bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Discourse Community in Scientific and Technical Communication: Institutional and Social Views
Authors: Zappen James P.
Published: May 2005

Theoretical studies in scientific and technical communication have begun to explore what they call discourse communities in the sciences and engineering on grounds that these communities provide the norms and practices for communication in these fields. The theoretical literature on which these studies are based develops two views of what a discourse community might be, an institutional and a social view. The first of these views has been the more influential, but both views may and should be brought to the study and the pedagogy of scientific and technical communication.
Motivational Analyses on the Effects of Type of Instructional Control on Learning from Computer-Based Instruction
Authors: Yang Yong-Chil , Chin Wee-Kyo
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze motivational effects of type of instructional control on learning from computer-based instruction, according to Keller's ARCS model of motivational design. Forty-eight sixth graders were randomly assigned to either learner or program control groups. Instructional materials were computer-based instructional programs for teaching four concepts utilized in advertisement propaganda techniques. The post-test with fifteen items for learning and Instructional Motivation Measurement Survey with thirty-six statements for motivation were used. The results showed that the group under program control performed better on the post-test than the group under learner control, but there was not a significant difference in Keller's ARCS motivational factors between two groups. Regardless of type of instructional control, however, the level of satisfaction among the factors was higher than that of confidence in the instruction. Such results suggest that ARCS motivational factors in designing effective instructional control strategies can be considered.
Interviewing for Information
Authors: Levine Leslie
Published: May 2005

Gathering information is a major task of the technical writer. All too often, however, writers take this important skill for granted. Successful interviewing often is, however, the technical writer's key to writing good technical prose. Whether the writer is seeking the theory behind an engineering design or preparing an annual report, the techniques that writer uses for successful interviewing will be the same. Further, by developing good interviewing skills, a writer will improve his or her organization and writing techniques. Yet the most important aspect of good interviewing is obtaining accurate information. If technical writers want to be considered professionals in their field, they must become expert interviewers as well as good technical translators.
Nutrition and the Use of Food as a Weapon in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa
Authors: Sanders David
Published: May 2005

This paper examines disease and the importance of nutrition, especially with respect to children, in underdeveloped countries in general and in Zimbabwe in particular. It then discusses short-term interventions (e.g. feeding programs) initiated in response to the nutrition situation. The context of undernutrition is examined, with a consideration of food availability in Zimbabwe both in relation to the recent war and in a longer-term setting. Finally, the international food situation is considered and the use of food as a political weapon in both the Southern African region and throughout the world is focused upon.
Cognitive Asymmetry, Computer Science Students, and Professional Programmers
Authors: Gordon Harold W.
Published: May 2005

System analysts and computer programmers of a university computer center performed better on visuospatial tasks usually attributed to the right cerebral hemisphere. By contrast, subjects from a human resources department of a bank performed better on verbosequential tasks associated with the left hemisphere. The cognitive profile was significantly different although the overall performance was not different between the groups. In an intermediate computer class there was a significant correlation between the cognitive profile favoring visuospatial skills and scores on computer projects in which the students used their own ingenuity. There was no correlation with scores that depended on class notes nor with scores on examinations. These results suggest that the cognitive profile may be an important indicator for success in certain occupations.
The Training Component of the Maasai Health Services Project, Tanzania
Authors: Nangawe Elihuruma , Sitayo Emmanuel Ole , Rowberg Erik , McGinn Therese , Van Wie William
Published: May 2005

Tanzania, one of the many developing countries, has devised health policies incorporating innovative ideas and strategies toward improving primary health care. The Arusha Region has become a pilot area in investigating the potential of Community Health Workers as part of a community-based health education and service project. In designing a project strategy to respond to the different levels of training needs, several issues relevant to the structure and theory of training are included: CHW selection criteria, identification of trainers, training content, approach and methods, locale, schedule, and evaluation.
An Online Approach to Teaching International Outsourcing in Technical Communication Classes
Authors: St. Amant Kirk
Published: May 2005

The growth of international online access has given rise to a new production method—international outsourcing—that has important implications for technical communication practices. Successful interactions within international outsourcing require individuals to understand how cultural factors could affect online interactions. Today's technical communication students therefore need to understand how factors of culture and media could affect the success with which they operate in international outsourcing activities. This article provides technical communication instructors with a series of Web-based exercises they can use to familiarize students with different aspects that can affect intercultural online interactions. It also provides a series of online resources students can use to enhance their understanding of cross-cultural communication in cyberspace.
Social and Psychological Support Adjunctive to Lithium Therapy: A Critical Review
Authors: Johnson F. N.
Published: May 2005

