Worldwide variations in prevalence of symptoms of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in children: the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)

BACKGROUND: As part of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), prevalence surveys were conducted among representative samples of school children from locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America. SUBJECTS: 257,800 children aged 6-7 years from 91 centres in 38 countries, and 463,801 children aged 13-14 years from 155 centres in 56 countries. METHODS: Written symptom questionnaires were translated from English into the local language for self-completion by the 13-14-year-olds and completion by the parents of the 6-7-year-olds. Rhinitis was described as a problem with sneezing, or a runny, or blocked nose when you (your child) DID NOT have a cold or the flu. Additional questions were asked about rhinitis associated with itchy-watery eyes, interference with activities and a history of hay fever ever. RESULTS: The prevalence of rhinitis with itchy-watery eyes ("rhinoconjunctivitis") in the past year varied across centres from 0.8% to 14.9% in the 6-7-year-olds and from 1.4% to 39.7% in the 13-14-year-olds. Within each age group, the global pattern was broadly consistent across each of the symptom categories. In centres of higher prevalence there was great variability in the proportion of rhinoconjunctivitis labelled as hay fever. The lowest prevalences of rhinoconjunctivitis were found in parts of eastern Europe, south and central Asia. High prevalences were reported from centres in several regions. CONCLUSION: These results suggest substantial worldwide variations in the prevalence and labelling of symptoms of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis which require further study. These differences, if real, may offer important clues to environmental influences on allergy.     

Curriculum-based external exit exam systems: Do students learn more? How?

This article examines the effect of curriculum-based external exit examinations such as the French Baccalaureate, Canadian Diploma exams, and the Regents exams in New York State on student achievement. Students from countries with medium- and high-stakes exit exam systems outperform students from other countries at a comparable level of economic development. When student demography is held constant, New York State students do significantly better than students in other states on the Scholastic Assessment Test and on 8th-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress math assessments. Not only did 13-year-olds from Canadian provinces with such systems know more science and mathematics than students in other provinces, they watched less TV, did more homework, and talked with their parents more about schoolwork. Schools in provinces with external exams had better science labs, scheduled more time for teaching math and science, and hired more qualified teachers and had them specialize in teaching their subject. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tell-tale eyes: Children's attribution of gaze aversion as a lying cue.

This study examined whether the well-documented adult tendency to perceive gaze aversion as a lying cue is also evident in children. In Experiment 1, 6-year-olds, 9-year-olds, and adults were shown video vignettes of speakers who either maintained or avoided eye contact while answering an interviewer's questions. Participants evaluated whether the speaker was telling the truth or lying on each trial. The results revealed that at both ages, children were more likely to attribute lying to speakers in the gaze aversion condition; however, the effect was significantly greater among 9-year-olds. Significant gender differences were also uncovered, with girls demonstrating strongest sensitivity to the gaze cue. Experiment 2 replicated the gender effect in 6-year-olds but found that when the speakers' verbal responses were removed, boys' use of the gaze cue increased and the gender difference disappeared. These findings indicate that at 6 years old, children interpret interpersonal gaze behavior as a socially informative cue. Furthermore, the growing appreciation of the stereotypic gaze behavior associated with lying and the reputed female advantage in gaze sensitivity may reflect differential processing of multimodal communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Cross-national patterns of gender differences in mathematics: A meta-analysis" Correction.

Reports an error in "Cross-national patterns of gender differences in mathematics: A meta-analysis" by Nicole M. Else-Quest, Janet Shibley Hyde and Marcia C. Linn (Psychological Bulletin, 2010[Jan], Vol 136[1], 103-127). On page 118 of the article, the images on Figures 1 and 2 are incorrectly reversed. The legends for Figures 1 and 2 are in the correct order. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-24669-002.) A gender gap in mathematics achievement persists in some nations but not in others. In light of the underrepresentation of women in careers in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering, increasing research attention is being devoted to understanding gender differences in mathematics achievement, attitudes, and affect. The gender stratification hypothesis maintains that such gender differences are closely related to cultural variations in opportunity structures for girls and women. We meta-analyzed 2 major international data sets, the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and the Programme for International Student Assessment, representing 493,495 students 14–16 years of age, to estimate the magnitude of gender differences in mathematics achievement, attitudes, and affect across 69 nations throughout the world. Consistent with the gender similarities hypothesis, all of the mean effect sizes in mathematics achievement were very small (d     

