bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formulation and Application of the Generalized Multilevel Facets Model
Authors: Wang Wen-Chung , Liu Chih-Yu
Published: June 2007

In this study, the authors develop a generalized multilevel facets model, which is not only a multilevel and two-parameter generalization of the facets model, but also a multilevel and facet generalization of the generalized partial credit model. Because the new model is formulated within a framework of nonlinear mixed models, no efforts are needed to develop parameter estimation procedures, and existing computer programs can be directly applied. Through simulations, the authors found that the parameters in the generalized multilevel facets model could be recovered fairly well using the SAS NLMIXED procedure. To illustrate applications of the new model, a real data set about ratings of household appliances was analyzed with gender, age, and education level as the Level 2 predictors. Further model generalization is discussed.
Comparing Multiunidimensional and Unidimensional Item Response Theory Models
Authors: Sheng Yanyan , Wikle Christopher K.
Published: June 2007

For tests consisting of multiple subtests, unidimensional item response theory (IRT) models apply when the subtests are known to measure a common underlying ability. However, in many instances, due to the lack of a satisfactory index for assessing the dimensionality assumption, the test structure is not clear. A more general IRT model, the multiunidimensional model, is more flexible and efficient in various test situations. This article compares these two classes of normal ogive two-parameter models and shows that the multiunidimensional model offers a better way to represent test situations not realized in unidimensional models.
Methods of Identifying Individual Guessers From Item Response Data
Authors: Xiangdong Yang
Published: June 2007

This article investigates several methods of identifying individual guessers from their response data. Both the posterior probability method and the likelihood ratio method are based on the two-state mixture modeling approach to response times. The accuracy method is based on response accuracy data. Results from the simulation study showed that under similar classification criterion, the likelihood ratio method had a higher rate of correctly identifying guessers than the posterior probability method and led to a much higher rate of false-positive misclassification. The accuracy method, complementary to the likelihood ratio method, did reduce the false-positive rate of misclassification while maintaining the higher rate of correct identification of random guessers, given that examinees' response times are inversely related to their abilities.
An Item Response Theory Examination of Two Popular Goal Orientation Measures
Authors: Hafsteinsson Leifur Geir , Donovan John J. , Breland B. Tyson
Published: June 2007

The current study used item response theory to provide a detailed examination of the psychometric properties of scores from two goal orientation instruments popular in the work motivation literature: Button, Mathieu, and Zajac (1996) and VandeWalle (1997). In general, the results of these analyses indicated that all scales except Button et al.'s (1996) Learning Goal Orientation (LGO) scale suffered from low levels of measurement precision. The Performance Goal Orientation scales contained a number of items that were of limited informational value. Button et al.'s (1996) LGO scale performed adequately but only for those with low to moderately high standings on the construct. Implications of these results and recommendations for future research on the goal orientation construct are presented.
Teachers' Perceptions of School Climate
Authors: Johnson Bruce , Stevens Joseph J. , Zvoch Keith
Published: June 2007

Scores from a revised version of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ) were validated using a sample of teachers from a large school district. An exploratory factor analysis was used with a randomly selected half of the sample. Five school environment factors emerged. A confirmatory factor analysis was run with the remaining half of the sample. Goodness-of-fit indices indicated that the factor structure fit the data reasonably well. Further analyses using structural equation modeling techniques revealed that the Revised SLEQ worked equally well for all samples. Invariance testing showed that the fitted model and the estimated parameter values were statistically equivalent across all samples. Internal consistency estimates provided further evidence of the reliability of factor scores. In addition, an analysis of variance indicated that the instrument discriminated climate differences between schools. Results suggest that the Revised SLEQ provides a good tool for studying teachers' perceptions of school climate.
Internal and External Validity of Scores on the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding and the Paulhus Deception Scales
Authors: Lanyon Richard I. , Carle Adam C.
Published: June 2007

The internal and external validity of scores on the two-scale Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) and its recent revision, the Paulhus Deception Scales (PDS), developed to measure two facets of social desirability, were studied with three groups of forensic clients and two groups of college undergraduates (total N = 519). The two scales were statistically significantly related in all groups and for both versions of the inventory. A two-factor congeneric, orthogonal measurement model was rejected for all groups. However, a two-factor model that allowed cross-loadings among the items and correlation between the factors provided adequate fit. Concurrent validity data showed scores on both the Impression Management and Self-Deceptive Enhancement (SDE) scales to be satisfactory measures of their respective constructs and also of general social desirability, for both forensic clients and undergraduates. An exception was found in lower validity correlates for scores on the SDE scale in the PDS form.
Assessing the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure for Measurement Equivalence Across Racial and Ethnic Groups
Authors: Avery Derek R. , Tonidandel Scott , Thomas Kecia M. , Johnson C. Douglas , Mack Dan A.
Published: June 2007

