bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Rocky Foolsm Site: A Small Folsom Assemblage from the Northwestern Plains
Authors: Kornfeld Marcel
Published: May 2005

A recent survey at Keyhole Reservoir in northeast Wyoming resulted in investigations of over fifty archaeological locations. One of these produced an assemblage of Folsom artifacts. Although these artifacts have been redeposited, the assemblage described here is thought to be of Folsom age. The goal of this article is to describe this small assemblage ( n = 22) and use the perspective provided by the analysis of this site to review Folsom cultural dynamics.
Assessment of the World Food Situation-Present and Future
Authors: Almeida Silvio , Baytelman David , Chonchol Jacques , Collins Joseph , George Susan , Vieira Liszt Aragon , Von Der Weid Jean Marc
Published: May 2005

The widespread bad harvests of 1972 in various regions of the world, the consequent reduction in grain reserves, the rapid rise in food prices almost everywhere and its impact on inflation, all have served to draw renewed attention to the problem of hunger which affects millions of human beings in the world today. During the 1974 United Nations World Food Conference many important matters relating to this problem were debated: the creation of international grain reserves; problems concerning world trade of foodstuffs; the current difficulties with certain key agricultural production factors, such as fertilizers; the necessity for organizing a worldwide information system on the situation; and prospects of various harvests and threats of famine in underdeveloped countries.

It is often the case that discussion of the hunger problem does not correspond to the gravity of the crisis; true causes of the present situation are not examined, and measures are not adopted that will once and for all–for the first time–abolish hunger. In view of the prospect that the real issues are often ignored, the Transnational Institute provides this analysis in an attempt to clarify what must be done to abolish hunger in the belief that this is within the reach of humanity when and if we are determined to end the irrationalities of the present economic system and the relations of domination which some individuals and countries seek to continue.
Analogical Reasoning and Computer Programming
Authors: Clement Catherine A. , Kurland D. Midian , Mawby Ronald , Pea Roy D.
Published: May 2005

Investigations of the cognitive demands of programming can inform teaching and validate claims that important cognitive skills are inherent in programming. Given reports of experts' use of analogical problem solving in programming, the study reported here related analogical reasoning to Logo programming mastery among high school students. Correlational analyses related pretests of analogical reasoning to posttests of programming mastery. As predicted, a significant correlation was found between analogical reasoning and the ability to write subprocedures which can be reused for several different programs. This sophisticated programming skill requires recognition of structural similarities among distinct programming tasks. A final, general discussion considers analogical reasoning skill as a cognitive demand and consequence of programming.
Patterning of Facial Expressions among Terminal Cancer Patients
Authors: Antonoff Steven R. , Spilka Bernard
Published: May 2005

The possible significance of nonverbal communication in terminal illness was evaluated in forty-nine terminal cancer patients. Utilizing the Ekman and Friesen Facial Scoring Technique, individual items were reassessed for reliability across judges and within each emotional measure. Factorial invariance was also demonstrated. Theory suggested a patterning of emotional states in early, middle, and late stages of illness, and facial expressions evaluated during interviews demonstrated mixed support for pertinent hypotheses. Fear was highest in the early period, as hypothesized. Sadness increased regularly from the early to the late phase. No patterning was found for anger and happiness. It is concluded that work in this area looks promising and may aid in communication with and treatment of dying patients.
Late Woodland Settlement and Subsistence in Southern New England Revisited: The Evidence from Coastal Rhode Island
Authors: Waller Joseph N.
Published: May 2005

Archaeological investigations at Woodland sites in the Narragansett Bay drainage have aided in a refinement of Late Woodland settlement and subsistence models. Popular theory holds that intensive maize horticulture and the formation of tribal villages occurred relatively late in the prehistoric period or possibly were the result of European Contact. Archaeological investigations in coastal sections of Rhode Island indicate that village settlements and likely intensive maize horticulture were elements of Late Woodland settlement and subsistence behavior in and around Narragansett Bay and not Contact period phenomena.
Imaginal Dispositions and Situation-Specific Expectations in Strategy-Induced Pain Reductions
Authors: Spanos Nicholas P. , O'Hara Patricia A.
Published: May 2005

Following a baseline trial of finger pressure pain, subjects in one group chose either an imagery or a nonimaginal distraction strategy (shadowing letters) to help them reduce posttest pain. Controls were posttested without intervening treatment instructions. Subjects in the two strategy groups reduced pain to an equivalent degree and significantly more than controls. Neither hypnotizability nor trait indexes of imaginal propensities were related to subjects' choice of strategy, and none of these indexes predicted the extent of reported pain reduction in those who chose either strategy. On the other hand, subjects' expectations concerning their ability to use their chosen strategy predicted reported pain reduction in both strategy groups. Among those who chose imagery, absorption in the strategy also correlated significantly with reported pain reduction. These findings underscore the importance of situation-specific expectations in pain reduction. However, they fail to support the hypothesis that success at using imagery strategies for pain reduction is facilitated by general imaginal propensities.
Do Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) Have Different Attitudes toward Health Care Management?
Authors: Kwon Ik-Whan , Vinehout Kathleen A. , Frasca Jacqueline D.
Published: May 2005

