bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review of Data on the Health Sector of the United States
Authors: Hellander Ida
Published: May 2005

This report presents data on the state of U.S. health care in mid-2000. It provides information on the number of uninsured and underinsured (with special attention to health coverage among Hispanics and drug coverage among seniors); the increasing costs of health care; inequalities in the socioeconomic, health, and medical spheres; and the role of corporate money in health care. Recent data are presented on the pharmaceutical industry (with special notes on drug industry lobbying, drug safety, the use of publicly funded research to boost industry profits, and drug marketing to physicians) and the hospital and nursing home industries (including Medicare HMOs). The author also summarizes the health proposals of the presidential candidates, recent health care legislation, and some health system changes in Canada.
The Effectiveness of Course Web Sites in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Comunale Christie L. , Sexton Thomas R. , Voss Diana J. Pedagano
Published: May 2005

This article describes an exploratory study of the educational effectiveness of course Web sites among undergraduate students in accounting and graduate students in business statistics. We measured Web site visit frequency, the usefulness of each Web site feature, and the impacts of the Web sites on perceived learning and course performance. Graduate students visited the Web site significantly more often than did undergraduate students. In both groups, students rated course note availability and access to grades most useful and, relative to men, women felt that the Web site added more to their learning. Undergraduate students who visited the Web site more often and graduate students who found the discussion board more useful also perceived that the Web site contributed more to their learning. Finally, the graduate (but not the undergraduate) students who visited the Web site more often also performed better in the course.
Introduction: Objectives and Purposes of the Study
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: May 2005

This article introduces a series of research projects (carried out by the International Network on Social Inequalities and Health) focused on the impact of politics on policy and the consequences for health and quality of life, an area that has been understudied in the social science literature. The introduction describes the conceptual model that guided the research, centered on the study of how political parties and social agents (such as trade unions) affect social inequalities and mortality indicators through labor market and welfare state policies. The major theme of this research is whether political and social interventions matter in health policy and health outcomes. The introduction also describes the different types of research projects carried out by the International Network at the national levels (among OECD countries) and at the regional and local levels (in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Sweden). This Journal issue presents the multinational study and the U.K. case study; the next issue will include the Italian, German, Spanish, and Swedish case studies and the summary and conclusions.
A Case Study of Project-Based Computer Instruction in One Middle School
Authors: Swartz James , Balkin Richard , Phillips Madelyn
Published: May 2005

The intent of this study was to locate a school that used computers within the curriculum rather than as an ancillary supplement to instruction. It is a study of best practices at one middle school. A case study method was used in order to create an account of how teachers used multimedia computer technology. Six different teachers were observed in the computer lab. Interviews were conducted with the teachers, the computer lab coordinator, and middle school principal. Documents were collected, with the majority of the documents being student projects such as Web pages, PowerPoint presentations, brochures, and newsletters. Member checks, peer debriefing, data and researcher triangulation, and an audit trial were used to enhance the trustworthiness of the data. According to teachers and evidence of student work, it seemed that students who do not normally perform well in class, performed better in the computer lab.
Evaluating Outcomes in a Substance Abuse Training Program for Southeast Asian Human Service Workers: Problems in Measuring Change Cross-Culturally
Authors: Amodeo Maryann , Robb Nancy
Published: May 2005

The following article describes the evaluation challenges faced in a cross-cultural substance abuse training program. Non-Southeast Asian instructors designed and taught courses for Cambodian and Vietnamese human service workers over a two-year period. Although cultural considerations were a central focus in the design of the program, instructors underestimated the difficulty of modifying standard questionnaires for use with Southeast Asian participants. As a consequence, the formal evaluation process had limited benefit but several insights were gleaned through alternative evaluation methods.
From Secrets to Science: Technical Writing, Utility, and the Hermetic Tradition in Agricola's De Re Metallica
Authors: Longo Bernadette
Published: May 2005

Technical writing is rooted in books of Hermetic secrets and mining lore. Hermetic texts, written in the early centuries A.D., were based in experiential/experimental knowledge of illiterate people and were written as recipes for manipulating nature. Set against the legitimate, text-based academic knowledge of the time, this proto-scientific knowledge was called “secret” to give it authority through revelation. In the mid-1500s, Agricola combined the traditions of Hermetic secrets and handbooks to compile mining lore into De Re Metallica, in which he sought to write clearly and simply, illustrate information with graphics, and rationalize the use of occult knowledge based on its utility. This early technical text paved the way for philosophers, such as Francis Bacon, to legitimate scientific knowledge based on experience/experiments as being more “beneficial” for social organization than knowledge based on a priori textual authority and speculation in the then-dominant Scholastic tradition.
Cyberhood Connections: Educational Webmasters and Designing Hypermedia Environments
Authors: Bowman Joseph
Published: May 2005

