bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Turbulent Reactions: Impact of New Instrumentation on a Borderland Scientific Domain
Authors: Gökalp Iskender
Published: March 2007

This article addresses the problem of the impact of a major change in the "instrumentation space" of a given scientific domain. The domain under scrutiny is turbulent combustion. It has the peculcarcty of being developed, essentially since the 1940s, by the progressive interpenetration of two autonomous fields, the chemistry of combustion and the mechanics of turbulence. The analyzed change in instrumentation is a major one in that the new laser-based optical diagnostic techniques which, since the 1970s, invaded turbulent combustcon, allowed for the first time the quantitative characterization of turbulent reacting flows. The impact of this new instrumentation on the relations between experimental and theoretical lines of work is analyzed. These relations concern both the global organization of the workplace and the scientific "division of labor" between theoreticians and experimentalists. The impact of the sudden availability of new experimental information on the cognitive structure of this borderland domain is also explored.
Is Large-Scale Military R&D Defensible Theoretically?
Authors: Woodhouse E.J.
Published: March 2007

Political decision theory provides a framework for evaluating three approaches to military research and development: offensive weaponry intended for deterrence, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and other weaponry intended fordefense, and cutbacks designed to slow the research and development (R&D) treadmill. Large-scale R&D does not protect against most of the risks facing national security. Nor does an R&D-intensive approach provide the flexibility necessary to adjust military policy in light of rapidly changing international conditions. Considering all factors together, there is a strong theoretical case for placing sharp constraints on military innovation, not just on the quantities of weapons deployed.
Technology and the Arms Race
Authors: Hamlett Patrick W.
Published: March 2007

This article questions the ability of strategic planners to assess adequately the kinds of weapons development and deployment decisions they make, given that the strategic weapons system lacks any usable definition of system failure. Lacking a coherent understanding of system failure means that the positive feedback loops within the system are unrestrained by effective negative feedback In such circumstances, it is not surprising that subunits of the larger system substitute definitions of success for the subunit for definitions applicable to the total system.
Participatory Analysis, Democracy, and Technological Decision Making
Authors: Laird Frank N.
Published: March 2007

Scientific and technological policy issues are not and should not be exempt from the norms of democratic governance. This article examines two major theories of democracy, analyzes their commonalities and differences, and derives criteria for evaluating various forms of public participation in policymaking. The author argues for a new category of participation, participatory analysis, that includes forms of participation that satisfy democratic criteria and emphasizes the importance of learning among participants. Different types of participatory analysis may be best suited to different kinds of policy problems .
Policy Cultures: The Case of Science Policy in the United States
Authors: Ruscio Kenneth P.
Published: March 2007

Throughout its history, the relationship between government and science in the United States has been mutually beneficial but also contentious. This article reviews the recent history of this relationship and attributes the conflict to different norms and values in each of the institutions. A policy culture is the result. It sets the limits of government action and shapes the policy agenda, the debates, and their outcomes. The evolving norms of policy culture are examined on the basis of two specific controversies: pork-barrel support of science and university-industry relations. The article concludes with a discussion of why the study of a policy culture helps us understand the ways in which values shape science policy.
The Ethics of Hybrid Subjects: Feminist Constructivism According to Donna Haraway
Authors: Prins Baukje
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the viability of a feminist constructivist approach of knowledge through the careful reading of the work of the feminist scholar and historian of science and technology, Donna Haraway. Haraway proposes an interpretation of objectivity in terms of "situated knowledges. " Both the subject and the object of knowledge are endowed with the status of material-semiotic actors. By blurring the epistemological boundary between subject and object, Haraway's narratives about scientific discourse become populated with hybrid subjects/objects. The author argues that the ethics of these hybrid subjects consists of an uneasy mixture of a Nietzschean and a socialist-Christian ethic. The article concludes by setting out why Haraway's project constitutes an inter esting effort tofuse postmodern insights and feminist commitments.
Validation of Domain-Referenced Test Items
Authors: Engel John D.
Published: March 2007

Studies of validation of domain-referenced tests (DRT) focus almost exclusively on content validation, while eminent researchers caution against neglecting construct validity. This paper discusses issues re lated to construct validation and reports the validation results for a DRT. Specifically, this study evaluates the substantive construct validity of DRT items. Items for objectives in clinical dietetics were administered to a national sample of students. An index of item response homogeneity was used as an indicator of substantive construct validity. Results suggest evidence for that type of validity.
Evaluating Service Programs for School-Age Parents
Authors: Klerman Lorraine V.
Published: March 2007

