bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hobbies of Retired People in the People's Republic of China: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Hu Jun-Chen
Published: May 2005

This study describes and analyzes the hobbies of over 500 retired individuals (ages fifty to eighty-eight in the People's Republic of China. Data were obtained through questionnaires and compared with the responses of 100 younger people (twenty to thirty-nine years of age). Hobbies of the retired people were classified into five categories: reading, physical exercise, productive, visual-auditory, and recreational. This classification is at variance with the one proposed by some Western writers. The following conclusions were reached: 1) there are significant differences between the hobbies of retired people and those of younger people; 2) reading is the hobby most preferred by the retired person in China; and 3) gender, age, education, and previous occupation are the factors that most influence the retired person's choice of hobbies.
Survival after Retirement
Authors: Holloway Clark , Youngblood Stuart A.
Published: May 2005

A study of survival rates after retirement was conducted for a large corporation in the petroleum industry. A regression analysis was performed to control for age, sex, job status, and type of work differences that may influence longevity. Examination of the residuals showed a bimodal distribution: one group died (on the average) six and a half years after retirement, while the second group survived (on the average) nineteen years. Implications for health care management are discussed.
The Internet Self-Perception Scale: Measuring Elementary Students' Levels of Self-Efficacy regarding Internet Use
Authors: Hinson Janice , Distefano Christine , Daniel Cathy
Published: May 2005

This study investigated fourth grade students' perceptions of abilities to use the Internet. The 31-item research instrument measuring Internet Self-Perceptions was adapted for use from the Reader Self-Perception Scale (RSPS) developed by Henk and Melnick (1995). The RSPS survey was based upon Bandura's (1977, 1986, 1995) research in the areas of perceived self-efficacy. Information from an administration of the Internet Self-Perception Scale (ISPS) uncovered four correlated factors, which described children's self-perceptions about their Internet skills. These four dimensions matched factors found with previous studies of self-efficacy and self-perceptions in other content areas and showed high reliability (Cronbach's alpha ranged .73–.87). Additionally, cluster analysis revealed five different types of Internet learners thought to be present in elementary school classrooms. Suggestions for teaching strategies and fostering children's perceptions of Internet skills are provided.
The Depiction of Significant others in Tinto's “Rites of Passage”: A Reconceptualization of the Influence of Family and Community in the Persistence Process
Authors: Nora Amaury
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this article is to provide a theoretical depiction of the interrelations between the three stages that reflect the “rites of passage” in Tinto's (1993) Student Integration Model and support and encouragement from significant others as represented in the Student Adjustment Model (Nora & Cabrera, 1996). Moreover, the article will depict how both sets of factors impact a student's social and academic experiences and integration, his or her commitment levels to the attainment of an educational goal and to an institution, and, finally, to a student's decision to drop out of college or remain enrolled.
Concrete and Formal Operational thought Processes in Young Adulthood and Old Age
Authors: Clayton Vivian , Overton Willis F.
Published: May 2005

A study was conducted to examine the role of concrete and formal operations in a young and old population. In addition, the present study explored the relation between operational thought and Cattell's concept of fluid and crystallized intelligence, as well as the role of differential living arrangements in maintaining operational thought. Eighty females from three age groups (18–20 years, 60–70 years and 70–80 years of age) were tested on a series of Piagetian tasks and indices of fluid and crystallized intelligence. The findings supported the notion that age-related performance differences occur in the area of formal operational thought prior to the time they occur in concrete operational thought. Except for the young sample, the operational tasks were found to be unrelated to fluid intelligence at the age levels represented in this study. Living independently as opposed to living in an old age home did not appear to be a significant factor in maintaining operational thought. Discussion focused on the necessity of identifying those factors which influence the developmental course of formal operational thought across the life span.
Mutuality and Retirement Community Success: An Interactionist Perspective in Gerontological Research
Authors: Sheley Joseph F.
Published: May 2005

An interactionist perspective is employed in the interviews of forty male residents of a retirement community. Research was directed toward assessing male residents' satisfaction with retired life in general, and, specifically, with life in a retirement community. Emphasis is placed upon the respondent's definition of his situation as a useful analytical approach. Residents were found not only to be satisfied with retired life but surprisingly free of feelings of disengagement, work orientation, and conservative world view. Four related hypotheses are offered both to partially explain the findings and to stimulate further research in this area. Satisfaction with life in a retirement community is tied to the mutuality of background, life style, and interests operating within the community.
A Touch of Class? A Case Study of Geriatric Screening Process
Authors: Markson Elizabeth W.
Published: May 2005

