Facilitation of learning from a technical manual: An exploratory investigation.

Attempted to determine whether the inclusion of advance organizers, postquestions, concrete illustrations, and delayed review in a technical manual facilitates learning and enhances the manual's effectiveness as a reference source. A manual containing these 4 techniques was given to 1 group of 20 engineers. A 2nd group of 20 was given the same manual without these techniques. The experimental group recalled more information, found more of the information required on a look-up test in less time, and had more favorable attitudes toward the manual than the control group. The version of the manual accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in recall test scores, look-up test scores, and ratings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple risk factors in the development of externalizing behavior problems: group and individual differences

The aim of this study was to test whether individual risk factors as well as the number of risk factors (cumulative risk) predicted children's externalizing behaviors over middle childhood. A sample of 466 European American and 100 African American boys and girls from a broad range of socioeconomic levels was followed from age 5 to 10 years. Twenty risk variables from four domains (child, sociocultural, parenting, and peer-related) were measured using in-home interviews at the beginning of the study, and annual assessments of externalizing behaviors were conducted. Consistent with past research, individual differences in externalizing behavior problems were stable over time and were related to individual risk factors as well as the number of risk factors present. Particular risks accounted for 36% to 45% of the variance, and the number of risks present (cumulative risk status) accounted for 19% to 32% of the variance, in externalizing outcomes. Cumulative risk was related to subsequent externalizing even after initial levels of externalizing had been statistically controlled. All four domains of risk variables made significant unique contributions to this statistical prediction, and there were multiple clusters of risks that led to similar outcomes. There was also evidence that this prediction was moderated by ethnic group status, most of the prediction of externalizing being found for European American children. However, this moderation effect varied depending on the predictor and outcome variables included in the model.     

Special Section on Theoretical Models and Conceptual Analyses: Second Installment.

The Journal of Applied Psychology's call for theoretical models and conceptual analyses brought a terrific response. The first set of articles accepted in response to the call appeared in the December 2004 issue. This installment contains the second set of articles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distributed data structures and algorithms for Gr?bner basis computation

We present the design and implementation of a parallel algorithm for computing Gröbner bases on distributed memory multiprocessors. The parallel algorithm is irregular both in space and time: the data structures are dynamic pointer-based structures and the computations on the structures have unpredictable duration. The algorithm is presented as a series of refinements on atransition rule program, in which computation proceeds by nondeterministic invocations of guarded commands. Two key data structures, a set and a priority queue, are distributed across processors in the parallel algorithm. The data structures are designed for high throughput and latency tolerance, as appropriate for distributed memory machines. The programming style represents a compromise between shared-memory and message-passing models. The distributed nature of the data structures shows through their interface in that the semantics are weaker than with shared atomic objects, but they still provide a shared abstraction that can be used for reasoning about program correctness. In the data structure design there is a classic trade-off between locality and load balance. We argue that this is best solved by designing scheduling structures in tandem with the state data structures, since the decision to replicate or partition state affects the overhead of dynamically moving tasks.This work was supported in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense monitored by the Office of Naval Research under contract DABT63-92-C-0026, by AT&T, and by the National Science Foundation through an Infrastructure Grant (number CDA-8722788) and a Research Initiation Award (number CCR-9210260). The information presented here does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.     

Application of proper orthogonal decomposition to the discrete Euler equations

The response of a fluid moving above a panel to localized oscillation of the panel is predicted using reduced‐order modelling (ROM) with the proper orthogonal decomposition technique. The flow is assumed to be inviscid and is modelled with the Euler equations. These non‐linear equations are discretized with a total‐variation diminishing algorithm and are projected onto an energy‐optimal subspace defined by an energy‐threshold criterion applied to a modal representation of time series data. Results are obtained for a bump oscillating in a Mach 1.2 flow. ROM is found to reduce the degrees of freedom necessary to simulate the flowfield by three orders of magnitude while preserving solution accuracy. Other observed benefits of ROM include increased allowable time step and robustness to variation of oscillation amplitude. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Commitment and the prevention of adolescent cigarette smoking.

Tested the effects of commitment (CM) to nonsmoking on resistance to arguments favoring cigarette smoking. In Exp I, 37 7th graders were assigned to a public CM condition, in which they were audiotaped as they explained why they would not become smokers, or to information control or no-treatment conditions. In Exp II, 51 7th graders participated in conditions of (1) high CM, in which they were given high choice to write and publicly audiotape a speech about why smoking is bad; (2) low CM, in which they were given low choice to write an anonymous essay about why smoking is bad; or to (3) a no-treatment condition. Ss then listened to arguments favoring smoking. CM failed to enhance resistance to persuasion in either experiment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)