In response to increasing societal concern about school-age pregnancy, many communities have developed special medical, educational, and counseling service programs for pregnant girls and young parents. A small number of these programs have attempted to evaluate their accomplishments. Unfortunately, most of the reports suffer from methodological weaknesses. Such studies could be improved by use of properly selected control groups, improved analytic procedures, and specification of realistic program goals. To date, the range of evaluative methods has been narrow and most studies have been of largely minority populations. The reports indicate some success in the medical and short-range educational areas; but limited accomplishments in terms of long-term continuation of education, avoidance or delay of subsequent pregnancies, and achievement of economic independence. Suggestions are provided for improving both study design and program effectiveness.
Scorable Problem Lists as Measures of Clinical Judgment
Authors: Voytovich A.E. , Rippey R.M. , Copertino L.
Published: March 2007

Reliability and validity of the scorable problem list is demonstrated using responses from 95 medical students, residents, interns, and faculty. This technique determines errors made in synthesizing the abnormalities in a data base into a problem list. There errors are: failure to identify and fully specify complex problems, misuse of cues, and failure to identify single elements which stand alone as management prob lems. The scorable problem list has remarkable interrater reliability and the capacity to discriminate performance by level of training (allowing the generation of criteria for a group). In addition, some characteristics of the growth of decision- making skill are suggested, including an increasing ability to recognize patterns (diagnostic entities), to be precise in the use of qualifying terminology, to properly place cues into working hypotheses, and to recognize single issues which, themselves are management problems. In contrast to traditional "patient-management problems," the task is not to arrive at a specific single diagnosis and treatmet, but to sift the abnormalities mto a working problem list and preserve ambiguity where it exists in an open system with no cueing.
The Structure of Competence in Health Professions
Authors: L Anthony
Published: March 2007

The past decade has seen widespread research on systematic evaluation of the competence of health professionals. Such activity usually has been carried out in accordance with the prevailing psychological paradigms, in which competence is represented as a trait, or as an intrapsychic factor. However, even when competence has been delimited as problem-solving, the research generally iden tified a strong situational influence on performance. In this article are assembled a set of diverse but complementary arguments for dispensing with the conventional representations of professional competence. In their place is pro posed a relational model in which competence in health professions is seen as the aggregated adaptations of practi tioners to the set of special social cir cumstances that obtain within the situational boundaries of their profession. It is argued that a thorough under standing of the content of professional situations is a necessary prerequisite for successful evaluation of professional competence, since competent behavior is lodged in a network of probabilistic relationships with the surroundings. Also discussed are selected procedural implications of this new model for the conduct of investigations of profes sional situations.
Client Satisfaction in a Health Maintenance Organization:
Authors: Freeborn Donald K. , Pope Clyde R.
Published: March 2007

This study seeks to compare clients' reports of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with an HMO and its medical care program to providers' perceptions of client satisfaction. The main conclusion is that providers are fairly aware of medical care system attributes with which clients are highly satisfied and dissatisfied. Those with direct patient contact, especially physicians and nurses, are most accurate in their perceptions. Personnel without direct patient contact are about equally accurate in their perceptions of client satisfaction, though personnel without patient contact perceive relatively more dissatisfaction than clients report. Most approaches to medical care evaluation ex amine costs and efficiency and, more recently, the technical quality of care. Less attention has been given to the assessment of client satisfaction, and almost no attention has been given to what providers perceive as the assessment of clients. Clearly, HMOs' viability is determined largely by their ability to identify and correct major problems affecting their enrollments.
The Effect of Review Courses upon Students' Performance on a Standardized Medical College Examination
Authors: Weber David J. , Hamer Robert M.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the relationship of three medical college policies and procedures on the results of Part I of the standardized National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) medical college examination. The three variables included (1) whether a school required its students to pass Part Ifor promotion or required its students to pass Part Ito record a score, (2) whether or not a school offered or recommended a review course for Part I, and (3) the number of days between the end of formal classwork and the administration of Part I. Correlation studies between these variables and the schools' performance on NBME Part I were conducted using the schools' mean Science MCA T scores as a covariate. A statistically significant result was found only for the review course variable. The covariate, Science MCA T, accounted for over 50% of the variance on Part I. The results indicate that a school policy of offering or recommending a review course for Part I is associated with a small but statistically significant increment in Part I scores.
Research Approaches in Health Manpower Development
Authors: Rothman A. I.
Published: March 2007

