Showing papers by "University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire published in 2007"

Offline consequences of online victimization: School violence and delinquency.

Abstract: As increasing numbers of youth embrace computer-mediated communication to meet academic and social needs, interpersonal violence directly and indirectly related to the Internet is occurring more often. Cyberbullying in particular has shot to the forefront of agendas in schools and communities due to the emotional, psychological, and even physical harm to which victims can be subjected. While previous studies have focused on describing its frequency in an exploratory capacity, the current work seeks to utilize general strain theory to identify the emotional and behavioral effects of cyberbullying victimization. Data collected online from a sample of adolescent Internet-users indicate that cyberbullying is a potent form of strain that may be related to involvement in school problems and delinquent behavior offline. Implications of these findings and suggestions for policy are discussed.

East African megadroughts between 135 and 75 thousand years ago and bearing on early-modern human origins

Abstract: The environmental backdrop to the evolution and spread of early Homo sapiens in East Africa is known mainly from isolated outcrops and distant marine sediment cores. Here we present results from new scientific drill cores from Lake Malawi, the first long and continuous, high-fidelity records of tropical climate change from the continent itself. Our record shows periods of severe aridity between 135 and 75 thousand years (kyr) ago, when the lake's water volume was reduced by at least 95%. Surprisingly, these intervals of pronounced tropical African aridity in the early late-Pleistocene were much more severe than the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the period previously recognized as one of the most arid of the Quaternary. From these cores and from records from Lakes Tanganyika (East Africa) and Bosumtwi (West Africa), we document a major rise in water levels and a shift to more humid conditions over much of tropical Africa after ≈70 kyr ago. This transition to wetter, more stable conditions coincides with diminished orbital eccentricity, and a reduction in precession-dominated climatic extremes. The observed climate mode switch to decreased environmental variability is consistent with terrestrial and marine records from in and around tropical Africa, but our records provide evidence for dramatically wetter conditions after 70 kyr ago. Such climate change may have stimulated the expansion and migrations of early modern human populations.

Does species diversity limit productivity in natural grassland communities

Abstract: Theoretical analyses and experimental studies of synthesized assemblages indicate that under particular circumstances species diversity can enhance community productivity through niche complementarity. It remains unclear whether this process has important effects in mature natural ecosystems where competitive feedbacks and complex environmental influences affect diversity‐productivity relationships. In this study, we evaluated diversity‐productivity relationships while statistically controlling for environmental influences in 12 natural grassland ecosystems. Because diversity‐productivity relationships are conspicuously nonlinear, we developed a nonlinear structural equation modeling (SEM) methodology to separate the effects of diversity on productivity from the effects of productivity on diversity. Meta-analysis was used to summarize the SEM findings across studies. While competitive effects were readily detected, enhancement of production by diversity was not. These results suggest that the influence of small-scale diversity on productivity in mature natural systems is a weak force, both in absolute terms and relative to the effects of other controls on productivity.

Axial ligand tuning of a nonheme iron(IV)–oxo unit for hydrogen atom abstraction

Abstract: The reactivities of mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)–oxo complexes bearing different axial ligands, [FeIV(O)(TMC)(X)]n+ [where TMC is 1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane and X is NCCH3 (1-NCCH3), CF3COO− (1-OOCCF3), or N3− (1-N3)], and [FeIV(O)(TMCS)]+ (1′-SR) (where TMCS is 1-mercaptoethyl-4,8,11-trimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), have been investigated with respect to oxo-transfer to PPh3 and hydrogen atom abstraction from phenol OH and alkylaromatic CH bonds. These reactivities were significantly affected by the identity of the axial ligands, but the reactivity trends differed markedly. In the oxidation of PPh3, the reactivity order of 1-NCCH3 > 1-OOCCF3 > 1-N3 > 1′-SR was observed, reflecting a decrease in the electrophilicity of iron(IV)–oxo unit upon replacement of CH3CN with an anionic axial ligand. Surprisingly, the reactivity order was inverted in the oxidation of alkylaromatic CH and phenol OH bonds, i.e., 1′-SR > 1-N3 > 1-OOCCF3 > 1-NCCH3. Furthermore, a good correlation was observed between the reactivities of iron(IV)–oxo species in H atom abstraction reactions and their reduction potentials, Ep,c, with the most reactive 1′-SR complex exhibiting the lowest potential. In other words, the more electron-donating the axial ligand is, the more reactive the iron(IV)–oxo species becomes in H atom abstraction. Quantum mechanical calculations show that a two-state reactivity model applies to this series of complexes, in which a triplet ground state and a nearby quintet excited-state both contribute to the reactivity of the complexes. The inverted reactivity order in H atom abstraction can be rationalized by a decreased triplet-quintet gap with the more electron-donating axial ligand, which increases the contribution of the much more reactive quintet state and enhances the overall reactivity.

