bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Commanders' Priorities and Psychological Readiness
Authors: Kirkland Faris R. , Bartone Paul T. , Marlowe David H.
Published: March 2007

This is a report on a secondary analysis of survey data to assess relationships between commanders' priorities and the psychological readiness of their units. The data were taken from two unrelated surveys - one of U.S. Army company commanders and the other of soldiers in those officers' units. Results indicated that almost all commanders put the highest priority on development of combat skills. Soldiers in units commanded by officers who also accorded high priority to human dimensions were more confident, committed, vertically bonded, psychologically healthy; and the married soldiers were more satisfied with their military and family lives than those in units whose commanders did not put high priority on human dimensions. This study is significant not only for its findings but also because it demonstrates the feasibility of using surveys to provide empirical information about associations between leaders' values and the psychological readiness of their subordinates.
The Druze Minority in the Israeli Military: Traditionalizing an Ethnic Policing Role
Authors: Frisch Hillel
Published: March 2007

The cooptation of minorities to police other minorities is an imperial phenomenon not usually associated with the modern developed state. Yet the Druze minority within Israel's security structure is increasingly playing such a policing role over the Palestinians. The reasons for the gravitation of Druze into policing are partially economic, but so are they due to deliberate policies of state ethnicization of the Druze. What is different from the past is that this specialization is taking place within a democracy. The Druze, while they benefit instrumentally from their policing function, are also upset by its ramifications for Druze-Muslim Arab relations. They attempt to resolve this dilemma by voting for center-left parties which seek a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on a "land for peace" basis, while at the same time demanding expanding economic opportunities.
Israeli Responses to the Threat of Chemical Warfare
Authors: Steinberg Gerald M.
Published: March 2007

For the six weeks of the 1991 Gulf War, Israel was faced with the possibility of attack by Iraqi chemical weapons. In response, and in contrast to their behavior over the previous 44 years, the Israelis took a defensive approach, and Israel became the first country since World War II to provide its entire population with gas masks and protection kits. In addition, Israel also engaged in active defense measures by deploying Patriot missiles.

The defensive response to the Iraqi chemical threat raises a number of questions about military doctrine and the sociopolitical implications of the policy. This article describes and analyzes the perceived threat in Israel; the policy debate that was sparked by the threat of chemical attack and available responses to it; the impact of "the policy of restraint" and the absence of retaliation on Israeli military doctrine and decision-making in the area of deterrence; the interaction between Israel and the United States over this issue; and the impact on Israeli-U.S. strategic links and Israeli security policy. The policies adopted by Israel, and the debate that accompanied them during and after the war, will have a significant impact on both Israeli policy and the Middle East for many years.
Winged Defense: Airwar, The Law, and Morality
Authors: Meilinger Phillip S.
Published: March 2007

For centuries man has attempted to soften war's effects through moral and legal strictures. Nonetheless, when a nation's survival is at stake, laws and morals are often forgotten. That happened in World War II, and strategic bombing was singled out as being particularly horrible. Unfortunately and for various reasons, attempts to legislate war since then have met with little success. This article argues that the West has not employed airpower either illegally or immorally, and that airwar is not more inhumane or indiscriminate than other forms of war. In fact, as aerial weapons have become increasingly precise, they have acted to dramatically decrease civilian casualties and collateral damage. Rather than attempting to restrict air weapons, which has been the thrust of a number of legal efforts, jurists should instead concentrate on limiting those weapons and means of warfare that are considerably more deadly and destructive.
The Relationship between Demographic Variables and Intent to Stay in the Military: Medical Personnel in a U.S. Air Force Hospital
Authors: Price James L. , Kim Sang-Wook
Published: March 2007

This study tested empirically the relationships between eleven demographic variables and intent to stay in the U.S. Air Force, used as a proxy for turnover. The research reported here was conducted among military medical personnel at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Data were collected by questionnaire and from records. Ordinary least squares regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of the eleven demographic variables upon intent to stay in the U.S. Air Force. The results support three of Price's empirical generalizations regarding the relationships between demographic variables (occupation, education, and age) and turnover; add two new generalizations (rank and gender); and do not support one relationship (length of service). The research yielded no data supporting or not supporting Price's two generalizations pertaining to blue-collar employees.
Downsizing the Army: Some Policy Implications Affecting the Survivors
Authors: Wong Leonard , Mcnally Jeffrey
Published: March 2007