Traditional scientific research approaches have contributed only minimally to the resolution ofproblems related to the educational aspects of health manpower development. It has been suggested that this lack of impact has been due mainly to the incompatibility of the traditional approaches with the phenomena of concern-naturally occurring educational, human, and social events. The problem has been addressed in considerable detail in the literature that relates to the more general view of education, and the alternative research approaches described in this article are derivedfrom this broader-based literature.
A Criterion-Referenced Approach to Measuring Medical Problem Solving
Authors: Wolf Frederic M. , Allen Nancy P. , Cassidy James T. , Maxim Bruce R. , Davis Wayne K.
Published: March 2007

A criterion-referenced approach was used to examine the validity of a set of 15 Patient Management Problems (PMPs) representing a broad range of medical problems. Results of performance of 175 medical students indicated that a new problem-solving index that includes an open-ended differential diagnosis section had greater validity than the more traditional proficiency index, as the spread between the distributions of masters and nonmasters was greater for the problemsolving index. Implications for medical education and research are discussed.
A Foreign Medical School Transfer Program
Authors: Lewis Lloyd A. , Kuske Terrence T.
Published: March 2007

U.S. medical students who have been unable to gain acceptance into medical schools have long sought alternative pathways into American medical practice. The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) has had a transfer program since 1977 to facilitate entry of Georgia Transfer students into the third-year clinical rotations. After completing a remedial program of three to five months, transfer students have entered the third year and performed similarly to regular MCG students. Evaluation of3l students who have graduated and for whom data are available shows no significant difference in performance when compared to other MCG students in terms of clinical grade point averages and NBME Part 2 scores. These students were also similar to their MCG peers in the number entering residencies within the state.
Health Promotion and Industry
Authors: Ricketts Thomas C. , Kaluzny Arnold D.
Published: March 2007

Health promotion and disease prevention programs are now a common part of worksite life. Their acceptance has been based more onfaith than scientific evidence of their effectiveness or benefit to either the companies or the participants. Evaluation research in worksite health promotion offers an opportunity to test the effectiveness of these programs and should be done using the methods of several disciplines: organizational psychology, industrial hygiene, and health education. Because of the inherent difficulties in planning, developing goals and objectives, and measuring outputs in worksite health promotion programs, any effective evaluation will have to combine methods and approaches from each of these perspectives.
Evaluation of a Human Sexuality and Family Planning Training Program for Human Service Professionals
Authors: Milligan Sharon E. , Petchers Marcia K.
Published: March 2007

This article reports the evaluative findings from afamilyplanningandsexuality training program for human service professionals. This study assessed the effects of the training program on human service professionals knowledge of human sexuality andfamily planning, skill in working with clients around sexual health issues and ability to apply the above in practice settings. The training program was designed based on a trainee needs assessment. The data indicate significant changesfrom thepre-test topost-test assessment of knowledge and skills. Transferability of gains to work settings was also in evidence. In addition, positivefeedback was received on workshop content and methodology. The results of this study suggest the applicability of this training modelfor extending human sexuality and family planning knowledge and skill development in human service professionals working with Title XX clients in a variety of service agencies.
Evaluating Very Small and Rapidly Evolving Programs
Authors: O'Connor Patricia , Morath Julie , Meyers William R.
Published: March 2007

The case of a health careers program evaluation illustrates some aspects of evaluating very small and rapidly evolving programs. Such programs can change quickly, since there is no massive bureaucracy to restrain them. Rigid evaluation research methods would frustrate both researchers and program staff The authors suggest that flexible design, use of specialized interviewing and analytical experiments-in this case, telephone surveys testing program response-and a recognition that a consultative relationship exists will result in outcomes useful to the program and rich in evaluation data.
The Development of an Individualized, Problem-Oriented Psychiatric Outcome Measure
Authors: Stevenson John , McCullough Leigh , Stout Robert , Longabaugh Richard
Published: March 2007

The authors use the development of one individualized mental health outcome measure, the Major Problem Rating System, to examine psychometric problems for instruments tailored to individual patients. A 280-item computer interview taken by the patient at the outset of treatment solves some reliability and validity problems by standardizing the menu from which a unique set ofproblems is derived Follow-up improvement ratings are made only for baseline-identifiedproblems. Decisions in the design of an individualized measure, testretest reliability, patterns of internal relationships among subscales, and external relationships with other outcome measures are provided.
A Social Judgment Theory Perspective On Clinical Problem Solving
Authors: Engel John D. , Wigton Robert , LaDuca Anthony , Blacklow Robert S.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews the current status ofSocial Judgment Theory as it applies to work on medical reasoning. Following an overview of the primary features of Social Judgment Theory and its associated analytic techniques, a review of pertinent research applications in medicine is provided. The review concludes with a discussion of two intellectual problem areas associated with the theory.
Reevaluation of Medical Education
Authors: Wheat John R. , Killian Charles D. , Melnick Donald E.
Published: March 2007

