title: Gravel galore: Impacts of clear-cut logging on salmon and their habitats

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

subjects: biology

abstract: Timber harvest may have both direct and indirect effects on salmon, and with
a few exceptions those effects result in lowered survival of salmon in their
stream habitats compared with unlogged forest (Hicks et al. 1991b). Some
impacts may be seen immediately or shortly after logging, whereas others can
take decades to be expressed. Central to analyzing these effects is the context
of the freshwater environment in which salmon are spawned and reared, and
the life histories of the salmon species. This chapter will examine the effects of
timber harvest on the freshwater habitat and life stages of salmon. It will also
investigate the hypothesis that the salmon species least affected by timber
harvest are those with the least reliance on stream habitats.

text: Gravel galore: Impacts of clear-cut logging on salmon and their habitats Timber harvest may have both direct and indirect effects on salmon, and with
a few exceptions those effects result in lowered survival of salmon in their
stream habitats compared with unlogged forest (Hicks et al. 1991b). Some
impacts may be seen immediately or shortly after logging, whereas others can
take decades to be expressed. Central to analyzing these effects is the context
of the freshwater environment in which salmon are spawned and reared, and
the life histories of the salmon species. This chapter will examine the effects of
timber harvest on the freshwater habitat and life stages of salmon. It will also
investigate the hypothesis that the salmon species least affected by timber
harvest are those with the least reliance on stream habitats.

year: 2002

title: Another piece for the puzzle: Psychophysiological indicators of the absence of empathic responding in Factor I psychopathy

authors: Isler, Veronika

abstract: Antisocial behaviour has increasingly been identified as a problem in today's Western societies. One of the crucial issues is the question of identification, prevention and/or treatment. There is much debate among social scientists from different theoretical perspectives whether antisocial behaviours are a product of environmental influences or of biological predispositions. This study was lead by the assumption that there is a distinct group of antisocial individuals with a biological dimension (psychopathy Factor I), who can be distinguished early in life from merely delinquent individuals. As the research literature indicates, lack of empathy seems to be a prominent marker distinguishing psychopathic reactions from other antisocial behaviours. The overall aim of this research was to investigate whether psychophysiological indicators are powerful enough in detecting the absence of empathic responding in psychopathy Factor I. The main research questions explored were: whether empathy and psychopathy Factor I are inversely related to each other; whether it would be possible to discriminate empathic (i.e., empathy-analogues) from non-empathic children (i.e., psychopathy-analogues); and finally, whether psychophysiological measures (heart rate and skin conductance) would prove to be useful assessment tools for this task. Fifty boys, aged five years, from 22 different schools, participated in this study. They were pre-selected by their teachers to fit either into a group of 'non-empathic/difficulties with social behaviours', or a second group 'highly empathic' (via pre-screening checklist). The children's group membership remained unknown to the researcher. Each boy was tested twice. The first session (Phase A) involved the administration of test batteries using potential measures of dispositional empathy and psychopathy, whereas the second session (Phase B) included the ambulatory measurement of the children's heart rate and skin conductance, while they were watching several empathy-inducing film segments. The results of Phase A identified the most consistent empathy and psychopathy (Factor I) questionnaire measures, and further revealed that these instruments were strongly negatively correlated with each other. This seemed to indicate that the construct of affective empathy is indeed inversely related to psychopathy Factor I. The results of Phase B revealed that it was possible to develop a classification system which would distinguish two groups of children, based on their psychophysiological data related to empathic/non-empathic responding. Following the lead of the research literature, resting heart rate level was used as the initial criterion for grouping. This first classification was then further developed and modified using other psychophysiological variables as criteria, such as heart rate reactivity, heart rate variability, and skin conductance responses, as grouping variables for clustering and discriminant analysis procedures. As expected, the results seemed to conform to the theories regarding empathic/non-empathic responding in children, and thus appeared to confirm that the two groups originated from two different populations. The final classification system, based on an aggregate of these psychophysiological data, was then further verified by mapping it onto the questionnaire data from Phase A. This analysis revealed that the final classification system matched to a reliable degree the children's questionnaire scores. These results might open the possibility that individual profiles for at risk children could be developed, based on psychophysiological indicators. Psychophysiological measures appear to be reliable, are not intrusive, and most importantly, are independent from rater-bias and demand characteristics. They can be particularly important for research with very young children, who do not yet possess elaborate language skills and frequently lack insight into their own emotional responses. Thus, it has been found that psychophysiological indicators may be able to contribute an additional piece to the multimodal assessment of children 'at risk', and it also means that early detection and prevention of psychopathy might be a step closer.

