bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Confocal Raman Microscopy to Determine the Structure and Orientation of the PET Interior of PET/PP Core/Shell Fibers
Authors: Natarajan Ubashree , Michielsen Stephen
Published: March 2008

Confocal Raman microspectroscopy is capable of measuring the density and birefrin gence of the poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) core of a PET/polypropylene core/shell fiber. Sample preparation is simple and data collection times are short. This technique should prove valuable in furthering the development of bicomponent fibers.
A New Method of Evaluating Spherical Fabric Deformation
Authors: Kisilak Dragica
Published: March 2008

In this paper, I present a study of the spherical elongation of fabrics under cyclic stresses on those parts of a garment that are most exposed to stress, the elbow and the knee. For this purpose, I have developed a new modified apparatus and a new method for testing the spherical deformation of fabric. In addition, I develop an algorithm for calculating deformation and from the results, I use it to calculate the elongation of warp and weft yams in the samples, thus determining the limits of stress a yarn can take. In this paper, I describe the algorithm as well as the theoretical assumptions from which it is derived.
Decoloration of Azo Dyes by Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Water-Soluble Manganese Porphyrins
Authors: Tokuda J. , Ohura R. , Iwasaki T. , Takeuchi Y. , Kashiwada A. , Nango M.
Published: March 2008

Water-soluble manganese porphyrins are catalysts for the decoloration of azo dyes by hydrogen peroxide under mild conditions (pH 8.0 and 25°C). The decoloration rate depends on the structure of the manganese porphyrin and the added ligands.
Testing Typological Hypotheses
Authors: Warnecke Richard B. , Zeller Richard A.
Published: March 2008

Though it has played an important role in sociological inquiry, typological research has been criticized on two major issues. Theorists have been critical of the tendency to reify theoretical concepts by treating them as if they were directly observable; quantitative researchers have been critical of the tendency among typologists toward oversimplification of measurment. The basic thesis of this paper is that both issues are related to the failure to distinguish between theoretical terms and empirical constructs and to recognize that the relationship between the two can never be directly ascertained. Through an example, a logic of testing typological hypotheses is explored, utilizing multivariate statistical procedures. The results indicate that such an approach is very useful in testing hypotheses derived from typologies and in_ providing complex measures of configurations implied by the theory without committing the error of reification. Moreover, the results tend to point to specific areas where the theory is limited or inadequate to explain concrete phenomenon.
A Refined Status Index for Sociometric Data
Authors: Arney William Ray
Published: March 2008

A new method for calculating a status index from the sociometric structure of a small group is suggested. The limitations of previous indices are discussed, and it is shown how the new index circumvents the problems encountered by them. Research using the new index shows that it does measure social status at least to the extent that a person's score in the upward-positive personal ity direction on a modified Interpersonal Rating Scale indicates social status. The substantive nature of the concept of attenuation is also discussed.
Using the Sign Rule
Authors: Bonacich Phillip
Published: March 2008

The "sign rule" for drawing implications from static theories is not always valid if the theory contains loops of reciprocal causation between variables. However, if the theory is the stable equilibrium of an underlying dynamic model and if it contains only positive or only negative loops, then the sign rule can freely be used to predict the relation between any pair of independent and dependent variables. The sign rule is not in general valid when a theory contains interseting positive (potentially explosive) and negative (dampening) causal loops.
College Students' Reactions To Social Scientific Experimentation
Authors: Straits Bruce C. , Wuebben Paul L.
Published: March 2008

A random sample of undergraduate students were interviewed to study (a) their attitudes about and reactions to social science experiments and (b) the effects such attitudes and reactions may have on the validity of experimental research. It was found that the majority of the respondents had rather definite reactions to experiments, most of them generally favorable. Although the models of subjects and experiments proposed by various writers in the field received some support, none of the models was sufficiently complex to account for the range of responses exhibited by the respondents.
A Methodological Note on Typological Analysis in Status Consistency Research
Authors: Berry Kenneth J. , Martin Thomas W.
Published: March 2008

Status consistency research has been severely criticized for its inability to reconcile certain problems of theory and method As the validity of these criticisms has become evident, researchers have turned from classic research designs to more powerful methods. One popular approach has incorporated typological procedures based on two-factor profiles of status inconsistents. In this paper, a serious fault of the two-factor technique is delineated, and the analysis of differences between types is shown to be without substance. Researchers are provided with a simple procedure for avoiding this pitfall before research is initiated, and elementary combinatorial analysis is utilized to derive a proper procedure. Two research designs, a 2 x 4 and a 3 x 4, receive special attention because of their popularity and complexity, respectively.
Issues of Design and Analysis in Evaluation Research
Authors: Alwin Duane F. , Sullivan Michael J.
Published: March 2008