Ecological consequences of early Late Pleistocene megadroughts in tropical Africa.

Abstract: Extremely arid conditions in tropical Africa occurred in several discrete episodes between 135 and 90 ka, as demonstrated by lake core and seismic records from multiple basins [Scholz CA, Johnson TC, Cohen AS, King JW, Peck J, Overpeck JT, Talbot MR, Brown ET, Kalindekafe L, Amoako PYO, et al. (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:16416–16421]. This resulted in extraordinarily low lake levels, even in Africa's deepest lakes. On the basis of well dated paleoecological records from Lake Malawi, which reflect both local and regional conditions, we show that this aridity had severe consequences for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. During the most arid phase, there was extremely low pollen production and limited charred-particle deposition, indicating insufficient vegetation to maintain substantial fires, and the Lake Malawi watershed experienced cool, semidesert conditions (<400 mm/yr precipitation). Fossil and sedimentological data show that Lake Malawi itself, currently 706 m deep, was reduced to an ≈125 m deep saline, alkaline, well mixed lake. This episode of aridity was far more extreme than any experienced in the Afrotropics during the Last Glacial Maximum (≈35–15 ka). Aridity diminished after 95 ka, lake levels rose erratically, and salinity/alkalinity declined, reaching near-modern conditions after 60 ka. This record of lake levels and changing limnological conditions provides a framework for interpreting the evolution of the Lake Malawi fish and invertebrate species flocks. Moreover, this record, coupled with other regional records of early Late Pleistocene aridity, places new constraints on models of Afrotropical biogeographic refugia and early modern human population expansion into and out of tropical Africa.

Inhibitory control in children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract: Impairments in executive abilities such as cognitive flexibility have been identified in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It remains unclear, however, whether such individuals also experience impairments in another executive ability: inhibitory control. In the present study, we administered three inhibitory tasks to 18 children with ASD, 23 siblings of children with ASD, and 25 typically developing children. After controlling for individual differences in age, overall IQ, and processing speed, children with ASD demonstrated impaired performance on two of the three inhibitory tasks. Results suggest that children with ASD experience circumscribed deficits in some but not all aspects of inhibitory control. More generally, the findings underscore the importance of using multiple measures to assess a putative single cognitive ability.

A Theory of Tailorable Technology Design

Abstract: Tailorable technologies are a class of information systems designed with the intention that users modify and redesign the technology in the context of use. Tailorable technologies support user goals, intentions, metaphor, and use patterns in the selection and integration of technology functions in the creation of new and unique information systems. We propose a theory of tailorable technology design and identify principles necessary for the initial design. Following a Kantian style of inquiry, we identified four definitional characteristics of tailorable technology: a dual design perspective, user engagement, recognizable environments, and component architectures. From these characteristics, we propose nine design principles that will support the phenomenon of tailoring. Through a year-long case study, we refined and evidenced the principles, finding found that designers of tailorable technologies build environments in which users can both interact and engage with the technology, supporting the proposed design principles. The findings highlight a distinction between a reflective environment, where users recognize and imagine uses for the technology, and an active environment in which users tailor the technology in accordance with the imagined uses. This research contributes to the clarification of the role of theory in design science, expands the concept of "possibilities for action" to IS design, and proposes a design theory of a class of information systems for testing and refinement.

The Spiral of Silence and Fear of Isolation

Abstract: This research explores the relationship between fear of isolation and allied concepts derived from the communication apprehension (CA) literature-CA-trait and CA-state-on opinion expression. The study took place during the final run-up to the Fall 2002 U.S. Congressional elections, and the research topic focused on the debate surrounding the possibility of the United States invading Iraq. The results suggest that (a) CA-trait, CA-state, and fear of isolation are empirically distinct; (b) these constructs differentially predict opinion expression; and (c) customary ways of assessing opinion expression in past research likely have underestimated conformity effects.

Managing employee perceptions of the psychological contract over time: the role of employer social accounts and contract fulfillment

Abstract: This study proposed and tested relationships pertaining to employee perceptions of psychological contract type over time. Using a longitudinal design, we examined the mediated role that adequacy of social accounts and psychological contract fulfillment play in determining the development of contract perceptions. More specifically, our model posits that perceptions of contract type will influence employee perceptions of the adequacy of social accounts that are offered by the organization and its agents to explain job-related decisions. These initial perceptions of social accounts at Time 1 were expected to impact perceptions of psychological contract fulfillment at Time 2 (6 months later) and psychological contract fulfillment was proposed to be positively associated with perceptions of a relational psychological contract. Results support the mediating roles of social accounts and psychological contract fulfillment in determining perceptions of contract type over time. Practical implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Expressive, research and reflective poetry as qualitative inquiry: a study of adolescent identity

Abstract: This article explores the uses of poetry in qualitative research. In this study of adolescent identity and development, poetry is used as data, as a means of data representation, and as a process of inquiry. The authors explore the nature of poetry as a tool of qualitative research for investigating human phenomena. Autobiographical poems are used as data which are analysed through thematic analysis. From this analysis, research poems in the form of Japanese tankas are created. Finally, the third and fourth authors respond to the original poems and the `findings' from the grounded theory analysis as responsive poems.

