bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Negotiating Statehood: Dynamics of Power and Domination in Africa
Authors: Hagmann Tobias , Péclard Didier
Published: August 2010

This article, which forms the introduction to a collection of studies, focuses on processes of state construction and deconstruction in contemporary Africa. Its objective is to better understand how local, national and transnational actors forge and remake the state through processes of negotiation, contestation and bricolage. Following a critique of the predominant state failure literature and its normative and analytical shortcomings, the authors identify four key arguments of the scholarly literature on the state in Africa, which concern the historicity of the state in Africa, the embeddedness of bureaucratic organizations in society, the symbolic and material dimensions of statehood and the importance of legitimacy. A heuristic framework entitled ‘negotiating statehood’ is proposed, referring to the dynamic and partly undetermined processes of state formation and failure by a multitude of social actors who compete over the institutionalization of power relations. The article then operationalizes this framework in three sections that partly conceptualize, partly illustrate who negotiates statehood in contemporary Africa (actors, resources and repertoires); where these negotiation processes occur (negotiation arenas and tables); and what these processes are all about (objects of negotiation). Empirical examples drawn from a variety of political contexts across the African continent illustrate these propositions.
The People, the Power and the Public Service: Political Identification during Guinea's General Strikes in 2007
Authors: Schroven Anita
Published: August 2010

In francophone West Africa, the term fonctionnaire unambiguously identifies public servants as integral parts of the state apparatus. Yet during general strikes in Guinea in 2006/7 this self‐evident association was called into question by the polarization of the public discourse which forced Guineans into associating either with the state or with the protesting people. Based on empirical data from ethnographic fieldwork, this contribution explores how public servants negotiated this tension during and after the upheavals. Their professional (historic) trajectories are constituted by ideological and institutional characteristics of post‐colonial state building and are fundamental for the participation of public servants in the changing dynamics of the local political arena. At the same time, these trajectories play an important and pertinent role in the everyday production of state that stabilizes society even during governance crises such as those experienced in Guinea.
Are open educational resources systematic or systemic change agents for teaching practice?
Authors: Lane Andy , McAndrew Patrick
Published: August 2010

Open educational resources (OER) raise many similar issues for education to those that have surrounded Learning Objects (LO). However the greater use and availability of digital technologies and open licensing seems to be enabling OER to have wider acceptance into individual and institutional teaching practice. While the need for appropriate design in teaching and learning on the part of educators, which was the primary driver of developments in LO, remains, the very openness of OER is changing the relationships between educators, learners and content (resources) and is becoming a primary agent of change. Experience in OpenLearn, a major initiative to provide OER from The Open University, indicates that some of these changes can be planned for while others will emerge as releasing content openly imposes evolutionary pressures that accelerate change and work around barriers. Development can then be driven by learner expectations of the technology and needs for informal life‐long learning that in turn impact on how content is being designed and openly presented. It is argued that this represents a shift from a teacher‐centric, systematic model of change in teaching practices as embodied in earlier ideas about LO to a learner‐centric, systemic model of change as embodied in OER.
Driven Out of Employment? The Impact of the Abolition of National Service on Driving Schools and Aspiring Drivers
Authors: Avrillier Paul , Hivert Laurent , Kramarz Francis
Published: August 2010

Before 1997, compulsory military service was a way for many young French men to obtain their driving licence for free. After the abolition of compulsory conscription in 1997, this sex‐based discrimination disappeared. We use this shock in its two dimensions. First, it was a supply shock, since we show the abolition induced a decline in the fraction of men holding a driving licence, particularly for men living in urban areas. Because the causal relation between holding a driving licence and employment is hard to demonstrate, we use this policy change as an instrument for the former. Some elements of our analysis show that employment and having a driving licence are closely related. However, we cannot fully demonstrate that our results are due to the lack of a driving licence in itself rather than due to other consequences of the abolition of national service (e.g. professional courses or the associated loss of experience). Second, it was a demand shock, since these men were forced to turn to driving schools. Here, we are able to show that the abolition of national service had a direct and uncontroversial effect on the (heavily regulated) driving schools industry. The demand shock resulted in increased rents. These rents translated into an increase in the number of driving schools, stable total employment, a decrease in average employment, no increase of total sales or value‐added, no obvious decrease in profits per school, but an increase in wages paid to the teachers in those cities that had many young men. Hence, those who benefited from increased demand have been the instructors, in limited supply, not the incumbent schools or the consumers.
Information Processing and Firm‐Internal Environment Contingencies: Performance Impact on Global New Product Development
Authors: Kleinschmidt Elko , De Brentani Ulrike , Salomo Søren
Published: August 2010