This paper addresses the question of internal validity in quasi-experimental and nonexperimental social policy research. We focus primary attention on problems of selection in research designs where assignment to experimental conditions occurs on a nonrandom basis. Five different solutions to the problems of selection are discussed-randomization, covariance adjustment, gain scores, matching, and explicit selection-and we examine the conditions under which these solutions are useful. The problem of random measurement error is discussed within the context of our elaboration of these techniques.
Theoretical Decision Rules for Selecting Research Designs
Authors: Hage Jerald
Published: March 2008

Since nation-states are complex, they require special methodological rules for sampling. The suggestion is made that societies should be selected on the basis of their score on some independent variable and studied over long time periods so as to maximize information gain and to minimize cost. Then the choice of societies to represent alternative explanations and finally to represent particular kinds of control should be made. The problem of identifying the appropriate frequency of measurement is discussed via a number of general classes of sociological and political variables. If these rules of purposive sampling are followed, one approximates an experiment that will build on present theoretical knowledge.
Factor Scores for Constructing Linear Composites
Authors: Susmilch Charles E. , Johnson Weldon T.
Published: March 2008

Seven distinct factor score procedures for constructing linear composites are compared in a multifactor example. The procedures are compared with respect to validity, invalidity, omega reliability, correlatedness, and linear relationships with external variables. Data are from a national sample taken by the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography. Advantages and disadvantages of the various procedures are indicated
The Effects of Interview Schedule Variations On Reported Sexual Behavior
Authors: DeLamater John , MacCorquodale Patricia
Published: March 2008

Discussions of survey research often assert that characteristics of the schedule affect the data obtained, particularly when the topic is "sensitive. " This research varied three aspects of an interview schedule designed to measure sexual behavior: (1) whether behavior was assessed by interviewer questions or a self-administered questionnaire; (2) the location of questions concerning sexual experience (at the middle or at the end of the interview); and (3) the order or sequence of questions concerning current behavior, partner's characteristics, and partner's ideology. Interviews were conducted with four subsamples of young adults: single male university undergraduates (n = 432), single female undergraduates (429), single male nonstudents (220), and single female nonstudents (293). The results indicate that none of the variations had any substantial effect on reported sexual behavior. These findings are consistent with other analyses in suggesting that such methodological variations are not a major source of differential responses in surveys.
Normative Power and Conflict Potential
Authors: Jackson Jay
Published: March 2008

The return potential model for norms and roles is extended to yield concepts and measures of normative power and conflict potential, conceived to be complementary attributes of all normative systems. An input-output energy model is proposed to represent the normative process, without assuming either equilibrium tendencies or ego's motivation to conform. Organized, disorganized, and unorganized states of a normative system are defined in terms of the relative values of normative power and conflict potential. Results of applying the model are presented from studies of a white-collar role in a telephone company, the acceptance of an innovative nursing role, and norms for decision-making in four state mental hospitals. Theoretical assumptions and implications of the ideas are discussed, with the conclusion that role theory can be formulated to represent both stability and change and need not be tied to traditional paradigms in sociology.
Making Errors in Surveys
Authors: Alwin Duane F.
Published: March 2008

This paper introduces the collection of papers in the present issue of Sociological Methods and Research. A framework is developed for considering issues in survey methodology, especially those concerned with "errors in surveys," and an overview of research in the area is presented. The paper emphasizes both the concern with improving the quality of survey data in their collection and the concern with improving the quality of the inferences made from survey data in their analysis. A range of topics is covered, including discussions of completion rates, sample coverage, locating respondents in longitudinal research, response rates, item nonresponse, weighting to adjust for noncoverage and nonresponse bias, interviewer variability, question structure and sequence, methods of administration, and respondent errors. The papers included in the present collection focus on many of these issues and reflect the contemporary concerns of social scientists with the problems of making errors using survey data.
Question Wording as an Independent Variable in Survey Analysis
Authors: Schuman Howard , Presser Stanley
Published: March 2008

This paper renews the line of research into the effects of changes in survey question wording and form which occupied researchers during the 1940s. We suggest two reasons for the cessation of such research: the idiosyncratic nature of many of the items experimented with and the near exclusive focus on single-variable distributions. In the present study, the experiments are based on decisions that face all survey investigators: whether to use agree-disagree statements or forced choice items; whether to ask open or closed questions; whether and how to balance alternatives offered; whether to include a middle alternative; and whether or not to filterfor no opinion. Furthermore, we examine the consequences of these decisions not only for univariate distributions but also for an item's relationship to education. The results from SRC national probability samples suggest thatfor thefirst two types, as well as for items involving variations in tone of word, the decisions may affect inferences about correlations with education. For the other three types the effects are restricted mainly to changes in marginals, although the no-opinion type shows a more limited kind of interaction with education. Finally, we present evidence that index construction is not an adequate solution to the question-wording problem.
Modest Expectations
Authors: Sudman Seymour , Bradburn Norman M. , Blair ED , Stocking Carol
Published: March 2008