An increasing number of organizational researchers examine the effects of ethnic identity and other-group orientation. In doing so, many use Phinney's (1992) Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), which purportedly allows simultaneous assessment of various groups. Although several studies demonstrate adequate validity and reliability for scores on the MEIM, the only two studies that have assessed its measurement equivalence across racial and ethnic groups (a) focus exclusively on the ethnic identity component, (b) use entirely adolescent samples, and (c) obtain somewhat mixed results. Because ethnic identity is still developing during adolescence, it cannot be assumed that equivalence or lack thereof among adolescents will generalize to adults. The present study examines the measurement equivalence of both components of the MEIM across racial and ethnic groups using a sample of 1,349 White, Hispanic, African American, and Asian American adults. The results suggest that Roberts et al.'s revised version demonstrates evidence of measurement equivalence.
Hierarchical Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Bem Sex Role Inventory
Authors: Choi Namok , Fuqua Dale R. , Newman Jody L.
Published: June 2007

This study examines the structural validity of scores from the Bem Sex Role Inventory using a maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Six hundred and sixty-five graduate and undergraduate students participate in the study. A seven firstorder factor model almost identical to the model reported in a previous CFA study is used as the baseline comparison model. The data for testing these models are obtained from an exploratory sample randomly selected from the whole sample. A hierarchical factor structure model with seven first-order factors (compassionate, interpersonal affect, shy, dominant, decisive, athletic, and self-sufficient) and two second-order factors (masculinity and femininity) fit the data quite well. The fit indices based on the validation sample collectively indicate a very good fit. The results of this study are notably consistent with the hierarchical factor models suggested in two previous CFA studies.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the TerraNova Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills/5
Authors: Stevens Joseph J. , Zvoch Keith
Published: June 2007

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to explore the internal validity of scores on the TerraNova Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills/5 using samples from a southwestern school district and standardization samples reported by the publisher. One of the strengths claimed for battery-type achievement tests is provision of reliable and valid samples of student achievement in specific content areas. Results of the present study showed that specific content areas may not be clearly represented in the test structure as there was little difference in goodness of fit between two- or three-factor structures of subtest scores. In addition, a nested series of invariance tests showed that all parameters of the three-factor model cross-validated across samples. Together with large intercorrelations between the latent achievement factors and large subtest uniquenesses, these results raise questions about the differentiation among subtest scores as well as how scores should be used and interpreted.
Analysis of the Gender Variable in the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire–Revised Scales Using Differential Item Functioning Techniques
Authors: Escorial Sergio , Navas Maria J.
Published: June 2007

Studies in the field of personality have systematically found gender differences in two of the three dimensions of the Eysenck model: neuroticism and psychoticism. This study aims to analyze these differences in the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire—Revised (EPQ-R) scales using differential item functioning (DIF) techniques to determine whether these differences are the result of a differential functioning of the items between males and females or if, on the contrary, they may be reflecting true differences in the assessed dimensions. To this end, 794 participants within a wide age range were evaluated using the EPQ-R test. The following detection methods were used in order to examine DIF: standardization, the simultaneous item bias test, logistic regression, Lord's χ2 test, and the differential functioning of items and tests framework. According to the results, the gender differences observed do not seem to be the result of any flaw of the measuring instrument used.
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire
Authors: Taylor Melinda A. , Pastor Dena A.
Published: June 2007

The construct validity of scores on the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The purpose of this study was to test the fit of the SACQ authors' proposed four-factor model using a sample of university students. Results indicated that the hypothesized model did not fit. Additional CFAs specifying one-factor models for each subscale were performed to diagnose areas of misfit, and results also indicated lack of fit. Exploratory factor analyses were then conducted and a four-factor model, different from the model proposed by the authors, was examined to provide information for future instrument revisions. It was concluded that researchers need to return to the first stage of instrument development, which would entail examining not only the theories behind adjustment to college in greater detail, but also how the current conceptualization of the SACQ relates to such theories.
The Measurement of School Engagement
Authors: Glanville Jennifer L. , Wildhagen Tina
Published: June 2007

The purposes of this study were to (a) assess the measurement of school engagement in prior research that used the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), (b) systematically develop an improved measurement model for school engagement, and (c) examine the measurement invariance of this model across racial and ethnic groups. Results from confirmatory factor analyses indicated that school engagement should be measured as a multidimensional concept. A higher order measurement model in which behavioral and psychological engagement are second-order latent variables that influence several subdimensions is consistent with the data. Results from a series of multiple group analyses indicated that the proposed measurement model exhibits measurement invariance for White, African American, Latino, and Asian students. Therefore, it is appropriate to compare the effects of the dimensions of engagement across these groups. The results demonstrate the advantages of confirmatory factor analysis for enhancing the understanding and measurement of school engagement.
Measurement Invariance of the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire Across Three Countries
Authors: Lievens Filip , Anseel Frederik , Harris Michael M. , Eisenberg Jacob
Published: June 2007

