bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wave Propagation in Piezoelectric Layered Media with Some Applications
Authors: Honein B. , Braga A.M.B. , Barbone P. , Herrmann G.
Published: March 2007

In this article we introduce a systematic methodology to investigate wave propagation in piezoelectric layered media. It is based on a matrix formalism and the con cept of the surface impedance tensor which relates the components of particle displace ment and the normal component of the electric displacement along a surface to the electric potential and the components of traction acting along the same surface. Once the surface impedance tensor for a single layer is calculated, a simple recursive algorithm allows the evaluation of the surface impedance tensor for any number of layers. As an example, the surface impedance tensor is used to find the dispersion curves for a bilaminated piezoelec tric plate. Also the dispersion curves for the subsonic interfacial waves when the plate is in contact with a nonconducting acoustic fluid is investigated. Floquet theory is also ap plied to study wave propagation when the layered medium is periodic.
Signal Processing Techniques for Interferometric Fiber-Optic Strain Sensors
Authors: Kexing Liu  , Measures Raymond M.
Published: March 2007

Fiber optic strain sensors for smart structures will have to provide broad dynamic range, high resolution, wide bandwidth, and in certain applications, absolute strain measurement. Different sensor configurations and applications require different sig nal processing methods. A number of signal processing techniques and optical configura tions for interferometric fiber-optic strain sensors are discussed. Their applications to smart structure and material studies are presented. Advantages and disadvantages of each signal processing technique are discussed from the perspective of practicality, multiplex ing, and absolute measurement capability.
Vibration Control of a Smart Structure Using Fixed Order Dynamic Compensation
Authors: Prasad J.V.R. , Hanagud S.V.
Published: March 2007

The use of direct contact type sensors and actuators for structural vibration control offers the advantage of adding less mass to the structure and permits a wide fre quency range of control, facilitating a means of tunability for structural systems that age or change. The design of a controller using output feedback for such systems is considered in this paper. A recently developed loop transfer recovery procedure for designing fixed- order dynamic compensators that improve both performance and robustness has been applied in the controller design for active vibration control of a cantilever beam with bonded piezoceramic sensors and actuators. For a given order of the compensator, the trade-off between performance and robustness is investigated.
Probabilistic Neural Network Approaches for Autonomous Identification of Structural Dynamics
Authors: Regelbrugge Marc E. , Calalo Ruel
Published: March 2007

This paper presents an application of Probabilistic Neural Networks (PNN) to identify dynamic responses of structures. The PNN architecture is described and its operation relative to other neural network types is discussed. The instant learning prop erty of the PNN is shown to be a critical advantage for applications where both adaptivity and autonomous operation are required. An example, PNN-based identification of struc tural responses from structural-member strain measurements is presented to illustrate op eration of the network. The network is shown to be capable of classifying dynamics in a spatial-frequency domain very quickly using a small number of active elements.
Decomposition of the Pressure Response in an ER Valve Control System
Authors: Whittle M. , Firoozian R. , Peel D.J. , Bullough W.A.
Published: March 2007

Experimental data from tests on an ER valve pertinent to the development of a con troller for high speed machine duty has been analysed to show that three common, underlying modes of response are present. This is demonstrated for a range of industrial scale flow velocities and electrode dimensions, in the time and frequency domains. The dependence of steady-state pressure on the electric field is also discussed.
Dynamic System Identification by Neural Network: A New, Fast Learning Method Based on Error Back Propagation
Authors: Pal Chinmoy , Hagiwara Ichiro , Kayaba Naoki , Morishita Shin
Published: March 2007

A theoretical formulation of a new fast learning method based on back propagation is presented in this paper. In contrast to the existing back propagation algorithm which is based solely on the modification of connecting weights between the units (i.e., neurons) of different layers of the neural network, the present method calculates the optimum slope of the sigmoid function at each unit together with the variation on the connecting weights. The effectiveness and versatility of the present method is verified by the system identification of (a) linear and (b) non-linear (Duffing and fluid-type) single degree of freedom mass-spring dynamic models. In all three cases, the present method excels in speed and accuracy compared to that of the existing method of fixed slope. The physics behind the faster convergence rate and better accuracy of the proposed variable slope method is illustrated and explained with the help of the effect of the slope of sigmoid function on the output level of each neuron. The enhancement of the degree of accuracy and the speed of learning of the variable slope method is due to the broadening of the range of output values of each unit by the op timization of slope of the sigmoid function. The greater the degree of non-linearity of the dynamic system, the more effective the proposed variable slope method than the fixed slope back propagation method. Despite the fact that the calculation of sensitivity of slope of sigmoid function for each unit requires some extra amount of computational effort in each cycle of training, it is numerically cost effective when its performance is judged from the degree of accuracy of learning and the total number of iterations required for satisfactory dynamic system identification.
Intelligent Materials Properties of DNA and Strategies for Its Incorporation into Electroactive Polymeric Thin Film Systems
Authors: Marx Kenneth A. , Jeong Ok Lim  , Minehan Daniel , Pande Rajiv , Kamath Manjunath , Tripathy Sukant K. , Kaplan David L.
Published: March 2007

