the deep exploration data share framework which comprises three level: data level is used for the solution of data store and the integration of the heterogeneous data; medial level provides the data service of geophysics, geochemistry, etc. by the means of Web service, and carry out kinds of application combination by the use of GIS middleware and Eclipse RCP; interaction level provides professional and non-professional customer the access to different accuracy data. The framework adopts GeoSciML data interaction approach. GeoSciML is a geosciences information markup language, as an application of the OpenGIS Consortium’s (OGC) Geography Markup Language (GML). It transfers heterogeneous data into one earth frame and implements inter-operation. We dissertate in this article the solution how to integrate the heterogeneous data and share the data in the project of SinoProbe.

Exploring Differences in Dogs’ and Wolves’ Preference for Risk in a Foraging Task

PubMed Central

Marshall-Pescini, Sarah; Besserdich, Ingo; Kratz, Corinna; Range, Friederike

2016-01-01

Both human and non-humans species face decisions in their daily lives which may entail taking risks. At the individual level, a propensity for risk-taking has been shown to be positively correlated with explorative tendencies, whereas, at the species level a more variable and less stable feeding ecology has been associated with a greater preference for risky choices. In the current study we compared two closely related species; wolves and dogs, which differ significantly in their feeding ecology and their explorative tendencies. Wolves depend on hunting for survival with a success rate of between 15 and 50%, whereas free-ranging dogs (which make up 80% of the world dog population), are largely scavengers specialized on human produce (i.e., a more geographically and temporally stable resource). Here, we used a foraging paradigm, which allowed subjects to choose between a guaranteed less preferred food vs. a more preferred food, which was however, delivered only 50% of the time (a stone being delivered the rest of time). We compared identically raised adult wolves and dogs and found that in line with the differing feeding ecologies of the two species and their explorative tendencies, wolves were more risk prone than dogs. PMID:27602005

Diffuse CO2 degassing studies to reveal hidden geothermal resources in oceanic volcanic islands: The Canarian archipelago case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez, F.; Perez, N. M.; García-Merino, M.; Padron, E.; Melián, G.; Asensio-Ramos, M.; Hernandez Perez, P. A.; Padilla, G.; Barrancos, J.; Cótchico, M. A.

2016-12-01

The Canary Islands, owing to their recent volcanism, are the only Spanish territory with potential high enthalpy geothermal resources. The final goal of geothermal exploration in a specific area is to locate and define the size, shape, structure of hidden geothermal resources, and determine their characteristics (fluid type, temperature, chemical composition an ability to produce energy). At those areas where there is not any evidence of endogenous fluids manifestations at surface, that traditionally evidence the presence of an active geothermal system) the geochemical methods for geothermal exploration must include soil gas surveys. This is the case of five mining licenses for geothermal exploration in the Canay Islands, four in Tenerife and one in Gran Canaria Island. We report herein the results of diffuse CO2 emission studies in the five mining licenses during 2011-2014. The primary objective of the study was to sort the possible geothermal potential of these five mining licenses, thus reducing the uncertainty inherent to the selection of the areas with highest geothermal potential for future exploration works. The criterion used to sort the different areas was the contribution of volcano-hydrothermal CO2 in the degassing at each study area. Several hundreds of measurements of diffuse CO2 emission, soil CO2 concentration and isotopic composition were performed at each study area. Based in three different endmembers (biogenic, atmospheric and deep-seated CO2) with different CO2 concentrations (100, 0.04 and 100% respectively) and isotopic compositions (-20, -8 and -3 per mil vs. VPDB respectively) a mass balance to distinguish the different contribution of each endmember in the soil CO2 at each sampling site was made. The percentage of the volcano-hydrothermal contribution in the current diffuse CO2 degassing was in the range 2-19%.The Abeque mining license, that comprises part of the north-west volcanic rift of Tenerife, seemed to show the highest geothermal potential, with an average of 19% of CO2 being released from deep sources, followed by Atidama (south east of Gran Canaria) and Garehagua (southern volcanic rift of Tenerife), with 17% and 12% respectively.

Exploring the Unknown: International Service and Individual Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Wei-Wen; Chen, Cheng-Hui Lucy; Huang, Yu-Fu; Yuan, Yu-Hsi

2012-01-01

Empirical studies have found that participation in international service increases learners' intercultural competence, language skills, appreciation of cultural differences, and tolerance for ambiguity. While previous studies suggest that international service experience is potentially transformative in nature, the present study examined…

Evaluating the effectiveness of different approaches to home support for people in later stage dementia: a protocol for an observational study.

PubMed

Chester, Helen; Clarkson, Paul; Hughes, Jane; Russell, Ian; Beresford, Joan; Davies, Linda; Jolley, David; Peconi, Julie; Poland, Fiona; Roberts, Chris; Sutcliffe, Caroline; Challis, David

2017-07-01

Dementia is a major health problem with a growing number of people affected by the condition, both directly and indirectly through caring for someone with dementia. Many live at home but little is known about the range and intensity of the support they receive. Previous studies have mainly reported on discrete services within a single geographical area. This paper presents a protocol for study of different services across several sites in England. The aim is to explore the presence, effects, and cost-effectiveness of approaches to home support for people in later stage dementia and their carers. This is a prospective observational study employing mixed methods. At least 300 participants (people with dementia and their carers) from geographical areas with demonstrably different ranges of services available for people with dementia will be selected. Within each area, participants will be recruited from a range of services. Participants will be interviewed on two occasions and data will be collected on their characteristics and circumstances, quality of life, carer health and burden, and informal and formal support for the person with dementia. The structured interviews will also collect qualitative data to explore the perceptions of older people and carers. This national study will explore the components of appropriate and effective home support for people with late stage dementia and their carers. It aims to inform commissioners and service providers across health and social care.

The concept of difference and the experience of China-educated nurses working in Australia: a symbolic interactionist exploration.

PubMed

Zhou, Yunxian; Windsor, Carol; Theobald, Karen; Coyer, Fiona

2011-11-01

The migration of registered nurses as a response to a global nurse shortage has seen a growth in research interest in this area. Much of the research focuses on differences in language and culture which are posed as the attributes of the immigrant nurse. In reporting on an analysis of data drawn from China-educated nurses working in the Australian health care system, this paper explores the social construction of difference and the related intersection of difference and racialisation. A symbolic interactionist approach informed 46 in-depth interviews with 28 China-educated nurses. The method of analysis was initial and focused coding and constant comparison of data. The focus of interpretation was on human action and interaction as contextual and thus structural factors were critical to the analysis. Two levels of meaning were depicted in this study: difference as "you are you and I am I" and difference as "incompetence". Negative meanings were ascribed to difference which in turn legitimised inequality and held the potential to perpetuate racism. We argue that it is problematic to conceptualise difference as individual attributes. Difference needs to be contextualised and thus explored as a complex and socially constructed concept that in its application has social and political implications for immigrant nurses in Australia and elsewhere. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language evolution in the laboratory.

PubMed

Scott-Phillips, Thomas C; Kirby, Simon

2010-09-01

The historical origins of natural language cannot be observed directly. We can, however, study systems that support language and we can also develop models that explore the plausibility of different hypotheses about how language emerged. More recently, evolutionary linguists have begun to conduct language evolution experiments in the laboratory, where the emergence of new languages used by human participants can be observed directly. This enables researchers to study both the cognitive capacities necessary for language and the ways in which languages themselves emerge. One theme that runs through this work is how individual-level behaviours result in population-level linguistic phenomena. A central challenge for the future will be to explore how different forms of information transmission affect this process. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When EFL Teachers Perform L2 and L1 in the Classroom, What Happens to Their Sense of Self?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forman, Ross

2015-01-01

We often hear from speakers of L2 that they "feel different" when communicating through the medium of an additional language. While there has been much exploration of L2-­mediated identity development in naturalistic settings, there is very little conducted within the instructed learning environment of EFL. The present study explores how…

Do Different Modalities of Reflection Matter? An Exploration of Adult Second-Language Learners' Reported Strategy Use and Oral Language Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Li-Shih

2010-01-01

This paper reports on a small-scale study that was the first to explore raising second-language (L2) learners' awareness of speaking strategies as mediated by three modalities of task-specific reflection--individual written reflection, individual spoken reflection, and group spoken reflection. Though research in such areas as L2 writing, teacher's…

Exploring Spanish Pre-Service Teachers' Talk in Relation to ICT: Balancing Different Expectations between the University and Practicum School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGarr, Oliver; Gavaldon, Guillermina

2018-01-01

Information and communications technology (ICT) now plays a prominent role in pre-service teacher education programmes across the globe. Despite this emphasis, research indicates that pre-service teachers' use of ICT is often less than expected, even though they express positive opinions of its benefits. This study aimed to explore pre-service…

Do Thinking Styles Matter for Science Achievement and Attitudes toward Science Class in Male and Female Elementary School Students in Taiwan?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Tzu-Ling; Tseng, Yi-Kuan

2015-01-01

The purposes of this study were to explore the effects of thinking styles on science achievement and attitudes toward science class among Taiwanese elementary school students and to explore the differences between male and female students in their modes of thinking. Participants included 756 sixth-grade students from 28 classes in four elementary…

The Development of Comprehension and Reading-Related Skills in Children Learning English as an Additional Language and Their Monolingual, English-Speaking Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgoyne, K.; Whiteley, H. E.; Hutchinson, J. M.

