bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Cognitive Appraisal, Locus of Control, and Level of Exposure on the Computer Anxiety of Novice Computer Users
Authors: Crable Elaine A. , Brodzinski James D. , Scherer Robert F. , Jones Phillip D.
Published: May 2005

With the mass introduction of computers in the workplace researchers have spent considerable time, over the last two decades, investigating methods to effectively integrate this technology into the daily routines of employees at all levels within the organization [1–3]. An exogenous variable, and precursor to introduction of computers, is computer anxiety [4–6]. Computer anxiety is generally defined as an anxious response by the individual to the anticipated or actual contact with computers [7].

This article examined the relationship of cognitive appraisal, locus of control, prior exposure, and computer anxiety. It was hypothesized that an individual's appraisal of a computing situation, whether the person was internally or externally focused, and their prior experience with computers would affect their level of computer anxiety as measured by the Computer Concerns Questionnaire. A stepwise multiple regression was performed and the results indicated that cognitive appraisal and exposure were significant predictors of computer anxiety. The authors conclude that early assessments of a novice user's appraisal of the situation should be used to tailor training programs to the specific individual's needs.
Youthful Drug Abuse: The Problem and Program
Authors: Drysdale Emil J.
Published: May 2005

This article describes the recent dramatic change in the drug-using population. While the drug user was formerly confined to a small segment of our society, he may now be from any level, any group. The range of drugs now used is also discussed, and emphasis is placed on the increasingly young age at which drug use is beginning. After giving a brief background of New York State's narcotics program, the article describes the new directions the program is taking, particularly in regard to youthful drug abuse, one of its top priorities. Local communities are advised on development of programs which will be appropriate to their needs, and outlines two publications for communities wishing to develop programs for youthful drug abusers. Emphasis is placed on the need for total involvement among local and state agencies if effective programming is to be developed and carried out.
The University Experience Course: A Longitudinal Study of Student Performance, Retention, and Graduation
Authors: Williford A. Michael , Chapman Laura Cross , Kahrig Tammy
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between participation in an extended orientation course and student academic performance, student retention, and student graduation. Ten years of participants in Ohio University's freshman “University Experience” course were compared with comparable nonparticipants. In the comparison of student academic performance, the effects of students' prior academic achievement and students' measured academic aptitude were controlled. First-year retention and four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates were compared. In most years of the study, participating students' year-end GPAs were higher than nonparticipants‘, retention rates were higher, and four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates were higher. The purpose of the course is to help students adjust to the demands of the university environment and develop long-term academic skills, which these results support. Student motivational effects are also discussed.
Three Year Follow-up Drug Survey of High School Youth in a Typical Georgia School
Authors: Arthur Gary L. , Sisson P. Joe , Nix George C.
Published: May 2005

This is the third survey undertaken to assess changes in knowledge and attitudes concerning drugs among students from a Columbus, Georgia, high school. Survey results were contrasted to the 1971 and 1974 studies. In addition, the same population was polled on actual drug usage. The results revealed that 56 per cent of the student body possessed knowledge of the drug culture. However, there was a continuing reduction in awareness from the previous surveys, with one exception, marijuana. A major finding of the study was that only 3 per cent of the students had tried hard drugs and none were regular users. Seventy-nine per cent of the students reported having tried alcohol with 3 per cent being regular users, while 52 per cent reported having tried marijuana with 7 per cent being regular users. The survey also indicated that 25 per cent of the students smoke cigarettes daily. The survey tends to show a continued softening of youth attitudes toward authority, a desire for a course in drug education, a drop in use of hard drugs, but an increase in student use of marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes.
The Goal of Abstinence: Implications for Drug Education
Authors: Chng Chwee Lye
Published: May 2005

Drug Education in the schools today has “failed.” After more than a decade of intensive efforts, these programs have made no significant impact on the “drug problem.” In this paper the goal of abstinence will be discussed as one of the contributory factors for this “failure.” Implications of such a goal for society at large, the school, the drug educator, and the student in the classroom will also be explored.
Phenomenological Structuring of the Adult Lifespan as a Function of Age and Sex
Authors: Shanan Joel , Kedar Hannah S.
Published: May 2005

The hypothesis that increasing differentiation in the phenomenological structure of the lifespan can be expected to occur during adolescence and early adulthood, stabilization during adulthood and a process of de-differentiation in the later part of life, was tested on eighty Israeli participants, age sixteen to seventy-eight. They were asked to divide the course of life into periods, starting at age eleven, and to mark the range of each period. As hypothesized the younger people perceived the lifespan as more differentiated (divided into more periods) whereas older people perceived it in a less differentiated way. There was consensus among the different age groups in their perception of the different stages of development. The earlier stages were viewed as more differentiated whereas the later periods were viewed in a more global way. In addition, women tended to perceive the lifespan as somewhat more differentiated than men; they also tended to perceive the pace of life as more rapid.
Quality, Quantity, and Age: The Careers of Ten Distinguished Psychologists
Authors: Simonton Dean Keith
Published: May 2005

