bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Death to Life
Authors: REIDY THOMAS J. , CUNNINGHAM MARK D. , SORENSEN JON R.
Published: March 2007

The disciplinary records of 39 Indiana death row inmates who were transferred to the general prison population following modification of their sentence from death to capital life between 1972 and 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. Overall prevalence for the entire period of incarceration indicated that 14 inmates (35.9%) were involved in 24 violent acts. Twenty-six percent were involved in these violent acts while on death row and 20.5% in the general prison population. Fewer than one third of these violent acts resulted in serious injury. History of violence in the community did not differentiate inmates who exhibited serious institutional violence. The majority of these former death row inmates were not a significant management problem in the general prison population.
Rural-Urban Differences in Sexual Victimization and Reporting
Authors: RUBACK R. BARRY , MÉNARD KIM S.
Published: March 2007

In this study, the authors analyzed data from Uniform Crime Reports and from rape crisis centers in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. Although absolute numbers of sexual victimization cases reported to rape crisis centers were higher in urban counties, rates of sexual victimization were higher in rural counties, particularly those with above median proportions of female officeholders in the county. Subsequent analyses indicated this effect was not related to the provision of victim services but could be related to a better educated population being more likely to use such services. In terms of reporting to the police, urban counties and counties with higher levels of assaults by strangers had higher rates of reporting to the police, although these effects were somewhat qualified by an interaction of the two variables. Additional analyses suggest that whether the county is urban or rural is related to the amount of funding allocated to victim services programs.
I-E Scores of Drug-Abusing Offenders
Authors: McBRIDE KEVIN J.
Published: March 2007

Differential findings exist in the relationship between locus of control and drug abuse. One factor which may explain these is the demand cues inherent in the test settings. The results of this research with incarcerated offenders indicate that test instructions aimed at heightening social desirability artificially inflate I-E scores. In prison settings where clinicians are charged with obtaining accurate psychological data to plan treatment efforts, the effects of social desirability must be recognized. No significant difference in locus of control between drug abusers and nonabusers was found.
Response to Simmons and Associates
Authors: ZAGER LYNNE D.
Published: March 2007

A recent investigation of the dynamic feature of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-based classification scheme for criminal offenders concluded that the system was unreliable. The purpose of this article is to challenge these conclusions based on an examination of the following problems in the methodology that was employed: (a) sample characteristics and biases, (b) procedures, and (c) lack of collateral data. It is recommended that future investigations correct the shortcomings discussed in an attempt to determine if changes in MMPI classification accurately reflect changes in the offender's adjustment, attitudes, or behavior.
A New Classification System for Criminal Offenders, VI
Authors: MEGARGEE EDWIN I.
Published: March 2007

The MMPI was administered to 1214 male youthful offenders upon entry into a medium security federal institution; the 1164 with valid profiles were classified into the 10 types delineated by Megargee and Bohn with Meyer and Sink (1979). Valid Gough-Heilbrun Adjective Checklists (ACLs) were also obtained from 1061 of these subjects, and 1093 were evaluated on the ACL by clinical psychologists after a wide-ranging clinical interview. These “Self ACLs” and “Other ACLs” were scored on 24 scales; significant differences were obtained on 44 of the 48 comparisons. In addition, the individual adjectives best discriminating each of the 10 types were identified. The results increase support for the notion that there are significant qualitative differences among the 10 MMPI-based types, and provide insights into how the types describe themselves and are viewed by others.
Predictions from Assessments of Violent Offenders Under Stress
Authors: CLANON T. L. , JEW C.
Published: March 2007

This is a study of violence prediction as carried out in the Stress Assessment Unit of the California Department of Corrections at the Vacaville institution, between 1962 and 1977. The population studied consisted of 573 men, who completed the program with either positive or negative recommendation to the parole board and were paroled or discharged before 1975. Parole and arrest records were used to follow up for a minimum of two years postrelease up to ten years. The percentage of those with negative recommendations who had subsequent arrests for violent acts (38.5) was not statistically significant. Those with positive parole recommendations were more likely, however, to avoid a return to major criminal activity of any sort (30% versus 43%). It is concluded that the method used did not substantially improve the accuracy of predicting future violence for these men with known violent past crimes. It is suggested that efforts such as this one designed on commonsense assumptions should not be repeated without rigorous research design.
Correctional Officers as Parole Officers
Authors: LINDQUIST CHARLES A. , WHITEHEAD JOHN T.
Published: March 2007

