Links for 8/5/10

Felicia LeClere

Data sharing is a bit like going to the dentist. We can all agree that it is a good thing to do and intrinsic to good scientific practice. In reality, however, researchers tend to view data sharing with a mix of fear, contempt, and dread…

Christopher J. Ferguson

I'm the first to acknowledge a certain absurdity at the core of the self-esteem movement and the implication that competition is harmful and children so delicate that any failure will be horribly crushing rather than an opportunity for learning and growth. However, the notion that children are so malleable that the self-esteem movement, or anything else, could twist them into an antisocial horde is equally absurd.

There's nothing wrong with examining narcissism rates over time. It's an interesting question. Yet once we start throwing sneering labels around and started talking about "epidemics" and "crises," we have left the realm of science and entered that of polemics and pseudoscience…

Were a narcissism epidemic truly striking the United States, we ought to be seeing signs of it, but we're not…

John Cassidy

the puzzling finding that the kindergarten effect on wages seems to grow over time. (See Figure 6F.) From 2000 to 2003, those people who attended a below-average kindergarten class earned very similar wages to those who attended an above-average kindergarten class. But between 2003 and 2007, the typical discrepancy in annual wages grew to $508. How does this fit in with the rest of the researchers’ argument? Perhaps it gels, but it also seems to be consistent with a story about innate differences in ability and aptitude that the market gradually uncovers and values.

Rick Hess

In fact, the Title I Monitor reported last week that the Department of Education has developed an intriguing new definition of courage when it comes to state and district leadership. I used to think that courageous leaders made tough decisions to identify waste, streamline budgets, and plan ahead. But ED is now telling state and district leaders that real courage is to stop thinking so much, spend ARRA dollars FAST, and focus on keeping bodies on the payroll. This is a pretty big shift from the old instructions that districts should make "strategic investments" and keep an eye on the funding cliff. Hmmm... I'm sure this is all about "the kids."…

courage sure is a lot more fun when it means "indulge."