The U.S. army has downsized its forces at the conclusion of every major conflict. The successful completion of the Cold War is no exception. In the past, scant attention was given to the attitudes and perceptions of those remaining in the force-the survivors of the downsizing. This articles uses a qualitative and a quantitative approach to examine the effects of the army's downsizing on the survivors. Issues addressed are the overall effect of the downsizing on organizational commitment, the impact of the army's communications concerning the downsizing plan and process, and the importance to the survivors of the army's treatment and care of the victims of downsizing. The analysis concludes that a decrease in organizational commitment appears inevitable, but that the army can implement policies to mitigate the magnitude of that decrease.
Assessing the Career Mobility of U.S. Army Officers: 1950-1974
Authors: Peck B. Mitchell
Published: March 2007

This article examines the promotion patterns of U.S. Army officers using data collected on officers serving on active duty from 1950-1974. Previous research suggests that graduation from a service academy provides officers with the advantages required to enter the military elite. The results of this study suggest that service academy officers do have an advantage in promotion to the elite ranks. This advantage, however, is not maintained throughout the rank structure. Academy graduates realize an advantage only at the rank of general. Additionally, the results suggest that institutional experience affects promotion patterns within the officer corps.
National Security and Democracy: The United Kingdom Experience
Authors: Dandeker Christopher
Published: March 2007

This article analyzes the development of the national security system in the United Kingdom, focusing on the impact of external factors relating to the preparation and conduct of war and internal factors such as industrial conflict and terrorism. It goes on to discuss the challenges that the system must confront in the post-Cold War context. Chief among these are the problems of managing the tension between the operational requirement of secrecy and the imperative of democracy—the right of the public to know about and control what is being done in their name. It is argued that the traditionally highly secretive national security state in the United Kingdom is changing in the context of an increasingly "information hungry" and less deferential society. In addition, in a climate of "risk uncertainty" the United Kingdom will have to decide on the relative balance between military and nonmilitary instruments of security as it redefines its role in the world, and on how best to obtain value for money from the resources it commits to its redesigned national security system.
National Security and Democracy: The Dilemma from a French Perspective
Authors: Martin Michel Louis
Published: March 2007

The handling of issues related to national security which often implies conducts and values at variance if not contrary to democratic norms seem to have been achieved without too problematical difficulties in the case of France. Thus was developed a modulated juridical system to protect security against external and internal threats without violating the requirement of rule of law. Likewise, civil rights such as conscientious objection and information were safe from encroachment by the state. France's historical posture but also its statist tradition have helped until now the resolution of dilemmas that stem from maintaining national security within the realm and the control of the law.
Civil-Military Relations and Argentine Democracy: The Armed Forces under the Menem Government
Authors: Zagorski Paul W.
Published: March 2007

The past decade marks a watershed in Argentine civil-military relations. The country, an almost classic case of twentieth-century praetorianism, now has an historic opportunity to assert civilian control over the armed forces. This improvement in the prospects for civilian control of the armed forces may not be evident at first since the accession of the current president, Carlos Menem (1989-) was marked by an apparently dramatic retreat in the government's relations with the armed forces. While Menem's predecessor, Raul Alfonsin (1983-1989), pursued a policy which included prosecution of military human rights violators, Menem made an abrupt about-face. He granted a general pardon to those same military officers. However, this trade-off has given the government the freedom to assert a degree of civilian control over the armed forces hitherto lacking in range of important military policies in which the previous government had been largely stalemated by armed forces resistance. The threat of substantial political intervention by the armed forces is now on the wane.
Military Coups and Military Rule in Latin America
Authors: Dix Robert H.
Published: March 2007

Contrary to the prognostications of authors writing as late as 15 years ago, both military coups and direct military rule in Latin America are shown to have undergone a sudden, sustained, region-wide decline following a notable upsurge during the 1970s. Rather than with changing levels of socioeconomic development, the explanation lies substantially with the legacy of military rule itself, including the military's association with economic failure, the disaffection of the military's business allies, the attendant "learning experiences" of civilian politicians, and, not least, the factionalization and loss of professionalism of the military itself, as well as an anti-authoritarian international climate. The impact of such causes could fade with time, thus leading to a renewal of direct military rule. There are some signs, however, of the emergence of a more institutionalized form of military involvement than in the past, one which entails an explicit political role for the military within otherwise democratic polities, but falling short of direct rule, in a kind of a post-national security state.
Toward a Normative Code for the Military
Authors: Groll-Ya'Ari Yedidiah
Published: March 2007

Our perceptions of military ethics in a democracy varies between two extremes, which mark the practical boundaries of an ethical approach toward the military, and toward its ultimate function, the use of military force. This article screens the two positions, attempting to point out the relevant characteristics of each and arguing that both are inadequate for the present citizen-soldier of the armed forces in our democracies. It also points to the shift of responsibilities toward the ranks, resulting from the sophistication of modern weapon systems. It argues, finally, that the lack of a normative working point and the emergence of the new military operator have made a merge of the two, in the present military environment, a desirable and realistic goal.
Military Culture: Change and Continuity
Authors: Dunivin Karen O.
Published: March 2007