The longitudinal relationship between quality and quantity of productive output is examined over the careers of ten recipients of the Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award. Four alternative models of this relationship-expertise-acquisition, youthful-enthusiasm, peak-age, and constant-probability-of-success-yield distinctive predictions regarding 1) how the ratio of major contributions to total output changes as a career advances and 2) the developmental association between major and minor works over consecutive time periods. The quality of a publication was assessed by the citations it earned in the professional literature. The results endorsed the constant-probability-of-success model (both across and within careers). Not only does confirmation of this model provide support for Campbell's blind-variation-and-selective-retention theory of creative thought, but it additionally has important implications for understanding the role of age and chance in the careers of successful psychologists.
Searching for Information on-Line and off-Line: Gender Differences among Middle School Students
Authors: Roy Marguerite , Taylor Roger , Chi Michelene T. H.
Published: May 2005

There has been a national call for increased use of computers and technology in schools. Currently, however, little is known about how students use and learn from these new technologies. This study examines how students search for, browse, and learn specific information when performing an on-line (Web) versus an off-line (Library) search. Twenty-eight eighth grade students between the ages of 13 and 14 were randomly assigned to one of the two search conditions (Web or Library), each balanced by gender. All participants significantly improved their knowledge of the target question (“How do mosquitoes find their prey?”) from pre-test to post-test. The Web was superior to the Library in supporting students search for target-specific information. There was an interaction in which boys in the Web condition learned more target-specific and target-related information than the girls. Several related findings are explored which may help explain this result.
The Politics of Underdevelopment: Metered to Death—How a Water Experiment Caused Riots and a Cholera Epidemic
Authors: Pauw Jacques
Published: May 2005

Water privatization programs in South Africa, part of a government policy aimed at making people pay for the full cost of running water (“total cost recovery”), was developed by private water companies and the World Bank to finance improved water supplies and build the country's economy. Instead the programs are causing more misery than development. Millions of poor people have had their water supply cut off because of inability to pay, forcing them to get their water from polluted rivers and lakes and leading to South Africa's worst cholera outbreak—which the government paid millions of dollars to control. Residents in some townships are rebelling, and many of the private multinational water companies are reassessing their involvement in South Africa.
Empirical Identification of Drug Abuse Prone Individuals Using Interval Banded Profile Analysis
Authors: Huba G. J. , Zachary Robert A.
Published: May 2005

This article shows how an empirical profile matching procedure applied to the MMPI of a client can be used to quantify the degree to which the client's personality profile is representative of a drug abusing group. Supplementary techniques show how reliable this judgment is and, when the individual's profile does not match a drug abuser prototype, isolates the reasons for the discrepancies. The technique can be regularly applied to MMPI profiles to screen for an “abuser-prone” personality style as well as more than forty other personality diagnostic classifications. A special automated scoring service is available for this identification.
Effects of a Controlled-Usage Alcohol Education Program Based on the Health Belief Model
Authors: Portnoy Barry
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that a controlled-usage alcohol education program had on a university population. The program was developed incorporating factors of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and persuasive communication strategies. Observation in the form of a questionnaire occurred during the second, fourth, and ninth weeks of the academic quarter. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated the overall effectiveness of the program. Univariate comparisons between experimental and control groups demonstrating statistical significance (p < .05) were behavioral intention towards responsible alcohol use and knowledge about alcohol. Discussion of the results and recommendations for further research are reported.
Beyond Trade: Taking Globalization to the Health Sector
Authors: Daulaire Nils
Published: May 2005

The pace of globalization has brought the world to the brink of a new era in international relations. While the world has outgrown traditional mechanisms for addressing global issues, it has not yet developed new forms of effective governance. This temporary void poses threats and enormous opportunities. The public health sector will play a crucial “formal” role—that is, carried out by existing bodies such as WHO and the UN. But WHO does not necessarily represent the full spectrum of views and its members necessarily work, to some degree, for separate national interests. The formal dimension must be supplemented. Globalization is not synonymous with lack of regulation. Many responsible businesses would welcome a transparent and universally applied regulatory regime to prevent a race to the lowest standards. The economic benefits of globalization may hit a glass ceiling if societies outside the global economy become progressively poorer and less healthy. The business community is recognizing that good health is essential for economic growth and social stability. Globalization may cause millions to migrate for economic opportunity. The private sector's forward-thinkers recognize the health threats of migration and are beginning to view global health promotion as a means to ensure optimal market access.
Stress and Diabetes Mellitus in Later Life
Authors: Krause Neal
Published: May 2005