Developed largely in response to prison overcrowding, Alabama's Supervised Intensive Restitution (SIR) program provides for the early release of selected inmates to the community under the supervision of correctional officers. Focusing on job stress, burnout, and job satisfaction, the perceptions of these quasi-parole officers were compared to those of two samples of institutional corrections officers and to those of a sample of probation/parole officers. Results showed that this natural experiment in job enrichment had an exceptionally positive impact on the SIR officers. Even though the program was designed as a control strategy, the SIR officers reported high levels of satisfaction regarding assisting offenders; on some measures, these quasi-parole officers had significantly more positive scores than the sample of probation/parole officers. After dealing with the issue of a possible Hawthorne effect, several implications of the results for correctional policy are offered.
Ethnicity, Disruptiveness, and Emotional Disorder among Prison Inmates
Authors: TOCH HANS , ADAMS KENNETH , GREENE RONALD
Published: March 2007

In this exploration of mental health and disciplinary problems in prisons, we compare social history, criminal history and psychiatric diagnoses across ethnic groups and across mental health service-delivery categories on a release cohort of over 10,000 inmates, with particular attention to differences between low-rate and high-rate infractors. The data indicate that age-related variables are the most helpful in explaining variations in infraction rates across ethnic groups. However, diagnostic profiles also differ with ethnicity, and this suggests that some variations in disruptiveness can be related to differences in prevalence of pathology. In particular, the disproportionate incidence of paranoid-schizophrenia diagnoses among disturbed black inmates suggests that among some of the inmates subcultural and psychological predispositions may converge to produce prison-adjustment problems.
The Effect of “Good Time” Credit on Inmate Behavior
Authors: EMSHOFF JAMES G. , DAVIDSON WILLIAM S.
Published: March 2007

The elimination of a state “good time” policy allowed an examination of the effects of this policy on inmate behavior. Only inmates convicted of certain offenses were affected and the change was not retroactive, creating control groups not affected by the policy change. Data sources included misconduct reports (for relatively minor incidents), critical incident reports, and lists of inmates who participated in riots. Analyses of variance indicated that inmates not covered by the good time policy committed more misconducts and were more likely to participate in riots, but that main effects for time and type of offense accounted for these results. Critical incident data indicated a similar effect for type (but not time) of offense. These findings are discussed in terms of factors affecting inmate behavior and its measurement, prison management, and behavior theory.
Deputy Sheriffs as Jail Guards
Authors: POOLE ERIC D. , POGREBIN MARK R.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the correctional policy orientations and role stress experiences of deputy sheriffs during their career as jail guards. The findings suggest that deputies bring to their jail assignment a variety of correctional policy orientations that vary across career phases. The proportion of deputies committed to a restraint orientation is greater during the later career phases, while the proportion of deputies committed to a rehabilitation orientation is greater during the earlier career phases. For reform and reintegrative orientations, the proportion of deputies is relatively uniform across the career phases. The data also indicate that the degree of role stress is a function of the interaction between career phase and correctional policy orientation. For restraint- and reform-oriented officers a curvilinear pattern of role stress emerges, with higher levels of stress evidenced during the middle phase. In contrast, rehabilitative- and reintegrative-oriented officers exhibit increased role stress across the career phases, with higher levels of stress demonstrated during the late phase.
Stress and Strain among Police, Firefighters, and Government Workers
Authors: PENDLETON MICHAEL , STOTLAND EZRA , SPIERS PHILIP , KIRSCH EDWARD
Published: March 2007

Matched samples of police officers, firefighters, and other municipal workers were compared with regard to self-reports of stress and various mental, physical, and behavioral problems reflecting strain resulting from stress. The police reported more stress than the other groups. Nonetheless, strain was greatest among municipal workers, while the police and firefighters did not differ markedly. It was concluded that police do not suffer the most from strain as is widely believed.
Alcohol and Crime
Authors: WALFISH STEVEN , BLOUNT WILLIAM R.
Published: March 2007

Recent research examining the relationship between alcohol use and the commission of crime is reviewed. It is clear that alcohol use, though pervasive among offender groups, does not cause crime. Therefore, attempts must be made to identify how alcohol interacts with other moderating factors that result in criminal activity. Relevant research in this area is reviewed, with a special emphasis on methods of data analysis, choice of subject population, use of self-report data, interaction of type of crime and alcohol consumption patterns, victim intoxication, multiple substance abuse, and demographic factors. More sophisticated methodologies and more precise definitions of both type of crime and type of alcohol abuse appear warranted. Examples of innovative approaches to identifying and studying nonincarcerated criminal populations are suggested as ways to further our understanding of the alcohol-crime link. In addition, the use of mechanical/chemical tests for determining blood-alcohol levels are advocated as a way of increasing the validity of self-report data.
Psychosocial Profiles of Criminal Justice- and Noncriminal Justice-Referred Substance Abusers in Treatment
Authors: FARABEE DAVID , NELSON ROBIN , SPENCE RICHARD
Published: March 2007