This paper measures the effect of interviewers and interviewers'prior expectations on response to threatening questions. The results indicate that interviewers are responsible for an average of about 7% of total response variance, to which expectations contribute a small amount. In most practical situations, interviewer expectations can be ignored.
Analysis of Patterns of Response To Mailed Questionnaires
Authors: Vigderhous Gideon
Published: March 2008

This paper provides a statistical method to analyze patterns of response to mail surveys. Based on the analysis of daily questionnaire returns, as recorded in 38 different social surveys which cover different subject matters, time periods, and populations surveyed, it is concluded that the patterns of response are relatively stable and can be statistically described by the gamma distribution. Based on this finding, researchers could forecast the patterns of response to mail surveys from the mean and variance of the distribution of daily questionnaire returns.
The Treatment of Missing Data in Multivariate Analysis
Authors: Kim Jae-On , Curry James
Published: March 2008

Procedures for treating missing data in the statistical analysis of survey data are reviewed. The main topics covered are: (1) how to assess the nature of missing data especially with regard to randomness, (2) a comparison of listwise and pairwise deletion, and (3) methods for using maximum information to estimate (a) parameters or (b) missing values.
Response Error in Earnings Functions for Nonblack Males
Authors: Bielby William T. , Hauser Robert M.
Published: March 2008

Biases due to measurement errors in an earnings function for nonblack males are assessed by estimating unobserved variable models with data from the Income Supplement Reinterview program of the March 1973 Current Population Survey and from the remeasurement program of the 1973 Occupational Changes in a Generation-II survey. We find that reports of social origins, educational and occupational attainments, labor supply, and earnings of nonblack males are subject to primarily random response errors. Logarithmic earnings is one of the most accurately measured indicators of socioeconomic success. Further, retrospective reports of status variables are as reliable as contemporaneous reports. When measurement errors are ignored for nonblacks, the total economic return to schooling is underestimated by about 16% and the effects of some background variables are underestimated by as much as 15%. The total effects offirst and current job status are underestimated by about 20% when measurement errors are ignored, as are the unmediated effects of current job status. Conflicting evidence is presented on whether respondents tend to understate the consistency between their earnings and educational attainments in the Current Population Survey. If there is such a tendency, unmediated effects of education are modestly understated when response errors are ignored, and they are overstated if no such tendency exists.
Structure of Well-Being
Authors: Burt Ronald S. , Wiley James A. , Minor Michael J. , Murray James R.
Published: March 2008

A third aspect of individual well-being within a society is analyzed in terms of twelve sequential national probability surveys of individual well-being in the United States from April 1973 through May 1974. This third aspect, in contrast to (1) absolute levels of well-being and (2) feelings of power over individual well-being (i.e., anomie, alienation, and soon), concerns the cultural framework of interrelated dimensions, here discussed as the "structure of well-being," in terms of which individuals evaluate well-being within a society. Alternative structures of well-being for the United States are drawn from existing research and examined for adequacy in describing covariation among twelve indicators of satisfaction with various aspects of life activities. A structure composed of four dimensions; positive affect, negative affect, satisfaction with domains, and general satisfaction, is found to be most adequate of the alternatives. The expected relative stability of the structure of well-being over the twelve sequential national surveys is demonstrated. Implications of the analysis for the study of individual well-being are discussed.
Catastrophe Theory
Authors: Jiobu Robert M. , Lundgren Terry D.
Published: March 2008

The mathematical theory of catastrophes was developed by Rene Thom and consists of models suitable for explaining the abrupt changes of discontinuous dependent variables. Such variables are called catastrophic and have been difficult to analyze because mathematics has traditionally assumed that both the independent and dependent variables are continuous. Catastrophe theory has been highly touted as being particularly suitable for the less exact sciences, such as sociology, where measurement and conceptual difficulties make the assumption of a continuous dependent variable somewhat dubious in many cases. This paper explicates the nature of catastrophe theory in a nontechnical way, emphasizing the simplest model, the cusp. Both an inductive and deductive approach in applying the cusp model to sociological data are developed and illustrated, and the paper concludes with a discussion of how catastrophe theory might contribute to sociological understanding.
An Example of Evaluation Research as a Cottage Industry
Authors: Useem Michael , Dimaggio Paul
Published: March 2008