This article uses three interrelated concepts-ideal type, model, and paradigm-to examine and explain both change and continuity in the American military culture as it undergoes major social change. Briefly, the analysis defines the three concepts and then applies each to current military culture. From this analysis, one sees continuity in the military's cultural paradigm, termed the "combat, masculine-warrior." However, one also sees change as illustrated by the military's "evolving" model of culture. Also discussed is how the military's combat, masculine-warrior paradigm conflicts with its evolving model of culture. This conflict helps explain some of the current turmoil as the military adapts to social change (e.g., diversity). The article concludes with a discussion of a potential paradigm shift in military culture. Hopefully this article provides a framework of analysis from which military leaders can better understand and proactively manage culture and change.
Operation "Just Missed": Lessons From Failed Coup Attempts
Authors: Kebschull Harvey G.
Published: March 2007

While many studies of coups are available, most focus on those that succeed in overthrowing one government and replacing it with another. In this article, the focus is on the numerous attempts that fail. After discussing the problems of 1) distinguishing between successful and unsuccessful coup attempts and 2) obtaining accurate data on failed ones, an analysis is made of the reasons for failure, the consequences for those who participate in failed attempts, and the short and long term impact that even failed coups may have on targeted governments. Evidence indicates that the proportion of failed attempts is increasing, and reasons for this trend are suggested.
Key Influences on NATO States' National Security Negotiating Behavior
Authors: Herman Paul
Published: March 2007

The late 1980s was probably the golden age of East-West security/arms control negotiations. Treaty-producing talks, such as the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) negotiation between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, went right to the heart of issues of national survival and stature. Partly due to this importance, the negotiating behavior of individual West European states during this time was highly consistent and utilitarian. Powerful influences stemming from geography, historical commitments, economic competition, domestic instability, and political vision cross-walked directly to predictable state negotiating stances. Despite the murkiness of the nature of the New World Order, these and other emerging influences or factors seem to still lend coherence to a modified self-help framework for understanding national security interests and their negotiated pursuit.
Managing a Moral Dilemma: Israeli Soldiers in the Intifada
Authors: Liebes Tamar , Blum-Kulka Shoshana
Published: March 2007

The Palestinian uprising (intifada) in the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 has created a moral dilemma for at least some Israeli soldiers who are assigned to participate, however reluctantly, in the military effort to suppress it. The dilemma consists in strong commitment to the army, on the one hand, and objections to its tactics of repression on the other. In an attempt to observe the processes of coping with the resulting dissonancewidely assumed to result in the surrender to some sort of routinization-conversations were initiated with soldiers from an upper-middle class background. Their discourse reveals that coping takes the form of searching for (1) cognitive reorganization through frames that reduce inconsistency and justify obedience; and (2) improvising behavior and negotiating with external reality so as to make the dilemma more livable. But while the findings, on the whole, are in line with the axiom that dissonance is reduced even when inconsistency is maintained, it is proposed here that in certain cases where two ego-involving commitments conflict, an individual may willfully attempt to preserve the pain of dissonance rather than to alleviate it.
The Military and Human Rights in a Post-Cold War Africa
Authors: Conteh-Morgan Earl
Published: March 2007

In many parts of Africa, dictatorships and the blatant violation of human rights are under challenge by democratic reforms. The potential for a serious conflict between democratic pressures and brutal and selfish militarism abounds in many parts of the continent. The events that have been unfolding in Togo and Zaire since the latter part of 1991 serve as a grim warning that the trend towards democracy and its accompanying emphasis on respect for human rights is not irreversible. The transitional governments or democratic forces may have to deal with a large, powerful, and disgruntled military that perceives itself as losing its exclusive privileges acquired under the old order. This article focuses on how and to what extent human rights observance could be threatened by: (1) the inevitable interaction and clash between political and economic democracy; (2) the tension created between the intersection of domestic African economic policies and external major power requirements; and (3) institutional insecurity emanating from the actual and potential conflicts between entrenched privileges (the desire to protect and enhance corporate interests) enjoyed by the military and the current push for economic and political human rights embedded in the drive towards democracy in Africa.
The North-South Security Dialogue in Brazil's Technology Policy
Authors: Perruci Gamaliel
Published: March 2007

