Interest, learning, and the psychological processes that mediate their relationship.

Although influences of interest on learning are well documented, mediating processes have not been clarified. The authors investigated how individual and situational interest factors contribute to topic interest and text learning. Traditional self-report measures were combined with novel interactive computerized methods of recording cognitive and affective reactions to science and popular culture texts, monitoring their development in real time. Australian and Canadian students read 4 expository texts. Both individual interest variables and specific text titles influenced topic interest. Examination of processes predictive of text learning indicated that topic interest was related to affective response, affect to persistence, and persistence to learning. Combining self-rating scales with dynamic measures of student activities provided new insight into how interest influences learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factors influencing song development in the white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys).

Nestling white-crowned sparrows (Z. l. nuttalli) were handreared in sound-isolation chambers under a variety of conditions. The songs of 9 total isolates were compared with songs of 2 Ss tutored with song, and the number of inputs sufficient for an S to produce a normal song was explored. The flexibility of the song-learning system was investigated with a range of tape-recorded tutor songs: alien dialects, alien subspecies, alien species, alternating alien dialects, and an aberrant song. Adult songs were obtained for 40 males and 7 testosterone-injected females. All of the tutor songs could be learned; some Ss learned elements of an alien species' song. Ss tutored with 2 songs copied 1 or the other, were bilingual, or sang a hybrid of the 2. No S presented with fewer than 120 songs learned the tutor song; 2 Ss tutored with 252 songs copied the tutor song. It is concluded that the song learning system is quite flexible, that the results obtained with tape-tutors are different from those with social tutors, and that there may be an interaction between total number of song inputs and the number presented on a single day. Implications for physiological mechanisms and the possible functional significance of the acquisition system are discussed. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Nilsen and Bourassa (2008).

Reports an error in "Word-learning performance in beginning readers" by Elizabeth Nilsen and Derrick Bourassa (Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale, 2008[Jun], Vol 62[2], 110-116). In the article, "Word-Learning Performance in Beginning Readers" by Elizabeth Nilsen and Derrick Bourassa (Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2008, Vol. 62, No. 2, pp. 110-116), part of the Appendix was inadvertently left out. The Appendix appears in this correction in its entirety. The printer regrets this error. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-06986-004.) This investigation examined word-learning performance in beginning readers. The children learned to read words with regular spelling-sound mappings (e.g., snake) more easily than words with irregular spelling-sound mappings (e.g., sword). In addition, there was an effect of semantics: Children learned to read concrete words (e.g., elbow) more successfully than abstract words (e.g., temper). Trial-by-trial learning indicated that children made greater use of the regularity and semantic properties at later trials as compared with early trials. The influence of cognitive skills (paired associate learning and phonological awareness) on word-learning performance was also examined. Regression analyses revealed that whereas paired associate learning skills accounted for unique variance in the children's learning of both regular and irregular words, phonological awareness accounted for unique variance only in the acquisition of regular words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Word-learning performance in beginning readers.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 62(4) of Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale (see record 2008-17217-008). In the article, "Word-Learning Performance in Beginning Readers" by Elizabeth Nilsen and Derrick Bourassa (Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2008, Vol. 62, No. 2, pp. 110-116), part of the Appendix was inadvertently left out. The Appendix appears in this correction in its entirety. The printer regrets this error.] This investigation examined word-learning performance in beginning readers. The children learned to read words with regular spelling-sound mappings (e.g., snake) more easily than words with irregular spelling-sound mappings (e.g., sword). In addition, there was an effect of semantics: Children learned to read concrete words (e.g., elbow) more successfully than abstract words (e.g., temper). Trial-by-trial learning indicated that children made greater use of the regularity and semantic properties at later trials as compared with early trials. The influence of cognitive skills (paired associate learning and phonological awareness) on word-learning performance was also examined. Regression analyses revealed that whereas paired associate learning skills accounted for unique variance in the children's learning of both regular and irregular words, phonological awareness accounted for unique variance only in the acquisition of regular words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inter-ethnic group competition and levels of aspiration.

Studied cultural variations of aspirations in a competitive situation using 9-11 yr. old French Canadian and English Canadian boys of similar social class backgrounds. Ss were assigned to solely French Canadian or English Canadian teams for a table hockey tournament. Each team played a same culture and a different culture team. French Canadian boys had higher aspirations for scoring points, especially when competing against English Canadian teams. These aspirations proved to be unrealistic in actual competition. It is argued that French Canadians possibly feel relatively deprived and hence overemphasize affective rather than cognitive factors when setting aspirations. Findings are discussed in terms of social evaluation theory, child-rearing values and practices, and societal influences which discourage the development of need achievement. (French summary) (21 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ten years after the Hawthorn Report: Changing psychological implications for the education of Canadian native peoples.