Research indicates that there may be a link between stressful life events and the onset of diabetes mellitus. However, the wide majority of these studies have involved either children or adolescents. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between stress and diabetes with data provided by a recent nationwide survey of older adults. An effort is made to improve on previous work by coupling recent developments in stress measurement with the study of key coping resources (i.e., social support). Two main findings emerged from the analyses. First, stressors arising in social roles that are highly important to older adults are more strongly related to diabetes than events associated with roles that are less important. Second, social support buffers the deleterious effects of stressors in salient roles, but not life events emerging in roles that are valued less highly.
The Adolescent Alcohol Questionnaire: Its Development and Psychometric Evaluation
Authors: Gliksman Louis , Smythe Padric C. , Gorman Jan , Rush Brian
Published: May 2005

Two hundred and three elementary and secondary school students were administered a preliminary version of a questionnaire which contained measures of attitudes, motivation, behavior and knowledge associated with alcohol use and abuse. This study first describes the rationale used in selecting the specific domains for assessment and then outlines the procedure employed in generating an initial pool of items for each individual scale. These large item pools were analysed to produce shorter, more reliable and valid scales that would be useful in the evaluation of a specific alcohol education program. Finally, the generalizability of the questionnaire is discussed.
Grandma as Revolutionary: Elderly Women and Some Modern Patterns of Social Change
Authors: Roebuck Janet
Published: May 2005

Despite the disadvantages they face, women in western nations have coped very successfully with the problems of aging during the past century and, with limited material resources, have responded positively to great social and personal changes. Although women make up the majority of the elderly population, these achievements have received little attention. As we face the continued aging of the population and its attendant massive social changes in a setting of increasingly scarce resources, it is essential that all aspects of female aging be studied more closely. They may well provide us with the insights necessary to clarify our vision of the past and future and provide us with appropriate models for survival in a less-than-ideal world.
Effects of Caregiver Communication on the Outcomes of Requests in Spouses with Dementia of the Alzheimer Type
Authors: Hendryx-Bedalov Patricia M.
Published: May 2005

Three clinical and three matched nonclinical couples were studied for the effectiveness of their discourse in eliciting outcomes to requests made. Caregivers in the clinical couples were less likely to achieve successful outcomes than dominant communicators in the nonclinical couples. In studying the context for the requests, differences could not be attributed to the degree of concreteness of reference that was used by caregivers of spouses with Dementia of the Alzheimer type. More abstract and less abstract references were equally likely to be responded to by two of the three clinical couples. Differences in the styles of communication by the caregivers contributed to outcomes and reflected a self-reported degree of strain or comfort in the couples' relationships. Suggested is a method of study of outcomes that could be used in clinical assessment and intervention for nonresponsiveness and noncompliance with dementia patients.
Personality Organizations of Well-Functioning Younger People and Older Adults
Authors: Haan Norma
Published: May 2005

Person clustering of Q sort items for two longitudinal samples, studied at four periods from adolescence to middle adulthood, were generated for the sexes separately. After correlations between the resulting sixty-eight clusters showed that common personality organizations existed across time, sex, and samples, a second order clustering of the first sixty-eight was done which reduced the number of clusters to four. The first cluster represented a well-functioning organization, and comparisons were made of its hierarchial ordering of attributes between the longitudinal samples and a geriatric sample. Although both groups were dependable and productive, they diverged in the importance of intimate interpersonal relations and in their self concepts. The older people were more tender and intimate, but conserving of their own integrity, while the younger groups were more assertive and cognitively invested, as they must be to deal with their different life situations.
Differences between Smoking and Nonsmoking College Students in Their Attitudes on Tobacco Smoking
Authors: Shor Ronald E. , Williams Daniel C. , Latta R. Michael , Canon Lance K. , Shor Marilyn B.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this investigation was to study whether smokers and nonsmokers hold systematically different attitudes on tobacco smoking. Twenty-seven smoking-related Likert type attitude items were selected for analysis from a longer questionnaire that had been administered to sixty-one smoking and 246 nonsmoking college students at the University of New Hampshire. Both smokers and nonsmokers expressed highly similar unfavorable attitudes toward smoking but nonsmokers expressed those attitudes more strongly. With few exceptions the findings were found to hold over a considerable heterogeneity of item content. The hypothesis was generated that if investigators seek to find differences between smokers' and nonsmokers' attitudes that diverge from neutrality or uncertainty in different directions, they will for the most part fail. However, if they seek to find differences in the strength of such attitudes that are in the same direction of divergence, they will for the most part succeed.
How Supplemental Instruction (Si) Generates Revenue for Colleges and Universities
Authors: Congos Dennis
Published: May 2005

