bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factor Analysis of Responses to the Irrational Beliefs Scale in a Sample of Iraqi University Students
Authors: Hassan Namir , Ismail Hairul Nizam
Published: December 2005

In a study of irrational beliefs within a university population, 282 male and 238 female students responded to the 33-item Students' Irrational Beliefs Scale, and their responses were factor analyzed. Analysis suggested six dimensions could explain 39.5% of the variance. These dimensions were Perfectionism, Negativism, Blame Proneness, Escapism, Anxious Over Concern, and Absolute Demands.
Validity and Reliability of the Spanish Version of the White Bear Suppression Inventory
Authors: Fernandez-Berrocal Pablo , Extremera Natalio , Ramos Natalia
Published: December 2005

This study examined the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the White Bear Suppression Inventory in a sample of 833 Spanish students. The internal consistency of the inventory was high (Cronbach alpha = .88), and the test-retest correlation after 4 wk. was satisfactory ( r = .72). Pearson correlations of scores on the Spanish version of the White Bear Suppression Inventory with criterion measures (Beck Depression Inventory, Trait subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Satisfaction With Life Scale) were in the expected directions. In conclusion, the Spanish version of the White Bear Suppression Inventory had appropriate reliability and validity as in previous studies with the English version.
Telephone-Based Treatment for Family Practice Patients with Mild Depression
Authors: Lynch Denis , Tamburrino Marijo , Nagel Rollin , Smith Mary Kay
Published: December 2005

The need for treating milder forms of depression has recently been of increased interest. This was a randomized, controlled study to evaluate the effects of telephone-based problem-solving therapy for mild depression. Comparison groups were a treatment-as-usual group and another group receiving stress-management training by telephone. From 1,742 family practice patients screened for depression, 54 with mild depression entered the study. Treatment was provided by experienced family practice nurses, trained and supervised in the treatments. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression was administered before and after the intervention period, and the Beck Depression Inventory and Duke Health Profile were administered at the end of the intervention period. Of the 36 subjects assigned to the problem-solving and stress-management groups, half dropped out early in the study. Five from the treatment-as-usual group were lost to follow-up. In the remaining subjects, there was a significant decrease in depression scores. There were no significant differences in the amount of decrease between the groups on any scores. The small sample and high dropout rate limit the interpretation of the findings. However, since all subjects tended to improve, regardless of treatment received, mild levels of depression may generally remit even without focal intervention, and watchful waiting may be a reasonable alternative for management.
Internal Consistency, Test-Retest Reliability and Sex Differences on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory in an Australian Sample with Trauma
Authors: Bates Glen W. , Trajstman Suzanne E. A. , Jackson Colleen A.
Published: December 2005

The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory is designed to measure positive changes that can emerge after traumatic experiences. This study established that the high internal consistency and sound test-retest reliability of the inventory can be generalised from U.S. college students to an Australian sample drawn from the general community who had experienced major traumatic events. Interestingly, the 75 women endorsed more positive change overall than the 54 men, confirming earlier findings. However, there was no sex difference on items reflecting the perception of new possibilities in life.
Life Satisfaction in Three Countries
Authors: McConatha Jasmin Tahmaseb , Rieser-Danner Loretta , Harmer Kalyn , Hayta Vildan , Polat Tulay S.
Published: December 2005

Studies addressing factors of Life Satisfaction have focused on how individuals in particular societies experience their lives as worthwhile, enjoyable, and fulfilling and indicated a range of individual and cultural factors shape individual perceptions of Life Satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to compare the Life Satisfaction of adults from the United States, Turkey, and Germany. Participants included 163 (84 women and 79 men) from the USA, 172 (70 women, 88 men) from Germany, and 174 (79 women and 95 men) from Turkey. Significant mean differences by country were found on Life Satisfaction. Post hoc Tukey HSD tests indicated that U.S. participants reported higher Life Satisfaction than German or Turkish groups. Country differences were also found on Health Satisfaction, a predictor of Life Satisfaction. Stepwise multiple regressions involving the Turkish sample and a subsample of the American participants indicated some consistency in other factors predicting Life Satisfaction ratings; in particular, being “Too Busy” was negatively related to Life Satisfaction for both U.S. and Turkish participants. These findings support previous research indicating several factors such as health and national economic well-being influence Life Satisfaction.
Titles of Articles Published in the Journal Psychological Reports: Changes in Language, Emotion, and Imagery over Time
Authors: Whissell Cynthia
Published: December 2005