A sample study of 216 physicians in the St. Louis Metropolitan area reveals a statistically significant difference in dealing with important issues in patient management between Foreign Medical and U.S. Medical graduates. Using the prospective payment systems (PPS) as a test case, this study shows that attitude toward patient management is significantly different in three controversial areas: consumer benefit, inclusion of physician's fee into the PPS, and quality of care. This study raises important questions in health care policy.
Extending Degrees via Individualization of Instruction and CBE Technology
Authors: McBrayer John
Published: May 2005

In the late seventies, the move to extend collegiate opportunities to non-traditional students has been accelerated. In these efforts, individualized instruction and competency based technology has emerged as a tool that provides an appropriate handle for extending college degrees. This paper presents an overview of the revitalized emphasis on individualized instruction and competency based education as a means of implementing ways to extend existing on-campus college and university programs to adult students in an off-campus format. Current operating models of individualized instructional designs in higher education are discussed as examples of formal plans for utilizing individualization of instruction and CBE technology to extend opportunities to non-traditional students. A conclusion offered is that non-traditional students, individualization of instruction, CBE technology, and the concept of the new extended degree, when combined, form a catalyst which has a great deal of potential for altering the traditional characteristics of higher education as they exist today.
The Response of Children to the Dying and Death of a Sibling
Authors: Birenbaum Linda K. , Robinson Michaelle Ann , Phillips David S. , Stewart Barbara J. , McCown Darlene E.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated the behavioral adjustment of sixty-one children ages four to sixteen years during the terminal illness and first year following a sibling's death from cancer. Using the Child Behavior Checklist, data on behavior problems and competence were collected from parents and teachers. Data collection occurred before death during the terminal phase, and two weeks, four months, and one year post death. The results of data analysis by t-test comparisons generally indicated that the bereaved siblings demonstrated significantly higher levels of behavior problems and significantly lower social competence in comparison to normal children. The implications for practice are discussed.
The Human Experience of Death or, What Can We Learn from Near-Death Experiences?
Authors: Noyes Russell
Published: May 2005

As a result of serious accidents and illnesses many persons undergo death-rebirth experiences. The changes in attitudes, personality, and beliefs that sometimes follow these experiences reflect rebirth and reveal a fundamental human strategy for coping with the threat of death. Many persons report that this threat is replaced by a sense of aliveness and a belief in life after death. These experiences appear to have much to teach us about the human encounter with death and to have great therapeutic potential, providing we can learn how to use them.
Do Psychiatrists Have a Common Language?
Authors: Weitzel William D. , Morgan Donald W. , Robinson James A. , Guyden Thomas E.
Published: May 2005

Dramatic advances in psychopharmacology, the increased number of psychiatric rehospitalizations, and the advent of automated methods for processing information have all served to make more urgent psychiatry's need for a common language. In order to determine if psychiatry has a current common language, twenty-eight recognized experts from medical centers across the country were questioned regarding what categories, areas, and items of information they felt should be recorded in a mental status examination from one diagnostic interview. Results indicate that a basis for both a traditional and relevant common language in psychiatry does exist when viewed from the perspective of describing a patient's current mental status. Each psychiatrist must strive to overcome a tendency in the profession to develop a unique, elite and often incomprehensible vocabulary.
Death Concern and Religious Beliefs among Gays and Bisexuals of Variable Proximity to Aids
Authors: Bivens Alexander J. , Neimeyer Robert A. , Kirchberg Thomas M. , Moore Marlin K.
Published: May 2005

In view of the high mortality rates associated with a diagnosis of AIDS, we investigated gay and bisexual (G/B) men's levels of death fear and threat and their relation to religiosity. Participants were grouped into three categories: forty-three who were seropositive for HIV (the HIV+ group), sixty-eight who were seronegative but who were involved as volunteers or professionals in AIDS hospices, wards or organizations (the AIDS-involved group), and fifty-five who had no direct involvement in AIDS other than their risk group membership (the uninvolved group). We found that 1) the HIV+ group reported greater fear of premature death, 2) the AIDS involved group demonstrated significantly lower levels of death concern than the other two groups, and 3) both the involved and HIV+ groups reported higher levels of religious belief than the uninvolved group of G/B men. Finally, intrinsic religious orientation was negatively related to both overall death threat as measured by the Threat Index and fears specific to the possibility of an afterlife, but not to other components of death concern as measured by the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale.
Is Unemployment Pathogenic? A Review of Current Concepts with Lessons for Policy Planners
Authors: Shortt Samuel E. D.
Published: May 2005