Many colleges and universities still do not understand how an SI program can retain tuition revenue ordinarily lost to attrition. The purpose of this article is to increase awareness of the ability of SI to generate retained tuition revenue far beyond the costs of an SI program. Furthermore, formulas are presented to help prospective and existing SI programs determine the amount of retained revenue SI can generate for individual institutions.
A Cognitive Technology to Teach Composition Skills: Four Studies with the R-Wise Writing Tutor
Authors: Rowley Kurt , Carlson Patricia , Miller Todd
Published: May 2005

Four studies examined the effectiveness of user-adaptive computer-aided instruction that explicitly models the cognitive processes of composing for developmental writers, and is integrated with classroom composition instruction. The four school-year studies were designed to build on each other, each informing design improvements to a writing tutor named Reading and Writing in a Supportive Environment (R-WISE) as well as informing subsequent research designs. The first year study ( N = 852) compared traditional classroom controls with R-WISE treatment classrooms. The second year study ( N = 1,151) compared students using R-WISE with students using a word processor. The third year study ( N = 1,277) measured the effect of the teacher's instructional style, and the level of student control over the R-WISE software, on student performance. The fourth year study ( N = 617) replicated previous studies. The treatment groups for the four studies each posted significant gains over controls on most holistic and analytical measures of writing quality. The results of testing multiple design factors of R-WISE demonstrated the efficacy of long-term evaluation and enhancement of user-adaptive writing software in a field-based context.
Predictors of Self-Reported Problems of Confusion among the Aged
Authors: Grams Armin E. , Cutler Stephen J.
Published: May 2005

Responses to questions on the 1984 Supplement on Aging to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) about the experience of personal confusion revealed that two-thirds of those interviewed reported never having an episode of confusion during the preceding year. Of those who reported episodes, fewer than one in five said they were happening with increased frequency. The many meanings of confusion found in the literature prompted a modest local study of what respondents understood by the term when asked the NHIS questions. Of those who admitted occasional confusion, almost two-thirds gave definitions that included memory loss or forgetfulness. Consequently, increased frequency of memory problems and difficulty in remembering were included with other variables in the analyses to identify significant predictors. They emerged the single best predictors of how often a respondent reported getting confused. Others were change in health status, number of functional limitations, educational attainment, and vision problems.
A Study of Aged Population and Associated Health Risks in Rural India
Authors: Yadava K. N. S. , Yadava Surendar S. , Vajpeyi Dhirendra K.
Published: May 2005

This article examines the prevalence of age-related diseases in different socioeconomic and demographic groups. The study is based on a sample of 267 aged persons (> 60 years) collected through a survey entitled “Aging and Health Conditions in Rural Area—A Sample Survey, 1990” conducted in the rural areas of the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh, a northern province of India. Various socio-behavioral factors are found to play a significant role in determining the health conditions of aged people. Also, illiteracy and poverty are found to have their own impact on health during aging. It is also noted that due to adverse familial relationships, many stress-related disorders occur which may result in the poor health of the elderly. Demands for old age pensions were made by most of the elderly people in the sample.
Differences in the Morale of Older, Rural Widows and Widowers
Authors: Scott Jean Pearson , Kivett Vira R.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of sex differences on the morale of older widowed individuals. It was hypothesized that when the direct and indirect effects of several background and intervening variables were isolated, sex would have a significant association with morale and that widowers would be more adversely affected. The sample ( N = 257) included rural widows and widowers aged sixty-five to ninety-four years who were selected by a compact cluster sampling technique. Sex of respondent was not found to affect morale; however, perceived financial status and self-rated health had significant direct effects. Widows and widowers reporting higher morale were those who had higher perceived financial status and rated their health as good. Education had a significant positive effect on morale via health and financial status. Economic and physical resources appear to be more influential determinants of the widowed older adults' morale than sex differences.
Socio-Economic Predictors of Alienation among the Elderly
Authors: Durant Thomas J. , Christian Ollie
Published: May 2005

