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Children's early accuracy on place value (PV) tasks longitudinally predicts their later multidigit calculation skills. However, another window into children's emerging base-ten concepts is the pattern of errors – "smart errors" – they exhibit on these measures. Past research has speculated that these smart errors – similar to invented spelling – might reflect children's initial PV understanding that might be important for later learning of multidigit numbers and calculation. The current study examines the development of smart errors on Base-Ten Counting (invented counting errors) and Transcoding (expanded errors) in 279 U.S. kindergartners (Mage = 5.76 years) and investigated whether the presence of smart errors is associated with 1) higher concurrent levels of PV task accuracy, 2) greater growth in PV understanding over one year, 3) higher levels of multidigit calculation in second grade. Results indicate that the two errors emerged in an overlapping waves pattern, with expanded errors appearing first and waning earlier than invented counting errors. Kindergartners who made invented counting errors but not expanded errors demonstrated the highest overall concurrent PV understanding. Second, kindergartners who made Transcoding expanded errors showed the greatest growth in PV understanding compared to those who exhibited only invented-counting errors. Third, kindergartners who made invented counting errors alone showed stronger multidigit calculation skills in second grade compared to those who made neither error. Thus, these smart errors reflect partial structural knowledge of place value that is a potentially important developmental contributor to learning multidigit number meanings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fit indices are descriptive measures that can help evaluate how well a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model fits a researcher's data. In multigroup models, before between-group comparisons are made, fit indices may be used to evaluate measurement invariance by assessing the degree to which multiple groups' data are consistent with increasingly constrained nested models. One such fit index is an adaptation of the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) called RMSEAD. This index embeds the chi-square and degree-of-freedom differences into a modified RMSEA formula. The present study comprehensively compared RMSEAD to ΔRMSEA, the difference between two RMSEA values associated with a comparison of nested models. The comparison consisted of both derivations as well as a population analysis using one-factor CFA models with features common to those found in practical research. The findings demonstrated that for the same model, RMSEAD will always have increased sensitivity relative to ΔRMSEA with an increasing number of indicator variables. The study also indicated that RMSEAD had increased ability to detect noninvariance relative to ΔRMSEA in one-factor models. For these reasons, when evaluating measurement invariance, RMSEAD is recommended instead of ΔRMSEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is a long tradition of research analyzing the grammatical complexity of texts (in both linguistics and applied linguistics), there is surprisingly little consensus on the nature of complexity. Many studies have disregarded syntactic (and structural) distinctions in their analyses of grammatical text complexity, treating it instead as if it were a single unified construct. However, other corpus-based studies indicate that different grammatical complexity features pattern in fundamentally different ways. The present study employs methods that are informed by structural equation modeling to test the goodness-of-fit of four models that can be motivated from previous research and linguistic theory: a model treating all complexity features as a single dimension, a model distinguishing among three major structural types of complexity features, a model distinguishing among three major syntactic functions of complexity features, and a model distinguishing among nine combinations of structural type and syntactic functions. The findings show that text complexity is clearly a multi-dimensional construct. Both structural and syntactic distinctions are important. Syntactic distinctions are actually more important than structural distinctions, although the combination of the two best accounts for the ways in which complexity features pattern in texts from different registers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a self-administered, online Social Intelligence Training (SIT) program aimed at enhancing psychological and relational well-being among a nationwide U.S. sample of custodial grandmothers. Research Design and Methods A two-arm randomized clinical trial (RCT) was conducted, where 349 grandmothers raising grandchildren aged 11–18 years were assigned to either SIT or an attention control condition (ACC). Participants self-completed online surveys at baseline and immediately postintervention, in addition to follow-ups at 3-, 6-, and 9-month postintervention. First-order latent difference score models were used to compare SIT to ACC, across all times of measurement, along key indicators of psychological and relational well-being on an intent-to-treat basis. Results Although SIT was largely superior to ACC at yielding positive results, it appears that it attenuated longitudinal declines that occurred among ACC participants. SIT also exerted stronger effects on relational than psychological outcomes, with perceived relations with grandchildren being the most positively affected. Discussion and Implications Given that the historical time of this RCT unpredictably corresponded with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, we suspect that SIT helped offset declines in psychological and relational well-being that are widely documented to have resulted from the pandemic. Our overall positive findings support future use of the inexpensive and easily delivered SIT program under normal environmental conditions, with the vulnerable and geographically disperse population of custodial grandmothers. Clinical Trials Registration Number NCT03239977 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires are pivotal to the functioning of many ecosystems globally, including the magnitude of surface erosion rates. This study aims to investigate the relationships between surface erosion rates and wildfire intensity in the tropical north savanna of Australia. The occurrence of fires in western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia was determined with remotely sensed digital datasets as well as analogue erosion measurement methods. Analysis was performed using satellite imagery to quantify burn severity via a monthly delta normalised burn ratio (dNBR). This was compared and correlated against on-ground erosion measurements (erosion pins) for 13 years. The dNBR for each year (up to +0.4) displayed no relationship with subsequent erosion (up to ±4 mm of erosion/deposition per year). Poor correlation was attributed to low fire severity, patchy burning, significant time between fires and erosion-inducing rainfall. Other