Research resources are likely to be critical determinants of the technical quality of nongovernmental evaluation research, and quality in turn may affect the utility of the research. It is hypothesized that technical quality is a function of (1) the principal investigator's research background (prior research experience and formal training), (2) the study's financial resources, and (3) the study's institutional setting (the type of organization housing the study, the prior research experience of the housing organization, the profession of the investigator, and the ties between the organization housing the study and the organization that is the subject of the research). Further, it is hypothesized that technical quality has a significant bearing on the policy application of the completed research. These predictions are examined with data on eighty-six studies of museums and performing-arts attenders in the United States, acquired from the principal investigators and from study reports. Five of the research resource elements examined are found to have little impact on technical quality, but two have a major impact-the study's financial resources and the profession of the principal investigator. The research resource dimensions collectively explain 63% of the variance in study quality. Contrary to expectations, however, technical quality and utility are largely uncorrelated. The latter finding may be the result of the relative underdevelopment of applied research in the nonprofit private sector.
An Escape-Avoidance View of Catharsis
Authors: Hokanson Jack E.
Published: March 2008

A conceptualization pertaining to the "arousal" reducing concomitants of aggression is presented, along with supporting evidence. The paper suggests that hostility catharsis, when observed, may only be a special case of a more general set of behavioral-emotional learning processes involving the escape-avoidance paradigm. The possible relationships among aggressive behavior, autonomic conditioning, and cognitive processes are discussed. Implications for the treatment and control of problems of aggression are suggested and compared with those emanating from the hydraulic model.
Perceived Curative Factors in Group Therapy By Residents of a Therapeutic Community
Authors: Steinfeld George J. , Mabli Jerome
Published: March 2008

The NARA therapeutic community at the Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, Connecticut, utilizes up to fifteen hours of group procedures weekly, as well as a reward system and an inmate status system. Fifty NARA therapeutic community residents were administered the Yalom 60-item Q-Sort of characteristics of successful therapy patients. Insight-related items were most highly ranked, followed by existential and catharsis factors, respectively. These results were compared to those of Yalom, highest-ranked items were examined, and the implications for understanding therapeutic communities were discussed.
Physical Attractiveness of Female Offenders
Authors: Cavior Helene Enid , Hayes Steven C. , Cavior Norman
Published: March 2008

Physical attractiveness ratings and five measures of institution performance were obtained for 75 female former residents at a federal youth center. Physical attractiveness was found to be significantly related to the number of town trips and the number of high stigma aggressive and high stigma nonaggressive negative behavior reports. In general, the relationships between the other performance measures and physical attractiveness were in the predicted direction. Some relationships between performance measures and physical attractiveness were affected by race of the resident. Results were discussed in terms of other reported findings on the effects of physical attractiveness.
Heredity in Criminality
Authors: Rosenthal David
Published: March 2008

Evidence is brought together to indicate that much criminality can be traced to environmental factors, but findings from family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies indicate that hereditary factors are also implicated in criminality. It is not a single genotype that provides the thrust toward crime, but a variety of phenotypical characteristics that are heritable in more or lesser degree. Such findings shall lead us to rethink our legal responsibility regarding criminals, their proper classification and treatment, and their responsibility to their victims.
Is Revenge Sweet?
Authors: Bickman Leonard , Green Susan K.
Published: March 2008

A confederate interacted with shoppers in a supermarket in a friendly or rude manner. She then shoplifted an item in full view of each shopper. Subjects' reporting of the crime was not affected by the interaction, suggesting the act of reporting was not one of retribution for the subject. Other factors that may influence crime reporting are discussed, as well as possible reasons why results of this study conflict with previous role-playing findings.
Application of Operations Research Methods To Correctional Problems
Authors: Mittra Sitansu S.
Published: March 2008

The paper discusses basic operations research techniques to build models for optimization problems and some of the difficulties encountered in applying these techniques to address correctional problems, and indicates some possible areas in the criminal justice system that can be explored using these methods. It briefly reviews four different correctional projects that are currently being undertaken by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Correction. Most of these projects use linear programming and integer linear programming methods.
Defining Morality
Authors: Pope Carl E.
Published: March 2008

The role of an administrative agency in attempting to suppress behavior which it deems to be morally objectionable is examined. Data were obtained by means of participant observation and a systematic examination of case records. The regulatory nature of the agency and its relationship to local law enforcement, the behavior (bottomless dancing), and the methods utilized by the agency to eliminate the behavior are examined. Relevant state and federal appellate court decisions are considered, followed by an analysis of the problems generated by the agency's attempt to regulate moral standards.
Schools and Delinquency Prevention Strategies
Authors: Schuchter Arnold
Published: March 2008