As lithium therapy becomes more and more widely used for the treatment and control of recurrent mania and depression, the question of whether or not therapeutic outcome may be enhanced by the provision of supportive psychotherapy or other adjunctive social measures has gained in importance. Reports of psychological and social support given to patients receiving lithium therapy are reviewed critically and the question is raised as to the economics of providing such non-pharmacological back-up as a routine concomitant of lithium therapy. Some consideration is given to the psychological mechanisms that are likely to be associated with lithium therapy procedures and that might be exploited by the psychotherapist.
Premiums without Benefits: Waste and Inefficiency in the Commercial Health Insurance Industry
Authors: Brandon Robert M. , Podhorzer Michael , Pollak Thomas H.
Published: May 2005

The U.S. system of health insurance is wasteful and inefficient. For every dollar the commercial health insurance industry paid in claims in 1988, the industry spent 33.5 cents for administration, marketing, and other overhead expenses. Thus, not including profits, the commercial insurance industry spent 14 times as much on administration, overhead, and marketing per dollar of claims paid as did the Medicare system, and 11 times as much per dollar of claims paid as the Canadian national health system. Had an efficient public program such as Medicare or the Canadian system provided the same amount of benefits, consumers and businesses served by commercial insurers would have saved $13 billion. The sources of waste include excessive marketing costs and administrative costs bloated by discriminatory underwriting practices that segregate the profitable groups and individuals—people who are healthy, young, and in “safe” professions—from everyone else.
Death Experience and Religion
Authors: Peterson Steven A. , Greil Arthur L.
Published: May 2005

There has been much speculation about death experience's impact on people's religious orientations and behavior. The most common hypothesis linking the religious domain with death experience has it that death experience leads to greater religiosity as one way for people to gain comfort. Data from the 1984 National Opinion Research Center (NORC) General Social Survey are used to test this expectation. Results suggest that death experience is related to greater levels of religious behavior and stronger religious orientations; however, the relationships are rather weak. Results are discussed in light of these findings.
Does Hypertext Disadvantage Less Able Readers?
Authors: McEneaney John E.
Published: May 2005

This article reports on an investigation of the relationship between print and hypertext reading skills in university students. The study employed a counterbalanced repeated measures design that required subjects to answer questions using both print and hypertext versions of a student advising handbook. Two research questions guided the study. One question explored whether readers in general experience greater difficulty with hypertext than they do in traditional print. The second question focused specifically on what, if any, differential disadvantage might be experienced by less able print readers. Significant effects included a practice effect, a general format effect favoring print over hypertext, and a question-set effect. The study supports the claim that readers find hypertext more difficult, but there was no evidence that hypertext differentially disadvantages less able print readers.
Understanding Student Retention through a Look at Student Goals, Intentions, and Behavior
Authors: Polinsky Tracy L.
Published: May 2005

Historically, retention, persistence, and graduation rates have been used as indicators of a college's success. While these measures may shed light on what is happening among an institution's students, they are not always as meaningful as they appear. This community college believed that these performance indicators were not accurately reflecting the success of its students. As an offshoot of the college's Retention Committee, the Student Intention Survey was created and administered to the college's credit students as a means to identify student goals, accomplishment of these goals, and how they relate to retention. The results of this study helped explain student retention in terms of student goals and intentions, and identified factors related to positive and negative attrition.
A Community Organization—Peer Facilitated Senior Citizen Health Promotion Program
Authors: Sutherland Mary , Cowart Marie , Heck Carol
Published: May 2005

This project addressed hypertension, considering the variables of exercise, weight, blood pressure measurement, medication compliance, and nutritional practices while incorporating principles of self-responsibility for health. Major intervention activities included a three-times weekly exercise program; weekly weigh-ins; bi-weekly blood pressure checks; physician referral for anti-hypertensive prescriptions/maintenance; diet instruction; and peer facilitated health educational activities. Additionally, community support and project volunteers were obtained via various community organization strategies, such as community meetings, newspaper articles, or from advisory board activities. Major “everyday grass roots” responsibilities for program implementation were carried out by a peer senior citizen community organizer and a peer senior citizen health educator, with strong guidance from the Area Agency on Aging. Evaluation activities were based on the measurable impact and process objectives. T-tests were used to analyze weight and blood pressure pre-post data for the seventeen mostly female clients with an age range of sixty-four to eighty-eight and a mean age of seventy-five. T-values for weight, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were 21.02, 2.09, and 11.08, respectively, indicating significance (.00 or .05 level). Lastly, fourteen individuals lost a total of eighty-nine pounds; six individuals were able to re-enter acceptable blood pressure limits; and participants are accepting greater responsibility for their own health.
Health Education in Cuba: A Preface
Authors: Tesh Sylvia
Published: May 2005