This study compared the psychosocial profiles of 136 criminal justice-referred substance abuse outpatients with 40 noncriminal justice-referred outpatients at the same facility. Profiles were based on the Texas Christian University Self-Rating Form, consisting of 11 scales: Self-Esteem, Depression, Anxiety, Decision Making, Childhood Problems, Hostility, Risk Taking, Socialization, Assessment of Drug Use Problems, Desire for Help, and Readiness for Treatment. Except for the last three scales, which correspond to Prochaska and DiClemente's stages of change, the profiles of both groups were virtually identical. The criminal justice-referred participants, however, scored significantly lower in their Assessment of Drug Problems, Desire for Help, and Readiness for Treatment. The need for enhancing such clients' motivation early in treatment id discussed.
Perceived Quality of Life, Personality, and Work Experiences:
Authors: HART PETER M. , WEARING ALEXANDER J. , HEADEY BRUCE
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the relative contribution made by personality and work-related experiences to a police officer's perceived quality of life (PQOL). The construct validity of the Police Daily Hassles and Uplifts Scales also was examined. Data were provided by 404 police officers drawn from all ranks and work sections within an Australian police department. A series of factor analyses supported the construct validity of the scales, which can be grouped into organizational and operational domains. Hassles and uplifts were shown to be independent. Correlational and regression analyses indicated that organizational, rather than operational, experiences were most important in determining PQOL. The results showed that neuroticism, as well as organizational hassles and uplifts, were significant predictors of PQOL. These findings both challenge the stereotype of policing that suggests operational experiences are most distressing and demonstrate that PQOL is determined by police officers' personality and work-related experiences.
Peers' Rejection as a Possible Consequence of Official Reaction to Delinquency in Chinese Society
Authors: ZHANG LENING
Published: March 2007

Drawing on labeling theory, this study examined peers' attitudinal responses to the official label of delinquency. Specifically, two questions were asked: (a) Do peers' attitudinal responses to official delinquents vary with the severity of official reaction? (b) Do peers' attitudinal responses depend on their own labeling status? Questions concerning hypothetical delinquents receiving differing levels of severity of official reaction were administered to delinquents and nondelinquents in Tianjin, China. The severity of official reaction to delinquency was significantly associated with peers' rejection of official delinquents, with this relationship being greater for nondelinquent peers' rejection than for delinquent peers' rejection. Also, peers' attitudinal rejection varied significantly with their own labeling status, but only at certain levels of severity of official reaction. The findings were generally consistent with the labeling perspective. Discussion focuses on their implications for theory and policy.
The Value of a Nondirective Voir Dire Style in Jury Selection
Authors: MIDDENDORF KATHI , LUGINBUHL JAMES
Published: March 2007

The impact of different styles of voir dire was explored. Subjects listened to a directive voir dire, a nondirective voir dire, a judge alone, or nothing. A subset of each of those groups then responded to a voir dire conducted in either a directive or a nondirective fashion. Listening to a voir dire tended to educate subjects about the law more than hearing only the judge explain the law. In the second part of the experiment, those who underwent a nondirective voir dire were rated as more self-disclosing and were more willing to admit their inability to abide by legal due process guarantees. It was concluded that a nondirective style of voir dire is more effective at uncovering grounds for cause challenges than is a directive style of voir dire.
Accommodating Children's Testimony
Authors: PIPE MARGARET-ELLEN , HENAGHAN MARK
Published: March 2007

In 1989, New Zealand introduced radical changes to legislation relating to child witnesses. This opened the way for videotaped evidence, closed-circuit television, screens, and one-way glass to be used when children give evidence in criminal cases. Furthermore, the legislation allowed expert witnesses to testify on a broader range of issues than previously had been possible. Interpretations of the provisions, as reflected in recent case decisions, are reviewed, and the results of a survey designed to assess how lawyers, judges, members of the police, social workers, and other child professionals perceive the new provisions to be working are reported. In general, the provisions of the new legislation have been well received.
Shame and Rational Choice in Offending Decisions
Authors: TIBBETTS STEPHEN G.
Published: March 2007

This study examined the effects of shame proneness and two types of anticipated shame states—shame due to exposure and shame without exposure—in a rational choice model of offending intentions. Using scenario-based survey data from a sample of university students, it was found that (a) anticipated shame states without exposure reduced intentions to drive drunk and shoplift and (b) anticipated shame states due to exposure reduced shoplifting intentions. By contrast, shame proneness had a positive effect on decisions to commit both drunk driving and shoplifting. The findings support the rational choice model of offending and indicate that the effects of shame are important components in individuals' decisions to offend.
The Criminality of Noninstitutionalized Mentally Retarded Persons
Authors: CROCKER ANNE G. , HODGINS SHEILAGH
Published: March 2007