More than half of graduating seniors rate their curricula inadequate in health promotion and disease prevention (HPDP) topics, and available data suggest that current medical school curricula turn students away from career choices that foster prevention. Data are needed to show that prevention education works to encourage students to pursue HPDP in practice and thus support greater emphasis on prevention in medical school curricula. This article presents a model that relates health promotion and disease prevention education to desired characteristics of medical school graduates including knowledge and sense of ability in HPDP, specialty preference, and residency choice, while accounting for other factors that influence those characteristics. The model willfacilitate evaluation ofprograms by using NBME, AAMC, and other standardized datasets and may be used to find exemplary programs from among experimental efforts in U.S. medical schools and to evaluate their replication.
The Impact of Increasing Intensity of Health Promotion Intervention on Risk Reduction
Authors: Shi Leiyu
Published: March 2007

The HealthWise Stepped Intervention Study (1988-1990) at Pacific Gas and Electric was conducted to evaluate how a health promotion program affects behavior change and whether increasing levels of preventive interventions improve health status. The basic intervention components consisted of health risk assessment and health newsletter (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Additional interventions were health resource center and self-care books (Levels 2, 3, and 4), behavioral change workshops and Division Healthwise team (Levels 3 and 4), and case management and environmental policy (Level 4). The study employed a quasiexperimental design with nonequivalent control groups. The overall risk status has significantly improved atallfourinterventionlevels. The comparison across the four intervention levels found that Level 4, combining environmental policy with "high risk" targeting, showed the most impressive performance. Participants in Level 4 consistently showed significantly greater improvement in life-style factors, and their overall risk status also showed the greatest improvement.
Process Evaluation of a System (Partners for Prevention) for Prevention-Oriented Primary Care
Authors: Halvorson Holly W. , Cohen Stuart J. , Brekke Karen L. , Mcclatchey Maureen W. , Cohen Max M.
Published: March 2007

Process evaluation can identify program components that are related to success, that are generalizable to other settings, and that improve future applications of the program. The Partnersfor Prevention pilot project tested an office-based system aimed at increasing cancer prevention and screening in primary care offices and involving 17 physicians in private practice. Process evaluation techniques included monitoring systems, satisfaction surveys, and focus groups with the program participants. Each evaluation technique provided different information concerning strategies. The program was difficult to implement on busy days, the materials were useful but needed more flexibility, communication between patient and physician was facilitated, and the office coordinator was a crucial person. Program philosophy was acceptable, but materials needed refinement. The flow sheet and patient health check have been dramatically simplified and customized. New strategies are being tested in a randomized control trial.
Assessing Hospital Administrators' Responses to Prospective Payment
Authors: Smith Howard L. , McNamee Alan H. , Piland Neill F.
Published: March 2007

Few studies have assessed the relationship between hospital administrators'efforts at planning and subsequent performance of health care organizations. Nonetheless, planning is viewed as an important mechanism for aligning health services delivery efforts with community needs and operating constraints. When prospective payment (PPS) was first introduced, hospital adninistrators had little choice other than to plan how they would respond to the new reimbursement policies. However, it is unclear whether they actively undertook planning in an effort to address prospective payment and related pressures. This article presents a case study of rural New Mexico hospital administrators'efforts to respond to prospective payment. Two dimensions of planning effort by administrators-intensity andformality-are analyzed within rural hospitals during the PPS transition (i.e., 1983 to 1987) and after itsfull implementation (i.e., since 1988). Thefindings suggest thatplanning intensity during the PPS transition is associated with higher performance; notably, higher net patient care revenues, lower costs per patient day, higher operating margins, higher net income, and higher planning effectiveness. However, the strength of these associations weakened as PPS was fully implemented. Given the exploratory nature of this evaluative case study, the results should be viewed as preliminary until confirmed by larger studies. The implicationsfor research that evaluatesplanning-performance relationships in the health care field are discussed.
Ranking Versus Voting
Authors: Stumpf Steven H. , Liskin Jack
Published: March 2007