In recent years, pay satisfaction has been increasingly studied in an international context, prompting the importance of examining whether the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) is invariant across countries other than the United States. This study investigated the measurement invariance across three countries, namely, the United States (N = 321), Belgium (N = 301), and Cyprus (N = 132). Results showed that the measurement structure of the PSQ was invariant across these different countries because there was no departure from measurement invariance in terms of factor form, factor pattern coefficients, factor variances, and factor covariances. These results show promise for the equivalence of PSQ ratings across different countries. Future research is needed to test the equivalence further across other countries and samples.
Validation of Scores on the Homework Management Scale for High School Students
Authors: Jianzhong Xu
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this study is to test the validity of scores on the Homework Management Scale (HMS) using 681 rural and 306 urban high school students. Based on a randomized split of the rural sample, the author first conducts exploratory factor analysis on Group 1 (n = 341) and confirmatory factor analysis on Group 2 (n = 340). The results reveal that the HMS comprises five separate yet related factors: arranging environment, managing time, handling distraction, monitoring motivation, and controlling emotion. This factor structure is cross-validated with the data from the urban sample (Group 3). The study finds an adequate level of configural, factor loading, common error covariance, and intercept invariance between Group 2 and Group 3.
Estimating Standard Errors of Cut Scores for Item Rating and Mapmark Procedures
Authors: Ping Yin  , Sconing James
Published: June 2007

Standard-setting methods are widely used to determine cut scores on a test that examinees must meet for a certain performance standard. Because standard setting is a measurement procedure, it is important to evaluate variability of cut scores resulting from the standard-setting process. Generalizability theory is used in this study to estimate standard errors of cut scores resulting from two standard-setting methods: item rating (Angoff-based) and mapmark (bookmark-based) methods. In this study, two different generalizability (G) study designs and four different decision (D) study designs were examined, and the impact of varying different aspects of the study design and universes of generalization was examined. Results suggest that cut scores were generally consistent for both methods. The first round standard setting contributed the most to the overall variability for the mapmark method. Also, it is clear that there is no one standard error associated with a certain cut score.
Factors Influencing Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors
Authors: Barr Stewart
Published: June 2007

Three waste management behaviors (waste reduction, reuse, and recycling) were examined with the use of a conceptual framework developed by the author. It was posited that environmental values, situational characteristics, and psychological factors all play a significant role in the prediction of waste management behavior, within the context of a core intention-behavior relationship. The framework was tested in a self-report questionnaire of 673 residents of Exeter, UK. It was found that the predictors of reduction, reuse, and recycling behavior differed significantly, with reduction and reuse being predicted by underlying environmental values, knowledge, and concern-based variables. Recycling behavior was, in contrast, characterized as highly normative behavior. The use of the approach taken for investigating other environmental behaviors is examined.
Exploring the Cognitive and Affective Mechanisms Behind Subjective Assessments of Travel Amounts
Authors: Ory David T. , Mokhtarian Patricia L. , Collantes Gustavo O.
Published: June 2007

Travel demand models focus on explaining how much individuals actually travel but offer no insight into how much individuals think they travel. The authors propose that the latter is an important determinant of traveler behavior, and that actual mobility is refracted through a variety of filters that magnify or diminish those subjective evaluations of travel amounts. Linear regression models of subjective mobility measures provided by 1,358 San Francisco Bay Area commuters were estimated earlier; the focus of this article is on identifying the potential cognitive and affective mechanisms that influence subjective mobility upward or downward, after controlling for objective mobility. The authors find three major types of mechanisms: awareness-heightening, affective, and comparison-inducing. Recurring patterns of effects in these three categories are analyzed in the light of psychological and marketing research concepts including the availability heuristic, social comparison, relative deprivation, autobiographical memory, and motivation theory.
Workspace Personalization and Organizational Culture
Authors: Wells Meredith M. , Thelen Luke , Ruark Jennifer
Published: June 2007

Approximately 70% to 90% of American workers personalize their workspaces. Personalization has many benefits for employees (e.g., enhanced job satisfaction and well-being) and organizations (e.g., improved morale and reduced turnover). Personalization is also related to organizational issues such as employee status, workspace quality, and policies. This study extended the research by examining organizational commitment and culture. It was predicted that highly committed employees personalize more than do less-committed employees and that culture has an indirect effect on personalization. Thus, 172 office employees from 19 businesses were surveyed. Path analyses revealed that employee commitment was only indirectly related to personalization through status. As expected, organizational culture had an indirect effect on personalization, via personalization policies or norms and employee status. Thus, this research suggests for the first time that the primary predictors of workspace personalization are organizational rather than personal. Your workspace most likely reflects your company rather than you.
Connectivity With Nature as a Measure of Environmental Values
Authors: Dutcher Daniel D. , Finley James C. , Luloff A.E. , Johnson Janet Buttolph
Published: June 2007

