bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Topical Coverage in Introductory Textbooks From the 1980s Through the 2000s
Authors: Griggs Richard A.
Published: December 2013

To determine how topical coverage in introductory textbooks may have changed from the 1980s to the present, the author examined topic coverage in full-length and brief introductory textbooks from this time period. Because 98% of the teachers use textbooks for the introductory course and the majority do not assign reading beyond the textbook, the relationship between the current topical allocation pattern and that in the introductory course was examined by comparing the textbook pattern to the lecture topical allocation pattern derived from syllabi analysis. Several changes were found in textbook topic coverage since the 1980s, with proportional coverage among topics moving toward equality. Lecture topical allocation mirrored that in textbooks, indicating that textbooks strongly impact the structure of the introductory course.
If You Record It, Some Won’t Come
Authors: Drouin Michelle A.
Published: December 2013

In this study, I examined the effects of offering supplemental video lecture recordings to students in a face-to-face introductory psychology course. I employed a quasi-experimental design, in which one section had lectures recordings available (recordings of the face-to-face lecture) and one section did not, and I examined whether class section affected achievement and whether attendance mediated this relationship. Although students had favorable views of the lecture capture technology and thought it should be available campus wide, few actually viewed the recordings, and those who did used them mainly as a substitute rather than a supplement to face-to-face lectures. More importantly, the class with lecture recordings available had significantly lower attendance rates and course achievement (final grades), and attendance mediated the relationship between class section and achievement. Further analyses showed that the negative effects of offering lecture recordings were not global; instead, lecture recording availability appeared to increase nonparticipation (in exams, class activities, and assignments) in a select group of students. When these nonparticipators were excluded from analyses, significant differences between class sections disappeared.
A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Student Achievement Using Standardized and Performance-Based Tests
Authors: Pinter Brad , Matchock Robert L. , Charles Eric P. , Balch William R.
Published: December 2013

Three groups of undergraduates (42 senior graduating psychology majors, 27 first-year premajors taking introductory psychology, and 24 first-year, high-performing nonmajors taking introductory psychology) completed the Psychology Major Field Test (MFT) and a short-answer (SA) essay test on reasoning about core knowledge in psychology. Graduating majors significantly outperformed both first-year groups using raw and covariate-corrected scores (adjusted for group differences in SAT-Verbal and high school grade point average). On the MFT, graduating majors scored above the 50th percentile, whereas high-performing nonmajors and premajors scored in the 25th and 20th percentiles, respectively. On the SA test, graduating majors averaged good-to- excellent quality responses, whereas premajors and high-performing nonmajors averaged only fair-to- good quality responses. Discussion focuses on the design and implementation of value-added, academic program assessments with limited data collection resources.
The Red Effect, Anxiety, and Exam Performance
Authors: Smajic Adnan , Merritt Stephanie , Banister Christina , Blinebry Amanda
Published: December 2013

Laboratory studies have established a negative relationship between the color red and academic performance. This research examined whether this effect would generalize to classroom performance and whether anxiety and negative affect might mediate the effect. In two studies, students taking classroom exams were randomly assigned an exam color. We found no significant effects for color on performance or expected performance and no evidence supporting a significant link between red and either anxiety or affect. We found no significant moderation effects for perceived exam difficulty, actual item difficulty, or anxiety. These results suggest that the color effects may account for only 2–4% of the variance in exam performance. Nevertheless, small effects may have large-scale implications across time. We provide recommendations for research and teaching practice.
Dowsing Rods Designed to Sharpen Critical Thinking and Understanding of Ideomotor Action
Authors: Lawson Timothy J. , Crane Lynda L.
Published: December 2013

We describe an Introduction to Psychology (IP) demonstration of water dowsing and ideomotor action designed to enhance students’ critical thinking. An instructor demonstrated that metal rods crossed over an uncovered cup containing water but not one containing sugar. Student volunteers using the rods also saw them cross over the cup containing water, even after we covered the cup and surreptitiously replaced it with the cup containing sugar (illustrating ideomotor action). Five days later, students who saw the demonstration were (a) less convinced of the validity of dowsing and facilitated communication after reading anecdotal evidence and (b) more likely to suggest ideomotor action as an explanation for several ideomotor-related phenomena compared to students in the control sections of IP.
Interdisciplinary Connections and Academic Performance in Psychology–English Learning Communities
Authors: Grose-Fifer Jillian , Helmer Kimberly A. , Zottoli Tina M.
Published: December 2013