A study of 200 older clients of senior service centers in a metropolitan area was conducted to determine their level of alienation and the extent to which selected socio-economic variables (race, education, income, health, living arrangement, church work, and volunteer work) were associated with four subtypes of alienation. Group isolation and powerlessness were found to be much more prevalent than personal isolation or normlessness. Health, race, education, and income were found to be the strongest predictors of alienation. Higher levels of alienation were found among older blacks, and those with lower health rating, lower education, and lower income, compared to their opposites. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Training Cognitive Functioning in the Elderly — Inability to Replicate Previous Findings
Authors: Papalia-Finlay Diane , Blackburn James , Davis Elizabeth , Dellmann Mary , Roberts Pamela
Published: May 2005

This study was designed to replicate Hornblum and Overton's study which trained conservation ability in elderly women [1]. Thirty-four elderly women volunteers were given a pretest battery of area and volume conservation tasks; participants also completed an extensive life history questionnaire. Conservation scores were the highest yet recorded by elderly participants. Thirty-two women received perfect conservation scores; only two were “partial conservers”; no participant was a “nonconserver.” Consequently, training was not implemented. These women had high levels of education, good health, adequate income, satisfying leisure activities, and positive attitudes about aging. Advanced chronological age does not guarantee poor conservation performance. The mechanism(s) whereby life history variables influence cognitive functioning needs to be determined.
Student Persistence in College: A Review of Research
Authors: Peltier Gary L. , Laden Rita , Matranga Myrna
Published: May 2005

This article features a review of the published research in selected areas of student persistence. The results of major studies in the areas of involvement in campus life, ethnicity, gender, age, on-campus versus off-campus residency and membership in fraternities and sororities are summarized. The areas selected indicate interests of the authors and are not necessarily the most significant factors in student persistence.
Cross-Sectional Assessment of Laboratory Variables in a Healthy Male Population
Authors: Burney Spencer W. , Bonus Louis
Published: May 2005

A cross-sectional assessment of the laboratory variables collected from healthy U. S. veterans varying in age from 24 to 84 is presented. Only a decrease in % albumin and % alpha-2 globulin fractions of the serum protein, a decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in % gamma globulin and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate are age-related by the statistical model used in this analysis. Shortcomings inherent in cross-sectional analysis and extrapolation of this data into “normals” for the population are discussed. These include such factors as non-Gaussian distribution of subgroups and secular changes between the older and younger age groups.
Teaching Decision-Making Skills to a Sixth Grade Population
Authors: Hammes Michael , Petersen Dan
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the study was to determine whether sixth grade students could learn resistance to persuasion skills (RPS) and identify those skills after viewing a videotape where child actors responded to group pressure to smoke. Also to determine if a child's self-concept and/or social status is associated with his/her ability to learn the RPS. Subjects for the study were sixth grade students ( N = 95) in four elementary schools. Two classes consisting of fifty-four subjects were randomly assigned to the control group. A randomized pretest-posttest control group design was used as the research format for the study. Data were analyzed using the Mantel Haenszel Chi Square statistic and the Analysis of Variance. Findings suggest that resistance to persuasion skills can be taught and successfully learned in a school health education environment, and that a child's self-concept and social status is not associated with learning RPS. Command of such skills may induce in young students greater independence from high pressure tactics often used by associates in social settings.
Organized Labor and Old Age Pensions
Authors: Anglim Christopher , Gratton Brian
Published: May 2005

Organized labor in the United States strongly supported pre-New Deal proposals for state pensions for the elderly. The idea that American labor, unlike its European counterparts, did not contribute to the rise of the welfare state is based on evidence from national organizations and their leaders. Review of the activities of the highly political state federations, and of the campaign for old age pensions in Massachusetts, indicates that labor, rather than middle-class reformers, was responsible for the promotion of new public welfare programs.
Schizophrenia and the Life Course: National Findings on Gender Differences in Disability and Service Use
Authors: Walkup James , Gallagher Sally K.
Published: May 2005

This article compares the social disability and service utilization across the life course of men and women with schizophrenia. Based on an analysis of data from the 1989 Mental Health Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey ( n = 376), we compare functional limitations, service utilization and social integration among younger, middle aged, and older age groups. Compared to those with manic depression, individuals with schizophrenia are more disabled, and are more socially disadvantaged. These data confirm the generally held view of schizophrenia as the most disabling mental illness, point to the very high levels of need associated with it, and emphasize the need for general health care. Findings from the multivariate analysis provide mixed support for our hypotheses. Contrary to expectations based on new findings in the literature on course and outcome in schizophrenia, disability (both service utilization and functional limitations) was greater among older and middle aged adults than among their younger counterparts. In contrast, older individuals with schizophrenia appear to be more connected to potential sources of support. From a policy perspective, those improvements in social integration which do appear with age—whether marriage for men or the ability to make and keep friends among women—have their primary impact on the quality of life of the individual, without any direct opportunity for cost saving in terms of services to the seriously mentally ill.
Identity Processes and Perceptions of the Life Span in Chronic Mental Patients
Authors: Whitbourne Susan Krauss , Sherry Michael
Published: May 2005