This study examines the criminality of noninstitutionalized mentally retarded (NIMR) men and women in a Swedish birth cohort composed of 15,117 participants followed from before birth to age 30. NIMR participants were compared with participants who had never been placed in a special class or in an institution for the mentally retarded or admitted to a psychiatric ward (NMR). NIMR participants were more likely than NMR participants to have been convicted for a criminal offense before age 30 and for a violent offense. NIMR offenders had been convicted, on average, for the same number of offenses as NMR offenders. Among the NIMR offenders, 71% of men and only 43% were first convicted before the age of 18. For both NIMR men and women, childhood conduct problems were found to be associated with adult criminality.
Psychology Internship Training in a Correctional Facility
Authors: PIETZ CHRISTINA A. , DeMIER RICHART L. , DIENST RICHARD D. , GREEN JO B. , SCULLY BRIAN
Published: March 2007

Interns completing American Psychological Association-accredited internships in correctional facilities were surveyed regarding their perceptions of their internship experience. Several of the internships surveyed included a formal forensic rotation. Results revealed that these internships provided an excellent degree of core training. Findings uniformly suggested that these interns were satisfied with the quality of their training and felt prepared for future employment. Many of those who completed a correctional/forensic internship left the experience with a higher degree of interest in the field than when they began. Most interns were able to secure employment within 3 months of the end of their internship at competitive salaries in correctional and other settings.
Legal Pressure and Treatment Retention in a National Sample of Long-Term Residential Programs
Authors: HILLER MATTHEW L. , KNIGHT KEVIN , BROOME KIRK M. , SIMPSON D. DWAYNE
Published: March 2007

This study examined the association between legal pressure and treatment retention in a national sample of 2,605 clients admitted to 18 long-term residential facilities that participated in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS). Hierarchical linear models were used to assess the relationship of background factors and legal pressure with treatment participation for 90 days or longer. Two thirds of the sample entered residential treatment with moderate to high pressure from legal authorities, and they were significantly more likely than the low-pressure clients to stay 90 days or more. Moreover, the difference in retention between moderate-to-high-and low-pressure clients was even greater in programs with proportionally larger caseloads under legal surveillance. The criminal justice system (CJS) can influence treatment participation and retention, and it appears essential for the CJS and treatment programs to maintain an open and constructive relationship to maximize their potential combined impact.
An Expanded Role for Psychological Assessments in Juvenile Justice Systems
Authors: HOGE ROBERT D.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the potential contributions of psychological assessments to the processing of youths in juvenile justice and correctional systems. Standardized psychological assessment instruments and procedures are shown to be superior to the informal and unstandardized procedures often employed in these systems, and they are also shown to lead to more effective decisions about youths. Major types of assessments relevant to juvenile justice and correctional systems are reviewed as are models for introducing psychological services into the systems.
Size and Bureaucracy in the Caribbean
Authors: Rajbansee Joseph
Published: March 2007

There is no country called the West Indies but there are 3½ million West Indians [Sherlock, 1966: 7].
Hookers, Judges, and Bail Forfeitures
Authors: Lermack Paul
Published: March 2007

Many common models of the policy-implementing process assume that all the goals of any system are imposed on it from outside, by legislatures or other discretionary authorities. Because of this, they lack the ability to identify much of what is specifically political about public administration. For instance, bail is supposed to be used solely to require the presence of accused persons at their trials. But there is evidence that the administration of bail is often manipulated to respond to political pressures and used to "export" prostitutes or to operate informal systems of preventive detention. Research could detect these pressures if models contained variables representing what happens within the system itself.
Religious Revivalism and the Administrative Centralization Mo vement
Authors: Cohen Michael
Published: March 2007

The administrative centralization movement has greatly influenced government organization since the late nineteenth century. The main sources of the movement have generally been sought in science and the classical management tradition. This article argues that another strong source was the religious revivalism of the period in which the movement began.
Administrative Resurgence and Policy Innovation
Authors: Rainey Glenn W. , Kline Robert L.
Published: March 2007