The authors hypothesize that environmental values derive from a sense of connectivity with nature. Connectivity describes a perception of sameness between the self, others, and the natural world. The experience of connectivity involves dissolution of boundaries and a sense of a shared or common essence between the self, nature, and others. Connectivity with nature differs theoretically and operationally from other explanations of environmental values, including cultural bias, postmaterialism, and social altruism. The authors describe their development of a sociometric scale to operationalize connectivity with nature. Based on data from a mail survey of Pennsylvania landowners, the authors use multiple regression analyses to determine the extent to which connectivity with nature predicts and explains environmental concern and behavior in the presence of standard sociodemographic variables. Survey respondents reported a high level of connectivity with nature, and connectivity retained a significant and positive relationship to environmental concern and environmental behavior in multiple regression models. Implications of these findings are advanced.
False Start?
Authors: Turner David , Jones Ian
Published: June 2007

U.K. sprint coaches' employment of common racial stereotypes in explaining the success of Black and White sprinters was studied. It was hypothesized that Black success would be attributed to innate genetic factors, whereas White success would be attributed to socioeconomic advantages, intelligence, and hard work. Thirty-one sprint coaches participated in success attribution exercises. Quantitative results revealed that Black and White photograph conditions were generally scored similarly in relation to stereotypical factors. However, qualitative results indicated some stereotype replication and susceptibility to natural ability stereotypes due to an overemphasis on biological determinism, and modest recognition of less immediately apparent developmental factors. Although reassuring evidence was gained that U.K. sprint coaches do not widely employ stereotypes in attributing differently the success of Black and White athletes, there was sufficient evidence to necessitate continued vigilance. A theoretical model of stereotype influences in sprinting and recommendations for both coaching and coach education are presented.
Of Pacts, Trickster Ethos, and Impact
Authors: Asaah Augustine H.
Published: June 2007

The article seeks to use the pact factor to interpret Kourouma's ground-breaking novel, Les Soleils des indépendances. The sinister figure of the predatory trickster is discernible in the profiles of the crafty man of religion and the wily dictator, both using myths of legitimization to enhance the success of their pacts with others. A pattern of deceit can also be observed in various societal compacts. In the author's use of language, storytelling techniques, and rapport with the reader, however, he arrives at a happy mean between conflicting exigencies.
Correlates of HIV Knowledge and Testing
Authors: Haile Barbara J. , Chambers John W. , Garrison Jeanetta L.
Published: June 2007

This research explored the correlates of HIV knowledge and testing. The study predicted that there would be significant relationships between knowledge of HIV transmission, and testing for HIV, educational level, and gender. Testing behavior was also predicted to be associated with gender and knowing someone who has HIV/AIDS or someone who has died of the disease. A convenience sample of 429 respondents in the Republic of South Africa participated in the study. Volunteers completed the Carey and Schroder Brief HIV Knowledge Questionnaire and other items pertaining to the study variables. Results from the ANOVA showed that as education level increased, so did knowledge of HIV. Females had more knowledge of HIV than males. An independent samples t test showed that those who had been tested for HIV had more knowledge than those who had not. Chi-Square analyses indicated that as education level increased, so did the frequency of testing; and that knowing someone who has HIV/AIDS or someone who has died of the disease tends to increase testing behavior.
Polygyny
Authors: Cook Cynthia T.
Published: June 2007

This article discusses polygamy as an adaptive cultural practice for Africa. It examines the effects of polygyny on population growth and fertility for select countries. It argues that polygyny has a positive effect on population growth and fertility but at the same time may be harmful to the health and well-being of women and children. It ends with a discussion of interviews conducted with Ivorian women during the summer of 2002. The women reveal their concerns that a monogamous relationship may become polygamous in the future; that they have little control over their husbands' taking a second wife.
Civil Rights Activism in 1960s Virginia
Authors: Hall Simon
Published: June 2007

The article explores civil rights activism in Virginia during the 1960s— namely, the NAACP's response to direct-action protests in the state, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's voter registration efforts, and the grassroots organizing of the Virginia Students' Civil Rights Committee. It uses these case studies to shed new light on important questions being debated by civil rights scholars—including the role of the NAACP, the relationship between the local and the national, the origins of Black Power, and the impact of the war in Vietnam on the civil rights movement.
The Contours and Etiology of Whites' Attitudes Toward Black-White Interracial Marriage1
Authors: Golebiowska Ewa A.
Published: June 2007