We propose to create a novel class of intelligent materials by integrating two separate classes of intelligent materials—one biological and the other a thin film conducting polymer. The first class, DNA possesses superior intelligent material properties designed over evolutionary time to function specifically and efficiently in integrated macromolecular arrays in cells called chromo somes. The second material is the polymeric thin film or two-dimensional Langmuir Blodgett (LB) monolayer film. In our approach, films will be comprised of electroactive alkylated conducting polymeric materials, such as polyalkylpyrrole and polyalkylthiophene, that are derivatized with biotin. Steptavidin conjugated DNA will be attached directly or biotinylated DNA will be stably at tached to this film via a bridging streptavidin protein. To date, the bulk of our work has centered on characterizing the DNA binding to thick films of conducting polymers. A near term aim is to incor porate this signal transduction system into fiber optic biosensors for specifically detecting nucleic acid analyte. Our ultimate aim is to create novel ordered structures possessing unique integrated in telligent functions which respond to their environment and provide signal transduction approaches via their electronic and optical functions.
Thermally- and Phase Transformation-Induced Volume Changes of Polymers for Actuator Applications
Authors: Jang B.Z. , Zhang Z.J.
Published: March 2007

The potential of using polymer volume changes as a source of actuating power was explored. Volume changes may be induced by allowing the polymer to undergo physical transitions such as glass transition, melting or crystallization, and solid-state phase transformation, or by simply heating or cooling the polymer. When constrained from changing the volume, a polymer can exert a great counteracting stress or pressure on the constraining body. When free to expand or con tract, the polymer may be prescribed to undergo a large change in volume or shape. The magnitudes of the counteracting stresses and the percentages of achievable volume changes were calculated for several commonly used polymers. Methods and procedures for making these calculations were es tablished. The actuating power of polymers was compared with that of metals.
Viscoelastic Properties of Magneto- and Electro-Rheological Fluids
Authors: Weiss Keith D. , Carlson J. David , Nixon Donald A.
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the transition area between elastic and viscous behavior for a conventional electro-rheological (ER) fluid and a state-of-the-art magneto-rheological (MR) fluid through the use of oscillatory rheometry techniques. A comparison between the yield behavior (strain and stress) measured for these two different types of controllable fluids is presented. The data obtained for MR fluids represents the initial characterization of the pre-yield properties exhibited by this type of material. Finally, a recommendation as to a key area for future R&D is highlighted.
The Salieri Syndrome
Authors: Duffy Michelle K. , Shaw Jason D.
Published: March 2007

A model of the impact of envy in groups is proposed and tested in a longitudinal study of 143 groups. Envy was directly and negatively related to group performance. Moreover, envy indirectly influenced group performance, absenteeism, and group satisfaction by increasing social loafing and reducing both group potency and cohesion. This study provides an initial step in identifying the processes through which envy impacts group effectiveness. Implications are discussed and future research directions are identified.
Work-Group Design and Autonomy
Authors: Langfred Claus W.
Published: March 2007

Survey results of employees and managers from 25 work groups in a large technology firm demonstrate the moderating effect of within-group task interdependence on the relationship between group autonomy and effectiveness. As hypothesized, autonomy has a positive influence on work group effectiveness when task interdependence is high and a negative effect when task interdependence is low.
Children’s Evaluative Appraisals of Competition in Tetrads versus Dyads
Authors: Benenson Joyce F. , Gordon Alana J. , Roy Rosanne
Published: March 2007

Research with adults has demonstrated an association between display of overt competition and group size. Despite the importance of this association for understanding gender-differentiated developmental models of competition, virtually no research has examined this association in children. The current research was designed to examine whether children hold cognitive models that link competitive behavior with group size. Competitive and cooperative games were described to 71 boys and 87 girls from Grades 4 and 6, and the children were asked to indicate how much they thought they would enjoy playing each game in a dyad and in a tetrad. Consistent with the hypothesis, children appraised tetrads more positively than dyads for the competitive but not the cooperative games. The implications for differential experience in varying size groups are discussed as one factor that may influence displays of overtly competitive behavior.
The Innovation Imperative
Authors: Bain Paul G. , Mann Leon , Pirola-Merlo Andrew
Published: March 2007