We investigated whether students in psychology-based learning communities (LCs; i.e., cohorts who took introductory psychology and English together) performed better on psychology tests than those in standard classes. There were two types of LC; in one (connected LC), we created links between English and psychology by using English class readings that related to the social psychology unit, and by requiring students to produce interdisciplinary group podcasts. In the other (unconnected LC), there were no interdisciplinary connections. Students in the connected LC had higher mean test scores in psychology than both students in unconnected LCs and those in standard classes. Our results suggest that students perform better on psychology tests when efforts are made to consolidate information through interdisciplinary links in an LC.
Should I Give the Exam Before or After the Break?
Authors: O’Connor Kevin J.
Published: December 2013

This study was designed to help faculty make decisions about when to administer an exam in relation to an in-semester break. Students in multiple sections of an undergraduate educational psychology class were assigned to take an exam either before or after a scheduled 5-day break (Thursday–Monday). A multiple regression analysis revealed the break condition (exam taken before, exam taken after) offered no significant or unique contribution to the prediction of scores on the exam over and above the scores students obtained on other exams of the course. It is concluded that in-semester breaks do not impact exam performance and that faculty may choose to hold exams either before or after such breaks without concern for affecting student grades.
Ten Timeless Tips for Keeping on Top of Teaching Technology
Authors: Poling Devereaux A. , LoSchiavo Frank M.
Published: December 2013

We provide tips for helping psychology faculty effectively seek, select, and place new technology into pedagogical practice. We also provide tips to help psychology departments position themselves for a future that includes teaching technologies that have not yet been created. Instead of discussing today’s top innovations in teaching (which may lose favor in a few years), and instead of predicting future trends in teaching technology (which is nearly impossible, given the pace of innovation), we provide psychology faculty and their departments with strategies for keeping up with teaching technology, no matter what form future technologies may take. These tips will serve educators over the long run, even as today’s technological advances become obsolete.
Introducing the Action Potential to Psychology Students
Authors: Simon-Dack Stephanie L.
Published: December 2013

For this simple active learning technique for teaching, students are assigned “roles” and act out the process of the action potential (AP), including the firing threshold, ion-specific channels for ions to enter and leave the cell, diffusion, and the refractory period. Pre–post test results indicated that students demonstrated increased learning and believed they better understood the AP after they completed the learning activity.
A Pilot Study of Core Topics in Introductory Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology Textbooks
Authors: Whitehead George I. , Smith Stephanie H. , Losonczy-Marshall Marta
Published: December 2013

This study examined the similarities and differences in the topics and references in selected chapters of eight introductory social psychology textbooks and six developmental psychology textbooks. We wanted to determine the extent to which there were core concepts and references presented in these chapters. We found a relatively small set of core topics and references in all of the selected chapters, indicating a lack of consensus among textbook authors as to the core concepts and references in the topic areas. These findings have implications for scholarly agreement about the knowledge base of psychology and the assessment of it.
Just Checking In
Authors: McGrath April L.
Published: December 2013

Office hours provide time outside of class for students to consult with instructors about course material, progress, and evaluation. Yet office hours, at times, remain an untapped source of academic support. The current study examined whether office hour attendance in combination with a learning reflection would help students learn material in an introductory statistics course. Psychology students were randomly assigned to meet in person with the course instructor and complete a learning reflection form prior to a test. Students who completed these tasks prior to the second test in the course outperformed other students. Office hour attendance combined with reflection may be a useful way to improve students’ understanding of statistics.
It Gets Crowded With an Elephant and an Ape in the Room
Authors: Halpern Diane F.
Published: December 2013

It is important to understand the many controversies about cognitive sex differences because beliefs about these differences are often used to justify pubic policies and individual actions. As teachers of psychology, we need to provide a safe environment where students can think and argue about why, how, and how much females and males are similar and different in cognitive abilities. We need to recognize that biological and social/environmental variables do not operate independently. Depending on the environment, we could be enhancing, creating, diminishing, or eliminating cognitive sex differences. In order to foster critical thinking about this volatile topic, we need to remind students that females and males are both similar and different and that we cannot expect simple answers to complex problems.
A Geospatial Mixed Methods Approach to Assessing Campus Safety
Authors: Hites Lisle S. , Fifolt Matthew , Beck Heidi , Su Wei , Kerbawy Shatomi , Wakelee Jessica , Nassel Ariann
Published: December 2013