Significant, positive changes have taken place in Whites' racial attitudes since the 1960s, yet resistance to change in the racial status quo continues. One area in which progress has been markedly slower involves attitudes toward interracial marriage. This is an important aspect of racial attitudes to consider because intermarriage can be viewed as a barometer of the extent to which racial boundaries are atrophying. Although others have studied attitudes toward Black-White intermarriage, we continue to know relatively little about the sources of opposition to this form of racial integration. Using previous research on stereotypes and racial attitudes as a point of departure and taking advantage of nationally representative data, the author set out to investigate the role of racial stereotypes in Whites' opposition to Black-White intermarriage. To sort out the influence of stereotypes relative to other factors, she includes psychological, contextual, sociodemographic, and political predictors in her analysis.
More Than 30 Years Later
Authors: Traoré Rosemary
Published: June 2007

The study of African American history was mandated in Philadelphia's public schools beginning in 1970. This mandate was a natural outgrowth of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. A march on the school board by students to protest the lack of any substantive content in their curriculum focused on the lives of people of African descent provided the catalyst for this shift in policy maker awareness but, more than 30 years later, the mandate remains largely unfulfilled in Philadelphia schools and many others around the country. Strained interactions between recently arrived African students and their African American peers in one Philadelphia high school prompted the present study. Five activities were designed to provide a more congruent history of the African heritage that these young people share. Many students of African descent continue to struggle to be reconnected to the rich African traditions from which they originated.
Depreciating African Political Culture
Authors: Lauer Helen
Published: June 2007

The global arena is dominated by the popular conviction that Africans require foreign direction in the socioeconomic management of their own societies. This essay challenges the belief that economic development in contemporary Africa is impeded by bad governance.
Coping in Isolation
Authors: Terhune Carol Parker
Published: June 2007

This exploratory study used a critical hermeneutic, which combined Black feminist epistemology and Gadamerian hermeneutics, to understand the experiences of Black middle-class women who relocated to the Pacific Northwest, a predominately White community. Fourteen Black women were interviewed about their experiences living in the Pacific Northwest; specifically, their coping strategies were examined. Although many themes emerged, the interpretive layer of analysis required of a critical hermeneutic methodology offered an understanding of the simultaneous influence of both racism and sexism on their experiences. Findings revealed that the women felt socially and culturally isolated and the need for support networks and positive racial socialization messages was significant. Findings also reinforced the effect of class and the danger of homogenizing Black women's experiences. Participants' recommendations for recruitment and retention are included.
Colonial Philosophies, Urban Space, and Racial Segregation in British and French Colonial Africa
Authors: Njoh Ambe J.
Published: June 2007

British colonial authorities adhered to a philosophy of racial segregation while their French counterparts subscribed to one that segregates along socioeconomic and cultural lines. This article interrogates the rationale for these two colonial philosophies and addresses the following questions: How were these philosophies given physical expression in colonial urban space? Why did the two seemingly opposing philosophies produce identical racially segregated urban space? It is argued that although the two colonial powers had different racial philosophies, they shared common cultural, psychological, political, social, and ideological objectives that were best accomplished through racially segregated space.
Free to Be Me?
Authors: Allison Donnetrice C.
Published: June 2007

This study examines the identity negotiation and communication strategies that Black professors employ when interacting in predominantly White institutional settings. Data were collected through a focus group meeting, individual interviews, and surveys. The first sample of participants included eight African American professors (three men and five women) who all taught for the same mid-size, predominantly White institution in the rural southeast. The second sample of participants also included eight Black professors (four male and four female), but they represented five different predominantly White institutions. Findings suggest that Black professors do not negotiate their identities to the extent that they communicate in ways that are significantly different from their normal communication behavior; however, they do communicate in strategic ways in an effort to be viewed as professional, credible, and approachable, by both their colleagues and their students.
Haile Gerima
Authors: Turner Diane D. , Kamdibe Muata
Published: June 2007

The Hollywood industrial complex delivers entertainment to millions of people through the manipulation of images on the silver screen. Hollywood images of Africans in Africa and its Diaspora begin with negative stereotypes and gross misrepresentations about the Black experience. Yet, there are other images of Blacks that are more diverse and realistic. Haile Gerima has been at the forefront of the Black independent film movement to eradicate stereotypes while offering wholesome and complex stories about what it means to be Black from an international perspective. In the following interview conducted by historian Diane D. Turner and Muata Kamdibe, Gerima brings to light his early influences and his journey from Gonder, Ethiopia, to the United States. He gives insight into how he becomes one of the most important Black independent filmmakers in the history of Black film. He also provides information about the struggles to create meaningful Black films as well as his analysis of Black filmmakers and the Black film industry.
The Implications of Taboos Among African Diasporas for the African Press in the United Kingdom
Authors: Ogunyemi Olatunji
Published: June 2007