A team’s climate for innovation has been shown to be important for innovation in management and work teams. This article investigates the relationship of team climate with project team innovation and performance in research and development organizations. It is argued that the relationship between team climate and innovation will be stronger for research teams than development teams as research teams have greater scope for creating novel and innovative ideas. A sample of 193 scientists and technologists in 20 research teams and 18 development teams were measured on their team’s climate for innovation, team performance, and six indicators of innovation. Research and development teams showed similar ratings for team climate and for measures of innovation. However, the relationships between team climate and individual and team innovation were stronger for research teams than development teams. These findings are significant for fostering innovativeness and innovation in knowledge work teams.
An Inside Look
Authors: Rasters Gaby , Vissers Geert , Dankbaar Ben
Published: March 2007

This study describes the formation of a dispersed team and the communication processes to evolve in this team. The authors examine how the members of such a team actually used e-mail for communication instead of starting from assumptions concerning the richness or leanness of the communication medium being used. Aspects of group formation and group composition are considered, and team member behaviors in an occasional face-to-face meeting are described. Observing how communication actually unfolds will allows the authors to review media richness theory’s claim that teams need face-to-face communication or another allegedly rich communication medium for effective communication about complex problems or equivocal tasks. The team to be described is a international group of researchers who joined a mailing list dedicated to preparing a research proposal that was to be funded by the EU.
Nonverbal Communication and Counselor Education
Authors: Heimann Robert A. , Heimann Hope M.
Published: March 2007

Verne was five minutes early for this session... he was able to keep eye contact when the discussion was about others. He looked down or toward the wall when the conversation was brought back to him He demonstrated his uneasiness by his switching from side to side in his chair, first crossing his legs one way and then another; his hands wrestled with each other as usual.
Role Differentiation In Groups
Authors: Roger Rees C. , Segal Mady Wechsler
Published: March 2007

Empirical tests of leadership role differentiation theory have been limited to experimental groups This article examines the degree of differentiation between mstrumental and expressive leadership roles m two natural groups (college football teams) that have high consensus regardmg task goals and high task legitimacy. As predicted, there is a relatively high degree of leadership role integration, with several members of each group chosen as fulfilling both leadership roles. All these leaders have high formal task status. There are also some leaders who are task or social leaders only. Task specialists all score high on formal task status, while social specialists all score high on group seniority. Finally, the three types of leaders tend to receive higher rates ojmterpersonal attraction (respect and liking) than do nonleaders and the most highly chosen leaders are the most respected.
Centralized Authority as a Factor in Small Group and Family Problem Solving
Authors: Craddock Alan E.
Published: March 2007

Tallman (1970) has proposed that the optimum family structure for effective problem solving is one that makes provision for open channels of communication, centralized authority, and consensus regarding members 'perceptions of the family roles and goals relevant to the problem in hand. Support for this proposition is claimed from the findings of studies of communication networks in small ad hoc groups. This generalization appears to be in contradiction to Shaw's (1971) summary of the communication network literature. However, it can be argued that research evidence involving invariant communication networks is not entirely appropriate to the more dynamic structures that emerge from and are influenced by complex family problem-solving processes. A more appropriate basis for Tallman's view lies in studies of achieved centrality of organization when groups are given the opportunity to structure themselves as part of their problem-solving process.
Prevention of Delinquency Through Repentance
Authors: Hazani Moshe
Published: March 2007

The investigator followed a group of boys in their natural setting, an Israeli slum, in order to study their transition from delinquent to nondehnquent behavior. They were attracted by a local charismatic rabbi and formed a cohesive "study group" around him. The influence of this group upon the boys'behavior was stronger than that of the local older delinquents, with whom the boys had associated prior to their joining the group. The phenomenon is discussed in terms of the reference group theory. In order to understand it fully, the relative attractiveness of the group (that is, its attractiveness vis-à-vis the delinquents' groupings) was investigated . Warmth and caring, together with order and discipline, were found to be the major attracting factors. Possible implications for delinquency prevention are discussed.
Contract Counseling
Authors: Harvey David R. , Schramski Thomas G. , Feldman Clyde M. , Brooks Richard J. , Barbara John B.
Published: March 2007

This article presents an evaluation of a group counseling program for residents of a community release corrections facility. Results indicate that short-term counseling contributes to significant changes in participant adjustment. This adjustment was characterized by both a reduction in distressful symptoms and an improved perception of the correlations environment. Significant factors within the counseling program process are discussed in relationship to treatment effects.
Analysis of Group Process in Marathon Group Therapy with Users of Illicit Drugs
Authors: Page Richard C. , Davis Kevin C. , Berkow Daniel N. , O'Leary Eleanor
Published: March 2007