Innovation in its essence is an information processing activity. Thus, a major factor impacting the success of new product development (NPD) programs, especially those responding to global markets, is the firm's ability to access, share and apply NPD information, which is often widely dispersed, functionally, geographically and culturally. To this end, an IT‐communication strength is essential, one that is nested in an internal organizational environment that ensures its effective functioning. Using organizational information processing (OIP) theory as a framework, superior global NPD program performance is shown to result from an effective IT/Communication strength and the commitment components of the firm's internal environment, which are hypothesized to moderate this relationship. IT/Communication strength is identified in this study in terms of two components including the IT/Comm Infrastructure and IT/Comm Capability of the firm, whereas the moderating internal environment of the firm incorporates Resource Commitment and Senior Management Involvement. Data from a major empirical study of international NPD programs (382 SBUs) are used to develop and test this model. Based on a hierarchical regression analysis, the results are substantially supportive, with some unexpected findings. These shed light on the complex relationships of the firm's internal environment, OIP competency, and global NPD program performance.
Economic Growth and Welfare in a Neoclassical Overlapping Generations Growth Model with Minimum Wages and Consumption Taxes
Authors: Fanti Luciano , Gori Luca
Published: August 2010

We examine the effects of minimum wages on both the long‐run per worker GDP and welfare in the textbook Diamond style overlapping generations economy. In addition, we assume the existence of unemployment benefits financed at a balanced budget with consumption taxes. Under suitable conditions, it is shown that a regulated‐wage economy with unemployment performs better than a competitive‐wage economy with full employment in the long run. Moreover, a welfare‐maximizing minimum wage exists. Our findings may have interesting policy implications.
Least Squares Asymptotics in Spurious and Cointegrated Panel Regressions with Common and Idiosyncratic Stochastic Trends*
Authors: Urbain Jean‐Pierre , Westerlund Joakim
Published: August 2010

This article makes an analytical study of the effects of the presence of both common and idiosyncratic stochastic trends on the pooled least squares estimator. The results suggest that the usual result of asymptotic normality depends critically on the absence of the common stochastic trend.
Dividend Policies of Privately Held Companies: Stand‐Alone and Group Companies in Belgium
Authors: Rommens An , Cuyvers Ludo , Deloof Marc
Published: August 2010

This study examines the dividend policies of privately held Belgian companies, differentiating between stand‐alone companies and those affiliated with a business group. We find that privately held companies typically do not pay dividends. Compared to public companies, they are less likely to pay dividends and they have lower dividend payouts. Our results also suggest that group companies pay more dividends than stand‐alone companies, consistent with the hypothesis that tax‐exempt group firms redistribute dividend payments on the group's internal capital market. Group companies pay higher dividends if they have minority shareholders.
Shareholder Activism through Proxy Proposals: The European Perspective
Authors: Cziraki Peter , Renneboog Luc , Szilagyi Peter G.
Published: August 2010

This paper is the first to investigate the corporate governance role of shareholder‐initiated proxy proposals in European firms. Proposal submissions in Europe remain infrequent compared to the USA, especially in Continental Europe. In the UK proposals typically relate to a proxy contest seeking board changes, while in Continental Europe they are more focused on specific governance issues. There is some evidence that proposal sponsors are valuable monitors, because the target firms tend to underperform and have low leverage. Sponsors also consider the ownership structure of the firm, because proposal probability increases in the target's ownership concentration and the equity stake of institutional investors. While proposals enjoy limited voting success across Europe, they are relatively more successful in the UK. The outcomes are strongest for proposals targeting the board but are also affected by the target characteristics including the CEO's pay‐performance sensitivity. Proposals are met with a significant negative abnormal return of −1.23%, when they are voted upon at general meetings. The low voting support gathered by proposals and the strongly adverse market reaction suggest that shareholders of European companies use proposals as an emergency brake rather than a steering wheel.
Margin Changes and Futures Trading Activity: a New Approach
Authors: Phylaktis Kate , Aristidou Antonis
Published: August 2010

In this paper we examine the impact of margins, adjusted for underlying price risk proxied by market volatility, on trading volume and incorporate the relationship between trading volume and price volatility documented in stock markets. We estimate a bivariate GARCH‐M model to take account of the inter‐relationships and apply them to the Greek derivatives market over the period 1999–2005. The results show that when adjusting margins for market risk there is no impact on trading volume, casting doubts on the results of previous research, and providing support for the view that margin requirements are used only as a mechanism to prevent trader default.
Self–Observer Rating Discrepancies of Managers in Asia: A study of derailment characteristics and behaviors in Southern and Confucian Asia
Authors: Gentry William A. , Yip Jeffrey , Hannum Kelly M.
Published: August 2010