Critics of health education policy in the United States fault it for ignoring the unequal ability of Americans to adopt more healthy behavior and for underestimating the social, economic, and political causes of disease. Many critics hypothesize that health education in a less bourgeois society would be more equitable and less individualistic. This article tests that hypothesis by analyzing the current Cuban health education program aimed at the reduction of chronic diseases. It argues that while the Cuban program appears to be every bit as individualistic as the North American program, theirs may not be comparable to ours because Cubans are less likely than Americans to reify the state. At least among supporters of the revolution, Cubans do not automatically make a conceptual distinction between the individual and the society. Discussions about responsibility for disease prevention take on new meaning in this light.
The Influence of Cutting Rate on the Evaluation of Affective Content of Film
Authors: Heft Harry , Blondal Ragnar
Published: May 2005

This investigation examined the hypothesis that the evaluation of the affective content of a film scene would be determined by the interaction of scene content and film cutting rate. Two simple narrative films were shot differing only in the emotions expressed (happiness or anger), and two edited versions of each film, a fast and a slow cutting rate version, were prepared. Subjects evaluated the principles in the films as well as their own feelings while watching the films, using Mehrabian and Russell's emotional state inventory. The results supported the interaction hypothesis, as indicated by the findings that the faster cutting enhanced the positive ratings of a speaker in the “happy” film, but led to enhanced negative ratings of the same speaker when he presented an angry demeanor. In the angry scenes, where there may be multiple layers of meaning and emotional content, the interaction effects were more complex, but still largely consistent with the hypothesis.
Representation of Providers on Health Planning Boards
Authors: Checkoway Barry , O'Rourke Thomas , Macrina David M.
Published: May 2005

PL 93-641, The National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974, called for broad representation of health care providers, in addition to consumers, on Health Systems Agency (HSA) governing boards. Analysis of data submitted to the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by the HSAs indicates that HSA provider board members are not representative of the overall provider work force or general population. Direct providers outnumber indirect providers by roughly seven to one. Physicians and hospital-nursing administrators are overrepresented, and nurses and other provider groups underrepresented, in relation to their numbers in the work force. Evidence also shows that HSA provider board members are mostly white males, although nonwhites and females are significantly represented in the work force and population.
Concentration of U.S. Hospitals, 1991–1999, and its Implications for a National Health Program
Authors: Andrews Charles
Published: May 2005

Concentration of hospitals into systems increased from 1991 to 1999. The share of patient care in systems as opposed to independent hospitals rose from 39 to 57 percent. More concentration occurred among secular not-for-profit hospitals than among for-profit hospitals. Systems of hospitals raise the concentration ratio in local markets dramatically. The change in economic structure and market power challenges traditional proposals and strategies aiming to achieve a national health program.
Good Practice Guidelines for Occupational Health Research Funded by the Private Sector
Authors: Quinn Margaret , Levenstein Charles , De Laurier Gregory F.
Published: May 2005

The role of the private sector in funding academic research is increasing and the well-developed guidelines for government-sponsored research do not apply to the academic-industry arena. Good Practice Guidelines for privately funded occupational health research are necessary. Industry sponsors and academic researchers belong to differing systems with differing goals and means to achieve and evaluate them. As a result, problems are inherent in the relationship. Guidelines would benefit industry by providing criteria against which industry-funded research could be judged and evaluated. Guidelines would help university researchers assure that their work is examined and criticized on its merits. Such protection would foster quality research over the long term. Here, we consider the issues involved and explore questions that came out of a workshop convened under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When private funding is involved, university scientists have a professional responsibility to ensure that the integrity of researchers, subjects, and the research process is well protected. A body of experience allows us to create Good Practice Guidelines beneficial to all parties.
Psychiatry in Japan's General Hospitals: A Brief Report
Authors: Goto Akio , Ikeda Yoshiko
Published: May 2005

Although the Japanese Society of Neuropsychiatry advocated the development of psychiatric departments in general hospitals as long as thirty years ago, progress has been regrettably slow. While public health centers are legally the front-line mental health facilities in Japan, they have not fulfilled their function and perhaps have even impeded development of psychiatric services in general hospitals. In Tokyo City, only three outpatient psychiatry clinics and no inpatient services are available to 10,000,000 inhabitants in eight general city hospitals. The advantages of psychiatric services in general hospitals are apparent; further progress awaits public enlightenment, increased staff, and political and community support.
Views of Death from Sufferers of Early Loss
Authors: Taylor Deborah A.
Published: May 2005

