Factors Affecting the Efficacy of Rater Training: Information Type and Mode of Presentation

In order to enhance the quality of performance ratings, researchers have directed their efforts towards training raters to evaluate performance more accurately. The purpose of the present study was to examine two factors that may affect the efficacy of rater training for improving the accuracy of performance ratings. One factor was the type of information that was presented during training (target score information, behavioral rationale for target scores, or a combination of target score and behavioral rationale). The second factor was the mode in which information was presented during training (feedback or feedforward). In addition to assessing the unique contribution that various types of information contribute to the success of rater training programs, the present study tested two hypotheses based on generalizing the multiple cue probability learning (MCPL) literature to the task of rating performance. The first hypothesis was that rater training that incorporates target score information, or combines target score information with a behavioral rationale for the expert ratings will result in less accurate performance ratings than rater training incorporating only the behavioral rationale. The second hypothesis was that performance ratings will be more accurate when raters receive training information by means of feedforward than when control training is provided in which the training information is not presented. A hundred and one undergraduate and graduate students served as participants in the study. These participants were randomly assigned either to one of six experimental conditions formed by crossing three levels of information type with two levels of the mode in which training information was presented, or to one of two training control conditions. Ratings were made of the videotaped performance of seven individuals conducting simulated performance evaluation interviews. The performance ratings were analyzed with correlational measures of accuracy, Cronbach\u27s (1955) accuracy statistics, and Dickinson\u27s (1987) extended accuracy design. The results of these analyses generally did not find the training to be effective. Support was not found for either hypothesis, although some findings did indicate that feedback was more effective than feedforward. The results are discussed in terms of differences between the MCPL paradigm and the task of performance rating. In addition, a number of possible explanations for the findings from the study are presented

Fish Assemblage Structure in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Over Ten Years

Coastal wetlands in the Laurentian Great Lakes are important habitats for many fish species. The geographic scale of the watershed and the diversity of land uses in the region result in substantial environmental variation among coastal wetlands. During 2011-2020, annual surveys were conducted as part of the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (GLCWMP) to better understand the status and trends of coastal wetlands. Fish sampling consisted of fyke netting in monodominant vegetation zones. During this time, 1225 unique monodominant plant zones in coastal wetlands were sampled, resulting in 584,125 fishes captured that consisted of 113 different species. Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) was the most abundant species collected (30.9% of the catch), and Bluegill/Pumpkinseed (Lepomis macrochirus/Lepomis gibbosus) were collected the most frequently (present in 68.4% of sampling events). The purpose of the study was to evaluate how fish assemblages in Great Lakes coastal wetlands are associated with Great Lake basin, monodominant vegetation type, hydrogeomorphic type, and sampling year. Fish characterized based on size in the field as young-of-year (YOY) comprised 69.7% of the total catch and 95.7% of the Yellow Perch collected, suggesting coastal wetlands may be important nursery habitats. I found that basin, hydrogeomorphic type, monodominant vegetation type, and sampling year influenced variation in fish assemblages with basin and monodominant vegetation type showing the strongest association with fish assemblages among the variables investigated. While significant patterns were identified, the variables evaluated explained small amounts of variation associated with fish assemblages in Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Fish assemblages in the oligotrophic Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior appeared more similar to each other than the more mesotrophic Lakes Erie and Ontario. Yellow Perch was the strongest indicator of coastal wetland by basin, being most abundant in the catch of Lake Michigan and least abundant in the catch of Lake Erie. Fish assemblages were significantly associated with monodominant vegetation type, but the associations varied depending on basin. While fish assemblage structure in Great Lakes coastal wetlands have substantial amounts of variation, patterns were identified that further define how fish assemblages vary across the Great Lakes basin

Fish Assemblage Structure in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands

PURPOSE: Coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes are important habitats for many fishes. The geographic scale and diversity of land uses in the region result in substantial environmental variation among coastal wetlands. METHODS: Annual surveys were conducted as part of the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (GLCWMP) to better understand wetland condition across the basin. Fyke nets were used to sample fish in 1,224 unique monodominant vegetation zones during 2011-2020. RESULTS: A total of 588,709 fish were captured, representing 109 different species. Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) was the most abundant species in the catch (31%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Preliminary results suggested that basin, hydrogeomorphic type, monodominant vegetation type, and sampling year were each associated with variation in fish assemblages. For instance, fish assemblages in the more oligotrophic Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior appeared more similar to each other than the more eutrophic Lakes Erie and Ontario. Lacustrine and barrier protected wetlands had similar fish assemblages while riverine wetlands had less variation in community structure than the other wetland types. While we found large amounts of variation in fish assemblage structure in Great Lakes coastal wetlands, we identified patterns that can be used to further define how fish assemblages vary across the Great Lakes basin

Mio-Pliocene aridity in the south-central Andes associated with Southern Hemisphere cold periods.

