bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women and Social Security: Social Policy Adjusts to Social Change
Authors: Kahne Hilda
Published: May 2005

Women age sixty-five and over now constitute about three fifths of the elderly population. They live longer than men and over time that longevity gap is increasing. Yet their income in later years is woefully inadequate. Poverty status is greater for elderly women than for elderly men; over half of aged women in poverty are widows. This paper describes the social security program, the cornerstone of our retirement income, and the lack of congruence of its provisions with contemporary social roles of women. It analyzes alternative proposals of two-tier, double decker and homemaker benefits, and earnings sharing, and their possible impact on women's economic status. It recommends improvements for this transition period while more basic structural reform is under discussion. Reform based on societal consensus could increase equity of treatment and adequacy of benefits for women. It is an essential prelude to consideration of long range financing needs of social security.
Development of an Interview-Based Geriatric Depression Rating Scale
Authors: Jamison Christine , Scogin Forrest
Published: May 2005

The geriatric depression rating scale (GDRS) is a new interview-based depression rating scale designed for use with adults 60 years of age or older. The scale was developed to fill a need for an instrument that would be sensitive to the problems encountered in assessing depression among older adults. The GDRS was designed by using items from the self-report Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) as topic areas in a structured clinical interview similar to that of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). The 35-item rating scale was administered to 68 older individuals with a range of affective disturbance. The scale was found to have internal consistency and split-half reliability comparable to the HRSD and GDS. Concurrent validity, construct validity, external criterion validity, sensitivity, and specificity were all found to be acceptable.
Impact of a Student Assistance Program
Authors: Milgram Gail Gleason
Published: May 2005

A half-time Student Assistance Program (i.e., 20 hours per week) was designed and implemented for two semesters in an urban high school in New Jersey. The findings indicate that the proportion of the students who used the SAP increased with time. In both time periods, males outnumbered the females in use of the SAP and the most frequently cited of the presenting problems for both males and females were alcohol and drug issues and problems. Educators were the primary source of referral to the SAP.
A Path Analytic Examination of Differential Social Control Theory
Authors: Ried L. Douglas
Published: May 2005

Differential social control theory was investigated with survey data from 860 adolescents using path analytic techniques. Peer non-use expectations, peer use, and the adolescent's own attitude each have a direct influence on drug use. Peer non-use expectations have the largest total effect on drug use and are directly influenced by parental, peer, and school attachments. Student's attitude has a direct effect on drug use, however, a majority of the association is spurious. Peers' drug use has the largest, direct influence on drug use. The likelihood of adolescents' associating with drug using friends is reduced by a close relationship with their parents and by knowing that their friends disapprove of drug use. The model explained 60 percent of the variance. Students do not use drugs if they are unwilling to jeopardize their relationship with their parents and non-using friends. They are also less likely to use drugs if they think their parents and friends disapprove of drug use and if their friends do not use drugs themselves.
Delivery of Services in Rural Settings to the Elderly Mentally Retarded-Mentally Ill
Authors: Menolascino Frank J. , Potter Jane F.
Published: May 2005

A number of controversial arguments exist regarding the ability of sparsely populated areas to adequately provide for their elderly mentally retarded; the elements of distance, education, and capital are said to effectively obstruct access to psychiatric and social support. Yet several facts speak soundly for the necessity to overcome these obstacles: a five-fold increase in the life spans of the mentally retarded in recent decades, and the amply demonstrated reality that individuals with mental retardation are nearly twice as likely as the general population to develop severe behavioral disorders. This article examines both the methods and the reasons for ensuring that rural populations of elderly mentally retarded citizens receive modern psychiatric assistance and community support.
Chinese Workers Never Die: Immortality or Elusive Statistics?
Authors: Rosskam Ellen , Dunn Mary Lee
Published: May 2005

Have Chinese workers discovered immortality? No, but it appears that some of their employers may have—at least on paper.
The Politics of Health Inequalities Research in the United States
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: May 2005

In this article, based on a speech to the European Association of Health Policy, the author discusses the political context in which health inequalities research has historically operated in the United States. The discussion focuses on the limitations of research that uses income, consumption, and status as the primary categories of research practice, and demonstrates these limitations by critically analyzing The Health of Nations (by Kawachi and Kennedy). The author concludes that it is essential to use categories of analysis that focus on class relations as well as race and gender relations and their reproduction through the international and national institutions, to study their impact on the health and well-being of populations.
Measurement of Aging Anxiety in an Elderly Australian Population
Authors: Watkins Rochelle E. , Coates Rosemary , Ferroni Paola
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this investigation was to modify an existing aging anxiety scale to produce an instrument specifically designed to assess aging anxiety in an elderly population. Existing instruments fail to consistently orientate aging associated threats into the future, and this poses a significant problem for the measurement of aging anxiety in the elderly population. It is proposed that this factor has confounded reports of the relationship between aging anxiety and advancing age. An existing valid and reliable instrument, the Anxiety about Aging Scale was modified for use with elderly respondents and tested on 123 independent community dwelling elderly individuals. The results indicated the modified scale provides a valid assessment of aging anxiety in the elderly.
Evaluation of Alcohol Education—A Reassessment Using Socialization Theory
Authors: Barnes Grace M.
Published: May 2005