There exists a strong relationship between early parental loss and later depression and suicide. But what are the factors which mediate this relationship? An exploration of the death themes elicited by the T.A.T. from participants who had suffered the early loss of a parent suggests some possible answers. Results show that those who have sustained early losses are more easily reminded of the theme of death than those who have not. Further, they tend to structure the theme of death in a cognitively remote fashion. This tendency may indicate an unusual need for protection against the thought of death and may actually lessen the individual's ability to ward off death. It is recommended that attention be paid to the individual's affective and cognitive responses to death and that denial of death no longer be viewed as an inevitable aspect of the human condition.
Can Students Collaboratively Use Hypermedia to Learn Science? The Dynamics of Self-and other-Regulatory Processes in an Ecology Classroom
Authors: Azevedo Roger , Winters Fielding I. , Moos Daniel C.
Published: May 2005

This classroom study examined the role of low-achieving students' self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviors and their teacher's scaffolding of SRL while using a Web-based water quality simulation environment to learn about ecological systems. Forty-nine 11th and 12th grade students learned about ecology and the effects of land use on water quality by collaboratively using the RiverWebSM water quality simulation (WQS) during a two-week curriculum on environmental science. The students' emerging understanding was assessed using pretest and posttest scores. Students' self-regulatory behaviors and teacher's scaffolding of SRL were assessed through an analysis of their discourse during several collaborative problem-solving episodes. Findings indicate that students learned significantly more about ecology after working collaboratively with the WQS. However, these learning gains were quite small and were related to the self-regulatory behaviors observed in the dyads and their teacher's scaffolding and instruction. Analyses of video data indicate that a large amount of time was spent by the dyads and teacher in using only a few strategies, while very little time was spent on planning, monitoring, and handling task difficulties and demands. Further analysis revealed that both the dyads and teacher were using low-level strategies (e.g., following procedural tasks, evaluating the content, searching, and selecting informational sources in the WQS) to learn about the topic. Our results provide a valuable initial characterization of the complexity of self-and other-regulated learning in a complex, dynamic, technology-enhanced, student-centered science classroom. We discuss how the results will be used to inform the design of computers as MetaCognitive tools designed to foster students' learning of conceptually challenging science topics.
Expectation of Death, Participation in Funeral Arrangements, and Grief Adjustment
Authors: Doka Kenneth J.
Published: May 2005

This research investigated the hypotheses that prior expectation of death and participation of the bereaved in planning and conducting funeral rituals will facilitate grief adjustment. Fifty primary survivors were interviewed twelve to eighteen months after the death. The hypothesis that participation in funeral rituals will facilitate grief adjustment was not confirmed. Prior expectation of death was significantly related to subsequent grief adjustment. This led to further speculation that participation in funeral rituals is important in facilitating grief adjustment in those cases in which death was not expected. Evidence regarding this hypothesis is discussed.
Tantalizing Fantasies: Positive Imagery Induces Negative Mood in Individuals High in Fear of Failure
Authors: Langens Thomas A.
Published: May 2005

It is argued that fear of failure moderates the emotional reactions to positive goal imagery (i.e., imagining the attainment of a desired goal). This hypothesis was tested in an experiment in which participants wrote down a goal they desired to attain and then either imagined attaining this goal, or imagined failing in their pursuit of this goal or did not imagine goal pursuit. The results showed that the experimental conditions had an effect on an implicit measure of negative mood (amount of sadness attributed to faces) which was moderated by fear of failure. As predicted, participants high (relative to low) in fear of failure evidenced high negative mood after imagining successful goal attainment as well as after imagining failure of goal pursuit. No effects were found for an explicit (self-report) measure of mood.
The Psychosocial Impact of Multiple Deaths from AIDS
Authors: Viney Linda L. , Henry Rachel M. , Walker Beverly M. , Crooks Levinia
Published: May 2005

The cumulative psychosocial impact of multiple deaths due to AIDS within a single, gay community was examined. A personal construct psychology model of bereavement was used to generate hypotheses about the psychosocial functioning of the members of two gay communities differing in the extent of their bereavement. Their psychosocial functioning was assessed through content analysis of their responses to an open-ended interview question. Two hundred fifteen men participated in the study. We hypothesized that the more bereaved community would show more anxiety (in the form of death, mutilation, separation, anxiety, and guilt), depression, and indirectly expressed anger. The hypotheses for anxiety and anger were supported, but not the hypothesis for depression.
The Social Stress Model of Substance Abuse among Childbearing-Age Women: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Lindenberg Cathy Strachan , Reiskin Helen K. , Gendrop Sylvia C.
Published: May 2005