That the poor, elderly and other “socially undesirable” people are at excessive risk of being sent to mental hospitals has been documented by a variety of studies. Once labelled, the person is likely to be almost automatically admitted. When specific screening criteria for admission are introduced to reduce inappropriate admissions, however, admission itself can no longer be automatic, for not everyone can be admitted. The present study suggests that, on one geriatric service, the relative repute of the potential mental patient is a decisive factor in his admission. Specifically, at an institution where the program is highly regarded by professional staff, patients with characteristics similar to the examiner are admitted, those dissimilar are rejected. The implications of this for control of persons needing mental health care are discussed.
The Effects of Aging on the Verbal Control of Motor Behavior
Authors: Katz Michael M.
Published: May 2005

The effects of aging on self control were investigated within the framework of Luria's theory of the verbal regulation of motor behavior. Forty-eight people between the ages of 65–96 were given a set of 24 tasks requiring them to either make or inhibit a motor response (pushing a level) in the presence of different combinations of verbal and physical stimuli. Self-control was also assessed by their ability to write the phrase “New Jersey Chamber of Commerce” as slowly as possible. Performances on the 24 tasks were compared with those of children in previous research. It was found that verbal control of behavior remains strong until very late in life. The people who did well on the set of 24 tasks displayed more self-control on the slow writing test, had faster regular writing speed, and were more physically and socially active in their everyday lives than those who did poorly. Implications of the study are that it might be helpful to revise the practice of forcing people to retire just because they have reached a particular age and that older people can help maintain their skills by being physically and socially active.
Development and Validation of Scores on a Computer Programming Self-Efficacy Scale and Group Analyses of Novice Programmer Self-Efficacy
Authors: Ramalingam Vennila , Wiedenbeck Susan
Published: May 2005

Self-efficacy theory was applied to the domain of computer programming to develop a thirty-two-item self-efficacy scale for computer programming, primed to the C++ programming language. To assess its construct validity, the scale was administered to 421 students enrolled in an introductory course in C++ programming at the beginning and the end of the course. The reliability of the scores was high. An exploratory factor analysis, with oblimin rotation, yielded a four-factor solution. There was a growth in self-efficacy between two administrations of the scale twelve weeks apart, particularly for students who initially had low self-efficacy. The computer programming self-efficacy of males and females did not differ substantially in practical terms.
Barriers to the Effective Use of Technology in Education: Current Status
Authors: Fabry Dee L. , Higgs John R.
Published: May 2005

While the number of computers in the classroom continues to increase and tremendous support for technology integration exists in government, business, and academia, a major discrepancy exists between the level of technology use expected of educators and the actual use and integration of technology in the classroom. This article examines barriers that impede the effective use of technology in education.
The Design and Analysis of a Mathematical Microworld
Authors: Edwards Laurie D.
Published: May 2005

Educational computing has much to offer mathematics education, particularly when software is designed which provides students with the opportunity to go beyond practicing basic skills and solving routine problems, and instead supports mathematical discovery and exploration. Although drill and practice is still the category of software employed most frequently by mathematics and science teachers who use computers [1], software which functions as a cognitive tool for exploration and sense-making is becoming more evident in both classroom and research environments [2, 3]. The purpose of this article is to report on the results of a research study involving an exploratory learning environment, or mathematical microworld, for transformation geometry. The goal is to outline the principles underlying the design of the environment as well as to present an analysis of the learning of a group of middle school students who interacted with the microworld over a period of several weeks.
Three Ways of Reminiscence in Theory and Practice
Authors: Lo Gerfo Marianne
Published: May 2005

Experimental studies disagree on the frequency and effects of reminiscence among the elderly. However, efficacy in working with recollection can be increased by an understanding of three types of reminiscence: informative, evaluative and obsessive.

Informative reminiscence involves recollection for the pleasure of reliving and retelling. Reviewing memories can be used to revive interest, self-esteem, and personal relationships.

Evaluative reminiscence is based on Butler's life review. A more favorable resolution is likely when it ranges over the lifetime and is shared. Groups and oral history projects can be tailored to support informative and evaluative reminiscences.