The Hill Interaction Matrix was used to measure the content and quality of interactions in a 12-hour therapy group of drug addicts. The group included six black and six white male clients and three therapists. The level of therapeutic work was measured by using four categories: conventional, assertive, speculative, and confrontive. The content of interactions was also measured by using four categories: topic, group, personal, and relationship. The group was characterized as highly confrontive, and the most therapeutic interactions occurred during the middle six hours of group time.
A Search for Self-Renewal in School Systems
Authors: Dreyfus Amos , Keiny Shoshana , Kushnir Tami
Published: March 2007

In an investigation of school system self-renewal, teachers' modes of participation are viewed in accordance with three dimensions: (a) favoring change versus resisting change, (b) active versus passive attitude, and (c) task orientation versus self-orientation. A typology of teachers' response and participation modes in self-renewal is noted, comprising (a) the activists, (b) the arrogant anti-leaders, (c) the conservatives, (d) the helpless fatalists, (e) the insecure, (f) the impatient-impulsives, (g) the authentically committed, and (h) the floating indifferents. Implications of these response modes, considering situational demands, are discussed.
More Metaphor
Authors: McClure Bud A.
Published: March 2007

This article urges caution in illuminating and interpretating spontaneous group metaphors. It encourages amplification of the metaphor as a less intrusive means for using this therapeutic tool. Case examples are provided supporting the discussion.
Group Environments in Self-Help Groups for Families
Authors: Kurtz Linda Farris
Published: March 2007

Group Environment Scale (GES) ratings by members of 3 self-help groups for families enabled comparisons of social climate in three different types of groups: social-reform, self-reform, and support groups. These were affiliates of Al-Anon Family Groups, the NationalAlliance for the Mentally Ill, and a smaller, locally based support group allied with a state mental health association. Mean ratings for the three were similar on relationship and personal-growth dimensions and different on system-maintenance and system-change dimensions. Profiles resembled those of other self-help and support groups reported in the literature, and like those, differed from psychotherapy groups, with which they are most often compared The author discusses how these findings compare with those of earlier studies and also discusses the significance of characteristics, such as high cohesion, leader suppor4 task orientation, order and organization, and low anger and aggressiom
Conflict and Democracy in Action
Authors: Oyserman Daphna
Published: March 2007

A small group intervention model was designed and used to teach police (n = 94) and social workers (n = 30) to apply democratic values and problem-solving techniques to conflicts inherent in everyday situations. Social workerparticipants were also trained to use the model in their work in the community. Pre-post evaluation showed some attitude change in desired directions. Half a year after training in the use of the intervention package, social workers reported that training was applied in a variety of natural environments but the package itself was not. Implications of these experiences in multicultural and ethnically divided societies such as Israel are discussed
Introduction
Authors: Mcgrath Joseph E.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the longitudinal study on which all of the articles in this issue ofSmall Group Research are based. It begins with a discussion of why studying groups over time and under changing conditions is important. It then describes the conditions, variables, and procedures of the 13-week longitudinal study (called the JEMCO Workshop study) in detail and offers brief descriptions of the focus of each of the otherfive articles in this issue.
On Taking too Much
Authors: Blumberg Herbert H.
Published: March 2007

Two studies, using pairs of subjects, compared three strategiesfor resource accumulationunilateral ("GRIT"-like), bilateral (mutual agreement), and free choice. A third study explored why subjects were very ready to take resources from their partners, even when it was against the interests of both parties. The first study (N = 20 pairs) was carried out in England while the Soviet-Western arms race was still in progress; the second was done in the United States in the post-Soviet era (N = 144 subjects recruited by 28 student subjects! experimenters). Although the second study incorporated penalties for taking points from one s partner, results were similar in both studies. On average, both players-in all three strategies-accrued about the same number of "weaponlike" resources. In particular, the GRIT-like strategy fared as well as the bilateral-agreement strategy, even though it did not require mutual agreement. Marked individual differences under all conditions were examined. Subjects in the third study were less likely to take their partners' resources if pairs' common goals were explicitly manifest in joint rewards.
Challenging Demographic Reductionism
Authors: Rodriguez Ralph A.
Published: March 2007

The present study examined the impact of within-group value diversity on personal satisfaction, group creativity, and group effectiveness. After accountingfordiversity in race/nation-ality, gender, and age, value diversity predicted greater personal satisfaction, and higher perceived group creativity and effectiveness.
Learning Sustainable Development with a New Simulation Game
Authors: Torres Maruja , Macedo Joseli
Published: March 2007