Background: While there is no panacea for alleviating campus safety concerns, safety experts agree that one of the key components to an effective campus security plan is monitoring the environment. Despite previous attempts to measure campus safety, quantifying perceptions of fear, safety, and risk remains a challenging issue. Since perceptions of safety and incidents of crime do not necessarily mirror one another, both were utilized in this investigation. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative, mixed methods approach for assessing campus safety at a large, urban campus in the southeast region of the United States. Method: A concurrent triangulation design was implemented to allow investigators the opportunity to collect qualitative and quantitative data simultaneously and integrate results in the interpretation phase. Data were collected from four distinct sources of information. Results: Student focus groups yielded data regarding perceptions of risk, and kernel density analysis was used to identify “hot spots” of campus crime incidents. Conclusion: While in many cases perceived risk and actual crime incidents were associated, incidents of hot spots of each type occurred independently with such frequency that an overall correlation of the two was not significant. Accordingly, while no significant correlation between perceived risk and crime incidents was confirmed statistically, the geospatial integration of these data suggested three types of safety conditions. Further, the combination of focus group data and spatial analyses provided a more comprehensive and, therefore, more complete understanding of the multifaceted issues related to campus safety.
Gender role attitudes, troubles talk, and marital satisfaction in Japan
Authors: Taniguchi Hiromi , Kaufman Gayle
Published: December 2013

Using data from the 2006 Japanese General Social Survey, we examine the association between gender role attitudes, spousal “troubles talk,” and marital satisfaction. We find that, in line with prior research, belief in gender egalitarianism is associated with higher marital satisfaction for men, whereas it is negatively associated with women’s marital satisfaction. More troubles talk is associated with higher marital satisfaction for both genders. Only for women, troubles talk significantly mediates the association between gender role attitudes and marital satisfaction. Compared with gender-traditional women, egalitarian women have troubles talk less frequently and thus experience lower marital satisfaction.
How do children with phonological impairment respond to requests for clarification containing polysyllables?
Authors: Masso Sarah , McCabe Patricia , Baker Elise
Published: December 2013

Accurate production of polysyllables (words of three or more syllables) can be challenging for children with phonological impairment. Research with typically developing children has suggested that children can improve their polysyllable productions in response to requests for clarification containing an incorrect model of a target word (Gozzard et al., 2008). This study extends the work of Gozzard et al. (2008) by determining whether accuracy can improve in response to requests for clarification containing a correct (e.g. ‘did you say elephant?’) versus an incorrect (e.g. ‘did you say eresemp?’) model. Four children with phonological impairment (aged 3;10, 3;11, 4;3 and 5;4) had segmental and structural difficulties with polysyllables, in both single word and connected speech contexts. All participants revised their productions following requests for clarification containing the incorrect production, with 75.8% of suprasegmental and phonological revisions demonstrating increased accuracy. No phonological or suprasegmental revisions occurred following requests for clarification containing the correct model. The findings suggest that role of communication breakdown and repair in intervention targeting children’s polysyllable difficulties needs to be better understood.
‘It’s the way you talk to them.’ The child’s environment: Early Years Practitioners’ perceptions of its influence on speech and language development, its assessment and environment targeted interventions
Authors: Marshall Julie , Lewis Elizabeth
Published: December 2013

Speech and language delay occurs in approximately 6% of the child population, and interventions to support this group of children focus on the child and/or the communicative environment. Evidence about the effectiveness of interventions that focus on the environment as well as the (reported) practices of speech and language therapists (SLTs) and other Early Years Practitioners (EYPs) in this regard are limited. One-to-one, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 EYPs from one city in North England in order to reveal their beliefs about the impact of the child’s environment on language development and how they report assessing and intervening where they have concerns about child language development, in children aged from birth to 5;11 (5 years, 11 months). Interviews were analysed thematically. Results are presented as three themes: (1) environmental influences on language development (people, physical objects, experiences and opportunities, the auditory environment); (2) assessment of the child’s environment, including how and what assessment is carried out; and (3) the interventions provided, including what interventions (interaction with children, the physical environment and play) and how they are carried out (strategies, individualization of intervention, sensitivity and modelling). Implications for services are discussed, including increasing parental awareness of the importance of early language input, the perceived value of home-based assessment, sensitivity in referral and individualized interventions. There remains a need to test out practitioners’ expressed beliefs and practices and their impact on child language outcomes.
Understanding place-based entrepreneurship in rural Central Europe: A comparative institutional analysis
Authors: Lang Richard , Fink Matthias , Kibler Ewald
Published: December 2013