Over 1,500 titles of articles in the journal Psychological Reports for 1955–59, 1975, and 1995 were analyzed using the Dictionary of Affect in Language. There were changes across time in emotional tone measured in terms of Pleasantness (which was somewhat low and rose across time) and Activation (which was high and also rose). Significant differences were also present for Imagery (which was high and rose across time), style (titles became longer and more complex across time), and word use (the words used differed significantly across time). Results were interpreted as reflecting the functions of titles and changing trends in psychology, for example, the predominance of Behaviourism in the earliest sample and the inclusion of more social-psychological terms in the most recent one.
Gun Control Law (BILL C-17), Suicide, and Homicide in Canada
Authors: Bridges F. Stephen
Published: December 2005

Canadian Bill C-17 was implemented in 1991 to restrict the use of firearms, providing a chance to investigate the effect of firearm control laws in the use of firearms for suicide and homicide. Following Lester and Leenaars' comprehensive studies, the present study examined the use of firearms for suicide and homicide during the period prior to the bill and during the period after the passing of Bill C-17 to assess the association of the bill with rates of suicide and homicide by method. Analysis showed a significant decrease after passage of Bill C-17 in the rates of suicides and homicides involving firearms and the percentage of suicides using firearms. The analysis provides support for the position that restricting the availability of firearms as a lethal means of committing suicide and homicide may help reduce the numbers of suicides and homicides.
Dimensions of Causality as a Function of Socioeconomic Status in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents
Authors: Faria Luísa
Published: December 2005

This study explored dimensions of locus of causality, stability, and controllability, of several sources for success and failure, classified by subjects as a function of their socioeconomic status. The sample included 1,320 Portuguese high school students, from high, middle, and low socioeconomic status who classified 17 causes for success and failure according to their meaning on the three dimensions. Analysis showed students from families of low socioeconomic status perceived causes related to ability, effort, and motivation as more unstable than subjects from families of middle and high socioeconomic status, and students from families of high socioeconomic status perceived causes related to ability as more internal than the other two groups.
Internal Consistency Reliability and Validity of the Arabic Translation of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument
Authors: Alkhateeb Haitham M.
Published: December 2005

The Arabic translation of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs was completed by 144 undergraduate students ( M age = 20.6) in Jordan. The findings support the internal reliability of the Arabic translation of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs as well as its construct validity.
Correlations of Religious Beliefs with Loneliness for an Undergraduate Sample
Authors: Baumeister Audrey L. , Storch Eric A.
Published: December 2005

The Santa Clara Strength of Religion Scale–Short Form and the UCLA Loneliness Scale were administered to 519 undergraduate college students. Scores on Religious Faith were significantly and negatively related to Loneliness in men but not women. These results differ from previous research findings that Religious Faith was unrelated to Loneliness, negatively related to Loneliness across the sexes, and negatively related to Loneliness for women, but not men. Such a discrepancy between the results of these studies suggests that other variables or measures may influence correlations between scores for Religious Faith and Loneliness.
Adolescents' Fire-Setting Awareness under Boredom: Relation to Personality Variables
Authors: Perrin-Wallqvist Renée , Archer Trevor , Norlander Torsten
Published: December 2005

The present study assessed whether or not there is a relation between fire-setting and boredom. 56 Swedish secondary-school students, 28 adolescent boys and 28 adolescent girls, were randomly assigned to a Control group and an Experimental [Boredom] group divided equally by sex. Participants were required to complete a projective test, a short story the content of which depicted a bored individual fingering a box of matches or lighter and with a bus ticket in his pocket. The Experimental [Boredom] group completed a 15-min. “boredom” test before anticipating the fictional narrative, while the Control group participated in relaxing activities. Two mutually independent judges evaluated the written stories from three standpoints: the number of fictitious fires, the relation to fire, and the boredom in the written stories. The results indicated a significant difference between the Experimental [Boredom] group and the Control group concerning relation to fire.
Self-Perception of Competence by Iranian Children
Authors: Shahim Sima
Published: December 2005