Obsessive reminiscence may result from guilt, stress or grief. Relieving stress and finding new outlets can be combined with techniques like psychodrama and Progoff's journal workshop, to work through obstructing experiences.
Artistic Creativity and Aging in India
Authors: Maduro Renaldo
Published: May 2005

This paper is a focused consideration of artistic creativity in relation to different phases of the Hindu life cycle. Life history and psychological test data collected from 110 male Brahmin folk painters at an orthodox sacred pilgrimage center in western India are presented. Folk theories of creative process and the psychogenesis of creative energy for symbolic expressive behavior throughout the life cycle are related to recent theoretical interest in ego boundary maintenance, to Jungian psychoanalytic theory, and to Hindu notions of achieving psychological wholeness, balance, and augmented creative potential in later life. It is argued that artistic creativity does not necessarily decline with chronological age. Male painters asked to rank each other along a creativity continuum into three groups according to high or low degree of perceived creativity are discussed: mean ages for each of these painter-defined groups are presented. Scores on the Barron-Welsh Revised Art Scale from painters of all three groups are related to preferences for perceptual complexity, ambiguity, and asymmetry.
Anti-Tobacco Education in Vacation Bible School in Mississippi: The Morality of Tobacco Prevention
Authors: Reinert Bonita , Carver Vivien , Range Lillian M.
Published: May 2005

Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding the morality of tobacco use of 355 mostly African-American youth in Mississippi, were measured before and after tobacco prevention lessons in summer vacation Bible school. Knowledge and behavioral intentions were strong initially and did not change. Two attitudes improved: youth favored anti-tobacco policy and activism even more after the lessons compared to before. One attitude deteriorated: youth favored banning young people from tobacco less strongly after the lessons compared to before. Educational implications for introducing tobacco prevention, which may seem to be a secular topic, into a religious setting such as summertime Bible school, include covering important topics such as the perniciousness of tobacco companies, the negative influence of tobacco advertisements, the benefits of anti-tobacco policies, and ways to increase young people's personal comfort with anti-tobacco activism.
The Development of Computer-Related Attitudes of Secondary Students
Authors: Woodrow Janice E. J.
Published: May 2005

The pretest/posttest study measured the computer-related attitudes of grade eight and grade eleven students, the correlates of these attitudes, and the gains in these attitudes. The attitudes were measured along six dimensions: Anxiety, Confidence, Liking, Interest, Gender Equity, and Acceptance. The results of the study indicate that the computer-related attitudes of secondary students are positive, stable and resistant to change. Gender differences among these attitudes were found to be school dependent and to diminish as students mature except in the case of Gender Equity where gender differences were minimal at the grade eight level but very pronounced at the grade eleven level. Unstructured computer experiences and word processing experience accounted for the greatest variance of all attitude dimensions. Tests indicated that gains in attitudes were independent of gender, computer training and computer course achievement.
Age, Skill, and Management
Authors: Singleton W. T.
Published: May 2005

Although laboratory-based studies would suggest that most human attributes decay with age, almost all organizations and communities appoint individuals aged about fifty-five years as their policy-makers and leaders. Some human attributes which may improve with age are described from a series of skills analyses of managers. The older manager is more acceptable because he or she is less personally competitive, more capable of taking a global view concentrating on essentials, more veridical, more tolerant, more directional, and more aware of his or her own assets, limitations, and biases.
Strategy for Implementation of An Alcohol Education Program
Authors: Eck William L.
Published: May 2005

Every now and then it is desirable to get back to basics, especially when one is discussing the implementation of an alcohol education program. Regardless of the teacher's target for alcohol education this person's basic style is of primary importance. The key characteristics we should look for is a style which enables the student to have the freedom to make an informed decision. Such decisions are not likely to result unless free dialogue can take place. Furthermore, a lecture approach, which is all too common today, is guaranteed to be counter productive.
The Influence of Ethnic Identity on Drug Use among Ethnic Minority Adolescents
Authors: James William H. , Kim Grace K. , Armijo Eduardo
Published: May 2005

Ethnic identity is a significant factor related to self-concept and psychological development and similar to other aspects of identity, is of particular importance during the adolescent years when there is increased vulnerability to drug involvement. However, much of the research relative to adolescent drug use has focused on the annual and current prevalence rates among particular ethnic groups with little attention to ethnic or group identity issues. However, it is important to study and compare ethnic and group identity and its correlates to drug use. This article presents face-to-face interview questionnaire measures of ethnic identity as measured by affirmation and belongingness, ethnic identity achievement, ethnic behavior, and other group orientation [1], and drug use as measured by misuse, abuse, and chemical dependency diagnoses [2]. The questionnaires were administered to 127 (60 Ethnic, 67 White) adolescents from ethnically diverse schools in a large urban school district in the Pacific Northwest. The relationship of ethnic identity to drug use was examined. This study indicates that the questionnaire measures can be used to examine similarities and differences in ethnic identity and drug use among adolescents from different ethnic groups. A key finding of this study was that white adolescents scored lower in ethnic identity than did members of the four ethnic minority groups and the mixed racial group. However, the most significant key finding was that in the ethnic minority sample high levels of cultural identity were associated with heavy drug use. The results of this study suggest that social influences may play a larger role in the development of heavy drug use irrespective of the nature and origins of these social influences.
Psychoactive Drugs: A Course Evaluation
Authors: Korn James H. , Goldstein Joel W.
Published: May 2005