This article provides new insight into the local institutional embeddedness of entrepreneurial behaviour. By introducing a sociological institutional framework for place-based entrepreneurship, it adds to the knowledge of the role of regulative, normative and cognitive institutions in local entrepreneurial practices in rural Central Europe. Based on extensive case studies in regions located across five countries, the analysis suggests that the influence of regulative institutions on local entrepreneurship is tempered, if not superseded, by specific place-dependent normative and cognitive institutions, and that the fit between the different institutions is decisive for the emergence of entrepreneurial practices in a specific location. The article provides explanations of why and under which conditions entrepreneurs show different change practices in rural transition and non-transition contexts. The study concludes that institutional mechanisms are place-bound, and that a place-sensitive institutional approach can serve as a fruitful way forward for developing our contextualised knowledge of entrepreneurial behaviour.
India shining? A two-wave study of business constraints upon micro and small manufacturing firms in India
Authors: Das Shobha S. , Das Amit
Published: December 2013

The national marketing slogan ‘India Shining’ was launched in 2004 by the Indian government to showcase rapid economic growth; around the same time, a number of new policy measures to promote small businesses were introduced to help them deal with an increasingly globalised environment. This article analyses survey data collected by the World Bank from owners and managers of 1300 Indian firms in 2002 and 608 firms in 2006 respectively, to explore how prevailing business constraints limit the performance of micro (fewer than 10 ) and small (10 to 49 employees) manufacturing businesses in 2002 and 2006. Using capacity utilisation to measure performance, the study finds that both micro and small firms fared somewhat worse in 2006 than in 2002.
Entrepreneurship in emerging market economies: Contemporary issues and perspectives
Authors: Smallbone David , Welter Friederike , Ateljevic Jovo
Published: December 2013

Entrepreneurship increasingly is becoming a global phenomenon, although its nature, extent and contribution to economic development varies according to the context in which it occurs. However, most of the conceptual development in the field of entrepreneurship has occurred in, or assumed, mature market conditions. This short introduction critically evaluates why we need to study other contexts such as emerging markets, and outlines the topics of the articles in the special issue.
Sensitivity and Specificity Can Change in Opposite Directions When New Predictive Markers Are Added to Risk Models
Authors: Van Calster Ben , Steyerberg Ewout W. , D’Agostino Ralph B. , Pencina Michael J.
Published: December 2013

When comparing prediction models, it is essential to estimate the magnitude of change in performance rather than rely solely on statistical significance. In this paper we investigate measures that estimate change in classification performance, assuming 2-group classification based on a single risk threshold. We study the value of a new biomarker when added to a baseline risk prediction model. First, simulated data are used to investigate the change in sensitivity and specificity (ΔSe and ΔSp). Second, the influence of ΔSe and ΔSp on the net reclassification improvement (NRI; sum of ΔSe and ΔSp) and on decision-analytic measures (net benefit or relative utility) is studied. We assume normal distributions for the predictors and assume correctly specified models such that the extended model has a dominating receiver operating characteristic curve relative to the baseline model. Remarkably, we observe that even when a strong marker is added it is possible that either sensitivity (for thresholds below the event rate) or specificity (for thresholds above the event rate) decreases. In these cases, decision-analytic measures provide more modest support for improved classification than NRI, even though all measures confirm that adding the marker improved classification accuracy. Our results underscore the necessity of reporting ΔSe and ΔSp separately. When a single summary is desired, decision-analytic measures allow for a simple incorporation of the misclassification costs.
Transformational Leadership and Whistle-Blowing Attitudes
Authors: Caillier James Gerard
Published: December 2013

Although transformational leadership and whistle-blowing have been extensively examined, only one article was found to explore the relationship between these factors. This is despite research suggesting a connection between leadership practices and whistle-blowing attitudes. This article built on and extended leadership and whistle-blowing theories by investigating the relationship between transformational leadership and whistle-blowing attitudes, as well as how this association might be mediated by public service motivation (PSM) and organizational commitment. Furthermore, the examination was conducted on local, state, and federal government employees in the United States. The findings indicated that transformational leadership had a direct, positive impact on whistle-blowing attitudes, as well as an indirect one through organizational commitment. In addition, PSM had an indirect effect on whistle-blowing attitudes through organizational commitment. On the other hand, PSM was not found to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and attitudes concerning blowing the whistle.
Processionary Caterpillar Setae and Equine Fetal Loss
Authors: Todhunter K. H. , Cawdell-Smith A. J. , Bryden W. L. , Perkins N. R. , Begg A. P.
Published: December 2013