2011-01-01

Background: A significant number of pupils in UK schools learn English as an additional language (EAL). Relative differences between the educational attainment of this group and monolingual, English-speaking pupils call for an exploration of the literacy needs of EAL learners. Aims: This study explores the developmental progression of reading and…

Journal Writing as a Way to Know Culture: Insights from a Travel Study Abroad Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Cheryl J.; Zou, Yali; Poimbeauf, Rita

2015-01-01

In this work, we explore journal writing as a way to come to know culture, particularly cultural phenomenon, vastly different from one's own firmly held and enacted beliefs. In this research, we accept the premise that writing is a way of knowing and adopt journal writing as a tool through which students can explore the knowledge they have…

An exploration of self-efficacy as a motivation for rock climbing and its impact on frequency of climbs

Treesearch

Edwin Gomez; Eddie Hill; Amy Ackerman

2008-01-01

This study utilizes the theoretical framework of self-efficacy to explore the role it plays in rock climbing. Data were gathered from on-site self-administered surveys to rock-climbers in three different locations (N=72). A conceptual model was developed to consider the relationship between selfefficacy and frequency of rock climbing. The initial factor of self-...

Recent faulting in western Nevada revealed by multi-scale seismic reflection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frary, Roxanna N.; Louie, John N.; Stephenson, William J.; Odum, Jackson K.; Kell, Annie; Eisses, Amy; Kent, Graham M.; Driscoll, Neal W.; Karlin, Robert; Baskin, Robert L.; Pullammanappallil, Satish; Liberty, Lee M.

2011-01-01

The main goal of this study is to compare different reflection methods used to image subsurface structure within different physical environments in western Nevada. With all the methods employed, the primary goal is fault imaging for structural information toward geothermal exploration and seismic hazard estimation. We use seismic CHIRP (a swept-frequency marine acquisition system), weight drop (an accelerated hammer source), and two different vibroseis systems to characterize fault structure. We focused our efforts in the Reno metropolitan area and the area within and surrounding Pyramid Lake in northern Nevada. These different methods have provided valuable constraints on the fault geometry and activity, as well as associated fluid movement. These are critical in evaluating the potential for large earthquakes in these areas, and geothermal exploration possibilities near these structures.

Rank Dynamics of Word Usage at Multiple Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, José A.; Colman, Ewan; Sánchez, Sergio; Sánchez-Puig, Fernanda; Pineda, Carlos; Iñiguez, Gerardo; Cocho, Germinal; Flores, Jorge; Gershenson, Carlos

2018-05-01

The recent dramatic increase in online data availability has allowed researchers to explore human culture with unprecedented detail, such as the growth and diversification of language. In particular, it provides statistical tools to explore whether word use is similar across languages, and if so, whether these generic features appear at different scales of language structure. Here we use the Google Books N-grams dataset to analyze the temporal evolution of word usage in several languages. We apply measures proposed recently to study rank dynamics, such as the diversity of N-grams in a given rank, the probability that an N-gram changes rank between successive time intervals, the rank entropy, and the rank complexity. Using different methods, results show that there are generic properties for different languages at different scales, such as a core of words necessary to minimally understand a language. We also propose a null model to explore the relevance of linguistic structure across multiple scales, concluding that N-gram statistics cannot be reduced to word statistics. We expect our results to be useful in improving text prediction algorithms, as well as in shedding light on the large-scale features of language use, beyond linguistic and cultural differences across human populations.

Male rats that differ in novelty exploration demonstrate distinct patterns of sexual behavior

PubMed Central

Cummings, Jennifer A.; Clinton, Sarah M.; Perry, Adam N.; Akil, Huda; Becker, Jill B.

2014-01-01

High versus low novelty exploration predicts a variety of behavioral differences. For example, rats selectively-bred for high novelty exploration (bred High Responders, bHR) exhibit exaggerated aggression, impulsivity, and proclivity to addictive behaviors compared to low novelty-reactive rats (bred Low Responders, bLRs), which are characterized by a high anxiety/depressive-like phenotype. Since bHR/bLR rats exhibit differences in dopaminergic circuitry and differential response to rewarding stimuli (i.e., psychostimulants, food), the present study examined whether they also differ in another key hedonic behavior – sex. Thus, adult bHR/bLR males were given five 30-min opportunities to engage in sexual activity with a receptive female. Sexual behavior and motivation were examined and compared between the groups. The bHR/bLR phenotype affected both sexual motivation and behavior, with bLR males demonstrating reduced motivation for sex compared with bHR males (i.e., fewer animals copulated, longer latency to engage in sex). The bHR males required more intromissions at a faster pace per ejaculation than did bLR males. Thus, neurobiological differences that affect motivation for drugs of abuse, aggression, and impulsivity in rats also affect sexual motivation and performance. PMID:23398441

A causal role for right frontopolar cortex in directed, but not random, exploration

PubMed Central

Zajkowski, Wojciech K; Kossut, Malgorzata

2017-01-01

The explore-exploit dilemma occurs anytime we must choose between exploring unknown options for information and exploiting known resources for reward. Previous work suggests that people use two different strategies to solve the explore-exploit dilemma: directed exploration, driven by information seeking, and random exploration, driven by decision noise. Here, we show that these two strategies rely on different neural systems. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation to inhibit the right frontopolar cortex, we were able to selectively inhibit directed exploration while leaving random exploration intact. This suggests a causal role for right frontopolar cortex in directed, but not random, exploration and that directed and random exploration rely on (at least partially) dissociable neural systems. PMID:28914605

Cross-cultural effect on suboptimal effort detection: an example of the Digit Span subtest of the WAIS-III in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yang, Cheng-Chang; Kao, Chen-Jay; Cheng, Ting-Wen; Yang, Chi-Cheng; Wang, Wei-Han; Yu, Rwei-Ling; Hsu, Yen-Hsuan; Hua, Mau-Sun

2012-12-01

Suppressed Digit Span performance has been proposed as an embedded indicator for suboptimal effort detection in neuropsychological evaluations in Western societies, particularly in the USA. However, its effectiveness in Chinese countries remains unexplored. The purposes of this study were first to explore normative Digit Span performance patterns between the Taiwan and American standardization samples, then to examine performances of patients with traumatic brain injury and with psychiatric diseases on the embedded measures (the Digit Span Scaled Score, Vocabulary minus Digit Span difference score, Reliable Digit Span, and the longest string of digits forward and backward) through retrospective data analysis. The normative Digit Span performance differs between the two cultural populations. Although litigating and nonlitigating participants perform differently on these measures, further prospective studies are needed to explore this issue with comprehensive external corroborating validity data.

Attribution and Motivation: Gender, Ethnicity, and Religion Differences among Indonesian University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutantoputri, Novita W.; Watt, Helen M. G.

2013-01-01

The study explores the possibilities of gender, ethnicity, and religion differences on attributions (locus of control, stability, personal and external control), motivational goals (learning, performance approach, performance avoidance, and work avoidance), self-efficacy, intelligence beliefs, religiosity, racial/ethnic identity, and academic…

Relational Aggression and Victimization in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahlen, Eric R.; Czar, Katherine A.; Prather, Emily; Dyess, Christy

2013-01-01

For this study we explored relational aggression and victimization in a college sample (N = 307), examining potential gender and race differences, correlates, and the link between relational aggression and common emotional and behavioral problems, independent of relational victimization. Gender and race differences were observed on relational…

Exploring travelers' behavior in response to dynamic message signs (DMS) using a driving simulator : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-10-01

This research studies the effectiveness of a dynamic message sign (DMS) using a driving : simulator. Over 100 subjects from different socio-economic and age groups were recruited to : drive the simulator under different traffic and driving conditions...

Occupational Competence Strategies in old age: A mixed method comparison between Hispanic women with different levels of daily participation

PubMed Central

Orellano, Elsa M.; Mountain, Gail; Varas, Nelson; Labault, Nirzka

2014-01-01

In this pilot study we explore the difference in the use of occupational competence strategies for daily participation between highly active and low active Hispanic older women. Twenty-nine women, living alone who were ≥ 70 years participated in this study. We employed a mixed method design through which the principal investigator administered a tool to measure participation restrictions during the quantitative phase and conducted in-depth interviews with a subsample of the quantitative phase. Active women predominantly used transportation resources, emotional social support, and spirituality to support participation in life activities. Less active women used more practical social support, assistive technology, and environmental modifications. Personal facilitators seemed to directly modify these strategies. These results suggest that older women with different activity levels use distinct internal and external resources to maintain or enhance daily participation. Future studies should explore whether these resources remain consistent across gender, living status, and ethnicities. PMID:24669397

Is There Really a Relationship Between Empathy and Aggression? Evidence From Physiological and Self-Report Measures.

PubMed

Gantiva, Carlos; Cendales, Rocio; Díaz, Maite; González, Yesenia

2018-05-01

A strong relationship between empathy and aggression has traditionally been argued, but a recent meta-analysis showed that this relationship is surprisingly weak. However, none of the studies that were analyzed in the meta-analysis used physiological measures of empathy to assess differences between aggressive and nonaggressive subjects. The present study evaluated the activity of the corrugator and zygomatic muscles, galvanic skin response, and heart rate response to pictures with different social content in 30 aggressive and 30 nonaggressive subjects. Self-report measures of emotion and empathy were also evaluated. The results did not show significant differences in any of the physiological measures of affective empathy or subjective measures of emotion. Significant differences were found only in cognitive empathy, in which nonaggressive subjects had higher scores than aggressive subjects. These results suggest that intervention programs should focus on increasing cognitive empathy and exploring other variables, such as emotional self-regulation and callous-unemotional traits. We also suggest exploring other ways of understanding affective empathy.