A modified ranking system proved advantageous to a more traditional voting system in guiding admissions in several unexpected areas including the (a) elimination of confounding cross talk as a selection determinant, (b) maximization of regulated discussion concerning each applicant, (c) protection of each selector's privilege to keep private his or her valuation of selection criteria, (d) elimination of ad lib procedures to break voting impasses, and (e) promotion of greater objectivity in selections. It was hypothesized that the two methods for selecting students, ranking versus voting, would yield highly similar results. In 3 proximate years, two separate lists of selected applicants were compiled; one using the ranking method and the other using the voting method. Cohen's correction for agreement of proportions (kappa) yielded coefficients at .89,. 77, and .87, respectively, all significantat p = .(0001. These findings indicated excellent agreement existed between the two selection methods. Furthernore, neithermethodcompronused the selection of disadvantaged students.
The Reliability of the Diabetes Care Profile for African Americans
Authors: Fitzgerald James T. , Anderson Robert M. , Gruppen Larry D. , Davis Wayne K. , Aman Linda C. , Jacober Scott J. , Grunberger George
Published: March 2007

The Diabetes Care Profile (DCP) is an instrument used to assess social and psychological factors related to diabetes and its treatment. The reliability of the DCP was established in populations consisting primarily of Caucasians with type 2 diabetes. This study tests whether the DCP is a reliable instrument for African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Both African American (n = 511) and Caucasian (n = 235) patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited at six sites located in the metropolitan Detroit area. Scale reliability was calculated by Cronbach's coefficient alpha. The scale reliabilities ranged from .70 to .97 for African Americans. These reliabilities were similar to those of Caucasians, whose scale reliabilities rangedfrom .68 to .96. The Feldt test was used to determine differences between the reliabilities of the two patient populations. No significant differences were found. The DCP is a reliable survey instrument for African American and Caucasion patients with type 2 diabetes.
Selecting a Generic Measure of Health-Related Quality of Life for Use among Older Adults
Authors: Andresen Elena M. , Rothenberg Barbara M. , Panzer Robert , Katz Paul , Mcdermott Michael P.
Published: March 2007

Selecting an outcomes assessment instrument requires knowledge of their relative merits, especially head-to-head comparisons. The authors compare health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) instruments among older adults for theirpsychometric properties and subject burden, specifically the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and Medical Outcomes Study Short- Form 36 (SF-36). Subjects were 282 of 373 eligible older adults (75.6% response) ranging in age from 65 to 96. SIP scores demonstrated a strong skew toward low (good health) scores with a mean of 11.1% (SD 11.5) on the Total SIP index score. Similar components of the SIP and SF-36 were moderately to strongly correlated. The SIP suffered from a ceiling (good health) scaling effect, and the SF-36 scales also demonstrated some scaling extremes. These results demonstrate the relative scaling limits, especially the ceiling effect, of the SIP compared to the SF- 36, and in general, the SF-36 is preferredfor use among community-living older adults.
Tracking the nation: discourses of internationalism and transnational agricultural corporations
Authors: Pillai Poonam , Kline Susan L.
Published: March 2007

The main focus of this article is the discursive analysis of internationalism. Within communication scholarship, the term `international' has primarily been treated as the sum total of already existing nation formations, each understood in terms of political, economic and administrative institutions and practices. This approach neglects the practices of signification through which international communities are constructed and legitimized. Analysis of discourses of internationalism is important because they are powerfully constitutive of people's identities, and also provide important insight into the contemporary reproduction of the `nation-form'. The article illustrates this by examining how the idea of a humanitarian community of nations is deployed by transnational agricultural corporations.
Comparison of a Self-Reported and a Performance-Based Assessment of Mobility in the Hispanic Established Population for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly
Authors: Angel Ronald , Ostir Glenn V. , Frisco Michelle L. , Markides Kyriakos S.
Published: March 2007

In this study, the authors employ data from the Hispanic Established Population for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly to examine the concordance between a self-reported measure of the ability to walk across a small room and a performance-based assessment of the respondent’s ability to perform the same task. The data reveal that although these two ways of assessing this particular aspect of functional capacity are roughly concordant, other psychological and social factors affect self-reports independent of actual physical ability. A large proportion of individuals who are unable to complete the performance-based task report that they are mobile. The analysis indicates that performance-based measures are better predictors of mortality than self-assessments, but when viewed in terms of the disablement process, it is clear that performance-based and self-reported measures tap something different. The authors conclude that each type of measure conveys useful information about functioning in complex daily environments.
Variations in Grandparenting
Authors: Mueller Margaret M. , Wilhelm Brenda , Elder Glen H.
Published: March 2007