Six pregnant Standardbred mares aged between 6 and 14 years were gavaged with 50 g or 100 g of suspended emulsified whole Processionary caterpillars ( Ochrogaster lunifer) for 5 days during 2 experiments undertaken to study the etiology of equine amnionitis and fetal loss (EAFL). The 6 treated mares and 1 untreated mare were between 128 and 252 days gestation. Mare 1 (untreated) was euthanized on day 5 of the treatment period, while the treated mares were euthanized on days 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, and 24 days from their first treatment. Caterpillar setae were not found in the untreated mare. Setal fragments were present in all regions of the gastrointestinal tracts in all treated mares, the uteri and mesenteric lymph nodes of 5 mares, and the liver of 4 mares. Acute gastroenteritis of varying severity was present in all treated mares, and 5 of 6 mares had acute colitis and endometritis. Focal hyperplastic serositis was found in the duodenum, cecum, dorsal colon, and uteri of various mares occasionally with embedded setal fragments. Setal invasion of the mucosa evoked a range of lesions including superficial erosion to deep ulceration. Inflammation in deeper tissues ranged from unapparent to neutrophilic (microabscesses), eosinophilic, or mononuclear (microgranulomas). The finding of setal fragments within the uterus of experimental mares suggests that direct migration of setal fragments acting as a bacterial vector is a likely mechanism for the bacterial abortions that characterize equine amnionitis and fetal loss.
Governmentality, Ontology, Methodology
Authors: Zanotti Laura
Published: December 2013

Some critical international relations scholars have adopted theories of governmentality both as a heuristic framework for exploring modalities and functions of power and as a descriptive tool to explore the oppressive effects of global liberalism. I argue that, as a descriptive tool, much governmentality literature remains rooted in the same substantialist ontology and epistemology as the liberal discourses it seeks to criticize. This ontological orientation especially has a bearing on conceptualizations of political agency, which remain confined to the liberal struggle of power and freedom. I suggest that reimagining political agency calls for a reorganization of the ontological and epistemological framework of international relations in non-substantialist ways. The analysis maps non-substantialist positions across disciplinary lines. By treating power and subjects as deeply imbricated, non-substantialist ontologies examine political engagements as processes of hybridization aimed at producing practical effects in specific contexts.
Actor–Network Theory and methodology: Just what does it mean to say that nonhumans have agency?
Authors: Sayes Edwin
Published: December 2013

Actor–Network Theory is a controversial social theory. In no respect is this more so than the role it ‘gives’ to nonhumans: nonhumans have agency, as Latour provocatively puts it. This article aims to interrogate the multiple layers of this declaration to understand what it means to assert with Actor–Network Theory that nonhumans exercise agency. The article surveys a wide corpus of statements by the position’s leading figures and emphasizes the wider methodological framework in which these statements are embedded. With this work done, readers will then be better placed to reject or accept the Actor–Network position – understanding more precisely what exactly it is at stake in this decision.
Robot visions
Authors: Castañeda Claudia , Suchman Lucy
Published: December 2013

This article explores the resonating figures of primate, child, and robot in contemporary technoscientific corporealizations of the ‘almost human’. We take as our model (in)organism ‘Lucy the Robot Orangutan’, roboticist Steve Grand’s project to create an artificial life form with a mind of its own. One aspect of Lucy’s figuration by Grand, we argue, which ties her to Haraway’s analysis of the primate, is of the robot as a model for animal, and more specifically (or aspirationally) human, cognition. We follow the trope of ‘model organism’ as it is under discussion within science and technology studies and as an ironic descriptor for our own interest in Lucy as an entity/project through which to illuminate figurations within robotics more widely. Primate and robot together are forms of natureculture that help to clarify how the categories of animal and machine are entangled, while making explicit investments in their differences from one another, and from the third category of the human. We conclude, again following Haraway, by imagining what other possibilities there might be for figuring humans, robots, and their relations if we escape the reiterative imaginary of the robot as proxy for becoming human.
Influence of Music Therapy on Coping Skills and Anger Management in Forensic Psychiatric Patients
Authors: Hakvoort Laurien , Bogaerts Stefan , Thaut Michael H. , Spreen Marinus
Published: December 2013

The effect of music therapy on anger management and coping skills is an innovative subject in the field of forensic psychiatry. This study explores the following research question: Can music therapy treatment contribute to positive changes in coping skills, anger management, and dysfunctional behavior of forensic psychiatric patients? To investigate this question, first a literature review is offered on music therapy and anger management in forensic psychiatry. Then, an explorative study is presented. In the study, a pre- and post-test design was used with a random assignment of patients to either treatment or control condition. Fourteen participants’ complete datasets were collected. All participants received “treatment as usual.” Nine of the participants received a standardized, music therapy anger management program; the five controls received, unplanned, an aggression management program. Results suggested that anger management skills improved for all participants. The improvement of positive coping skills and diminishing of avoidance as a coping skill were measured to show greater changes in music therapy participants. When controlling for the exact number of treatment hours, the outcomes suggested that music therapy might accelerate the process of behavioral changes.
Victory without peace: Conquest, insurgency, and war termination
Authors: Weisiger Alex
Published: December 2013