During much of the Cold War era, the West kept critical advanced technology from flowing east for fear of the military threat such technology might pose to international security. With the end of the Cold War, attention has turned to the North-South dimension Armed Forces & Society/Sprin 1995 of technology flows and its implications for international security. This emerging security dialogue between technology suppliers and recipients has as its roots the rapid industrial development of certain Third World countries after World War II, and this article examines how Brazil fits into this North-South dialogue. Its main objective is to uncover the dynamic of Brazilian technological development and explore how that has affected its security relations with the United States.
Military Service and Racial Attitudes of White Veterans
Authors: Lawrence George H. , Kane Thomas D.
Published: March 2007

Data from the General Social Survey were analyzed to test the hypotheses that white veterans would express more positive attitudes toward blacks than nonveterans, and that attitudes of white veterans whose military service was in an equal opportunity (post-1975) military would be more positive toward blacks than veterans whose service occurred earlier. Racial attitudes of white veterans and nonveterans differed relatively little after controlling for effects of age, education, and year of survey response. While veterans were slightly more likely to be against special governmental obligation or assistance to black citizens, they were also slightly more apt to say they had recently entertained a black in their homes for dinner. For a limited set of variables white veterans who served after 1975 expressed slightly more negative attitudes toward blacks than did white nonveteran controls. Methodological constraints are discussed and alternative interpretations of the data are offered. The conclusion suggested is that there is no simple way to translate the relative racial harmony which exists within the military to civilian contexts.
Soldiers and Marines at Chosin Reservoir: Criteria for Assignment to Combat Command
Authors: Kirkland Faris R.
Published: March 2007

In Korea in 1950 all of the commanders of the U.S. Marine Division and its regiments had commanded units in combat during World War II, but 79% of the commanders of U.S. Army divisions and regiments had no such experience. Both Marine and Army personnel in the Chosin Reservoir campaign up through the rank of major had combat experience and performed creditably. The experienced senior Marine commanders extricated all of their men and most of their equipment from Chosin. The Army force had inexperienced commanders at battalion, regiment, and division. It lost all of its equipment and almost half of its men. Army command selection boards in the past decade have sought to emphasize troop experience, but frequently officers with little knowledge of field operations are selected. The rapid deployment concept requires commanders who know what to do on the first day. The Army can no longer afford career equity as a consideration in selecting officers for command.
The Military and Democracy in the Third Turkish Republic
Authors: Heper Metin , Güney Aylin
Published: March 2007

In the mid-1990s, civil-military relations in Turkey came close to the liberal-democratic model. The military was essentially interested in contributing to public policy in matters it deemed important-matters that pertained to the internal and external defense of the country. Officers thought that they should make such a contribution not because they were the ultimate guardians of some substantive norms but because they had the necessary expertise. However, they became impatient if civilian governments bypassed them in the making of policy decisions deemed critical. Concerning such matters, sometimes they suggested that the people should act as arbiters in the conflict between them and civilian governments. However, officers gave the impression that if indeed the people's opinion was asked and the people supported them rather than the civilian government they would not force the civilian government to act in the way they thought best.
The Civil-Military Problematique: Huntington, Janowitz, and the Question of Civilian Control
Authors: Feaver Peter D.
Published: March 2007

The alleged crisis in American civil-military relations has revived a long-standing theoretical debate about the determinants of civilian control. So far, the debate has followed lines of analysis laid by the original dispute between Samuel Huntington and Morris Janowitz. Viewed from a post-Cold War perspective, however, neither model is attractive. In this article, I define the basic problematique both the Huntingtonian and Janowitzean theories attempt to explain: how to reconcile a military strong enough to do anything the civilians ask them to with a military subordinate enough to do only what civilians authorize them to do. Next I critically evaluate and call into question the continued validity of key propositions of each theory and especially their reliance on "professionalism." The article concludes with a brief summary of the criteria that should guide the development of a new theory of civilian control.
Conflicting Indicators of "Crisis" in American Civil-Military Relations
Authors: Avant Deborah
Published: March 2007

The indicators of the crisis in American civil-military relations can be disaggregated into three categories: (1) the level of military influence on policy; (2) the degree to which the military is representative of society; and (3) the level of civil-military tension. Behind each indicator is a different implicit theory about civil-military relations. These theories offer contradictory assessments about what we should want civil-military relations to be. Therefore, holding the current American civil-military relationship to all three standards is logically untenable. Reviewing the crisis literature and the various theories of civil-military relations underlying the different arguments suggests the need for a more nuanced research program examining the balance between efficiency and accountability inherent in the civil-military relationship.
Soldiers, States, and Structures: The End of the Cold War and Weakening U.S. Civilian Control
Authors: Desch Michael C.
Published: March 2007