Antecedents to self–observer rating discrepancies in multisource instruments have been established at the individual and organizational level. However, research examining cultural antecedents is limited, which is particularly relevant as multisource instruments gain popularity around the world. We investigated multisource ratings of 860 Asian managers from the regions of Southern Asia (n=261) and Confucian Asia (n=599) and analyzed cultural differences in self–observer rating discrepancies. Multivariate regression procedures revealed that the self–observer rating discrepancy was wider for managers from Southern Asia as compared with Confucian Asia. The reason for the discrepancy was driven by managers' self‐ratings being different across cultures than by observer ratings from managers' bosses, direct reports, or peers; the predictor is related to self‐ratings not observer ratings, producing differential self–observer ratings due to self‐ratings. We discuss cultural differences in self‐ and observer ratings within Asia and provide implications for the practice of multisource assessments.
Linearity of Personality–Performance Relationships: A large‐scale examination
Authors: Whetzel Deborah L. , McDaniel Michael A. , Yost Amy Powell , Kim Nicole
Published: August 2010

This paper reviews theory and past research concerning nonlinear relationships between personality tests and job performance. We compare linear and nonlinear regression models for each of the 32 Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ32i) scales using job performance as the criterion variable. We evaluate linear, quadratic, and cubic relationships between personality and job performance by calculating changes in R (ΔR) between the linear and nonlinear models. We use 3 decision rules of varying levels for ΔR and divide a large sample randomly into 2 samples to cross‐validate any nonlinear effects found. Few scales exhibited nonlinearity and the magnitude of the departures from linearity were small.
Changes in life style for young adults with profound handicaps following discharge from hospital care into a “second generation” housing project
Authors: Bratt Andrew , Johnston Rob
Published: August 2010

During 1986 five young adults left hospital to live in a bungalow in Exeter. This move has been described as a “second generation” project. In other words it was not one of the first such ventures in the area. It followed earlier, trail‐blazing projects and had to compete for administrative and specialist support with a number of other projects being commissioned at the same time.

No net change in staff/client ratio occurred and 70 per cent of the new staff team were staff who had previously worked with the young people whilst they were in hospital.

A number of findings consistent with the view that the quality of life of the young people had been improved as a result of leaving hospital were recorded: they went out more, and to more varied places; they spent more time engaged in interaction with other people; less behaviour judged to be “inappropriate” was recorded; and staff considered the group as a whole to be “better off”.

On the other hand little evidence of integration being achieved within the local community was recorded; and there was little or no evidence of individuals being supported in ways that increased their competence, particularly in relation to participating at a simple level in routine domestic tasks.

The implications of these findings for others engaged in the large‐scale commissioning of such housing projects are discussed.
The economic costs of a normal life: the case of Dr. Barnardo's Intensive Support Unit
Authors: Shiell Alan , Wright Ken
Published: August 2010

The number of children living in mental handicap hospitals has fallen substantially in recent years, but those who remain tend to be amongst those with the most profound handicaps. If the benefits of community care are to be extended to this group of children then new residential facilities will have to be sufficiently resourced to cater for their special needs. This article reports on the economic costs of one residential unit, the Dr. Barnardo's Intensive Support Unit (ISU) in Croxteth Park, Liverpool, which was established especially to accommodate young children with severe mental handicaps.

The costs of care in the ISU are compared to the costs of caring for chidren with similarly high levels of disability in an NHS community unit. Although the ISU is found to be initially more expensive per child than the larger NHS unit it has succeeded in its policy of finding foster homes for its children. This success is not only likely to improve the welfare of the children but will also reduce the long‐term costs of their care.

The unit has not been in operation long enough to ensure that all the costs of foster care are included. However, after three years, it does seem that ISU‐based care may be no more expensive than care in a larger NHS community unit.
Long‐term maintenance of staff and resident behaviour in a hospital ward for adults with mental handicaps: Report of a six‐year follow‐up
Authors: Blunden Roger , Evans Gerry
Published: August 2010

A follow‐up study was conducted six years after the introduction of an “activity period” and associated procedures on a hospital ward for adults with profound mental handicaps. The study suggests that staff behaviour had maintained and this was reflected in resident engagement levels. Various features of the maintenance procedures were discussed with staff and possible reasons for the long‐term maintenance are suggested. Finally, the relevance of group management procedures, within the context of developing individualised community‐based services, is raised for discussion.
Vibratory reinforcement in the field of mental handicap: A REVIEW
Authors: Prosser Glyn
Published: August 2010

The development of the use of vibration with people with mental handicaps is traced from its status as a particular form of sensory stimulation to its role as a reinforcer. Studies are reviewed in which claims for the usefulness of vibration are made and tested, with special reference to the eradication of stereotypic, including self‐injurious, behaviours and the acquisition of self‐care and other skills. Discussion of therapeutic applications is limited to the reinforcing property of relaxation. Two main theoretical approaches are considered: one relating vibration, stereotypy, and arousal theory; the other suggesting the special relevance of vibration for individuals at the earliest stages of development. These views are taken to be complementary. Inclusion of vibration in the repertoire of possible reinforcers is recommended, while having regard to the special needs and circumstances of each individual.
Evaluating service quality: a comparison of diaries with direct observation
Authors: Joyce Theresa , Mansell Jim , Gray Helen
Published: August 2010

