Genetic and environmental links between self-reports and parent-reports of child personality

Personality ratings have been consistently found to be reliable and moderately heritable, but interrater agreement between self- and other-report of personality are low-to-moderate, particularly in childhood samples. The current study aims to examine the agreement between child self-reports and parent-informant reports of Big Five personality traits using a genetically informative approach. Using data from a sample of 2756 (982 monozygotic) twins ages six to 21 from The Texas Twin Project, we find that agreement between parent ratings and child-self reports for all Big 5 personality traits are mediated by both genetic and non-shared environmental influences. Models incorporating dominant genetic effects rather than additive genetic effects alone proved to better fit the data. In these models, the effect of additive genetics was strongly reduced or eliminated altogether in favor of strong dominant genetic influences, suggesting that dominant genetic effects play a key role in parent and child ratings of personality and should be more widely incorporated into similar research. Additive genetic effects were observed in parent reports of child extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, but not in any self-reported traits. Dominant genetic effects, however, were observed in parent and child reports of extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism, as well as parent reports of agreeableness. Non-environmental effects were strong for all Big 5 traits reported by children and parents. Contrast effects, while slight, were observed in parent and self-reports of extraversion as well as parent reports of conscientiousness and neuroticism.Psycholog

Gender-related differences in computer-mediated communication and computer-supported collaborative learning

A question associated with the introduction of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is whether all participants profit equally from working in CSCL environments. This article reports on a review study into gender-related differences in participation in CSCL. As many of the processes in CSCL are similar to those in computer-mediated communication (CMC), studies into CMC are also included in the review. Male dominance is found to play a role in many CMC settings. A learning culture with an explicit focus on participation by all students seems to be related to a more gender-balanced participation in CMC, however. A tendency for boys to be more active participants than girls is also present in CSCL environments, but it is less pronounced than in CMC. This may be explained by the fact that participation is explicitly promoted in most CSCL environments. Gender differences in the character of students' contributions are found in both CMC and CSCL. It is concluded that in order to avoid gender-stereotyped participation and communication patterns, it is necessary to explicitly address inclusiveness as an aspect of a collaborative classroom culture. A plea is made for further research into differential participation by students in CSCL, and the effects thereof on cognitive and affective learning outcomes. Research should also focus on the question how classroom cultures can be promoted that support active participation of all students aimed at collaborative knowledge construction. © 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

A percepção dos riscos da atividade fumageira e sua contribuição na busca da reconversão produtiva no Assentamento de Reforma Agrária 25 de Maio, Santa Terezinha – SC

International organizations report that over the last fifteen years tobacco production has declined among the world’s principal producing countries. However, Brazil has shown a significant increase of theirproduction in the last decade, consolidating itself as the second largest world producer since 2000. Furthermore, we find that the mobilization efforts and measures taken in relation to the risks of tobacco consumption worldwide have been increased, while those associated with the risks of tobacco production have not. Whereas the risk perception is a social construction rooted in the socio-cultural dimension, as well as in the concrete effect of an action, this paper discusses the perception of farmers from the settlement known as “25 de Maio”, with respect to the risks of tobacco production. It also examines the contribution that this reflection on the collective risk perception makes to a process of converting production to medicinal plants, herbs and condiments. It appears that all of the families interviewed would stop producing tobacco since they realize that this activity causes the deterioration of their working conditions and health, but the income generated is the factor that determines their decision to work in this activity. However, the fact that these families belong to a social movement strengthens the collective perception of and reflection on the risks inherent to tobacco production, and contributes as a foundation for the process of production conversion

College student role orientations and background factors as related to dropouts and over and under achievers.

Thesis (M.S.

The effect of functional roles on perceived group efficiency during computer-supported collaborative learning

In this article, the effect of functional roles on group performance and collaboration during computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is investigated. Especially the need for triangulating multiple methods is emphasised: Likert-scale evaluation questions, quantitative content analysis of e-mail communication and qualitative analysis of open-ended questions were used. A comparison of fourty-one questionnaire observations, distributed over thirteen groups in two research conditions – groups with prescribed functional roles (n = 7, N = 18) and nonrole groups (n = 6, N = 23) – revealed no main effect for performance (grade). Principal axis factoring of the Likert-scales revealed a latent variable that was interpreted as perceived group efficiency (PGE). Multilevel modelling (MLM) yielded a positive marginal effect of PGE. Most groups in the role condition report a higher degree of PGE than nonrole groups. Content analysis of e-mail communication of all groups in both conditions (role n = 7, N = 25; nonrole n = 6, N = 26) revealed that students in role groups contribute more ‘coordination’ focussed statements. Finally, results from cross case matrices of student responses to open-ended questions support the observed marginal effect that most role groups report a higher degree of perceived group efficiency than nonrole groups

Numerical Simulation of water Circulation in a Cylindrical Horizontal Thermal Tank

It is carried out a numerical study of the three-dimensional temperature and velocity fields in a cylindrical horizontal thermal tank during the process of water circulation. The numerical simulations were made using an academic Finite Volumes numerical code. This simulation considers that the thermal tank is connected to solar collectors. So, in the tank, the inlet jet temperature is higher than those inside the tank. This study aims to investigate the influence of the inlet jet on thermal stratification. The results show that for the mass flow rate studied, there is no significant variation on thermal stratification

O Direito Brasileiro: fruto da tradição ou da estagnação

O artigo que se segue busca esclarecer a formação do Direito brasileiro, assim como a influência marcante exercida neste por Portugal. Para tanto, analisará as instituições jurídicas formadas no Brasil desde sua colonização, como também seu posteriordesenvolvimento. Ainda, e por ser primordial ao seu intento, versará sobre o próprio Direito português, a fim de mostrar as características transportadas para o Brasil, muitas das quais se mantiveram. Conclui, assim, que mesmo com a tentativa de formação de um Direito brasileiro próprio, muito do que lhe foi trazido de Portugal se manteve, ainda que já modificado na matriz

Multilevel analysis in CSCL Research

Janssen, J., Erkens, G., Kirschner, P. A., & Kanselaar, G. (2011). Multilevel analysis in CSCL research. In S. Puntambekar, G. Erkens, & C. Hmelo-Silver (Eds.), Analyzing interactions in CSCL: Methods, approaches and issues (pp. 187-205). New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-7710-6_9CSCL researchers are often interested in the processes that unfold between learners in online learning environments and the outcomes that stem from these interactions. However, studying collaborative learning processes is not an easy task. Researchers have to make quite a few methodological decisions such as how to study the collaborative process itself (e.g., develop a coding scheme or a questionnaire), on the appropriate unit of analysis (e.g., the individual or the group), and which statistical technique to use (e.g., descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlation analysis). Recently, several researchers have turned to multilevel analysis (MLA) to answer their research questions (e.g., Cress, 2008; De Wever, Van Keer, Schellens, & Valcke, 2007; Dewiyanti, Brand-Gruwel, Jochems, & Broers, 2007; Schellens, Van Keer, & Valcke, 2005; Strijbos, Martens, Jochems, & Broers, 2004; Stylianou-Georgiou, Papanastasiou, & Puntambekar, chapter #). However, CSCL studies that apply MLA analysis still remain relatively scarce. Instead, many CSCL researchers continue to use ‘traditional’ statistical techniques (e.g., analysis of variance, regression analysis), although these techniques may not be appropriate for what is being studied. An important aim of this chapter is therefore to explain why MLA is often necessary to correctly answer the questions CSCL researchers address. Furthermore, we wish to highlight the consequences of failing to use MLA when this is called for, using data from our own studies