While there is no "crisis" in U.S. post-Cold War civil-military relations, it seems clear that the United States is now experiencing a weakening in civilian control of the military, at least compared with the Cold War. In a previous article, I argued that militaries with primarily external missions were more amenable to civilian control than militaries with internal missions. This article looks in more detail at how variation in international and domestic threats affects the strength of civilian control of the military relations as well as the role that military doctrine plays in strengthening or weakening civilian control in structurally indeterminate threat environments. My argument is that in structurally indeterminate threat environments, externally oriented military doctrines are necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for civilian control of the military.
Crisis as Shirking: An Agency Theory Explanation of the Souring of American Civil-Military Relations
Authors: Feaver Peter D.
Published: March 2007

The alleged crisis in American civil-military relations is best explained by grounding it in a general theory rather than in an ad hoc exegesis of recent events. This article introduces the agency model, a simple game-theoretic understanding of civil-military relations. According to agency theory, the current friction in American civil-military relations reflects the conflict associated with intrusive monitoring by civilians coupled with military shirking. Such a concurrence is one of the predicted outcomes of the agency model and, consistent with the model, there are demonstrably strong values on several of the parameters the model identifies as important in producing this monitoring/shirking outcome. The model suggests that post-Cold War developments have had a profound effect in reducing the perceived costs of monitoring, reducing the perceived expectation of punishment, and increasing the gap between what civilians ask the military to do and what the military would prefer to do.
Predicting the Size of UN Peacekeeping Operations
Authors: Green David Michael , Kahl Chad , Diehl Paul F.
Published: March 2007

We present a statistical model that predicts the force size of United Nations peacekeeping operations, relying on experiences from thirty-nine peacekeeping operations over the period 1945-1994. As we expected, the type of mission performed by the peacekeeping operation was a major factor in determining force size. Although the second-generation mission category includes a panoply of different mission types, these new peacekeeping operations still on average require almost 12,000 more personnel than observer operations. Our results indicate, however, that the size of a peacekeeping operation is not solely a function of mission type; the context of the conflict situation matters as well. Specifically, the severity of the violence in the crisis precipitating UN intervention has a significant effect, as does the addition of more actors to the conflict. In general, the geographic characteristics of the area (except the size of the deployment area), the type of conflict (civil or interstate), and superpower involvement had no statistically significant effects.
Constabulary Attitudes of National Guard and Regular Soldiers in the U.S. Army
Authors: Segal David R. , Reed Brian J. , Rohall David E.
Published: March 2007

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has expanded its role in peacekeeping operations around the world. However, budgetary pressures in the late 1980s led to a reduction, beginning in 1987, in the size of the active force that increased its dependency on reserve forces. This article presents an analysis of data on American soldiers in two different units, one reserve and one active duty, to determine the attitudes of soldiers in each unit toward peacekeeping norms of impartiality and the use of force, the role of the military in peacekeeping, and whether such missions are appropriate for their unit. Differences between reserve soldiers' responses from those of the active duty unit are discussed. In general, soldiers in both units accept most peacekeeping norms. Although both units felt that peacekeeping was not appropriate for their unit, soldiers in the reserve unit generally had more constabulary attitudes than those in the active duty unit. These findings suggest that members of the reserve components may be regarded as an appropriate source for peacekeeping personnel in the future.
The Socioeconomic Benefits of Active Military Service to Reservists
Authors: Lakhani Hyder
Published: March 2007

This article compares the socioeconomic benefits of reservists with prior active military service (PS) and reservists with nonprior service (NPS). The economic theory of investment in human capital, the sociological concept of higher educational attainment, and the social psychological theory of the development of personality traits associated with PS are employed to develop a conceptual framework. The "bridging" argument of greater gains to nonwhite reservists is also tested for data for the All Volunteer Force era. Regression analysis of the Defense Manpower Data Center's Reserve Components Surveys ( n = 8,000) revealed that individual and family earnings of PS personnel were higher by 6.8% and 3.5%, respectively, compared to similar earnings of NPS reservists. The results also found some support for the bridging hypothesis in that nonwhite reservists had higher family earnings and higher home ownership relative to white reservists. Limitations of the article for generalizability of the results to all veterans relative to nonveterans are also discussed.
"Managing" the Enlisted Force: Whisking in the Wind?
Authors: Kirby Sheila Nataraj , Thie Harry J.
Published: March 2007