This new simulation game, the authors’first, has been created to introduce discipline-related concepts to a wider audience. The authors set out to create a game that would reduce an abstract concept to its basic components and present it within a frame, with the intent to capitalize on the benefits of gaming and simulation. The result of this creative effort is a card game called LEARNING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (LSD). This game is intended to create awareness to and explore attitudes toward environmental conservation and urban development. The concept of sustainable development has been chosen as the focus of the game, not only because it is one of the basic precepts of the authors’milieu but also because it presents a challenge in that it prompts players to reevaluate and potentially change their attitudes and behavior concerning routine practices. LSD has gone through extensive testing, revisions, and changes. Through this experience, the authors have concluded that simulation games can be used by practitioners and researchers to promote awareness to a novel concept in a particular field.
Medical and Healthcare Simulation: Symposium Overview
Authors: Crookall David , Zhou Min
Published: March 2007

The bridges between medicine and simulation are many and varied. This introductory article presents some of the topics covered in this symposium on simulation in medicine and healthcare. The importance of the theme is noted, and some of the recurring topics are discussed briefly, such as debriefing, design, technology, hands-on training, and modeling.
A Consideration of the Use of Simulation for the Promotion of Empathy in the Training for the Caring Professions—Me—The Slow Learner: A Case Study
Authors: Thatcher Donald C.
Published: March 2007

Observation of successful teachers of not-so-able students suggested the significance of empathy with learning difficulties in the practitioners. Consideration was given to the development of simulations designed to develop empathy with learning difficulties, based upon the model of STARPOWER. The process of the design of the simulation is described, identifying some of the crucial decision points in the development of the exercise, as a case study in the development of simulation exercises of this type. The main elements of the exercise are then analyzed, and from this analysis, some generalizations concerning empathy simulations for professional training are suggested.
Business Computerized Simulation: The Australian Experience
Authors: McKenna Richard J.
Published: March 2007

In Australia, the use of computerized business simulations within tertiary institutions is a relatively new and rapidly growing phenomenon. The data suggest that 70% of adoptions have occurred since 1984 and that simulations are used in more than half of the business programs. Perceptions reflect the American experience, but the simulations are not seen to be representative of either the Australian environment or business practice. Participants enjoy taking part and rate courses using simulations more highly than other courses. The research reported here surveyed both user-instructors and the participants in a business strategy course. Three areas for further research are suggested.
Goal Setting and Performance Evaluation with Different Starting Positions: The Modeling Dilemma
Authors: Pray Thomas F. , Gold Steven
Published: March 2007

Computerized business simulations have long been used as a pedagogical tool in business policy courses. Student teams are charged with managing a hypothetical firm and are required to establish goals, strategies, and then implement their business plans. A review of 10 popular strategy-oriented games showed that most do not formally incorporate goal setting as part of the simulation model and all of the games had teams start with identical financial and operating statements. This article proposes a methodology that permits (a) individual team goal setting as a part of the computer model and (b) firms to start with different financial and operating positions. The methodology presented allows administrators to begin the simulation with each firm having different financial and operating characteristics. Firms then select their objectives and goals from a list and establish weights and priorities for each objective. A statistical algorithm, based on Chebyshev's inequality theorem, is then used to partition each firms' goals and results into three levels of difficulty: low, high, and medium. The procedure evaluates the extent to which the firm achieved its goals, the relative difficulty of the goals set by each firm, and makes a comparison to other firms in the industry.
The Integration of Functional and Strategic Management Skills in a Business Game Learning Environment
Authors: Wolfe Joseph , Chanin Michael
Published: March 2007

The need for expressing both functional and strategic management skills was examined in a game-based strategic management learning environment. Those possessing high skill levels outperformed those possessing low skill levels. Players possessing intermediate levels or diverse combinations of the two skills obtained intermediate economic results. All groups, regardless of their initial skill levels, improved their knowledge.
Mixing Case Method with Business Games: Student Evaluations
Authors: Li Eldon Y. , Baihlie Allan S.
Published: March 2007

This article explores students' perceived learning from using either a complex business game or a simple one, along with some case studies in business policy courses. The pedagogical differences between the case method and the game method are discussed. The criteria important to teaching business policies are identified. The course pedagogy involves a mix of cases, computerized business games, readings, lectures, and student presentations, with the principal emphasis on cases and games. This experiment was designed to compare the perceived effectiveness of applying a simple versus a complex game as supplements to the case method in a business policy course. There were 159 students in a business policy course who participated in the study. The results seem to indicate that the complex game is pedagogically more effective than the simple game, that the students using the complex game gain more insights into business environment and various functions of the firm, and that the complex game is as effective as the case method along some important pedagogical dimensions.
ISAGA 94's Full House: Celebrating Past and Future
Authors: Christopher Elizabeth , Jacobsen Barbara A.
Published: March 2007

The following is a lighthearted review of the highlights of the 1994 annual conference and 25th anniversary of the International Simulations and Games Association (ISAGA).
Multilevel Petri Nets for Modeling and Simulating Organizational Dynamic Behavior
Authors: Tsalgatidou Aphrodite , Louridas Panos , Fesakis George , Schizas Thanasis
Published: March 2007

