Yes, it’s a slow news day. But here are a few nits worth
picking.
It’s often a cheapshot when someone complains “we didn’t
need a study” to confirm fact X or theory Y. But, I am
amazed that two research psychologists thought they
were adding useful information to our nation’s efforts to
improve education with a study on how self-discipline
affects academic achievement. As the Washington Post
reported, on Jan. 17, 2006 (with no note of irony), the
team of Angela L. Duckworth and Martin E.P. Seligman
say:
“Underachievement among American youth is
often blamed on inadequate teachers, boring
textbooks, and large class sizes. We suggest
another reason for students falling short of their
intellectual potential: their failure to exercise
self-discipline. . . . [emphasis added]
“We believe that many of America’s children
have trouble making choices that require them
to sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term gain,
and that programs that build self-discipline may
be the royal road to building academic achievement.”
Predicting Academic Performance of Adolescents,” Psycho-
logical Science, Vol. 16: 12, Page 939 (Dec. 2005).
D&S believe you can teach self-disicpline, but many experts
are skeptical about that, and about just what they were actually
measuring in their study. (see the Comments at the British Psy-
chological Society Research Digest weblog, Dec. 9, 2005).
The WP says Duckworth is teaching her 4-year-old daughter
self-discipline and delayed gratification at home, by allowing
her only one piece of Halloween candy per day.
Our two cents: (a) yes, of course, if your work more at some-
thing, or show up at all, you’ll almost always do better; (b) SD
won’t beat IQ in an environment where virtually everyone has
self-discipline; (c) SD beats IQ at many schools because the
academic standards are so low — learning a few facts that you
wouldn’t know without studying earns you good grades; and
(d) the Halloween candy meanie is creating a Candy Sneak,
and maybe a Candy Addict.
copy.This afternoon, however, talking about real estate prices in
one community, the announcer twice said [close paraphrase]
“If you sold your house there, now, you probably couldn’t
afford to buy another one.”
Am I missing something? Didn’t the seller’s house also go
up in price, before he went to buy another one down the street?
Copy editor, where were you? Anchorperson?
Blawg Balawney: I was pleased that Jonathan B. Wilson included
our essay “let’s make the word ‘blawg’ obsolete” in Blawg Review #41
today. However, Jonathan, like the Editor of Blawg Review last week,
seems to confuse “the rise of blawgs by lawyers wishing to promote
their practices” with an increased acceptance of “blawg” terminology.
As we said in our update to the Essay, “Perhaps, they both attended
the Strawman Night School of Legal Advocacy.”
from the Blawg Review #41 list. And, thanks for highlighting the
like google but has the added advantage of sending your personal
information directly to the government for their perusal.”
While we’ve been fretting over little things,
football, to basketball, to baseball and more:
booed
i’m just happy
somebody cares
the roar of the crowd
through a transistor radio…
summer solitude
last second field goal
my bookie
wins again
touchdown
momentum shifts
to the bookie
rain delay
the length of the lines
at the stadium restrooms
long rebound
crossing mid-court
she crosses my mind
Indiana farm
one tractor
three hoops
nude beach
the jet ski instructress
tells me to “concentrate”
“rain delay” – games (pawEprint 78, Nov. 2004)
Our local public radio station usually has intelligent news