The purpose of this study was to study the responses of Iranian elementary school children to the Perceived Competence Scale for Children. The items were translated with minor changes in wording to make them more comprehensible to Iranian children. The scale was administered to 199 children ages 9 to 11 in Grades 4 to 5 in four elementary schools from two socioeconomically different districts in Shiraz. Analysis showed satisfactory internal reliability. Intercorrelations among 28 items were factor analyzed using principal component analysis followed by both varimax and oblimin rotations. Three factors emerged with both rotations: Cognitive Competence, Social Competence, and Physical Competence. Sex differences were not significant for factor scores except that girls rated themselves as significantly more socially competent than boys did.
Perinatal Loss, Trauma, and Dream Reports
Authors: Kroth Jerry , Garcia Marylynne , Hallgren Michelle , LeGrue Emilyann , Ross Maureen , Scalise Juliana
Published: December 2005

This study investigated correlations among dream characteristics and measures of trauma and perinatal bereavement as reported by women who have experienced perinatal loss. 37 women who had experienced perinatal loss were randomly selected from a perinatal support group and administered the Impact of Event Scale, the Perinatal Grief Scale, and the KJP Dream Inventory. Scores on the Impact of Events Scale (IES) correlated with Emotional Pain (.41), Despair (.37), Dreams of Death (.31), Dreams of Water (–.29), and Dreams of Being Famous (–.36). Subjects who reported higher Social Support and Emotional Expressiveness throughout their trauma showed lower scores on IES Total scores (–.52), Despair (–.62), and reported dreaming more in color (.41). Results are discussed in terms of the hypothesized role dreams may play in the grief-recovery process.
Narcissism versus Proneness to Shame and Guilt
Authors: Montebarocci Ornella , Surcinelli Paola , Baldaro Bruno , Trombini Elena , Rossi Nicolino
Published: December 2005

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between the narcissistic personality trait, measured with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and proneness to shame and guilt, measured with the Shame-Guilt Proneness Scale. Participants were 165 students (83 men, 82 women), aged 19–30 years. Pearson product-moment correlations, with computations comparing NPI Total score with each of the Shame-Guilt Proneness Scale subscales, were negative for scores on narcissism and shame and for those on narcissism and guilt. These data are consistent with previous findings, which suggest that the “overt” type narcissist is immune to feelings of guilt and may be characterised by a negation of the experience of shame.
Self-Pluralism, Number of Subselves, and Short-Term Memory
Authors: Suszek Hubert
Published: December 2005

In a sample of 55 students, self-pluralism and the number of subselves were positively correlated ( rs = .33 and .28, respectively) with WAIS–R Digit Span scores as an index of short-term memory.
Relative Proportion of Ethical Teaching versus Historical Events concerning Jesus in Early Islamic and Christian Historical Documents
Authors: Schumm Walter R.
Published: December 2005

The relative proportion of reports of events in the life of Jesus versus reports of his teachings are compared across the Qur'an and a sample of the New Testament (Luke 2–21). A much larger number of teachings (74) appear to be mentioned in the New Testament; at the same time, there are more teachings than events (52) reported, while the opposite is true (15 events, 3 teachings) in the Qur'an. The difference is significant statistically ( p < .002). More research is needed to assess the sources of such differences.
Relationship between Number of Exercise Counseling Sessions Attended and Adherence to a New Exercise Program
Authors: Annesi James J. , Otto Linda M.
Published: December 2005

Attendance at treatment sessions based on cognitive-behavioral and social cognitive theory were significantly correlated with exercise session drop out ( rpb = –.56) and attendance ( rpb = .69) in 130 adults beginning new exercise programs.
Students' Anti-Intellectual Attitudes and Adjustment to College
Authors: Hook Richard J.
Published: December 2005