The educational implications of psychological research with Canadian Native children during the past decade are discussed within the framework of 3 implied educational models. The 1st, "remedial education," assumes the principal function of the school is to correct deficiencies in the child's behavior. The 2nd model is termed "supplementary education" and emphasizes the need for mutual adaptation between Native groups and educational institutions. The 3rd model, "instrumental education," is implied when the problems of Native education are identified with the alien and imposed nature of traditional education itself. (French summary) (50 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Canadian perspective on using vignettes to teach ethics in psychology.

Vignettes depicting ethical dilemmas are used widely in teaching and learning professional ethics. Such an approach can facilitate learning by allowing opportunities to work through ethical dilemmas using practical, realistic, and complex material that enables participants to: engage in discussion; explore applicable ethical principles; and ideally, to achieve a deeper level of ethical understanding. Despite their widespread use, little research has been conducted on how to maximise the benefits of using ethical dilemmas, nor on the most ethically appropriate ways of presenting scenarios derived, at least in part, from actual occurrences. In this article, we endeavour to contextualise the use of vignettes within the framework provided by the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, Third Edition (Canadian Psychological Association, 2000) and to use the principles and standards therein to suggest guidelines for the ethical creation and use of vignettes. We begin by reviewing the literature on the use of ethical dilemmas in teaching and learning ethics, including a discussion of the benefits to be gained from using vignettes as one component of a comprehensive approach to ethics education. This is followed by discussion of ethical considerations relevant to the creation and use of vignettes of ethical dilemmas. We conclude with a series of recommendations informed by the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists to guide psychologists in using such illustrative material in an ethically appropriate manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

This issue contains the second in the Canadian Journal of Psychology's series of review articles by distinguished psychologists on the Canadian scene. This paper, by Jeff Galef, reviews historical developments in the study of animal learning in social environments. In this paper, Galef focusses on that part of his research programme that addresses the biologically essential process of acquiring safe food preferences. He describes an elegant series of experiments based on imaginative behavioural paradigms that he developed for assessing food preferences. This work has provided important insights into animals' highly developed ability to select and utilize environmentally based cues as part of the social learning process. Finally, Galef discusses the implications of his findings and, beyond that, the broader applications of the ethopsychological approach to the study of animal social learning. Galef's work extends a rich tradition of research in animal behaviour in Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Manipulating odor cues facilitates add-on fostering in sheep

Manipulating the odor of a ewe's own and alien lambs has been used to facilitate fostering a second lamb on ewes with a single offspring (add-on fostering). Previous research has demonstrated that familiar odor cues must be present on the own and alien young to achieve successful and rapid adoptions. Familiar odors may consist of natural own-lamb odors or artificial odors previously applied to the lambs involved. In the present study (Exp. 1), an artificial odorant (neatsfoot oil) was applied to the own and alien lambs shortly after birth to establish a common familiar odor. Acceptance tests were conducted daily over a 72 h period. In Exp. 2, neatsfoot oil was again used as a common artificial odorant to facilitate add-on fostering, but, in addition, the natural odors of own and alien lambs were transposed by exchanging cloth stockinette jackets worn by the lambs. In Exp. 1, 9 of 18 ewes (50%) met the criteria for accepting their own and alien lambs within 72 h. Seven of these nine ewes (78%) accepted the alien lamb immediately. In Exp. 2, 24 of 30 ewes (80%) accepted their own and alien young, and 20 of the 24 acceptances (83%) were immediate. We conclude that add-on fostering may be limited only by our inability to properly match familiar-odor cues on own and alien lambs.     

Unsupervised concept learning and value systematicitiy: A complex whole aids learning the parts.

Ease of learning new concepts may best be understood by simultaneously considering models of learning and theories of how "good" systems of categories are organized. The authors tested the effects on learning of value systematicity, a proposed organizing principle: If 1 attribute is predictive of another, it should predict still more. This principle derives from focused sampling in the internal feedback model (D. Billman & E. Heit, 1988) of unsupervised, or observational, learning. In 3 experiments, the authors tested how the organization of structure in input (value systematicity) affected unsupervised learning of categories about alien animals. Across all experiments, learning a target rule was easier in conditions with high value systematicity, relative to several low systematicity controls. The authors compare results to predictions of several learning models and consider the links between learning and the resulting category structure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A survey of instructional practices in Canadian psychology departments.