Structured diaries describing the activity of three people with mental handicaps were kept by direct‐care staff and compared with results of simultaneous direct observation using five‐second momentary time‐sampling. Item‐by‐item agreement on main activity in five‐minute time blocks ranged from 41 to 72 per cent. Even averaged across three‐hour sessions substantial inaccuracy remained. These results suggest great caution is needed in using diaries as a source of evaluative data.
A note on the use of peer assistance and praise to increase engagement and productivity on a vocational assembly task
Authors: Heap Christine , Emerson Eric
Published: August 2010

An ABCBA withdrawal design was employed to examine the effects of peer prompting and attention, and staff assisted peer prompting and attention, on task engagement and productivity of two women with severe mental handicaps on a vocational assembly task. Results indicated that: both engagement and productivity were greater in each of the two intervention conditions when compared with baseline; the addition of instructor assistance resulted in further increases in productivity and engagement; and peers were effective in prompting and praising, contingent on disengaged and engaged behaviour respectively.
Non‐aversive and mildly aversive procedures for reducing problem behaviours in people with developmental disorders: A REVIEW
Authors: Lancioni Giulio E. , Hoogeveen Frans R.
Published: August 2010

During the last few years, great concern has been expressed about the use of aversive procedures for reducing deviant behaviours in people with developmental disorders. Given this situation, the role of non‐aversive and mildly aversive procedures has become increasingly relevant. This paper is an attempt to review these procedures with regard to their outcomes, the characteristics of the people treated, and the deviant behaviours involved. The review is based on studies published during the last 15 years which have reported individual data.
Evaluation of a community‐based day service for people with profound mental handicaps and additional special needs
Authors: Allen David
Published: August 2010

An evaluation is provided of an intensively staffed, community‐based day service for people with profound mental handicaps and additional special needs. A matched‐subject control group design was employed, in which the client outcomes of the new service were compared with those of a special care unit. Variables studied included: extent and focus of individual planning; community presence; nature, variety, and age‐appropriateness of activities; and levels of engagement. The community‐based model proved superior to special care provision on the majority of outcome measures. The data are discussed in relation to the financial costs of the respective services.
A microcomputer system used for evaluative and experimental behavioural research in mental handicap
Authors: Repp Alan C. , Felce David
Published: August 2010

Applied behaviour analysis has made many contributions to the field of mental handicap in the last two decades, through the development of procedures to treat both adaptive and maladaptive behaviours. At the basis of all its contributions is an insistence that decisions be based upon data.

The present paper extends the technology of applied behaviour analysis data collection procedures by describing a computer system developed for collecting and analysing observational data. A brief discussion of the system is followed by examples of four types of research currently undertaken in mental handicap: evaluative, naturalistic, analogue, and experimental research. To conclude, a few weaknesses and strengths of the system are discussed.
Goal planning manuals: their readability, human interest, and content
Authors: Sturmey Peter
Published: August 2010

Thirteen goal planning manual texts commonly used with care staff who work with people with mental handicaps were anslysed for their readability, human interest, and content. Their readability and human interest levels were variable, and often below those of reading materials commonly experienced by the general public. The content of the manuals is criticised for lack of real‐life practice opportunities for staff training in assessment and teaching skills, and also for the general lack of suggested procedures to monitor and maintain staff behaviour. Areas for future development of goal planning manuals are suggested. In particular, the need for empirical assessment of the effect of alternative manual formats is highlighted.
MIETS: a service option for people with mild mental handicaps and challenging behaviour or psychiatric problems
Authors: Murphy Glynis , Holland Anthony , Fowler Paul , Reep Judith
Published: August 2010

This paper, the first of a three‐part series, describes the philosophy and establishment of the Mental Impairment Evaluation and Treatment Service. It explains how the service operates, the kinds of people referred to the unit during its first 18 months of operation, and the quality of life it has provided for its service users.
MIETS: a service option for people with mild mental handicaps and challenging behaviour or psychiatric problems
Authors: Murphy Glynis , Clare Isabel
Published: August 2010

This paper, the second in a three‐part series, describes the assessment and treatment programmes of two service users to illustrate the MIETS approach, and gives details of the skill profiles which were used to plan their future placements. Data on the behavioural characteristics of MIETS users at pre‐admission and discharge are also presented, together with a discussion of the difficulty of using such measures to evaluate service effectiveness.
THE COSTS OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR ADULTS WITH A MENTAL HANDICAP IN ENGLAND
Authors: Shiell Alan , Pettipher Catherine , Raynes Norma , Wright Ken
Published: August 2010

Estimates of the economic costs of a random sample of 123 community residential facilities for people with a mental handicap in England are presented. Total resource costs, including capital, average £38 per resident day and range from £16 per day to over £90 per day. Costs vary across the four types of provider. Voluntary and private sector facilities are the least expensive, health authority facilities are the most expensive and local authority facilities lie somewhere in between.