Correlations between scores on the Student Anti-intellectualism Scale and scores on the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire were examined for a sample of 84 college students. Significant negative correlations were found between students' anti-intellectual attitudes and their Full Scale, Academic Adjustment, and Institutional Attachment scores but no correlation between anti-intellectual attitudes and the Social Adjustment and Personal-emotional Adjustment scores.
Increased Sense of Identity in Delusional Disorders
Authors: Noël-Jorand M. C. , Reinert M. , Giudicelli S. , Dassa D.
Published: December 2005

Language, which is unique in each subject, can reflect how a patient copes with disease. The method ALCESTE used here made it possible at the same time to analyse the subject's verbal behavior and speech patterns at several levels. The present study was designed to analyse during a 3-mo. period the language production of subjects with paranoia exhibiting delusional disorder (nonbizarre delusions without any hallucination) of imaginative subtype. The subjects produced very specific speech without any semantic or syntactic impairment and disruption in language or thinking processes, but with a poverty of speech content. The main feature of the study was the analysis of the underlying syntactic processes showing that the tested patients presented a “hard” sense of identity: the patient found always a strong place for himself among the various types of discourse whatever their topics.
Relative Chronology of Violent and Nonviolent Themes in Early Christian and Islamic Historical Documents
Authors: Schumm Walter R.
Published: December 2005

Early Islamic and Christian documents were divided into early and late periods chronologically and then compared to Morgan-Miller's 2002 themes of violence and nonviolence. No significant relationship between chronology and violence themes was found for the Christian documents but for the Islamic documents a significant relationship was detected, with later documents (those revealed at Madinah) reporting a higher percentage of violent and a lower percentage of nonviolent themes than those revealed earlier (at Mecca).
Machiavellianism's Association with Sources of Motivation and Downward Influence Strategies
Authors: Moss Jennifer A. , Barbuto John E.
Published: December 2005

Recent studies have examined the relationship between motivation and influence tactics with mixed results. Barbuto and Scholl found several strong relationships between leaders' sources of motivation and the influence tactics used when influencing subordinates, but replication yielded weaker relationships between motivation and influence tactics. Examinations of moderating variables such as leaders' Machiavellian disposition were suggested as possible explanations for this difference. Several interacting effects between leaders' sources of motivation and Machiavellianism have been proposed as predictors of the influence tactic used. This study tested these relationships and found modest association between motivation sources and influence tactics. Some moderating effects of Machiavellianism on this relationship were evident; however, interpretation is cautioned given poor psychometric properties of the measure. These issues are discussed along with suggestions for research.
The Pedagogical Toolbox: Computer-Generated Visual Displays, Classroom Demonstration, and Lecture
Authors: Bockoven Jerry
Published: December 2005

This analogue study compared the effectiveness of computer-generated visual displays, classroom demonstration, and traditional lecture as methods of instruction used to teach neuronal structure and processes. Randomly assigned 116 undergraduate students participated in 1 of 3 classrooms in which they experienced the same content but different teaching approaches presented by 3 different student-instructors. Then participants completed a survey of their subjective reactions and a measure of factual information designed to evaluate objective learning outcomes. Participants repeated this factual measure 5 wk. later. Results call into question the use of classroom demonstration methods as well as the trend towards devaluing traditional lecture in favor of computer-generated visual display.
Knowledge, Barriers, and Benefits of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Lay Conceptions of Nutrition among Rural and Semi-Urban Black South Africans
Authors: Peltzer Karl , Promtussananon Supa
Published: December 2005