Cross-national patterns of gender differences in mathematics: A meta-analysis.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 136(2) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2010-03383-012). On page 118 of the article “Cross-National Patterns of Gender Differences in Mathematics: A Meta-Analysis,” by Nicole M. Else-Quest, Janet Shibley Hyde, and Marcia C. Linn (Psychological Bulletin, 2010, Vol. 136, No. 1, pp. 103–127), the images on Figures 1 and 2 are incorrectly reversed. The legends for Figures 1 and 2 are in the correct order.] A gender gap in mathematics achievement persists in some nations but not in others. In light of the underrepresentation of women in careers in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering, increasing research attention is being devoted to understanding gender differences in mathematics achievement, attitudes, and affect. The gender stratification hypothesis maintains that such gender differences are closely related to cultural variations in opportunity structures for girls and women. We meta-analyzed 2 major international data sets, the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and the Programme for International Student Assessment, representing 493,495 students 14–16 years of age, to estimate the magnitude of gender differences in mathematics achievement, attitudes, and affect across 69 nations throughout the world. Consistent with the gender similarities hypothesis, all of the mean effect sizes in mathematics achievement were very small (d     

Cognitive styles partly explain gender disparity in engineering: Comment.

Comments on the original article "Sex Differences in Intrinsic Aptitude for Mathematics and Science?: A Critical Review," by E. S. Spelke (see record 2005-15840-001). Spelke reviewed an assortment of studies showing how rare the differences are between genders in mathematics ability. Yet she also mentioned that academic faculties of U.S. universities in the mathematics-related fields of science and engineering are predominantly male. Aside from differences in gender roles, some of the disparity may also be due to gender differences in cognitive styles, particularly the styles best matched to science and engineering. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Abilities, motives, and personal styles: Reply.

Responds to the comments of P. L. Ackerman (see record 2006-12925-012), D. Y. Dai (see record 2006-12925-013), and M. C. Gridley (see record 2006-12925-014) on E. S. Spelke's original article "Sex differences in intrinsic aptitude for mathematics and science? A critical review" (see record 2005-15840-001). Here, the current authors first consider Ackerman's criticism of IQ measures of cognitive sex differences, as well as his suggestion that Advanced Placement tests be used as a second measure. Next, the authors discuss Dai's suggestion that cognition and motivation, abilities and strategies, are inseparably bound in any meaningful measure of aptitude for mathematics and science. Finally, the authors address Gridley's suggestion that differences in men's and women's thinking styles and preferences explain gender disparities in math and science fields. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation between mathematical achievement and gender differences in spatial abilities: A suppression effect.

Three experiments were conducted to determine whether mathematical achievement acted as a suppressor variable on gender differences in spatial performance. In this context, a suppressor variable should produce an increase in the magnitude of gender differences in spatial abilities when it is partialed out from gender and the spatial test score. In 3 experiments, undergraduate students completed the Mental Rotations Test (MRT; see record 1980-08722-001) and indicated how many mathematics courses they took in high school (Exp 1) or their mean grade in high-school mathematics (Exps 2 and 3). In Exp 3, the Water Level Task (see record 1994-20230-001) was administered in addition to the MRT. In all 3 experiments, support was found for the notion that mathematical achievement acted as a suppressor variable. Results are discussed with regard to their implications in the study of the relations among gender, performance in mathematics courses, and spatial performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suicide trends in eight predominantly English-speaking countries 1960-1989

Suicide rates between 1960 and 1989 were explored for eight predominantly English speaking countries with similar national characteristics. New World countries showed significant similarities but differed from Old World countries. The two North American (NA) New World countries showed more similarity to each other than the two Australasian New World countries. The NA countries showed an unique plateau in the 1980s for males aged 15-29 years. Old World males of all ages showed common rises, suggesting a partial sex-specific influence in the young. However, trends among the 15- to 19-year-olds were significantly different to trends among the 20- to 29-year-olds in both sexes suggesting a substantial youth-related contribution to the rises. Rates among 15- to 19-year-old females rose in the early 1960s, ahead of males but in parallel with rises among older females, suggesting part of the rise was sex- as opposed to age-related. Although rates among the 15- to 19-year-old females showed little change since 1970, this may be partly a function of sex-related improvements-observable in older females disguising unfavourable youth-related influences. Possible aetiological factors are suggested but remain speculative. Studies of other nations with common cultural characteristics may clarify trends and aetiological issues. Care should be taken to differentiate sex- from age-related influences.     

Limitations on preschool children's knowledge about counting: Using counting to compare two sets.