The enlisted force will face changing roles and responsibilities as we move into the future. A central issue is whether the current management system will adequately meet these new challenges. In order to answer this question, we need a critical evaluation of how well the current system has functioned in the past. This article focuses primarily on the management of the experience and grade distribution-arguably one of the most difficult and least successful policies in the history of enlisted management. Its main thesis is that factors other than management policies and practices have had an important impact in shaping the force and that the inability to manage to stated goals may not be entirely the fault of the managers. Unless these trends are factored into future decisions regarding enlisted force management, future policies are likely to be as unsuccessful as they have been in the past.
The Definite End of the Mass Army in Western Europe?
Authors: Haltiner Karl W.
Published: March 2007

The era of mass armies in Western Europe will come to an end with the turn of the century even though not all of its nations will have given up conscription by the year 2000. This is the general conclusion that may be drawn from an analysis of structural indicators for the period from 1970 to 1995 and from an expert survey for fifteen Western European nations. The assumption stipulated by many military sociologists that socioeconomic modernization would favor the trend to volunteer systems is only weakly supported by the data. Strategic and military goal-bound factors such as the loss of a direct military threat with the end of the Cold War, membership in NATO, and nonparticipation in international missions outside national territory seem to be more important for the disappearance of mass armies in Europe.
The U.S. as a "Hot Zone": The Necessity for Medical Defense
Authors: Eppright Charles T.
Published: March 2007

This article calls for awareness of the national security threat to the United States from "emerging disease" and ultimately suggests a response mechanism based upon existing government resources, which the author calls "medical defense." National security strategy is analyzed in the context of recognition of nontraditional threats in the midst of the "Revolution in Security Affairs." Relevant governmental scientific strategies concerning emerging diseases are examined in order to develop the medical defense concept. The article further outlines the problem of medical defense in the format of threat, scenario, and mission analyses. Threat analysis concentrates on how deteriorating social and political conditions are enhancing the environment of emerging disease. Scenario analysis focuses on the effects of an attack from an emerging disease, with discussion of the deficiencies present in the U.S. public health system. Mission analysis demonstrates how the U.S. could prepare an adequate medical defense by aligning specialized military medical capability with those of the Centers for Disease Control. Finally, the formation, mission, and command and control of a military unit formed specifically for medical defense are outlined.
Women’s Well-Being After Relocation to Independent Living Communities
Authors: Rossen Eileen K. , Knafl Kathleen A.
Published: March 2007

Late-life relocation to independent living communities is increasing, especially among women. This study described the impact of relocation on the health and well-being of 31 older women who moved from a private residence to an independent living community. Schumacher and Meleis’ (1994) nursing model of transition guided the study. Health status, social activity, self-esteem, depression, and quality of life were measured pre- and postmove. Post-move women reported a significant increase in engagement in social activities and higher quality of life. Participants’ levels of self-esteem, depression, and quality of life were found to correspond with three relocation transition styles: full integration, partial integration, and minimal integration. These preliminary findings suggest that nurses who identify older women with low self-esteem, high depressive symptoms, and low quality of life pre-move may be at risk for poor relocation outcomes. Interventions to ease the transition process and improve relocation adjustment are needed.
Extending Work Environment Research Into Home Health Settings
Authors: Flynn Linda
Published: March 2007

Organizational attributes in work environments that support nursing practice are theoretically associated with superior nurse and patient outcomes, and lower frequencies of adverse events. This study explored associations between organizational support for nursing practice in home health care agencies and (a) the frequency of nurse-reported adverse events, (b) nurse-assessed quality of care, (c) nurse job satisfaction, and (d) nurses’ intentions to leave their employing agency. Data were collected from a sample of 137 registered nurses employed as home health staff nurses in the United States and analyzed using descriptive techniques and bivariate correlation. As anticipated, organizational support for nursing was negatively associated with nurse-reported adverse patient events and intent to leave, and positively associated with nurse-assessed quality of care and job satisfaction. These findings may be helpful to nursing administrators who seek to create work environments in home health agencies that maximize patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction.
Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients: Their Parents’ Perceptions of the Hospital Experience
Authors: Jackson Alun C. , Stewart Helen , O’Toole Maree , Tokatlian Nicole , Enderby Kate , Miller Jane , Ashley David
Published: March 2007