Schools have been widely criticized for not dealing with or solving the problems of youth vulnerable to involvement in the justice system. This paper maintains that schools today are not likely to solve the problems that produce delinquency in American society and that overemphasizing educational strategies for preventing delinquency or for correcting injustices to the disadvantaged is likely to be unproductive. The incremental gain from even a radical redistribution of investment in schools is likely to be small in relation to the problems of poverty or the excessive involvement of low-income youth in the justice system. Instead, it is suggested that youths should be presented with alternative means of entry-other than schools-into the occupational world.
Delinquency Programs in Schools
Authors: Knudten Richard D.
Published: March 2008

This paper reports on a survey of existing and proposed delinquency prevention programs in the public schools conducted in 1972-1973 by the Marquette University Center for Criminal Justice and Social Policy. Questions examined include: What delinquency prevention programs exist in the sample of school systems surveyed? What programs or efforts do school administrators or their representatives believe would be effective in dealing with delinquency in the schools? What are the implications for public policy? Answers to these questions were offered by 219 of the 440 superintendents, state school boards, and/or other school-system representatives queried. Public policy recommendations are suggested.
Mutability and Delinquency
Authors: Hraba Joseph , Miller Martin G. , Webb Vincent J.
Published: March 2008

From its onset the sociological study of delinquency has had the double mandate of public service and the advancement of science. A formulation is offered for carrying this double mandate forward. Latent in theories of delinquency is the practical insight that delinquency causes are unequally mutable to practitioners' efforts. By making the issue of mutability manifest in research, it is argued, findings from research would have more practical import. Data are analyzed so as to illustrate this argument.
Self-Management of Personal Habits By Female Drug Addicts
Authors: Moinat Sheryl , Snortum John R.
Published: March 2008

This investigation tested the feasibility of a nine-week program for training incarcerated female drug addicts in the use of self-management techniques, including self-monitoring and contingency management. Among 21 participants, 16 women completed a total of 17 projects which included: the self-control of smoking, calorie intake, fingernail biting, hair-twisting, and telling lies. All but one of the projects demonstrated an improvement in final performance compared to baseline levels. Two indirect behavioral measures suggested that subjects were methodical and honest in self-monitoring of responses. There was no evidence that subjects using tangible consequences for goal attainment made greater progress than those employing only self-praise or social-reinforcement.
Effect of Media Training On Inmate Interpersonal Relationship Skills
Authors: Atkinson Donald R.
Published: March 2008

Forty-five inmates in a federal correctional facility drug abuse program were assigned to roles of communicator or listener in a media training procedure or to a control group. Subjects who viewed themselves role-playing appropriate and inappropriate listening behaviors increased their use of reflection of feeling in an interview with a coached client. Subjects who viewed a peer role-playing appropriate and inappropriate listening behaviors increased their use of reflection of feeling and a minimal verbal response.
Practitioners' Views of Delinquency Causation
Authors: Reuterman Nicholas A. , Cartwright Desmond S.
Published: March 2008

A number of the usual factors considered in comprehensive juvenile justice planning are briefly reviewed. Several additional factors which should be considered in such planning are suggested. These additional factors include interagency differences in beliefs concerning delinquency etiology. The importance of this factor, especially with regard to programmatic areas, is demonstrated by the analysis of differences in beliefs about delinquency causation among various agency personnel in the juvenile justice system of one entire state. Results suggest that, in general, practitioners in the field regard delinquency as developing from a multiplicity of causes. Significant differences among agencies, in terms of frequency of mentioning, were found for five of seventeen causes of delinquency. Significant differences among types of agencies occurred for the following causes: lack of parental supervision; miscellaneous home and family influences; school-related factors; emotional and mental factors; and poverty. It is concluded that differences among agencies in their beliefs concerning the causes of delinquency may well be an important but often overlooked aspect of the juvenile justice planning process.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Behavior Modification With High-Risk Adolescents
Authors: McCombs Dan , Filipczak James , Friedman Robert M. , Wodarski John S.
Published: March 2008

This investigation reports on follow-up information received from past participants of a school-based social learning program designed for problem adolescents. The follow-up occurred approximately five years after the students' participation in the program. The attitudes and performance of 15 of the original 24 adolescents were assessed on a range of self-report measures, incorporating variables such as their employment and educational status, evaluation of program participation, involvement in leisure-time and community activities, relationships with family and friends, and anticipated aversive consequences of engaging in delinquent acts. Issues of importance to the execution of follow-up studies are reviewed. Data resulting from this pilot study fail to conclusively demonstrate the long-term merits of the behavioral program with this population.
The Relationship Between Body Buffer Zone and Violence as Assessed By Subjective and Objective Techniques
Authors: Curran Stephen F. , Blatchley Robert J. , Hanlon Thomas E.
Published: March 2008