The increased population of African diasporas in the United Kingdom, recently estimated at 618,000, is making them more culturally and linguistically visible than they used to be in the political and socioeconomic landscapes. It has also stimulated the proliferation of particularistic media representing their interests. However, little is known about the effects of their cultural values on the treatment of some issues in the public sphere. This article explores the relevance of taboos among African diasporas and their implications for the African press. A questionnaire was created as an instrument of collecting data about taboo subjects and preferred treatment of these subjects in the press. Furthermore, an interview was conducted with the editor of the African Voice to reflect on some of the issues emanating from the data, and a content analysis of selected taboo themes covered by the newspaper was performed.
Economic Globalization and the Future of Black America
Authors: Johnson James H. , Burthey Grover C. , Ghorm Kevin
Published: June 2007

This article assesses the African American experience with economic globalization—the increasing tendency for goods and services consumed in the United States to be produced offshore in countries like Mexico, India, and China. It documents the racially disparate effects of the shift of blue-collar jobs offshore, which began in the 1960s and continues to the present, and estimates the size of the African American population that is at risk of future job loss due to the offshore movement of white-collar jobs—a post-1990 phenomenon. The article concludes with a set of strategies that African Americans must pursue to survive, thrive, and prosper in the years ahead in the highly unpredictable and turbulent global economy of the 21st century.
The Ties That Unbind
Authors: Mangum Maruice
Published: June 2007

The goal of this scholarship is to uncover the nature of the relationship between religious guidance and church attendance and Black partisanship. Using the 1996 National Black Election Study, the author examines the effects of these very important Black politics variables on partisanship. The results of the ordinary least squares and logistic regressions indicate that religious guidance encourages Blacks to identify themselves as Democrats, but church attendance fosters identification with the Republican Party. Arguments are provided to explain the contradictory effects of the two influences.
Maat and Order in African Cosmology
Authors: Martin Denise
Published: June 2007

Maat is a comprehensive construct that existed throughout ancient Egyptian civilization. Cosmologically, maat is the principle of order that informs the creation of the universe. Religiously, maat is a goddess or neter representing order or balance. Last, philosophically, maat is a moral and ethical principle that all Egyptians were expected to embody in their daily actions toward family, community, nation, environment, and god. This work extends maat beyond the boundaries of ancient Egyptian culture and tests its conceptual elasticity by developing it into an analytical tool for studying classical African cosmological knowledge and how it relates to cultural expression. It focuses on the conceptualization of maat as the foundation of the universe and then uses the manner in which maat appears in ancient Egyptian culture as a basis for distinguishing patterns within classical African knowledge. This pattern contains 10 characteristics or dimensions: sacred, symbolic, visual, functional, moral, oral, communal, rhythmic, multidimensional, and holistic.
Life Expectancy, Death Rates, Geography, and Black People
Authors: Kaba Amadu Jacky
Published: June 2007

Just as Black Americans have the lowest life expectancy and highest death rates among the many racial and ethnic groups in the United States, so also are Black Africans in Africa the racial group with the lowest life expectancy and highest death rates among all the nations of the world. This article presents a statistical world overview of the life expectancy and death rates of people of Black African descent.
Affecting Institutionalization
Authors: Jones Charles E. , Newson-Horst Adele , Young Alfred , Miller Shawnrece
Published: June 2007

This essay provides an overview of the current context and role of assessment in higher education. It also illuminates assessment efforts within the discipline of Africana studies. The essay seeks to stimulate conversations on assessing learning outcomes within the discipline of Africana studies by examining an assessment model created by the National Council for Black Studies Commission on Assessment, Program Review, and Accreditation.
One Discipline, Two Tracks
Authors: Rojas Fabio
Published: June 2007

This article analyzes the journal publication records of professors working in doctoral degree-granting Africana studies programs. The journals most likely to publish the work of these scholars are the Journal of Black Studies, Callaloo, and other Africana-focused journals (e.g., Journal of Negro Education). Professors in the two Ivy League Africana doctoral programs are more likely to publish in non-Africana disciplinary journals (e.g., Quarterly Journal of Economics) or journals not strongly identified with any discipline (e.g., Critical Inquiry) than professors in other programs, who are much more likely to publish in the journals associated with the Africana studies field (e.g., Journal of Black Studies, The Black Scholar , or The Western Journal of Black Studies). This finding suggests that Africana studies has developed highly visible and central outlets for research, but these journals are not employed by Ivy League professors, who are likely vetting their research outside the Africana studies field.
The Africanity of Spain
Authors: Toasije Antumi
Published: June 2007

