The relation of ninth grade test scores to twelfth grade test scores and high school rank.

From a population of high school students who had been tested in state-wide programs at the ninth and twelfth grade levels, a sample of 2185 was used to compute correlations between performance at these scholastic levels. At the ninth grade the tests were the ACE (Highschool Edition) and the Cooperative English Test (Form Y); at the twelfth grade level the tests were the ACE (College Edition) and the Cooperative English Test (Form S). HS percentile ranks were also computed for the Ss. The correlation between different forms of the same test was .8, for each test. The correlations between ACE forms and the Coop forms were .7 or higher. HSR correlated .63 with ninth grade ACE score, .71 with ninth grade English. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Courage in the classroom: Exploring a new framework predicting academic performance and engagement.

In the context of 7,637 high school students, the present study explored an hypothesized formulation of academic courage (defined as perseverance in the face of academic difficulty and fear) and its role in predicting academic performance (literacy and arithmetic) and various academic engagement measures (planning, task management, self-handicapping, disengagement, class participation, enjoyment of school, and positive academic intentions). Cluster analysis of core factors derived a four-group solution comprising courage, confidence, avoidance, and helpless orientations. Results from structural equation modeling demonstrated that courage and confidence are not significantly different on some academic measures (including performance) but that across the bulk of measures, confidence is more adaptive. However, courage was unambiguously more adaptive than avoidance and helpless orientations across all outcome measures. In summary, although confidence yields the most positive educational outcomes, courage can be considered an educationally effective response in the face or presence of fear. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Strong Vocational Interest Blank Scores of high school seniors and their later occupational entry.

"Three groups of University graduates were compared, graduates from medicine, law, and accounting, on the basis of SVIB scores obtained in Grade 12. The scores of the three groups were significantly different from one another, and pattern analysis of each student's interest profile revealed that the three groups had different profile patternings as well as different scores on the individual scales. These differences suggest that careful use of the SVIB is justified with high school seniors." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Autonomous, controlled, and amotivated types of academic motivation: A person-oriented analysis.

The authors investigated students' profiles regarding autonomous, controlled, and amotivated regulation and tested whether profile groups differed on some academic adjustment outcomes. Studies 1 and 2 performed on high school students revealed 3 profiles: (a) students with high levels of both controlled motivation and amotivation but low levels of autonomous motivation, (b) students with high levels of both controlled and autonomous motivation but low levels of amotivation, and (c) students with moderate levels of both autonomous and controlled motivations but low levels of amotivation. These first 2 studies revealed that students in the high autonomous/high controlled group reported the highest degree of academic adjustment. Study 3 performed on college students revealed 3 profiles: (a) students with high levels of autonomous motivations but low levels of both controlled motivation and amotivation, (b) students with high levels of both autonomous and controlled motivation but low levels of amotivation, and (c) students with low to moderate levels of the various motivational components. Study 3 indicated that students in the autonomous group were more persistent than students in the other groups. Results are discussed in light of self-determination theory (E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan, 1985). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship among self-concept, self-efficacy, and performance in mathematics during secondary school.

The relationship among self-concept, self-efficacy, and performance in mathematics was examined among 416 high school students. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing mathematics self-concept and mathematics self-efficacy. Performance was assessed using end-of-term exam results in mathematics. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the existence of two self-concept components--a competency component and an affective component. Self-efficacy items and the competency items of self-concept also loaded on a single factor. Social comparison information was equally influential in the formation of each construct. Self-efficacy beliefs, however, were identified as most highly related with performance in mathematics and percentages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of death within 11 years on cognitive performance in old age.

Six different cognitive tests and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were given to 3,572 active community residents aged 49 to 93 years. Causes of death were ascertained for 443 who died between 36 and 3,903 days later. Subsequent survival predicted test scores during the 3,903 days and independently during Days 36 to 1,826 and Days 1,827 to 3,903. Scores on the BDI and cumulative verbal learning and vocabulary tests predicted mortality after demographics and performance on other cognitive tests had been considered. Predictors were similar for deaths from heart disease, malignancies, and other causes. A new finding that cognitive tests did not predict survival duration within the sample of deceased explains previous findings of greater terminal decline in performance for young than for elderly adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The differential effects of intrinsic and identified motivation on well-being and performance: Prospective, experimental, and implicit approaches to self-determination theory.