There are increasing demands for alcohol and drug education programs to be accountable for their outcomes and expenditures. However, previous evaluation research has demonstrated minimal or no effects of educational programs upon adolescents' attitudes and behaviors regarding alcohol and drug use. Goals and methods for programs have been criticized; but it is argued that the apparent ineffectiveness of programs is even more fundamental, stemming from the lack of a sound theoretical basis for program development and evaluation. Adolescent socialization theory is reviewed for its relevance to adolescent drinking. The primary influence of parents and peers as socialization agents has major implications for the design of alcohol and drug education/prevention programs.
Self-Perceived Age Changes in Sex Role Self Concept
Authors: Puglisi J. Thomas
Published: May 2005

A prospective/retrospective study of sex role self concept was conducted in order to explore the hypothesis that adult men and women experience a convergence of sex roles in later life. Young (age seventeen to twenty-nine), middle aged (age thirty to fifty-nine), and older (age sixty to eighty-five) adults (twenty-one male, forty-one female in each group) rated themselves on Bern Sex Role Inventory items, first describing themselves at age twenty, next at age forty-five, and finally at age seventy. Self-perceived age changes in sex role self concept reported by these three groups of adults produced strikingly similar patterns. In each case, both men and women evidenced high masculine self descriptions related to middle age (projected age forty-five) followed by decreases in masculinity in later life (projected age seventy). Only the projections of middle aged respondents displayed even marginally significant evidence in favor of sex role convergence.
Evaluating an Educational Program for the Prevention of Impaired Driving among Grade 11 Students
Authors: Albert W. G. , Simpson R. I.
Published: May 2005

A school-based intervention to reduce the frequency of impaired driving among Grade 11 students was evaluated in the City of Hamilton, Ontario. The intervention was structured in accordance with the principles of the Health Belief Model and was delivered to a sample of 121 students. A questionnaire, consisting of seven scales, was used to measure impact on the students, and was administered before and after the intervention. The questionnaire was also administered to a sample of ninety-three students from other schools who served as a non-randomized comparison group. Significant positive changes along a number of dimensions were found among students who received the intervention as compared to those who did not. These include the dimensions of Alcohol Knowledge, Marijuana Knowledge, Personal Susceptibility to Consequences, Opposition to Driving While Impaired, and Behavioral Intentions to Drive While Impaired. No change was found in the dimension that measured Perceived Seriousness of Consequences, but pretest scores were very high for both groups of students and a “ceiling effect” may have occurred. Drinking Frequency increased to a modest extent among a significant proportion of the students who received the intervention when compared to those who did not. The reasons for this phenomenon are speculated upon and options to address it are discussed.
Psychological Assessment Using Simulations with Unrestricted Natural Language Input
Authors: Anbar Michael , Raulin Michael
Published: May 2005

Five computerized role-playing scenarios, which accept unrestricted natural language input, were developed and administered to seventy-two freshman medical students. The scenarios, written in CASIP, measured and automatically scored each response on five psychological dimensions: Social skills, level of frustration, submissiveness, combativeness, and negotiative ability. The programmed scenarios also monitored nonverbal dimensions, which may reflect the emotional state of the testee. These included: The time it took to start an answer; the time spent reviewing the answer; the lengths of answers and of the words used. The testees behaved significantly different in handling the different role-playing scenarios. While no significant correlations were found between the psychological dimensions expressed in the different scenarios, the tests identified individual testees who displayed a pattern of extremes of psychological behavior.
Social Interaction and Psychological Well-Being: Comparison across Stages of Adulthood
Authors: Ishii-Kuntz Masako
Published: May 2005

Using a national probability sample, this study examines the impact of social interaction on psychological well-being across stages of adulthood. Quality of social interaction measured by satisfaction with family life and friendship are found to be positively related to well-being of adults in all age groups. A further examination of this positive effect shows that the impact of family and friendship interaction on well-being are similar in each adulthood stage. These findings show that the positive impact of social interaction on psychological well-being is not unique to the elderly population but similar among all stages of adulthood.
Children's Attitudes toward Elderly Individuals: A Comparison of Two Ethnic Groups
Authors: Zandi Taher , Mirle Joystna , Jarvis Patricia
Published: May 2005