Evidence is presented concerning achievement of cognitive objectives in a college course on drugs. A mastery grading system insured that students learned to criterion. Reported experience with drugs did not change during the course and was unrelated to measures of learning and student ratings of the course and the instructors. Concern for friend's drug usage did increase and changes were observed in preferred sources of advice and information about drugs.
Pre-Service Teachers Use of and Attitudes toward Alcohol and other Drugs
Authors: Fisher Gary L. , Jenkins Stephen J. , Held Nancy
Published: May 2005

Drug attitude and use assessment of 598 undergraduate students revealed attitudinal differences between anticipated occupation groups and drug use patterns that paralleled prior studies which used college student samples. Results are discussed as they pertain to the education of those planning to enter the teaching profession.
Materialism and the Future of Aging in America
Authors: Almeder Robert F.
Published: May 2005

In Growing Old in America, David Fischer argues that colonial America witnessed a sudden and revolutionary shift in social attitude from gerontophilia to gerontophobia. It is argued here that the shift can be explained as the necessary result of an emerging materialism which came to dominate mercantile America. It is shown how philosophical materialism requires an attitude of denigration toward aging and the elderly, and that the future of our collective attitude toward the elderly is wedded philosophically to the future success or failure of philosophical materialism. It is also suggested that the future of materialism in America looks dim and that there will emerge a strong philosophical base adequate for reforming ethical attitudes and engendering a much more favorable attitude toward the elderly in general. It is suggested that positive or negative attitudes toward aging and the elderly are rooted in unconscious commitments to non-materialistic (dualistic) or materialistic views on the nature of man. The two basically different views on the nature of man beget the two basically different views and attitudes toward aging and the elderly. Which attitude is right is a function of which philosophical view is correct and the paper closes with some evidence that materialism is on the wane.
Coronary Catherization Patient and Wife's Perceptions of Social Support: Effects Due to Characteristics of Recipient, Provider, and Their Interaction
Authors: Von Dras Dean D. , Siegler Ilene C. , Barefoot John C. , Williams Redford B. , Mark Daniel B.
Published: May 2005

This investigation explored relationships between coronary catherization patient and wife's characteristics and their perceptions of social support. Participants were 124 male patients undergoing diagnostic catherization to detect coronary artery disease (CAD) and their wives. Patients and wives' mean ages were fifty-nine and fifty-six years, respectively. While visiting the hospital both patient and wife independently completed a brief questionnaire that assessed psychological and physical health characteristics and perceptions of social support. Congruent with the interdependent and overlapping contexts, and reciprocal relationships assumptions of Revenson's (1994) ecological/contextual framework, results suggested characteristics of patients and wives (e.g., age, mental health, social functioning, hostility, depression, general perceived health) to interactively moderate their perceptions of social support. Overall, perceptions of social support were found to be influenced by characteristics of the perceiver, the support provider, and their interaction. Concerns for supportive and helpful caregiving are discussed.
Measuring Social Support among Older Adults
Authors: Krause Neal , Markides Kyriakos
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study is to introduce a measure of natural supportive behaviors for use in studies that examine the relationship between stress, social support, and health among older adults. The index improves on existing measures in three ways: it avoids problems arising from confounding potentially supportive relationships with support that is actually received; the scale also assesses variations in individual support needs; and it measures four distinct dimensions of social support (informational support, tangible help, emotional support, and integration). Based on data from a random community survey of 351 older adults, the basic psychometric properties and the factor structure of the scale are explored. The predictive validity of the scale is demonstrated by showing that the dimensions of support buffer the stressful effects of bereavement on depressive symptoms.
Administrative Waste in the U.S. Health Care System in 2003: The Cost to the Nation, the States, and the District of Columbia, with State-Specific Estimates of Potential Savings
Authors: Himmelstein David U. , Woolhandler Steffie , Wolfe Sidney M.
Published: May 2005