In the continuing controversy over the appropriate role and institutional settings for professional urban management, a renewed emphasis on political initiative is appear ing—manifested in more activist conceptions of the role of the urban manager, in calls for "convergence" of planning and administration, and in rejection of federal aid programs as a "weakening" influence. This article argues that receptivity in the political environment is the primary determinant of effectiveness for the professionally oriented local manager. To illustrate this point, the interaction of administrators and political leaders is examined in small units of local government, where the scope and diversity of political interests and institutional structures are limited and the functions of professional administration are necessarily consolidated and thrown into close proximity with elected leadership. A series of miniature case histories are presented, concerning general administrative resurgence in local governments in Kentucky during the period of implementation of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. The case histories suggest that the receptivity of local political leaders to policy innovations and the availability of managerial elites who are both technically competent and politically effective are the basic prerequisites for major thrusts toward general local development. Institutional arrangements and federal funding programs act as catalysts to trigger or encourage changes already forthcoming.
Scarcity and Environmental Stress in Public organizations
Authors: Bozeman Barry , Slusher E. Allen
Published: March 2007

Some observers, including many "doomsday" futurists, have contended that a pre dominant characteristic of future society will be extreme scarcity. Viewing this as sumption of extreme scarcity as plausible (though not necessarily most probable), this conjectural essay considers some of the possible effects of sustained scarcity, particu larly sharp declines in public spending and public employment, on public organization behavior. The focus is on the effects of scarcity on four types of strategic choices in public organizations: domain selection, development and deployment of technology, organization structure, and organization process. Arguments are developed that public organizations facing sustained scarcity could be expected to: constram their domain definition, allow domarn selection to dictate technology, seek clientele suited to existing technologies, and, m general, take actions that will ensure that existing technologies are employed at capacity. Further, we argue that narrow efficiency criteria will become paramount and will give rise to more formal, centralized, and rigid organization structures and a habituation of organizational responses to environ mental change.
Plural Policy-Making Bodies
Authors: Grizzle Gloria A.
Published: March 2007

Plural decision-making bodies often face constraints that make impractical the pure rational decision model. These bodies can develop their own practical decision strategies that adapt the pure rational model to fit their specific decision situations. Choosing an appropriate strategy requires considering the stages in the policy process at which strategy options exist, the nature of the policy issue, the nature of the policy-making body, and the environment within which it operates. Two such strategies are suggested.
Toward a General Theory of Organizational Deterioration
Authors: Durham John W. , Smith Howard L.
Published: March 2007

Organization studies have typically ignored the problem of organizational deterioration. In developing a general theory of organizational deterioration, supporting literature is reviewed, definitions for the theory are explained, a series of hypotheses are constructed, and implications for organizations are discussed. Unlike the previous conceptualizations of organizational deterioration, this article presents the hypothesis that organizations will ultimately deteriorate; however, they will deteriorate at different rates depending upon the strength of management, institutional incentives, and environmental pressures. This theory presents a challenge for both managers and theorists in the future.
Controlling the Bureaucracy among the States
Authors: Daley Dennis
Published: March 2007

This article examines the attitudes of state administrators, executives, and legislators toward proposals for controlling the bureaucracy. Respondents were queried in regard to executive control, pluralism, professionalism, and representative bureaucracy. While a self-interest thesis is to some extent present (preference linkages between administrators and professionalism, executives and executive control, and legislators and pluralism), it is neither exclusive nor overwhelming. Governmental elites show a great deal of uniformity in their attitudes toward the various approaches suggested for controlling the bureaucracy. Occupational and political characteristics appear to possess relatively little explanatory power with regard to these administrative matters.
Of Centennials and Bicentennials
Authors: Sedgwick Jeffrey Leigh
Published: March 2007

The year 1987 will be the bicentennial of the American Constitution and the centennial of both the publication of Woodrow Wilson's article "The Study of Administration" and the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. These latter two events can justly be considered important events in the development of modern American public administration.

This essay will argue that the Progressive era, marked by the reform of the public service, the restoration of an energetic executive, and the creation of independent regulatory commissions on the national level, resulted in a fundamentally different understanding of the nature of a political community than that characteristic of the Founding era. By comparing Progressive views to the views of the founders on the same or similar issues, one can illuminate the changing understanding of the relationship between the individuals, interests, and communities that make up the United States and the common good or public interest.
Individualism, Civic Virtue, and Public Administration
Authors: Lane Larry M.
Published: March 2007

The increasing intensity of American individualism and the corresponding decline of a sense of community have been documented by Robert Bellah and four associates in the important new book Habits of the Heart. One striking implication of this trend is that public administration is becoming lost in the wilderness of individualism. The regime values of modern American politics dictate an emphasis on power and on the clash of individual interests, to the detriment of administrative effectiveness. However, public administration is in actuality founded on the other side of a constitutional duality of power and morals. Public administration relates directly to conceptions of classical republicanism, civic virtue, and cooperative effort. The true constitutional model of public administration derives from Federalists and Anti-Federalists alike in a system of modern politics and classical administration. This model is essential to the continuing viability and effectiveness of public administration in a representative democracy.
The Responsible Actor as "Tortured Soul"
Authors: Harmon Michael M.
Published: March 2007