Self-determination theory research has demonstrated that intrinsic and identified self-regulations are associated with successful adaptation. However, few distinctions are typically made between these regulations and their outcomes. In the present studies, the associations between intrinsic and identified motivations and outcomes of psychological well-being and academic performance are compared in educational settings. In Study 1, intrinsic self-regulation predicted psychological well-being, independent of academic performance. In contrast, identified regulation predicted academic performance. Additionally, the more that students demonstrated an identified academic regulation, the more that their psychological well-being was contingent on performance. In Study 2a, priming intrinsic self-regulation led to greater psychological well-being 10 days later. In Study 2b, an implicit measure of identified regulation predicted academic performance 6 weeks later. Results indicate the need to address important distinctions between intrinsic and identified regulations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Task engagement and mathematics performance in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: Effects of supplemental computer instruction.

Examined the effects of using software with a game format (as a supplement to teacher instruction) to improve math performance of 3 male 4th- to 6th-grade students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Following baseline (observation under normal classroom conditions), the math software was introduced sequentially using a multiple baseline design across participants. Observational data were collected during the baseline and experimental conditions along with a set of curriculum-based math probes, which were used throughout the study. The hypothesis that math software with a game format would improve the academic performance and increase attention of all participants was partially supported. Implications for practice and further research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making the grade but feeling distressed: Gender differences in academic performance and internal distress.

There is disagreement over whether girls or boys are at risk in the context of school. Girls outperform boys in school, particularly in stereotypically feminine subjects. However, girls are also more vulnerable to internal distress than boys are. The aim of this research was to understand this pattern of gender differences. Gender differences in academic performance and internal distress were examined in elementary school children moving into adolescence. Girls outperformed boys across all 4 subjects but were also more prone to internal distress than boys were. Girls doing poorly in school were the most vulnerable to internal distress. However, even girls doing well in school were more vulnerable than boys were. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of performance antecedents and consequences in work motivation: Correction to Komaki, Collins, and Penn.

Reports an error in the original article by Judith L. Komaki, Robert L. Collins, and Pat Penn (Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 334-340). An incorrect version of Figure 1 was printed. The correct version is provided. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1982-26864-001.) Assessed the effects of both antecedents and consequences while keeping supervisory involvement and stimulus changes constant. The safety performance of 200 employees in 4 departments of a processing plant was monitored 3 times/wk over 46 wks. A multiple baseline design was used in which the phases were introduced in steps. Following baseline, the antecedent condition was presented, in which safety rules were explained and safety meetings held, along with frequent supervisor interaction and stimulus changes. Then the performance consequence, feedback, in which a feedback graph was maintained and feedback meetings held, was added. The antecedent condition, even when bolstered by fairly extensive supervisor involvement, resulted in improvements in only 2 out of 4 departments. Only during the consequent condition did performance significantly improve in all departments over baseline and antecedent conditions. Furthermore, employees reported that they preferred obtaining information following their performance. The results confirm that performance consequences such as feedback play a critical role in work motivation and that antecedents alone may not be effective in all cases, even with fairly extensive supervisor involvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The behaviors, interactions, and perceptions of junior high school students during small-group learning.

The study investigated the behaviors, interactions, and perceptions of junior high school students as they worked in structured or unstructured cooperative learning groups on problem-solving, curriculum-based tasks in mathematics, science, and English. Two hundred twenty students in Grade 8 participated in the study, which was conducted across 3 school terms. The students worked in 4-person, gender-balanced, heterogeneous achievement groups. The results show that the children in the structured groups were more cooperative and provided more relevant verbal help and assistance to each other as they worked together in their groups than their peers in the unstructured groups. Furthermore, they had stronger perceptions of small-group work as being enjoyable and providing them with the opportunity to do quality work together. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Task values and ability beliefs as predictors of high school literacy choices: A developmental analysis.

This study examines how competence beliefs and task values predict high school achievement choices related to literacy. Students' task beliefs (self-concept of ability, intrinsic value, and importance) about reading in the 4th grade and English in the 10th grade were tracked over time. Task beliefs, school performance, and gender were used to predict students' (a) time per week spent reading for pleasure in 10th grade, (b) number of language arts courses per year of high school, and (c) reading relatedness of 12th-grade career aspirations. Results indicated that ability beliefs positively predicted all 3 outcomes, importance predicted career aspirations and course choices, and intrinsic value predicted leisure time reading and high school courses. Gender differences were also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pregaming in high school students: Relevance to risky drinking practices, alcohol cognitions, and the social drinking context.