The present study investigated the attitudes of Indian and American children toward elderly people. The “Children's Attitudes Toward the Elderly” questionnaire was used to measure how children perceived elderly people. Chi-square analyses indicated that children of Indian origin gave behavioral responses more often than affective or cognitive ones, while American children were more affective in their responses to questions about their interactions with elderly individuals. The results indicated that Indian children though born and raised in America were encouraged to follow the traditional values of their families' culture. Further research should include actual observations of children from different ethnic backgrounds interacting with elderly people.
Perceived Youth: Appraisal and Characterization
Authors: Barak Benny , Rahtz Don R.
Published: May 2005

Results from a mail survey of respondents aged sixty to ninety-four suggest that psychographic dimensions of youthfulness and identification with old age constitute effective inner-age research variables, especially to those seeking to study older populations. The two specific dimensions explored are: “perceived youth,” a magnitude measure of the proportional discrepancy between chronological and cognitive ages; and “feeling-old,” which inversely measured youth through reliance on a six-point Likert agree/disagree statement: “I feel old.…” In addition to the obvious inverse relationship between these inner-ages, research established trait covariation relative to an increase in perceived youth coincidental with a rejection of a feeling-old identity, corresponding to increases in “happiness, own-health rating, being venturesome, giving advice, self-esteem, social activity, and keeping-in-shape,” as well as decreases in “taking advice, being a homebody, and having health worries.”
The Construction of a Day by Elderly Widowers
Authors: Rubinstein Robert L.
Published: May 2005

The way in which some elderly widowers living alone experientially organize time can be viewed as on a continuum structured around the notion of a “day” as a central organizing focus. Related to this is the role of a “daily highlight” in organizing daily activities. The continuing role of bereavement, effects of living alone, and other factors may help structure this experiential continuum.
Peace Corps Service as a Turning Point
Authors: Starr Jerold M.
Published: May 2005

This is a longitudinal study of twenty-one U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers, first interviewed in the mid-1960s during their tour of service in the Republic of the Philippines and then twenty years later as middle-aged adults. Life events reported after their service and the high degree of response agreement in the two interviews confirm that their Peace Corps experience constituted a turning point in their life courses. The study reviews the literature on turning points, proposes an appropriate definition for the concept, identifies conditions that promote turning points, especially for youth, and indicates directions for future research.
Roadside Memorials
Authors: Collins Charles O. , Rhine Charles D.
Published: May 2005

Roadside memorials or descansos have diffused from a Mexican/Southwestern regional Hispanic hearth to increasingly draw the attention of motorists and public officials throughout the United States. In the current context, the authors' attention is on privately and spontaneously erected memorials placed at the sites of fatal events. Typically these result from automobile accidents, though not exclusively. The intent of the present article is three-fold: 1) to identify meaning and significance in the precise placement of contemporary markers; 2) to directly investigate the motivation and purposes of memorial/ descanso builders; and 3) to survey issues of traffic safety, highway maintenance, landscape or visual blight, and church/state relations arising from the placement and maintenance of these roadside memorials.
Legal and Illegal Patterns of Drug Distribution in the United States
Authors: Caliguri Joseph P.
Published: May 2005

Along with large supply sources of legal and illegal drug substances, diversion and distribution systems have developed to feed and maintain the demand. This presentation provides information on the diverting of drugs from legal and illegal sources as well as the characteristics of the distribution patterns.
Attacking the Drug Norm: Effects of the 1976–77 Florida Drug Abuse TV Campaign
Authors: Wotring C. Edward , Heald Gary , Carpenter Charles T. , Schmeling David
Published: May 2005

This report summarizes an evaluation on the impact of the 1976–77 Florida Drug Abuse television campaign. The campaign was targeted at middle and upper class individuals. The evaluation included telephone interviews with 960 male and female heads-of-household in the Tallahassee area. The article reports audience viewing frequency of the TV campaign announcements, demographic and attitudinal differences between viewers and non-viewers, plus viewing and reation differences between target and non-target audience members. Conclusions and recommendations for future campaigns are suggested.
The Relationship between Friends' Marijuana Use, Family Cohesion, School Interest and Drug Abuse Prevention
Authors: Babst Dean V. , Miran Michael , Koval Mary
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine how different types of students respond to various drug abuse prevention areas, so that some sensitivity to differences in audiences' need can be known for planning. The students were differentiated through a classification scheme based on three factors—friends' drug use, family cohesion and school interest.