Although Earth's climate history is best known through marine records, the corresponding continental climatic conditions drive the evolution of terrestrial life. Continental conditions during the latest Miocene are of particular interest because global faunal turnover is roughly synchronous with a period of global glaciation from ∼6.2-5.5 Ma and with the Messinian Salinity Crisis from ∼6.0-5.3 Ma. Despite the climatic and ecological significance of this period, the continental climatic conditions associated with it remain unclear. We address this question using erosion rates of ancient watersheds to constrain Mio-Pliocene climatic conditions in the south-central Andes near 30° S. Our results show two slowdowns in erosion rate, one from ∼6.1-5.2 Ma and another from 3.6 to 3.3 Ma, which we attribute to periods of continental aridity. This view is supported by synchrony with other regional proxies for aridity and with the timing of glacial ‟cold" periods as recorded by marine proxies, such as the M2 isotope excursion. We thus conclude that aridity in the south-central Andes is associated with cold periods at high southern latitudes, perhaps due to a northward migration of the Southern Hemisphere westerlies, which disrupted the South American Low Level Jet that delivers moisture to southeastern South America. Colder glacial periods, and possibly associated reductions in atmospheric CO2, thus seem to be an important driver of Mio-Pliocene ecological transitions in the central Andes. Finally, this study demonstrates that paleo-erosion rates can be a powerful proxy for ancient continental climates that lie beyond the reach of most lacustrine and glacial archives

Mio-Pliocene aridity in the south-central Andes associated with Southern Hemisphere cold periods

Although Earth's climate history is best known through marine records, the corresponding continental climatic conditions drive the evolution of terrestrial life. Continental conditions during the latest Miocene are of particular interest because global faunal turnover is roughly synchronous with a period of global glaciation from 6.2-5.5 Ma and with the Messinian Salinity Crisis from 6.0-5.3 Ma. Despite the climatic and ecological significance of this period, the continental climatic conditions associated with it remain unclear. We address this question using erosion rates of ancient watersheds to constrain Mio-Pliocene climatic conditions in the south-central Andes near 30° S. Our results show two slowdowns in erosion rate, one from 6.1-5.2 Ma and another from 3.6 to 3.3 Ma, which we attribute to periods of continental aridity. This view is supported by synchrony with other regional proxies for aridity and with the timing of glacial "cold" periods as recorded by marine proxies, such as the M2 isotope excursion. We thus conclude that aridity in the south-central Andes is associated with cold periods at high southern latitudes, perhaps due to a northward migration of the Southern Hemisphere westerlies, which disrupted the South American Low Level Jet that delivers moisture to southeastern South America. Colder glacial periods, and possibly associated reductions in atmospheric CO2, thus seem to be an important driver of Mio-Pliocene ecological transitions in the central Andes. Finally, this study demonstrates that paleo-erosion rates can be a powerful proxy for ancient continental climates that lie beyond the reach of most lacustrine and glacial archives.Fil: Amidon, William H.. Middlebury College; Estados UnidosFil: Fisher, G. Burch. University of Texas at Austin; Estados Unidos. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Burbank, Douglas W.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Ciccioli, Patricia Lucia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alonso, Ricardo Narciso. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica. Grupo Vinculado al INSUGEO- Centro de Estudios Geologicos Andinos; ArgentinaFil: Gorin, Andrew L.. Middlebury College; Estados UnidosFil: Silverhart, Perri H.. Middlebury College; Estados UnidosFil: Kylander Clark, Andrew R.C.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Christoffersen, Michael S.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados Unido

The Effect of Lithology and Agriculture at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory

The footprint of the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory was expanded in 2013 from the forested Shale Hills subcatchment (0.08 km) to most of Shavers Creek watershed (163 km) in an effort to understand the interactions among water, energy, gas, solute, and sediment. The main stem of Shavers Creek is now monitored, and instrumentation has been installed in two new subcatchments: Garner Run and Cole Farm. Garner Run is a pristine forested site underlain by sandstone, whereas Cole Farm is a cultivated site on calcareous shale. We describe preliminary data and insights about how the critical zone has evolved on sites of different lithology, vegetation, and land use. A notable conceptual model that has emerged is the “two water table” concept. Despite differences in critical zone architecture, we found evidence in each catchment of a shallow and a deep water table, with the former defined by shallow interflow and the latter defined by deeper groundwater flow through weathered and fractured bedrock. We show that the shallow and deep waters have distinct chemical signatures. The proportion of contribution from each water type to stream discharge plays a key role in determining how concentrations, including nutrients, vary as a function of stream discharge. This illustrates the benefits of the critical zone observatory approach: having common sites to grapple with cross-disciplinary research questions, to integrate diverse datasets, and to support model development that ultimately enables the development of powerful conceptual and numerical frameworks for large-scale hindcasting and forecasting capabilities