The Social Stress Model of Substance Abuse has been derived from numerous psychosocial theories and models. This model suggests that the likelihood of an individual engaging in drug abuse is influenced by the stress level and the extent to which it is offset by stress modifiers such as social networks, social competence and resources. This article synthesizes current empirical evidence for this model. Thirteen primary research studies of women are synthesized and described, with special attention to the four key constructs inherent in the model: stress, social networks, social competencies, and resources. Consistencies and inconsistencies in the findings, a critique of key methodological issues, implications for future research, and implications for clinical policy and practice are provided.
Attitudes about Death, Dying, and Terminal Care: Differences among Groups at a University Teaching Hospital
Authors: Hatfield C. B. , Hatfield R. E. , Geggie P.H.S. , Taylor J. , Soti K. , Winthers L. , Harris A. , Greenley N.
Published: May 2005

Attitudes of eight hospital groups on several aspects of terminal care were studied by means of a questionnaire responded to by 1080 people at a university teaching hospital. The questionnaire contained statements about terminally ill patients, settings for their care, terminally ill children, discussing death and terminal care, and meeting the emotional needs of patients. Responses of the groups, which included physicians, residents, nurses, aides, and orderlies, did not differ on general statements about terminal care. On more specific statements, responses from some groups differed significantly from other groups' responses. A suggested interpretation was that perception of personal involvement in the activity implied by the statements influenced responses by some groups. Compared to other groups, physicians responded conservatively to statements about terminal care. Differences in attitudes among hospital groups require further investigation, particularly with respect to their effect on coordination of patients' care. In addition, the consistency of attitudes across various aspects of terminal care needs systematic study.
Computer-Based Training: A Cognitive Framework for Evaluating Systems' Designs
Authors: Kamouri Anita L.
Published: May 2005

The present review encompasses approximately twenty years of research in computer-based training. This includes the initial development of these training systems based on behavioral principles to more recent efforts that incorporate cognitive approaches to learning. The studies that will be included in this review are organized into three groups or clusters based upon their training application. The three clusters include computer aided instructional systems used in training programs, computer aided instruction supplemented with adjunct modes such as simulation and interactive graphics, and lastly, simulators as computer-based training systems. Following an initial discussion of the foundations of computer assisted training systems in behavioral science, the more recent cognitive approaches to this training area are addressed to identify the system components that determine an effective computerized training program. The research is then evaluated and discussed according to: 1) how the systems are designed; 2) how effective the training systems are in attaining specified learning outcomes; and 3) how methodologically sound the conclusions are. This article concludes with an overall integration of the research on computer-based training, specifically focusing on what kinds of learning are being promoted most efficiently and effectively, and which factors in the systems' designs lead to most direct attainment of training goals.
Subjects' Reactions to Computer-Based Tests
Authors: Coniam David
Published: May 2005

This article reports the reactions of subjects who completed an attitudinal questionnaire after taking a battery of computer-based tests. The research focus concerned gauging reactions to innovative test types—where considerably more was demanded of subjects than merely a multiple-choice keyboard stroke. This article argues that “consumer validity”—subjects' attitudes and feelings toward a test—is an important factor in test design, since, if it is ignored, there may well be adverse effects on test scores. “Consumer validity” in the current study has therefore been operationalised as a score of 66 percent positive reaction on attitudinal questions. The study illustrates that although subjects participating in the study were familiar with computers, their reactions to the tests were mixed. On a number of questions—such as readiness for the test, preference for test medium and enjoying taking the test—the threshold of 66 percent was not always reached. The article ends with a note of caution with regard to computer-based testing, arguing that if subjects are not clear about what to do in a computer-based test, or cannot perform as well through the medium of the computer as they can on pen and paper, then the test will not be delivering optimum results—with corresponding implications as to the reliability of the results.
Possible Sequelae of Trauma and Somatic Disorder in Early Life
Authors: Weinberger Jerome L. , Kantor Martin
Published: May 2005

All children experience trauma. The age, state of development and constitutional factors will determine whether some children will have a traumatic effect. Trauma occurring before the age of three, at a time when the ego has not developed its synthetic and integrative functions, may be reproduced in later life as an isolated symptom, by selected sensations involved in a sensory imprint or screen sensation of the trauma as a simple recording. After the age of three, under the influence of a more mature ego, excessive traumatic stimuli will be integrated and elaborated in symptom formations as phobias or other conditions and extended as part of the total personality. Recurrence in later life is triggered by events related not only to the original experience, but also to the content of its elaboration.

The earlier in life the trauma occurs, the more likely that somatic imprints of primitive physiological symptoms would result as an archaic, biological defense or screen sensations.