This review of current literature on the relationship between unemployment and health covers time-series studies and critiques of this approach; micro-level studies of plant closures, which have yet to provide convincing data; and various studies dealing with mortality rates, physical health, mental health, women, children and families, and youth. At particular risk are youth, the economically marginal, and middle-age men. The most common disorders documented are emotional and cardiopulmonary disease. The key to the relationship between ill-health and unemployment may lie in the emerging epidemiological literature relating health status to social hierarchy. The article concludes with suggestions as to how current knowledge on the pathogenicity of unemployment may be of use to health policy planners on issues such as guaranteed annual incomes.
The Stream of Consciousness: IV. Adolf Grünbaum's Atomicity
Authors: Natsoulas Thomas
Published: May 2005

I devote most of the present article, which is the fourth in a series concerning the nature and characteristics of William James's stream of consciousness, to an examination of Adolf Grünbaum's case for the stream's atomicity. For this purpose, I use the lens provided by the objection that auditory perceptual experience of a continuous sound of unchanging pitch does not exhibit a discrete, pulsational temporal structure. Also, I discuss Izchak Miller's two criticisms of Grünbaum's claim that temporal awareness of present physical or mental events depends on a certain kind of conceptualized awareness of the stream. Miller argues that such conceptualized awareness, being a matter of judgment, requires rather than explains temporal awareness; and also that perceptual experience necessarily involves individuating the object perceived, which in turn already involves temporal awareness. I give cogent replies to these two criticisms, but I cast some doubt as well on Grünbaum's general account.
“There's no Place Like Home”: An Analysis of Young Adults' Mature Coresidency in Canada
Authors: Mitchell Barbara A. , Wister Andrew V. , Gee Ellen M.
Published: May 2005

This article investigates the propensity for young adults to live in the parental home between the ages of 25 to 34—termed “mature coresidency.” Drawing upon a synthesis of life course theory and the concept of social capital, a rationale is developed for examination of emotional closeness to parents during childhood and a number of socio-demographic and structural factors deemed to be important. Using a subset of young adults aged 25 to 34 ( N = 1,760) from the 1995 Canadian General Social Survey, it is found that emotional closeness to mothers and fathers are major determinants of mature coresidency. Other important predictors include child's age, gender, marital status, and several family background factors. The implications of the findings are discussed for transitions to adulthood and family development against a changing social and economic landscape.
The Role of Gender in Computer Programming Learning Processes
Authors: Webb Noreen M.
Published: May 2005

The two studies reported here investigated gender differences in planning and debugging behavior, group processes, and achievement among junior high school students learning computer programming in small group or individual settings. In the first study, thirty-five students (15 females, 20 males) learned LOGO in three-person groups. In the second study, thirty students (9 females, 16 males) learned BASIC in two-person groups, and twenty-five students (9 females, 16 males) learned BASIC individually. In neither study and in neither setting, group or individual, did females and males differ in behavior or learning outcomes. Furthermore, the composition of the group, the ratio of females to males, had little effect on behavior or achievement. Reasons for the discrepancies between the present results and previous studies of gender differences in non-computer settings are discussed.
Carcinogens in Israeli Milk: A Study in Regulatory Failure
Authors: Westin Jerome B.
Published: May 2005

The potential danger to humans of exposure to chemicals shown to be carcinogenic in animals has become increasingly clear in the last 20 years. A gap still exists, however, between the appreciation of the risk by scientists and the willingness of public health authorities to reduce it. Three pesticides, shown repeatedly to produce over a dozen different types of cancer in rats and mice, were discovered in inordinately high concentrations in Israeli milk and dairy products. The three pesticides—α-BHC, γ-BHC (lindane), and DDT—had been shown to be present for ten years or more at mean concentrations up to 100 times those found in U.S. dairy products—with resultant concentrations in breast milk being possibly 800 times greater than those in the United States—yet neither the Ministry of Health nor the Israel Cancer Association made any apparent moves either to warn the public or to rectify the situation. A small consumer organization, Consumer Shield, brought the issue into the open. Through public pressure, court action, and the threat of further legal redress—and despite repeated attacks in the media by the milk producers, the Ministry, and the Cancer Association—Consumer Shield forced the authorities to outlaw the use of α-BHC and lindane (DDT no longer being in general use). The ban resulted in a precipitous drop in the concentrations of these substances in Israeli milk. Recent epidemiological and laboratory findings suggest that the dramatic drop in breast cancer mortality rates subsequent to the pesticide ban could be a direct result of that ban.
A Study of Subjective Time and Death Anxiety in the Elderly
Authors: Bascue L. O. , Lawrence R. E.
Published: May 2005