This study is based on a school survey completed by 4,000 rural students and 2,700 suburban students in New York State during 1970–71. Students in the classifications most involved with drugs were those least receptive to traditional educational programs.
Dyadic vs. Individual Practice with Exploratory and Directive Mathematics Tutors
Authors: Yadrick Robert M. , Regian J. Wesley , Connolly-Gomez Catherine , Robertson-Schule Linda
Published: May 2005

We used a 2 × 2 design to compare the performance of low-aptitude remedial participants learning to solve mathematics word problems. Participants worked either alone or as a member of a collaborative dyad, and received up to twelve hours of instruction and practice using either the Word Problem-Solving Environment (WPSE), an exploratory system over which users exercise considerable control, or Solver, a very structured and sometimes directive tutor. Individuals who worked with the WPSE showed the greatest average improvement between pretest and posttest scores. Dyad members showed relatively moderate improvements after working with either the directive tutor or the problem-solving environment. There were no significant changes between pretest and posttest scores for individuals who worked with the directive tutor. We discuss possible reasons for this pattern of results and present an analysis of data concerning the number of operations used in solving problems, the number of errors made, and the number of help requests, to support our discussion.
A Holistic Health Approach to an Alcoholic Treatment Program
Authors: Agne Charlene , Paolucci Kristin
Published: May 2005

This article reports on The New Beginning, a residential treatment facility in Northern Virginia, which implemented an innovative approach to alcoholism treatment. To an established alcohol rehabilitation program holistic health procedures were added. The holistic components consisted of: (1) a planned nutritional program; (2) a regular exercise program stressing aerobic capacity; (3) a program of stress reduction through a Hatha yoga series of stretching exercises; and (4) weekend recreational pursuits. In addition, the traditional aspects of individual and family psychological counseling combined with regular attendance at Alcoholic Anonymous meetings rounded out the rehabilitation program. A George Mason University health education intern planned and implemented the fitness, recreation, and stress reduction components along with the revision of the nutritional approach. The intern worked in cooperation with the trained staff and had resident involvement in the outdoor parcourse development. The intern was placed at the New Beginning for a six weeks, 240-hour experience.
Temperament and Personality as Functions of Age
Authors: Mehrabian Albert , Blum Jeffrey S.
Published: May 2005

Age-related differences in three temperament (Trait Pleasure-displeasure, Trait Arousability, Trait-Dominance-submissiveness), and four personality (Achieving Tendency, Conformity, Shyness, Loneliness), scales were explored in three studies. Results, generally, were consistent with the hypothesis that scores on Trait Dominance and on trait measures that correlated positively with Trait Dominance (e.g., achievement) were lower for older persons. Achieving Tendency (assessed in Studies One and Three) was lower for older persons. Trait Dominance (assessed in 2 studies) was lower for older men and women in Study Two and lower for older women only in Study Three. In Study Three, two strong negative correlates of Trait Dominance (Conformity, Shyness) were higher for older women. Based on a consistent absence of age/Trait Pleasure relationships, no age-related differences in psychological adjustment-maladjustment were implied by the findings.
Emotional Closeness and Physical Distance between Friends: Implications for Elderly Women Living in Age-Segregated and Age-Integrated Settings
Authors: Adams Rebecca G.
Published: May 2005

The author discusses the need for a better theoretical understanding of friendship in order for its role in the lives of elderly people to be understood. The applicability to friendship of Simmel's approach to the study of social relationships is outlined. From this perspective, types of friendship are determined by the physical distance separating friends and the emotional closeness bringing them together. The data consist of seventy in-depth interviews of senior, unmarried women in a middle-class community bordering on Chicago. Qualitative data are reported to support quantitative analyses. There were positive relationships between emotional closeness and physical distance, duration and emotional closeness, and frequency of interaction and proximity. The author describes the implications for elderly women of the tendency for their close, old friends to be physically separated from them and their neighbors to be casual friends, but constant companions. The author discusses the effects of the age-density of residential context and life history on the types of friends the women had.
Hermeneutics, Accreting Receptions, Hypermedia: A Tool for Reference versus a Tool for Instruction
Authors: Nissan Ephraim , Rossler Isaac , Weiss Hillel
Published: May 2005