This report provides nationwide and state-specific estimates of U.S. health care administration spending and potential savings in 2003 were the United States to institute a Canadian-style national health insurance system. The United States wastes more on health care bureaucracy than it would cost to provide health care to all its uninsured. Administrative expenses will consume at least $399.4 billion of a total health expenditure of $1,660.5 billion in 2003. Streamlining administrative overhead to Canadian levels would save approximately $286.0 billion in 2003, $6,940 for each of the 41.2 million Americans who were uninsured as of 2001. This is substantially more than would be needed to provide full insurance coverage. The cost of excess health bureaucracy in individual states is equally striking. For example, Massachusetts, with 560,000 uninsured state residents, could save about $8,556 million in 2003 ($16,453 per uninsured resident of that state) if it streamlined administration to Canadian levels. New Mexico, with 373,000 uninsured, could save $1,500 million on health bureaucracy ($4,022 per uninsured resident). Only a single-payer national health insurance system could garner these massive administrative savings, allowing universal coverage without any increase in total health spending. Because incremental reforms necessarily preserve the current fragmented and duplicative payment structure, they cannot achieve significant bureaucratic savings.
Causes and Consequences of Health Self-Report Variations among Older People
Authors: Graney Marshall J. , Zimmerman Renée M.
Published: May 2005

Older people's health self-reports are highly correlated with their utilization of health care services and are frequently cited in explanations for changes in social status, social participation-activity, and personal attitudes. The purposes of research reported here were threefold: 1. to review previous health self-report findings using comparable statistics and systematic categories of correlates; 2. to specify indicators of established correlates in national random sample data; and 3. to develop a path analysis model utilizing these variables as causes and consequences of health self-report variations among older people. Findings emphasize the importance of health self-concept to social participation-activity.
Aging and Preference for Later Retirement
Authors: Rose Charles L. , Mogey John M.
Published: May 2005

The hypothesis was investigated that older workers who are longer in the work role are more anxious to remain in their work role and prefer to retire at a later age. In the design, social class and health were age-invariant because of the selective nature of the VA Normative Aging population. These two major contaminants of the relationship between age and later retirement preference were therefore controlled. A stepwise regression analysis found that later retirement preference was related to age and social class factors, the two acting independently, and with age more than twice as important as social class. This finding is problematic because of (1) a trend to earlier mandatory retirement related to increased industrial productivity; (2) capacity for longer work life, related to improvement in health and longevity; and (3) a trend to non-manual occupation, which is less vulnerable to age decrement. In summary, contrary to disengagement theory, the desire to stave off retirement increases with age at a time of societal pressure for curtailment of work role. The solution to this dilemma lies either in expansion of work roles or massive change in values favoring earlier retirement.
Reactions to Gifts as Indicators of Personality-Behavior Traits in the Elderly
Authors: Carp Frances M.
Published: May 2005

Presentation of a token of appreciation to elderly respondents was used as an opportunity to test some hypotheses in regard to the dynamics of giving and receiving. Specific gift-situation reactions which seemed relevant to ego strength, dependency and retentiveness were used to predict scores on more traditional measures of these personality-behavior traits. Two populations of elderly men and women were studied. All were residents of public housing facilities. Correlations of gift-behavior ratings with criterion data collected nine months later confirm that the style in which a gift is received discloses basic personality functions. The findings suggest that the growing necessity to pay or otherwise reciprocate for data may provide opportunity for additional hypothesis testing.
Graduate Drug Education Emphasizes People Involvement, Communication Awareness, and Reality
Authors: Edwards Randolph E.
Published: May 2005

Through realistic drug education many of today's teachers are developing a greater appreciation for “communication awareness” and the vital role of “feelings” in “people to people” relationships. Instruction in graduate drug classes at Southern Connecticut State College emphasizes an investigation of the substantive and practical issues of the overall drug scene and the teacher role in relating these issues to students in a credible manner.
Learning Strategies for Unstructured Hypermedia—A Framework for Theory, Research, and Practice
Authors: Astleitner Hermann , Leutner Detlev
Published: May 2005

This article presents a review of major strategies for learning and information retrieval useful for learners, respectively users in coping with typical problems in unstructured hypermedia. They are derived from a process analysis of learning and information retrieval in “hypermedia-systems” and related problems, and they represent a framework for collecting and integrating several approaches widely scattered and isolated from each other in the literature. Three global types of strategies concerning goal attainment, spatial orientation, and knowledge acquisition are distinguished and specified with several sub-strategies. For each sub-strategy its contribution to solve particular problems is discussed. The article closes with a discussion of theoretical and methodological shortcomings, respectively, open questions concerning research and practical applications.
The Age of Saints and the Saintliness of Age
Authors: Kastenbaum Robert
Published: May 2005