A more systematic evaluation of the reasons why costs vary in this manner is being carried out but preliminary analysis presented here suggests high costs are associated with higher dependency of residents particularly those accommodated in small domestic scale accommodation.
AN EVALUATION OF THE USE OF SMALL GROUP HOMES FOR ADULTS WITH A SEVERE AND PROFOUND MENTAL HANDICAP
Authors: Conneally Sean , Boyle Grainne , Smyth Fances
Published: August 2010

The quality of life of eleven individuals with a severe and profound mental handicap who moved from a hostel to two small group homes was evaluated. Multiple measures of progress were taken over a period of two years. The lifestyle of the individuals showed significant improvements. Overall they increased their level of adaptive behaviour, decreased their level of maladaptive behaviour, engaged in more purposeful activities, had a more varied lifestyle, and lived in more comfortable surroundings. The role of the small group homes in contributing to these improvements is discussed.
THE USE OF ERRORLESS LEARNING PROCEDURES IN TEACHING PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY: A CRITICAL REVIEW
Authors: Jones Robert S.P. , Eayrs C.B.
Published: August 2010

The use of procedures which minimise the making of errors is a popular method of teaching skills to people with learning disability. The origin of this approach can be traced to two distinct sources: the work of B.F. Skinner on programmed learning, and the work of H.S. Terrace on discrimination learning. This early work is reviewed and research findings which highlight the negative side affects of an ‘errorless’ approach are discussed. The role of prompting, attention, reinforcement and generalisation is outlined. Recommendations for the development of teaching programmes are made.
PROJECT PARENTING: CHILD INTERACTIONAL TRAINING WITH MOTHERS WHO ARE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED
Authors: Tymchuk Alexander J. , Andron Linda
Published: August 2010

Abstract  In the first part of the study behaviour of nine mothers with mental handicap towards their children was compared to that of a contrast group toward their children. Praising and labelling rates by the mothers with mental handicap were less than those for the contrast mothers while there was little verbal and no physical punishment by either group. In the second part of the study following a multiple baseline procedure the mothers with mental handicap were sequentially trained to praise and to engage in positive physical behaviour; to label and to ask questions and to model activities. While there are few data points, praise and labelling as well as the other targeted behaviours increased after training for most mothers with mental handicap. However, several mothers learned slowly and lost their gains after a month's follow‐up. These mothers were characterised as having problems in addition to their mental handicap that would interfere in their optimal learning of stimulating parenting skills. The implications of these results are discussed.
GOAL PLANNING FOR ADULTS WITH A MENTAL HANDICAP: OUTCOME RESEARCH, STAFF TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT
Authors: Sturmey P.
Published: August 2010

Abstract  This paper critically reviews the literature related to outcome research, staff training and management goal planning, primarily for adults with a mental handicap. The outcome literature indicates highly varying outcomes associated with goal planning to increase skills acquisition. No experimental studies were identified which attempted to evaluate goal planning procedures to increase the diversity of opportunities and change people's lifestyle. The quality of this outcome literature was rather disappointing. There were few studies which included control groups, placebo conditions, comparison intervention procedures, social validation or follow‐up data. Staff training in goal planning has received considerable attention. However, many studies have focussed only on staff keeping documentation rather than on staff teaching skills. Staff training methods which include an in vivo training component and a planned maintenance procedure show considerable promise. Areas for the future development of goal planning are discussed.
SYMPTOMS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN MOTHERS WITH MENTAL HANDICAP
Authors: Tymchuk Alexander J.
Published: August 2010

The primary purpose of this study was to examine how mothers with or without mental handicap ascribed to those symptoms of psychopathology included in the self‐report version of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA). A secondary purpose was to examine the psychometric properties of the PIMRA. Mothers with mental handicap scored significantly higher than did the contrast mothers on all a priori pre‐constructed subscales except on psychosexual disorders where they scored lower. These subscale differences were largely as a result of differences on a few items within each scale. Scores for mothers with mental handicap on the Adjustment and Anxiety subscales were related to whether they had been abused or neglected as children while Adjustment scores were related to a report of abusing their own child. Results with some similarity to those previously reported were found regarding the psychometric properties of the PIMRA. Suggestions are made regarding the need for examination of the purpose and construction of the PIMRA as well as for the further study of the expression of symptoms of psychopathology in persons with mental handicap.
SUPPORT NETWORKS AND TRANSITIONS OVER TWO YEARS AMONG ADULTS WITH A MENTAL HANDICAP
Authors: Grant Gordon
Published: August 2010

