A mobile app that uses neurofeedback and multi-sensory learning methods improves reading abilities in dyslexia: A pilot study.

Reading comprehension is difficult to improve for children with dyslexia because of the continuing demands of orthographic decoding in combination with limited working memory capacity. Children with dyslexia get special education that improves spelling, phonemic and vocabulary awareness, however the latest research indicated that special education does not improve reading comprehension. With the aim of improving reading comprehension, reading speed and all other reading abilities of children with dyslexia, Auto Train Brain that is a novel mobile app using neurofeedback and multi-sensory learning methods was developed. With a clinical study, we wanted to demonstrate the effectiveness of Auto Train Brain on reading abilities. We compared the cognitive improvements obtained with Auto Train Brain with the improvements obtained with special dyslexia training. Auto Train Brain was applied to 16 children with dyslexia 60 times for 30 minutes. The control group consisted of 14 children with dyslexia who did not have remedial training with Auto Train Brain, but who did continue special education. The TILLS test was applied to both the experimental and the control group at the beginning of the experiment and after a 6-month duration from the first TILLS test. Comparison of the pre- and post- TILLS test results indicated that applying neurofeedback and multi-sensory learning method improved reading comprehension of the experimental group more than that of the control group statistically significantly. Both Auto Train Brain and special education improved phonemic awareness and nonword spelling.

A test of Hirschi's social bonding theory: a comparison of male and female delinquency.

In this study, Hirschi's social bonding theory is employed to identify what aspects of the theory can explain male and female delinquency and whether social bonding variables can equally explain male and female delinquency (generalizability problem) in a developing society, Turkey. The data include a two-stage-stratified cluster sample of 1,710 high school students from the central districts of Ankara, the capital of Turkey. The findings suggest that social bonding variables play a more important role for male students than for female students. Furthermore, they indicate that components of the social bonding theory can equally explain both male and female delinquent acts.

A test of Hirschi's social bonding theory: juvenile delinquency in the high schools of Ankara, Turkey.

Travis Hirschi's social bonding theory has mostly been tested in the West. In this study, the theory is tested on juvenile delinquency in a developing country, Turkey. Data were gathered from 1,710 high school students in Ankara by using two-stage stratified cluster sampling. Factor analysis was employed to determine the dimensions of juvenile delinquency (assault, school delinquency, and public disturbance), and regression analysis was used to test the theory. Similar to some other traditional societies, the social bonding theory plays an important role in the explanation of juvenile delinquency in Turkey.

Classic strain theory and gender: the case of Turkey.

A test of classic strain theory on gender in relation to assault, school delinquency, and public disturbance is investigated in high schools in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Data for the study, including class variables, involve a two-stage stratified cluster sample of high school students. The findings show that various strain and class measures do not appear to be associated consistently with delinquency and gender, except for perceived blocked opportunity for females. The effects of strain and class variables on delinquent acts are similar for both genders, except for the middle social class of males. The most striking finding is that social class is associated positively with juvenile delinquency: Lower-class youth are less likely to commit assault, school delinquency, and public disturbance.

Determinants of youth smoking--evidence from Turkey.

This paper investigates the determinants of smoking among middle- and high-school students in Ankara, Turkey. Data were collected from 4800 students in the second semester of the 1997-98 academic year to investigate substance use prevalence among young people. In addition to classical independent variables, factors which are not frequently used in the literature--such as school type, neighborhood, family religiosity, and factors reflecting the cultural background of the students--are included in the analysis. The results of binomial logistic regression offer evidence for the effects of school type, a smoking-related attitude, presence of a stepmother, father's use of alcohol, sister and brother who smoke, student's alcohol use, and participation in art activities.