influences included surface roughness from disturbances from feral pigs and cyclone impacts. The findings here oppose many other studies that have found that fires increase surface erosion. This accentuates the unique ecosystem characteristics and fire regime properties found in the tropical Northern Territory. Scenarios of late dry season fires with high severity were not observed in this study and require more investigations. Ecosystems such as the one examined here require specialised management practices acknowledging the specific ecosystem functions and processes. The methods employed here combine both analogue and digital sensors to improve understandings of a unique environmental system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many studies, grammatical complexity has been treated as a single unified construct. However, other research contradicts that view, suggesting instead that the different structural types and syntactic functions of complexity features are distributed in texts in fundamentally different ways. These patterns have been documented in general corpora that include a wide range of spoken and written registers. One question that has not been fully addressed is whether grammatical complexity features are organized in the same ways in the spoken versus written modes. The present study tests the empirical adequacy of four competing models based on different theoretical conceptualizations of text complexity, comparing their goodness-of-fit in spoken versus written modes. The results show that text complexity must be treated as a multi-dimensional construct; dimensions that combine structural type and syntactic function provide the best account of the actual patterns of linguistic co-occurrence. To a large extent, the same complexity dimensions operate in both the spoken and written modes. Two of these dimensions—dependent phrases functioning as noun modifiers and finite dependent clauses functioning as clause-level constituents—represent the strongest co-occurrence patterns. In addition, these two dimensions operate in complementary distribution, in both the spoken and written modes. Overall, though, these two dimensions are shown to represent stronger co-occurrence patterns in the written mode than in the spoken mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread and persistent underrepresentation of groups experiencing health disparities in research involving biospecimens is a barrier to scientific knowledge and advances in health equity. To ensure that all groups have the opportunity to participate in research and feel welcome and safe doing so, we must understand how research studies may be shaped to promote inclusion. In this study, we explored the decision to participate in hypothetical research scenarios among African American adults (n = 169) that varied on the basis of four attributes (form of consent, reason for research, institutional affiliation and race of the researcher). Findings indicate that participants were largely willing to contribute to biobanks but significantly preferred opportunities where they had control over the use of their biological samples through tiered or study-specific forms of consent. Broad consent procedures, although common and perhaps preferred by participants with high trust in researchers, may amount to an exclusionary practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral prospectivity mapping is a crucial technique for discovering new economic mineral deposits. However, detailed knowledge-based geological exploration and interpretations generally involve significant costs, time, and human resources. In this study, an ensemble machine learning approach was tested using geoscience datasets to map Cu-Au and Pb-Zn mineral prospectivity in the Cobar Basin, NSW, Australia. The input datasets (magnetic, gravity, faults, electromagnetic, and magnetotelluric data layers) were chosen by considering their association with Cu-Au and Pb-Zn mineralization patterns. Three machine learning algorithms, namely random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and maximum-likelihood (MaxL) classification, were applied to the input data. The results of the three algorithms were ensembled to produce Cu-Au and Pb-Zn prospectivity maps over the Cobar Basin with improved classification accuracy. The findings demonstrate good agreement with known mineral occurrence points and existing mineral prospectivity maps developed using the weights-of-evidence (WofE) method. The ability to capture training points accurately and the simplicity of the proposed approach make it advantageous over complex mineral prospectivity mapping methods, to serve as a preliminary evaluation technique. The methodology can be modified with different datasets and algorithms, facilitating the investigations of mineral prospectivity in other regions and providing guidance for more detailed, high-resolution geological investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current longitudinal study measured 279 kindergartners' (Mage=5.76 years; SD = 0.55; 135 females) place value understanding using both approximate and syntactic measures based on previous evidence that early variation in performance on approximate measures was associated with subsequent syntactic place value understanding. In the present study, we used the same dataset but traced kindergarten variation on both approximate and syntactic measures to children's multidigit calculation skill in second grade. Path analyses indicated that latent approximate place value knowledge predicted later multidigit calculation performance but more precise understanding of counts and base-ten units did not. However, among the individual task predictors, Base-Ten Counting was the strongest predictor followed by a task asking for specific count of units (e.g. 'Which number has [two tens]?') and reading and writing number names (Transcoding). Thus, multidigit calculation skills appear to develop from an emerging, but imprecise understanding of count + unit syntax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This secondary analysis of longitudinal data on Latino immigrant parents applied latent change modeling to investigate the association between within‐family change in parent–child conflict and within‐individual change in parent's psychological distress, and how within‐individual change in parenting stress mediates that association over time. Background: Immigrant parents face additional challenges when parenting their children. There is limited research regarding how parent–child conflict may influence parenting stress and parents' overall well‐being, in particular in Latino immigrant families. Method: Secondary analysis was conducted on data from a sample of 344 Latino immigrant parents who participated in a community‐based parenting skills invention. In the original intervention study, they were assigned randomly to intervention or waitlist control groups and assessed at three points: baseline, 4 months (post‐intervention), and a follow‐up 10 months after the baseline assessment. Results: Across 4 months, change in parent–child conflict was significantly associated with changes in parenting stress and psychological distress, whereas across 10 