Pregaming is the practice of consuming alcohol prior to going out to a social event. Although pregaming has begun to receive research attention in the college setting, very little is known about this risky drinking behavior in high school students. As pregaming has health implications for both students who are college bound and those who are not, we examined the prevalence of this behavior in a sample of high school students who reported current alcohol use and completed pregaming measures (n = 233). The present study examined the associations of gender, age, alcohol expectancies, motivations for drinking (e.g., social, enhancement, and coping), and engagement in other risky drinking practices (i.e., general hazardous use and drinking game participation) with pregaming. Results indicate that pregaming was significantly associated with being older, being a male, having high levels of hazardous alcohol use, and participating in drinking games frequently. Pregaming also occurred most often before parties and sporting events and it was associated positively with frequency of attendance at parties where alcohol is available, the tendency to use alcohol at these parties, and the amount of alcohol consumed at these parties. We discuss the findings in the context of pregaming research that has been conducted with college students, and make suggestions regarding prevention and intervention efforts focused on this risky drinking practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of the factorial invariance of the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI): Results from middle and high school students.

The construct of student engagement is increasingly prevalent in the field of education, serving as the foundation of dropout prevention and high school reform initiatives. The purpose of this study was to further examine 1 measure of student engagement, the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI), designed to measure 2 subtypes of student engagement: cognitive and affective. This research extended the initial validation work on the SEI by examining score reliability and factorial invariance across grades and gender. Students (N = 2,416) were sampled from school districts in the rural Southeast and Upper Midwest of the United States. Results indicated similar factor structure, equal score reliability, and similar latent factor relationships across all grades. Evidence supported the contention that the SEI may be used at the middle and high school levels to measure cognitive and affective subtypes of student engagement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A model of contextual motivation in physical education: Using constructs from self-determination and achievement goal theories to predict physical activity intentions.

Assessing the motivational responses of 328 secondary school students, this study examined a model of student motivation in physical education that incorporated constructs from achievement goal and self-determination theories. The focus was on the prediction of students' intention to partake in physical activity outside of physical education. Structural equation modeling analysis supported a model in which an autonomy-supportive climate, and to a lesser extent perceptions of a mastery climate, positively impacted hypothesized mediating variables (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness) to foster self-determined motivation. Self-determined motivation was found to positively predict, whereas amotivation was a negative predictor of leisure-time physical activity intentions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age Trends in the Development of Aggression, Sex Typing, and Related Television Habits: Correction.

Reports an error in the original article by L. D. Eron et al ("Age Trends in the Development of Aggression, Sex Typing, and Related Television Habits," Developmental Psychology, 1983, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 71-77). There is an incorrect statement in the first full paragraph of the left column on page 76. The correct statement is listed. Two typographical errors are also noted. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1983-07714-001): Conducted a 3-yr longitudinal study with 2 large samples of elementary school youngsters overlapping in 1 grade (N = 672, 607, and 505 for each successive year). It was thus possible to trace developmental trends from Grades 1 to 5 on the following variables: aggression, frequency of TV viewing, extent of violence viewed on TV, judged realism of TV programs, and preference for masculine, feminine, or neutral activities. Data support the theory that there is a sensitive period during which the effect of TV can be especially influential on children's behavior. Further, since the correlation between violence viewing and aggression tends to increase until age 10-21 yrs, a cumulative effect beyond the sensitive period is suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

微柱高效液相色谱法测定环境样品中钴镍铜锌钒

合成了有机试剂2-(2-喹啉偶氮)-4-甲基-1,3-二羟基苯(QAMDHB),并以其为柱前衍生试剂,采用Waters XterraTMRP18(1.0 mm×50 mm,2.5μm)微色谱柱,φ=62%的甲醇(内含φ=0.5%的乙酸)为流动相,二极管阵列检测器,建立了高效液相色谱法测定环境样品中钴、镍、铜、锌和钒的新方法。根据信噪比(S/N=3)得各金属离子的检出限分别为:钴2μg/L,镍1.5μg/L,铜2μg/L,锌3μg/L,钒5μg/L,方法用于环境样品中痕量钴、镍、铜、锌、钒的测定,相对标准偏