This study was an exploratory investigation of identity and life-span perceptions in a sample of thirty-seven chronic mental patients, ranging from twenty-three to sixty-four years of age, using the “life drawing,” a projective technique. Age differences were found in the adaptation of identity to the life experiences associated with mental illness. Individuals less than thirty years old were more likely to adopt a “patient identity”; in contrast, the over-forty years-olds adapted to their illness through denial. These differences held regardless of psychiatric diagnosis, suggesting a process of identity adaptation more general than is implied in mental disorder diagnostic systems.
Professional vs. Personal Factors Related to Physicians' Attitudes toward Drug Testing
Authors: Linn Lawrence S. , Yager Joel , Leake Barbara
Published: May 2005

Questionnaires concerning attitudes toward alcohol and drug testing in the workplace, personal experiences with these substances, professional experiences in treating abuses, religious and political ideology and other personal and professional characteristics were completed by 303 internists, family physicians, gastroenterologists and psychiatrists. Drug testing was most favored by those who more strongly believed in the efficacy of treatment for abusers, the seriousness of the drug problem, the illegality of drug abuse and that marijuana use should not be permissible. Many other personal but almost no professional characteristics were correlated with attitudes toward drug testing. Physicians' opinions about drug testing strongly reflected personal ideologies rather than medical training or clinical experience.
Helping Parents to Become the “Potent Force” in Combating and Preventing the Drug Problem
Authors: Cohen Stuart Joseph
Published: May 2005

There is a growing recognition that parents can be a “potent force” in preventing drug abuse. At the same time, parents themselves who have become disenchanted and disillusioned with previous drug prevention efforts, have begun to organize into their own groups and assert their own authority to prevent drug abuse. They are beginning to turn to educational institutions for assistance, guidance and education. Therefore, there is a need to develop and implement courses and/or workshops in parenting and education for parenthood, as it relates to preventing drug abuse. This article presents a topical outline and suggestions for parents which can be utilized in a formal course and/or workshop.
Computer Attitudes, Gender and Exploratory Behavior: A Developmental Study
Authors: Fletcher-Flinn Claire M. , Suddendorf Thomas
Published: May 2005

Three studies were conducted which examined computer attitudes, and the effect of particular gender views on exploratory behavior. In the first study, preschool children were interviewed about their computer attitudes before and after an interactive storybook session. The results showed a high level of computer awareness, with boys holding more gender-stereotypical views, and experience did not seem to alter these beliefs. Those holding cross-gender beliefs about computers (mainly the girls) were more restrictive in their exploration of the software. In the other two studies, a questionnaire was used to assess computer attitudes among high school students. All held positive views with gender differences of degree but not kind. Few students held gender-stereotypical beliefs, although, there was a consensus that females were less proficient with computers. Unlike the preschoolers, the exploratory behavior of the older students was not related to attitudes. The results suggest that affirmative action programs are working within the high schools, but the provision of more female role models is considered to be important in helping to bridge the computer gender gap. Because gender attitudes about technology are formed early, these efforts need to include the very young.
Drinking Myths: A Guided Tour through Folklore, Fantasy, Humbug & Hogwash
Authors: Dolan Joseph S.
Published: May 2005

“Drinking Myths” entertains as you learn why America has so many drinking problems. And we have so many drinking problems because we have so many wrong ideas about drinking … so many dangerous myths and drinking customs that don't really make sense. For many Americans, these notions about drinking can lead to problems. In a new twist, “Drinking Myths” deals with drinking, and doesn't concentrate solely on alcohol and alcoholism. It's easy and delightful to read, even for young people.
Predicting Graduation Rates: An Analysis of Student and Institutional Factors at Doctoral Universities
Authors: Goenner Cullen F. , Snaith Sean M.
Published: May 2005

The importance that is placed on graduation rates as a measure of the success of institutions of higher education warrant the ongoing research into understanding the determinants of these educational outcomes. This study examines the role of institutional factors in determining graduation rates at doctoral universities. While controlling for student characteristics, we find that institutional characteristics are an important determinant of four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates. Student-faculty ratios, percentage of faculty that are full time, total expenditures and tuition and fees all play a significant role in explaining graduation rates at the universities in our sample.
Drug Education in Ontario Schools: Content and Processes
Authors: Sheppard Margaret A. , Goodstadt Michael S. , Chan Goodwin
Published: May 2005