Thirty-two male inmates at a state correctional institution were selected on the basis of behavioral histories of violence and nonviolence for a study of body buffer-zone characteristics. Subjects were matched according to age and race, and their sensitivity to intrusion of personal space was measured by subjective verbal response (VR) and galvanic skin response (GSR). Results indicated that violent inmates had significantly greater sensitivity to approach than nonviolent subjects on both assessment techniques. Unlike the findings of previous investigations, between-group differences on sensitivity to approach from the rear in relation to approach from the front were not evidenced in this study. For methodological purposes, comparisons were also made of the assessment techniques involved.
Inmates' Attributions
Authors: Saulnier Kathryn , Perlman Daniel
Published: March 2008

This study examined inmates' explanations (or attributions) about the causes of their criminal behavior. It was predicted that inmates with previous records, as well as those who acted alone would attribute their crimes to internal, dispositional factors. Also, it was expected that multiple explanations would be given for severe offenses. It was anticipated that causal attributions would be related to inmates' feelings about their situation and how well they coped in prison. Data were collected by interviewing 60 inmates in a medium security Canadian penitentiary. The results generally supported the predictions.
A Modern Personality Test for Offenders
Authors: Carlson Kenneth A.
Published: March 2008

This article describes the development of the Carlson Psychological Survey. It reviews the problems that existing psychological scales have with offender populations and shows how the CPS was developed with items and scales intended expressly for offenders. Response biases were controlled through item selection based on endorsement frequencies, desirability ratings, and faking studies. Norms are provided from samples from six different populations. A correlational comparison with the MMPI is discussed, and two validity comparisons are presented. The article concludes with a description of one of eighteen personality types which have been identified by the test.
Dealing With Long-Term Confinement
Authors: Flanagan Timothy J.
Published: March 2008

Early views of the impact of serving time in prison depict a process of systematic destruction of the person among offenders sentenced to long terms. Recent research, however, suggests that this deterministic view is simplistic—the impact of incarceration being highly variable. The prisoner's ability to invoke various adaptive strategies may serve to diminish the deleterious effects of incarceration. In this article, data collected through personal interviews with 59 long-term inmates are examined in order to specify the principal problems and needs of inmates serving long sentences, and to describe the various adaptive strategies employed by these offenders to deal with their confinement. The principal deprivations faced by long-term prisoners relate to time management, maintenance of family and other extraprison relationships, and preservation of self-identity and self-esteem. Although these concerns are similar to the pains of imprisonment felt by all inmates, the time factor amplifies these deprivations in the case of long-term prisoners.
Some Correlates of Prison Guards' Beliefs
Authors: Shamir Boas , Drory Amos
Published: March 2008

The study investigates prison guards' beliefs concerning the prison, the prisoners, and their own. role and the relationships between these beliefs and other variables. Subjects came from four maximum security Israeli prisons (N = 370). Generally, guards' beliefs ate less punitive than could be expected from previous literature. A considerable variance in guards' beliefs is revealed. Three independent factors emerge from a factor analysis: belief in the rehabilitation potential of prisoners, belief in the rehabilitative potential of the prison, and belief in the guard's supportive role. The relationships between these beliefs and background and work-related variables are examined and discussed.
Race and Juvenile Court Dispositions
Authors: Pope Carl E. , Feyerherm William H.
Published: March 2008

Allegations of racial discrimination in the criminal justice system abound. Many theorists appear to accept such discrimination as a demonstrated fact. However, a review of research is not so conclusive; mixed results are apparent. The current analysis examines the relative impact of race and other social factors as compared to a set of legally relevant variables such as referral offense and referral source. The focus of the analysis is the processing of juveniles in California, in particular the decision at intake to release, handle informally, or handle case with a formal petition. The analysis indicates that the legally relevant set of variables has a greater impact on processing than race. Indeed, age of the juvenile has a greater impact on processing than race.
The Effects of Jury Dogmatism on Reactions to Jury Nullification Instructions
Authors: Kerwin Jeffrey , Shaffer David R.
Published: March 2008

Jury nullification instructions give jurors permission to disregard a law if they feet that its strict application would result in an unjust verdict. In a jury simulation, dogmatic and nondog matic juries were given either standard or null fication instruc tions by the judge after hearing a euthanasia trial. Because of their alleged respect for and reliance on the pronouncements of authority figures, it was hypothesized that dogmatic juries would be more influenced than nondogmalic juries by the type of judge's instructions they received. Results from verdicts rendered, content analyses of jury deliberations, and postexperimental questionnaire data supported this hypothesis. Some implications of these outcomes are discussed.
Need for Cognition and the Perception of Ongoing Behavior
Authors: Lassiter G. Daniel , Briggs Michael A. , Bowman Robert E.
Published: March 2008