As access to the Internet grows, educators are defining how to use its resources for classroom instruction, alternative education models, and as an instructional tool that supports student learning and achievement. The Center for Urban Youth and Technology (CUYT) has developed a design model that introduces educators, teachers, and students to hypermedia and the Internet. The basis for the CyberHood initiative is a concern about the economic and educational conditions in urban cities and a belief in the potential of technology to support and improve the same. Working collaboratively with an Internet web company (the Aframian World Enterprises) and a school-to-work program (Youth Construction Initiative Program) at the University at Albany, our research focused on development of an educational hypermedia model for instruction and design.
Privatization in French Health Politics: Few Projects and Little Outcome
Authors: Steffen Monika
Published: May 2005

The author presents the main features of the organization of the French health care system, revealing an important mixture of public and private actors and institutions and a large number of political restraints that oppose resistance to privatization. In spite of traditional references to “liberal medicine” and recurrent debates opposing public and private intervention, neither the doctors nor the political decision makers have really supported the few projects that have been proposed for privatization or liberalization of health care. On the contrary, the cost-control policy introduced growing State intervention and new management methods into the health care sector, whose actors were not used to it. The privatization and liberalization debates appear as a rhetoric necessary to accommodate these difficult changes.
The Role of Visual Mental Imagery in the Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Hodes Carol L.
Published: May 2005

Subjects who were given imagery instruction prior to receiving the stimulus material required significantly more time to learn the material. The additional time indicates imagery use. The instructed subjects also had significantly faster retrieval time on a recognition posttest. Thus, there is an inverse relationship between learning time and retrieval time for imaged information. The posttest scores of the instructed subjects were not significantly higher than the uninstructed subjects. The two groups also had similar perceptions of their use of mental imagery. Mental imagery is proposed as a technique to help reduce the speed-accuracy tradeoff during performance. Imagery needs to be investigated further as a type of task-specific processing, since it involves deeper information processing than other cognitive strategies.
Attitudes and Experiences of Death Workshop Attendees
Authors: Kubler-Ross Elisabeth , Worden J. William
Published: May 2005

Attendees at workshops and lectures given by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross were asked to complete a questionnaire which assessed the following: 1) First death experience, 2) Present conceptualization of death, 3) Anticipated reactions to a personal terminal illness, 4) Resources in managing one's own death, and 5) Difficulties experienced in working with dying persons. The 5,274 questionnaires were coded and analyzed. In addition to reporting frequencies of response, this paper reports significant differences according to the age, sex, religious and professional affiliation of the respondants.
Mental Health in Primary Care Training and Practice: An Innovative Approach
Authors: Adams George L. , Cheney Charles C. , Tristan Michael P. , Friese Janice , Schweitzer Laurence R.
Published: May 2005

The need to augment the number of primary care physicians throughout the nation has been well documented. Moreover, there is increasing recognition of the importance of mental health in primary care practice. The authors present a working definition of primary care practice, discuss the role of mental health in primary care, and describe an innovative program developed in Houston which integrates primary care mental health training into the education of primary care physicians and mental health professionals.
Nutribusiness: An Aspect of the Political Economy of Persistent Hunger
Authors: Omawale
Published: May 2005

The failure of nutrition programs to significantly impact on the prevalent hunger in underdeveloped countries is attributed to nutribusiness. This term conceptually links the activities of profit-motivated capita list enterprises to the continuous generation of poverty and hunger. The actors are all part of a hierarchy dominated by multinational corporate interests and including bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, nutrition institutes, and nutrition professionals at various levels. Although many lower-level nutrition workers are unwittingly caught up in the system, most of the higher-level professionals are conscious of their roles, which they selfishly perform for personal advancement. The Philippine nutrition system is examined as an example of nutribusiness, albeit in a very obvious and extreme form On the available evidence, the conclusion is drawn that in countries dominated by capitalist production, nutrition activities amount to nutribusiness. Consequently, the elimination and prevention of persistent hunger in underdeveloped countries must start with their disengagement from the world capitalist system and their pursuit of socialist transformation.
Robots in Education: The Current State of the Art
Authors: Lees David , Lepage Pamela
Published: May 2005