Africans in Spain have a large historical presence and influence, but recently a growing official discourse of Europeanization since the incorporation in the European Union puts in a serious danger the Africanity of Spain and leads to a growing racism. This article describes the different generations of Black populations in Spain, the identity conflicts and how one can organize and defy the dominant discourse.
Using the SCL-90-R to Assess Distress in African Americans and Caucasian Americans
Authors: Ayalon Liat , Young Michael A.
Published: June 2007

This study is the first to evaluate the appropriateness of the use of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) with African American college students. Two types of racial group differences on the SCL-90-R subscales are evaluated: (a) differences in symptom report for reasons unrelated to the severity of the subscale pathology and (b) differences in how the symptom is related to the subscale pathology. The sample consists of 70 African American and 66 Caucasian American students. On five items distributed across three subscales, there are group differences in how the symptom is related to the severity of the subscale, suggesting that the constructs of subscale pathology differ across groups. On one item, symptom severity differs across groups, for reasons unrelated to the severity of the specific subscale and, therefore, resulting in test bias. Findings support the use of the SCL-90-R with African American college students.
Papa Was a Rolling Stone and I Am Too
Authors: Willis Leigh A. , Clark Leslie F.
Published: June 2007

This study focuses on the relationship between the level of paternal caregiving received as a child and its influence on the development of personal attachment style as adults, and whether or not the affected child experiences monogamy. To test this relationship, a sample of 266 low-income, African American males between the ages of 16 and 78, recruited from an inner-city sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in the Southeast, are analyzed. Multivariate and logistic regression analysis reveals that: (a) paternal care predicts the level of anxious attachment style of the respondent and (b) the level of paternal care, anxious attachment, and presence of the father significantly predicts the experience of monogamous relationships with women.
Personal Characteristics of the Ideal African American Marriage Partner
Authors: King Anthony E. O. , Allen Terrence T.
Published: June 2007

This article presents the results from a survey of 344 African American adults concerning the personal characteristics they desire in their ideal marriage partner. The findings indicate that both African American men and women seek well-educated, financially stable, monogamous, and affluent partners who are spiritual, religious, self-confident, and reliable. The most significant finding is that respondents want ideal marriage partners who earn significantly more than they do, gender notwithstanding. In addition, respondents' income and gender significantly predict the differential between their incomes and their ideal partners. It appears as though respondents seek ideal marriage partners with incomes that will move them squarely into the middle class. Future studies should use larger and more representative samples, and include variables such as criminal history, skin shade, and physical characteristics in their analyses.
A Study in African American Candidates for High-Profile Statewide Office
Authors: Frederick Kristofer A. , Jeffries Judson L.
Published: June 2007

Using qualitative and quantitative methods this article examines the campaigns of two African American candidates in an effort to ascertain what African American office seekers need to do to win high-profile statewide offices; that is, the offices of governor and U.S. Senate. In the process we determine to what degree race played a role in both candidate's defeat.
Effect of Food on the Pharmacokinetics of Rifalazil, a Novel Antibacterial, in Healthy Male Volunteers
Authors: Chen Y.‐X. , Cabana B. , Kivel N. , Michaelis A.
Published: June 2007

Rifalazil is a new antibiotic structurally related to rifampin but devoid of the metabolic liabilities typically associated with the rifamycin class of antibiotics. A randomized, 3‐way crossover study in healthy male volunteers (n = 12) investigated the safety and pharmacokinetics of a single 25‐mg oral rifalazil dose administered under a standard breakfast containing fat as 30% of calories, a high‐fat breakfast containing fat as 60% of calories, and an overnight fast of 10 hours with a 21‐ to 28‐day washout between doses. Systemic exposure to rifalazil based on Cmax, AUC0‐Tlast, and AUC0‐∞ was increased progressively as the fat content of the test breakfast was increased from 30% to 60% compared with fasting. The confidence intervals for both fat‐containing breakfasts are outside the limits of 80% to 125% allowed for food effect bioequivalence based on Cmax, AUC0‐Tlast, and AUC0‐∞. This food effect may be a result of increased fractional absorption with increasing dietary fat content. Another striking finding was the large reduction of the pharmacokinetic intersubject variability after rifalazil administration with food. Rifalazil was safe and well tolerated under fed and fasted conditions.
Replicate Study Design in Bioequivalency Assessment, Pros and Cons: Bioavailabilities of the Antidiabetic Drugs Pioglitazone and Glimepiride Present in a Fixed‐Dose Combination Formulation
Authors: Karim Aziz , Zhao Zhen , Slater Margaret , Bradford Dawn , Schuster Jennifer , Laurent Aziz
Published: June 2007

