Self-concept in learning disabled children : relationship to perceived competence, social support and task performance : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Massey University

Examined how some children with learning disabilities (LD) sustain higher levels of general self-worth despite academic difficulties. Global self-worth was examined for a relationship with academic self-concept, non-academic self-concept, and perceived social support. Self-concept was additionally examined for any relationships with task performance indicators. Data were collected from 41 students aged between 7 and 15 years using a multitrait-multimethod assessment methodology. Self-concept was assessed by the Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985a), and perceived social support was assessed by the Social Support Scale for Children (Harter, 1985b). Task performance was assessed by a battery of academic and motor skill measures. Findings indicated that most LD children in this sample reported low levels of academically based self-concept. However, most also reported high levels of global self-worth. The study found students with high global self-concept perceived they were more competent/adequate in some non-academic domains (e.g., physical appearance and behavioural conduct), and perceived being socially supported, particularly by teachers. Perceptions of academic self-concept were not found to be as related to perceptions of global self-concept as non-academic domains. In regression analyses, perceptions of physical appearance followed by perceptions of athletic competence were found to be predictors of global self-worth. No predictors were found to be significant for academic self-concept. Classmate support predicted aspects of social self-concept (i.e., social acceptance). No pattern of significant relationships were found between task performance indicators and various domains of self-concept. Discussion includes using data to dispel myths some may have about the global self-worth of LD children as well as in intervention programmes. This study replicated and extended research in this area. Caveats and recommendations for future research are discussed

Geostatistical analysis of an experimental stratigraphy

[1] A high-resolution stratigraphic image of a flume-generated deposit was scaled up to sedimentary basin dimensions where a natural log hydraulic conductivity (ln( K)) was assigned to each pixel on the basis of gray scale and conductivity end-members. The synthetic ln( K) map has mean, variance, and frequency distributions that are comparable to a natural alluvial fan deposit. A geostatistical analysis was conducted on selected regions of this map containing fluvial, fluvial/ floodplain, shoreline, turbidite, and deepwater sedimentary facies. Experimental ln(K) variograms were computed along the major and minor statistical axes and horizontal and vertical coordinate axes. Exponential and power law variogram models were fit to obtain an integral scale and Hausdorff measure, respectively. We conclude that the shape of the experimental variogram depends on the problem size in relation to the size of the local-scale heterogeneity. At a given problem scale, multilevel correlation structure is a result of constructing variogram with data pairs of mixed facies types. In multiscale sedimentary systems, stationary correlation structure may occur at separate scales, each corresponding to a particular hierarchy; the integral scale fitted thus becomes dependent on the problem size. The Hausdorff measure obtained has a range comparable to natural geological deposits. It increases from nonstratified to stratified deposits with an approximate cutoff of 0.15. It also increases as the number of facies incorporated in a problem increases. This implies that fractal characteristic of sedimentary rocks is both depositional process - dependent and problem-scale-dependent

A simple explanation for the 66.7% limiting values in trad analysis

Simple explanation for limiting values in tetrad analysi

A piloted-simulation evaluation of two electronic display formats for approach and landing

The results of a piloted-simulation evaluation of the benefits of adding runway symbology and track information to a baseline electronic-attitude-director-indicator (EADI) format for the approach-to-landing task were presented. The evaluation was conducted for the baseline format and for the baseline format with the added symbology during 3 deg straight-in approaches with calm, cross-wind, and turbulence conditions. Flight-path performance data and pilot subjective comments were examined with regard to the pilot's tracking performance and mental workload for both display formats. The results show that the addition of a perspective runway image and relative track information to a basic situation-information EADI format improve the tracking performance both laterally and vertically during an approach-to-landing task and that the mental workload required to assess the approach situation was thus reduced as a result of integration of information

Reevaluating the Management of Chronic Temporomandibular Pain Are We Treating PTSD with Debridement and Lavage?

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Question Generation from Concept Maps

In this paper we present a question generation approach suitable for tutorial dialogues. The approach is based on previous psychological theories that hypothesize questions are generated from a knowledge representation modeled as a concept map. Our model automatically extracts concept maps from a textbook and uses them to generate questions. The purpose of the study is to generate and evaluate pedagogically-appropriate questions at varying levels of specificity across one or more sentences. The evaluation metrics include scales from the Question Generation Shared Task and Evaluation Challenge and a new scale specific to the pedagogical nature of questions in tutoring

Buoyancy waves in Pluto's high atmosphere: Implications for stellar occultations

We apply scintillation theory to stellar signal fluctuations in the high-resolution, high signal/noise, dual-wavelength data from the MMT observation of the 2007 March 18 occultation of P445.3 by Pluto. A well-defined high wavenumber cutoff in the fluctuations is consistent with viscous-thermal dissipation of buoyancy waves (internal gravity waves) in Pluto's high atmosphere, and provides strong evidence that the underlying density fluctuations are governed by the gravity-wave dispersion relation.Comment: Accepted 18 June 2009 for publication in Icaru