months, change in parent–child conflict was only associated with change in psychological distress. The indirect effects through parenting stress were non‐significant. However, participating in the intervention had a protective indirect effect by reducing parenting stress across 4 months and reducing psychological distress across 10 months via change in parent–child conflict. Conclusion: Changes in parent–child relations were related to changes in parents' individual well‐being, with those associations varying across different time periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi‐arid to temperate south‐east Australian catchments with agricultural landscapes demonstrate unique hydro‐climatic characteristics. Understanding the behaviour of soil moisture over such catchments and the influence of driving factors are crucial for hydrologic, climatic and agricultural applications. However, this is challenging due the complex, non‐linear relationship between these factors and soil moisture, and the lack of long‐term catchment scale data records. To address this, spatial and temporal patterns of soil moisture over two south‐east Australian river catchments (i.e., Krui and Merriwa) and the influence of soil texture, topography, vegetation and rainfall on soil moisture variability were evaluated using a decadal in‐situ dataset. This unique in‐situ soil moisture monitoring network is established over a semi‐arid to temperate catchment representing typical south‐east Australian agricultural landscape and the data record has captured some major climatic events. Time stability of catchment‐scale soil moisture and the potential of predicting catchment mean soil moisture content using one representative station were also examined using a linear regression model. Soil texture was found as the dominating factor driving the spatial variability of soil moisture in the area. The temporal patterns of soil moisture showed a positive agreement with vegetation dynamics and rainfall at topsoil layers (0–5 cm and 0–30 cm). A higher spatial variability of soil moisture was observed during dry catchment conditions compared to wet catchment conditions. The deeper soil layers (30–60 cm and 60–90 cm) showed highly stable soil moisture values, which might be the driving force of the agriculture in the area. A linear regression based prediction model demonstrated a good potential in estimating spatial mean soil moisture content from one representative station. The results are useful in parameterization of soil moisture variability in land surface, climatic and hydrologic models, agricultural applications and in remote sensing of soil moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learner corpus research has a strong tradition of collecting metadata. However, while we tend to collect rich descriptive information about learners on directly measurable variables such as age, year of study, and time spent abroad, we frequently do not know much about learner characteristics that cannot be measured directly (and that thus need to be measured through questionnaires and tests) such as language aptitude, working memory, and motivation, which have been identified as important variables in neighboring fields such as Second Language Acquisition. In this position piece, we (i) join the proponents of increased focus on learner characteristics in LCR in arguing in favor of collecting information about such variables and (ii) introduce an analytical framework that can be used to model these variables. Specifically, the primary focus of this paper is to discuss the concept of latent variables as it relates to LCR and show how their standard form can be used to model learner characteristics within the structural equation modeling analytical framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Place value concepts were measured longitudinally from kindergarten (2017) to first grade (2018) in a diverse sample (n = 279; Mage = 5.76 years, SD = 0.55; 135 females; 41% Black, 38% White, 8% Asian, 12% Latino). Children completed three syntactic tasks that required an explicit understanding of base‐10 symbols and three approximate tasks that could be completed without this explicit understanding. Approximate performance was significantly better in both age groups. A factor analysis confirmed that syntactic and approximate tasks tapped separate latent variables in kindergarten, but not in first grade. Path analyses indicated that only kindergarten approximate performance predicted overall first‐grade place value understanding. These findings suggest that explicit understanding of base‐10 principles develops from implicit, partial knowledge of multidigit numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Episodic memory is a cornerstone ability that allows one to recall past events and the spatiotemporal context in which they occur. In an effort to characterise the development of this critical ability, many different tasks have been used independently to assess age-related variations in episodic memory. However, performance on memory tasks is multiply determined, and the extent to which different tasks with varying features relate to each other and represent episodic memory as a latent cognitive construct across childhood is unclear. The present study sought to address this question by exploring the feasibility of using four different laboratory-based tasks to characterise changes in episodic memory ability during early- to mid-childhood in 200 typically developing children (4–8 years). Using longitudinal data and a structural equation modeling framework, results suggest that multiple tests of episodic memory can be utilised to indicate a comparable latent construct of episodic memory ability over this period of development, and that this ability improves consistently between 4 to 8 years. Overall, results highlight that episodic memory measured as a construct increases at a similar rate over early- to mid-childhood and demonstrate the benefits of using multiple laboratory tasks to characterise developmental changes in episodic memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is increasingly recommended that hypothesis-generating studies be conducted after initial RCTs in order to identify moderators of differential treatment efficacy on individual outcomes. Such analyses are important because they help clarify the best inclusion and exclusion criteria or choice of stratification for maximizing power in subsequent RCTs, reduce the chances of discarding interventions that may appear to lack efficacy when only average treatment effects are taken into consideration, and facilitate the matching of individual clients to treatment alternatives. We identified predictors and moderators of treatment-related change in psychological distress among custodial grandmothers (n = 343) assigned within a prior RCT to behavior parent training (BPT), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), or information only control (IOC) conditions. Latent change scores in psychological distress were estimated for each grandmother across pre-test to post-test and pre-test to six months, as indicated by self-reported and clinical ratings of depression and anxiety symptoms. These estimates served as