This paper begins by tracing the development of policy and research interest in the idea of social networks as something which provides important clues about the social behaviour of individuals. An argument is made for closer consideration of dimensions of support networks as a way of understanding the lives and lifestyles of adults with a mental handicap and of those who support them. The paper draws on data from a longitudinal study which examines change and stability of informal support networks of adult persons with a mental handicap over an initial period of two years and raises questions about policy, practice and future research.
PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS AND DOWN SYNDROME: PART 2. POSSIBLE EFFECTS
Authors: Steeleand Jonathan
Published: August 2010

The effects of prenatal diagnosis on the birth frequency of Down syndrome are considered through a review of recent literature. Both present and possible future effects are discussed and brief mention of some psychological aspects of prenatal diagnosis is made. The incomplete uptake of amniocentesis is noted; ranging from 20% to over 40% of eligible women in recent British studies; reasons for this are explored. A consideration of reported changes in age specific incidence and their relationship to the introduction and continued use of prenatal diagnosis is given. Reductions in incidence of between 5% and 18% have been reported in the past. The maximum future effects, as predicted by studies using age in conjunction with biochemical screening methods, are noted; detection of up to 60% of affected foetuses is theoretically possible. However, problems of introducing this type of scheme may prevent such effective screening methods being widely adopted. This being the case, it seems unlikely that more than 15% of births affected by Down syndrome will be prevented by prenatal diagnosis in the foreseeable future.
M.I.E.T.S. (MENTAL IMPAIRMENT EVALUATION AND TREATMENT SERVICE): A SERVICE OPTION FOR PEOPLE WITH MILD MENTAL HANDICAPS AND CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR AND/OR PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS
Authors: Clare I.C.H. , Murphy G.H.
Published: August 2010

A follow‐up study of the first six clients to leave the Mental Impairment Evaluation and Treatment Service is described. Between entering the service and follow‐up (mean: 12 months after leaving), all six had made gains in their levels of skills and social functioning. For five of them, there had also been a reduction in the key challenging behaviours for which referral had been sought. All were living in residential facilities which were both less restrictive than those from which they had entered the service and offered a higher quality of care. The majority liked the placement in which they were living at follow‐up as much, or more, than the one from which they had entered the service. Nevertheless, some of the resources which assist the functioning of the service were disliked by the clients because they were perceived as placing limits on their liberty. The implications of these results are discussed, as are methodological issues relating to the study.
THE SEXUAL ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITES: RESULTS OF A TWO YEAR INCIDENCE SURVEY
Authors: Turk Vicky , Brown Hilary
Published: August 2010

This paper reports the results of the largest survey to date of the sexual abuse of adults with learning disabilities. Existing knowledge is reviewed in the light of complex methodological and definition issues that exist and limit any work undertaken. The few existing studies of sexual abuse of adults with learning disabilities are described. Details of the current survey of sexual abuse carried out by the University of Kent and funded by the Rowntree Foundation are then provided. Detailed results of the survey are presented followed by a discussion of their implications and comparability with previous research.
SOCIAL COMPARISONS, STIGMA AND MAINSTREAMING: THE SELF ESTEEM OF YOUNG ADULTS WITH A MILD MENTAL HANDICAP
Authors: Szivos‐Bach Susan E.
Published: August 2010

As people with mental handicaps are increasingly being expected to use community resources, stigma has often become an important component of their subjective experience. Both stigma and social comparisons help to define the person's status in a ‘normal’ reference group, and are important antecedents of the individual's self esteem.

Fifty students with a mild mental handicap completed a self esteem and social comparisons procedure which yielded discrepancy scores between the way they saw themselves and others (friends, siblings, non‐handicapped others, and ideals). They also talked about their perceptions of stigma and their aspirations for their lives.

The students who perceived the most stigma had the lowest self esteem, the lowest ideals, and had the largest discrepancies between their scores and the scores of others. They also felt the least likely to fulfil their aspirations. The students with low self esteem also tended to view others in a negative light and to experience impoverished interpersonal relationships. The study also suggested that some students may derogate others, especially younger opposite sex siblings, to maintain their self esteem. This points to the importance of social comparisons within the family.