Exploring rationality in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Revsbech, Rasmus; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Owen, Gareth; Nordgaard, Julie; Jansson, Lennart; Sæbye, Ditte; Flensborg-Madsen, Trine; Parnas, Josef

2015-06-01

Empirical studies of rationality (syllogisms) in patients with schizophrenia have obtained different results. One study found that patients reason more logically if the syllogism is presented through an unusual content. To explore syllogism-based rationality in schizophrenia. Thirty-eight first-admitted patients with schizophrenia and 38 healthy controls solved 29 syllogisms that varied in presentation content (ordinary v. unusual) and validity (valid v. invalid). Statistical tests were made of unadjusted and adjusted group differences in models adjusting for intelligence and neuropsychological test performance. Controls outperformed patients on all syllogism types, but the difference between the two groups was only significant for valid syllogisms presented with unusual content. However, when adjusting for intelligence and neuropsychological test performance, all group differences became non-significant. When taking intelligence and neuropsychological performance into account, patients with schizophrenia and controls perform similarly on syllogism tests of rationality. None. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

Culture and postpartum mood problems: similarities and differences in the experiences of first- and second-generation Canadian women.

PubMed

Mamisachvili, Lana; Ardiles, Paola; Mancewicz, Grazyna; Thompson, Sherry; Rabin, Kapri; Ross, Lori E

2013-04-01

Few studies have examined the role of culture in a woman's experience of postpartum mood problems (PPMP). This study explored differences and similarities in experiences of PPMP between first- and second-generation Canadian women. In this exploratory qualitative study, we interviewed nine first-generation and eight second-generation women who were clients of the Women's Health Centre at St. Joseph's Health Centre in Toronto, Canada. Using semistructured interviews, we explored how women perceived and experienced PPMP. Four themes reflected cultural issues: PPMP stigma, relationship with parents/in-laws, internalization of society's expectations of motherhood, and identity issues/relationship with self. The results of this study contribute to a limited literature on possible contributing factors to PPMP and can inform development of resources for delivering culturally appropriate mental health care for women dealing with PPMP.

Human haptic perception is interrupted by explorative stops of milliseconds

PubMed Central

Grunwald, Martin; Muniyandi, Manivannan; Kim, Hyun; Kim, Jung; Krause, Frank; Mueller, Stephanie; Srinivasan, Mandayam A.

2014-01-01

Introduction: The explorative scanning movements of the hands have been compared to those of the eyes. The visual process is known to be composed of alternating phases of saccadic eye movements and fixation pauses. Descriptive results suggest that during the haptic exploration of objects short movement pauses occur as well. The goal of the present study was to detect these “explorative stops” (ES) during one-handed and two-handed haptic explorations of various objects and patterns, and to measure their duration. Additionally, the associations between the following variables were analyzed: (a) between mean exploration time and duration of ES, (b) between certain stimulus features and ES frequency, and (c) the duration of ES during the course of exploration. Methods: Five different Experiments were used. The first two Experiments were classical recognition tasks of unknown haptic stimuli (A) and of common objects (B). In Experiment C space-position information of angle legs had to be perceived and reproduced. For Experiments D and E the PHANToM haptic device was used for the exploration of virtual (D) and real (E) sunken reliefs. Results: In each Experiment we observed explorative stops of different average durations. For Experiment A: 329.50 ms, Experiment B: 67.47 ms, Experiment C: 189.92 ms, Experiment D: 186.17 ms and Experiment E: 140.02 ms. Significant correlations were observed between exploration time and the duration of the ES. Also, ES occurred more frequently, but not exclusively, at defined stimulus features like corners, curves and the endpoints of lines. However, explorative stops do not occur every time a stimulus feature is explored. Conclusions: We assume that ES are a general aspect of human haptic exploration processes. We have tried to interpret the occurrence and duration of ES with respect to the Hypotheses-Rebuild-Model and the Limited Capacity Control System theory. PMID:24782797

Effects of elevated line sources on turbulent mixing in channel flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Quoc; Papavassiliou, Dimitrios

2016-11-01

Fluids mixing in turbulent flows has been studied extensively, due to the importance of this phenomena in nature and engineering. Convection effects along with motion of three-dimensional coherent structures in turbulent flow disperse a substance more efficiently than molecular diffusion does on its own. We present here, however, a study that explores the conditions under which turbulent mixing does not happen, when different substances are released into the flow field from different vertical locations. The study uses a method which combines Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) with Lagrangian Scalar Tracking (LST) to simulate a turbulent channel flow and track the motion of passive scalars with different Schmidt numbers (Sc). The particles are released from several instantaneous line sources, ranging from the wall to the center region of the channel. The combined effects of mean velocity difference, molecular diffusion and near-wall coherent structures lead to the observation of different concentrations of particles downstream from the source. We then explore in details the conditions under which particles mixing would not happen. Results from numerical simulation at friction Reynolds number of 300 and 600 will be discussed and for Sc ranging from 0.1 to 2,400.

NASA'S Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute: An international approach toward bringing science and human exploration together for mutual benefit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Gregory

2016-07-01

The NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is a virtual institute focused on research at the intersection of science and explora-tion, training the next generation of lunar scientists, and community development. The institute is a hub for opportunities that engage the larger scientific and exploration communities in order to form new interdis-ciplinary, research-focused collaborations. Its relative-ly large domestic teams work together along with in-ternational partners in both traditional and virtual set-tings to bring disparate approaches together for mutual benefit. This talk will describe the research efforts of the nine domestic teams that constitute the U.S. com-plement of the Institute and how it is engaging the in-ternational science and exploration communities through workshops, conferences, online seminars and classes, student exchange programs and internships. The Institute is centered on the scientific aspects of exploration as they pertain to the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and the moons of Mars. It focuses on interdisciplinary, exploration-related science cen-tered around all airless bodies targeted as potential human destinations. Areas of study reported here will represent the broad spectrum of lunar, NEA, and Mar-tian moon sciences encompassing investigations of the surface, interior, exosphere, and near-space environ-ments as well as science uniquely enabled from these bodies. The technical focus ranges from investigations of plasma physics, geology/geochemistry, technology integration, solar system origins/evolution, regolith geotechnical properties, analogues, volatiles, ISRU and exploration potential of the target bodies. SSERVI enhances the widening knowledgebase of planetary research by acting as a bridge between several differ-ent groups and bringing together researchers from the scientific and exploration communities, multiple disci-plines across the full range of planetary sciences, and domestic and international communities and partner-ships.

Implications of optimization cost for balancing exploration and exploitation in global search and for experimental optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhuri, Anirban

Global optimization based on expensive and time consuming simulations or experiments usually cannot be carried out to convergence, but must be stopped because of time constraints, or because the cost of the additional function evaluations exceeds the benefits of improving the objective(s). This dissertation sets to explore the implications of such budget and time constraints on the balance between exploration and exploitation and the decision of when to stop. Three different aspects are considered in terms of their effects on the balance between exploration and exploitation: 1) history of optimization, 2) fixed evaluation budget, and 3) cost as a part of objective function. To this end, this research develops modifications to the surrogate-based optimization technique, Efficient Global Optimization algorithm, that controls better the balance between exploration and exploitation, and stopping criteria facilitated by these modifications. Then the focus shifts to examining experimental optimization, which shares the issues of cost and time constraints. Through a study on optimization of thrust and power for a small flapping wing for micro air vehicles, important differences and similarities between experimental and simulation-based optimization are identified. The most important difference is that reduction of noise in experiments becomes a major time and cost issue, and a second difference is that parallelism as a way to cut cost is more challenging. The experimental optimization reveals the tendency of the surrogate to display optimistic bias near the surrogate optimum, and this tendency is then verified to also occur in simulation based optimization.

Social Character of Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Krishna

The inner world of education is explored through the examination of different types of educational materials. Content analysis and symbolic interactionism are used to study educational and pedagogical communication. These approaches are used in four studies of educational texts. Chapter 1, "Study of Educational Texts," introduces the…

Facilitating telecommuting : exploring the role of telecommuting intensity and differences between telecommuters and non-telecommuters.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

Walls, Safirova and Jiang (2007) note the paucity of studies that examine telecommuting among individuals across organizations and studies that compare telecommuters with non-telecommuters. This study responds to this call by gaining a deeper underst...

Three visualization approaches for communicating and exploring PIT tag data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Letcher, Benjamin; Walker, Jeffrey D.; O'Donnell, Matthew; Whiteley, Andrew R.; Nislow, Keith; Coombs, Jason

2018-01-01

As the number, size and complexity of ecological datasets has increased, narrative and interactive raw data visualizations have emerged as important tools for exploring and understanding these large datasets. As a demonstration, we developed three visualizations to communicate and explore passive integrated transponder tag data from two long-term field studies. We created three independent visualizations for the same dataset, allowing separate entry points for users with different goals and experience levels. The first visualization uses a narrative approach to introduce users to the study. The second visualization provides interactive cross-filters that allow users to explore multi-variate relationships in the dataset. The last visualization allows users to visualize the movement histories of individual fish within the stream network. This suite of visualization tools allows a progressive discovery of more detailed information and should make the data accessible to users with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests.

A web-portal for interactive data exploration, visualization, and hypothesis testing

PubMed Central

Bartsch, Hauke; Thompson, Wesley K.; Jernigan, Terry L.; Dale, Anders M.