outcomes in classification and regression tree analyses conducted separately within the CBT and BPT conditions to identify predictors of treatment efficacy. Matched groups based upon identified predictors were then formed across all RCT conditions, and Predictor × RCT Condition interactions were computed to test for moderation of differential treatment efficacy. Grandmother age was the only predictor and moderator of BPT efficacy at both measurement points, whereas multifaceted predictors and moderators emerged for CBT which varied by time since treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article aims to introduce structural equation modeling, in particular measured variable path models, and discuss their great potential for corpus linguists. Compared to other techniques commonly employed in the field such as multiple regression, path models are highly flexible and enable testing a priori hypotheses about causal relations between multiple independent and dependent variables. In addition to increased methodological versatility, this technique encourages big-picture, model-based reasoning, thus allowing corpus linguists to move away from the, at times, somewhat overly simplified mindset brought about by the more narrow null-hypothesis significance testing paradigm. The article also includes commentary on corpus linguistics and its trajectory, arguing in favor of increased cumulative knowledge building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically it has been reported that deaf students do not achieve age-appropriate outcomes in reading, with this performance often being characterized in terms of a fourth grade ceiling. However, given the shifts in the field during the past 20 years (e.g. widespread implementation of newborn hearing screening, advances in hearing technologies), it would be timely to question whether this continues to serve as a meaningful benchmark. To this end, the purpose of this study was to investigate reading outcomes of a Canadian cohort of school-aged deaf learners (N  = 70) who all used listening and spoken language as the primary mode of communication. Specifically, the goal was to establish whether their achievement approached that of their hearing age peers and to identify demographic factors influencing performance (i.e. gender, unilateral/bilateral hearing loss, personal amplification, level of auditory functioning, grade placement, additional disabilities, home language). Results indicate that participants obtained standard scores in the average range on both the Basic Reading and Reading Comprehension clusters of the Woodcock Johnson III-Diagnostic Reading Battery (Woodcock et al. 2004), surpassing the fourth grade reading achievement ceiling often reported for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most vexing challenges facing developmental researchers today is the statistical modeling of two or more behaviors as they unfold jointly over time. Although quantitative methodologists have studied these issues for more than half a century, no widely agreed‐upon principled strategy exists to empirically analyze codevelopmental processes. Indeed, the plethora of available options makes selecting a specific analytic approach both confusing and overwhelming. In this article, we argue that a key step in adjudicating among alternative modeling strategies is to embrace the concept of within‐ and between‐person components of change over time. First, we define the disaggregation of effects in grouped data, and then we extend these concepts to repeated measures. Then we review several available modeling strategies that capture these effects to varying degrees and raise three issues that can help to guide practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simple view of reading describes reading as the product of decoding (D) and listening comprehension (LC). However, the simple view of reading has been challenged, and evidence has proved it to be too simple to explain the complexities of reading comprehension in the elementary school years. Hypotheses have been advanced that there are cognitive‐linguistic factors that underlie the common variance between D and LC, which are malleable, although there is no clarity at this point regarding what these are. We propose that one such group of malleable cognitive factors is executive function (EF) skills. Further, we posit that EF skills play equally strong roles in explaining reading comprehension variance in emergent bilinguals and English monolinguals. We used multigroup structural equation modeling to determine the contribution of these constructs (D, LC, and EF) to reading comprehension in 425 emergent bilinguals and 302 English monolinguals in grades 2–4. The shared variance between D and LC was explained by direct and indirect effects in the models tested, with strong indirect effects for the EFs of cognitive flexibility and working memory through D and LC, respectively, for both language groups. The indirect effect of cognitive flexibility through LC on reading comprehension was considerably larger for emergent bilinguals than for English monolinguals. Considerations for a more nuanced view of the simple view of reading and its implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having one's funding cut in the course of conducting a longitudinal study has become an increasingly real challenge faced by developmental researchers. The main purpose of the current work is to propose "post hoc" planned missing (PHPM) data designs as a promising solution in such difficult situations. This study discusses general guidelines that can be followed to search for viable PHPM designs within a given budget restriction. Illustrative examples across different longitudinal research contexts are provided, each showing how PHPM data designs can help salvage longitudinal studies when an unexpected funding cut occurs mid‐study. With the illustrative examples, the article also shows how developmental researchers can conveniently identify viable designs using the R package simPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under-representation of women in academic Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) requires multi-faceted solutions focused on retention along with recruitment. This study evaluates programs developed to provide mentorship, work-life balance support, and leadership training, all aimed at ensuring retention. Perceived benefits and objective productivity markers were investigated, relying on quantitative and qualitative data. High levels of satisfaction were reported for career-advancement initiatives, with the program providing support during periods of personal challenges rated somewhat higher. Together, programs resulted in productivity gains, including more publications, conference presentations, and promotions post-participation, although grant submissions were not affected. This study provides preliminary support for multi-faceted career development efforts, spanning scholarship and work-life balance, and targeting STEM women academic staff across the career trajectory. Similar efforts are likely to be effective in other higher education settings, in the United States (U.S.) and elsewhere, providing career support