text: Another piece for the puzzle: Psychophysiological indicators of the absence of empathic responding in Factor I psychopathy Antisocial behaviour has increasingly been identified as a problem in today's Western societies. One of the crucial issues is the question of identification, prevention and/or treatment. There is much debate among social scientists from different theoretical perspectives whether antisocial behaviours are a product of environmental influences or of biological predispositions. This study was lead by the assumption that there is a distinct group of antisocial individuals with a biological dimension (psychopathy Factor I), who can be distinguished early in life from merely delinquent individuals. As the research literature indicates, lack of empathy seems to be a prominent marker distinguishing psychopathic reactions from other antisocial behaviours. The overall aim of this research was to investigate whether psychophysiological indicators are powerful enough in detecting the absence of empathic responding in psychopathy Factor I. The main research questions explored were: whether empathy and psychopathy Factor I are inversely related to each other; whether it would be possible to discriminate empathic (i.e., empathy-analogues) from non-empathic children (i.e., psychopathy-analogues); and finally, whether psychophysiological measures (heart rate and skin conductance) would prove to be useful assessment tools for this task. Fifty boys, aged five years, from 22 different schools, participated in this study. They were pre-selected by their teachers to fit either into a group of 'non-empathic/difficulties with social behaviours', or a second group 'highly empathic' (via pre-screening checklist). The children's group membership remained unknown to the researcher. Each boy was tested twice. The first session (Phase A) involved the administration of test batteries using potential measures of dispositional empathy and psychopathy, whereas the second session (Phase B) included the ambulatory measurement of the children's heart rate and skin conductance, while they were watching several empathy-inducing film segments. The results of Phase A identified the most consistent empathy and psychopathy (Factor I) questionnaire measures, and further revealed that these instruments were strongly negatively correlated with each other. This seemed to indicate that the construct of affective empathy is indeed inversely related to psychopathy Factor I. The results of Phase B revealed that it was possible to develop a classification system which would distinguish two groups of children, based on their psychophysiological data related to empathic/non-empathic responding. Following the lead of the research literature, resting heart rate level was used as the initial criterion for grouping. This first classification was then further developed and modified using other psychophysiological variables as criteria, such as heart rate reactivity, heart rate variability, and skin conductance responses, as grouping variables for clustering and discriminant analysis procedures. As expected, the results seemed to conform to the theories regarding empathic/non-empathic responding in children, and thus appeared to confirm that the two groups originated from two different populations. The final classification system, based on an aggregate of these psychophysiological data, was then further verified by mapping it onto the questionnaire data from Phase A. This analysis revealed that the final classification system matched to a reliable degree the children's questionnaire scores. These results might open the possibility that individual profiles for at risk children could be developed, based on psychophysiological indicators. Psychophysiological measures appear to be reliable, are not intrusive, and most importantly, are independent from rater-bias and demand characteristics. They can be particularly important for research with very young children, who do not yet possess elaborate language skills and frequently lack insight into their own emotional responses. Thus, it has been found that psychophysiological indicators may be able to contribute an additional piece to the multimodal assessment of children 'at risk', and it also means that early detection and prevention of psychopathy might be a step closer.

year: 2003

title: Editorial

authors: Clarkin-Phillips, Jeanette

abstract: As New Zealand contemplates wholesale review of the formal schooling system and the leadership implications thereof, the winds of educational change begin to swirl. Not the persistent, yet gentle flutter of change that evolves the educational landscape in almost imperceptible ways, but tumultuous paradigmatic gales that potentially change it beyond all recognition. Heralded by politicians, economists and capitalists, there is little doubt that the 1989 neoliberal tempest wrought havoc on notions of community and profession. The whirlwind shift from social democracy to market competition, managerialism and performativity saw critical voices silenced and educators disparagingly positioned as self-interested providers. In the rush to legislate Tomorrow’s Schools, 18,000 submissions remained unanalysed and therein lies a crucial lesson: we ignore research at our peril. As educators, we have a moral obligation to generate, disseminate and critique understandings of leadership, policy and practice; to remain open to counter perspectives; and to contribute positively and hopefully to research that empowers and emancipates. Consistent with JELPP’s commitment to honouring diversity in leadership focus, setting, and authorship, articles in this year’s general edition offer fresh insight into topics of interconnected and perennial importance: native knowledge, instructional leadership, indigenous teachers, appraisal, professional values, and safe schools.

text: Editorial As New Zealand contemplates wholesale review of the formal schooling system and the leadership implications thereof, the winds of educational change begin to swirl. Not the persistent, yet gentle flutter of change that evolves the educational landscape in almost imperceptible ways, but tumultuous paradigmatic gales that potentially change it beyond all recognition. Heralded by politicians, economists and capitalists, there is little doubt that the 1989 neoliberal tempest wrought havoc on notions of community and profession. The whirlwind shift from social democracy to market competition, managerialism and performativity saw critical voices silenced and educators disparagingly positioned as self-interested providers. In the rush to legislate Tomorrow’s Schools, 18,000 submissions remained unanalysed and therein lies a crucial lesson: we ignore research at our peril. As educators, we have a moral obligation to generate, disseminate and critique understandings of leadership, policy and practice; to remain open to counter perspectives; and to contribute positively and hopefully to research that empowers and emancipates. Consistent with JELPP’s commitment to honouring diversity in leadership focus, setting, and authorship, articles in this year’s general edition offer fresh insight into topics of interconnected and perennial importance: native knowledge, instructional leadership, indigenous teachers, appraisal, professional values, and safe schools.

year: 2019