The decisive defeat of an enemy in conventional war—conquest—frequently brings about peace on the victor’s terms; in some cases, however, conquest does not end the violence, but instead marks a transition to guerrilla war. What determines whether conquest results in war termination? While traditional theories of insurgency would predict that peace depends on appealing to the hearts and minds of the defeated population, I argue that conquerors in conventional wars cannot expect to win over the defeated population, and hence that avoiding post-conquest resistance requires quick and often brutal responses to initial opposition to deter potential challengers. I test this argument both statistically and through two sets of short paired case studies.
The temporal dynamics of new international borders
Authors: Carter David B. , Goemans H. E.
Published: December 2013

Borders are perhaps the most significant institutions in international relations. A massive literature demonstrates that border disputes fundamentally affect the character of relations between disputants, often escalating to violent and persistent conflict. However, the literature has barely begun to explore and identify the exact mechanisms that produce disputes and whereby these disputes escalate. Recent research demonstrates that how borders are drawn affects the probability of subsequent conflict and suggests that borders will be peaceful when they effectively and efficiently coordinate the actors on either side, thereby creating stable and predictable patterns of interactions. This research, however, ignores the obvious temporal component implied by theory. We develop the temporal component of an institutional theory of borders, starting from the argument that whether new international borders become more stable over time depends upon whether actors on both sides learn to coordinate on new jurisdictional international borders. We build on this idea to argue that the effect of time is significantly influenced by the manner in which the new border is drawn. We find that new borders that follow previous administrative frontiers become stable institutions much faster than than those drawn otherwise. In other words, stable and peaceful coordination on new borders occurs much faster when those new borders follow previous administrative frontiers.
Bargaining power and the arbitration and adjudication of territorial claims
Authors: Gent Stephen E. , Shannon Megan
Published: December 2013

To examine the political factors that influence the use of legal mechanisms to resolve territorial disputes, we model the decision to pursue arbitration and adjudication as part of a bargaining process in the shadow of war. We find that arbitration and adjudication can help prevent bargaining breakdown, but states only pursue and comply with such measures when the expected ruling reflects the balance of power between them. To test the theory, we examine compliance with arbitral and adjudicated rulings on territorial claims. In line with our expectations, states are less likely to comply when the stronger disputant is asked to make greater concessions. We conclude that power politics constrains the conditions under which legal mechanisms can be used to successfully manage contentious claims over territory.
Rogue states and territorial disputes
Authors: Mitchell Sara McLaughlin , Trumbore Peter F.
Published: December 2013

This article examines whether rogue states are more aggressive in challenging other states’ claims to territory in comparison with non-rogue states. Rogue states are defined as those which systematically violate accepted international human rights norms of gender and ethnic nondiscrimination and protection from state repression. Hypotheses suggest that states that regularly violate international human rights norms are more likely to challenge other states’ territorial claims and that dyads with rogue states are more likely to experience territorial claims. Empirical analyses of data from two datasets on territorial claims provide support to the theory. Territorial claims are more likely in politically relevant dyads as the potential challenger’s rogue state score increases. Territorial claims are also more likely to emerge as the minimum rogue state score in a dyad increases. The substantive effect of rogue status is sizable, increasing the chances for a territorial claim by as much as 500%.
Employee Stock Purchase Plans
Authors: Giancola Frank L.
Published: December 2013

Reports of renewed of interest in Employee Stock Purchase Plans have recently appeared, perhaps driven in part by the robust state of the stock market, that give a positive glow to these plans. But HR professionals should react with caution and carefully examine all aspects of these plans before enhancing or adopting one. Plans have recently been terminated and made less attractive to employees, and many companies have passed on the idea. Important data affecting plan design and employee participation have not been reported that contribute to a low level of interest. Involvement of major HR consultants is lacking and HR specialists appear to be in no hurry to champion these plans. Despite these factors, HR professionals should give these plans serious consideration because of their potential value for compensating employees in certain circumstances.
A “Look Back” and “Look Forward”
Authors: Graham Michael Dennis
Published: December 2013

Michael Graham discusses changes in the executive compensation landscape over the past decade and makes the case that since the mid-2000s, the world has changed dramatically but executive compensation structures and approaches have not necessarily kept pace. Graham addresses the changes relating to business environment, regulations, stakeholders, vision, strategy, organizational capabilities and program components. He discusses how executive compensation approaches could be better structured to address relevant changes in these areas.
Assessing the Legitimacy of Competence to Stand Trial in Juvenile Court
Authors: Bryant Angela , Matthews Gregory , Wilhelmsen Blessing
Published: December 2013