and development opportunities for women in STEM. “Best practices” resulting from this program implementation are currently being disseminated regionally in the U.S. through the Pacific Northwest Partnership effort funded by the National Science Foundation (HRD–1936019) and await broader applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has hypothesized that for many rivers the trade‐off between flow accumulation and the decrease in slope along channel length means that stream power increases downstream and, moreover, that given the low slope angles in headwater and low‐order streams, they would have insufficient stream power to erode let alone transport sediment. The study considered the stream power profile, the particle travel distances and the application of the Hjulström curve based on the velocity profile of nine, large UK catchments. The study showed that: Some rivers never showed a maximum in their longitudinal stream power profile, implying that some rivers never develop a deposition zone before they discharge at the tidal limit.Particle travel distances during a bankfull discharge event showed that for some rivers 91% of the upper main channel would not be cleared of sediment. Furthermore, while some rivers could transport a 2 mm particle their entire length in one bankfull event, for another river it would take 89 such events.The Hjulström curve shows that for three of the study rivers the upper 20 km of the river was not capable of eroding a 2 μm particle.The study has shown that for all rivers studied, erosion is focused downstream and deposition upstream. Many UK rivers have a dead zone where, on time scales of the order of centuries, no erosion or transport occurs and erosion only occurs in the lower courses of the channel where discharge rather than slope dominates – we propose these as underpowered rivers. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in the multidisciplinary field of strategic risk and health communication, this study proposed and tested a new infectious disease threat (IDT) appraisal model, focused on mapping individuals' coping strategy preferences as predicted by their perceived predictability and controllability of the disease. A 2 (predictability: high vs. low) × 2 (controllability: high vs. low) within-subjects online experimental design (N = 1,032 U.S. adults) was employed, in which four IDT scenarios (sexually transmitted infection [STI]; waterborne ID; foodborne ID; vector-borne ID) were shown to participants in a counterbalanced fashion, to examine the effects of IDT appraisals on how individuals cope with outbreaks. Results support the hypothesized model, in which assessments of predictability, controllability, and responsibility of an IDT situation drive individuals' affect valence, information seeking, and conative reactions in passive and active ways. Findings further provide insights into what information seeking strategies and IDT coping behaviors individuals prefer based on their differential IDT appraisals, thus suggesting how public health authorities and risk communication professionals can optimally communicate about infectious diseases to help individuals understand these situations and respond appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an alternative to Cronbach's α for estimating scale reliability, McDonald's ω has attracted increased attention within the methodological community for its less stringent measurement assumptions. Notwithstanding, ω is still seldom used by practitioners, likely due to its unavailability in popular software packages (e.g., SPSS) and the need for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) parameter estimates for its computation. This study proposes and evaluates an easily-calculated ω estimate that does not rely on factor analysis, which is shown to be highly comparable to CFA-based ω estimates and thus can be used as a more accessible computational alternative for practitioners, especially if programmed into popular software packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent physical inactivity has risen to an alarming rate. Several theoretical frameworks (models) have been proposed and tested in school-based interventions. The results are mixed, indicating a similar weakness as that observed in community-based physical activity interventions (Baranowski, Lin, Wetter, Resnicow, & Hearn, 1997). The theoretical models were decontextualized, thus are unable to address issues central to adolescents' physical activity behavior. In this article, we propose using a theoretical model derived from school-based research on learning behavior change. We review related research on adolescents' physical activity to demonstrate the relevance of using the model to study the dynamic impact of personal, school curriculum, and community variables on adolescent physical activity. We also translate the conceptual model into empirically testable cross-sectional and longitudinal latent growth models and propose concrete steps researchers can take to design empirical studies to examine them. We believe that research studies guided by the proposed conceptual and empirical models will provide useful data for us to better understand the mechanisms of adolescent physical activity motivation and behavior change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In longitudinal/developmental studies, individual growth trajectories are sometimes bounded by a floor at the beginning of the observation period and/or a ceiling toward the end of the observation period (or vice versa), resulting in inherently nonlinear growth patterns. If the trajectories between the floor and ceiling are approximately linear, such longitudinal growth patterns can be described with a linear piecewise (spline) model in which segments join at knots. In these scenarios, it may be of specific interest for researchers to examine the timing when transition occurs, and in some occasions also to examine the levels of the floors and/or ceilings if they are not known and fixed. In the current study, we propose a reparameterized piecewise latent growth curve model so that a direct estimation of the random knots (and, if needed, a direct estimation of random floors and ceilings) is possible. We derive the model reparameterization using a 4-step structured latent curve modeling approach. We provide two illustrative examples to demonstrate how the proposed reparameterized models can be fitted to longitudinal growth data using the popular SEM software Mplus and we supply the full coding for applied researchers' reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study sought to explore the decision to participate in genomics research for African American individuals. Our overall goal was to explore (1) the attributes that significantly contribute to willingness to participate in genomics research; (2) how these attributes are interpreted (what is their meaning?); (3) how trustworthiness is estimated in the decision to participate in research (i.e., what are the symbolic representations or heuristics of trustworthiness in decision-making?); and (4) how participants see factors to counterweigh each other. Methods: We sought a methodology that would afford exploration of the