Results from two large repeated surveys of Ontario (Canada) students, sampled from grades seven through thirteen, indicate that little time is allocated to drug education in schools. The most common focus is on alcohol, and on the harmful effects of alcohol or other drug use; most drug education is through the medium of teacher-led classes. Significant differences, as a function of demographic and drug use characteristics, were found in students' reported previous exposure to drug education and in their stated preferences for future drug education content and format. Discussion of the results focuses on their implications for more effective drug education.
Housing for the Aged: New Roles for Social Work
Authors: Kelen Joyce , Griffiths Kenneth A.
Published: May 2005

As the elderly population increases, social workers and planners of housing must coordinate efforts and combine resources as they explore new channels for meeting the housing needs of the aged. In evaluating new roles for social work in this field, three basic areas are discussed: 1) the nature of the housing problem, 2) the needs of the elderly, and 3) the role of social work in meeting these needs.
Attitudes toward Age: An Exploration in School-Age Children
Authors: Thomas Elizabeth C. , Yamamoto Kaoru
Published: May 2005

Attitudes toward young, middle-age, and old persons were studied in 1000 children (grades 6, 8, 10, 12). Three newspaper photographs were presented to the children, who estimated the persons' ages and wrote stories about each photograph in his preferred order. Scores from a semantic differential which provided three factors, Evaluation, Affect, and Activity-Potency, were used in a three-way analyses of variance to analyze further children's attitudes. The overriding impression from these findings is that these school children do not share the allegedly general, negative attitude toward old age. The age estimates showed judgmental accuracy and were remarkably uniform in both central tendency and variation. The overall order of choice was young person, first; old person, second; and middle-age person, last.
Interactive Multimedia Preventive Alcohol Education: A Technology Application in Higher Education
Authors: Reis Janet , Riley William , Lokman Lawrence , Baer John
Published: May 2005

This article summarizes the process of implementation and short-term impact on knowledge and attitudes of an interactive multimedia software program on preventive alcohol education for young adults. The three factors related to behavioral change addressed in the software are self-efficacy in maintaining personal control and safety while using alcohol, attitudes and related expectations regarding the physiological and behavioral consequences of alcohol consumption, and peer norms regarding alcohol consumption. As compared to alternative alcohol education and a no-alcohol education groups, students using the interactive computer lesson reported learning more about dose-response and ways to intervene with friends in peril. The article concludes with consideration of the import of this technology for informing students about the consequences of alcohol use, and the utility to higher education institutions of using this technology in an era when pressures increase for due diligence around student safety but with few additional institutional resources.
Work Security in a Global Economy
Authors: Rosskam Ellen
Published: May 2005

Work security is a fundamental right of all working people. After World War II, the welfare state became an intrinsic part of the “Golden Age” of capitalism, in which universal prosperity seemed attainable. Workers' organizations frequently played a crucial role in policy decisions that promoted full employment, income stability, and equitable treatment of workers. Today's world order is quite different. Globalization in its present form is a major obstacle to work security. Globalization is not simply a market-driven phenomenon. It is a political and ideological movement that grants authority to capital over governments and labor. This transfer of authority hinders national efforts to promote work security and may impact the well-being of communities worldwide. In the absence of domestic autonomy, international labor standards are needed to protect social welfare. They should be geared toward curbing unemployment, poverty, and social exclusion in the global economy. The article looks at three initiatives to promote global work security.
Instruction and Academic Support Expenditures: An Investment in Retention and Graduation
Authors: Gansemer-Topf Ann M. , Schuh John H.
Published: May 2005

A long-standing concern of many colleges and universities are low persistence and graduation rates. This study examined how institutions can affect, and potentially improve, persistence and graduation rates by targeting their expenditures toward those activities that have an affect on persistence and graduation. Framed by Tinto's theory of academic departure, the inquiry investigated the relationship between expenditures for instruction and academic support on persistence and graduation rates at 218 universities. The results confirmed Tinto's theory and were able to explain approximately half the variance in persistence and graduation rates among the institutions included in the study. Recommendations for practice are suggested, including using the results of the study to develop resource allocation strategies to enhance persistence and graduation rates.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of an Educational Drug Abuse Prevention Program
Authors: Mitchel Margaret E. , Hu Teh-Wei , Donnell Nancy S. Mc , Swisher John D.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this evaluation was to determine the effectiveness and the cost effectiveness of an educational-type program in preventing substance abuse. The education program was expected to affect the participants' use of selected substance, school-related behaviors, and various affective characteristics.
Long-Term Evaluation of a Life Skills Approach for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
Authors: Brochu Serge , Souliere Michelle
Published: May 2005