Teachers' beliefs about pedagogy and related issues

Abstract: This study explores teachers' beliefs about pedagogical issues as well as related educational and professional issues. Six hundred K–12 teachers in three Midwestern states received surveys and 60% returned them. Results of the survey indicated that teachers were relatively unified in their beliefs, and few differences emerged around demographic variables. More teachers believed in teaching practices consistent with constructivism than believed in explicit instruction; however the majority of teachers were mixed, undecided, or balanced about pedagogy. Teachers reserved their strongest beliefs for the importance of learning style, eclectic instruction, and small class size in the primary grades. Few teachers believed that a great teacher is characterized by high student achievement outcomes, and over half believed that factors such as home environment or dyslexia prevent children from learning basic skills despite the school's best efforts. Teachers valued experience over education and training for professional development and viewed teaching as more of an art than a science. Results are discussed in relationship to current challenges in education. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 873–886, 2007.

Parents, Friends, and Serious Delinquency An Examination of Direct and Indirect Effects Among At-Risk Early Adolescents

Abstract: Family context has been identified as a central domain in the study of delinquency, particularly during early childhood As youth enter adolescence peer associations become a much stronger influence Using a sample of preadolescent youth, this research examines the effect of family and peer relationships on delinquency Specifically, path analysis is used to test the effects of family structure, parental supervision, and parental attachment on serious delinquent behavior to determine if a youth's family life has a unique effect on serious delinquent behavior, or if familial relationships are mediated by peer associations Findings suggest that parental variables are indirectly related to subsequent, serious delinquency, whereas delinquent peer association exerts a strong, direct effect The study offers insight into the roles that a youth's family life and peer associations play in explaining delinquent behavior In addition, the findings highlight the need for interventions that encourage pro-social rela

Toward an Animal Model of Gambling: Delay Discounting and the Allure of Unpredictable Outcomes

Abstract: Laboratory investigations of gambling are sometimes criticized as lacking ecological validity because the stakes wagered by human subjects are not real or no real monetary losses are experienced These problems may be partially addressed by studying gambling in laboratory animals Toward this end, data are summarized which demonstrate that laboratory animals will work substantially harder and prefer to work under gambling-like schedules of reinforcement in which the number of responses per win is unpredictable These findings are consistent with a delay discounting model of gambling which holds that rewards obtained following unpredictable delays are more valuable than rewards obtained following predictable delays According to the delay discounting model, individuals that discount delayed rewards at a high rate (like pathological gamblers) perceive unpredictably delayed rewards to be of substantially greater value than predictable rewards The reviewed findings and empirical model support the utility of studying animal behavior as an ecologically valid first-approximation of human gambling

International Research Collaboration : Building Teams and Managing Conflicts

Abstract: International research collaboration is a crucial, complex, and fragile process; effective strategies are needed to manage the inevitable conflicts that arise. Valuing diversity and developing cooperative goals, engaging in self-reflection and reflexivity, promoting collaborative dialogue, taking time, and developing trust are discussed as strategies to support a fuller international engagement..

The Theory–Application Balance in Management Pedagogy: A Longitudinal Update

Abstract: We attempt to extend previous research concerning the perceptions of management educators on the relative balance between theory and applications in their classroom instruction. Specifically, this ...

Alternatives to pyridinediimine ligands: syntheses and structures of metal complexes supported by donor-modified α-diimine ligands

Abstract: This report describes the synthesis and characterization of metal halide complexes (M = Mn, Fe, Co) supported by a new family of pendant donor-modified α-diimine ligands. The donor (N, O, P, S) substituent is linked to the α-diimine by a short hydrocarbon spacer forming a tridentate, mer-coordinating ligand structure. The tridentate ligands are assembled from monoimine precursors, the latter being synthesized by selective reaction with one carbonyl group of the α-dione. While attempts to separately isolate tridentate ligands in pure form were unsuccessful, metal complexes supported by the tridentate ligand are readily synthesized in-situ, by forming the ligand in the presence of the metal halide, resulting in a metal complex which subsequently crystallizes out of the reaction mixture. Metal complexes with NNN, NNO, NNP and NNS donor sets have been prepared and examples supported by NNN, NNP and NNS ligands have been structurally characterized. In the solid state, NNN and NNP ligands coordinate in a mer fashion and the metal complexes possess distorted square pyramidal structures and high spin (S = 2) electronic configurations. Compounds with NNS coordination environments display a variety of solid state structures, ranging from those with unbound sulfur atoms, including chloride bridged and solvent ligated species, to those with sulfur weakly bound to the metal center. The extent of sulfur ligation depends on the donor ability of the crystallization solvent and the substitution pattern of the arylthioether substituent.