compensatory nature of decision-making where some choice attributes may be weighed differently than others as well as the use of heuristics (shortcuts to estimate key concepts in the mentally taxing task of decision-making) for concepts such as trustworthiness. We used a qualitative story deck to create hypothetical research scenarios with variable attributes (i.e., researcher race/ethnicity; institutional affiliation; research goal; and biospecimen requested) to determine how individuals find and interpret information to make decisions about research participation. These semi-structured interviews (n = 82) were conducted in African American barbershops in Baltimore City and Prince George's County, Maryland. Results: Quantitative and qualitative analysis was completed. Findings include that, even in the absence of interpersonal connection, trustworthiness can be communicated through multiple factors, such as (1) shared values with researchers and (2) familiarity. Conversely, (1) ambiguity, especially regarding the use of biospecimens, (2) negative reputations, and (3) perceptions of "hidden agendas" were associated with a lower willingness to participate. However, the alignment of participant and research goals was weighed more heavily in decisions than other factors. Conclusion: This study finds that negatively assessed characteristics in research design do not result in automatic rejections of participation. Negative assessments can be mitigated by emphasizing the multiple factors that communicate trustworthiness in the consent process, which may improve rates of research participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health communication has contributed to an increase in family planning use through education and mass media as a means to increase health literacy. In this research, we investigate health literacy as an auxiliary component of health communication. We test the validity of the Health Literacy Skills Framework by examining the correlation of health literacy indicators to family planning use among Senegalese women in the 2014 Demographic Health Survey. We found that increased family planning use was most strongly associated with hearing family planning messages through television and radio. Other health literacy indicators, including access to printed family planning messaging, textual literacy, and knowledge of ovulatory cycles did not strengthen family planning use, even when performing a subgroup analysis of women who could read. The implications are that the Health Literacy Skills framework can measure health literacy's ability (assessed through proxy indicators of health literacy) to predict modern family planning use among Senegalese women and that audio and visual health literacy measures are most strongly associated with increased family planning use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fear and positive emotionality were considered in a growth modeling context. Mothers, primarily Caucasian (91.9%) and of middle socioeconomic status, participated in play interactions with infants at 4 months (N = 148). Infant fear and positive affectivity were evaluated at 6, 8, 10, and 12 months of age. A linear trajectory was superior in explaining growth for parent report and observation-based indicators of positive affectivity and parent report of fearfulness; a piecewise model explained the nonlinear growth of observation-based fear. Responsiveness in mother-infant interactions emerged as a significant predictor of the fear trajectory, with higher sensitivity predicting lower levels of observed fear. Reciprocity, tempo, emotional tone, and intensity of mother-infant interactions also made significant contributions to temperament development; however, analyses addressing these were exploratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is scant research on how the parenting practices of custodial grandmothers affect the psychological adjustment of grandchildren in their care. Yet, the findings from a handful of prior studies suggest the relevance of the Family Stress Model (FSM) to these caregivers. The present study further tested the FSM with baseline data from 343 custodial grandmothers (Mage = 58.5 years) enrolled in a clinical trial of the efficacy of interventions for improving the well-being of their families. Not only was this “help-seeking” sample atypical of prior FSM studies, but also unique to the present study was our addition of multiple parenting practices, self-reported and clinical ratings of grandmothers’ distress, and reports of grandchildren’s internalizing and externalizing difficulties from grandchildren and grandmothers. Mplus 7.31 was used to test a model where the effect of grandmother distress on grandchildren’s internalizing and externalizing difficulties was hypothesized to be indirect through five distinct parenting practices. The findings regarding both the measurement and structural models fit the observed data well, and invariance was largely found across grandchildren’s gender and age (4–7 vs. 8–12). Although grandchildren’s self-reported internalizing and externalizing difficulties were unrelated to grandmothers’ distress and parenting practices, the grandmothers’ reports of these outcomes were generally related to their own distress and parenting practices as hypothesized. However, considerable variation was found across the five parenting practices in terms of their relationships to the other FSM constructs. We conclude that data from multiple informants and measures of assorted parenting practices are essential to future research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate organic matter (POM) transiting through rivers could be lost to overbank storage, stored in-channel, added to by erosion or autochthonous production, or turned over to release greenhouse gases to the atmosphere (either while in the water column or while stored in the channel). In the UK, a net loss of POM across catchments has been recorded, and the aim here was to investigate the balances of processes acting on the POM. This study considered records of suspended sediment and POM flux in comparison to stream flow, velocity, stream power, and residence time for the River Trent (English Midlands, 8,231 km2). We show that for the lower two thirds (106 km) of the River Trent, 2% is lost to overbank storage; 10% is lost to the atmosphere in the water column; and 31% is turned over while in temporary storage. Permanent in-channel storage is negligible, and for the lower course of the river, material stored in-channel will have a residence time of the order of hundreds of days between the last flood hydrograph of one winter and the first winter storm of the next winter (usually in the same calendar year). When considered at the scale of the UK, 1% POM in transit would be lost to overbank sedimentation; 5% turned over in the water column, and 14% turned over while in temporary storage. In the upper third of the study river channel, there is insufficient stream power to transport sediment and so in-channel storage or in-channel turnover over to the atmosphere dominate. The in-channel processes of the River Trent do not conform to that expected for river channels as the headwaters are not eroding