We provide a select overview of tools supporting traditional Jewish learning. Then we go on to discuss our own HyperJoseph/Hyperlsaac project in instructional hypermedia. Its application is to teaching, teacher training, and self-instruction in given Bible passages. The treatment of two narratives has been developed thus far. The tool enables an analysis of the text in several respects: linguistic, narratological, etc. Moreover, the Scriptures' focality throughout the cultural history makes this domain of application particularly challenging, in that there is a requirement for the tool to encompass the accretion of receptions in the cultural repertoire, i.e., several layers of textual traditions—either hermeneutic (i.e., interpretive), or appropriations—related to the given core passage, thus including “secondary” texts (i.e., such that are responding or derivative) from as disparate realms as Roman-age and later homiletics, Medieval and later commentaries or supercommentaries, literary appropriations, references to the arts and modern scholarship, etc. In particular, the Midrash (homiletic expansions) is adept at narrative gap filling, so the narratives mushroom at the interstices where the primary text is silent. The genealogy of the project is rooted in Weiss' index of novelist Agnon's writings, which was eventually upgraded into a hypertextual tool, including Agnon's full-text and ancillary materials. Those early tools being intended primarily for reference and research-support in literary studies, the Agnon hypertext system was initially emulated in the conception of HyperJoseph, which is applied to the Joseph story from Genesis. Then, the transition from a tool for reference to an instructional tool required a thorough reconception in an educational perspective, which led to HyperIsaac, on the sacrifice of Isaac, and to a redesign and upgrade of HyperJoseph as patterned after HyperIsaac.
Joined up Policy: A Strategic Approach to Improving Retention in the UK Context
Authors: Blythman Margo , Orr Susan
Published: May 2005

This article outlines the development of interest in retention studies in Britain arising from a concern about the appropriate use of public money. It then describes the strategies being used to improve retention within the London Institute, a federation of five art and design focused colleges. Strategies described include study support, tutorial and professional development, including awareness raising, with academic staff. Many of these strategies have been developed in recent years in FE (community) colleges in Britain but our particular concern is to develop an overarching and interlinking strategy across a whole college rather than individual or sectional initiatives. This is what the British New Labour government calls “joined up policy.”
The Need for Qualitative Research on Mental Health of Elder Hispanics
Authors: Brink T. L.
Published: May 2005

This article contends that purely quantitative measures of Hispanic aged mental health have been insufficiently sensitive to cultural factors. It describes the uses and limitations of qualitative methods, especially in-depth interviews and life histories, and suggests that researchers should include the use of psychometric tests in these interviews, in order to improve the interpretations of the data. In this article the Adlerian perspective is developed along with several relevant dimensions for evaluating cases. Finally, seven cases illustrating the diversity of Hispanic elders are presented.
Trend Analyses of Four Large-Scale Surveys of High School Drug Use 1977–1986
Authors: Pascale Pietro J. , Sylvester Joseph
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze the trends for almost a decade of self report drug survey data collected from high school students. Four large-scale surveys were conducted at three-year intervals beginning in 1977. The four cohort samples consisted of eleventh grade students from area high schools in Northeast Ohio. Frequency of usage, reason for taking drugs, and perceived harmfulness of fourteen categories of drugs are presented. Sex differences in drug use and perceived harmfulness are reported. The most recent survey questionnaire in 1986 also included several questions about smokeless tobacco use. It is important for researchers to be continuously vigilant in the assessment of the drug abuse problem since intervention and prevention strategies follow closely the sociodynamics of age, sex, knowledge of health risk factors, type of drug being used, and reason for taking drugs. The collection of trend data is essential in providing “benchmark” guides for the interpretation of single survey results [1]. Wolford and Swisher have indicated that knowledge of trends is useful in planning and developing drug programs [2].
Grandparental Impact in Young Adults' Relationships with Their Closest Grandparents: The Role of Relationship Strength and Emotional Closeness
Authors: Brussoni Mariana J. , Boon Susan D.
Published: May 2005

This study explored the role that relationship strength, generally, and emotional closeness, more specifically, may play in delimiting the bounds of grandparental influence in young adults' lives. One-hundred and seventy-one college-aged young adults completed a questionnaire evaluating their relationship with the living grandparent to whom they felt most emotionally close or, if they felt close to none of their living grandparents, the grandparent with whom they had the most contact. Participants' perceptions of the strength of this relationship were significantly and positively related to their responses on measures of the extent to which their closest grandparent influenced various aspects of their lives (e.g., their beliefs and values, how much their lives would be missing had they never known the grandparent). In addition, participants whose grandparent-grandchild relationships were emotionally close endorsed a broader range of alternatives on checklist measures of perceived relationship impact than did those whose relationships were more emotionally distant.
Assessing the Impact of a Proposed Expert System via Simulation
Authors: Croy Marvin J. , Green Michael G. , Cook James R.
Published: May 2005

