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The current work investigates whether language dominance predicts transfer of skills across cognitive-linguistic levels from the native language (Spanish) to the second language (English) in bilingual preschoolers. Sensitivity to cognates ("elephant/elefante" in English/Spanish) and metalinguistic awareness (MLA) have both been shown to transfer from the dominant to the nondominant language. Examining these types of transfer together using a continuous measure of language dominance may allow us to better understand the effect of the home language in children learning a majority language in preschool. Forty-six preschool-aged, Spanish-English bilinguals completed English receptive vocabulary and metalinguistic tasks indexing cognate effects and MLA. Language dominance was found to predict crosslinguistic (cognate) facilitation from Spanish to English. In addition, MLA skills also transferred from Spanish to English for children with lower English proficiency, and no transfer of MLA was evident for children with higher English proficiency. Altogether, findings suggest that transfer from a dominant first language to a nondominant second language happens at linguistic and cognitive-linguistic levels in preschoolers, although possibly influenced by second language proficiency. The current study has implications for supporting the home language for holistic cognitive-linguistic development.

This study was designed to evaluate the classification accuracy of the Memory module for the Inventory of Problems (IOP-M) in a sample of real-world patients. Archival data were collected from a mixed clinical sample of 90 adults clinically referred for neuropsychological testing. The classification accuracy of the IOP-M was computed against psychometrically defined invalid performance. IOP-M ≤30 produced a good combination of sensitivity (.46-.75) and specificity (.86-.95). Lowering the cutoff to ≤29 improved specificity (.94-1.00) at the expense of sensitivity (.29-.63). The IOP-M correctly classified between 73% and 91% of the sample. Given its low cost, ease of administration/scoring in combination with robust classification accuracy, the IOP-M has the potential to expand the existing toolkit for the evaluation of performance validity during neuropsychological assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine how differences in language experience and sociolinguistic context impact cognitive control, 146 Spanish-English bilingual participants were tested on a non-linguistic Stroop arrows task. Dimensions of language experience included a continuum of L2 proficiency, exposure, age of L2 acquisition, and English receptive vocabulary, along with cognitive non-verbal reasoning. Sociolinguistic context varied with more exposure to Spanish for participants in Southern California (SoCal) than in the Midwest. The task involved perceptual stimulus-stimulus conflict within stimulus features (e.g., right-pointing arrow on the left side of a display). Reaction times to trials where arrow location and direction matched (congruent), mismatched (incongruent), or arrow location was centered (neutral) were used to calculate Stroop (incongruent-congruent), facilitation (neutral-congruent), and inhibition (incongruent-neutral) effects. When examining performance on a continuum of bilingual language experience, individual differences in linguistic background (i.e., L2 proficiency and exposure, receptive vocabulary) and cognitive abilities (i.e., non-verbal reasoning abilities) predicted more efficient performance on the Stroop task. Across sociolinguistic contexts, findings revealed better performance via smaller Stroop and facilitation effects in the Midwest than in SoCal, and no group difference on the inhibition effect. We conclude that research on the cognitive consequences of bilingualism must consider a continuum of language experiences and must be situated in broader naturalistic contexts that take into account the sociolinguistic environments of language use.

This study investigates the effect of geographic distance on students' distance learning experience with the aim to provide tentative answers to a fundamental question--does geographic distance matter in distance education? Using educational outcome data collected from an online master's program in Geographic Information Systems, this study calculates the distance between students' residences and the program location, and employs three hierarchical multiple regression models to examine how well geographic distance can predict a student's online learning performance, satisfaction with the program, and length of time to complete, when controlling for other relevant factors. Our research findings provide empirical evidence to support the claim that the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has in fact overcome the potential barriers that may be associated with distance in education and has provided an effective bridge between students and educational programs. The study also reveals interesting discoveries regarding the relationship between students' distance learning experience and certain student characteristics such as age, gender, and previous academic achievement.

Peer grading affords a scalable and sustainable way of providing assessment and feedback to a massive student population, and has been used in massive open online courses (MOOCs) on the Coursera platform. However, currently there is little empirical evidence to support the credentials of peer grading as a learning assessment method in the MOOC context. To address this research need, this study examined 1825 peer grading assignments collected from a Coursera MOOC with the purpose of investigating the reliability and validity of peer grading as well as its perceived effects on students' MOOC learning experience. The empirical findings proved that the aggregate ratings of student graders can provide peer grading scores that were fairly consistent and highly similar to the instructor grading scores. Student responses to a survey also show that the peer grading activity was well received as the majority of MOOC students believed it was fair, useful, beneficial, and would recommend it to be included in future MOOC offerings. Based on the empirical results, this study concludes with a set of principles for designing and implementing peer grading activities in the MOOC context.

The Suicide Status Form-IV (SSF-IV) is the measure used in the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). The SSF-IV Core Assessment measures various domains of suicide risk. Previous studies established a two-factor solution in small, homogeneous samples; no investigations have assessed measurement invariance. The current investigation sought to replicate previous factor analyses and used measurement invariance to identify differences in the Core Assessment by race and gender. Adults (N = 731) were referred for a CAMS consultation after exhibiting risk for suicide. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated good fit for both one- and two-factor solutions while the two-factor solution is potentially redundant. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance held across race and gender. Ordinal logistic regression models indicated that neither race nor gender significantly moderated the relationship between the Core Assessment total score and clinical outcomes. Findings support a measurement invariant, one-factor solution for the SSF-IV Core Assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Perfectionism is a common transdiagnostic problem that may lead to substantial distress and functional impairments. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for perfectionism. However, the existing significant barriers to access and utilization of mental health services, including among college students, demand the development of low‐intensity accessible interventions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a low‐intensity CBT‐based self‐help gamified app developed specifically for perfectionism in a sample of college students. Methods: Participants completed assessments of perfectionism, related symptoms, emotional burden and functional impairments at pretreatment, posttreatment and at one‐month follow‐up. Results: Compared with the waitlist condition (n = 35), the app condition (n = 35) demonstrated a significant and greater reduction in perfectionism, obsessive‐compulsive symptoms, functional impairments and subjective ratings of emotional burden. Conclusions: Results suggest that a brief, daily app‐based game‐like intervention targeting maladaptive perfectionistic beliefs may be a viable, low‐cost alternative to traditional CBT treatments for vulnerable populations on college campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Virtual Hope Box (VHB) is a smartphone application designed to support emotion regulation when one is distressed, in a crisis, or experiencing suicidal ideation (SI). Initial proof of concept studies indicate that individuals are more likely to use the VHB than traditional hope boxes, and find it both easy to setup and helpful. To our knowledge, no studies have harnessed ambulatory assessment methodology to assess VHB use as it relates to incidence of suicidal thinking. Methods: As such, we recruited N = 50 undergraduates who endorsed SI either the past year or past 2 weeks to complete a 10‐day investigation. At baseline, participants were oriented to the VHB and instructed on how to use the application. Over the next 10 days, participants responded to prompts five times per day on their personal smartphones regarding their current experiences of SI and stress as well as VHB usage. Results: Results found that most participants used the VHB at least once, rated its usefulness as high, and rated their perceived likelihood of future use as high. In addition, increases in state SI severity were related to subsequent VHB use. Conclusion: The VHB may be a useful tool for managing crises in undergraduates experiencing suicidal thoughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]