or transporting sediment. Therefore, the source of sediment must be lower down the channel network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latent variable modeling is a popular and flexible statistical framework. Concomitant with fitting latent variable models is assessment of how well the theoretical model fits the observed data. Although firm cutoffs for these fit indexes are often cited, recent statistical proofs and simulations have shown that these fit indexes are highly susceptible to measurement quality. For instance, a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) value of 0.06 (conventionally thought to indicate good fit) can actually indicate poor fit with poor measurement quality (e.g., standardized factors loadings of around 0.40). Conversely, an RMSEA value of 0.20 (conventionally thought to indicate very poor fit) can indicate acceptable fit with very high measurement quality (standardized factor loadings around 0.90). Despite the wide-ranging effect on applications of latent variable models, the high level of technical detail involved with this phenomenon has curtailed the exposure of these important findings to empirical researchers who are employing these methods. This article briefly reviews these methodological studies in minimal technical detail and provides a demonstration to easily quantify the large influence measurement quality has on fit index values and how greatly the cutoffs would change if they were derived under an alternative level of measurement quality. Recommendations for best practice are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Adult influenza vaccination rates remain suboptimal, particularly among African Americans. Social norms may influence vaccination behavior, but little research has focused on influenza vaccine and almost no research has focused on racially-specific norms. This mixed methods investigation utilizes qualitative interviews and focus groups (n=118) and national survey results (n=1643) to assess both descriptive and subjective norms surrounding influenza vaccination. Qualitative results suggest a perceived descriptive norm that 'about half' of the population gets vaccinated. Participants describe differing norms by race and vaccine behavior. Quantitative results confirma perceived descriptive norm that 40-60% of the population gets vaccinated. Both African Americans and Whites accurately identified race-specific vaccination rates relative to the general population. Individuals who report that a majority of people around them want them to be vaccinated were significantly more likely to be vaccinated, suggesting subjective norms are influential for both White and African American adults. While perceived descriptive norms are somewhat accurate (mirroring the actual influenza vaccination rate), emphasizing a suboptimal vaccination rate may not be beneficial. Health promotion efforts, particularly those targeting African Americans, may benefit from focusing on subjective norms and encouraging friends and family members to talk about the benefits of influenza vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine some key errors that influence the validity of scientific inquiry in the social and behavioral sciences, emphasizing the need for researchers to be attuned to the varied sources of error. We discuss error beyond simple inferential processes inherent in null hypotheses testing, for example. and broaden the scope of influences in the modeling process, from model specification, to model evaluation, modification, and comparison as well as the dissemination process. From this broadened perspective on the myriad possible sources of error, error management becomes a multipronged endeavor that involves all persons contributing to the peer-review bedrock of scientific inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Structured means analysis is a very useful approach for testing hypotheses about population means on latent constructs. In such models, a z test is most commonly used for testing the statistical significance of the relevant parameter estimates or of the differences between parameter estimates, where a z value is computed based on the asymptotic standard error estimate associated with the parameter of interest. In the current article, a series of population analyses demonstrate that the z tests for latent mean structure parameters or, more directly, the standard error estimates upon which those z tests are based are, not invariant to how factors are scaled. As such, circumstances exist in which latent mean inference is compromised solely as a result of scaling decisions. This problem is illustrated in the context of between-subjects (i.e., multisample) latent means models and within-subjects latent means models. Recommendations for practice are also offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the two-way factorial design in analysis of variance, the current article explicates and compares three methods for controlling the Type I error rate for all possible simple interaction contrasts following a statistically significant interaction, including a proposed modification to the Bonferroni procedure that increases the power of statistical tests for deconstructing interaction effects when they are of primary substantive interest. Results indicate the general superiority of the modified Bonferroni procedure over Scheffé and Roy-type procedures, where the Bonferroni and Scheffé procedures have been modified to accommodate the logical implications of a false omnibus interaction null hypothesis. An applied example is provided and considerations for applied researchers are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present types of constructs, individual- and cluster-level, and their confirmatory factor analytic validation models when data are from individuals nested within clusters. When a construct is theoretically individual level, spurious construct-irrelevant dependency in the data may appear to signal cluster-level dependency; in such cases, however, and consistent with theory, a single-level analysis with a correction for dependency may be appropriate. Regarding cluster-level constructs, we discuss two types—shared and configural—and present appropriate validation models. Illustrative validation analyses with individual, shared, and configural constructs are provided using empirical data as well as simple simulations demonstrating the spurious effects that can occur with nested data. The article concludes with future directions to be examined in construct validation in multilevel settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although differences in goodness-of-fit indices (ΔGOFs) have been advocated for assessing measurement invariance, studies that advanced recommended differential cutoffs for adjudicating invariance actually utilized a very limited range of values representing the quality of indicator variables (i.e., magnitude of loadings). Because quality of measurement has been found to be relevant in the context of assessing data-model fit in single-group models, this study used simulation and population analysis methods to examine the extent to which quality of measurement affects ΔGOFs for tests of invariance in