This study investigated fruit and vegetable consumption and psychosocial variables among rural and semi-urban Black adults in South Africa. The sample consisted of 200 adults, 100 from a semi-urban and 100 from a rural area chosen by two-stage cluster sampling. Only seven (7%) of the villagers and none of the semi-urban dwellers reported the recommended 5 or more fruit or vegetable servings per day. The majority (63% rural and 58% semi-urban dwellers) indicated that they had 2–4 servings a day. Fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with perceived barriers, perceived health benefits, or diet knowledge, but there was a significant correlation between good perceived eating habits and fruit and vegetable consumption. Villagers perceived more barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption regarding expense, confusing recommendations, and time and effort than semi-urban dwellers. Insensitivity to high exposure was seen in responses to the question about positively regarded nutrients: for vitamins, 54% and 37% and for protein 63% and 53% of semi-urban and rural dwellers, respectively, believed that one cannot consume too much. The majority recognized the essential values of salt and fat. More semi-urban participants did not recognize that salt and fat are dietary essentials and that too much salt or fat is better than none at all.
Malingered ADHD in Adolescents Diagnosed with Conduct Disorder: A Brief Note
Authors: Conti Richard P.
Published: December 2005

This brief note cautions clinicians about the possibility of adolescents with Conduct Disorder malingering the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to obtain medication. Presented are some guidelines to consider when the diagnosis of ADHD is indicated in forensic settings with adolescents such as the need for a comprehensive assessment and the importance of exploring the possibility of malingering.
Two-Week Test-Retest Reliability of the Duke Religion Index
Authors: Storch Eric A. , Strawser Melissa S. , Storch Jason B.
Published: December 2005

The present study investigated 2-wk. test-retest reliability of the Duke Religion Index, a 5-item self-report questionnaire that assesses organizational, nonorganizational, and intrinsic religiosity. The sample consisted of 20 undergraduate college students (11 women) whose mean age was 24.7 yr. ( SD = 5.0 yr.). Findings supported the 2-wk. test-retest reliability of the Duke Religion Index with an intraclass correlation coefficient of .91.
Do Human Values Reflect Job Decisions and Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior? A Contribution towards Validating the Austrian Value Questionnaire by Group Comparisons
Authors: Salem Ingrid , Renner Walter
Published: December 2005

The Austrian Value Questionnaire was developed on the basis of the Lexical Approach to account for specific facets of values in Austrian culture. It comprises 54 items, constituting five scales, Intellectualism, Harmony, Religiosity, Materialism, and Conservatism, and 13 subscales. To assess construct validity, hypotheses on human values were derived from the literature and tested in Austrian samples of Catholic priests and nuns ( n = 30, 8 women, M age = 52.6 yr.), community servants ( n = 30, all men, M age = 21.4 yr.), and students of psychology ( n = 33, 19 women, M age = 23.8 yr.) and economics ( n = 33, 18 women, M age = 23.8 yr.), prisoners ( n = 40, 9 women, M age = 34.9 yr.), and drivers who had been fined for driving while intoxicated ( n = 35, 5 women, M age = 34.6 yr.). Participants were volunteers. Previous and more recent findings from the USA, Canada, Germany, and Switzerland provided similar results for community servants, students of economics, prisoners, and intoxicated drivers, and thus, the hypotheses for these groups were largely confirmed. Most earlier findings for priests and nuns and students of psychology were not replicated, however. Taking into account that values may change over time and variously in different cultures, the results pose an argument for the construct validity of the newly developed questionnaire.
Personal Disturbance Scale: Factor Structure Confirmed in a Large Nonclinical Sample
Authors: Bedford Alan , Henry J. D. , Crawford J. R.
Published: December 2005

The two-component structure of anxiety and depression items of the short form Personal Disturbance Scale, reported in an earlier clinical study of 480 adult psychiatric patients, was substantially replicated in a large nonclinical sample of 758 adults.
Status of Psychology as a Science in Northeast Brazil: Undergraduate Students' Perceptions
Authors: Morales Brenda L. , Abramson Charles I. , Nain Shakuntala , Junior Nelson Alelxo S. , Bartoszeck Amauri B.
Published: December 2005

The Psychology as Science scale was used to assess whether Brazilian students believe psychology is a science. 190 undergraduates from four universities in Brazil participated. Analysis showed that 54% of students strongly agree that psychology is a science, 26% strongly agree that psychological research is necessary and that training in methodology is important, and 25% strongly agree that behavior is predictable.
Constructive Thinking Inventory: Evidence of Validity among Iranian Managers
Authors: Ghorbani Nima , Ghramaleki Ahad Framarz , Watson P. J.
Published: December 2005