This study explored the relationship between death anxiety and future time orientation in elderly people. The sample was comprised of 88 women over the age of 62. The overall pattern of results suggests that the elderly may turn away from the future as a way of controlling death anxiety.
Prohibitions against Mourning in Childhood Sibling Loss
Authors: Rosen Helen
Published: May 2005

There is a body of literature suggesting that mourning is a necessary response to the loss of a significant object. In adults, this process has been fairly well researched, resulting in a substantial body of knowledge concerning adult grief. In children, however, mourning has not been as adequately researched, with a resultant gap in our appreciation of the process as it may occur or fail to occur under varying conditions. This article presents findings from a research study on sibling loss in childhood. It presents evidence supporting the idea that the loss of a sibling in childhood may be an especially significant loss for a child, in that both internal, family, and societal influences prohibit, for many, the opportunity to mourn the loss.
The Contribution of Technology to the Implementation of Mathematics Education Reform: Case Studies of Grade 1–3 Teaching
Authors: Ross John A. , Hogaboam-Gray Anne , McDougall Douglas , Bruce Cathy
Published: May 2005

Previous research suggests that access to technology contributes to the implementation of mathematics education reform. This case study of three primary (grade 1–3) teachers investigated how access to computers and math teaching software influenced nine dimensions of reform. Teachers were selected on the basis of their commitment to math reform and their technological literacy. Interviews and observations over five months found that technology had its greatest impact by helping teachers expand the scope of their programs and by promoting positive attitudes toward math. Teachers adapted computer tasks to fit their off-line activities, heightening or depleting the contribution of technology to reform. The computer promoted equity of access to all forms and strands of mathematics but this did not necessarily ensure that all students had access to higher math. None of the teachers realized the potential of the computer to increase student-student construction of mathematical ideas, in part because of hardware problems but more because of their decision to assign students to individual computer tasks.
Factors in Consistency between Attitudes and Behavior: Implications for Policies and Programs
Authors: Kar Snehendu B.
Published: May 2005

The paper deals with the factors which affect contraceptive attitudes, behaviors, and the relationship between the two. The analysis is based upon original survey data from 2,446 women in Venezuela and related literature. The results suggest that both positive attitudes and contraceptive accessibility are major determinants of contraception but at the aggregate level neither has a decisive advantage over the other. The three best predictors of contraceptive use are: specific contraceptive attitudes, social support, and accessibility of contraceptives. Their impacts on behavior are direct and additive; however, their impacts vary significantly by education and number of living children. In general attitude change strategy is more effective with younger women while improving accessibility affects older women more often. Implications for policy and programs are presented.
Generating and Receiving Contextualized Interpretations of Figurative Sculptures
Authors: Cupchik Gerald C. , Shereck Lanny
Published: May 2005

The primary goal of the experiment was to examine whether emotional and intellectual responses to sculptures increase or decrease over time. A second purpose was to explore the effects on these ratings of generating or receiving accounts of what was happening in these scenes. Seventy-two subjects viewed four groups of figurative sculptures in a public gallery and rated them twice on nine 7-point scales. They generated interpretations for two sculptures and received interpretations for two others between the first and second ratings. Results showed that emotional responses predominated during the initial encounter, while intellectual activity was more significant in the second one. Generating interpretations reduced the tendency for emotional impact and perceived originality to diminish over time. A qualitative analysis suggested four kinds of written interpretations; objectifying, personalizing, universalizing, and metaphorizing.
A Prospective Study of the Effectiveness of Brief Professionally-Led Support Groups for Infertility Patients
Authors: Stewart Donna E. , Boydell Katherine M. , McCarthy Karolina , Swerdlyk Susan , Redmond Carol , Cohrs Wilma
Published: May 2005

Objective:

This study prospectively evaluates the effectiveness and patient acceptability of professionally-led support groups in alleviating psychologic distress in infertility patients.

Method:

Sixty-four consecutive patients in a university hospital infertility program were administered a battery of psychologic tests before and after attendance at an 8 weekly session support group. The comparison group consisted of 35 consecutive infertility referrals to the same unit who were not initially offered the support group and were similarly tested over an 8 week period.