"Administrative responsibility " connotes multiple and even conflicting meanings, including (a) political responsibility, which embodies the virtue of duty; (b) professional responsibility, embodying the virtue of integrity; and (c) personal responsibility, which reflects the qualities of self-awareness and authentic relationship. The theory of countervailing responsibility holds that any one of these three meanings is not only inadequate for a full understanding of responsible action, it also becomes pathological unless it is "countervailed" by each of the other two meanings. Drawing from the fictional exploits of C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower, the article explores the subtle and complex relationships among the virtues and pathologies associated with the three meanings of responsibility. The intended contributions of the article are (a) to show why responsible action should not be equated with morally or legally correct action, and (b) to argue that responsibility is both a psychological issue and an intellectual or cognitive one.
Does Familiarity Breed Acceptance?
Authors: Maranto Robert
Published: March 2007

A number of researchers assert that relations between careerists and political appointees in Washington typically start badly but improve over the course of an administration. This article tested that proposition by surveying 1,04S high-level careerists and 242 political appointees serving in the Washington, DC offices of 15 federal organizations. In defense organizations, both career and noncareer officials felt that relations started well and changed little over the course of the Reagan administration. In domestic organizations, both appointees and careerists felt that career-noncareer relations were problematic but improved since the first years of the administration. Apparently, however, these findings reflect leadership changes in a few organizations rather than a broader movement.
The Representative Function of Bureaucracy
Authors: Cook Brian J.
Published: March 2007

The dominant hierarchical and pluralist views of the proper role for an active, policy-making bureaucracy in a liberal democracy, which are grounded in concepts of representation, do not adequately justify rule by bureaucrats. Moreover, the idea of representative bureaucracy does not compensate for the deficiencies in hierarchical and pluralist arguments. An alternative defense of the legitimacy of the administrative state must draw on a constitutive rather than an instrumental conception of public administration. An active, policy-making bureaucracy can best be justified by understanding administrative agencies as helping to fulfill the representation and separation-of-powers doctrines of the Constitution, and as representing ideas and values that form a critical part of what constitutes the American regime.
Treating the Parataxic Organization
Authors: Diamond Michael A.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the psychodynamics of language and communication in organizational change efforts. The author presents a case example of an intervention from his consulting work that describes the linkages among dialectic skills, childhood development, unconscious interpersonal and group phenomena, and he consultant's use of language. The author suggests that the participants' adroitness in communicating emotions in a group setting is a crucial factor in organizational change. He attempts to show, in theory and practice, why that is true, what the interventionist/consultant needs to know in this regard, and how positive steps may be taken to facilitate change.
Constitutional Subordinate Autonomy
Authors: Barth Thomas J.
Published: March 2007

This article explores Rohr's concept of constitutional subordinate autonomy: public administrators exercising discretion to maintain the constitutional balance of powers among the three branches. In-depth interviews with mid-level administrators representing nine federal organizations provide rich illustrations that reveal the usefulness and limitations of this concept. The article concludes that although average administrators may not explicitly think of their role in constitutional terms, the concept of subordinate autonomy is relevant to examples from their careers where they have exercised discretion. Furthermore, the concept provides an important way of thinking about the role of the public administrator that both legitimizes and provides a principled basis for responding to situations involving responsiveness to multiple constitutional masters.
Looking at Organizational Culture, Hermeneutically
Authors: Mercier Jean
Published: March 2007

Increased international trade and competition has encouraged organizational analysts to look into the role of location, in other words the institutional frameworks, and their underlying cultural base, of competing countries. This article proposes the discipline of hermeneutics for the realization of this task. The hermeneutic tradition of taking into account context and past history in understanding the basis of institutional frameworks is presented as being particularly useful The example of French organizational characteristics serves as an illustration of this method, as these characteristics are related to history, contextual elements and other aspects of French society. Consideration is then given to the evaluation of a hermeneutic interpretation.
Public Choice Theory and Public Choices
Authors: Schwartz Herman M.
Published: March 2007

Reorganizers of the state in Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and Sweden during the 1980s tried to separate policy-making from the production of welfare and other services by introducing market disciplines and competition. Fiscal bureaucrats, afraid of rising fiscal deficits and public debt, sought to control what they saw as rent-seeking behavior and agent abuse of principals in the public sector They argued these changes would reduce incentives for collective rent-seeking behavior and prevent shirking. Fiscal bureaucrats thus sought to control future behavior in the public sector by changing the incentive structures workers and agency managers faced.
The Capacity of National Administrative Organizations
Authors: Wise Charles R. , Sinclair Thomas , Kamna Eri
Published: March 2007