Some implications for research and the professional management of stigma are discussed.
CONNOTATIONS OF LABELS FOR MENTAL HANDICAP AND CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR: A REVIEW AND RESEARCH EVALUATION
Authors: Hastings Richard P. , Remington Bob
Published: August 2010

The terms used to denote the concepts of mental handicap and challenging behaviour are a matter of continuing controversy. In the first part of this paper, research concerned with evaluating the impact of such labels is reviewed, and the value of a semantic technique for assessing the connotative effect of labels is proposed. In the second part, this approach was evaluated in a study in which undergraduate social science and science students completed rating scales for terms currently in use to describe mental handicap and challenging behaviour. There were marked differences in the connotations of terms with very similar denotations. Specifically, recently coined terms (e.g. ‘learning difficulty’, ‘challenging behaviour’) were rated more favourably than more familiar descriptions (e.g. ‘mental retardation’, ‘problem behaviour’). Nevertheless, virtually all the terms assessed carried negative, rather than neutral or positive, connotations. These results are discussed in terms of the need to devise descriptions that will promote more positive social representations of mental handicap.
A COMPARISON OF JOINT REVIEWS AND LIFE PLANS IN A HOSPITAL POPULATION OF OLDER PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
Authors: Dagnan D. J. , Sturmey P.
Published: August 2010

The goals set using a structured individual planning system (The STEP Life Plan; Chamberlain, 1985a, b) were compared with those set in the locally developed joint health and Social Service review system that preceded it. The structured system lead to improvement in both the quality and goals set and the potential for client and family involvement in the planning process.
LONELINESS AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE AMONG PREADOLESCENTS AND ADOLESCENTS WITH MILD MENTAL RETARDATION
Authors: Margalit Malka , Ronen Tammie
Published: August 2010

This study aimed to compare loneliness and social competence among two groups of young people with mild mental retardation. The sample consisted of 70 youngsters (46 males and 24 females) divided into two age groups: 38 pre‐adolescents (mean age = 11.68 years, SD = ±1.04) and 32 adolescents (mean 3 15.9, SD = ±0.72). Different information sources were tapped: self‐reported loneliness and social skills, teacher ratings of aggressive and hyperactive behaviour and peer ratings of social acceptance The results demonstrated that, in comparison to the younger group, adolescents received a more reserved acceptance by their peers, although they reported themselves to feel less lonely and showed higher rates of social competence in terms of less behavioural maladjustment and higher empathy and self‐control skills. The meaning of loneliness differed at the two age levels. For the adolescent group, the two aspects of loneliness were negatively related to the empathy, assertion, and cooperation social skills, but not for the younger group, whose perceptions of the two loneliness aspects were more differentiated and differently correlated.
NEIGHBOURS' REACTIONS TO COMMUNITY SERVICES: CONTRASTS BEFORE AND AFTER SERVICES OPEN IN THEIR LOCALITY
Authors: McConkey Roy , Walsh Patricia Noonan , Conneally Sean
Published: August 2010

Neighbours in three Irish localities were interviewed before a group home or a small local day service opened in their neighbourhood. Two years later, 148 people were re‐interviewed. In addition, 94 people from two neighbouring contrast areas were also included in the study. No community facilities opened in these areas. In areas where a service had opened, neighbours reported increased contact with people who had a mental handicap; many fewer problems occurred than they had initially anticipated and an apparent drop in their willingness to be involved in helping. Residents in the contrast areas showed no such changes. These results are compared with those obtained in an earlier national survey and the implications are drawn for strategies aimed at educating and involving local communities.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WALKS: A SEMI‐QUANTITATIVE METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE ACCESS PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING DIFFICULTY HAVE TO RESOURCES IN THEIR COMMUNITY
Authors: Drewett Robert , Dagnan David , Tonner John , Maychell Carol
Published: August 2010

A method is presented for assessing the extent to which people with mental handicaps living in residential homes can independently locate resources available in their communities. A range of facilities necessary to an ordinary life is plotted on a map for each home. The person is then accompanied on a ‘neighbourhood walk’ on which they are asked to take the researcher to each of the facilities on the list. Data from a reliability study based on two assessments carried out by independent researchers eight months apart showed a very high correlation for the number of facilities correctly located (Pearson's r was 0.96). In addition to this quantitative data, the neighbourhood walk provides qualitative data, of the kind normally associated with ethnographic studies, which allows some assessment of the extent of social as well as physical integration. Data collected independently of care staff was shown to be reliable and can be summarised in a way that allows comparisons of different kinds of home.
THE EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS ON OUTCOMES IN RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
Authors: Joyce Theresa
Published: August 2010

Research over a number of years has shown the damaging and dehumanising effects of institutional living on people with learning disabilities (e.g. King, Raynes & Tizard, 1971), and has exposed the fact that the quality of life experienced in such settings is not solely a consequence of having a learning disability, but is as much a consequence of the nature of the service offered. Increasingly, evidence has suggested that smaller, community based facilities are ‘better’ than large institutions. This study builds on this evidence; it uses data from some London residential services to not only compare the outcomes for clients of different types of residential service, but also to investigate the actual factors and processes which produce those outcomes.
RECOGNISING THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF ADULTS WITH MENTAL HANDICAPS
Authors: Reed Julie , Callow Hilary , Davis John
Published: August 2010