Grandparents are increasingly playing a significant role in the lives of their grandchildren, though surprisingly little is known about what actually happens within a grandparent-grandchild relationship. Researchers have often employed variable-centered approaches to predict levels of contact or quality in grandparent-grandchild relationships, masking variations in patterns of experience. We use a person-centered clustering methodology to identify patterns in the attributes and behaviors of older Americans who describe their relationship with an adolescent grandchild. Data are drawn from the Iowa Youth and Families Project and the Iowa Single Parent Project. These data include indicators of face-to-face contact, authority and discipline, instrumental assistance, interpersonal support, intimacy, and shared activities. Five distinct clusters of grandparents emerge from the analysis, who we have identified as influential, supportive, passive, authority-oriented, and detached. These five types are differentiated by relevant social factors and have implications for the quality and closeness of the grandparent-grandchild relationship.
Politics of Aging
Authors: Pratt Henry J.
Published: March 2007

Although social gerontology had evolved for 20 years or more prior to 1969, the contribution to it made by political science was minimal. While a handful of pioneering political scientists in this period did pursue research in the aging field, they were not generally recognized for such work among their disciplinary peers, nor were they regarded as part of the social gerontology mainstream. Over the past decade, however, this picture has changed fundamentally as several political scientists have gained a significant measure of recognition for their aging research and a number of promising younger scholars are manifesting a -marked interest. In explaining this interesting development, events external to political science are viewed as facilitating factors, while a factor of more fundamental import is seen in paradigm change occurring within the discipline. Whereas earlier political science paradigms tended to dismiss all policy studies-old age policy included-as mere "applied" research worthy of little esteem, an emergent "post-behavioral" trend recently has made policy studies decidedly respectable; in addition, the early paradigm in the subfield of political socialization, which looked dubiously on the possibility of significant socialization occurring in adulthood, now is being challenged by an emergent "generational" or "life cycle" theory. As a consequence, the discipline is now witnessing an increasing level of support for aging studies and a growth in focused concern with the topic among its members.
Children and the Elderly
Authors: Lee Gary R.
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the extent to which frequency of interaction with adult offspring influences the morale of their elderly parents. Data were collected in the spring of 1975 from a sample of residents of Washington State aged 60 and over. The results show that (1) frequency of interaction with children, measured in several ways, is virtually uncorrelated with the morale of the elderly and (2) measures of interaction with children do not increase our explanatory power with respect to morale of the elderly beyond that attainable by variables which have been identified previously. These findings are discussed in terms of their cumulation with previous research and theory and their implications for further study of family relations for the elderly.
Residential Relocation of Older People
Authors: Longino Charles F.
Published: March 2007

Using the 1970 one percent Public Use Sample tapes, the metropolitan/nonmetropolitan migration of persons age 60 and over are examined in this article. Between 1965 and 1970 they largely moved within the same general environmental settings. More than half of both intrastate and interstate migrants moved between or within metropolitan settings. Of the third who changed residential environments, 6% more moved from metropolitan to nonmetropolitan areas than the reverse. Thus, the turnaround is evident in these data. Concerning migrant characteristics, those moving to nonmetropolitan settings tended to be married and living independently. They also had more education and income than elderly nonmovers. They thus contributed to the gentrification of nonmetropolitan America. Some evidence of a more dependent elderly population moving to the metropolitan areas from outside them is seen in the data and its implications discussed.
Responses to Old People Who Ask for Help
Authors: Weinberger Arthur
Published: March 2007

Three experiments were devised and conducted in order to examine the frequency of helping behaviors toward young, middle-aged, and old adults. Two out of the three experiments revealed a positive relationship between the age of the help seeker and the frequency of assistance. Middle-aged adults were helped significantly more often than young adults, and old adults were helped significantly more frequently than middle-aged adults. In order to understand why the elderly received assistance more frequently than younger adults, the help seekers were evaluated on a number of semantic-differential scales. The results indicate that the elderly project a combination of both "negative" and "positive" characteristics. This combination predisposes persons to favor the elderly over other groups in providing assistance. The relationship between the age of the help seeker and the frequency of assistance was attenuated in the third experiment because the age and related characteristics of the help seeker were less salient.
Position in the Economic Structure and Unexpected Retirement
Authors: Beck Scott H.
Published: March 2007

While some workers retire at the time and in the way they have planned, others leave the labor force unexpectedly, unprepared for retirement. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether certain indicators of position in the economic structure affect the probability of leaving the labor force when planned. Data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Mature Men were used for the analysis. The results of the logistic regression analysis revealed that all three indicators of economic position-occupational status, industrial sector, and self-employment-had significant net effects on the dichotomous dependent variable, expected/unexpected retirement. These effects were mediated, to varying degrees, by pension coverage and health status, the former increasing the chances of retiring when planned, the latter decreasing the probability of retiring when planned. Other research shows that those who retire unexpectedly are less financially prepared for retirement and have lower evaluations of retirement.
Retirement Migration Decision Making
Authors: Pampel Fred C. , Levin Irwin P. , Louviere Jordan J. , Meyer Robert J. , Rushton Gerard
Published: March 2007