This study examined the validity and incremental validity of the Constructive Thinking Inventory in a sample of Iranian managers. These 159 men were 39.9 yr. old ( SD = 2.5) and volunteered to participate in a project in which they responded to the Constructive Thinking Inventory, the Big Five Factors, the Costello and Comrey Depression and Anxiety Scales, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Numerous findings confirmed the validity of the Constructive Thinking Inventory, and the Global Constructive Thinking subscale displayed incremental validity. These data supported the validity of the Constructive Thinking Inventory and its associated theoretical assumptions in a sample of Iranian managers.
Foot-in-the-Door and Door-in-the-Face: A Comparative Meta-Analytic Study
Authors: Pascual Alexandre , Guéguen Nicolas
Published: December 2005

The so-called foot-in-the-door and door-in-the-face techniques have been generally considered as procedures which may consistently influence others' behavior. This study compared efficiency (in terms of compliance rates with various target requests) of both techniques using meta-analysis. It is based on the accumulated studies directly comparing foot-in-the-door ( n = 22, subjects = 1581) and door-in-the-face ( n = 22, subjects = 1611) under a similar target request. Analysis indicated no significant differences in efficiency between the paradigms.
Women with Low Activity are at Increased Risk for Depression
Authors: Iverson Grant L. , Thordarson Dana S.
Published: December 2005

This study assessed if there are sex differences in the relationship between amount of physical activity and depression in primary care outpatients. Participants ( N = 111), referred by their family physicians, wore a heart-rate monitor for 24 hr. The two-lead monitor collected the number of beats per minute and minute-averaged horizontal movement data, e.g., from walking or moving about. All participants underwent structured clinical interviewing using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV and completed the Beck Depression Inventory–II and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. For the total sample, patients with low activity were more likely to be depressed ( p <.006). Adults under the age of 45 ( n = 85) with low activity were 7.4 times more likely to be depressed than young adults who showed normal activity. However, in adults 45 or older, there was no relationship between activity and depression. In a subsample of women under the age of 55 ( n = 70), 91% of the low activity group and 39% of the normal activity group were diagnosed with depression ( p <.003). Women in the low activity group were 15.7 times more likely to be depressed than women in the normal activity group. In contrast, there was no relationship between activity and depression in men. Additional research is needed to assess whether low activity is a potent predictor of depression in women.
Factors Associated with Intentions for Colorectal Cancer Screenings in a Chinese Sample
Authors: Hou Su-I.
Published: December 2005

This study investigated factors associated with intention to screen for colorectal cancer among Chinese people age 40 yr. and older. In-depth individual interviews were conducted. Participants were recruited from urban middle-class communities in Taichung, Taiwan through homogeneous, criterion, and snowball sampling strategies ( N = 32). Immersion and crystallization techniques were used in data analysis. Member check was used to ensure data quality. Analysis showed that factors related to intentions to have fecal occult blood tests were influenced by the inconvenience (61%) and the unpleasant screening procedure (29%), while participants' gastrointestinal symptoms or family history (32%) and physicians' recommendation or patients' self-health conditions (25%) were more important to intentions for a flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy screening. This study suggests tailoring strategies and messages to encourage use of various screening. Unique cultural issues, such as avoidance of facing problems (28%), embarrassment (23%), or lack of acceptance of preventive behaviors (16%), were also discussed with recommendations provided.
Provision of Antiretroviral Prophylaxis to Child Rape Victims in South Africa: HIV Status and Delayed Reporting
Authors: Collings Steven J.
Published: December 2005