2014-01-01

Clinical research studies generate data that need to be shared and statistically analyzed by their participating institutions. The distributed nature of research and the different domains involved present major challenges to data sharing, exploration, and visualization. The Data Portal infrastructure was developed to support ongoing research in the areas of neurocognition, imaging, and genetics. Researchers benefit from the integration of data sources across domains, the explicit representation of knowledge from domain experts, and user interfaces providing convenient access to project specific data resources and algorithms. The system provides an interactive approach to statistical analysis, data mining, and hypothesis testing over the lifetime of a study and fulfills a mandate of public sharing by integrating data sharing into a system built for active data exploration. The web-based platform removes barriers for research and supports the ongoing exploration of data. PMID:24723882

High School Students' Scientific Epistemological Beliefs, Motivation in Learning Science, and Their Relationships: A Comparative Study within the Chinese Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Tzung-Jin; Deng, Feng; Chai, Ching Sing; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2013-01-01

This study explored the differences in high school students' scientific epistemological beliefs (SEBs), motivation in learning science (MLS), and the different relationships between them in Taiwan and China. 310 Taiwanese and 302 Chinese high school students' SEBs and MLS were assessed quantitatively. Taiwanese students generally were more prone…

Age Differences in Goal Concordance, Time Use, and Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Yiwei; Lee, Yue-Ting; Pethtel, Olivia L.; Gutowitz, Michael S.; Kirk, Robert M.

2012-01-01

The primary purpose of the present study was to investigate age differences in goal concordance, time use, and Well-Being. Past research has found that despite age-related decline in life circumstances (e.g., health), the Well-Being of older adults is as high as young adults. The present study used a novel approach to explore the Paradox of…

Understanding Elementary Teachers' Different Responses to Reform: The Case of Implementation of an Assessment Reform in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Jinyoung

2017-01-01

This study explores how teachers implemented an assessment reform in South Korea, with an analysis of different aspects of the reform. Using a mixed method design, this study reveals that the relation between policy and practice depends upon the nature of the changes that reform policies propose. Teachers' implementation varies in terms of…

Perceived Severity of Cyberbullying Behaviour: Differences between Genders, Grades and Participant Roles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Li-Ming; Cheng, Ying-Yao

2017-01-01

This study aimed to develop a new scale to examine primary and secondary school students' perceptions of the severity of cyberbullying behaviours, and to explore further whether differences exist in the means of gender, grade and participant role. A total of 707 primary and secondary school students (M = 14.7) in Taiwan participated in this study.…

Students' Conceptions of Selected Science, Technology and Society Issues: An Exploratory Multidimensional Scaling Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thirunarayanan, M. O.

The purpose of this study was to explore students' conceptions of 31 selected science, technology, and society issues. Differences in such conceptions across different grade-levels and among males and females also were examined. A total of 138 males and females enrolled in grades five through eleven in a unified school district, and in…

Differences among Teachers' Perceptions of School Climate: Does Support for the Local Teacher Union Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Jason S.

2009-01-01

Although some school improvement literature has suggested that schools will improve when unions are removed from the school system, unions have rarely been isolated in the research. This study involved a mixed method case study approach to explore whether support of the local teacher union affected perceptions of school climate, as measured by the…

Guaranteed Tuition Policies and State General Appropriations for Higher Education: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaney, Jennifer A.; Kearney, Tyler D.

2015-01-01

This study explores the impact of state-level guaranteed tuition laws on state general appropriations for higher education. Using the "Truth-in-Tuition" law that was implemented in Illinois in 2004 as the treatment condition, this study analyzes data from 2000-2012. To test the direction and size of the effect on state general…

Two Types of Learning Environment: Enabling and Constraining a Study of Care Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellstrom, Eva; Ekholm, Bodil; Ellstrom, Per-Erik

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to first elaborate on the notion of a learning environment based on an empirical study of care work. Second, to explore how aspects of a learning environment may differ between and within units in the same organization, and how to understand and explain such differences. Design/methodology/approach: The study…

Spacing Effects in Vocabulary Learning: Young EFL Learners in Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotfolahi, Amir Reza; Salehi, Hadi

2017-01-01

This study used a novel method to explore different schedules of spacing in young EFL learners. In doing so, we taught young EFL learners English-Farsi word pairs using different spacing schedules (massed vs. spaced). In the massed condition, learners studied five-word pairs in session one and five-other word pairs one week later. In the spaced…

The Similarities and Differences in the Work Experience of Women Faculty in Traditional and Nontraditional Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Yonghong Jade

2012-01-01

In this chapter, the author explores and compares the work experiences of women faculty in fields of different gender compositions with data from three National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF: 1993, 1999, and 2004) surveys. By examining the influence of a wide range of factors, this study provides a comprehensive picture of the work…

Individual Differences in Auditory Sentence Comprehension in Children: An Exploratory Event-Related Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeatman, Jason D.; Ben-Shachar, Michal; Glover, Gary H.; Feldman, Heidi M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore changes in activation of the cortical network that serves auditory sentence comprehension in children in response to increasing demands of complex sentences. A further goal is to study how individual differences in children's receptive language abilities are associated with such changes in cortical…

Learning Styles, Learning Abilities and Learning Problems in College: An Exploration of Learning Disabilities in College Students. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Renee L.; Zern, David S.

The study examined differences between 57 learning disabled (LD) and 24 non-LD college students on measures of psychoeducational assessment. In addition, differences between LD students with good and poor academic performance were studied, and coping strategies were identified for both sub-groups. A variety of standardized tests were administered…

Intergenerational Transmission of Gender Segregation: How Parents' Occupational Field Affects Gender Differences in Field of Study Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vleuten, Maaike; Jaspers, Eva; Maas, Ineke; van der Lippe, Tanja

2018-01-01

The study explores how parents' occupational field affects gender differences in educational fields. On the one hand, the theory of direct transfer predicts that adolescents enter fields similar to those of their parents because of intergenerational transmission of occupation-specific resources and that adolescents are more likely to draw upon the…

Spiritual Development Differences between Online and on Campus College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comeaux, Russell Mark

2013-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore spiritual development differences between online and on-campus students. For this study, spiritual maturation was measured by the locus of authority and view of self and others, primarily as measured by the God Image Scales. The assumption was that development is marked by a shift in locus of…

Standing in the Gaps: Examining the Effects of Early Gifted Education on Black Girl Achievement in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Jemimah L.; Young, Jamaal R.; Ford, Donna Y.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the differential effects of access to gifted education on the mathematics and science achievement of fourth-grade Black girls. This study utilized mean difference effect sizes to examine the magnitude of differences between groups. By convention, White girls were included as a comparison group. Girls…

Establishing a STEM Pipeline: Trends in Male and Female Enrollment and Performance in Higher Level Secondary STEM Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergeron, Liz; Gordon, Melissa

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand enrollment and performance differences between male and females in higher level secondary STEM courses. This study analyzes performance and enrollment of 355,688 secondary students in higher level STEM courses. This research also enabled an exploration of country level differences. The enrollment…

A Study on Learning Effect among Different Learning Styles in a Web-Based Lab of Science for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Koun-tem; Lin, Yuan-cheng; Yu, Chia-jui

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the learning effect related to different learning styles in a Web-based virtual science laboratory for elementary school students. The online virtual lab allows teachers to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into science lessons. The results of this experimental teaching method…

Differences in forest plant functional trait distributions across land-use and productivity gradients

Treesearch

Margaret M. Mayfield; John M. Dwyer; Loic Chalmandrier; Jessie A. Wells; Stephen P. Bonser; Carla P. Catterall; Fabrice DeClerck; Yi Ding; Jennifer M. Fraterrigo; Daniel J. Metcalfe; Cibele Queiroz; Peter A. Vesk; John W. Morgan

2013-01-01

• Premise of study: Plant functional traits are commonly used as proxies for plant responses to environmental challenges, yet few studies have explored how functional trait distributions differ across gradients of land-use change. By comparing trait distributions in intact forests with those across land-use change gradients, we can improve our understanding of the ways...

Hong Kong Secondary School Students' Attitudes towards Science: A Study of Structural Models and Gender Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wan, Zhi Hong; Lee, John Chi Kin

2017-01-01

This study explored two under-researched areas on students' attitudes towards science, that is, the structural models representing these attitudes and the role played by school bands in moderating the gender differences in such attitudes. The participants were 360 ninth graders in Hong Kong from 3 school bands. The structural equation modelling…

Kanji Recognition by Second Language Learners: Exploring Effects of First Language Writing Systems and Second Language Exposure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsumoto, Kazumi

2013-01-01

This study investigated whether learners of Japanese with different first language (L1) writing systems use different recognition strategies and whether second language (L2) exposure affects L2 kanji recognition. The study used a computerized lexical judgment task with 3 types of kanji characters to investigate these questions: (a)…

Monitoring Makes a Difference: Quality and Temporal Variation in Teacher Education Students' Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Näykki, Piia; Järvenoja, Hanna; Järvelä, Sanna; Kirschner, Paul

2017-01-01

The aim of this process-oriented video-observation study is to explore how groups that perform differently differ in terms of the number, quality, and temporal variation of their content-level (knowledge co-construction) and meta-level (monitoring) activities. Five groups of teacher education students (n = 22) were observed throughout a 3-month…

Accuracy of Tracking Forest Machines with GPS

Treesearch

M.W. Veal; S.E. Taylor; T.P. McDonald; D.K. McLemore; M.R. Dunn

2001-01-01

This paper describes the results of a study that measured the accuracy of using GPS to track movement offorest machines. Two different commercially available GPS receivers (Trimble ProXR and GeoExplorer II) were used to track wheeled skidders under three different canopy conditions at two different vehicle speeds. Dynamic GPS data were compared to position data...

Different Strokes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

In these line graphs of laboratory spectra, it is evident that different minerals have different spectra. The graph on the left shows the typical minerals found in igneous rocks, which are rocks related to magma or volcanic activity. The graph on the right shows iron-bearing candidates for further study and comparison to spectra from the Mars Exploration Rover panoramic cameras on Mars.