Results of a survey of 43 heads of psychology and educational psychology departments in Canadian universities indicate that Canadian psychology departments are largely traditional in their approaches to teaching, instructional evaluation, and assessment, and there is little evidence that recent psychological research on learning has made any impact on day-to-day teaching activities. They make only limited use of instructional objectives and criterion-referenced testing and assess students primarily by means of multiple-choice tests, essay examinations, or term papers. It is argued that academic psychologists could do more to promote more effective learning by translating the relevant research findings of their own discipline into pedagogical practice. (French abstract) (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Literacy development in Canada.

Literacy development has been found to have a considerable influence on individuals' lives, modern society, and its economy. As a consequence, a great deal of attention has been devoted to the facets of literacy, the conditions that facilitate its development, and its impact. This special issue of Canadian Psychology provides a sample of current research programmes carried out on literacy development by Canadian researchers in psychology and education. The topics addressed include emergent literacy, the longitudinal prediction of reading development, the development of oral reading and reading comprehension, literacy development amongst French immersion students, the importance of culturally and developmentally appropriate practices in literacy instruction, and the prevention of reading difficulties. The concluding article provides an overview of the current definitions of learning/reading disabilities in Canadian provinces and territories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acculturation and adjustment among immigrant Chinese parents: Mediating role of parenting efficacy.

This study examined parenting efficacy beliefs as a mediator of the association between acculturation and adjustment. The sample consisted of 177 immigrant Chinese mothers and fathers with early adolescent children in Canada. Acculturation was assessed bidimensionally as Canadian and Chinese orientations. A latent psychological adjustment variable was composed of symptoms of depression, feelings of self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Results showed that relations between Canadian orientation and psychological adjustment were partially mediated by parenting efficacy. As expected, the more parents were oriented toward Canadian culture, the more efficacious they felt in their parenting, which in turn was associated with better psychological adjustment. In contrast, mediation of relations between Chinese orientation and psychological adjustment was not supported, as Chinese orientation was not associated with parenting efficacy and was positively associated with psychological adjustment for mothers only. Similar results were found when the meditational model was extended to evaluate parenting practices as an outcome (i.e., warmth, reasoning, and monitoring). That is, parenting efficacy mediated the relation between higher Canadian orientation and more positive parenting practices, whereas Chinese orientation was unrelated to parenting practices. Invariance testing suggested that the models were similar for mothers and fathers. Results support the theory that higher orientation to Canadian culture may advance feelings of parenting efficacy because parents have the cultural knowledge and skills to feel confident parenting in a new intercultural context. Further, they support the expectation that parenting efficacy beliefs, in turn, are important determinants of psychological adjustment and effective parenting for immigrant parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Role of Choice in Children's Learning: A Distinctive Cultural and Gender Difference in Efficacy, Interest, and Effort.

A cross-cultural experiment testing the effect of personal choice on learning was conducted with fifth- and sixth-graders from Canada (n = 130) and Taiwan (n = 153) using a computerized foreign language learning task. The results showed that choice had no significant impact on children's interest, effort, or learning outcome. Although comparable to their Chinese counterparts in efficacy beliefs, the Canadian children reported to be more interested but showed less effort and performed less well on the task. The Canadian boys had a lower efficacy belief and consistently showed less interest and effort than the girls; this gender gap, however, was not evident in the Chinese. Unlike the Canadians, Chinese children's effort was unrelated to efficacy beliefs or interest. When told explicitly there would be no test, Chinese children became more interested in the task but the Canadians were unaffected. Implications of these findings are discussed and further studies are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Elaborative-interrogation and prior-knowledge effects on learning of facts.

Canadian and West German adults were presented facts about Canadian provinces and West German states (at the time of the study, West Germany was a separate nation of what is now the Federal Republic of Germany). Participants in the elaborative-interrogation condition rationalized why each fact was sensible. Reading-to-understand participants read the facts with the goal of comprehending each one. After presentation of all facts, Ss were asked to match provinces and states to acts associated with them. These performances were compared with matching in a no-exposure-control condition. Prior knowledge had a striking effect on learning in both the elaborative-interrogation and reading-to-understand conditions. Elaborative interrogation also promoted learning of all facts for all participants, although when learners lacked prior knowledge, elaborative interrogation did not produce the high levels of performance that were obtained when Ss possessing high prior knowledge simply read the facts. Both strategies and prior knowledge are critical to efficient learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cholecystokinin receptors mediate the development of a preference for the mother by newly born lambs.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of selective cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonists on the development of a preference for the mother by newly born lambs. At birth lambs received an injection of the CCK-A antagonist devazepide (0.01 or 0.1 mg/kg), the CCK-B antagonist PD135158 (0.01 or 0.1 mg/kg), or saline for the controls (1 ml/kg). No major side effects were observed in the first 4 postnatal hours except that lambs receiving PD135158 displayed more exploratory behavior towards the maternal body than lambs from the other groups. When tested in a 2-choice test situation at 24 hr of age, lambs treated with PD135158 or saline spent significantly more time near their dams than near the alien ewes, whereas lambs treated with devazepide did not show any discrimination. The effect of devazepide persisted at 48 hr of age. The use of a CCK-A antagonist, but not a CCK-B antagonist, was concluded to prevent the formation of a preferential relationship between the lamb and its mother, most probably by impairing neonatal learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the Cover.

Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945) became the youngest member of the famous Canadian Group of Seven. Formally recognized in mous 1920, the seven artists were known for their love of the Canadian North. By and large, viewers do not see people in their paintings. They preferred to depict landscapes without humans to the extent that even when painting a village, they included no people in the work. A. Y. Jackson, a member of the Group, described Carmichael as "a lyrical painter of great ability and a fine craftsman" (MacDonald, 1986, p. 116). As important as landscapes are to artists, they are more important in Canadian culture. A strong value held by almost all Canadians is a love of nature, so the Group of Seven paintings became iconic. The landscapes painted by the Group of Seven artists were of specific places, but they could be located anywhere in the Canadian North. People throughout Canada connected with the painted images and saw places that made them think of where their grandfather's cottage could have been or where they took summer vacations and the like. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Adult development and aging: Biopsychosocial perspectives, third edition.

Reviews the book, Adult development and aging: Biopsychosocial perspectives, third edition by Susan Krauss Whitbourne (2007). The objective of this book is to educate undergraduate students on the aging process and how to age successfully. Each chapter is couched in the biopsychosocial perspective and as such presents an integrated view of the biological, psychological, and sociocultural changes that occur with aging. With this revised third edition, the author had the explicit goal of “engaging students in the learning process.” The revised sections, new research, links to Internet sites, and conversational style in this new edition reflect this goal. From a Canadian perspective, this new edition includes a great deal of current Canadian research in aging, and in general includes more world statistics than the previous edition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introducing ethics to beginning psychologists: A problem-solving approach.

Beginning and practicing psychologists both need more exposure to ethical training experiences. A new Canadian code of ethics provides an opportunity for universities to review their approach to this experience for students in clinical and counseling psychology. In the Canadian code, four basic ethical principles, followed by value statements and standards of behavior, are proposed. This structure provides a useful framework for ethics education. In addition, the problem-solving approach to ethical and moral dilemmas provides a better decision-making process for new psychologists than does simple exposure to professional behavior guidelines. The approach used at the University of Alberta is presented with the recommendation that ethical instruction focus on personal values and the process of informed decision making as well as learning "correct" responses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Teaching children with learning and behavior problems.

Reviews the book, Teaching children with learning and behavior problems by Donald D. Hammill, Nettie R. Bartel, and Gary Owen Bunch (1984). This book was published in 1975 and re-edited in 1978 and 1982 as a practical reference book for classroom teachers. The 1984 "Canadian Edition" by Hammill, Bartel, and Bunch essentially consists of the 1982 text with an introductory chapter by Bunch and with additions and deletions aimed at providing a Canadian orientation. The authors seem deliberately to have kept the book's Canadian features separate from the basic text. Not only are there two prefaces and two introductory chapters: all textual additions are referenced in a separate bibliography and separate subject and author indexes. This referencing system is especially irritating because it is not always possible to guess from context whether a citation will appear in the "standard" or the Canadian listing. Finally, a useful list is given of Canadian sources for tests and materials. The overall effect of this format is to emphasize the book's discontinuities and to remind the reader that the preexisting text has not undergone a major revision or re-integration. This text begins with a general statement on special education needs and continues with chapters on reading, spelling, handwriting, composition, mathematics, language, behaviour problems, and perceptual-motor training. The traditional subject-area chapters are its strongest feature and include excellent scope-and-sequence charts, useful information on identification, and practical remedial suggestions. this ill-assorted book offers a stimulating Canadian-focused introduction to a worthwhile but rather time-worn text that does not cover Canadian issues in any meaningful way. A better book might have resulted from an updating for the international market rather than from this attempt at Canadianization. Our need for material that addresses the specifically Canadian aspects of special education is as great as ever. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)