A study tested the hypothesis that individual differences in people's concern, for information or in their information-seeking tendencies should exert a systematic influence on how they unitize ongoing behavior into meaningful actions. Subjects high and low in the need for cognition were instructed to unitize a videotaped behavior sequence into whatever actions seemed natural and meaningful to them. Following the videotape presentation, a measure of free recall for the action-related details of the sequence was administered. As expected, individuals who were presumably inclined to want to understand and to deliberate about their environment (i.e., were high in need for cognition) unitized the behavior sequence into more actions and subsequently recalled more action-related details from the sequence than individuals who were not so inclined (i. e., were low in need for cognition). This pattern of results provides further support for the assumption that the unitization process funclions to regulate information gain from ongoing behavior Some situational factors that could possibly attenuate or enhance the observed difference in unitization rate between individuals high and low in the need for cognition are discussed
The Effects of Advertising Appeal on Perceptions of Product Quality
Authors: DeBono Kenneth G. , Packer Michelle
Published: March 2008

In Study 1, high and low self-monitors either listened to music on a cassette tape or sampded a cola product after observing either an image- or a quality-oriented advertisement for the product. High self-monitors rated the quality of the products higher than low self-monitors after suing the image-oriented advertisements, and low self-monitors rated the quality of the products higher than high self-monitors after seeing the quality-oriented advertisements. In Study 2, high and low self-monitors -sorted ads that varied in the degree to which they represented image- or quality-based appeals into self-relevant and non-self-relevant categories. The more image oriented the ads were, the more self-relevant high self-monitors perceived the ads to be, and the more quality oriented the ads were, the more self-relevant low self-monitors perceived them to be. In Study 3, 1 week after viewing image-and quality-oriented ads, high and low self-monitors saw additional image and quality ads (some new, some originals) and were asked whether the ads were old or new. High self-monitors were more accurate at identifying image ads as old or new, whereas low self-monitors were more accurate at identifying quality ads as old or new.
Cooperative, Competitive, and Individualistic Social Values Among 8- to 12-Year-Old Siblings, Friends, and Acquaintances
Authors: Knight George P. , Chao Chia-Chen
Published: March 2008

Developmental research has suggested that children behave differently toward siblings, friend.s, and acquaintances. This investigation compared the cooperative, competitive, and individualistic resource allocation preferences among 8- to 12-year-old siblings, friends, and acquaintances. The findings indicated more frequent cooperative and less frequent competitive preferences among siblingx and friends than among acquaintances, consistent with several sociobioiogical and social psychological predictions. In addition, verbal reports provided some support for the validity of the cooperative, competitive, and individualistic social value construct and evidence of differencial expectations of the resource allocation preferences of siblings, friends, and acquaintances. Finally, the verbal predictions of the partner's preferences do not support either the false consensus bias or the triangle effect noted in the previous research with pairs of relatively unacquainted individuals.
Adding Liebe und Arbeit: The Full Five-Factor Model and Well-Being
Authors: McCrae Robert R. , Costa Paul T.
Published: March 2008

Neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience have been shown to have systematic effects on psychological well being. The remaining dimensions in the five-factor model of personality-agreeableness and conscientiouness-may also contribute to increased life satisfaction and happiness. Self-reports and spouse ratings on the NEO Personality Inventory, a measure of the five factors, were correlated with three measures of psychological well-being in a sample of 429 adult men and women. Consistent with previous rescarch, neuroticism was negatively, and extraversion was positively, related to well-being. Both agreeableness and conscientiousness were also significant independent predictors. Personality dispositions appear to have temperamental, experiential, and instrumental effects on psychological well-being.
Managing Innovation: From ad hoc to Routine in French Telecom
Authors: Benghozi Pierre-Jean
Published: March 2008

Up to a few years ago, project management was mainly concerned with running ad hoc structures: innovations appeared only rarely and could easily be handled by firms. The modern trend (multiplication and unsteadiness of the markets, increasing competition between firms, speeding up of technical change) implies the regular launching of innovative products. Here, the problems to be dealt with are not only technical (performance and reliability) and economic (marketing strategy) ones, but also have managerial implications: internal coordination procedures have to be introduced, development cost control, personnel management and so on. In this context, the introduction of project management structures tends toward a dislocation of the decisions and strategies. The movement away from occasional innovations towards a regular flow of new product developments requires innovation routines which impose limited bureaucratic structures. This paper refers to the findings of a field study performed in the telecommunication industry and concerns the deployment of new electronic mailing systems.
Cutting Down the Workforce: Eunuchs and Early Administrative Management
Authors: Hassard John , Porter Robin
Published: March 2008