This article describes how robots are currently being used in education. First, the limitations of robotics technology are discussed and the current research aimed at addressing these limitations is described. Next, we explore three ways that robots are being used in the classroom. They can be used to teach basic concepts (especially in math and physics), or to assist disabled students with manipulation during classroom activities, and finally, as objects of study. In the last section, we explore the effectiveness of this technology. Since robots have been more difficult to develop than people had expected, they are still not readily available today. However, some robotics technology does exist and is currently being used by educators. This article discusses the current uses of robots and examines the future potential of this technology.
Integrating Professional Ethics into the Technical Writing Course
Authors: Hall Dean G. , Nelson Bonnie A.
Published: May 2005

As communication teachers attempting to bridge the gap between school and industry, we need to give students a true understanding of what it means to be a professional. We may be spending too much time trying to get them to write and speak like professionals without also imbuing them with sufficient understanding of their responsibilities to behave as professionals. Students need to be practiced in the communication and decision-making situations they will encounter in their workplaces. These decisions involve ethical reasoning as well as technical problem solving. Teaching students to appreciate the consequences of their recommendations, through the use of fault-trees and cost/benefit analyses in realistic simulations, effectively bridges the gap between the classroom and boardroom. A sample situation is explained and analyzed for its use in any technical communications class.
Using the Arts and Literature in Health Education
Authors: McDonald Marian , Antunez Giovanni , Gottemoeller Megan
Published: May 2005

The article explores and defines how the arts and literature can be used to advance health education. The authors examine the historical role of the arts and literature in social change, and more recently in educational and clinical settings. The use of the arts and literature in health education is examined in relationship to health education theory. Six ways the arts and literature can be utilized in health education practice are delineated, with numerous recent examples. The authors discuss the growing body of health promotion experience which draws on cultural vehicles, including examples of evaluated programs. The authors discuss the relevance of the arts and literature for health education in urban settings, arguing that the arts can serve to promote diversity and build unity. The article concludes with lessons from using the arts to conduct community assessment in a Latino community in metropolitan New Orleans.
Differential Effectiveness of Three Color Treatments in Learning Geometric Concepts via Computer-Guided Teaching
Authors: Hativa Nira , Teper Avigdor
Published: May 2005

This study examined the differential effects of three color treatments incorporated into microcomputer software on the learning of geometric concepts by students with differential aptitudes. The color treatments were: monochrome, functional (the use of color for cueing), and nonfunctional (the indiscriminate use of color). The experimental software provided teachers with a detailed lesson outline to be used with one large-screen monitor for whole-class instruction using the discussion or recitation method of teaching. Ninth-grade students ( N = 109) were randomly assigned to the treatment groups. All students answered two aptitude tests, two geometric pretests, two geometric immediate posttests, the same posttests administered one month later, and an attitude questionnaire. All three experimental forty-minute lessons were delivered by the same teacher using the same software varying only the color treatment. Results revealed significantly better immediate and delayed learning of the functional group over both other groups with the low-aptitude students benefitting the most from the cueing provided by the functional-color software. Although high-aptitude students did not benefit more from the functional treatment than from the other two treatments, they showed the most positive attitudes toward this treatment whereas low aptitude students did not show any preference for the color system involved.
Disability Theory and Public Policy: Implications for Critical Gerontology
Authors: Kennedy Jae , Minkler Meredith
Published: May 2005

Current gerontological theories and aging policy often fail to acknowledge the social and economic consequences of disability in later life, while disability theories and policies tend to focus only on the employment impacts of disability in younger populations. This article attempts to apply a critical gerontology framework to aging and disability issues. The authors review theoretical models of the disablement process, and note the primacy of environmental factors. The production and distribution of disability are assessed, using both social epidemiology and political economy insights. The authors examine the linkage of disability and work impedance and the consequences in disability programming, giving special consideration to inherent age, gender, and racial biases. Some of the historical antecedents of disability stigma in aging populations are also identified. The article concludes by suggesting that analysts and policymakers who wish to address the tremendous social and economic inequities that accompany aging and disability should look to the principles put forth by the independent living movement and to recent work on the moral economy of interdependency over the life course.
Social Cognition and Social Competence in Childhood through Adolescence
Authors: Kurdek Lawrence A.
Published: May 2005

This article reviews theory and research as well as conceptual and methodological problems regarding the nature and development of social cognition, the nature and assessment of social competence, and the linkages between social cognition and social status.
A Model of High Plains and Intermountain Stockraising Settlement Systems
Authors: Kornfeld Marcel
Published: May 2005

