This article reports a study that investigated the effects of Q-matrix misspecifications on parameter estimates and misclassification rates for the deterministic-input, noisy "and" gate (DINA) model, which is a restricted latent class model for multiple classifications of respondents that can be useful for cognitively motivated diagnostic…

In this article we examine how the introduction of an output-based funding scheme in Norwegian public higher education in 2003 affects pass requirement standards. Based on a survey of faculty at the institutions concerned, we find that the propensity to expect that the new funding model will affect the failing/non-failing decision in exams is…

Past research has established socioeconomic status as a major determinant of political participation. This explanation has been challenged by sociologists such as Giddens and Beck, who claim that politics in late modernity has become influenced by social class and family tradition to a "lesser" degree than politics in the traditional…

Despite the widespread acceptance of ecological models of child development, the tools and strategies underlying school psychological practice emphasize individual characteristics of children. This article describes ClassMaps Consultation, a consultation strategy that assesses the availability of protective factors and risk in school classrooms…

This report presents the 4th Edition of Scholastic's biannual study of children's and parents' attitudes and behaviors about reading. Much has changed since the first "Kids & Family Reading Report" was issued in 2006, but literacy remains the critical skill needed for school success. Today's children are growing up in a world full of…

The physical, social, and economic health and wellbeing of adults and society are strongly influenced by both positive and negative experiences in early childhood. The most cost-efficient time to build foundational skills, to assure the healthy development of all young children, to break the cycle of disadvantage for vulnerable children, and to…

Replies to comments by K. M. Sheldon et al on the author's original article on evolution and personality variation. Sheldon et al concurred with the thrust of that article that the way natural selection shapes or gives rise to interindividual variation is a worthy topic for evolutionary psychologists to consider, so at a broad level Sheldon et al…

Five questions prompted by the articles in the American Psychologist special issue on leadership (January 2007, Vol. 62, No. 1) suggest some new directions for leadership research: (1) Not do leaders make a difference, but under what conditions does leadership matter? (2) Not what are the traits of leaders, but how do leaders' personal attributes…

A university, similar to any other organization, has an immune system that erects a powerful barrier against change. This article discusses the university immune system and what can be done to counteract its negative effects and thereby allow change to occur.

In this article, the academic and personal characteristics of Accounting faculty members at Colleges and Universities in the United States are analyzed to determine the demographics of the Accounting Professorate. Data on 12 variables were collected for the 2004-2005 academic year as a means of constructing a professional profile of the typical…

Environmental sustainability is one of the most pressing concerns of the twenty-first century, and working toward sustainability will require broad lifestyle and cultural shifts, particularly in industrialized societies. Yet despite a growing recognition of the importance of issues such as climate change, food security, transportation, and…

Our study analyzes how political context, embodied by the welfare state and Leftist political actors, shapes individual poverty. Using the Luxembourg Income Study, we conduct a multi-level analysis of working-aged adult poverty across 18 affluent Western democracies. Our index of welfare generosity has a negative effect on poverty net of…

The objective of this study was to test whether a brief educational/administrative intervention could increase tobacco counseling by emergency physicians (EPs). Pre-/post-study at eight emergency departments (EDs) with residency programs were carried out. EPs received a 1-hour lecture on the health effects of smoking and strategies to counsel…

The actuarial method is the gold standard for risk assessment in child welfare, juvenile justice, and criminal justice. It produces risk classifications that are highly predictive and that may be robust to sampling error. This article reports a revalidation study of the Arizona Risk/Needs Assessment instrument, an actuarial instrument for juvenile…

It is well-established that coping and enhancement drinking motives predict college student drinking and that personality traits predict drinking motives. Little is known, however, about personality and drinking patterns among individuals who drink for both enhancement and coping reasons. University students in the current study completed…