The image of the saint as an old person is a familiar one. Does this mental association have any basis in fact? This article reports a study examining the age of saints, and includes a discussion of the saint as a possible model for the old person. The sample of 487 saints (118 females, 369 males) was drawn from reference sources to meet the criteria of a) actual historical person, and b) established dates (years) of birth and death. Those who died as martyrs were analyzed separately. Martyrdom was twice as common among the males. Almost all female martyrs died young; males were more likely to be put to death in their forties. Saints whose lives were not brought to an abrupt end by martyrdom were studied more extensively. Male saints, combining all historical periods, had a mean longevity of 69.9 years: literally the proverbial “three score and ten!” Female saints had a mean longevity of 58.1. A series of quasi-comparisons suggests that saints, especially the males, have had a longevity advantage throughout most of history. However, a time trend was noted among the males: the number of very old saints has diminished markedly in recent times, and centenarians, in particular, have been absent for more than seven hundred years. The data suggest that interactions exist between gender and historical period. Four alternative hypotheses about the possible age-saint relationship are examined in light of the present findings, and the saint is explored as a possible model for coping with the burdens and trials of old age, contrasted with current age-based health rationing concepts.
Logo and Intelligent Videodisc Applications for Pre-Readers
Authors: Lawler Robert W. , Papert Seymour
Published: May 2005

Literacy has a profound affect on the mind and thinking as well as on a person's station in his society. We believe that exposure to the pervasive computer presence will dramatically alter the accessibility of the written word. Here we describe the Word Worlds Machine—an intelligent video-disc system controlled through the novice-accessible Logo programming lanaguage—as a concrete example of how frontier technology can be put in the service of human needs through a focus on the communication of powerful ideas. This system's design is specific for pre-literate children of the west. This specificity permits us to define application ideas that reach down to a fine grain of detail which raises immediately even such technical issues as data-base organization. The particular example around which the design is constructed is not, however, a constraint on its generality. With custom-designed input terminals and a picture data base, use of the Word Worlds Machine may be independent of orthography, language, and culture. To the extent this is true, such a system presents an opportunity for significant cooperative interaction between technologists and individuals from less developed countries.
Whose Quality of Life is it Anyway? Why Not Ask Seniors to Tell US about IT?
Authors: Fry Prem S.
Published: May 2005

Three hundred and thirty-one older adults participated in a study designed to examine their perceptions of what constitutes a reasonable quality of life. Participants responded to an open-ended questionnaire in which they were asked to state their priorities, preferences, aspirations, and concerns about their present and future quality of life. Responses were subjected to a principal components factor analysis which yielded four factors: 1) respondents' demands for specific guarantees; 2) respondents' aspirations and expectations for future quality of life; 3) fears and anxieties; and 4) external factors presenting a threat to quality of life. These factors accounted for 15 percent, 12 percent, 9.2 percent, and 7.1 percent, respectively, of the total variance. Additionally, data obtained from in-depth interviews with thirty-seven older adults were analyzed using a qualitative approach. Contrary to stereotypic notions that elderly persons are frail, vulnerable, and resigned to deteriorating conditions of well-being in late life, the results of both the qualitative and quantitative components of the study showed the majority of respondents as having clear demands for autonomy, control, and independence in making decisions, including the decision to terminate life. Implications are discussed in terms of future research on quality of life of older adults.
Aging: The Lived Experience
Authors: Keller Mary L. , Leventhal Elaine A. , Larson Barbara
Published: May 2005

This exploratory study examined the lived experience of aging in a group of 32 community dwelling adults aged fifty to eighty years (M = 68.4). Respondents completed in-depth interviews in which they described the meaning of aging, the “types of things” associated with aging in themselves and in others, and methods of coping with aging-related changes. Respondents' overall impressions of the meaning of aging were generally positive; however, the changes they associated with aging, both in themselves and in others, were almost uniformly negative. Five categories of coping activities were reported: compensation, stress management, maintenance, involvement with others, and alteration in meaning. In general, respondents reported high levels of satisfaction and effectiveness with respect to their coping activities. These findings suggest that individuals who believe they are coping successfully see aging as a positive period in their lives, despite the presence of a significant number of negative changes in themselves and in people close to them.
Children's Attitudes toward the Elderly: A Cross-Cultural Comparison
Authors: Seefeldt Carol
Published: May 2005