A proposed expert system was simulated in order to evaluate its potential impact upon instruction. Undergraduate students ( n = 100) enrolled in a course in deductive logic were assigned to one of three treatment conditions. Students in one group received diagnostic feedback from the instructor as was the current standard in the course. Students in a second group received diagnostic feedback from a computer in ways that simulated the operation of an expert system. Students in a third group received no feedback from either the instructor or the computer so as to provide a baseline for assessing feedback effectiveness. Dependent variables included exam performance, attendance rate, in-class responsiveness, and several attitudes. The most favorable results were found for students receiving feedback from the instructor.
Exploring the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI): Further Evidence for a Multidimensional View of Burden
Authors: Caserta Michael S. , Lund Dale A. , Wright Scott D.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to examine the multidimensional nature of caregiver burden by specifically analyzing the patterns of association between five dimensions of burden as measured by the Caregiver Burden Inventory [1] and selected demographic, health, functioning, and well-being indicators. Subscales measuring each dimension were internally consistent and relatively independent in a sample of 160 caregivers. Time dependence burden was most influenced by patient impairment and caregiving involvement, whereas emotional burden was largely a function of caregiving satisfaction. Most of the variance in developmental burden was explained by depression and caregiving satisfaction. Contrary to expectations, physical health measures explained little variance in physical burden, of which most was explained by depression. Less than 10 percent of the variance in social burden was explained by depression and caregiver days sick. The findings lend support to a multidimensional view of burden and with minor modifications, the CBI appears to be a promising instrument with which to measure the construct.
Conversational Behavior in Two Health Care Institutions for the Elderly
Authors: Sigman Stuart J.
Published: May 2005

This article develops a perspective for studying conversational behavior in geriatric institutions. The discussion first considers why conversation is a theoretically significant focus for communications researchers concerned with the aged, and then the article presents data from ethnographic studies of two nursing facilities. Symbolic interactionism underlies the analyses discussed here, for it is suggested that conversations are a means by which interactants communicate about (and so, “construct”) their social reality, their relative social statuses, etc. The importance of conversational (more broadly, communicational) behavior for staff-patient relationships in nursing homes is especially highlighted by the data, which were collected over a fifteen-month period.
Understanding Senile Dementia: A Challenge for the Future
Authors: Storandt Martha
Published: May 2005

The causes of dementia in later life are reviewed. Special attention is paid to senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type, its prevelance, the characteristic structural changes in the brains of persons suffering from this disorder, and the hypothesized causes of the disease. The hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease represents accelerated aging is described. Treatment issues are discussed, primarily in terms of supportive environments, differential diagnosis, and assistance to the caregiver.
Heavy Episodic Drinking and College Entrance
Authors: Hartzler Bryan , Fromme Kim
Published: May 2005

The college environment appears to encourage heavy drinking. Consequently, correlates of student drinking were assessed at college entrance. First-semester freshmen ( N = 520, 54 percent women) completed self-report measures of social affiliation and self/peer drinking for high school and college. Analyses indicated that: 1) increased drinking at college entrance mirrored perceived increases by peers, 2) perceptions of peer drinking were robustly overestimated with women displaying the larger overestimation bias; and 3) social affiliation was associated with men's drinking and moderated its relation to perceived peer drinking at college entrance. These results advance understanding of the manner in which heavy drinking patterns emerge as men and women enter college, and campus programs that consider these factors may better promote health and reduce the harms associated with heavy drinking among college students.
Caregivers for Alzheimer's Patients: What We Are Learning from Research
Authors: Dillehay Ronald C. , Sandys Marla R.
Published: May 2005

The research literature on adjustment by family members to providing care to victims of Alzheimer's disease is new and expanding rapidly. The purpose of this review is to summarize the categories and methods of that research; to evaluate critically the state of knowledge these studies are producing; and to suggest ways of strengthening future investigations. The review is organized around psychological, social, and health factors as antecedents or correlates of similar categories of outcomes for caregivers. While there are some emerging relationships involving caregiver burden, depression, and psychological well-being, it is difficult to generalize about the determinants or correlates of the consequences of meeting caregiver responsibilities; this difficulty probably results from a failure to deal adequately with key concepts and circumstances of the caregiver. These conceptual and methodological shortcomings are discussed and suggestions for refinement made.
The White House Conference on Aging: An Exercise in Policy Formulation
Authors: Hickey Tom , Davies Clare T.
Published: May 2005

This study focused on whether the intended procedural design of the 1971 White House Conference on Aging—i.e., to initiate the formulation of policy at the grass-roots level-had any bearing on the ultimate national policy statement, as well as any impact on the communications flow between local and national levels.

Observation, interview, and questionnaire data were gathered over a one-year period at local, state, and national levels. The subjects were the participants at community conferences in 11 predominantly rural counties in Pennsylvania, as well as the 100 state delegates to the national conference.

It was learned at the local lever that: (1) the delineation of needs could not be effectively translated into policy; (2) the policy formulations of the local groups were neither adaptable to the Washington operational structure, nor applicable in the originating community; (3) the local citizens did not see in this context a vehicle to respond to their needs; and, (4) real conflict was apparent in values between the older population and institutionalized government.

