Archive for March, 2008
Sex recognition by pupfish: who are female mimics fooling?
Species, sex and mate-quality recognition are vital to maximizing individual reproductive success. In male Comanche Springs pupfish (Cyprinodon elegans), small males have morphological and behavioral characteristics similar to females. Female mimicry may allow them to avoid aggression by larger territorial males and garner matings in a large males territory. However, selection is predicted to favor large males ability to discriminate against female mimics as they may usurp fertilizations in a males territory and potentially eat eggs fertilized by the territory owner. Results of a field study conducted at Balmorhea State Park, Balmorhea, TX show that territorial males behaviorally discriminate based on size and sex. They are more aggressive to large males than to female mimics. Additionally, territorial males discriminate against female mimics, directing more aggressive behaviors to female mimics than similarly sized females. These results suggest that female mimicry may not be an effective tactic for small males. However, as female mimics garner little aggression when a large male intruder is also present, they will potentially gain opportunities to spawn if large males commonly intrude into males territories. These results imply that complex interactions among males expressing alternative mating tactics may have important evolutionary consequences in fitness for both territorial males and female mimics.
Parental discipline in adolescent development: The role of guilt and shame
The tendency to experience the moral emotion of guilt is an important aspect of human development. The experience of guilt preserves relationships after a real or perceived wrongdoing by motivating individuals to repair the situation or apologize (Eisenberg, 2000). But immoral acts do not always elicit guilt in individuals. Oftentimes people experience other emotions, such as shame, after a transgression. However, the experience of shame brings about self-focused behaviors, such as avoidance, rather than reparation (Eisenberg, 2000). Therefore, it is evident that the tendency to experience guilt is critical in the formation and preservation of relationships. Some insight on how to foster guilt development in children can be extremely useful for parents. One way parents may be able to foster guilt in children is by employing appropriate discipline techniques. However, research examining a link between parental discipline and the self-conscious moral emotions has been scarce. Most of the work that has been done focuses on young children. Prior research has shown that inductive discipline and/or guilt development in childhood leads to positive outcomes, such as higher levels of empathy and prosocial behavior (Gibbs, 1996). The current study emphasizes the importance of examining such links in adolescence, as well.
It is crucial to understand how entering adolescence affects the links that have previously been shown to exist between parental discipline and guilt in children. In addition, it is important to know whether the experiences of inductive discipline and/or guilt in adolescence lead to the same positive outcomes as they do in childhood. The current study utilized measures of parental discipline (Loeber, Stouthamer-Loeber, van Kammen & Farrington, 1991 and Holden & Zambrano, 1992), guilt and shame (Tangney, Wagner, & Gramzow, 1989), empathy (Davis, 1983), and prosocial behavior (Carlo & Randall, 2002). 112 adolescents (M age = 15.88 years, SD= 1.35 years, 55.4% Caucasian) in urban Pennsylvania public high schools completed the measures in paper-and-pencil questionnaire format with the aim of broadening the scope of research on these topics. › Continue reading
Mars Rovers in Middle School
We have developed an innovative curriculum using one sixth replicas of the rovers currently on Mars. Each student receives hands-on experience by performing missions in a simulation program. These missions allow students to relate to the process of controlling the actual rovers. Furthermore, students have an opportunity to remotely program and control the replicas in a realistic Martian landscape created in the basement of a middle school. Programming robots in this landscape is the centerpiece of a technology curriculum in all four middle schools in the Allentown School District as well as a summer and Saturday program at Lehigh University.