The requirement that juveniles be competent to stand trial prior to adjudication in juvenile court has only recently been solidified via case law and/or statutory law. It is currently unclear as to whether and how the presence of a specific juvenile competency to stand trial (CST) statute affects how court actors understand and make use of CST in a juvenile court context. Through interviews with 48 juvenile court officials across two states and three juvenile court jurisdictions, we find that the presence or absence of specific juvenile CST guidelines differentially shapes court officials’ perceptions of the legitimacy of CST concerns and consequently, their case processing strategies and decisions. This exploratory study serves to critically question the role of this new due process protection in a juvenile court context that presumes youthfulness or immaturity of offenders.
Space, Heterogeneity, and Everyday Life
Authors: Shoshana Avi
Published: December 2013

This article examines the relations between the characteristics of a space and the phenomenology of its residents, as well as the unique influence of the space on the social relations and the actions undertaken by the individuals and groups in it. It is based on ethnographies and in-depth interviews conducted at the Israeli ultra-orthodox town of Immanuel, which made the headlines on account of the ethnic selection carried out there, a scandal known as the “Israeli Brown Affair.” The ethnographic findings point to the dramatic heterogeneity of Immanuel’s population and to the quite overt disregard that the different groups show one another. In the interviews, Immanuel was explicitly defined as an “other place,” and a dialectic was reported between the invisibility of the space (referred to as its being “ terra non grata”) and its visibility at times of crisis (terror attacks and ethnic selection). The interviews also highlighted the “paradoxicality” of the space (the simultaneous presence of cultural discrimination alongside expressions of resistance). In order to attain a nuanced understanding of space at Immanuel, Foucault’s (1986) concept of heterotopia is introduced. Moreover, given the different interpretations of the space offered by members of the different groups, the concept of multiple heterotopias is posited. The conclusion points to the complex relations between space, heterogeneity, and everyday life.
State Test Data and School Improvement Efforts
Authors: Beaver Jessica K. , Weinbaum Elliot H.
Published: December 2013

Although much has been written about the potential benefits of effective data use in schools, considerably less attention has been paid to how schools make sense of the data generated from performance-based accountability measures. This article explores schools’ usage of state test data, the intensity of data use, and the perceived utility of state test data. Our findings uncover nuanced differences in school data use and reveal a key disconnect in the assumptions of performance-based accountability systems, wherein schools may faithfully use state data to inform improvement efforts while fundamentally questioning the validity of the data itself.
Teacher Effectiveness
Authors: Shuls James V. , Trivitt Julie R.
Published: December 2013

Historically, the government has sought to improve the quality of the teacher workforce by requiring certification. Teachers are among the most licensed public personnel employees in the United States. Traditionally, an education degree with a student teaching experience and passage of licensure exams were necessary for licensure. In the 1980s, alternative paths to certification developed. In this article, we evaluated the impact of licensure screens and licensure routes on student achievement. Our findings from an analysis of Arkansas data suggest that there is little difference in terms of quality between traditionally and alternatively certified teachers. However, licensure exams do have some predictive power.
Intercommunication Between Prefrontal and Posterior Brain Regions for Protecting Visual Working Memory From Distractor Interference
Authors: Liesefeld Anna M. , Liesefeld Heinrich R. , Zimmer Hubert D.
Published: December 2013

Because visual working memory has a very restricted capacity, good filtering mechanisms are essential for its successful functioning. A neuronal signal emitted by the prefrontal cortex is considered to be an important contributor to filtering. Proof of the functional significance of this signal during normal cognitive functioning is, however, still missing. Furthermore, research has so far neglected that the prefrontal cortex must receive input from posterior brain areas that report the necessity to filter. From human electroencephalograms, we extracted several event-related components that reflect the different subprocesses of filtering. On the basis of their timing and a clear pattern of correlations, we reason that filtering might consist of a causal chain of events that involve prefrontal and posterior cortex regions: After distractors are detected in posterior regions, a prefrontal mechanism is activated, which in turn prevents subsequent unnecessary parietal storage of distractor information.
Looking Away Before Moving Forward
Authors: Shirai Nobu , Imura Tomoko
Published: December 2013