A general model of stockraising settlement systems on the High Plains is presented. Major characteristics of cattle and sheep ranching as these activities have been practiced for the past century are discussed. The presentation of this model is necessary because a large body of archaeological information is currently being collected on the remains of stockraising activities which needs an interpretive framework. This model is designed to serve this purpose.
The Use and Health Consequences of Shift Work
Authors: Baker Dean
Published: May 2005

The amount of shift work has increased dramatically in all industrialized nations during the past 30 years. In the United States, more than one-quarter of workers do shift work. The proportion of shift workers is highest in service and large-scale, capital-intensive industries. Shift work has spread subsequent to the rise of industrialization and the development of large corporations. It is used primarily to maximize the profits of the owners of these industries. On the other hand, it has substantial social and economic costs in terms of the ill health of shift workers. They suffer significantly more sleeping disturbances, nervous troubles, and disturbances of the alimentary tract. They also report disruptions in their family and social lives.

The adverse consequences of shift work could be decreased by designing physiologically and socially appropriate shift schedules and by providing necessary additional services for shift workers. Unfortunately, these changes will be inadequate unless they are accompanied by efforts on the national level to restrict the use of shift work. Workers must push for laws restricting shift work to industries where it is technically necessary. Since shift work is really only one manifestation of the increasingly complex social and technical organization of work forced on workers in the drive to maximize profits, they must ultimately act together to gain control over their working conditions.
Using an Interactive Computer System to Teach Statistical Methods in Education
Authors: Caffarella Edward P.
Published: May 2005

The introductory graduate level educational statistics course at the University of Maine at Orono is taught using an interactive computer system. The students enter the course with no skills in educational statistics nor any skills in the utilization of computers. By the end of the course, the students are proficient in basic statistical techniques used in educational research and in the use of the computer to calculate the statistics. The major computer packages utilized include MSUSTAT Interactive Statistical Analysis Package and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.
The Development of a Skinnerian Based Expert System for Use in a Computer Managed Instructional Feedback System
Authors: Terrell Steven R.
Published: May 2005

This article describes efforts to include an expert system software package, based on the theories of B. F. Skinner, into a computer managed instructional system. The purpose of the system is to provide meaningful feedback to students concerning their achievement status on a weekly basis. The process for the development of the system is discussed as well as results in light of the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Conclusions are drawn that suggest that behaviorist techniques can be incorporated into instructional software at a level higher than the traditional task specific feedback.
A Worksite Strategy in Coronary Heart Disease Prevention
Authors: Meillier L. K. , Petersen Lisbeth G. , Sørensen Finn
Published: May 2005

A strategy in heart disease prevention at worksites was developed based on target group analysis on determinants of health behavior among Danish men. The target group analysis provided information on credibility problems and negative attitudes toward health education. Men operate with more knowledge types and direct their health behavior toward experiential knowledge rather than theoretical knowledge. The strategy aims at the needs of the target group by focusing on experiences and action-oriented information at individual and social levels. Supportive environments and policies within the areas of smoking, dieting, and exercising are sought to be established at the organizational level.
Process Highlighters in a Computer Simulation: Facilitation of Theory-Oriented Problem Solving
Authors: Chandler Terrell N. , Chaillé Christine
Published: May 2005

This experiment investigates whether or not process highlighters, incorporated in a computer simulation, facilitate the knowledge representation of early adolescent children. Process highlighters are perceptual cues (usually visual) that are designed to focus attention toward critical features of events and processes occurring in a problem domain. The two questions addressed in this study are: a) do process highlighters increase the percentage of subjects who employ theory-oriented explanation?, and b) do process highlighters increase the percentage of subjects who demonstrate an understanding of the concept presented in the simulation? Thirty-two twelve-year-old children from two middle schools played a computer game about light reflecting off flat mirrors, presenting the physical law that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Each child played either the game with process highlighters or the game without process highlighters for forty minutes. Three independent evaluators analyzed each subject's transcript to determine his/her mode of explanation (random, concrete, or hypothetical) and also the level of understanding (none, preliminary, or good). The results indicate that the use of process highlighters is positively correlated with the subject's level of understanding, but is less conclusive with respect to encouraging students to use theory-oriented problem solving. The results are interpreted with respect to clarifying the relationship between a student's understanding of a concept and his or her expressing that understanding in concrete or hypothetical terms.
The Mediated Museum: Computer-Based Technology and Museum Infrastructure
Authors: Sterman Nanette T. , Allen Brockenbrough S.
Published: May 2005