Studies have shown that admission to the hospital of a child can induce feelings of fear and helplessness in parents, challenging usual patterns of coping and parenting competence. Stress has been associated with parents’ need to establish effective communication with staff and their need for information, ready access to their children, and participation in decision making relating to their child’s care. This study of coping and adjustment was undertaken with the parents, including mothers and fathers, of children under 18 years of age diagnosed with a brain tumor, presenting at Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, between 2001 and 2002 (N = 53). It was a prospective study using repeated measures over time. Participants in the study were involved in a questionnaire interview at 4 different points: at the time of diagnosis, 6 months postdiagnosis, 1 year postdiagnosis, and 2 years postdiagnosis, in which they were asked, among other things, about their experience of the hospital. The point of diagnosis was marked by a high level of dependence, with parents coping with rapid decision making and shock, and the surrender of care of their child. Parents identified high levels of information need but noted that they were often too stressed to take in information early on, and that this information need persisted up to the 2-year postdiagnosis point. More parents expressed dissatisfaction with the hospital and particularly with their interactions with the health care team at the 6-month post-diagnosis period, reflecting a possible reduction in attention given to families once they had settled into the treatment routine and the crisis of diagnosis had passed.
Health-Related Quality of Life Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant During Childhood
Authors: Nuss Suzanne L. , Wilson Margaret E.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study is to examine the self-reported and parent-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children (age < 19 years) who received a hematopoietic (bone marrow, cord blood, or peripheral blood) stem cell transplant (SCT) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). A total of 35 families participated: 31 SCT recipients, 35 mothers, and 28 fathers. Mean scores were 73.6 child, 71.2 mothers, and 76.2 fathers (range of 0-100, with high scores indicating better HRQoL). No significant overall HRQoL difference between parent and child were reported. Mothers reported significantly lower physical functioning (F 2,23 = 3.509, P = .041) compared to child (P = .041) and fathers (P = .025). Older age at time of transplant was associated with higher procedural anxiety according to child (r = .498, P = .005) and mothers (r = .466, P = .008). Older age at time of transplant was associated with less worry according to fathers (r = -.589, P = .002). Overall, SCT recipients and their parents report moderately high HRQoL.
Methyiphenidate vs. amphetamine: Comparative review
Authors: Arnold L. E.
Published: March 2007

This article compares the two most common medications for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), using data from controlled studies. Medline and Psychinfo searches were done for 1984-1996 with the key words methylphenidate (MPH) and amphetamine (AMP); these were supplemented with known prior and recent literature. Of 92 animal studies found, 15 showed clear differences between the two drugs. Ten reports of controlled crossover ADHD clinical trials (three in the same sample) and a dozen other articles comparing the two drugs in humans were found. MPH is a pure re-uptake inhibitor of catecholamines, especially dopamine; AMP also releases catecholamines. Lab animals showed differential interactions with other drugs and with behavioral paradigms. Human response profiles are noncongruent. An ADHD patient who fails on one stimulant should try the other. Of 174 patients in the 6 clearest crossover studies, 48 responded better to AMP, 27 to MPH, and at least 72 to both, which is an 87+% overall response rate if both are tried. All crossovers, except the one with comorbid Tourette's, showed a nonsignificant tendency for AMP superiority in response rate. Summed data suggest suspected differences in side effects (AMP more sleep and appetite loss and exacerbation of tics in comorbid Tourette's, MPH possibly more depression/apathy and stomachaches) and effects on comorbid disorders (AMP better for conduct/oppositional symptoms, MPH for Tourette's and possibly learning disorder (LD). Most of the clinical differences are tendencies rather than statistically significant.
Prenatal stimulant exposure affects alerting and executive control in six and seven-year-olds
Authors: Eghbalieh B. , Crinella F. M. , Hunt L. E. , Swanson J. M.
Published: March 2007

Attentional processes were investigated in 53 six and seven-year-olds, representing three populations: (1) Follow-ups at a clinic for children who tested positively for cocaine/amphetamine exposure at birth (PSE group; n = 13); (2) children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with no known history of prenatal stimulant exposure (ADHD group; n = 23); and (3) randomly selected age and demographically matched controls (n = 17). The Continuous Performance Test (CPT) was used to assess two components of attention, the "alerting" system (AS) and the "executive" system (ES). The AS was operationally defined as the ability to sustain reaction speed over blocks of trials, while ES was defined as the ability to inhibit responses to non target stimuli. PSE children had significantly slower hit reaction times than either controls or ADHD children, while ADHD children were slower than controls only for the longest (4-sec) interstimulus interval (ISI) condition. Other reaction time contrasts showed no significant differences between the PSE and ADHD groups. In comparison to controls, both the PSE and ADHD groups showed more variability in reaction times, which increased over time on task, espe cially in the 2- and 4-sec ISI conditions. Both the PSE and ADHD groups committed significantly more impulsive errors than controls but the errors of the ADHD group were associated with time on task and ISI, while errors for the PSE tended to occur more randomly. In summary, PSE children are very much like ADHD children in terms of overall performance configuration, but their behavior deficits tend to be somewhat more pronounced and less predictable from variations in test conditions.
Challenges to determining adolescent medication response in an outpatient clinical setting: Comparing Adderal and methylphenidate for ADHD
Authors: Barkley R. A. , Connor D. F. , Kwasnik D.
Published: March 2007

