Too stressed out to participate? Examining the relation between stressors and survey response behavior.

Despite the use of survey-based organizational data in many studies of organizational behavior, survey response behavior and nonresponse are rarely studied phenomena. This study expands on previously proposed survey response and nonresponse frameworks by integrating the job stress literature. The authors investigated whether overload, role ambiguity, and role conflict experienced by individuals relate to survey response behavior. Using organizational citizenship behavior theory and social exchange theory as theoretical frameworks, the authors proposed that nonrespondents experience higher levels of stressors than respondents. Data collected in a longitudinal field study partially supported the hypotheses. As hypothesized, overload increased the likelihood of nonresponse. Contrary to hypotheses, role ambiguity decreased the likelihood of nonresponse. Role conflict was not significantly related to nonresponse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Problem solving and computational skill: Are they shared or distinct aspects of mathematical cognition?

The purpose of this study was to explore patterns of difficulty in 2 domains of mathematical cognition: computation and problem solving. Third graders (n = 924; 47.3% male) were representatively sampled from 89 classrooms; assessed on computation and problem solving; classified as having difficulty with computation, problem solving, both domains, or neither domain; and measured on 9 cognitive dimensions. Difficulty occurred across domains with the same prevalence as difficulty with a single domain; specific difficulty was distributed similarly across domains. Multivariate profile analysis on cognitive dimensions and chi-square tests on demographics showed that specific computational difficulty was associated with strength in language and weaknesses in attentive behavior and processing speed; problem-solving difficulty was associated with deficient language as well as race and poverty. Implications for understanding mathematics competence and for the identification and treatment of mathematics difficulties are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Industrialization of weapon system software

A significant increase in weapon system software productivity is needed to reduce the current spiraling maintenance costs and to allow for the orderly introduction of new high technology computers during the 1980's. A low risk approach is proposed to solve this critical problem.     

Subtypes of reading disability: Variability around a phonological core.

Eight measures of cognitive and language functions in 232 children were subjected to multiple methods of cluster analysis in an effort to identify subtypes of reading disability. Clustering yielded 9 reliable subtypes representing 90% of the sample, including 2 nondisabled subtypes, and 7 reading-disabled subtypes. Of the reading-disabled subtypes, 2 were globally deficient in language skills, whereas 4 of the 5 specific reading-disabled subtypes displayed a relative weakness in phonological awareness and variations in rapid serial naming and verbal short-term memory. The remaining disabled subtype was impaired on verbal and nonverbal measures associated with rate of processing, including rate and accuracy of oral reading. Studies showed evidence for discriminative validity among the 7 reading-disabled subtypes. Results support the view that children with reading disability usually display impairments on phonological awareness measures, with discriminative variability on other measures involving phonological processing, language, and cognitive skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Software Engineering Environment (SEE) for Weapon System Software

A software engineering environment (SEE) has been designed, developed, and used for the life-cycle support of weapon system software. This SEE consists of two types of facilities: software production and integration. The software production facility consists of a software system that runs on a commercial multicomputer configuration. The approach features increased management visibility of the software development process, increased programmer productivity through automation, reducing the cost-of-change during maintenance, and the use of automated regression testing to improve software quality. These facilities have been used for eight years to develop and maintain weapon system software for several projects. This paper describes accomplishments, refinements to the code and test functions, and a general approach to extend the capabilities into the requirements and design phases. Techniques are described that simultaneously allow different methodologies, programming languages, and target computers to be implemented on the same host computer. Also discussed is the Implementation of a SEE in a distributed computer network.     

A response to recent reanalyses of the National Reading Panel report: Effects of systematic phonics instruction are practically significant.

The authors examine the reassessments of the National Reading Panel (NRP) report (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000) by G. Camilli, S. Vargas, and M. Yurecko (2003); G. Camilli, P. M. Wolfe, and M. L. Smith (2006); and D. D. Hammill and H. L. Swanson (2006) that disagreed with the NRP on the magnitude of the effect of systematic phonics instruction. Using the coding of the NRP studies by Camilli et al. (2003, 2006), multilevel regression analyses show that their findings do not contradict the NRP findings of effect sizes in the small to moderate range favoring systematic phonics. Extending Camilli et al. (2003, 2006), the largest effects are associated with reading instruction enhanced with components that increase comprehensiveness and intensity. In contrast to Hammill and Swanson, binomial effect size displays show that effect sizes of the magnitude found for systematic phonics by the NRP are meaningful and could result in significant improvement for many students depending on the base rate of struggling readers and the size of the effect. Camilli et al. (2003, 2006) and Hammill and Swanson do not contradict the NRP report, concurring in supporting comprehensive approaches to reading instruction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motor, visual-spatial, and somatosensory skills after closed head injury in children and adolescents: A study of change.

Correlational studies of recovery of function following traumatic brain injury have revealed weak, nonspecific relationships between outcome and injury variables. In order to better identify factors affecting recovery, 49 children (aged 6–15 yrs) were followed prospectively with repeated neuropsychological assessment of motor, visual–spatial, and somatosensory skills up to 5 yrs postinjury. Variability among growth patterns related robustly to injury variables. Younger children with severe injuries showed slower growth on visual–spatial and motor tasks than did older children of similar severity or similarly-aged children with less severe injuries. These findings support a hypothesis of increased vulnerability of rapidly emerging skills in young children and argue against an explanation of lowered recovery rates due to concomitant maturational influences on development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental lag versus deficit models of reading disability: A longitudinal, individual growth curves analysis.

Individual growth curves were used to test whether the development of children with reading disabilities is best characterized by models of developmental lag or developmental deficit. Developmental changes in reading ability were modeled by using 9 yearly longitudinal assessments of a sample of 403 children classified into three groups representing (a) deficient reading achievement relative to IQ expectations (RD-D), (b) deficient reading achievement consistent with IQ expectations (LA), and (c) no reading deficiency (NRI). Using a model of quadratic growth to a plateau, the age and level at which reading scores plateaued were estimated for each child. Reading-disabled children differed on average from nondisabled children in the level but not in the age at which reading skills plateaued. The RD-D and LA groups did not differ in reading plateau or age at plateau. The subgroup of RD-D children scoring below the 25th percentile in reading differed from LA children only in reading plateau. Results suggest that the developmental course of reading skills in children with reading disability is best characterized by deficit as opposed to lag models. In addition, no support for the validity of classifications of reading disability based on IQ discrepancies was apparent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of group feedback, goal setting, and incentives on organizational productivity.

Productivity research has focused on simple jobs with the individual as the unit of analysis. Most jobs are more complex and, because of the interdependencies in the work, require group-level interventions and more complex measures of performance or productivity. This research presents a new method of measuring productivity, the Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System (ProMES), and uses measures from this approach as a foundation for group-based feedback, goal setting, and incentives. The experimental design consisted of a baseline period of 8 to 9 months, followed by a 5-month period of feedback based on the ProMES. Goal setting was then added to feedback for 5 months. Finally, incentives in the form of time off from work were added to feedback and goal setting for another 5 months. Results indicated that group-level feedback increased productivity an average of 50% over baseline, group goal setting increased productivity 75% over baseline, and group incentives increased productivity 76% over baseline. Control group data showed no or only a slight increase in productivity over the same period, and level of personnel either stayed the same or decreased. In addition, work attitudes such as job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and morale were as good or better following the interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)