multiple group models. Results show that ΔMcDonald’s NCI is minimally affected by loading magnitude and sample size when testing invariance in the measurement model, while differences in comparative fit index varies widely when testing both measurement and structural variance as measurement quality changes, making it difficult to pinpoint a common value that suggests reasonable invariance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the special issue titled “Advances in Quantitative Research Methods to Further Research in Education and Educational Psychology.” It starts by framing the context for the contributions to the special issue by highlighting some important signposts that marked the development of analytic methods facilitating inferences on change and change processes. Next it underlines how the analytic methods that are the focus of the articles could help expand further the array of questions that researchers in education and educational psychology are able to tackle. The article concludes by providing brief overviews of the main aspects discussed in each of the 8 contributions included in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although missing data are often viewed as a challenge for applied researchers, in fact missing data can be highly beneficial. Specifically, when the amount of missing data on specific variables is carefully controlled, a balance can be struck between statistical power and research costs. This article presents the issue of planned missing data by discussing specific designs (i.e., multiform designs, longitudinal wave-missing designs, and 2-method measurement designs), introducing the power and cost benefits of such scenarios to applied education and educational psychology researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report investigates the prediction of labor force status using observed variables, such as gender, age, and immigrant status, and more importantly, measured skill variables, including literacy proficiency and a categorical rating of educational attainment based on the 1994 International Adult Literacy Survey ( IALS), the 2003 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey ( ALL), and the 2011 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies ( PIAAC) projects. We explored the regression relations in the past two decades for six trend countries and subnational regions that provide data for all assessments: the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada's English-speaking region, and Canada's French-speaking region. Probit regression models with latent predictors were used in this cross-sectional study to investigate how those variables are structurally related to labor market outcomes. Results show the importance of literacy proficiency and education in determining individuals' labor force status across countries/regions, but with key differences among these countries/regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work presents a mathematical framework for representing the functional dependency among the model statistics to: (1) help better understand data-model fit, (2) explicate the nature and degree of relations among both prospective model modifications and already free model parameters, and (3) develop a software package to help visualize model fit and modification, and in turn embed this within a more thoughtful and informed post hoc structural equation modeling process. Structural equation model modification following unsatisfactory data-model fit, while common practice, typically involves little to no understanding of those modifications' interrelations/redundancy nor of their potential impact on free parameters already an active part of a model. [Extracted from the article]

Although classical statistical techniques have been a valuable tool in second language (L2) research, L2 research questions have started to grow beyond those techniques' capabilities, and indeed are often limited by them. Questions about how complex constructs relate to each other or to constituent subskills, about longitudinal development in those constructs and factors affecting that development, and about differences among populations in average amounts of complex constructs or in their relations require a broader analytical framework. Fortunately, that of structural equation modeling (SEM), a versatile and ever-expanding family of techniques, is able to accommodate such questions and many more. The current article describes some of the questions that can be addressed by SEM, presents some research examples within the existing L2 literature, and then provides examples of the incredible potential of SEM, cautions in its practice, and resources for further information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latent growth curve models with piecewise functions are flexible and useful analytic models for investigating individual behaviors that exhibit distinct phases of development in observed variables. As an extension of this framework, this study considers a piecewise linear–linear latent growth mixture model (LGMM) for describing segmented change of individual behavior over time where the data come from a mixture of two or more unobserved subpopulations (i.e., latent classes). Thus, the focus of this article is to illustrate the practical utility of piecewise linear–linear LGMM and then to demonstrate how this model could be fit as one of many alternatives—including the more conventional LGMMs with functions such as linear and quadratic. To carry out this study, data (N = 214) obtained from a procedural learning task research were used to fit the three alternative LGMMs: (a) a two-class LGMM using a linear function, (b) a two-class LGMM using a quadratic function, and (c) a two-class LGMM using a piecewise linear–linear function, where the time of transition from one phase to another (i.e., knot) is not known a priori, and thus is a parameter to be estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over the last decade and a half, latent growth modeling has become an extremely popular and versatile technique for evaluating longitudinal change and its determinants. Most common among the models applied are those for a single measured variable over time. This model has been extended in a variety of ways, most relevant for the current work being the multidomain and the second-order latent growth models. Whereas the former allows for growth function characteristics to be modeled for multiple outcomes simultaneously, with the degree of growth characteristics' relations assessed within the model (e.g., cross-domain slope factor correlations), the latter models growth in latent outcomes, each of which has effect indicators repeated over time. But what if one has an outcome that is believed to be formative relative to its indicator variables rather than latent? In this case, where the outcome is a composite of multiple constituents, modeling change over time is less straightforward. This article provides analytical and applied details for simultaneously modeling growth in composites and their constituent elements, including a real data example using a general computer self-efficacy questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]