Results:

Support group patients had significantly greater ( p ≤ 0.01) entry than exit scores on several measures of psychologic distress and depression (the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and the Global Severity Index, Anxiety, Depression, Hostility and Obsessive Compulsive Subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory). The Avoidance Coping Style on the Moos Coping Responses Inventory was correlated with a higher Global Severity Index ( p ≤ 0.01). Comparison group patients had similar psychometric scores to the support group patients at entry but showed no change over 8 weeks. Attenders expressed a high rate of satisfaction with the support group.

Conclusions:

Professionally-led support groups are a highly acceptable and effective intervention in self-referred patients in alleviating psychological distress related to infertility.
The Role of Checklists in Learning How to Write
Authors: Choi Nancy , Kwok Peony , Wong Viola
Published: May 2005

In learning how to write, one has to cope with many demands on language proficiency, organization skills, and intellectual ability. A checklist of what is required can help to clarify all these demands and to turn them into manageable items or units for practice, implementation, and evaluation. The skills involved in designing and applying checklists resemble those required for dealing with the writing tasks on campus and/or at work. The focus of this article is on using checklists to improve the skills of one kind of writing—the report, among students from two faculties in a tertiary institute. The reports are for different purposes, situations, and readers. The article will discuss the different approaches in adopting a checklist to facilitate the report-writing process. It will highlight using students' work or authentic materials as an input to their own learning and helping them to integrate the skills learned with their work on the campus and in the workplace.
Trade Unions and Cleaner Production: Perspectives and Proposals for Action
Authors: Roelofs Cora
Published: May 2005

Despite their reputation for linking progress and security to dirty smokestacks, many trade unions around the world have designed and fought for sophisticated environmental policies—many of which promote a radical restructuring of production in order to prevent environmental harm. This article surveys trade union perspectives on cleaner production and offers examples of trade union action for cleaner production in the United States and around the world. Two general conceptual frameworks arising out of union writing on the subject—the “Transition Position” and the European-based “Harmony of Interests”—are elaborated. The article concludes with recommendations for employee participation in pollution prevention activities and ideas for a trade union agenda on cleaner production.
An Experimental Investigation of the Use of Positive Imagery in the Treatment of Phobias
Authors: Crits-Christoph Paul , Singer Jerome L.
Published: May 2005

This investigation examined the relative effectiveness of positive imagery and active-involvement imagery in the systematic desensitization treatment of phobias. Immediately after imagining hierarchy phobic scenes, clients in the positive imagery group ( N = 9) imagined pleasant, relaxing scenes while clients in the active-involvement imagery group ( N = 10) imagined themselves attempting to cope directly with the phobic stimulus and behaving in a relaxed and competent manner. At the end of treatment both groups showed substantial and equal improvement in the severity of their specific fear compared to a waiting list control group ( N = 6). The positive imagery group showed greater reductions in general distress and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Follow-up assessment conducted one year after the termination of therapy revealed that the improvement was maintained in both treatment groups. On within treatment measures, the positive imagery group showed greater reductions in forehead electromygraphic activity during phobic scenes after repeated presentations of the phobic scene-positive scene sequence and the active-involvement imagery group showed greater reductions in self-report of fear across repeated presentations of their imagery sequence. The clinical usefulness of the imagery treatments and their theoretical foundations are discussed.
Adapting Case Tools for More Effective Learning
Authors: Green Harrison D.
Published: May 2005

The primary purpose of Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools has been to assist in organizing and expediting the work performed by a systems analyst. Based upon the opinions of some experts in the field, learning should also be emphasized in the construction of CASE tools. Some general criticisms of CASE tools are considered in this article with respect to their educational implications. As a solution to these problems, the author proposes several modifications to the standard CASE software. Some of these changes are to be incorporated into a special educational version of a CASE tool. The modifications are designed to incorporate teacher-student interaction factors.
A Survey of Training Needs of Experienced Certified Addictions Counselors
Authors: Taleff Michael J.
Published: May 2005

The alcohol and other drug abuse field has, more often than not, determined the topics of education and training be directed by published authors and associated authority figures. Rarely do workshop instructors ask the field what they would like to see presented, or how they prefer the information to be conveyed. A recent survey was conducted by The Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Chemical Abuse Certification Board to address these questions. The results indicate a preference for training topics that encompass cultural issues, alternative forms of treatment and relapse prevention. The preferred style of delivery was that via discussion groups and lectures. Data such as this needs to be weighed into future drug and alcohol education.
Receipt of Assistance and Extended Family Residence among Elderly Men in Mexico
Authors: De Vos Susan , Solís Patricio , De Oca Verónica Montes
Published: May 2005