Confidence in Mathematics and Its Consequences: Gender Differences among Israeli Jewish and Arab Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mittelberg, David; Lev-Ari, Lilach

1999-01-01

Studied the relative weight of personal, social, and cultural variables that explain gender differences in mathematics learning in different sectors of Israeli society. Results from 106 Jewish and 105 Arab high school students show the higher perceived achievement and mathematics self-confidence of the Arab girls. Explores reasons for the…

Intentional Families: Fictive Kin Ties between Cross-Gender, Different Sexual Orientation Friends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muraco, Anna

2006-01-01

This study explores the nature of intentional family relationships between friends of different genders and different sexual orientations. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 46 members of 23 friendship dyads, I first make the case that the friends considered one another family and I specify the criteria they use for making such designations. I…

Gender Differences in Teens' Digital Propensity and Perceptions and Preferences with Regard to Digital and Printed Text

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seok, Soonhwa; DaCosta, Boaventura

2017-01-01

Gender differences between the reading of digital and printed text were explored in this study. Predictors of digital propensity were investigated along with gender differences in the context of digital propensity and perceptions and preferences toward the reading of digital and printed text. Findings strengthened results reported in existing…

Ethnicity and Individual Differences in Achievement Goals in Kindergarten Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Billings, Barbara L.

This study examined the effect of ethnicity on individual differences in achievement goals in a replication of the paradigm used by P. Smiley and C. Dweck (1994) to explore individual differences in achievement goals held by young children. The emphasis was on learning goals, which focus effort on mastering new tasks, and performance goals, which…

An Investigation of Gender Differences in a Game-Based Learning Environment with Different Game Modes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Fu-Hsing

2017-01-01

This study aimed to explore the gender differences of participants' learning results, perceptions and gaming behaviors related to an energy quiz game with both single-player and multiplayer game modes simultaneously provided for participants. Seventy-four ninth-grade students played the game in six classes over three weeks. The pretest-posttest on…

Leadership Styles and School Performance: Is There a Gender Difference in Expectations for Teachers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magee, Iris Denise

2012-01-01

In this paper, the research on the perceptions of gender differences in leadership styles is explored. The study also attempts to determine whether there are differences in overall school performance for male versus female school principals. The methodology involved a mixed-model ANOVA analysis of findings from 31 principals and 236 teachers…

Different Images of Science at Nordic Science Centres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidsson, Eva; Jakobsson, Anders

2007-01-01

Science centres aim to present science in ways that will attract visitors and enhance public interest in, and knowledge of, science. But what images and different aspects of science are visitors confronted with at Nordic science centres? This study aims to explore the different aspects of science that are displayed and the ways in which these…

Exploring Diversity within Citizenship Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Leisa A.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine middle school students' citizenship behavior. Design/methodology/approach: The study involved an open-ended survey. Findings: In a previous study, when asked about citizenship, youth typically emphasized the importance of helping others. However, in this study, a different pattern of citizenship…

A novel approach to exploring potential interactions among single-nucleotide polymorphisms of inflammation genes in gliomagenesis: an exploratory case-only study.

PubMed

Amirian, E Susan; Scheurer, Michael E; Liu, Yanhong; D'Amelio, Anthony M; Houlston, Richard S; Etzel, Carol J; Shete, Sanjay; Swerdlow, Anthony J; Schoemaker, Minouk J; McKinney, Patricia A; Fleming, Sarah J; Muir, Kenneth R; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Bondy, Melissa L

2011-08-01

Despite extensive research on the topic, glioma etiology remains largely unknown. Exploration of potential interactions between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of immune genes is a promising new area of glioma research. The case-only study design is a powerful and efficient design for exploring possible multiplicative interactions between factors that are independent of one another. The purpose of our study was to use this exploratory design to identify potential pair wise SNP-SNP interactions from genes involved in several different immune-related pathways for investigation in future studies. The study population consisted of two case groups: 1,224 histologic confirmed, non-Hispanic white glioma cases from the United States and a validation population of 634 glioma cases from the United Kingdom. Polytomous logistic regression, in which one SNP was coded as the outcome and the other SNP was included as the exposure, was utilized to calculate the ORs of the likelihood of cases simultaneously having the variant alleles of two different SNPs. Potential interactions were examined only between SNPs located in different genes or chromosomes. Using this data mining strategy, we found 396 significant SNP-SNP interactions among polymorphisms of immune-related genes that were present in both the U.S. and U.K. study populations. This exploratory study was conducted for the purpose of hypothesis generation, and thus has provided several new hypotheses that can be tested using traditional case-control study designs to obtain estimates of risk. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to take this novel approach to identifying SNP-SNP interactions relevant to glioma etiology. ©2011 AACR.

Is the prognostic significance of O6-methylguanine- DNA methyltransferase promoter methylation equally important in glioblastomas of patients from different continents? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

PubMed

Meng, Wei; Jiang, Yangyang; Ma, Jie

2017-01-01

O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is an independent predictor of therapeutic response and potential prognosis in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However, its significance of clinical prognosis in different continents still needs to be explored. To explore the effects of MGMT promoter methylation on both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among GBM patients from different continents, a systematic review of published studies was conducted. A total of 5103 patients from 53 studies were involved in the systematic review and the total percentage of MGMT promoter methylation was 45.53%. Of these studies, 16 studies performed univariate analyses and 17 performed multivariate analyses of MGMT promoter methylation on PFS. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) estimated for PFS was 0.55 (95% CI 0.50, 0.60) by univariate analysis and 0.43 (95% CI 0.38, 0.48) by multivariate analysis. The effect of MGMT promoter methylation on OS was explored in 30 studies by univariate analysis and in 30 studies by multivariate analysis. The combined HR was 0.48 (95% CI 0.44, 0.52) and 0.42 (95% CI 0.38, 0.45), respectively. In each subgroup divided by areas, the prognostic significance still remained highly significant. The proportion of methylation in each group was in inverse proportion to the corresponding HR in the univariate and multivariate analyses of PFS. However, from the perspective of OS, compared with data from Europe and the US, higher methylation rates in Asia did not bring better returns.

KSC-2012-4238

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, or SLSL, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, radish plants are being harvested in a plant growth chamber. The plants were grown under red and blue LED lights. The plant experiment at Kennedy is part of the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. This plant experiment studies the effects of different types of lighting on plants such as radishes and leaf lettuce. Results of these studies will help provide information on how to grow food sources for deep space exploration missions. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Ochoa-Gonzales

KSC-2012-4241

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, or SLSL, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, radish plants were harvested from a plant growth chamber. The plants were grown under red and blue LED lights. The plant experiment at Kennedy is part of the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. This plant experiment studies the effects of different types of lighting on plants such as radishes and leaf lettuce. Results of these studies will help provide information on how to grow food sources for deep space exploration missions. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Ochoa-Gonzales

A fine structure genetic analysis evaluating ecoregional adaptability of a Bos taurus breed (Hereford)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ecoregional differences contribute to genetic environmental interactions and impact animal performance. These differences may become more important under climate change scenarios. Utilizing genetic diversity within a species to address such problems has not been fully explored. In this study Herefor...

The Multilingual/Bilingual Dichotomy: An Exploration of Individual Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Amy S.

2009-01-01

Bilingualism (Sanz, 2000), motivation (Pintrich, 1989), and language aptitude (Grigorenko, Sternberg, and Ehrman, 2000) are crucial individual differences that contribute to successful adult language learning. Since Gardner's (1985) seminal work on motivation, many studies have shown that motivation is dynamic and that it affects language…

Critical Media Literacy Is Not an Option

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellner, Douglas; Share, Jeff

2007-01-01

This article explores the theoretical underpinnings of critical media literacy and analyzes four different approaches to teaching it. Combining cultural studies with critical pedagogy, we argue that critical media literacy aims to expand the notion of literacy to include different forms of media culture, information and communication technologies…

Exploring phylogenetic and functional signals in complex morphologies: the hamate of extant anthropoids as a test-case study.

PubMed

Almécija, Sergio; Orr, Caley M; Tocheri, Matthew W; Patel, Biren A; Jungers, William L

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (3DGM) is a powerful tool for capturing and visualizing the "pure" shape of complex structures. However, these shape differences are sometimes difficult to interpret from a functional viewpoint, unless specific approaches (mostly based on biomechanical modeling) are employed. Here, we use 3DGM to explore the complex shape variation of the hamate, the disto-ulnar wrist bone, in anthropoid primates. Major trends of shape variation are explored using principal components analysis along with analyses of shape and size covariation. We also evaluate the phylogenetic patterning of hamate shape by plotting an anthropoid phylogenetic tree onto the shape space (i.e., phylomorphospace) and test against complete absence of phylogenetic signal using posterior permutation. Finally, the covariation of hamate shape and locomotor categories is explored by means of 2-block partial least squares (PLS) using shape coordinates and a matrix of data on arboreal locomotor behavior. Our results show that 3DGM is a valuable and versatile tool for characterizing the shape of complex structures such as wrist bones in anthropoids. For the hamate, a significant phylogenetic pattern is found in both hamate shape and size, indicating that closely related taxa are typically the most similar in hamate form. Our allometric analyses show that major differences in hamate shape among taxa are not a direct consequence of differences in hamate size. Finally, our PLS indicates a significant covariation of hamate shape and different types of arboreal locomotion, highlighting the relevance of this approach in future 3DGM studies seeking to capture a functional signal from complex biological structures. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Delivering Health Information via Podcast or Web: Media Effects on Psychosocial and Physiological Responses

PubMed Central

Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle; Kalyanaraman, Sri; Campbell, Marci K.