Recurrent sensory imprints or screens may appear as organic illness or functional somatic symptoms. Diagnostically, a detailed early life history is necessary to uncover the presence of a sensory screen memory of a trauma and so avoid diagnostic medical search for organic causation.

Case material illustrating the two groups are presented. Indications for psychoanalysis and for supportive psychotherapy are discussed from our theoretical framework as well as from the literature.
Technical Writing in a Technological University: Attitudes of Department Chairs
Authors: Elliot Norbert , Kilduff Margaret
Published: May 2005

Technical writing will become increasingly important to the nation's engineering interests in the 21st century. To meet a national agenda of competitiveness, writing program administrators must build courses and programs that are sensitive to unique institutional perceptions about writing. By means of a quantitative and qualitative methodology, the present study describes the perceptions of technical writing held by department heads at a technological university. Using a combined survey method and structured interview process, we investigate how department chairs felt about the contents, instruction, and assessment of a technical writing course. We also investigate perceptions about writing products and processes. Based on our experiences with the survey, we call for writing program administrators to study the institutional context for courses and programs in technical writing.
The Dorset: An Enigma
Authors: Palmer Jay W.
Published: May 2005

There has been much discussion on the origin of the Dorset people and their demise. Using genetic, linguistic, archaeological, and ethnographic information, a scenario is presented suggesting that Proto-Dorset separated about 4500 B.P. from other speakers of the Arctic-Siberian Phylum to migrate to the eastern Canadian and Greenland Arctic. About 3500 B.P., they merged with other migrants to form the Pre-Dorset and, beginning around 2500 B.P., with some Proto-Algonquian people to form the Dorset. Further mixing took place with Proto-Siouan peoples about A.D. 700. Between about A.D. 1000 and 1400, population pressures from the Thule Eskimo, Algonquian, and Siouan groups forced the Dorset to migrate into isolated areas. Some, such as those who moved to eastern Greenland, the southern Hudson Bay region, and the Copper River Arctic, adopted Thule Eskimo culture and language. Others moved into the Aleutian Islands where they acquired Paleo-Aleut culture and genes but kept their own language to become the historic Aleut.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Sex Role Stereotypes as Expectations for Behavior
Authors: Towson Shelagh M. J. , Zanna Mark P. , MacDonald Glenda
Published: May 2005

The present article explores the notion that sex-role stereotypes, defined as sets of expectations about gender-appropriate behavior, can function as self-fulfilling prophecies. In a 2 × 2 × 2 design, men with traditional or nontraditional attitudes toward women watched one of two videotaped female job applicants behaving in a stereotypically feminine or nontraditional way, and predicted her probable success and satisfaction in eight careers. For the four predominantly female-occupied positions, the “feminine” self-presentation was judged more positively; for the predominantly male-occupied positions, the nontraditional self-presentation was judged more positively. Men with traditional attitudes toward women predicted less success for female social workers and personnel managers than did men with nontraditional attitudes. The implications of these results for the maintenance and reinforcement of sex-role stereotypes are discussed.
Old People Talk About—The Right to Die
Authors: Saul Shura , Saul Sidney R.
Published: May 2005

The question of “rights” is crucial to any group of institutionalized people as they feel they have lost their freedom. The ensuing discussion was part of a meeting of a group of elderly residents at the Kingsbridge Heights Manor (Bronx, New York). Death is very much a part of the daily life in the Manor, a health related facility. The “Karen Quinlan Case” came to the group's attention during a current events discussion. The group suggested that a special session be devoted to this subject. This group was developed to meet the needs of some angry, aggressive, acting out residents in the facility. One of its purposes was to offer an opportunity for them to expose and express their anger and its sources. The therapist's role was to stimulate expression of thoughts and ideas, emotions and feelings, — and to promote healthy interaction among members. It is quite clear that this discussion tapped some deep-rooted feelings and fears.
Belief in Afterlife as a Buffer in Suicidal and other Bereavement
Authors: Smith Peggy C. , Range Lillian M. , Ulmer Ann
Published: May 2005

To assess whether degree of belief in afterlife enhanced bereavement recovery following different types of death (suicide, homicide, accidental, and natural), 121 bereaved persons (31% of those asked) whose names were obtained from funeral homes or bereavement groups completed scales measuring belief in afterlife, impact of event, perceived recovery, spiritual well-being, emotional pain, and social support. Multivariate main effects were found for cause of death and high versus low belief in afterlife. Univariate analyses indicated that suicidally bereaved individuals reported feeling less acceptance and, along with those bereaved by accidental death, finding less meaning in the death than those bereaved by other causes. Those with relatively high belief felt relatively more recovery and well-being, and less actively avoided thinking of the death. Apparently the feeling of recovery following bereavement is enhanced by high belief in afterlife, and diminished by losing the loved one via suicide or accident.
Health Effects of Chlorophenol Wood Preservatives on Sawmill Workers
Authors: Sterling Theodor D. , Stoffman Larry D. , Sterling David A. , Maté Gabor
Published: May 2005