This study examines the relative influence of a large number of characteristics of places on the migration decision making of a sample of persons in the age group in which persons will be considering retirement migration. An experimental design is used in which persons judge the desirability of migrating to hypothetical locations that vary in climate, terrain, closeness to family, and a number of other attributes. The findings show the relative importance given to 10 attributes of destinations and the distribution of preferred levels of each attribute when subjects rate the attractiveness of destinations described by multiple attributes.
Unravelling the Effects of Multiple Life Changes
Authors: Stull Donald E. , Hatch Laurie Russell
Published: March 2007

Investigations of the effects of status changes such as retirement should take into consideration other status changes that occur in close temporal sequence. In this study analyses based on the preretirement and postretirement marital histories of male retirees are compared with analyses based only on the retirees' current marital status. The results show significant differences between methods of analysis.
Age and Commitment to Work
Authors: Hanlon Martin D.
Published: March 2007

Previous research has found a consistent, positive relationship between age and commitment to work and the job. However, it is not clear if it is age per se or correlates of age, such as job tenure or length of service within the firm, that account for observed gains in work commitment over the life cycle. This question is examined here through a multivariate analysis of data from a large, representative probability sample of the U.S. work force. Within a multivariate framework, age has little independent effect on work commitment. Job satisfaction and occupational prestige do, however. The findings of this study are related to recent speculation about the decline of the "work ethic" among younger workers in the United States and to recent retirement trends.
Gender Differences in Retirement Satisfaction and its Antecedents
Authors: Seccombe Karen , Lee Gary R.
Published: March 2007

This article examines differences between men and women in levels of self-reported satisfaction with retirement and in selected antecedents of retirement satisfaction including health, marital status, occupational status, and income. Data from a sample of 1530 retired residents of Washington State are analyzed. The analysis suggests that retirement is not a categorically different experience for women than for men, particularly as retirement satisfaction seems responsive to the same causes regardless of gender. The lower levels of retirement satisfaction among women appear to be due to their lower incomes in retirement and, to a lesser extent, their lower probabilities of being married.
The Invention of the "New" Senior Citizen Criminal
Authors: Steffensmeier Darrell J.
Published: March 2007

Using arrest statistics of the Uniform Crime Reports for the years of 1964 and 1984, this report examines the claim of some commentators of rising levels of and more serious criminality on the part of elderly persons. The first year when arrest figures are broken out by age 65 and over is 1964. There have been sharp rises in elderly arrest rates for three offenses: larceny-theft, driving under influence, and other but traffic. But the rates have fallen sharply for four offenses: public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, gambling, and vagrancy. Both today and 20 years ago, elderly arrests are overwhelmingly for alcohol-related crimes (but the type of "alcohol" crime has changed somewhat). There has been, however, somewhat of a crime-profile shift toward comparatively more arrests for larceny-theft (shoplifting), especially on the part of the elderly female offender. The most important finding is that the proportionate criminal involvement of the elderly is about the same now as two decades ago, in spite of dramatic fluctuations in arrest rates for some offenses. Actually, when considering only the directionality of change, the trend is a small decline in the relative criminality of the elderly across the majority of UCR offenses, including the "serious" crimes. This trend pattern was held for both elderly males and elderly females.
Well-Being in the Postparental Stage in Mexican-American Women
Authors: Rogers Linda Perkowski , Markides Kyriakos S.
Published: March 2007

There has been limited research documenting the effects of the postparental stage of the family cycle in Mexican-American women. This study compared the psychological and physical well-being of middle-aged Mexican-American women from San Antonio who had children present in the home with those who no longer had any children present in the home (postparental). The findings are consistent with the results from studies with other groups that indicate that the postparental stage does not appear to have negative consequences on the psychological and physical well-being of women. However, employment appears to be associated with higher well-being regardless of the stage in the life cycle.
The Association of Gender, Sibling Network Composition, and Patterns of Parent Care by Adult Children
Authors: Coward Raymond T. , Dwyer Jeffrey W.
Published: March 2007