Computers, video, and interactive multimedia offer new options for representing, exploring, and interpreting museum collections. Museums are entering a new era of computer-based tools and techniques. This article examines the challenge of integrating the objects that visitors expect to see and touch, with media-based orientation and interpretation. Several examples of current uses of computers and media in museums are discussed. In addition, a proposal is made for employing hypermedia paradigms as the basis for using computers and media to integrate museum functions. Two scenarios illustrate the potential of such a system.
North American Paleoindian Bi-Beveled Bone and Ivory Rods: A New Interpretation
Authors: Pearson Georges A.
Published: May 2005

This article gives an inventory of North American Paleoindian osseous points and bi-beveled rods. Quantitative and qualitative information is gathered and compared. Present and past hypotheses on the possible uses of bi-beveled rods are reviewed and individually critiqued. The particular physical characteristics of bi-beveled rods are then used to interpret their function. Based on the compiled information, a new hafting method for Clovis points is put forth that links the attributes of bi-beveled rods to a specific role within this system. This new hypothesis suggests that bi-beveled rods were tied facing each other around a Clovis point and a main shaft as part of composite clothes pin-like foreshafts.
The Selective Task Trainer: The Expert Solution
Authors: Gerson Charles W.
Published: May 2005

The current focus on using simulators for sustainment training in the squadron or unit is targeted toward an expert user. Past research on the physiology of motor skills, retention, part tasking, the “crutch effect,” automaticity skills, “generative” expert knowledge and ethnographic information support a new simulator design. A comparison of the novice to expert relationship illustrate the differences in performance skill needs. Current part tasking design technology does not support the expert's performance needs. However, new hardware and software technology can provide a low cost, high fidelity solution to the design of unit training devices. The proposed alternative in simulator design is called a selective task trainer. The characteristics of the selective task trainer include high physical and functional fidelity. Significantly lower cost and transportability allow the selective task trainers to be used in multiple player systems for local or long haul networking. The major shift in design focus is from a single high fidelity simulator with supporting part task man-in-the-loop devices to a set of four or more high fidelity devices. This design can be implemented without incurring a significant increase in cost when compared to the current costs of high fidelity simulators. Stand alone or networked operation of a set of devices provides ample opportunity for squadron or unit personnel to sustain a higher level of performance skill within a more realistic multi-ship tactical environment.
Technology in the Educational Finance Course: Computer Use, Faculty Training, and Teaching Strategies
Authors: Garland Virginia E.
Published: May 2005

Professors of educational finance who use state-of-the-art technology can effect positive change in both curriculum and pedagogy. Computer applications for the fiscal management and leadership of schools are both available and valuable. The degree to which faculty members are skilled in computer hardware and software applications is a key factor in shaping the finance course content and teaching strategies. Yet, the results of a national study of 148 professors indicate that mainframe and microcomputer applications are usually not included in the school finance course content. The level of faculty training can be raised through participation in university workshops and by the support offered by the computer industry. Suggestions for teaching software applications in school finance classes range from creating budget spreadsheets in the microcomputer laboratory to conducting project planning activities on mainframe computers.
Women and Children at Risk: A Feminist Perspective on Child Abuse
Authors: Stark Evan , Flitcraft Anne H.
Published: May 2005

Viewing child abuse through the prism of woman battering reveals that both problems originate in conflicts over gender identity and male authority. Data indicate that men, not women, typically commit serious child abuse. A study of the mothers of child abuse victims shows that battering is the most common context for child abuse, that the battering male is the typical child abuser, that the battered mothers have no distinctive pathology in their backgrounds, and that clinicians respond punitively to the battered mothers. The child abuse establishment assigns responsibility for abuse to mothers regardless of who assaults the child, and responds punitively to women, withholding vital resources and often removing the child to foster care, if women are battered or otherwise fail to meet expectations of “good mothering.” The combination of male control, misleading psychological knowledge about women's propensity for “bonding,” and sanctions used to enforce gender stereotypes of motherhood combine to increase the entrapment and inequality from which battering and child abuse originate, a process termed “patriarchal mothering.” The best way to prevent child abuse is through “female empowerment.”
Feeling-Expression Ratings by Psychotherapist as Predictive of Imagery Therapy Outcome: A Pilot Study
Authors: Morrison James K. , Heeder Robyn
Published: May 2005

Thirty-eight clients undergoing fifteen sessions of emotive-reconstructive therapy were divided into two groups (“feeling-expressive” and “non-feeling expressive”) according to therapist ratings of their expression of feelings in the first session of therapy. These ratings were predictive of therapy outcome as reflected in the increase of positive self-attributions on a self-report measure, the semantic differential. Generally, the first session's expression of feelings by clients thus predicted a significantly more positive outcome than the non-expression of feelings. Some implications for therapy and research are discussed.
Durkheim's Suicide and the Question of Intention
Authors: Pine Vanderlyn R.
Published: May 2005

