Dr. Vanessa R Rainey

Summative assessment practices reveal whether students ultimately are successful in learning what we teach. In this chapter, we explore current insights about what summative practices reveal about effective teaching and learning in psychology’s international contexts. We define summative practices and distinguish summative strategies from formative approaches, followed by discussing administrative concerns that help determine summative design choices. We offer exemplars at both the course and program levels to optimize gains from assessment for students and teachers alike. We identify the psychometric factors that influence the quality and success of summative designs. We close with an exploration of emerging contemporary issues and some “lessons learned” to optimize gains using summative assessment in psychology contexts.

Language brokers may be different from typical bilingual children, making them a unique group to study and to inform theories of language development. Based on evidence from developmental neuroscience, a large portion of brain development is influenced by environmental stimulation and circumstances, such as language brokering. To understand the biological underpinnings of these developments, researchers have begun to examine general cognitive developments in frequent language switcher. Within the literature on the socioemotional development of language brokers, findings have been mixed regarding advantages and disadvantages. Little attention has been given to developing a macroscopic, holistic view of the language broker across childhood and adolescence. Families with low-frequency language brokering duties reported fewer internalizing behaviors based on parental report, higher ethnic belonging and affirmation, and less likelihood to use alcohol, tobacco, or other substances compared to the high-frequency brokers. Language brokering children grow up in unique household environments.

This chapter explores the formation of stereotypes in children, particularly negative stereotypes that children hold about others. Theoretical views about stereotype formation in children are presented, and evidence from developmental studies on racism and ageism is summarized. Empirical research is also provided in an attempt to address unanswered questions about negative stereotype formation in children. Commonalities in the development of stereotypes will be drawn, with implications given about the course of
stereotype development, and how children's reliance on stereotypes can be lessened.