In order to test the hypothesis that children's negative attitudes toward the elderly are unique to the culture of the United States, attitudes of children toward the elderly in four diverse cultures were compared. The Semantic Differential subtest of the CATE (Children's Attitudes Toward the Elderly, 1976) was administered to samples of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade children drawn from the Native Alaskan population of the Aleutian Island ( n = 29); mainland United States ( n = 60); Australia ( n = 39); and Ascunion, Paraguay ( n = 69). T statistics were used to compare scores on the total SD for the concept OLD and YOUNG PEOPLE within each culture. Analysis of variance was used to determine differences in attitudes toward the elderly between cultures on the total score of the SD for the concepts OLD and YOUNG PEOPLE, and for analysis of individual items of the SD. The results indicate that children in the Aleutian Islands, Paraguay, and Australia rated young people more positively than they did old people, while children in mainland United States rated old and young people similarly. There were no differences between the cultures in the children's rating of the concept OLD PEOPLE, as measured by the total score of the SD, but children in the Aleutian Islands rated old people more negatively than those in the other cultures on several items of the SD. Children in Australia rated the concept YOUNG PEOPLE more positively than did children in other cultures. The conclusion is reached that negative attitudes toward the elderly are not unique to the United States, but may be more universal to the human experience.
A Study of Family Affinity and Substance Use
Authors: Babst Dean V. , Deren Sherry , Schmeidler James , Lipton Douglas S. , Dembo Richard
Published: May 2005

This is a study of the relationship between youths' attitudes toward their family, other aspects of their lives and their drug use. The study is based on the responses of a representative sample of 8,553 public school students in New York State. Students in the seventh through twelfth grades were surveyed in the Winter of 1974/75. A concise index of family affinity (closeness) was developed. Family affinity was found to be positively related to students' interest in school and who they would go to for help with a drug problem. Family closeness was negatively related to willing to take risks, friends' use of drugs, and students' own drug use. Family closeness was not related to family composition or socio-economic level.
Life Adjustment of Retired Couples
Authors: Dressler David M.
Published: May 2005

The marital relationship and retirement experiences of a community resident sample of retired couples from working class backgrounds has been investigated. Data was obtained from a structured clinical interview conducted in the respondents' homes. Although showing evidence of social disengagement, these couples maintained a meaningful intramarital relationship and were generally satisfied with their current life situation. The findings suggest that continuity of life patterns is an important determinant of successful adjustment to retirement. Criteria for the determination of good adjustment need to consider distinguishing characteristics of different population subgroups.
Housewife Drug Abuse
Authors: Brahen Leonard S.
Published: May 2005

We now recognize that the abuse of mood changing drugs is extensive, involving all ages and socio-economic classes. This abuse extends to the typical middle-class housewife involving legal drugs consciously used for purposes other than pleasure. The problem is that many of these housewives shop from physician to physician to maintain a drug regimen no physician would prescribe. Newer drugs now available with fewer side effects and abuse liability problems should be considered in place of the original amphetamine and barbiturate agents.
From ‘Our Town’ to ‘Ghost Town’?: The Changing Context of Home for Rural Elders
Authors: Norris-Baker Carolyn , Scheidt Rick J.
Published: May 2005

This research, grounded in a contextual view of environmental stress, employed an experiential field approach to explore outcomes of the continuing rural crisis of the past decade for elderly residents of four small Kansas towns. These rural changes threaten the survival of many towns, and affect their elderly residents, who often have enduring economic, social, and psychological investments in their homes and communities. At the same time, changes associated with aging may lead to transitions in the experience of home and community for these elderly individuals, regardless of the town's health. The two sources of change may have multi-faceted impacts on the well-being of the elderly individuals who experience them. Aspects of the research described here focus on environmental stressors related to housing and the meaning of attachment to home within economically-threatened communities. Some findings presented support previous research, while others reflect the region's unique socio-historical environment as a part of the Western Frontier. Implications for policy alternatives and the well-being of rural elderly are discussed.
No Exit: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective on Aging
Authors: Marshall Victor W.
Published: May 2005

Most research on socialization for old age, including that of Rosow, Neugarten, and Riley, reflects a normative bias. An alternative perspective on later life is put forth from the symbolic-interactionist tradition in sociology. The concepts of career and status passage reflect an imagery of humans capable of exercising choice and negotiating their way through life. Later life is seen as a unique status passage in that it is inevitable, irreversible, and does not lead to any subsequent status. Controlling the passage therefore assumes great importance.
Student Construction of Expert Systems in the Classroom
Authors: Knox-Quinn Carolyn
Published: May 2005

Graduate accounting students wrote expert systems to give advice about a specific set of tax-accounting problems. Using case study methodology, student construction of expert systems in the classroom was examined in relation to its impact on content-area learning and problem-solving behavior. Results validate that this instructional experience facilitates later judgment and problem-solving within the content area. In addition, the results suggest factors important to classroom construction of expert systems.
Beyond Drug Education
Authors: Robinson Paul E.
Published: May 2005