Durkheim dismissed “intention” and “motives” from his conceptual framework in his effort to analyze suicide as a social fact He also rejected psychopathic states, heredity, and other “extra-social” factors as possible causes of suicide on the basis of statistical information available to him. This paper examines the way in which Durkheim worked out his position on the social conditions he regarded as responsible for suicide, and discusses some of the major problems involved. It is argued that Durkheim did not achieve the consistent position for which he strived, and that his methods did not always parallel his views on the use of “intention.”
The Middle to Late Woodland Transition in Maryland
Authors: Curry Dennis C. , Kavanagh Maureen
Published: May 2005

In far western Maryland, the Middle Woodland is marked by a probable Ohio Valley influence. The Late Woodland appears directly related to expansion of Monongahela groups in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Great Valley represents a buffer area between coastal and western groups during the Middle Woodland. During the Late Woodland, occupation by northeastern and northwestern populations overlaps in the Great Valley. In the Blue Ridge and Monocacy Valley, there appears to be no resident Middle Woodland population, and occupation is restricted to Coastal groups exploiting rhyolite. This is followed by a Late Woodland expansion of northern Owasco-related groups. Except for along the Potomac, die Eastern Piedmont appears to have been virtually uninhabited throughout the Middle and Late Woodland periods. On the Western Shore of the Coastal Plain, the Middle Woodland is represented by the Selby Bay complex, with an apparent concentration in the Patuxent drainage. The population appears fairly sedentary, and in situ development to Late Woodland Townsend groups is likely.
Suicide Rates of Men and Women: An Instance of their Independence
Authors: Diggory James C. , Lester David
Published: May 2005

In sixty-eight U.S. Census Tracts the suicide rates for men and women are predicted by different sets of demographic variables. For men the predictive efficiency is higher with fewer variables than for women. Also, male and female suicide rates are located at widely separated points in factor-space.
Assessment of Attitudes toward Death and Dying: A Critical Review of Some Available Methods
Authors: Kurlychek Robert T.
Published: May 2005

A wide variety of methods have been employed in attempting to measure attitudes toward death. The purpose of this paper is to present a critical overview of the methods currently available to the researcher. Sample items and normative data, as well as considerations for measurement selection, are presented.
On Meaningful Measurement: Junior College Pupils' Anxiety towards Computer Programming
Authors: Choo Mooi Lee , Cheung K. C.
Published: May 2005

This article reports the use of Rating Scale Analysis on a computer programming anxiety instrument which was designed for use by teachers to identify and diagnose a student's level and forms of computer programming anxiety. This instrument comprised three subscales: “Errors,” “Significant Others” and “Confidence,” with the former two measuring state anxiety and the latter trait anxiety. The subscales are of Likert type and have been normed on a sample of 200 Computer Science students from Junior Colleges (Grade 12) in the Republic of Singapore. The article seeks to illustrate the possibility of obtaining quantitative anxiety measures with qualitative interpretation. The recommended diagnostic procedures can be readily programmed and implemented on a microcomputer system.
Psychosocial Work Environment and Health in U.S. Metropolitan Areas: A Test of the Demand-Control and Demand-Control-Support Models
Authors: Muntaner Carles , Schoenbach Carrie
Published: May 2005

The authors use confirmatory factor analysis to investigate the psychosocial dimensions of work environments relevant to health outcomes, in a representative sample of five U.S. metropolitan areas. Through an aggregated inference system, scales from Schwartz and associates' job scoring system and from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) were employed to examine two alternative models: the demand-control model of Karasek and Theorell and Johnson's demand-control-support model. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the two models. The two multidimensional models yielded better fits than an unstructured model. After allowing for the measurement error variance due to the method of assessment (Schwartz and associates' system or DOT), both models yielded acceptable goodness-of-fit indices, but the fit of the demand-control-support model was significantly better. Overall these results indicate that the dimensions of Control (substantive complexity of work, skill discretion, decision authority), Demands (physical exertion, physical demands and hazards), and Social Support (coworker and supervisor social supports) provide an acceptable account of the psychosocial dimensions of work associated with health outcomes.
Assessment: A Keystone to Geriatric Care
Authors: Zimmer Anne Wilder
Published: May 2005