At the request of the International Woodworkers of America, Local 1–85, woodworkers in two Port Alberni, British Columbia, sawmills were surveyed for health complaints possibly associated with chlorophenol exposure. On the basis of their exposure to anti-sapstain, workers were divided into low/moderate and high exposure groups. Health status was determined through a questionnaire that included lists of symptoms associated with exposure to chlorophenates and their contaminants. Extensive differences were found between exposure groups, especially in terms of the prevalence and extensiveness of symptoms related to dermatological, upper and general respiratory, and neurological structures and functions. Significant elevations of a wide range of other symptom complaints directly related to chemical exposure were also found. While improved spray control operations and the use of personal protective equipment will decrease injury among workers, they cannot be expected to decrease the hazards of chlorophenol exposure to an acceptable level. The only effective means of eliminating worker and public health risks attendant with these chemical exposures is to implement an alternative means of anti-sapstain treatment and to seek an end to the use of chlorophenol for this purpose.
The Seduction of Science to Perfect an Imperfect Race
Authors: Kennicott Philip , McMahon Jean
Published: May 2005

The author reflects on the lessons of the Holocaust Memorial Museum's exhibition “Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race.” The exhibition is about problems universal to science and medicine. Eugenics was not a crazed Hitlerian fantasy, and eugenicists were within the scientific mainstream. To the extent that American science pursues an openness and transparency that was absent from Nazi science, it may insulate itself from ethical dangers. But “Deadly Medicine” diagnoses patterns of thought that persist in science and social thinking. The exhibition reminds us that when faced with fears and anxieties similar to those that led to Auschwitz, we have scientific, historical, legal, and social precedents that can turn us toward an ethical confusion and uncertainty that is healthier than the certainty with which Nazi science proceeded down its grisly road.
Undergraduate Education Students' Perspectives on Classroom Technologies: A Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Marra Rose M. , Carr-Chellman Alison A.
Published: May 2005

During the fall 1995 semester at a large eastern university, students enrolled in an undergraduate education course on classroom technologies generated semantic networks and expert systems on educational topics relevant to their areas of study. These tasks were intended to model for pre-service teachers integrated and constructivist uses of technology of classrooms. After completing these tasks, students wrote essays describing their views on how to use technology in their future education careers based upon the experience with technology they had just had. We qualitatively analyzed these essays to ascertain student attitudes in this area. We found that students exposed to such uses of technology were likely to discuss constructivistic uses of technology in the classroom and support the use of these technologies in their future classes. Implications for those involved in pre-service teacher technology courses are also discussed.
Teaching Preparation of Oral Presentations
Authors: Tsui Chia-Jung
Published: May 2005

This article reports on a teaching method combining lectures, videos, discussions, self-assessments, simulations, and peer evaluations for teaching industry professionals preparation procedures for oral presentations in the “Oral Presentation” training program. The method avoided routine and monotony and made the students' learning experience more stimulating and interesting. Learning unit notes written by the author provided guidelines in conducting the three-hour class sessions spread out over two weeks. The students learned to use the four-step problem-solving approach suggested by Skopec to prepare oral presentations. In-class simulations offered students opportunities to practice this approach. Remediation checklists were given to aid the students to learn at their own pace.
An Analysis of Methods Used to Examine Gender Differences in Computer-Related Behavior
Authors: Kay Robin
Published: May 2005

A comprehensive review of the literature of gender differences in computer-related behavior reveals a myriad of conflicting results. A critical analysis of the empirical methods used to collect data is offered as one means of sorting out the numerous inconsistencies found. Nine areas are discussed where common mistakes are made, including 1) sample selection, 2) sample size, 3) scale development, 4) scale quality, 5) the use of univariate and multivariate analyses, 6) regression analysis, 7) construct definition, 8) construct testing, and 9) the presentation of results. It is concluded that although a number of researchers have fallen prey to making these mistakes, in most cases, easy remedies are available. Above all, researchers are encouraged to present more detailed and clear information regarding methods and results.
Fertility and Longevity: A Soviet Interpretation
Authors: Mc Kain Walter C.
Published: May 2005