An open‐label, randomized, 2‐sequence, 4‐period crossover (7‐day washout period between treatment), replicate design study was conducted in 37 healthy subjects to assess intersubject and intrasubject variabilities in the peak (Cmax) and total (AUC) exposures to 2 oral antidiabetic drugs, pioglitazone and glimepiride, after single doses of 30 mg pioglitazone and 4 mg glimepiride, given under fasted state, as commercial tablets coadministered or as a single fixed‐dose combination tablet. Variabilities for AUC∞ for coadministered and fixed‐dose combination treatments were similar: 16% to 19% (intra) and 23% to 25% (inter) for pioglitazone and 18% to 19% (intra) and 29% to 30% for glimepiride (inter, excluding 1 poor metabolizer). Fixed‐dose combination/coadministered least squares mean ratios of ≥0.86 and the 90% confidence intervals of these ratios for pioglitazone and glimepiride of between 0.80 and 1.25 for Cmax, AUClqc, and AUC∞ met the bioequivalency standards. Gender analysis showed that women showed mean of 16% and 30% higher exposure than men for glimepiride (excluding 1 poor metabolizer) and pioglitazone, respectively. There was considerable overlapping in the AUC∞ values, making gender‐dependent dosing unnecessary. Patients taking pioglitazone and glimepiride as cotherapy may replace their medication with a single fixed‐dose combination tablet containing these 2 oral antidiabetic drugs.
Utility and Sensitivity of the Sore Throat Pain Model: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial on the COX‐2 Selective Inhibitor Valdecoxib
Authors: Schachtel Bernard P. , Pan Sharon , Kohles Joseph D. , Sanner Kathleen M. , Schachtel Emily P. , Bey Mary
Published: June 2007

The sore throat pain model was employed in this randomized, placebo‐controlled trial to examine the sensitivity of the model in testing the efficacy of valdecoxib as an acute analgesic drug. Changes were made to the study design by employing a different diagnostic index for tonsillo‐pharyngitis, a different rating scale (derived from Lasagna's pain thermometer), and alternative analyses, individual responder rates. Under double‐blind conditions, 197 patients with painful pharyngitis were randomly allocated to valdecoxib 20 mg bid (n = 65), valdecoxib 40 mg qd (n = 66), or placebo (n = 66) for 24 hours. The expanded Tonsillo‐Pharyngitis Assessment and the Lasagna Pain Scale were validated as sensitive study instruments. Both dosage regimens provided significantly greater pain relief compared with placebo on standard efficacy measures over the 24‐hour study (all P < .05). Tests for individual response (eg, percentage of patients with at least moderate relief) confirmed these results, and other response rates identified the high sensitivity of the model itself (eg, only 5% of placebo‐treated patients achieved ≥50% of maximum total pain relief over 6 hours). These findings indicate that sore throat is a sensitive model to assess analgesic efficacy.
Tolerability of Fosaprepitant and Bioequivalency to Aprepitant in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Lasseter Kenneth C. , Gambale Jay , Jin Bo , Bergman Art , Constanzer Marvin , Dru James , Han Tae H. , Majumdar Anup , Evans Judith K. , Murphy M. Gail
Published: June 2007

Fosaprepitant is an intravenous formulation of aprepitant, an oral NK1antagonist used to prevent chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting. This randomized study was designed to evaluate fosaprepitant in polysorbate 80 vehicle for tolerability and bioequivalency to aprepitant. Tolerability was assessed by physical and laboratory examinations and adverse events. Plasma collected for 72 hours was assayed for aprepitant and fosaprepitant. Analysis of variance models were applied to natural log‐transformed aprepitant area under the curve (AUC) data. Fosaprepitant up to 150 mg (1 mg/mL) was generally well tolerated. Fosaprepitant 115 mg was AUC bioequivalent to aprepitant 125 mg; the 90% confidence interval for the geometric mean ratio of aprepitant AUC for fosaprepitant 115 mg/aprepitant 125 mg fell within prespecified equivalence bounds of 0.80 to 1.25.
The Impact of Alcohol On Different Types of Violent Incidents
Authors: Felson Richard B. , Burchfield Keri B. , Teasdale Brent
Published: June 2007

The research examined whether alcohol intoxication is a greater risk factor for some types of violence than others, using data from the National Violence Against Women and Men Survey (NVAW). Analyses indicated that offenders were much more likely to be intoxicated when they physically assaulted a stranger than when they assaulted someone they knew and least likely to be intoxicated when they assaulted an intimate partner. Offenders who committed sexual assaults were no more likely to be drinking than offenders who committed physical assault. It is argued that conflicts involving people who know each other are more intense and may lead to an assault without the facilitative effect of alcohol.