Geriatric care is emerging in importance and will continue to be a priority until late into the twenty-first century. Demographers report that there are more older Americans, particularly in the oldest group. Although chronic illness can develop at any age, it is clearly associated with advancing years and particularly with the group of advanced age, eighty and older, that is growing so rapidly. The health care system, traditionally designed to be responsive to acute care needs on an episodic basis, is attempting to make the changes that are needed, but generally is responding in an ad hoc manner rather than by careful comprehensive analysis and planning. In order to foster a more rational approach to the changes in the health care system, comprehensive assessment of the older patient must be considered a critical component of geriatric health care.
The Technical Writer as Naturalist: Some Lessons from the Classics
Authors: Losano Wayne A.
Published: May 2005

The contemporary technical writer, who often must fill the current demand for environmental impact statements and similar environmentally oriented documents, can perhaps benefit from reading the works of some of the classic naturalists such as William Bartram, Henry Walter Bates, and Charles Darwin. These early writers show an ability to present concretely detailed observations of flora and fauna without sacrificing readability and without losing touch with the natural world under observation. The best technical writing today can combine essential efficiency with sensitive treatment of environmental subjects.
How Well Informed are Australian General Practitioners about Adolescent Suicide? Implications for Primary Prevention
Authors: Smith David I. , Scoullar Kylie M.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

To investigate the extent of knowledge of Australian general practitioners (GPs) in terms of critical information about adolescent suicide.

Method:

GPs knowledge about adolescent suicide was assessed using the 39-item Adolescent Suicide Behaviour Questionnaire (ASBQ), distributed to all GPs listed on the Medical Practitioners Board register of the Australian state of Victoria. Forty-three percent of GPs ( n = 1694) completed and returned the survey.

Results:

GPs scored, on average, 71 percent of the questionnaire items correct. The mean level of incorrect and uncertain responses was 14 percent and 15 percent, respectively. However, there were wide differences in the number of correct scores between individual GPs, with some respondents scoring as few as four items correct and others as many as 38 items correct. Analysis of knowledge rates within ABSQ content domains showed that GPs were generally well informed about adolescent suicide in relation to precipitating factors, and less well informed about the remaining content domains.

Conclusions:

Australian GPs are, in general, moderately well informed, and are in a unique position to identify those at risk and to provide appropriate intervention (or referral). However, there is considerable variability in the accuracy of beliefs about adolescent suicide, with some GPs demonstrating excellent knowledge levels but others holding little accurate information. The extent of this variability in knowledge is a cause for concern. Findings highlight the need for ongoing education of GPs as an essential component of prevention strategies for youth suicide.
Identifying Risk Factors for Drug Abuse among Portuguese Speaking Youth in the Boston Area: A Preliminary Assessment Using Key Informant Networks
Authors: Carlini-Cotrim Beatriz , Coelho Gelma Lucia
Published: May 2005

This article presents the results of a key-informant mail survey conducted with thirty-nine community leaders and local workers of the three main groups of the Boston area Portuguese speaking community, namely Brazilians, Cape Verdeans, and Portuguese. They were asked to rank on the questionnaire the frequency with which some youth problems—identified in the literature as risk factors for substance abuse—were present in the community. Six of the ten most cited problems were family-related, such as inter-generational cultural differences, poor family management skills, and social isolation of family.
Perceptions of Health and Seeking Care: The Experience of Midlife Women in Ain Al-Basha, Jordan
Authors: Al-Qutob Raeda , Majali Sawsan , Massad Diana , Toukan Oraib , Schmidt Amy B.
Published: May 2005

Women's health in the developing world should not be limited to measuring morbidity and mortality, but understanding why women may or may not seek care for their health complaints. This article explores what are the health complaints of midlife women and why women choose to seek health care for some complaints, but not for others. The intention here is to better understand what factors might be influencing these women's decisions, and what the health care system can do to address their needs. The percentage of women in this community seeking health care for their perceived health complaints was found to be highly variable, ranging from 100 percent of the women with cancer seeking care to 6 percent of the women with signs of urinary incontinence doing the same. The authors suggest why women treat some conditions and not others is dependent upon women's perception of health, illness and a host of sociocultural and environmental factors.
A Methodological Study to Develop and Validate a Death Attitude Scale: Buddhists and Medical Students Compared
Authors: Saunders Sue
Published: May 2005