The modeling and simulation of the dynamic behavior of organizational systems is essential for understanding their current functionality and for supporting business process analysis and reengineering. The behavior of organizational systems is viewed here in terns of the behavior of their business processes. Multilevel Modified Petri Nets are used as the underlying formalism for modeling and simulating organizational systems behavior at various abstraction levels. Each level of abstraction corresponds to one or more levels of the involved part of the organizational hierarchy. The constructed models represent existing or redesigned business processes. Simulation and graphical animation are used for discovering problems in existing business processes as well as in the proposed solutions. The whole approach is supported by a development environment called ERMIS.
The Teacher, the Learner, the Teacher, the Learner: And the Cycle Continues
Authors: Lobuts John F. , Beazley Hamilton
Published: March 2007

This article attempts to capture the educational gifts passed from one generation to the next. The authors tell of how role play and classroom simulations were first employed by one mentor and passed to the next generation. The role plays and simulations are but a disposition to the love affair, passion, commitment, and ideals that the authors call education, with simulations as a benchmark to the process.
Problem Solving in Social Work Practice: Implications for Knowledge Utilization
Authors: Ashford José B. , LeCroy Craig Winston
Published: March 2007

An examination of the way in which social workers use knowledge suggests an instrumental approach to knowledge use. This approach has important implications for moving the profession toward greater accountability in the practice of social work. Unless educators can motivate practitioners to change the way in which they ask questions and make predictions, it is unlikely that practitioners will use scientific information in their problem-solving processes.
Single-System Research Designs in Social Work Practice: A Bibliography From 1965 to 1990
Authors: Thyer Bruce A. , Thyer Kim Boynton
Published: March 2007

A comprehensive bibliography of articles, books, and book chapters authored by professional social workers and related to the theory and application of single-subject research designs in social work practice is presented. Over 250 citations are listed, spanning the years 1965 through 1990. This bibliography may be useful for social work practitioners seeking further instruction in the use of such designs, for social work students, and for scholarly use by professional educators.
Using Computer-Assisted Instruction to Teach Axis-H of the DSM-III-R to Social Work Students
Authors: Patterson David A. , Yaffe Joanne
Published: March 2007

An Apple Macintosh HyperCard interactive educational program was designed to train social work graduate students in making accurate diagnoses with DSM-III-R Axis II diagnostic criteria. The teaching efficacy of this hypermedia program (HyperAxis II) was tested in an experiment in which 22 first-year social work graduate students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group used HyperAxis II, whereas the second group used a training manual con taining the same information. Both groups had statistically significant increases in diagnostic speed and accuracy. Although the HyperAxis II group rated the computer program more difficult to use than the control group rated the training manual, they demonstrated significantly stronger liking for the computer program as an instructional medium.
Problem Severity Among Outpatient Mental Health Clients: Development and Validation of the South Shore Problem Inventory-Revised
Authors: O'Hare Thomas
Published: March 2007

The use of global instruments has been recommended as a viable strategy for clinical assessment and outcome measurement in mental health practice. The current study examined the validity, reliability, and utility of the South Shore Problem Inventory-Revised (SSPI-R), a multidimen sional global client self-report scale based on a biopsychosocial framework Data collectedfrom 376 clients newly admitted to an adult outpatient community mental health program were submitted to principal components analysis and varimax rotation. Three major factors emerged reflecting an underlying factor structure similar to that of the original SSPI. The three factors were defined as: psychophysiological (Factor 1), community/health (Factor 2), and family pathol ogy (Factor 3). Overall, the scale accounted for about 43% of the variance, internal consistency ratings were good to excellent, and subscale correlations revealed good separation among the three factors. Matters concerning validity, reliability, and utility are discussed as are implica tions for the use of the scale in agency-based clinical assessment and outcome evaluation.
Evaluating Social Work Practice in a Medical Setting: How Do We Meet the Challenges of a Rapidly Changing System?
Authors: Kayser Karen , Hansen Patricia , Groves Anne
Published: March 2007

Social work's response to a rapidly changing health care system requires an empirical approach to practice. However, most empirical studies that evaluate social work services emphasize productivity and efficiency instead of effectiveness. This article examines the following ques tions : (a) What is the nature of contemporary social work practice in a medical setting? (b) What accounts for the effectiveness of social work interventions? (c) Does the currentpractice ofsocial workers meet the demands of a changing health care system? Social workers in a large metropolitan hospital collected data on 60 cases. Descriptive data regarding the types of presenting problems, nsk factors that complicate these problems, interventions, and obstacles to service delivery are presented. Regression analyses showed that the obstacles were the strongest predictors of the overall outcome of the cases. The authors discuss the implications of the rapidly changing medical system on social workers' activities.
Single-Case Evaluation on Trial: Broken Promise or New Scapegoat?
Authors: Wong Stephen E.
Published: March 2007