A three-day life skills re-education program, embedded in a ten-week-long new employee basic training had no long-term effects on alcohol and drug knowledge and attitudes. Nevertheless, this study provided substantive and methodological hypotheses: 1) a primary prevention program which addresses an adult population is probably offered too late in the process of the development of alcohol and drug habits; 2) a life skills approach is probably better suited for adults inscribed in a secondary prevention program; and 3) long-term evaluation using strong designs are necessary before concluding in the effectiveness of any prevention program.
Powerful Institutional Levers to Reduce College Student Departure
Authors: Braxton John M. , Mundy Meaghan E.
Published: May 2005

This article classifies 47 recommendations gleaned from the articles appearing in this special issue of the Journal of College Student Retention. These recommendations are classified according to their consistency with Tinto's three principles of effective retention. These 47 are ordered by the institutional domain most likely to implement a given recommendation. These recommendations are viewed as multiple, powerful levers to reduce college student departure.
The “Dope” on Soaps
Authors: MacDonald Patrick T.
Published: May 2005

Entertainment television has recently been at the center of a raging controversy concerning its effects on the viewer. Prime time television has been analyzed and dissected in almost every imaginable way. This zeal to reveal the hidden lessons being taught on prime time has not, however, been carried over to the daytime arena. While we now know the intimate details of nighttime drug usage, there has been virtually no investigation of daytime drug taking. This study, utilizing a sample of long-time soap opera viewers, examines the context, motives and consequences of drug use in the daytime serials. An indepth analysis of the various portrayals of eight separate drug categories — alcohol, tobacco, tranquilizers, amphetamines, marijuana, LSD, cocaine, and heroin — are presented. Finally, the potential effects of these television portrayals upon public drug awareness, and education efforts are hypothesized.
The Meaning of Cherished Personal Possessions for the Elderly
Authors: Sherman Edmund , Newman Evelyn S.
Published: May 2005

An interview survey was conducted with ninety-four elderly persons, sixty-two in community senior service centers and thirty-two in a nursing home, to find out whether aged persons do identify certain possessions as cherished above all others and to see what meaning these possessions had for their later years. It was found that 81 per cent of the sample could quite readily identify a most cherished object. Different kinds of possessions tended to have different meanings and referents in the lives of the subjects. The lack of a cherished possession was associated with lower life satisfaction scores, which suggests that such a lack might be an indicator of poor adjustment to old age.
Solvent Sniffing: A Continuing Problem among Youth
Authors: Linder Ronald L. , Lerner Steven E. , Wesson Donald R.
Published: May 2005

The catalog of agents that have been used to produce subjective changes is impressive, and each generation not only adds a few new substances but seems impelled to re-evaluate the old [1].
The Influence of Setting and Task Partner on the Performance of Adults over Age 65 on a Communications Task
Authors: Molfese Victoria J. , Hoffman Stephen , Yuen Rhoda
Published: May 2005

The present study was an investigation of the influence of two methodological variables on the performance of adults sixty-four to seventy-nine years old. Participants gave directions on a map reading task to a peer (similar aged) partner and a non-peer (younger) partner. Testing was conducted in either the laboratory or the participants' homes. Contrary to expectations, communication performances with the non-peer required less time and fewer utterances, morphemes, repetitions and start overs than with the peer. The influence of setting was apparent only in the number of attention cues used, with the more distracting home setting requiring more attention cues to maintain partner attention.
A Critical and Comparative Review of the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Israel
Authors: Barnea Zipora
Published: May 2005

The article reviews the various programs and intervention strategies of substance abuse prevention in Israel. It concentrates mainly on the stages of primary and secondary prevention among youth. School-based prevention programs, those designated for detached youth as well as community-based programs, are presented and analyzed. The prevention efforts in Israel are also compared to those in other Western countries. The discussion includes recommendations for future developments in this domain.
Drug Use by Urban and Rural Adolescents
Authors: Gleaton Thomas J. , Smith Sidney P.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated drug use behaviors of students in both rural and urban communities of Georgia. Data from 1,897 response forms to ninety survey items served as the basis for the findings reported in this study. The socio-economic characteristics of the sample, both rural and urban, corresponded to the characteristics identified by the United States Census Report of 1970, e.g., family income, education and occupation. Experimental use of beer/wine and other alcoholic beverages was high (approximately two-thirds) for both rural and urban samples; while approximately one-third reported that they used marijuana. In both the urban and rural communities, males exceed females in drug use on a weekly and daily basis in all types of drugs. Drug use in the urban and rural communities of Georgia is quite similar, and this usage closely relates to the national reported usage for comparable age groups. There seems to be a difference between an individual's drug use behavior and his or her perception of his/her friends' drug use behaviors.