Possible limitations on preschool children's understanding of counting were examined by asking twenty 3-year-olds and twenty 4-year-olds to judge the appropriateness of counting carried out by a puppet. The puppet was asked to count either to find out how many objects were present altogether or to find out whether every object in one subset could have a corresponding object from the other subset. Within each counting task, half of the time the puppet counted all of the objects together and half of the time it counted the two subsets separately. Children at both ages showed some differentiation between the two counting tasks and performed at an above-chance level on the how-many task but not on the compare-sets task. The most common individual response pattern among the 3-year-olds was to judge both kinds of counts to be appropriate on both tasks, whereas the most common individual response pattern among the 4-year-olds was to judge counting of all the objects together to be appropriate and counting of the two subsets separately to be inappropriate on both tasks. The fact that children managed to differentiate appropriately between the two counting tasks despite using these basically undifferentiated strategies suggests that correct judgment processes coexisted with their predominant strategies and competed with them to determine performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive gender differences are disappearing.

Gender differences in cognitive abilities were determined using the norms from the four standardizations of the Differential Aptitude Tests conducted between 1947 and 1980, and from the four standardizations of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/Scholastic Aptitude Test conducted between 1960 and 1983. The standardized gender differences (ds) were averaged over grade of examinees and year of standardization to obtain a mean effect size for each ability, and variations among effect sizes were examined for grade, year, and Grade?×?Year trends. Girls scored higher than boys on scales of grammar, spelling, and perceptual speed; boys had higher means on measures of spatial visualization, high school mathematics, and mechanical aptitude; and no average gender differences were found on tests of verbal reasoning, arithmetic, and figural reasoning. Gender differences declined precipitously over the years surveyed, and the increases in these differences over the high school grades have diminished. The important exception to the rule of vanishing gender differences is that the well-documented gender gap at the upper levels of performance on high school mathematics has remained constant over the past 27 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy as a mediator of investigative and realistic general occupational themes on the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory.

Studied the role of self-efficacy in mediating gender differences on Investigative and Realistic General Occupational Themes of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory. Ss were 77 male and 71 female entering university freshmen. Canonical correlations identified a science/technical factor relating high Investigative and Realistic theme standard scores to high Investigative and Realistic theme efficacy ratings. Path analyses suggested a correlational structure wherein mathematics self-efficacy and high school mathematics preparation mediated gender differences on these themes. Implications for counselor interpretation of Investigative and Realistic General Occupational Themes were presented. The importance of integrating self-efficacy career development research and traditional self-concept vocational theory was emphasized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory self-efficacy and performance differences in young and old adults: The effect of mnemonic training.

We evaluated the hypothesis that mnemonic training would result in higher memory self-efficacy and better memory performance in young and old adults. Forty-eight young adults (17- to 19-year-olds) and 45 old adults (60- to 78-year-olds) received either training in the method of loci or no training and were given either performance feedback or no feedback on a serial-word recall task. Ss were tested at pre- and posttraining and were asked to rate their self-efficacy strength (SEST) and self-efficacy level (SEL) at each test session. Young adults recalled more than old adults and had higher self-efficacy scores. Training with feedback improved recall performance in both age groups but failed to increase SEST or SEL. When SEL scores were used to derive a measure of prediction inaccuracy, no age differences were observed. We conclude that efficacy expectations and attributions for memory performance may influence mnemonic training outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth in a sample of girls.

A new measure has been developed to assess depressive symptoms, the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth (BDI-Y; J. S. Beck, A. T. Beck, & J. B. Jolly, 2001). This research extends previous validation research of BDI-Y total scores by examining internal consistency and convergent and predictive validity within a school-based sample (n = 859) of girls 9-13 years old by age level and for selected races or ethnic groups. Scores had high internal consistency, and there was support for using the BDI-Y to assess depressive symptoms. Reliability was slightly lower for 9-year-olds, but reliability and validity estimates did not differ by race or ethnic group. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis results provide some support for unidimensionality of scores but also point toward possible refinements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Values, valences, and course enrollment: Testing the role of personal values within an expectancy-valence framework.

This study was a test of hypotheses that concerned the enrollment decisions of 444 university students who enrolled in humanities, social science, or science courses at Flinders University in South Australia. The following predictions were developed within the framework of expectancy–value (valence) theory: (a) Enrollment decisions would be related to the subjective value (valence) that students assign to mathematics and English and to their self-concepts of ability in mathematics and English (assumed to relect expectations of success); (b) valence measures would be related to underlying value dimensions (restrictive control, intellectual orientation, and prosocial concern) derived from subjects' ratings of the 18 instrumental values from the Rokeach Value Survey; and (c) gender differences would occur in the responses of male and female students to the measures of values and valences. In general, the results supported these predictions. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on gender differences in achievement patterns in mathematics and English and in relations to assumptions about relations between expectations and valences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tooth loss and periodontal bone level in individuals of J?nk?ping County. A comparison between two adult populations living in the city and in the surrounding area

Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were performed in the community (in this paper changed to city) of J?nk?ping, Sweden, over a period of 20 years to follow changes in oral health and oral health behaviour. To widen our knowledge about dental health and dental care among the adult population, we expanded the study in 1993 to cover the whole county. The specific aim of the present study was to describe tooth loss (excluding third molars) and periodontal bone level in adult residents of J?nk?ping County and to compare these two parameters in adults living in the city of J?nk?ping with the same in adults living in the rest of the county. Random samples of individuals 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 years old were selected. A total of 484 persons from the city and 1219 subjects from the rest of the county were examined. A total of 32 (7%) and 27 (2%) persons were completely edentulous in the examined populations from the city and from the rest of the county, respectively. A majority belonged to the older age groups, 60 and 70 years, with 17% of the subjects in the city being edentulous compared with 13% in the rest of the county. The mean number of missing teeth in subjects in the city versus subjects in the rest of the county was 0.75/0.95, 1.37/1.60, 3.34/2.43, 6.34/7.40, and 9.95/10.26 in 30-, 40-, 50-, 60-, and 70-year-olds, respectively. Of all the different tooth types, the average number of molars per person decreased the most with increasing age from an average of 7.79/7.83 (city/county) to 3.06/3.09 (city/county) for 30- and 70-year-olds, respectively. The proportion of subjects without molars was higher in the older age groups in both the city and the rest of the county with 4.8/10.7% and 15.6/22.0% of the 60- and 70-year-olds, respectively, lacking molars. In both populations, the mean periodontal bone level decreased with age. It was concluded that no important differences in tooth loss and periodontal health could be seen between the two populations. When organising dental care, dental health administrators could apply the findings from the population in the city to the entire county.     

National trends in the mortality of children with sickle cell disease, 1968 through 1992

OBJECTIVES: This paper describes national trends in mortality of children with sickle cell disease and the settings in which death occurred. METHODS: United States death certificate data from 1968 through 1992 were used to calculate mortality rates of Black children with sickle cell disease 1 to 14 years old. Deaths from trauma, congenital anomalies, and perinatal conditions were excluded. RESULTS: Between 1968 and 1992, mortality rates of Black children with sickle cell disease decreased 41% for 1- to 4-year-olds, 47% for 5- to 9-year-olds, and 53% for 10- to 14-year-olds. During 1986 through 1992, children who died before hospital admission accounted for 41% of deaths among 1- to 4-year-olds, 27% among 5- to 9-year-olds, and 12% among 10- to 14-year-olds. CONCLUSIONS: Survival of Black children with sickle cell disease has improved markedly since 1968. A substantial proportion of deaths continue to occur prior to hospital admission. Trends in sickle cell mortality can be monitored inexpensively with death-certificate data.     

Cultural influences on confidence: Country and gender.

The objective of the present investigation was to extend research on metamemory and confidence calibration and discrimination to other countries using items from actual course examinations. The authors investigated gender differences in confidence judgments of 551 postsecondary students from 25 university courses in 5 countries: Israel, the Netherlands, Palestine, Taiwan, and the United States. Because important distinctions between men and women and among various countries might be hidden by examining only overall confidence, the authors analyzed students' confidence both when they were correct on each exam item and when they were incorrect. Large and significant differences were found in overall confidence, confidence when correct, and confidence when wrong, associated primarily with country and culture. In contrast, gender differences tended to be surprisingly small when viewed within countries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Young children's understanding of briefly versus extremely delayed images of the self: Emergence of the autobiographical stance.

Eighty-eight young 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds were scheduled for 2 testing sessions. On Visit 1, the children were videotaped playing a game while an experimenter covertly placed a large sticker on their head and covertly removed it after the game. One week later, the children were videotaped playing a different game. A sticker was again covertly placed on their heads. Half the children in each age group then observed the video from the previous week, whereas the other half observed the tape from 3 min earlier. Less than half of the 3-year-olds in both conditions reached up for the sticker. In contrast, the majority of 4- and 5-year-olds in the briefly delayed condition reached for the sticker, but few in the extremely delayed condition did so. By 4 years of age, children may have developed a causal understanding of the self's endurance through time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preschool children's judgments of number magnitude.

Two experiments were conducted to replicate and extend research by Siegler and Robinson. In Experiment 1, 3- and 4-year-old children solved 36 magnitude-comparison problems involving pairs of numbers 1 through 9. In Experiment 2, 3- and 4-year-old children sorted the numbers 1 through 9 into a small, medium, or large category. Three-year-olds tended to discriminate between 1 as a small number versus all other numbers as large; 4-year-olds showed signs of discriminating among 1, 2, 3, 4, medium, and large numbers. These results replicate findings reported by Siegler and Robinson and suggest that readiness skills for early childhood mathematics education should include the development of appropriate concepts of number magnitude. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)