Governmental organizations operate in complex environments composed of public interest, economic, and managerial dimensions. The comprehensive nature of many social problems, as well as the limited means that governmental agencies are granted to address them, suggests that government will often lack the capacity to achieve expected levels of problem remediation regardless of its internal management capacities. Administrative problems may develop when one dimension is overemphasized to the neglect of the effects of others. An examination of the U.S. and Swedish governments demonstrates that similar factors are influencing administrative capacity in both nations; this poses important issues for policymakers.
Politics and Public Administration
Authors: Watson Robertp
Published: March 2007

Although studies have investigated the political attitudes and voting behavior of federal bureaucrats, little research has focused on political attitudes and behavior of local bureaucrats. Furthermore, although the literature discusses the concepts of bureaucratic neutrality and bureaucratic independence, we have yet to construct, from empirical evidence, an adequate profile or model of the nature and extent of political behavior and activism of bureaucrats. This study of municipal administrators in Alabama identifies the political party affiliation, attitudes, ideology, and activism of bureaucrats. Thefindings question the notion that bureaucrats are Democratic Party loyalists and liberal policy activists who, as public employees, feel restricted politically and pursue their own ideological preferences when implementing public programs irrespective to mandates from elected officials.
Adult Perspectives on Behavior and Emotional Problems in African American Children
Authors: Lambert Michael Canute , Puig Marieva , Lyubansky Mikhail , Rowan George T. , Winfrey Tyrone
Published: March 2007

Using vignettes describing African American children with internalizing (e.g., withdrawal) versus externalizing (e.g., quarrels) problems, parents, teachers, and clinicians made judgments regarding problem seriousness, prognosis, etiology, referral, and intervention needs. Opinions of parents, teachers, and clinicians differed markedly, especially with regard to judgments about children with externalizing problems. Black raters’ ratings significantly differed from those of Whites, especially for seriousness and prognostic judgments with regard to the problems. The findings suggest that interventionists who address problems that African American youth present should attend to the attitudes and judgments of adults who report on such problems. Clinicians can simultaneously harness appropriate judgments and attitudes and decrease counterproductive beliefs and behavior in their interventions with Black children.
Is There an Afro-American Cognitive Style? An Exploratory Study
Authors: Shade Barbara J.
Published: March 2007

This study examined the possibility of a unique Afro- American cognitive style. One hundred seventy-eight ninth grade students stratified by race, sex, and achievement level were administered three cognitive style tasks. Results re vealed a significant difference between Afro-and Euro- American students in their perceptual orientation to the environment. It is suggested that this difference may influ ence the performance patterns reported on nonverbal mea sures.
J. P. Rushton's Aggregational Errors in Racial Psychology
Authors: Cemovsky Zack Z.
Published: March 2007

Contrary to Rushton 's postulates, aggregating large cohorts of methodologically weak studies leads to misleading conclusions. The review of his data shows that nonprofessional skull collections were included (race was possibly estimated from skull size) and the impact offactors, such as infant malnutrition and climate, on cranial or brain size was ignored. Statistical reanalyses of cranial data show that cranial size (a) is not a viable indicator of intelligence and (b) is similar in Negroids and Caucasoids from the same settings: It varies with the standard of living and climate (smaller crania are found in underdeveloped, wanner countries), not with race.
Behavioral, Emotional, and Academic Adjustment in a National Probability Sample of African American Children: Effects of Age, Gender, and Family Structure
Authors: Barbarin Oscar A. , Soler Robin E.
Published: March 2007

The prevalence of developmental andpsychological disturbances amongAfrican American children often is estimatedfrom studies of the general population. In contrast, this study presents information obtainedfrom a nonclinical sample of 1,458 African American parents on the academic, behavioral, and socioemotional adjustment of their children. Symptoms comprising an agitation syndrome (restlessness, anxiety, and poor concentration) were most frequently reported. Irrespective of age, boys were more likely than girls to exhibit adjustment difficulties. However, boys aged 5 to 11 were at greatest riskfor socioemotional problems. Children living in single-adult households were less well adjusted than children living with both biologicalparents, but this effectdepended on the child 's age. Although family structure was related to adjustment of young children, it made no difference for adolescents. Moreover, with the exception of mothergrandmother combinations, the beneficial effect of living in a two-adult household did not obtainforfamily structures that do not include both biological parents. The agitation syndrome attributed to living in a chronically stressful environment could be easily mistaken for and be the reason why African American boys are so frequently diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The Presence of Panic Disorder among African American Hypertensives: A Pilot Study
Authors: Neal Angela M. , Rich Leslie Nagle , Smucker William D.
Published: March 2007