The literature that exists on the role of eunuchs in pre-modern bureaucracies suggests that purposive castration was a means of securing subordinate commitment and maintaining organizational control. This paper briefly summarizes this literature, and tests these conclusions against the Chinese experience. It finds that cultural factors were more important than the simple fact of desexualization in determining the role and behaviour of eunuchs, and that in many cases castration did not engender loyalty or commitment, or facilitate control.
Strategic Fit and the Societal Effect: Interpreting Cross-National Comparisons of Technology, Organization and Human Resources
Authors: Sorge Arndt
Published: March 2008

The neo-contingency framework, responding to criticism against previous contingency thinking, appears to be potentially capable of serving as a basis for interpreting research in the tradition of the societal effect approach. This hypothesis is further developed using existing literature. The hypothesis is then examined by looking at the results of various cross-national comparisons of the organizational, human resources and strategic contexts of technical change in manufacturing. This leads to a reflection on the underlying factors influencing competitive advantage in national sectors or industries, and to a proposal on how distinct and different theoretical approaches can be conceived to be related to one another.
Conceptualizing and Measuring Corporate Ideology
Authors: Goll Irene , Zeitz Gerald
Published: March 2008

The present study focuses on corporate ideology, an important element of culture, which refers to the explicit and publicly expressed beliefs and values of an organization's key decision-makers. Although the literature suggests that ideology affects strategy, practices, and performance, few studies have measured the construct. The present study identifies the dimensions of corporate ideology and develops a typology of ideology. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in which questionnaires were mailed to 645 of the largest manufacturing companies in the U.S. The response rate was 25 percent. The results of the study identify three dimensions of ideology: progressive decision-making, social responsibility, and organicity. They suggest that ideologies have some tendency to fall along a continuum from traditional to progressive. The importance of this finding to strategy and performance are explained within a contingency framework.
Comparative analyses of English as a Second Language reading comprehension data
Authors: Perkins Kyle , Miller Leah D.
Published: March 2008

Item responses on a multiple-choice reading comprehension test from 88 ESL subjects were submitted to classical test item analyses and the Rasch one-parameter latent trait model. The Rasch model identified more misfitting items than the classical item analyses and allowed the researchers to plot the reading comprehension items at their calibrated positions along the lines of the latent trait. The trait was defined at the easy end by items that assess literal comprehension and inference of explicit details and at the difficult end by items that assess multiple string inferences. The Rasch model also indicated that additional items were needed at both ends of the difficulty continuum, if subjects in those ranges are to be discriminated properly.
Characterizing language impairment in children
Authors: Fletcher Paul , Peters Jo
Published: March 2008

This study compares expressive language samples from normal children ( n = 20) and language impaired children ( n = 9), matched for age and intellectual capacity, across a range of grammatical and lexical dimensions. The aims of the inquiry are to determine if it is possible to characterize language impairment (so far as it pertains to the carefully selected group of children in this study) using such dimensions, and in particular to see if the identification can be made on the basis of a subset of the large set of categories used in the original descriptive framework. An initial comparison of incidence scores based on samples of 200 utterances from each child, for 65 grammatical and lexical categories, indicates that only a third of the categories are relevant to the characterization of impairment. A discrimin ant function analysis using a subset of these caregories identified two variables, which, taken together, were reasonably successful in discriminat ing the two groups. The categories identified relate to verb premodification and inflection, and lexical verb type frequency. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Crosscultural pragmatics and the testing of communicative competence
Authors: Olshtain Elite , Blum-Kulka Shoshana
Published: March 2008

This article addresses the issue of testing for communicative competence in second language acquisition, focusing specifically on the learner's ability to use the appropriate sociocultural rules of speaking. The main notion underlying the arguments presented here is the one forwarded by Shohamy (1984) that the construction of quality language tests necessitates the integration of knowledge from the domain of language learning with knowledge from the domain of measurement theories. The authors discuss a whole range of data collection instruments which serve the sociolinguistic researcher, in view of their features of authenticity and crosscultural comparability. Such instruments are further discussed in light of their suitability for language testing purposes.
Authenticity, validity and a tea party
Authors: Stevenson Douglas K.
Published: March 2008

The belief appears to be held in some quarters that certain test types possess inherent validity. This belief, which ignores basic principles of language testing, may have unfortunate consequences.