This study investigated the ability of adults with mental handicaps to pose recognisable happy and sad facial expressions. Happy facial expressions were more likely to be correctly recognised than sad facial expressions when posed by individuals who showed an understanding of happy and sad emotional states. Language comprehension was not associated with the abillity to pose recognisable facial expressions. These findings lead to a discussion of ideas for social skills training with this client group and further research in this area.
USE OF ICD‐10 RESEARCH DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA TO CATEGORISE PSYCHIATRIC AND BEHAVIOURAL ABNORMALITIES AMONG PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES: THE WEST MIDLANDS FIELD TRIAL
Authors: Clarke David J. , Cumella Stuart , Corbett John , Baxter Mark , Langton John , Prasher Verinder , Roy Ashok , Roy Meera , Thinn Kyaw
Published: August 2010

ICD‐10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research (DCR) based on the Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines for Mental and Behavioural Disorders were used to assign diagnoses to 38 people with mental retardation (MR) who had additional behavioural or psychiatric disorders. Problems were encountered with criteria for schizophrenia and related disorders. Recommendations were made regarding some diagnostic criteria, the method of coding diagnoses, and the need for additional guidance when classifying disorders associated with MR.

Multiaxial classification during the field trial allowed mental and physical health problems and the severity of MR to be summarised in a standard format, assisting record keeping and the communication of information. The DCR represent an advance on previous diagnostic systems, and with additional axes (now being developed for use with a MR fascicle) will be a useful research tool. Psychiatric diagnoses and classificatory systems still suffer from the lack of external validating criteria or specific treatment responses for many disorders within them, and this poses special problems when the person with the disorder has difficulties with communication.
STAFF BURNOUT AND ABSENTEEISM THROUGH SERVICE TRANSITION: FROM HOSPITAL TO HOSTEL
Authors: Harvey Emma , Burns Jan
Published: August 2010

Residential nursing staff were asked to complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) each month for a total of six months throughout a service transition involving the move of a group of men with profound learning disabilities, some with additional challenging behaviours, from two hospital wards to a community‐living orientated hostel. The MBI was used to measure the effect on staff of the intense reorganisation in their working environment. Significant increases in Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalisation, and a (non significant) decrease in Personal Accomplishment were found during the transition. Levels reverted to baseline following the move, but burnout remained above the mean of a previously published study, for two of the three dimensions. Levels of absenteeism largely mirrored the pattern of the MBI scores, with a one‐month lapse between high burnout and high absenteeism, supporting previous research indicating an association between the two.
SURVIVAL IN MENTAL RETARDATION
Authors: Mölsä P.K.
Published: August 2010

Survival and causes of death of 429 subjects with mental handicap were examined by following 212 inpatient and 217 outpatient subjects for twenty years or until death. Survival analysed in terms of aetiology showed that congenital malformations and acquired postnatal disorders were associated with increasing mortality. There was a sigificant difference in survival between institutionalised and non‐institutionalised people and a very significant difference in survival between long‐term institutional residents and subjects living at home with their parents. Epilepsy shortened the life expectancy significantly among subjects living outside the institution, especially in hostels. The most frequent immediate cause of death, both within and outside institution, were bronchopneumonia, cardiovascular disease and epileptic seizures.
THE PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH PARADIGM AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
Authors: Cocks Errol , Cockram Judith
Published: August 2010

We believe that we are living through an age of transition, perhaps moving towards some ‘post technological’ era and that this time is marked by considerable turbulence in society. Because of die place of disability within our society this era contains more dian its fair share of risks to people with disabilities. Our enduring concern is about the ability of human service organisations to deliver meaningful services—to become or to remain compassionate, humane and responsive to people's needs and, in particular, to devise strategies in which research and action are closely linked. In this study we advocate a participatory research paradigm as a powerful and liberating strategy to deliver meaningful services to people with disabilities. Through the participatory process the sharing of client experiences benefits both the clients (by turning their passivity into activity) and those who deliver services to them. It is a major thesis of this paper that a new research paradigm in the field of learning disability must emerge from a clearer comprehension of the essential identity of people with a learning disability and the reality of their life experiences and situations.
THE PATTERN OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION WITHIN A SAMPLE OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE IN TAYSIDE
Authors: Lawrenson Helen , Lindsay William R. , Walker Phyllis
Published: August 2010

The drinking pattern occurring amongst people with learning difficulties in Dundee was investigated. The main conclusions are that fewer individuals actually reported drinking alcohol and fewer weekly units were consumed, than is found in the general population. A need for general alcohol education was identified since only one‐third of the sample appreciated the potential dangers associated with alcohol and none knew, specifically, what these dangers might be.