This article focuses on help received by a nationally-representative sample of 2,376 Mexican men age 60+ in 1994. In the month before the interview, about one-half of the men received in-kind or domestic assistance, two-fifths received financial assistance, and about one-fourth received physical assistance. This was so even as almost half the men still worked, and over half (57%) had no discernable functional limitation. Using logistic regression, the study found support for the common assumption that living arrangements are an important predictor of assistance. Other factors are important too however. In fact, many elders received help from non-coresiding relatives. Beside financial remittances, help from non-coresiding relatives included in-kind, domestic, and physical assistance. Research on Mexico suggests that we need to revisit notions of a modified extended family in which non-coresidential ties can be important. Surveys need questions about frequency of contact and geographic distance between elderly people and their kin.
Adaptation to Transition in Late Adulthood: Implications for Health Education
Authors: Levkoff Sue , Wetle Terrie
Published: May 2005

Older individuals experience many situational changes associated with aging. Perhaps the most pervasive of these in their effects on lifestyle are relocation, retirement and widowhood. An examination of existing literatures on these three major life events is used to identify common contextual factors which influence adaptation to these transitions. These include predictability of the event, control and social supports. A number of health education interventions targeted to those individuals who are most likely to experience these transitions and who are greatest at risk of negative outcomes are suggested.
The “Eyes” Have it: An Examination of Feature-Centering in Photographic Portraiture
Authors: Cassandro Vincent J.
Published: May 2005

Relative to other features, the human eye is consistently placed in the center of history's successful oil painting portraits (Tyler, 1998). In the present study, I examined whether this phenomenon generalizes to the medium of photography, and whether this phenomenon is dependent upon the rotation or placement of the head. Results reveal a clear hierarchy of feature-centering dominance: The eye is consistently placed at the center-most position of the frame, followed by the nose-bridge, nose-tip, ear, and hand. Further, regression analyses reveal that the predictive strength of the horizontal center decreases as the pictured subject's head rotation approximates the classic 3/4 pose. The eye is found most frequently at the center of the frame when the head is in a fully front-facing pose. Possible explanations for this cross-historical, cross-medium compositional tendency are discussed.
The Relationship between Drug and Alcohol Use and Peer Group Associations of College Freshmen as They Transition from High School
Authors: Leibsohn Jacqueline
Published: May 2005

College freshmen responded to a drug and alcohol questionnaire. For drugs other than alcohol and marijuana, the best predictor of drug use at the beginning of college is drug use during a typical month of the senior year of high school. College freshmen, however, use marijuana less frequently than they did in high school and the use of alcoholic beverages increases early in college. While the frequency of alcohol use increases considerably, college freshmen do not increase the number of times they got drunk.

It has been hypothesized that the likely change in peer relations between high school and college would alter subsequent rates of drug and alcohol use. However, the data shows that college and high school drug use are very similar and entering freshmen found new friends much like their high school friends to use drugs with and get drunk. Therefore, alcohol and drug use may be important determining factors in the choice of new college friends.
Smoking Education and Prevention: A Developmental Model
Authors: Oei Tian P. S. , Baldwin Andrea R.
Published: May 2005

A developmental approach to smoking education and prevention for children and adolescents is proposed. Literature is reviewed concerning the most appropriate agent, content, and presentation, of anti-smoking education for each of three age groups: children to age ten, pre/early adolescents eleven to fifteen, and adolescents fifteen to eighteen. For children to age ten, it is suggested that parents are the best agents of education, with teachers, peers, and the mass media, also playing some role. For pre/early adolescents, peers are suggested as the best agents of education, building onto the earlier and ongoing work of the agents mentioned above. For adolescents, the role of the media hero-figure is discussed. It is emphasized that sources of influence may function additively in affecting the child or adolescent's decisions about smoking, and that education in each stage must build on the stage before.
Observer versus Field Memories in Repressive, Low Anxious, and Obsessive-Compulsive Subjects
Authors: Terry William S. , Barwick Elizabeth C. , Terry W. Scott
Published: May 2005

The tendency to see one's self in autobiographical memories (“Observer” memories) has been reported for experiences that are emotional or involve self-awareness. Repressors, who avoid thinking about emotional experiences, should have fewer observer memories, whereas obsessive-compulsives should have more. College students were asked to recall specific events (e.g., giving a public performance), and the point of view of the memory. Repressors (who had low Manifest Anxiety and high Marlowe Crowne scores) reported fewer observer memories than did low anxious subjects (who scored low on both inventories), and were not different from a high anxious group. This pattern was replicated in a second experiment, which also found that subjects with high Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive scores had more observer memories than those with low scores. Repressors and obsessive-compulsives did not differ consistently either in their frequency of observer memories or their personality profiles.
keepin' it R.E.A.L.: A Drug Resistance Curriculum Tailored to the Strengths and Needs of Pre-Adolescents of the Southwest
Authors: Gosin Monika , Marsiglia Flavio Francisco , Hecht Michael L.
Published: May 2005