This study sought to evaluate the utility of employing systematic assessments of stimulant medication response with teenagers with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a routine outpatient clinic setting. In doing so, it compared the efficacy of Adderall and methylphenidate (MPH) for this age group. Thirty-five subjects were randomly assigned to and completed treatment within five different drug orders involving two doses of Adderall (5 mg BID & 10 mg BID) and two doses of MPH (5 mg BID & 10 mg BID) and a lactose placebo. Measures consisted of weekly parent and teacher ratings of ADHD and oppositional symptoms, parent, teen, and teacher ratings of side effects, and tests of inhibition and attention. At the group level of analysis, no significant medication effects could be detected on parent or teacher ratings, the latter occurring in part due to poor cooperation of teachers with the protocol. Significant improvements were found for the 10 mg dose of Adderall on the inhibition task but not on the attention task. Only teen self-report ratings of side effects revealed a significant drug effect. This suggested less severe side effects on the 10 mg Adderall dose than the 5 mg dose of MPH. Nevertheless, nonblinded global clinical judgments of improvement indicated that 46% of teens had an optimal response to Adderall, 40% had an optimal response to MPH, and 14% did not respond to either drug. It is concluded that both Adderall and MPH appear to be clinically effective in the treatment of ADHD in teenagers, based on clinician's global impressions. However, numerous logistical problems plague attempts by clinicians to systematically evaluate teen responding to stimulants in a routine outpatient setting using rating scales. Suggestions are offered as to how practitioners can improve the validity and utility of such systematic evaluations in routine office practice.
Attributions in adolescents medicated for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Ohan J. L. , Johnston C.
Published: March 2007

Forty-three adolescents who were being prescribed stimulant medication for symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder were read vignettes that described adolescents being compliant or noncompliant with parental directives. The 43 adolescents imagined themselves engaging in these behaviors when they had either taken or not taken their medication, and made attributions for each behavior on scales of causal locus, control, stability, and the contributions of taking/not taking a stimulant tablet. No significant effects of medication (presence or absence) or the type of behavior (compliant or noncompliant) were found for locus or stability attributions; however, there was a tendency for the adolescents to see both compliance and noncompliance with their parents' directives as more controllable when they were taking medication than when not. Also, they attributed their behavior more to taking a stimulant tablet when asked about compliance with parental directives compared to noncompliance, and conversely, attributed their noncompliance with parent directives more to not having taken a stimulant tablet compared to compliance. The adolescents were also asked to rate general belief statements about their medication. In general, they did not see medication as responsible for their good behavior, but rather saw it as helping them gain control over their own behavior. They responded with neither agreement nor disagreement to statements about personality changes on medication. The results suggest that measuring attributions and beliefs about medication using multiple methods is important, as adolescents' attributions given in response to behavior vignettes and their general belief statements were not related.
Differences in anger, aggression, depression, and anxiety between ADHD and non-ADHD children
Authors: Kitchens S. A. , Rosèn L. A. , Braaten E. B.
Published: March 2007

Differences in anger, aggression, depression, and anxiety between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disordered (ADHD) and Non-ADHD children were explored in this investigation. Data were collected from ADHD and Non-ADHD children and their mothers and teachers. Analysis of the self-report data indicated that the ADHD children were significantly more angry and depressed than the Non-ADHD children. In addition, mothers reported that ADHD children were significantly more aggressive and depressed than Non-ADHD children. Further examination of the mothers' report data showed a multivariate effect approaching statistical significance (p< .06) for the interaction between ADHD-group and gender. Analyses of the interaction indicated that ADHD males were significantly more depressed than Non-ADHD males and Non-ADHD females. The teacher-report data did not reveal any statistically significant differences between groups. However, the differences between the ADHD and Non-ADHD groups approached significance (p < .06) and further analysis revealed that teachers perceived ADHD children as more depressed and anxious than Non-ADHD children. The results are discussed with respect to previous research. Clinical implications are considered.
Behavior rating scales: Concordance between multiple informants in the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Mandal R. L. , Olmi D. J. , Wilczynski S. M.
Published: March 2007

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) emerges in early childhood and is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Behavior rating scales serve as an essential component in a comprehensive assessment of ADHD. Unfortunately, there is often disconcordance between informants' responses, resulting in lower interrater reliability. The current paper reviews variables that may decrease the diagnostic utility of behavior rating scales in the diagnosis of ADHD. Suggestions are offered for future research to improve interrater reliability with rating scales.