This article takes issue with Rubm and Knox on three main points: (1) misrepresentation of single-case experimental designs; (2) logical inconsistencies; and (3) skewed portrayal of weaknesses existing in single-case designs. Possible reasons why single-case experimental designs are often misinterpreted in the social work literature are also discussed.
Evaluation of a Self-Help Manual for the Female Partners of Heavy Drinkers
Authors: Barber James G. , Gilbertson Robyn
Published: March 2007

This article reports on a controlledfield trial into the effectiveness of a self-help manual based on the Pressures to Change procedure for the female partners of heavy drinkers. Thirty-eight female partners of heavy drinkers were randomly assigned either to counseling, self-help, or a waiting list control group. Clients were pre- and posttested using two self-report measures of distress, and the drinking behavior of the male partner was also monitored. Both self-help and counseling were superior to no treatment in producing behavior change in the drinker and in relieving the female partner's level of depression. There was no difference between the counsel ing and self-help modalities. Self-help therapy is now a realistic option for female partners who either cannot or will not present for treatment. Similarly, a self-help manual for partners provides generalist social workers in secondary settings with a new intervention option m their work with resistant drinkers.
The Use of the Social Support Behaviors Scale With Adolescents
Authors: Corcoran Jacqueline , Franklin Cynthia , Bennett Patricia
Published: March 2007

The psychometric properties of a multidimensional measure of social support, Vaux's Social Support Behaviors Scale (SS-B), were evaluated. The SS-B is represented by subscales describ ing 5 central categories of supportive behaviors (Emotional, Socializing, Practical, Financial, and Advice/Guidance), assessed for both friends and family. The SS-B was administered to a low socioeconomic status, mixed-race (19% Anglo, 37% African American, and 40% Hispanic) sample of adolescents (N = 105) who were attending pregnancy prevention programs A trend toward high scores, low variance, and few differences between pregnant/parenting and nonpreg nant/parenting teens were found on subscale scores. Factor analyses on separate subscales showed loadings more consistently for "family" than "friends." Overall results of psychometric analysis indicate that the scale needs further work to more accurately assess the salient behavioral dimensions of social support for samples from varying racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Afghan Refugee Health: Some Findings and Suggestions
Authors: Lipson Juliene G.
Published: March 2007

Health problems are often associated with migration, particularly for refugees from such war-torn countries as Afghanistan. This article reports findings of an ethnographic study of Afghan refugees in Northern California. Participant observation and various informal and semistructured interviews of 29 refugees revealed difficulties in social support, cultural conflict, language, economics, and family adjustment. These difficulties, added to traumatic refugee flight sequelae, were expressed in psychosomatic symptoms and high stress scores as indicated by the Health Opinion Survey, which elicits psychosomatic indications of stress. These themes suggest needs for culturally appropriate health and social services.
Sources of Social Support and Conflict for Polish Immigrants
Authors: Aroian Karen J.
Published: March 2007

In this study, 25 Polish immigrants from three waves of migration to the United States were interviewed regarding their sources of social support and how social relationships facilitated their psychosocial adaptation to various stages of resettlement. Findings documented that coethnics were a major source of support, particularly during early resettlement before the study participants could access support from Americans. However, social support was not automatically forthcoming from coethnics; various contingencies for social support (i.e., resource availability, perceived cultural similarities, and so forth) differed according to people's ethnic and migration characteristics and made it problematic to obtain emotional and instrumental support from the same source. Segmentation of emotional and instrumental support by source contributed to conflict among people from different waves of migration and made it difficult for newly arrived immigrants to obtain greatly needed social support.
Self-Protection: Trauma Patients' Perspectives of their Motor Vehicle Crashes
Authors: Kidd Pamela Stinson
Published: March 2007

A grounded theory study was conducted with 21 informants to provide theoretical analysis of behaviors surrounding motor vehicle crashes (MVC). Nonrespondent sources of data included songs, commercials, and automobile advertisements. Data were triangulated using constant comparative analysis. Self-protection strategies were contingent upon the drive revaluating loss of control during the MVC. The derived self-protection theory suggests that if motor vehicle control is perceived to have been lost and motor vehicle control is desirable following the MVC, then self-protection strategies to enhance perceptions of motor vehicle control will be adopted. Thus involvement in a MVC and sustaining injuries from the MVC appear to be insufficient for motivating self-protective actions. Consistent with previous research studies, if injured drivers did not perceive that occurrence of MVCs can be controlled, they did not identify self-protective behaviors that were specific to driving.
Maternal and Child Health Needs in Northern Ireland and Jamaica: Official and Lay Perspectives
Authors: Mason Carolyn
Published: March 2007