Demographers in the United States as in the Soviet Union have explored the possibility that a positive association exists between the fertility of women and their longevity. Most Soviet researchers are convinced there is empirical evidence to support the hypothesis but their counterparts in the United States are less sanguine. The interrelationship between sex, fertility, good health and long life have intrigued philosophers, statisticians, physiologists and gerontologists and they have spawned a great variety of explanations.
Re-Clarifying the Measurement of Death Attitudes
Authors: Rigdon Michael A. , Epting Franz R.
Published: May 2005

An alternative analysis of data reported by Durlak and Kass [1] indicates that, contrary to their conclusion, four of the fifteen death-attitude scales in their study are not complex, but can be considered, to a large extent, measures of a general response to death.
Decision Logic Tables: A New Approach for Administrators in Making, Documenting and Communicating Their Decisions
Authors: Crane Roger
Published: May 2005

A description of the characteristics of decision tables—guidelines and examples—are offered to educational administrators as an efficient alternative to linear prose and flowchart formats. Described are three types of decision tables: limited entry, extended entry and mixed entry tables. Completeness checks and rule compression are also explained.

Decision tables provide an excellent means of describing the relationship between antecedent conditions and innovative actions. When properly utilized, decision tables can bring clarity, accuracy and analysis to the decision making process.
The Birthday-Deathday Effect: Fact or Artifact?
Authors: Wood John B.
Published: May 2005

The relationship between birthday and deathday has been called an artifact due to the continuous depletion of the population with age. However, while the population decreases with age, the death rate increases. These two influences cancel each other at ages seventy-five to eighty-four. The decreasing population dominates at older ages, but the situation is reversed at younger ages. The results account for no more than one-third of the size of the large-sample effects observed among the elderly. There is still a 33 percent excess of deaths resulting from heart disease among married people ages seventy-five and older in the three-day period centered at the birthday.
Anger and the Desire for Retribution among Bereaved Parents
Authors: Drenovsky Cynthia K.
Published: May 2005

The process of adapting to the death of one's child includes behaviors and emotions that are powerful and frequently misunderstood by nonprofessionals. Anger and the assignment of blame are natural and typical responses to any death, but they are often considered socially unacceptable responses as well. This study examines the determinants of bereaved parents' feelings of anger toward their deceased child and the desire to punish someone for the death of the child. The impact of parents' anger and retribution on depression is also explored. Logit results based oh seventy-eight bereaved parents' responses to a questionnaire show that the suddenness of the death contributes to the likelihood a parent will feel anger while anticipatory socialization to death or the recency of the death decrease the odds of feeling anger toward the child. Mothers are more likely to feel anger toward the deceased child and less likely to feel a desire to retribute than fathers. All variables in the model (anticipatory socialization, suddenness of the death and recency of the death) decrease the likelihood that parents will feel a desire to punish someone for the death of their child. Multiple regression results show that both anger toward the child for dying and the desire to retribute have no significant effects on depression levels of bereaved parents.
Introduction
Authors: Johnson Jeffrey V. , Johansson Gunn , Hall Ellen M.
Published: May 2005

This article introduces a Special Section on work organization and health dedicated to the late Swedish social scientist, Bertil Gardell. An overview of his research philosophy is presented within the context of a discussion of psychosocial work environment research. Two different approaches exist in this field, one oriented toward the individual worker, the other to the structural aspects of the work environment. The latter orientation is characteristic of the Scandinavian research tradition and is an expression of a broader commitment to social equality. A fundamental structural determinant of working life, individual and collective control over the work process, was central to Gardell's research and practical reform activities.
Kaleidoscope of Aid for Parents Whose Child Died by Suicidal and Sudden, Non-Suicidal Means
Authors: Trolley Barbara C.
Published: May 2005

The sudden loss of a child, especially by suicide, can be a lifelong sentence of suffering for the bereaved parents. Reaching out for help is often an inconceivable and impossible task for the parent survivors due to the complex grief process that is experienced. What roles helpers can play, who can fill this position of helper, and what criteria such providers of assistance must meet to be effective are addressed. Special considerations in doing grief counseling with survivors of suicide are summarized.
Media Advocacy and Public Education in the Community Intervention Trial to Reduce Heavy Smoking (COMMIT)
Authors: Wallack Lawrence , Sciandra Russell ,   For the COMMIT Research Group
Published: May 2005

The Community Intervention Trial (COMMIT) is designed to reduce the rate of heavy smoking in eleven pairs of North American communities over an eight-year period. The intervention, consisting of a minimum of fifty-one activities, is being implemented through local community boards and task forces. This article describes the goals and activities for the public education task force with a specific focus on “media advocacy,” an innovative use of mass media that follows more closely political activist models than traditional public service models. Two brief case studies are presented to illustrate some applications of media advocacy. The reasons for relatively infrequent use of media advocacy are discussed.