Data from the state level questioned the value and worth of both the conference and the process. Moreover, communication lines between the local community and the federal government were seen as nonexistent. Finally, there seemed to be evidence of a much higher degree of sophistication at dealing with the entire process.
Relationship between Life Satisfaction and Postretirement Employment among Older Women
Authors: Choi Namkee G.
Published: May 2005

Although older persons' engagement in postretirement employment has been perceived to foster successful aging, the relationship between postretirement employment and elders' perceived quality of life has not been empirically tested. This article analyzes the effects of postretirement employment on older women's life satisfaction by comparing those who continued to work or (re)entered the labor market with those who did not engage in paid work after the receipt of their first Social Security benefits. The findings show that postretirement employment in itself does not contribute to older women's life satisfaction, but financial resources and especially the older women's concerns about their own financial situation are potent determinants of their life satisfaction. The need to incorporate the role of financial resources and subjective financial satisfaction in the theoretical framework for elders' perceived quality of life is discussed.
Successful Learning with Hypermedia: The Role of Epistemological Beliefs and Metacognitive Awareness
Authors: Bendixen Lisa D. , Hartley Kendall
Published: May 2005

This study examined the relationship between epistemological beliefs, meta-cognition, and student achievement in a hypermedia learning environment. Epistemological beliefs refer to beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing (see review by Hofer & Pintrich, 1997) and metacognition refers to the ability to reflect upon, understand, and control one's learning (Schraw & Dennison, 1994). We predicted that the epistemological beliefs and meta-cognitive awareness of 116 preservice teachers would be significantly related to achievement in a hypermedia tutorial. Achievement was measured by a posttest based on the tutorial content. Results from a forced-order, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that reading comprehension, GPA, and three of the five epistemological beliefs (i.e., fixed ability, omniscient authority, and quick learning) significantly predicted posttest performance. Belief in omniscient authority and fixed ability being related to lower achievement supports previous research. Contrary to our expectations, a belief in quick learning was positively correlated with achievement. Educational and instructional design implications are discussed.
The Impact of Religious Orientation in Conjugal Bereavement among Older Adults
Authors: Rosik Christopher H.
Published: May 2005

Despite the importance of religious faith to many older adults and the predictability of spousal death as an extremely distressful life experience, only a few studies have seriously focused on the relationship between religious commitment and adaptation to widowhood. The present study addressed this issue by surveying 159 elderly widowed involved in southern Californian support groups. Grief, depression, and intrinsic-extrinsic religiousness were assessed and then analyzed via hierarchical multiple regression procedures. Higher extrinsicness was found with higher levels of distress across sex, suggesting that an extrinsic orientation may set the stage for a poorer adjustment. Widowers tending to be more indiscriminately proreligious also showed higher distress levels. Greater distress was associated with poorer health after spousal death for widows and before spousal death for widowers.
Visual Field Dependence in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers
Authors: Lord Stephen R. , Webster Ian W.
Published: May 2005

Two tests of visual field dependence (a measure of reliance upon the spatial framework provided by vision in the perception of the upright)—roll vection and the rod and frame test—were administered to 136 participants aged fifty-nine to ninety-seven years. It was found that the fifty-nine participants who had experienced one or more falls in the past year were significantly more visually field dependent in both tests compared with the seventy-seven participants who had not fallen. Mean error in perception of the true vertical in the rod and frame test was 20.7 degrees for the falters and 17.2 degrees for the non-fallers. Mean error in perception of the true vertical in the roll vection test was 6.6 degrees for the fallers and 3.6 degrees for the non-fallers. The test of roll vection was the better discriminator between fallers and non-fallers, which may be due in part to less misunderstanding of the required task by the participant. The results suggest that tilted or rolling visual stimuli may be factors leading to postural instability and falls in the elderly. The findings support the claim that greater dependence on visual information shown by fallers may be the result of reduced proprioceptive and vestibular function resulting from increased age and chronic health problems.
Perspectives on the Continuity Perspective
Authors: Fox Judith H.
Published: May 2005

This paper explores the strengths and limitations of the continuity perspective on aging. First, current usages of the concept are delineated. Then available literature is reviewed for evidence that continuity is in fact characteristic of the aging process and for indications that it is positively related to morale in old age. While lack of comparable data makes conclusions somewhat tentative, it appears that discontinuity is as characteristic of aging as continuity and that continuity may actually be maladaptive in many cases. Components of a conceptual definition of continuity are discussed, and suggestions are made for operationalization and more rigorous investigation of the concept.
Effectiveness of Refusal Skills Software
Authors: Bryson Ray
Published: May 2005