2016-01-01

This study explored differences in psychosocial and physiological variables in response to being presented with information on weight loss through either reading text on a website or listening to the same information via podcast. Participants were randomized to receive a weight loss website (n = 20) or podcast (n = 20). Participants had skin conductance levels measured and completed questionnaire items assessing demographic characteristics, user control, novelty, and knowledge. Participants in the podcast group exhibited greater levels of physiological arousal and reported the intervention to be more novel than those in the Web group; however, the Web group reported greater user control. There was no difference in knowledge between the groups. This study presents the first step in examining the role that novelty and user control may play in two different weight-loss electronic media, as well as differences in knowledge acquisition. Future research should explore adding additional media features, such as video content, to the podcasts and websites in order to optimize fully the different mediums and to examine whether user control and novelty are potential mediators of weight loss outcomes. PMID:22420785

Handout on Health: Osteoporosis

MedlinePlus

... well, studies are comparing the effectiveness of different therapeutic approaches. Prevention Studies Researchers continue to explore the impact of nutritional status on bone health and fracture risk. Scientists are examining the impact of physical activity levels on bone health and are developing ...

Psychological foundations of xenophilia: the role of major personality traits in predicting favorable attitudes toward cross-cultural contact and exploration.

PubMed

Stürmer, Stefan; Benbow, Alison E F; Siem, Birte; Barth, Markus; Bodansky, Alexander N; Lotz-Schmitt, Katharina

2013-11-01

Building on an integration of research findings on intergroup behavior from multiple fields of scientific inquiry (biological and cultural paleoanthropology, social psychology), as well as research on the HEXACO personality framework (e.g., Ashton & Lee, 2007), 3 independent studies (total N = 1,007) were conducted to introduce and test a fresh personality perspective on human xenophilia. Even though the studies focused on different criteria (Study 1: favorable attitudes toward contact with immigrants, Study 2: habitual cross-cultural exploration, Study 3: favorable attitudes toward contact with indigenous people) and employed different operationalizations of major personality traits (the HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised [HEXACO-PI-R], the 10-item Big Five Inventory [BFI-10]) results were remarkably similar. First, path analyses confirmed that major personality traits were significant and direct predictors of xenophilia that were independent of the contributions of individual differences commonly predicting xenophobic reactions across studies. Second, and in line with the authors' more specific hypotheses, hierarchical regression analyses also corroborated that individual differences in the levels of endeavor-related personality traits (i.e., eXtraversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness) had a substantially greater power in predicting individual differences in xenophilia than individual differences in levels of altruism/cooperation-related traits (i.e., Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, and Agreeableness). The implications of these findings for more general psychological theorizing on human sociality are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Temporal stability of novelty exploration in mice exposed to different open field tests.

PubMed

Kalueff, Allan V; Keisala, Tiina; Minasyan, Anna; Kuuslahti, Marianne; Tuohimaa, Pentti

2006-03-01

We investigated behavioural activity and temporal distribution (patterning) of mouse exploration in different open field (OF) arenas. Mice of 129S1 (S1) strain were subjected in parallel to three different OF arenas (Experiment 1), two different OF arenas in two trials (Experiment 2) or two trials of the same OF test (Experiment 3). Overall, mice demonstrated a high degree of similarity in the temporal profile of novelty-induced horizontal and vertical exploration (regardless of the size, colour and shape of the OF), which remained stable in subsequent OF exposures. In Experiments 4 and 5, we tested F1 hybrid mice (BALB/c-S1; NMRI-S1), and Vitamin D receptor knockout mice (generated on S1 genetic background), again showing strikingly similar temporal patterns of their OF exploration, despite marked behavioural strain differences in anxiety and activity. These results suggest that mice are characterised by stability of temporal organization of their exploration in different OF novelty situations.

Broad Search for Unstable Resonant Orbits in the Planar Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Rodney L.; Campagnola, Stefano; Lantoine, Gregory

2013-01-01

Unstable resonant orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem have increasingly been used for trajectory design using optimization and invariant manifold techniques.In this study, several methods for computing these unstable resonant orbits are explored including flyby maps, continuation from two-body models, and grid searches. Families of orbits are computed focusing on the Jupiter-Europa system, and their characteristics are explored. Different parameters such as period and stability are examined for each set of resonantor bits, and the continuation of several specific orbits is explored in more detail.

Targeting Cislunar Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits for Human Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Jacob; Lee, David E.; Whitley, Ryan J.; Bokelmann, Kevin A.; Davis, Diane C.; Berry, Christopher F.

2017-01-01

Part of the challenge of charting a human exploration space architecture is finding locations to stage missions to multiple destinations. To that end, a specific subset of Earth-Moon halo orbits, known as Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHOs) are evaluated. In this paper, a systematic process for generating full ephemeris based ballistic NRHOs is outlined, different size NRHOs are examined for their favorability to avoid eclipses, the performance requirements for missions to and from NRHOs are calculated, and disposal options are evaluated. Combined, these studies confirm the feasibility of cislunar NRHOs to enable human exploration in the cislunar proving ground.

"He Also Has the Right to Be Who He Is … ". An Exploration of How Young People Socially Represent Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fondelli, Thomas; Rober, Peter

2017-01-01

An increasing number of young people are being confronted with the concept of autism. Some of them know someone who has been diagnosed as autistic. Others learn about the concept through different forms of media. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted into the meaning which young people give to the concept. In this study, we explored by…

Constructing Understanding in Primary Science: An Exploration of Process and Outcomes in the Topic Areas of Light and the Earth in Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurston, Allen; Grant, G.; Topping, K. J.

2006-01-01

This study explored the process and outcomes of constructivist methods of enhancing science understanding in the topic areas of light and the earth in space. The sample was drawn from a group of 41 nine-year-old children, delivered in four two-hour weekly sessions. Each session involved different combinations of interactive discussion and…

Exploring the Role of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the Context of the Professional Identities of Faculty, Graduate Students, and Staff in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathany, Clarke; Clow, Katie M.; Aspenlieder, Erin D.

2017-01-01

Developing an identity as a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) researcher is associated with tensions of expanding on one's disciplinary identity and often traversing the liminal space between disciplines that result in a newfound perception of professional self. This study explores the differences that emerged in SoTL identity formation…

Identity processes and personality traits and types in adolescence: directionality of effects and developmental trajectories.

PubMed

Luyckx, Koen; Teppers, Eveline; Klimstra, Theo A; Rassart, Jessica

2014-08-01

Personality traits are hypothesized to be among the most important factors contributing to individual differences in identity development. However, longitudinal studies linking Big Five personality traits to contemporary identity models (in which multiple exploration and commitment processes are distinguished) are largely lacking. To gain more insight in the directionality of effect and the developmental interdependence of the Big Five and identity processes as forwarded in multilayered personality models, the present study assessed personality and identity in 1,037 adolescents 4 times over a period of 3 years. First, using cross-lagged path analysis, Big Five traits emerged as consistent predictors of identity exploration processes, whereas only one significant path from identity exploration to the Big Five was found. Second, using latent class growth analysis, 3 Big Five trajectory classes were identified, resembling the distinctions typically made between resilients, overcontrollers, and undercontrollers. These classes were characterized by different initial levels and (to a lesser extent) rates of change in commitment and exploration processes. In sum, important developmental associations linking personality traits to identity processes were uncovered, emphasizing the potential role of personality traits in identity development. Developmental implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Gender differences in the self-defining activities and identity experiences of adolescents and emerging adults.

PubMed

Sharp, Erin Hiley; Coatsworth, J Douglas; Darling, Nancy; Cumsille, Patricio; Ranieri, Sonia

2007-04-01

Activity participation provides a unique context for adolescents and emerging adults to explore interests, talents, and skills and for identity work to occur. Research has found consistent gender differences in the types of activities in which males and females participate. The current study drew on Eudaimonistic identity theory to examine the subjective identity-related experiences of personal expressiveness, flow experiences, and goal-directed behaviour [Waterman, 1984; Waterman, 2004. Finding someone to be: Studies on the role of intrinsic motivation in identity formation. Identity, 4, 209-228] within a special type of activity, self-defining activities, or those activities that participants identify as being important to who they are as a person. This study also tested for gender and country differences in a sample of 572 adolescents and emerging adults from the United States, Italy, and Chile. Findings indicate gender and country differences in the types of self-defining activities for males and females, but no gender differences in the reported identity-related experiences within those activities. This finding held across the three countries. Results from Multivariate Analyses of Variance also indicate that identity-related experiences differ significantly across seven broad activity classes. Findings are discussed in the context of the growing literature on adolescent activity involvement and time use, gender, and their relations to identity exploration.

Haptic adaptation to slant: No transfer between exploration modes

PubMed Central

van Dam, Loes C. J.; Plaisier, Myrthe A.; Glowania, Catharina; Ernst, Marc O.

2016-01-01

Human touch is an inherently active sense: to estimate an object’s shape humans often move their hand across its surface. This way the object is sampled both in a serial (sampling different parts of the object across time) and parallel fashion (sampling using different parts of the hand simultaneously). Both the serial (moving a single finger) and parallel (static contact with the entire hand) exploration modes provide reliable and similar global shape information, suggesting the possibility that this information is shared early in the sensory cortex. In contrast, we here show the opposite. Using an adaptation-and-transfer paradigm, a change in haptic perception was induced by slant-adaptation using either the serial or parallel exploration mode. A unified shape-based coding would predict that this would equally affect perception using other exploration modes. However, we found that adaptation-induced perceptual changes did not transfer between exploration modes. Instead, serial and parallel exploration components adapted simultaneously, but to different kinaesthetic aspects of exploration behaviour rather than object-shape per se. These results indicate that a potential combination of information from different exploration modes can only occur at down-stream cortical processing stages, at which adaptation is no longer effective. PMID:27698392

Spectroscopic Exploration of Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibeck, D. G.; Paxton, L. J.; Woods, T. N.