Based on matched data from the 1982 National Long-Term Care Survey and the National Survey of Informal Caregivers, this article explores the degree to which separating adult children (N = 3,742) by the composition of their sibling network (i.e., only children, single-gender networks, and mixed-gender networks) provides insight into the association between gender and patterns of parent-care. Caregiving participation was calculated as a proportion of the availability of all children of a specific gender. The data reveal that, within all sibling network categories, daughters were more likely than sons to be providing care to an impaired parent; however, the repercussions of being a caregiver were not similarly uniform. Specifically, sons and daughters from only-child and single-gender networks reported a similar number of hours per day spent in parent-care and experienced comparable levels of stress and burden. In contrast, daughters from mixed-gender networks reported significantly higher levels of stress and burden and more hours per day spent caregiving than sons. These findings demonstrate that differentiating children by sibling network type does offer some clarity to our understanding of the complex association between gender and patterns of parent-care.
Predicting Elderly Nursing Home Admissions
Authors: Hanley Raymond J. , Alecxih Lisa Maria B. , Wiener Joshua M. , Kennell David L.
Published: March 2007

Predictors of elderly nursing home admissions were identified using the 1982-1984 National Long-Term Care Survey. The authors found age and health factors were important predictors. Gender was not a significant predictor for disabled elderly admissions when controlling for other variables, even though women constitute the vast majority of nursing home residents. Three of four measures of informal support availability and use were not significantly related to nursing home admission by the disabled. Income and asset wealth were also nonsignificant predictors of institutionalization by the disabled community population.
The Social Network of the Agitated Nursing Home Resident
Authors: Cohen-Mansfield Jiska , Marx Marcia S.
Published: March 2007

Syndromes of agitation (aggressive, physically nonaggressive, verbal) were compared to dimensions of the social network (intimacy, size/density) in 408 nursing home residents. Results showed that the social networks of aggressive residents and verbally agitated residents were lacking in intimacy. Social networks of physically nonaggressive residents were neutral, even though these persons were severely cognitively impaired, as were the aggressive residents. The size/density of the social network did not differentiate agitated individuals from other residents.
The Impact of Gender on Configurations of Care among Married Elderly Couples
Authors: Stoller Eleanor Palo , Cutler Stephen J.
Published: March 2007

This article analyzes data from the Supplement on Aging of the National Health Interview Survey to examine gender differences in the configuration of care among married elderly couples living in two-person households. The rational choice model provides the conceptual framework for the analysis. Results support the hypothesis that husband caregivers are more likely to incorporate extra-household assistance than are wife caregivers. There were no gender differences, however, in the source of extra-household assistance.
Euthanasia Attitudes of Older Persons
Authors: Leinbach Raymond M.
Published: March 2007

A secondary analysis explores the influence of age on attitudes toward euthanasia. Previously published research suggests that as individuals get older their attitudes will be less favorable. This study differs in two major ways. More recent data are used and a cohort design was employed that used nine cohorts whose members ranged in age from 45 to 85. Data from 10 separate years across a 15-year period, from 1977 through 1991, were analyzed. The conclusion reached is contrary to earlier studies: Older persons do not become less supportive of euthanasia as they age. In general, little change is noted as cohort members grow older. Chronological age did not emerge as a strong predictor among an extensive list of independent variables tested using multivariate models. Attendance at church services was the most predictive variable.
Determinants of Living Alone among Older Hispanics
Authors: Zsembik Barbara A.
Published: March 2007

This research evaluates whether living alone, relative to living with family, among older, unmarried Hispanics varies by national origin. Results indicate that living alone, and the determinants of living alone, varies according to national origin and gender. Central/South American men and Puerto Rican women are most likely to live alone, whereas Central/South American women and Cuban men are most likely to live with family. The effects of kin availability, economic resources, and health on living alone also vary by national origin. For example, kin availability is a significant determinant of living arrangements among Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans, but not among Cubans.
Multiple Roles and Physical Health among Older Adults
Authors: Adelmann Pamela K.
Published: March 2007

In this article, the role accumulation hypothesis is tested among older Black and White women and men from a national sample. Eight health variables are regressed on multiple roles (employee, spouse, parent, volunteer, homemaker, grandparent, care-giver, and student), gender, ethnicity, age, and education. Regressions are also tested separately by gender and ethnicity for those health variables on which group differences are significant. Multiple roles are significantly linearly associated with better health on all but one of the outcomes for the total sample. Significant interactions show that this association is stronger for men than for women and for Blacks than for Whites; the link between multiple roles and health is weakest for White women. Findings support the role accumulation hypothesis and illustrate the importance of expanding definitions of multiple roles in relation to health among older adults.