This study highlights differences between official and lay definitions of maternal and child health needs in Northern Ireland and Jamaica. Official health priorities in Northern Ireland relate to infant mortality, child development, and immunization of children, whereas in Jamaica the official priorities are family planning, nutrition, and immunization of children. In each country, formal strategies are developed to encourage women to adopt "correct" health behaviors with respect to these areas. Anthropological fieldwork and semistructured interviews with 20 mothers in Northern Ireland and 40 mothers in Jamaica revealed that economic, social, and cultural factors interacted to influence health, and hence the freedom of individuals to choose such "correct" health behaviors was therefore limited. These findings raise questions about the philosophies underpinning the formal models of health care and the effectiveness of strategies adopted for health care delivery.
The Contingency of Social Support
Authors: Lackner S. , Goldenberg S. , Arrizza G. , Tjosvold I.
Published: March 2007

A dose examination of supportive transactions during diagnosis and treatment for cancer reveals a pattern of relations that help to determine how and when the social support network will be activated. A number of contingencies are taken into account by network members in crisis: the history of past relationships, personal coping abilities, and the perceived state of the overall network. These three contingencies interact to provide a context by which subjects make decisions regarding the nature of subsequent social support transactions.
How HIV+ Persons Manage Everyday Life in the Hospital and at Home
Authors: Ragsdale Diane , Kotarba Joseph A. , Morrow James R.
Published: March 2007

This article presents findings from an interview-based study of the ways persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) manage their illness in the hospital and at home. The present investigation supports an earlier study that isolated six management styles used in the hospital; summarized in terms of general patient identities, they are the loner, the medic, the time keeper, the activist, the mystic, and the victim. This study discovered another strategy, the forced loner, that is common among those PLHIV whose social environments or medical condition force them to curtail social engagements. The general tendency is toward the mystic management strategy as the conditions of PLHIV inevitably deteriorate and as previous efforts to exert control over the management and the course of their illness become futile. Implications of this study for nursing practice are discussed.
Use of Focus Groups in Program Development
Authors: Straw Margret K. , Marks Katharyn
Published: March 2007

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is one of the largest nonprofit organizations and one of the largest membership organizations in the United States. This article describes the development of a new volunteer program at AARP and illustrates the role that focus group research played in that program development. Although the development of a new program is a relatively rare phenomenon at AARP, the use of focus groups described here is fairly typical of the role they play in the broader evaluation research efforts of the Association.
Creating a New Life: Dimensions of Temperance in Perinatal Cocaine Crack Users
Authors: Pursley-Crotteau Suzanne , Stem Phyllis Noerager
Published: March 2007

In a grounded theory study with 19 perinatal women in treatment for cocaine crack use, their main problem was found to be staying clean, a goal achieved by some through a process the authors called creating a new life. Treatment facilities used an addiction-as-illness model and emphasized the importance of the women achieving an addict identity. The pregnant women, going through the developmental process of achieving a maternal identity, found the treatment center philosophy conflictual to their psychological and biological needs. The women's ability for staying clean or temperant included 4 dimensions, holding on to the lifeline, messin' up, goin' it alone, and dancin' with the devil. Resolution of this conflict, as well as a growing confidence in their ability to recover from cocaine addiction and to commit to a "normal" life as mothers were central to the new life created as the women. Implications of the theory for practice are suggested.
Recreating Life: Toward a Theory of Relationship Development in Acute Home Care
Authors: Conger Cynthia O'Neill , Marshall Elaine Sorensen
Published: March 2007

The aim of this research was to explain some processes used by family caregivers and care recipients with acute conditions to develop and maintain satisfying care relationships in home settings. Grounded theory method was used to develop a beginning theory of individual and relationship growth and development. From a sample obtained through two home health agencies, 9 dyads (e.g., care recipient and family caregiver) were interviewed once, 4 dyads twice, and 1 dyad three times. The substantive theory that emerged-recreating life-suggests that caregivers and care recipients respond to disrupted realities caused by illness through redefining self and redefining the relationship. Four mitigating factors affecting the developmental process were identified: (a) prognosis, (b) progress, (c) social support, and (d) professional support.
The Case Against Defining Technical Writing
Authors: Allen Jo
Published: March 2007

Ongoing attempts to define technical writing are inevitably confounded by problems caused by an excessively broad focus, which obscures the basis and usefulness of the definition, or by an excessively narrow focus, which arbitrarily-and sometimes oddly-relegates samples of writing as in or out of the realm of technical writing. Technical writers have been doing their jobs for far too long without a definition to be satisfied with a one- or two-sentence catch-all definition, and such a definition may result in dividing technical writing into two (or more) cultures.