2016-12-01

Professor Eugene Parker has educated and inspired the heliophysics community since the 1950s about the Parker spiral path for the solar wind, magnetic reconnection throughout the heliosphere, and coronal heating by nano-flares. Solar flares, as well as their often eruptive companions called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), have been studied for decades. While most of these studies involve imaging the Sun, observations of the Sun as a star (full-disk irradiance) have also revealed interesting results through exploring the spectral variability during flare events. Some of the new results from such studies include understanding the flare variability over all wavelengths from the energetic X-rays to the visible, discovering and classifying different flare phases, using coronal dimming measurements to predict CME properties of mass and velocity, and exploring the role of Parker's nano-flares in continual heating of active regions.

Human-Robot Planetary Exploration Teams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyree, Kimberly

2004-01-01

The EVA Robotic Assistant (ERA) project at NASA Johnson Space Center studies human-robot interaction and robotic assistance for future human planetary exploration. Over the past four years, the ERA project has been performing field tests with one or more four-wheeled robotic platforms and one or more space-suited humans. These tests have provided experience in how robots can assist humans, how robots and humans can communicate in remote environments, and what combination of humans and robots works best for different scenarios. The most efficient way to understand what tasks human explorers will actually perform, and how robots can best assist them, is to have human explorers and scientists go and explore in an outdoor, planetary-relevant environment, with robots to demonstrate what they are capable of, and roboticists to observe the results. It can be difficult to have a human expert itemize all the needed tasks required for exploration while sitting in a lab: humans do not always remember all the details, and experts in one arena may not even recognize that the lower level tasks they take for granted may be essential for a roboticist to know about. Field tests thus create conditions that more accurately reveal missing components and invalid assumptions, as well as allow tests and comparisons of new approaches and demonstrations of working systems. We have performed field tests in our local rock yard, in several locations in the Arizona desert, and in the Utah desert. We have tested multiple exploration scenarios, such as geological traverses, cable or solar panel deployments, and science instrument deployments. The configuration of our robot can be changed, based on what equipment is needed for a given scenario, and the sensor mast can even be placed on one of two robot bases, each with different motion capabilities. The software architecture of our robot is also designed to be as modular as possible, to allow for hardware and configuration changes. Two focus areas of our research are safety and crew time efficiency. For safety, our work involves enabling humans to reliably communicate with a robot while moving in the same workspace, and enabling robots to monitor and advise humans of potential problems. Voice, gesture, remote computer control, and enhanced robot intelligence are methods we are studying. For crew time efficiency, we are investigating the effects of assigning different roles to humans and robots in collaborative exploration scenarios.

Exploration of the Kinetics of Toehold-Mediated Strand Displacement via Plasmon Rulers.

PubMed

Li, Mei-Xing; Xu, Cong-Hui; Zhang, Nan; Qian, Guang-Sheng; Zhao, Wei; Xu, Jing-Juan; Chen, Hong-Yuan

2018-04-24

DNA/RNA strand displacement is one of the most fundamental reactions in DNA and RNA circuits and nanomachines. In this work, we reported an exploration of the dynamic process of the toehold-mediated strand displacement via core-satellite plasmon rulers at the single-molecule level. Applying plasmon rulers with unlimited lifetime, single-strand displacement triggered by the invader that resulted in stepwise leaving of satellite from the core was continuously monitored by changes of scattering signal for hours. The kinetics of strand displacement in vitro with three different toehold lengths have been investigated. Also, the study revealed the difference in the kinetics of strand displacement between DNA/RNA and DNA/DNA duplexes. For the kinetics study in vivo, influence from the surrounding medium has been evaluated using both phosphate buffer and cell lysate. Applying core-satellite plasmon rulers with high signal/noise ratio, kinetics study in living cells proceeded for the first time, which was not possible by conventional methods with a fluorescent reporter. The plasmon rulers, which are flexible, easily constructed, and robust, have proven to be effective tools in exploring the dynamical behaviors of biochemical reactions in vivo.

Web-Based Medical Service: Technology Attractiveness, Medical Creditability, Information Source, and Behavior Intention

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Web-based medical service (WBMS), a cooperative relationship between medical service and Internet technology, has been called one of the most innovative services of the 21st century. However, its business promotion and implementation in the medical industry have neither been expected nor executed. Few studies have explored this phenomenon from the viewpoint of inexperienced patients. Objective The primary goal of this study was to explore whether technology attractiveness, medical creditability, and diversified medical information sources could increase users’ behavior intention. Methods This study explored the effectiveness of web-based medical service by using three situations to manipulate sources of medical information. A total of 150 questionnaires were collected from people who had never used WBMS before. Hierarchical regression was used to examine the mediation and moderated-mediation effects. Results Perceived ease of use (P=.002) and perceived usefulness (P=.001) significantly enhance behavior intentions. Medical credibility is a mediator (P=.03), but the relationship does not significantly differ under diverse manipulative information channels (P=.39). Conclusions Medical credibility could explain the extra variation between technology attractiveness and behavior intention, but not significant under different moderating effect of medical information sources. PMID:28768608

Exploring gender differences in the working lives of UK hospital consultants

PubMed Central

Bloor, Karen; Spilsbury, Karen

2015-01-01

Objective Internationally, increasing numbers of women are practising medicine. Gender differences in doctors’ working hours, specialty choices and communication styles are well documented, but studies often neglect contextual factors such as the role of socialised gender expectations on behaviours in the workplace and the medical profession. These may be important as recent studies have reported gender differences in doctors’ activity rates that cannot be explained by specialty or contracted hours, suggesting other sources of variation. This study sought to explore the working lives of hospital doctors and how their work is negotiated according to gender and context. Design Gender differences in the day-to-day work of hospital specialists (consultants) in the NHS were investigated using a qualitative approach, including observation and interview methods. Data were analysed inductively using qualitative observation and interview methods. Setting Two NHS hospital trusts in England. Participants Data were collected from 13 participants working in a variety of specialties and in a range of clinical and non-clinical settings. Main outcome measures Various behaviours, attitudes and experiences were explored, such as doctor–patient communication, interactions with colleagues and workload. Results Influences at both individual and situational levels, appear to affect differentially the work of male and female doctors. Female consultants described awareness of the impact of behaviours on relationships with colleagues, and their interactions appeared to be more carefully performed. Nurses and other colleagues tend to demonstrate less cooperation with female consultants. Gender differences also exist in patient communication, feelings of work–family conflict and barriers to career progression. Conclusions These variations in hospital consultants’ work may have implications for both the quantity and quality of care provided by male and female consultants. This is timely and of importance to the medical workforce as the gender composition approaches parity. PMID:25567767

Exploring gender differences in the working lives of UK hospital consultants.

PubMed

Jefferson, Laura; Bloor, Karen; Spilsbury, Karen

2015-05-01

Internationally, increasing numbers of women are practising medicine. Gender differences in doctors' working hours, specialty choices and communication styles are well documented, but studies often neglect contextual factors such as the role of socialised gender expectations on behaviours in the workplace and the medical profession. These may be important as recent studies have reported gender differences in doctors' activity rates that cannot be explained by specialty or contracted hours, suggesting other sources of variation. This study sought to explore the working lives of hospital doctors and how their work is negotiated according to gender and context. Gender differences in the day-to-day work of hospital specialists (consultants) in the NHS were investigated using a qualitative approach, including observation and interview methods. Data were analysed inductively using qualitative observation and interview methods. Two NHS hospital trusts in England. Data were collected from 13 participants working in a variety of specialties and in a range of clinical and non-clinical settings. Various behaviours, attitudes and experiences were explored, such as doctor-patient communication, interactions with colleagues and workload. Influences at both individual and situational levels, appear to affect differentially the work of male and female doctors. Female consultants described awareness of the impact of behaviours on relationships with colleagues, and their interactions appeared to be more carefully performed. Nurses and other colleagues tend to demonstrate less cooperation with female consultants. Gender differences also exist in patient communication, feelings of work-family conflict and barriers to career progression. These variations in hospital consultants' work may have implications for both the quantity and quality of care provided by male and female consultants. This is timely and of importance to the medical workforce as the gender composition approaches parity. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

An Examination of Secondary School Students' Academic Achievement in Science Course and Achievement Scores in Performance Assignments with Regard to Different Variables: A Boarding School Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozdogan, Aykut Emre; Günaydin, Esra; Okur, Alperen

2014-01-01

The aim of the study is to explore the academic achievement and performance tasks of students studying in a regional primary boarding school in science course with regard to different variables. The study was carried out via survey method and total 96 students, 57 of them boarding students and 39 of them non-boarding students studying in the 5th,…

Exploring the Relationship between Adolescent's Reading Skills, Reading Motivation and Reading Habits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGeown, Sarah P.; Duncan, Lynne G.; Griffiths, Yvonne M.; Stothard, Sue E.

2015-01-01

The present study examines the extent to which adolescents' reading affect (reading motivation) and behaviour (reading habits) predict different components of reading (word reading, comprehension, summarisation and text reading speed) and also adds to the limited research examining group differences (gender, age, ability) in adolescents' reading…

Student Co-Inquirers: The Challenges and Benefits of Inclusive Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welikala, Thushari; Atkin, Chris

2014-01-01

This article focuses on the process of conducting a research project which explored the university student experience across three different geopolitical contexts using students studying at an English university as co-inquirers. The project sample included students at different stages of their university experience (undergraduate, postgraduate and…

Academic Culture, Business Culture, and Measuring Achievement Differences: Internal Auditing Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Benjamin S.