Voluntary locomotion is one of the most important motor actions performed by animals, including humans, and vision plays an important role in controlling such action. We conducted cross-sectional (Experiment 1) and longitudinal (Experiment 2) investigations and found that the perception of visual motion (optic flow), a critical cue for perceiving and controlling the direction of locomotion, drastically changes just before the emergence of locomotion in infancy. The results suggest that developmental change in particular visual perceptions precedes and potentially promotes the emergence of related motor actions in early development. Our findings offer a new perspective on the development of visuomotor coordination, which has long been thought to derive from the development of motor actions rather than from changes in visual perceptions.
Genetic Factors That Increase Male Facial Masculinity Decrease Facial Attractiveness of Female Relatives
Authors: Lee Anthony J. , Mitchem Dorian G. , Wright Margaret J. , Martin Nicholas G. , Keller Matthew C. , Zietsch Brendan P.
Published: December 2013

For women, choosing a facially masculine man as a mate is thought to confer genetic benefits to offspring. Crucial assumptions of this hypothesis have not been adequately tested. It has been assumed that variation in facial masculinity is due to genetic variation and that genetic factors that increase male facial masculinity do not increase facial masculinity in female relatives. We objectively quantified the facial masculinity in photos of identical ( n = 411) and nonidentical ( n = 782) twins and their siblings ( n = 106). Using biometrical modeling, we found that much of the variation in male and female facial masculinity is genetic. However, we also found that masculinity of male faces is unrelated to their attractiveness and that facially masculine men tend to have facially masculine, less-attractive sisters. These findings challenge the idea that facially masculine men provide net genetic benefits to offspring and call into question this popular theoretical framework.
Nothing to Declare
Authors: Sah Sunita , Loewenstein George
Published: December 2013

Professionals face conflicts of interest when they have a personal interest in giving biased advice. Mandatory disclosure—informing consumers of the conflict—is a widely adopted strategy in numerous professions, such as medicine, finance, and accounting. Prior research has shown, however, that such disclosures have little impact on consumer behavior, and can backfire by leading advisors to give even more biased advice. We present results from three experiments with real monetary stakes. These results show that, although disclosure has generally been found to be ineffective for dealing with unavoidable conflicts of interest, it can be beneficial when providers have the ability to avoid conflicts. Mandatory and voluntary disclosure can deter advisors from accepting conflicts of interest so that they have nothing to disclose except the absence of conflicts. We propose that people are averse to being viewed as biased, and that policies designed to activate reputational and ethical concerns will motivate advisors to avoid conflicts of interest.
Rapid Fear Detection Relies on High Spatial Frequencies
Authors: Stein Timo , Seymour Kiley , Hebart Martin N. , Sterzer Philipp
Published: December 2013

Signals of threat—such as fearful faces—are processed with priority and have privileged access to awareness. This fear advantage is commonly believed to engage a specialized subcortical pathway to the amygdala that bypasses visual cortex and processes predominantly low-spatial-frequency information but is largely insensitive to high spatial frequencies. We tested visual detection of low- and high-pass-filtered fearful and neutral faces under continuous flash suppression and sandwich masking, and we found consistently that the fear advantage was specific to high spatial frequencies. This demonstrates that rapid fear detection relies not on low- but on high-spatial-frequency information—indicative of an involvement of cortical visual areas. These findings challenge the traditional notion that a subcortical pathway to the amygdala is essential for the initial processing of fear signals and support the emerging view that the cerebral cortex is crucial for the processing of ecologically relevant signals.
An enhanced transmission line method for modelling laminar flow of liquid in pipelines
Authors: Johnston Nigel , Pan Min , Kudzma Sylwester
Published: December 2013

The transmission line method is a very efficient method for dynamic modelling of flow in pipelines and uses delay elements to represent wave propagation. In this article, an existing transmission line method model is investigated and shown to have some deficiencies. An alternative technique is introduced to enhance the transient and steady-state accuracy. Extremely good agreement is obtained between this new transmission line method and an analytical model. The model has been implemented in simulation of a number of highly dynamic systems and has been found to be robust and reliable.
Constructing supranational regions and identities through branding:  Thick and thin region-building in the Barents and Ireland–Wales
Authors: Zimmerbauer Kaj
Published: December 2013

This paper discusses the current tendency of institutionalizing supranational regions and building their identities in planning. The focus is on the interplay of regional identities and branding, for regional identity and image are understood as intertwined both conceptually and in the everyday practices of region-building. Research on the Barents and Ireland–Wales supranational regions is discussed by making an analytical distinction between thick and thin region-building, emphasizing that regional identity, as an aspect of thin region-building, has a strong instrumental element and is assumed to cause positive development across borders. It is argued that as a result of the emphasis on competitiveness, marketing-oriented promotional representations are now becoming emphasized in region-building. The advocates of region-building did not emphasize thick and/or cultural identity, but they were aware that it, too, is part of European regional policy and that they should react accordingly by promoting it.