Research has shown that students respond more favorably to drug prevention programs when they see their culture and themselves represented in the prevention message. Additionally, studies highlight important ethnic differences in drug behaviors and attitudes, indicating that students' ethnic culture should be considered in the creation of prevention programs. Because there are few effective, culturally grounded programs, new approaches are needed, particularly among Mexican American youth. This need inspired the Drug Resistance Strategies Project (DRS) to develop and test the keepin' it R.E.A.L. curriculum serving ethnically diverse seventh grade students residing in a large southwestern city. This article describes development of the keepin' it R.E.A.L. curriculum, focusing on the methods used to ensure cultural grounding. The article also reviews literature on cultural approaches in prevention, presents a theoretical framework, summarizes key outcomes of the curriculum evaluation, and concludes with recommendations for the development of prevention programs for ethnically diverse youth.
Prediction of Learning and Satisfaction in Web-Based and Lecture Courses
Authors: Maki Ruth H. , Maki William S.
Published: May 2005

We investigated variables that affect learning and satisfaction in Web-based and lecture versions of introductory psychology courses. Student characteristics, including year in college, college major, and personality characteristics, predicted performance equally well in Web-based and lecture courses. Differences among instructors predicted performance more strongly in lecture courses than in Web-based courses. Enjoyment of class discussion was negatively related to performance in Web-based courses. Several variables increased course satisfaction in both course formats, including lower workload, better scores on examinations, preference for working independently, and knowing what to expect on tests. Instructor and enjoyment of class discussion influenced satisfaction with lecture courses but not Web-based courses. None of the variables that we studied influenced satisfaction in Web-based but not lecture courses. These results suggest that commonly-used readiness questionnaires may not be useful in selecting students who will do well in and be satisfied with technology-mediated courses.
Fluoxetine-Induced Memory Impairment in Four Family Members
Authors: Huang Shu-Chi , Tsai Shih-Jen , Chang Joseph C. C.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant agent, has been implicated in learning and memory. Here, we report four cases from the same family of fluoxetine-related memory-impairment.

Results:

Memory-impairment resulted after fluoxetine treatment and disappeared after changing to another selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.

Conclusions:

There may be a relationship between fluoxetine-related memory impairment and genetic factors, and this side-effect appears to be specific to fluoxetine treatment. Possible mechanisms underlying this effect may be the drug's influence on the central serotonergic system or brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
Farm Crisis and Suicide: Dying on the Vine?
Authors: Ragland John D. , Berman Alan L.
Published: May 2005

The relationship between the farm economic crisis and farmer suicide rates was examined using data from fifteen states in the United States from 1980 to 1985. Suicide frequencies for farmers and two control occupations (forestry and transportation workers) were obtained, and the 1980 U.S. Census occupational population data were used to convert these frequencies into suicide rates. Suicide rates for farmers were found to be greater than rates for transportation workers (truck drivers), but no different from rates for forestry workers. A significant positive correlation between the “declining farm economy” and “increasing state suicide rates” was also found.
Death Anxiety as a Predictor of Mood Change in Response to a death Stimulus
Authors: Oranchak Erik , Smith Tristram
Published: May 2005

It was hypothesized that the level of death anxiety prior to a death stimulus predicts mood change in response to the stimulus. Participants ( N = 52) in the study initially completed the Templer Death Anxiety Scale and the Mood Scale. The participants were then shown three videotapes: a neutral videotape, a videotape depicting death scenes, and another neutral videotape. Before and after each videotape, the participants completed the Mood Scale. The initial level of death anxiety was a significant ( p < .05) predictor of changes in, and overall levels of, depression and general anxiety. This finding supports the view that the causal connection between death anxiety and mood is bidirectional. It also gives rise to the speculation that death anxiety may predict mood in nonexperimental, i.e., “real-life” situations.
Work and General Psychological and Physical Well-Being
Authors: Coburn David
Published: May 2005

This article describes a study of the influence of job factors (e.g. job control, pay, etc.) on job attitudes (satisfaction, alienation, stress) as well as the joint influence of job factors and job attitudes on general psychological and physical well-being. Satisfaction/alienation and felt stress were found to be two different modes of response to work. Prestige, control, variety, and opportunity for promotion were powerful predictors of satisfaction/alienation. Number of deadlines and job overlap with family life were important predictors of stress. The job factors and job attitudes showed substantively important relationships to general well-being. The testing of various alternate hypotheses supported the inference of a causal work-health link. Implications of the findings are that work must be viewed in a wider context than simply as a form of economic activity if the well-being of the population is to be improved and that a focus on individual “life-styles” as causes of lowered well-being leads to neglect of the underlying social structural bases of dis-ease.
A Cautionary Legal Tale: The Bose v. Consumers Union Case
Authors: Parsons Gerald M.
Published: May 2005