This research explores the potential of making social skills training more accessible to schools by the use of computer-aided instruction. An easy-to-use software program called Refusal Challenges, which targets important social skills with effective training methods, was tested. The dependent measure was demonstration of refusal skills strategies. One-hundred-eighty-eight male and female eighth-grade students were stratified according to pre-treatment refusal skill level, gender, and teacher. They were then randomly assigned from the stratified blocks to either the computer-based refusal skills training group or a control group. Repeated measures analyses of variance indicated a significant and meaningful time by treatment interaction for refusal skills scores. The difference between treatment and control groups remained significant and meaningful at both the post-test and follow-up testing.
Drug Abuse Treatment: The Cart Before the Horse
Authors: Palais Elliott S.
Published: May 2005

Resolution of drug abuse problems is apparently encountering difficulties because of our methods of attacking them. We are, so to speak, putting the cart before the horse in that we are directing more money and effort to treatment and rehabilitation than to prevention. It is time to look at the problem in its proper perspective; namely prevention and a willingness on the part of some of us to admit it exists in our own backyards.
Fostering Parent Involvement for Drug Prevention
Authors: Garfield Emily F. , Gibbs Jeanne
Published: May 2005

This article seeks to foster the formation of parent groups in support of drug prevention efforts by reviewing some observed start-up and continuation ideas. Charts summarize nine models which are expanded upon in the text along with a number of other suggested activities. The article concludes with a set of recommendations for professionals who are encouraged to function in facilitative roles with local parent organizations.
Preparing for the Drug Free Years: Session-Specific Effects of a Universal Parent-Training Intervention with Rural Families
Authors: Kosterman Rick , Hawkins J. David , Haggerty Kevin P. , Spoth Richard , Redmond Cleve
Published: May 2005

Like their urban counterparts, adolescents from rural areas are at risk for health and behavior problems, including alcohol and other drug use. This study tested the effects on parenting practices of specific sessions of a parent-training intervention, Preparing for the Drug Free Years, designed to prevent adolescent substance abuse and other problem behaviors. Two hundred and nine rural families were randomly assigned to an intervention or a wait-list control condition. Analyses of covariance comparing adjusted posttest scores revealed that parents in the intervention condition reported significant improvements in parenting behaviors targeted by specific intervention sessions when compared with controls. Effects were most pronounced among mothers. No significant effects were found for non-targeted parenting behaviors, and targeted behaviors were most improved among parents attending relevant program sessions. These results strengthen the internal validity of the study and increase the plausibility that reported improvements were due to the intervention.
Inconsistencies in the Evaluation of Selected Alcohol Education Materials
Authors: Martin Gary L. , Newman Ian M. , Hanus Robin Darst
Published: May 2005

Two panels of experts were asked to evaluate ten alcohol education pamphlets against five criteria. Variability of the ratings within and between the two panels suggests that such a method of evaluating educational materials is seriously wanting in validity. Suggestions are made as to how the ratings of the expert panels could be made more relevant to the task of selecting appropriate alcohol and drug education materials.
WTO Confidential: The Case of Asbestos
Authors: Castleman Barry
Published: May 2005

The World Trade Organization (WTO), established in 1995, adjudicates “trade disputes” between member nations in cases with human rights, cultural, environmental, and public health significance. Throughout the resolution process and even after a case's conclusion, little of what happens is made accessible to the public. However, it is one thing to criticize the WTO for its lack of transparency from outside the process and another to critically examine what was withheld from disclosure and what dangers that presents. This is the inside story from a scientific adviser to one party in a WTO case, who analyzes what happened from a public health point of view. The analysis concludes that the public health justification for banning asbestos was accepted in the end by WTO economists, despite the WTO's bias in favor of the party (Canada) making the free trade challenge (to public health legislation), despite the WTO's lack of expertise in science, medicine, engineering, and public health, and despite important erroneous statements made to the WTO under the cover of confidentiality. The case nevertheless illustrates that the WTO's threat to national sovereignty could never withstand the light of day if the limitations and dangers of the process were open for all to see.
The Effect of a Computer Tutor for Writers on Student Writing Achievement
Authors: Rowley Kurt , Meyer Nick
Published: May 2005

A Computer Tutor for Writers (CTW) was designed to provide procedural facilitation to high school students while they learn the skills and knowledge associated with composition writing. Four previous year-long studies helped identify how to facilitate specific elements of the writing process. The CTW was designed to combine lessons learned from these previous studies, and provide a comprehensive support system in which students could complete classroom writing assignments. Additional factors influencing the design of the CTW were field input from high school English teachers, cognitive research into the writing process, and the cognitive apprenticeship instructional strategy. A test and evaluation of the CTW conducted during a full school-year with regular writing classes produced writing achievement gains of up to one letter grade above control groups ( N = 471). Teachers and students reported that the CTW appeared to improve both the ability of students to follow a complete writing process and their ability to achieve related learning objectives.