The intent of this paper is to offer another focus in the quagmire of drug education. The author is convinced that current drug education approaches are failing to help stem the tide of drug use and misuse because their goals, expectations and methodologies are irresponsible and ill-informed. He advocates the abandonment of all drug education attempts that begin and end with a discussion of drugs and their effects. Rather than teach people about drugs, this author maintains that we should stress education of the self. Our goal should not be to convince people not to do drugs, but, rather, to help them to think intelligently and rationally, to control their destructive impulses, to make wise decisions, to resist peer pressure when it endangers one's welfare or inhibits one's growth, to understand their values, needs and desires, and to find non-chemical means of fulfillment and satisfaction. Further, the writer recommends that methodologies utilizing admonishment, indoctrination, persuasion, distortion, and fear be abandoned. The point is made that in a society as complex, dynamic and perplexing as the American society, we must offer our young people opportunities to develop the personal, intellectual and emotional resources to live meaningfully, responsively and responsibly in a new world. It is concluded that educators must abandon drug education and attempt new and unproven means of helping young people develop in a dynamic, confusing, and sometimes disturbing world.
Alcohol Awareness Education in the U. S. Air Force
Authors: Colson James D.
Published: May 2005

This paper deals with an unique and innovative seminar in alcohol awareness education, which has been recently developed and implemented Air Force wide. The Alcohol Awareness Seminar is an eight hour program encompassing ten interrelated areas. The seminar is designed to: 1. Span the entire spectrum of alcohol and its related use; 2. Promote a self-awareness of individual drinking habits; and 3. Emphasize the concept of responsible drinking. The Responsible Drinking Concept presented in this seminar involves a self-awareness of one's drinking habits, setting limits to individual drinking patterns and the consideration of alcohols impact on self and others. The Responsible Drinking Concept is discussed further along with the justification and implementation of the seminar program.
The Role of Self-Regulated Learning in Fostering Students' Conceptual Understanding of Complex Systems with Hypermedia
Authors: Azevedo Roger , Guthrie John T. , Seibert Diane
Published: May 2005

This study examines the role of self-regulated learning (SRL) in facilitating students' shifts to more sophisticated mental models of the circulatory system as indicated by both performance and process data. We began with Winne and colleagues' information processing model of SRL (Winne, 2001; Winne & Hadwin, 1998) and used it to examine how students regulated their own learning when using a hypermedia environment to learn about the circulatory system. Undergraduate students ( N = 24) were trained to use a hypermedia environment to learn about the circulatory system. Pretest, posttest, and verbal protocol data were collected to measure the shifts in conceptual understanding (from pretest to posttest) and the SRL variables associated with shifts in conceptual understanding. We used a median split to divide the sample into two groups of learners—high-jumpers and low-jumpers (i.e., students who either showed large gains in conceptual understanding or showed relatively little or no gain in their conceptual understanding). Findings revealed that the high-jumpers shifted an average of 4.5 mental models, while the low-jumpers had an average shift of less than one mental model from pretest to posttest. The verbal protocol data were coded for various self-regulating variables to examine which SRL variables differentiated the low-jumpers from the high-jumpers. High-jumpers were much better at regulating their learning during the knowledge construction activity. In general, they used effective strategies, planned their learning by creating sub-goals and activating prior knowledge, monitored their emerging understanding, and planned their time and effort. In contrast, low-jumpers used equal amounts of effective and ineffective strategies, planned their learning by using sub-goals and recycling goals in working memory, handled task difficulties and demands by engaging mainly in help-seeking behavior, and did not spend much time monitoring their learning. Our results provide a valuable initial characterization of the role of SRL in accounting for differences in conceptual knowledge gains when students use hypermedia environments to learn about complex science topics. In addition, we discuss the general instructional implications of our findings and how they can be used to inform the design of hypermedia environments to teach students about complex systems.
The Effects of Transportation and Distance on Voluntary Association Participation among the Aged
Authors: Cutler Stephen J.
Published: May 2005

In a community with neither public nor commercial transportation facilities for intra-community mobility, the availability of means of personal transportation is related to higher levels of voluntary association participation among the aged. Further analysis indicates that the role of transportation as an explanatory variable is greater both as distance of residence from the sites of associations increases and as the analytical focus shifts from the number of memberships to the frequency of attendance at association meetings. Also considered are the implications of these findings for explaining the generally lower levels of voluntary association participation of the elderly compared with other adult age groups.