This article describes the facts of the Bose v. Consumer's Union of U.S., Inc. case, a precedent-setting libel case that involved a technical review of a product, which was litigated over a fifteen-year period, from District Court to the Supreme Court. The litigation centered on interpretation of technical phraseology. The basic facts of the case are described, central legal issues are identified and some speculation about the relevancy of the final decision to other similar future situations is suggested.
Social Implications for Future Educational Software
Authors: Eller B. F. , Reitzammer Ann
Published: May 2005

Critics of Educational Technology often claim that school programs begin with the acquisition of the hardware then the search for applications. Often the reason for this dilemma is not neglect or indifference, but a lack of paradigm or methodology to address such issues. Demographics, “the statistical study of human populations with reference to size and density, distribution, and vital statistics,” offers an alternative methodology in planning for future educational software needs [1]. The article discusses what demographics dictates about future U.S. and international educational software.
Supervision in Psychotherapy: A Systems Viewpoint
Authors: Tousley Martha M. , Kobberger Kathleen
Published: May 2005

What is presently known about the supervision of psychotherapy is described from a systems point of view. Supervision is conceptualized as a dynamic interchange between two individuals whose differing sets of expectations can profoundly affect the process. The authors propose that the supervisory relationship is best understood as a social learning system, with its own characteristic structure, rules of organization, hierarchical order and mode of extracting influence. Research reports on the supervisory process are also reviewed. Finally, given the emphasis placed on the supervised practice of psychotherapy by training programs, certification requirements and licensure laws, the need for further investigation is emphasized.
A National Survey of Hospice Bereavement Services
Authors: Demmer Craig
Published: May 2005

Introduction:

Historically, bereavement services have been viewed as the “poor stepchild” within hospice programs. In 1986, a survey was conducted of hospices to examine the nature and function of hospice bereavement services. This article presents the results of a similar survey that was conducted in 2002. The aim of this study was to provide updated information on several aspects of hospice bereavement services including staffing, training, services provided, issues, and obstacles.

Methods:

A self-administered questionnaire, with items adapted from the 1986 study, was mailed to a random sample of 450 Provider Members of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). The 23-item questionnaire took approximately 10 minutes to complete. There was a 58% return ( n = 260) of the questionnaires.

Results:

Hospices employed fewer bereavement personnel who served more bereaved individuals than compared to hospices in the 1986 study. Major obstacles were lack of time and too few bereavement staff. Bereavement programs tended to focus on less time intensive services such as mailings of letters and literature on grief versus phone calls and home visits. Bereavement staff expressed a desire to provide more groups and educational programs, as well as make more home visits, if they had more resources.

Conclusions:

Hospices are faced with difficult choices in an era of increased competition between hospices, insufficient reimbursement, and increased demands to document the effectiveness of services. Against this background, hospice bereavement services will continue to compete for attention and resources with other components of hospice programs.
Style Analysis of Award Winning Technical Manuals
Authors: Teklinski Bill
Published: May 2005

This article quantifies specific elements of technical writing style in five award winning technical manuals where combined averages for the style elements are calculated. When these results are compared to what is generally regarded as good technical writing, the results show that the elements of style vary widely between the individual manuals examined. While attempting to define a good technical writing style, the value of such studies must be commented on.
Effects of Computer Access and Flowcharting on Students' Attitudes and Performance in Learning Computer Programming
Authors: McCormick Deborah , Ross Steven M.
Published: May 2005

Performance and attitudes in a high school programming course ( n = 72) were investigated as a function of degree of computer access (limited vs. unlimited); flowcharting usage (required vs. not required); and aptitude-treatment interactions (ATI's) involving these variables in combination with student gender and ability level. On four out of five performance measures, ATI results revealed a significant tendency for low-ability students to perform better under unlimited- than limited-access, and conversely for middle- to high-ability students. Regardless of computer-access level or student characteristics, the requirement to produce flowcharts negatively affected performance and attitudes. Only isolated gender effects were found. These and other findings are discussed with emphasis on their implications for teaching programming at the precollege level.
Educational Technology in the Man-Made World
Authors: Lanagan T. P. , Piel E. J.
Published: May 2005

The Man-Made World course was designed to develop technological literacy. It is appropriate therefore that TMMW use educational technology as a part of its instructional package in appropriate areas of the course.

The educational technology involved consists of processes and products among which are the analog and digital computer as well as logic circuit boards and the usual projectors and tape players, including cassettes and film loops.