This study aimed to develop and validate a death attitude scale which would be applicable to Christians, non-Christians, and atheists alike. A sample of 147 medical students and a sample of 115 Buddhists completed a fifty-six-item questionnaire in order to empirically test generality across samples. Four conceptual aspects of death and dying were investigated. The results of three principle components analyses provided evidence for three of the a priori labeled factors: Fear and anxiety about death and dying; Fear and anxiety about personal extinction; and Positive attitude to death and dying. Seventeen items which loaded satisfactorily across both samples were retained for the orthogonal three factor solution. Construct validity was considered to be high and reliability was found to be good. This study provided empirical support for at least two orthogonal factors requiring further attention from thanatological researchers. Results highlighted the importance of sampling non-Christian populations; of sampling populations who have experience of aspects of death and dying and of using questionnaire items which have no religious bias.
Is Screening and Brief Advice for Problem Drinkers by Clergy Feasible? A Survey of Clergy
Authors: Anderson Philip A. , Grey Scott F. , Nichols Charlotte , Parran Theodore V. , Graham Antonnette V.
Published: May 2005

Routine screening for alcohol abuse in primary care, with brief advice to stop drinking for those screening positive, can detect individuals with alcohol problems and reduce alcohol use and alcohol induced problems in those detected. Not everyone with alcohol problems sees a physician regularly, however, and not all respond to a physician's brief advice. To explore the feasibility of expanding screening for alcohol problems to clergy, we did a mailed survey to 315 clergy at Christian churches in Cleveland, Ohio. Clergy reported a variety of views about alcohol use and abuse, but most agreed that alcoholism is a disease. They indicated counseling a significant number of parishioners, and were receptive to learning brief screening questions to detect alcohol problems. We conclude that many clergy would be interested in a strategy of screening and then giving brief advice or referral to individuals found to have alcohol problems.
A Computer-Based Learning Strategy Training Module: Development and Evaluation
Authors: Hythecker Velma I. , Rocklin Thomas R. , Dansereau Donald F. , Lambiotte Judith G. , Larson Celia O. , O'Donnell Angela M.
Published: May 2005

A learning strategies training module was developed which combined the strengths of computer-assisted instruction and cooperative learning. The effectiveness of this computer-assisted cooperative learning (CACL) training module was assessed. Results revealed that strategy training with this module enhanced performance on free recall tests compared to studying without an imposed strategy. Analysis of a post-experimental questionnaire supported the idea that the CACL module provided the most effective environment for learning.
Evaluating Minimal Intervention Health Promotion in a Clinical Context
Authors: Spoth Richard L. , Dush David M. , Conley Maryann
Published: May 2005

This article has two objectives. The first objective is to summarize the evaluation of a minimal intervention cardiovascular health promotion program offered to a sample of forty-seven persons having percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty procedures. The second objective is to highlight several issues concerning the utility of small-scale program evaluation in a clinical context, as exemplified by this study. Results of a four month follow-up evaluation of the intervention showed significant findings in the areas of knowledge gain and lifestyle behavior change; these findings are illustrated through binomial effect size displays. The study failed to demonstrate statistically significant results on several measures of physiological and self-reported risk factors. Difficulties in interpreting results due to methodological limitations raise issues concerning the utility of conducting program evaluation efforts with limited resources. Dilemmas often confronted in small-scale evaluation projects and the importance of considering their relative, practical utility are discussed.
Locus of Control among Computer-Using School Children: A Report of a Pilot Study
Authors: Louie Steven , Luick Anthony H. , Louie Judith L.
Published: May 2005

Forty-six high SES school-aged children (aged nine to fifteen) participated in a prototypical after-school and summer computer camp provided by an independent non-profit research laboratory. Following an initial sixteen-hour exposure to Logo and Bank Street Writer, children twelve years of age or less were found to minimally shift towards an internal locus of control (paired 1-tailed t-test significant at .03), as measured pre and posttest with the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control (LOC) Scale for Children. The LOC scale was chosen as an operationalization of Papert's concept of “empowering children” via microcomputer interaction. Because prior research on LOC has associated an internal LOC with positive learner attributes (such as the ability to delay gratification, persist on task, greater tendencies toward beneficial social interaction, less dogmatism, academic competence, social maturity, and possibly a correlate of independent, striving, and self-motivated behavior), it was felt that such an investigation could assist researchers in more clearly distinguishing between the reaction of different groups towards technology as a tool. Treatment consisted of a semi-structured sixteen-hour microcomputer experience in a class/lab environment. Software used in the study was restricted to Logo and Bank Street Writer. Classification of the LOC instrument by topic and response suggests that even highly internal-scoring children do not regard “planning” as an important process leading to successful outcomes in life. The relationship of this finding to a recent study conducted by Bank Street College utilizing Logo is discussed.