Strategies to promote success on the NCLEX-RN: an evidence-based approach using the ACE Star Model of Knowledge Transformation.

Abstract: This article describes an evidence-based project undertaken to develop and implement educational strategies to improve NCLEX-RN scores in a baccalaureate nursing program. The ACE Star Model of Knowledge Transformation, a tool used to assist in understanding the process of knowledge discovery and transformation in evidence-based practice, guided this project. A review of the literature revealed a downward trend in successful completion of the NCLEX-RN along with anecdotal reports of educational strategies intended to improve success on the exam. The literature review failed to uncover evaluations of the effectiveness of reported strategies. Resultant recommendations included an integrated strategy consisting of assessment testing, independent study, and simulated NCLEX examinations. Evaluation of the strategies revealed improved success on the NCLEX-RN. Pass rates from rose from 87.76 percent in fall 2001 to 94.81 percent in fall 2004.

Tests of Behavioral-Economic Assessments of Relative Reinforcer Efficacy: Economic Substitutes

Abstract: This experiment was conducted to test predictions of two behavioral-economic approaches to quantifying relative reinforcer efficacy. According to the first of these approaches, characteristics of averaged normalized demand curves may be used to predict progressive-ratio breakpoints and peak responding. The second approach, the demand analysis, rejects the concept of reinforcer efficacy, arguing instead that traditional measures of relative reinforcer efficacy (breakpoint, peak response rate, and choice) correspond to specific characteristics of non-normalized demand curves. The accuracy of these predictions was evaluated in rats' responding for food or fat: two reinforcers known to function as partial substitutes. Consistent with the first approach, predicted peak normalized response output values (Omax) obtained under single-schedule conditions ordinally predicted progressive-ratio breakpoints and peak responding. Predictions of the demand analysis had mixed success. Pmax and Omax were significantly correlated with PR breakpoints and peak responding (respectively) when fat, but not when food, was the reinforcer. Relative consumption of food and fat under single schedules of reinforcement did not predict preference better than chance. The normalized demand analysis is supplemented with the economic concept of diminishing marginal utility, to predict preference shifts across the range of food and fat prices examined.

Spirituality in African American and Caucasian Women with End-Stage Renal Disease on Hemodialysis Treatment

Abstract: This reanalysis of data from a previous investigation in the United States was conducted to compare spiritual well-being scores of African American (n = 31) and Caucasian (n = 27) women on hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Women, aged 24 to 79, completed the spiritual well-being (SWB) scale and other instruments. Results indicated a strong trend for African American women to score higher on religious well-being than Caucasian women. Comparisons of SWB item scores indicated areas of spiritual strengths for African American women: perceptions of God's concern for them, God's help with loneliness, fulfilling relationship with God, satisfaction with life, and sense of life's purpose. These findings have multidisciplinary implications for factors that may mitigate the illeffects of ESRD.

Discrepant Performance on Multiple-Choice And Short Answer Assessments and the Relation of Performance to General Scholastic Aptitude

Abstract: We conducted correlational and performance discrepancy analyses on exam and achievement data taken from students in three psychology courses. Across courses, the same findings emerged. First, only a small fraction of students consistently performed more strongly on one type of assessment (e.g., multiple‐choice) than on another (e.g., short answer). Second, students’ multiple‐choice performance, above and beyond their short answer performance, accounted for variation in students’ standing on achievement measures unrelated to psychology (including high school class standing, American College Test score, and college grade point average). In contrast, students’ short answer performance, above and beyond their multiple‐choice performance, did not account for variation in students’ standing on those achievement measures. Our findings support the continued use of multiple‐choice items to assess student learning.

Online Students' Expectations: Enhancing the Fit between Online Students and Course Design:

Abstract: Learner analysis and needs assessments are basic elements of all instructional design models and are of concern to those designing distance education courses. Mismatches between students' expectations and actual course features may impact learning. This investigation surveyed 249 geographically dispersed online students for the course features they valued and the course features included in their distance education courses. Results revealed general agreement between course features desired by students and those included in their current courses, however, there were mismatches; particularly concerning the use of instant messaging, team assignments, and creating biography pages. Implications for online course design are presented.