This pilot study examines the presence ofpanic disorder among an urban African American essential hypertensive sample enrolled at a hospital-affiliatedfamily practice center Symptomatology associated with panic disorder, including the presence of isolated sleep paralysis, is also explored. Panic disorder was more likely to be presentforhypertensives thanfornormotensives. Seven of thepatients with panic disorder and hypertension experienced isolated sleep paralysis.
A Culturally Sensitive Analysis of Black Learning Style
Authors: Bell Yvonne R.
Published: March 2007

Based on analysis and research, an affect-symbolic imagery synthesis construct has been proposed as a broad explanatory construct for understanding knowledge acquisition in African Americans. This construct defines an affective (interpersonal/social) factor, a stimulus-response diversity/change factor, and a diunital/intuitive analysis and synthesisfactor as constituting a culturally unique orientation to learning and problem solving in African Americans. The affective factor defines an affinity in African Americans for "psychological closeness" to the phenomena one seeks to understand. This factor prioritizes personal-social (nonrational) attributes in knowledge acquisition. The stimulus diversity/change factor suggests an orientation toward dynamic, flexible, and varied experiential modes as opposed to repetitive, static, and regimented experiential modes. This factor projects the importance of stimulus variety and change in knowledge acquisition. The diunital/intuitive analysis and synthesis factor also is a holistic Black cultural construct of knowledge acquisition. It depicts problem solving as an integrative hemispheric endeavor rather than a linear, analyticalprocess. This construct depicts learning and problem solving as a holistic process, encompassing both affective and conceptual-expressive factors in complementary organization.
The Social and Cultural Context of Coping with Sickle Cell Disease: II. The Role of Financial Hardship in Adjustment to Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Barbarin Oscar A. , Whitten Charles F. , Bond Sandy , Conner-Warren Rhonda
Published: March 2007

Recent evidence on the negative psychological effects of poverty suggests that economic status alone might account for the adjustment problems attributed to sickle cell disease (SCD). The relationship of SCD and financial hardship to adjustment was examined in 327 ill children and their parents. SCD and hardship contributed independently to impaired child and parental functioning. For parents, illness severity had more negative effects than did financial hardship, but for
Neuropsychological Abilities and Academic Gains in Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Kennard Betsy D. , Stewart Sunita M. , Silver Cheryl H. , Emslie Graham J.
Published: March 2007

We evaluated 22 learning disabled students with documented learning disabilities on standardized academic achievement tests at the beginning and end of one academic school year. In addition, at the beginning of the school year, neuropsychological measures were also administered and readministered at 1.5 year follow-up to a subset of these children (N =16). As a group, subjects demonstrated impairment on neuropsychological measures and these measures were stable over the follow-up period. Subjects improved from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year in the academic area of written language. Specific patterns of neuropsychological ability correlated with academic improvement in specific areas. Our preliminary results suggest that neuropsychological testing may be useful in predicting academic improvement and ultimately in designing educational strategies for learning disabled children.
Australian Students' Perceptions of the Importance and Existence of their Rights
Authors: Irving Kym
Published: March 2007

In this study, 519 early adolescents rated the importance and existence of 40 rights, based on the themes of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in their homes and public schools. From a cross-national perspective, Australian students were similar to stu-dents from a majority of countries in the priority they gave to survival and development, health and medical care and emotional and family support in the home setting. These rights were also ranked highly in terms of their existence in Australian homes. Rights emerging as most important in the school arena focused on quality of education, educational opportunities, quality of social relationships and autonomy in choosing social relationships. Australian students were most like students from Denmark, Belgium and the USSR in their stronger emphasis on the school peer context as an arena in which to establish rights to freedom of association and expression. Discrepancies between ratings of importance and ratings of existence revealed that for between 25 percent and 28 percent of the sample, students felt that their rights to advocacy, privacy and fair treatment received little or no support in schools. The results of the survey make a significant contribution to understanding the views of Australian adolescents as a first step to their inclusion, in a consultative manner, in educational programs regarding rights for children. They may also aid school psychologists and teachers in their endeavours to identify ways in which school environments can be enhanced to support the psychological, as well as educational, growth of students.
Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren
Authors: Mayer Mira
Published: March 2007

The past decade has seen a marked increase in the number of grandparents who are rearing their grandchildren. School psychologists and counsellors are increasingly called upon to assist this growing population. This article addresses some of the key issues facing these grandparents: the emotional needs of grandchildren and grandparents, financial support, legal concerns and transitions. Suggestions for intervention strategies for school psychologists and counsellors are offered.