2012-01-01

This study explored whether university internal audit directors' views of culture and measuring achievement differences between their institutions and a business were related to how they viewed internal auditing priorities and uses. The Carnegie Classification system's 283 Doctorate-granting Universities were the target population.…

The Role of Relative Intrinsic Aspirations in Chinese Adolescents' Prosocial Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fu, Xinyuan; Liu, Xiaolan; Yang, Ying; Zhang, Mengyuan; Kou, Yu

2018-01-01

We examined Chinese adolescents' aspirations and explored the relationship between relative intrinsic aspirations (RIA) and prosocial behaviors and whether adolescents with different levels of RIA have different emphases on self- and other-oriented considerations during prosocial decision making. In Study 1, 236 participants were recruited and…

Business Students' Ranking of Reasons for Assessment: Gender Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Carl; Thomas, Richard; King, Karen

2000-01-01

Describes an explorative study to investigate the purposes of assessment as seen from the student perspective. Results showed strong correlation in the ranked reasons for assessment across gender and between the two institutions involved. Some significant differences in gender were observed in the top ranked reasons. Discusses possible extensions…

Digital Native Students: Gender Differences in Mathematics and Gaming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yong, Su-Ting

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences among digital native students in mathematics learning and gaming. A quantitative dominant mixed methods approach was employed in which quantitative surveys [174 students] and qualitative interviews [eight students, eight parents and six teachers] were administered concurrently. Data…

Age-Related Differences in Audiovisual Interactions of Semantically Different Stimuli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viggiano, Maria Pia; Giovannelli, Fabio; Giganti, Fiorenza; Rossi, Arianna; Metitieri, Tiziana; Rebai, Mohamed; Guerrini, Renzo; Cincotta, Massimo

2017-01-01

Converging results have shown that adults benefit from congruent multisensory stimulation in the identification of complex stimuli, whereas the developmental trajectory of the ability to integrate multisensory inputs in children is less well understood. In this study we explored the effects of audiovisual semantic congruency on identification of…

Influence of exposure differences on city-to-city variations in PM2.5-mortality effect estimates

EPA Science Inventory

Multi-city population-based epidemiological studies have observed heterogeneity between city specific PM2.5-mortality effect estimates. One possibility is city-specific differences in overall population exposure to PM2.5. In a previous analysis we explored this latter point by cl...

School Organizational Structures: Effects on Teacher and Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Y. L. Jack

2005-01-01

Purpose: The present study attempted to explore the relationship between teacher learning and student learning under different school structural conditions. Design/methodology/approach: Some 1,330 teachers from 29 secondary schools of different community backgrounds and student academic abilities in Hong Kong were surveyed, using instruments from…

L1 vs L2 Writing: ESL Graduate Students' Perceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Tony

1992-01-01

A classroom-based study is reported that explored English-as-a-Second Language graduate students' perceptions about (1) differences between writing in their native language and writing in English, and (2) how these difference should be reflected in ESL writing teachers' practices. (19 references) (Author/LB)

Demographics and Leadership Philosophy: Exploring Gender Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korac-Kakabadse, Andrew; Korac-Kakabadse, Nada; Myers, Andrew

1998-01-01

A study of 569 men and 145 women managers in Australian public service and 406 men and 108 women managers in the British National Health Services found no significant gender differences in leadership characteristics. Job and organizational tenure and senior management experience had more influence than gender on the formation of leadership…

Enhancing Listening with Captions and Transcripts: Exploring Learner Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danan, Martine

2016-01-01

Through an analysis of students' reactions to transcription exercises, this exploratory study examined some of the differences between two forms of written help enhancing listening passages--second language (L2) captions and transcripts. This primarily qualitative analysis highlighted the role that student proficiency levels may have played in…

Individual Differences in L2 Acquisition of Japanese Particles "WA" and "GA"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mori, Sachiho

2008-01-01

Although the L2 acquisition studies of Japanese particles "WA" and "GA" were investigated by many researchers (Sakamoto, 2000), they completely ignored learners' individual differences. Indeed, learners' individualities are important factors for the L2 learning (Lightbrown & Spada, 1999). Thus, this research explored whether learners' individual…

Student Engagement at a Large Suburban Community College: Gender and Race Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sontam, Varalakshmi; Gabriel, George

2012-01-01

Previous research shows that there are individual differences in academic achievement associated with gender and race. Research also suggests that student engagement is an important determinant of student outcomes/achievement. The present study explored student engagement at an extra-large community college. It specifically investigated possible…

Cross-Modulation Interference with Lateralization of Mixed-Modulated Waveforms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, I-Hui; Petrosyan, Agavni; Goncalves, Oscar F.; Hickok, Gregory; Saberi, Kourosh

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study investigated the ability to use spatial information in mixed-modulated (MM) sounds containing concurrent frequency-modulated (FM) and amplitude-modulated (AM) sounds by exploring patterns of interference when different modulation types originated from different loci as may occur in a multisource acoustic field. Method:…

Sex Differences in Spatial Ability: A Critique.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clear, Sarah-Jane

1978-01-01

Explores (1) problems of the validity of tests of spatial ability, and (2) problems of the recessive gene influence theory of the origin of sex differences in spatial ability. Studies of cognitive strategies in spatial problem solving are suggested as a way to further investigate recessive gene influence. (Author/RH)

Disparities in Salaries: Metropolitan versus Nonmetropolitan Community College Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, Louis C.; Simpson, Lynn A.; Waller, Lee Rusty

2009-01-01

This article explores disparities in faculty salaries between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan Texas community colleges. The analysis reveals a significant difference in faculty salaries for the 2000 and 2005 academic years respectively. The study found no significant difference in the rate of change in faculty salaries from 2000 to 2005.…

A Contrastive Rhetoric Analysis of English and Hindi Editorials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolgün, M. Ali; Mangla, Asham

2017-01-01

This study explores and identifies a number of key qualitative and quantitative differences in textual discourse styles in English and Hindi editorials found in the "New York Times" ("NYT) and "Navbharat", respectively. These differences could be the source of strenuous processing of such editorials by learners of Hindi.…

Differently Designed Playgrounds and Preschooler's Physical Activity Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luchs, Antje; Fikus, Monika

2018-01-01

New playground concepts--favouring natural play characteristics--emerge. The aim of our free play study is to explore the relation between newly established natural playgrounds and the widely spread contemporary ones in terms of physical activity levels. The playground features differ in vegetation, topography, size and play equipment. The…

Perceived vs. Actual Strategy Use across Three Oral Communication Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Sarah; Victori, Mia

2011-01-01

This study sought to explore differences in strategy use across three oral communication tasks. Twenty-two intermediate level university students carried out three tasks in pairs at three different time periods. After each task, which varied in terms of cognitive, interactional and learner factors (Robinson, "International Review of Applied…

Age-Related Differences in Academic Burnout of Korean Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jayoung; Puig, Ana; Lea, Eunkyoung; Lee, Sang Min

2013-01-01

Korean adolescents experience considerable stress because of an educational system that focuses primarily on college entrance examinations, pressure for academic achievement, and a competitive atmosphere in school. The main purpose of this study was to explore age differences in the construct of Korean adolescents' academic burnout. Once…

Self-Reflection, Insight, and Individual Differences in Various Language Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Xu

2011-01-01

This study explored the relationships of self-reflection and insight with individuals' performances on various language tasks. The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS; Grant, Franklin, & Langford, 2002) assessed individual differences in three factors: engagement in reflection, need for reflection, and insight. A high need for reflection was…

Hispanic College Students' Perceptions of Members of Business Occupations: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cory, Suzanne N.; Mullen, Ellen Wall; Reeves, Thomas Edward

2010-01-01

The authors explored freshmen Hispanic and non-Hispanic White student perceptions of the members of three different business occupations: bankers, accountants, and marketing managers. Using "t" tests, some differences were found between the two ethnic groups regarding perceived individual characteristics of members of the occupations, but the…

What do we mean by social networking sites?

PubMed

La Sala, Louise; Skues, Jason; Wise, Lisa

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore people's conceptual understanding of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) through exploring the combined use of a range of popular SNSs, including Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Instagram, Tumblr, LinkedIn and Google Plus. Seventy-three adults, aged 18 to 63, participated in an online survey that used open-ended questions to ask how participants define and use different SNSs. Four themes were identified, including the explicit presentation and interpretation of different selves, the love-hate relationship with SNSs, privacy and danger concerns, and limited SNS knowledge. The findings from this study suggest that researchers need to consider how people use SNSs in combination as this influences the decisions people make about which SNS accounts they use and how they present themselves on these sites.

Wrongness in different relationships: Relational context effects on moral judgment.

PubMed

Simpson, Ain; Laham, Simon M; Fiske, Alan Page

2016-01-01

Morality primarily serves social-relational functions. However, little research in moral psychology investigates how relational factors impact moral judgment, and a theoretically grounded approach to such investigations is lacking. We used Relational Models Theory and Moral Foundations Theory to explore how varying actor-victim relationships impacts judgment of different types of moral violations. Across three studies, using a diverse range of moral violations and varying the experimental design, relational context substantially influenced third-party judgment of moral violations, and typically independent of several factors strongly associated with moral judgment. Results lend novel but mixed support to Relationship Regulation Theory and provide some novel implications for Moral Foundations Theory. These studies highlight the importance of relational factors in moral psychology and provide guidelines for exploring how relational factors might shape moral judgment.