In a sample of 780 South African child victims of rape (girls under the age of 18 years; age M = 10.5 yr., SD = 4.8), 10% did not qualify for antiretroviral prophylaxis because HIV status at presentation was positive and a further 34.1% did not qualify because the rape was reported more than 72 hours after the alleged offense. Regression analyses indicated that child rape victims who reported that they had been sexually active prior to the rape constitute a particularly high risk group for HIV infection and suggest primary and secondary prevention programs should be designed to decrease sexual activity among children and to encourage more immediate reporting of rape among younger children, children who are not sexually active, and children who are incestuously abused.
Experience of Colorectal Cancer Screening Using a Home-Administered Kit for Fecal Occult Blood Tests among a Chinese Worksite Population in Taiwan
Authors: Hou Su-I.
Published: December 2005

This study examined the experience of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) using a home-administered kit that requires no stool handling for colorectal cancer screening among Chinese people age 40 and older. 304 participants were recruited from 10 worksites in Taiwan. Both oral and written instructions on how to use the test kit were provided. After participants completed the screening test, their experiences were documented through structured open-ended probing survey questions. Although analysis showed some challenges for Chinese participants as first time users, the overall reactions and perceived advantages towards the kit were promising. Interventions should consider the participant's stage of adaptation to new screening strategies, literacy, and environmental conditions. Since no known research has been conducted among Chinese people with a kit, experience provides valuable qualitative insights for planning intervention.
Predicting Attitudes toward Operation IRAQI Freedom
Authors: Terrizzi John , Drews David R.
Published: December 2005

98 male and female college students ranging in age from 17 to 22 years ( M = 19.2, SD = 1.1) were administered a questionnaire that contained Altemeyer's 20-item Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA), questions about the legitimacy of the 2000 presidential election, Mayton's Physical Nonviolence Subscale, and a scale designed to measure attitudes toward Operation Iraqi Freedom. RWA scores, perceptions of the legitimacy of the 2000 presidential election, and scores on the Physical Nonviolence subscale were independent predictors of attitudes toward Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition, those who had higher RWA scores were more likely to perceive the 2000 presidential election as legitimate. There was no significant correlation between RWA scores and attitudes toward physical nonviolence.
Sex and Generational Differences in Desired Characteristics in Mate Selection
Authors: Amador Jael , Charles Tanya , Tait Jairus , Helm Herbert W.
Published: December 2005

This study compared the ranking of 18 personal characteristics or qualities which college students might use in selecting a future mate and builds on six other assessment periods from 1939–1996 which dealt with this issue. Among the most consistent findings for all seven assessment periods is the high value both sexes place on dependable character, emotional stability/maturity, pleasing disposition, and mutual attraction/love. Men across all assessment periods placed a higher value than women on good health, good cook/housekeeper, and good looks, while women placed a higher value on ambitious/industrious, similar educational background, and good financial prospect. These trends could go along with ethological theory. For both sexes chastity and similar religious background gained value; however, this may be an artifact of the current sample of 100 students.
Knowledge and Fear of Developing Alzheimer's Disease in a Sample of Healthy Adults
Authors: Laforce Robert , McLean Sharon
Published: December 2005

Alzheimer's disease is the fourth leading cause of death among seniors but its insidious onset makes it difficult to distinguish from age-related decline and little is known about how much knowledge and fear people entertain about this disease. This study examined knowledge and fear of Alzheimer's disease by surveying 127 young ( M = 19.6 yr.) and 118 older ( M = 67.9 yr.) participants. Younger participants obtained a score of 64%, while older participants obtained 58% on the knowledge test. Younger participants reported significantly higher fear overall. Knowledge and Fear scores were not significantly correlated with having a family member or knowing someone with Alzheimer's disease.
The Relationship of Character Structure to Persuasive Communication in Advertising
Authors: Chatterjee Anindya , Hunt James M.
Published: December 2005

The persuasive effect of character structure—defined as a person's organized set of drives, dispositions, and satisfactions with which they approach the world—was assessed in the context of printed advertising. Subjects were exposed to one of two levels of argument strength (strong versus weak) and one of two levels of message spokesperson (celebrity versus noncelebrity) in a printed-advertising task. Subjects classified as Other-directed, individuals who possess a strong need to get along with others, exhibited greater attitudinal responsiveness to the test advertisement as measured on a composite attitude scale than did those classified as Inner-directed, needing to get ahead, or succeed. Other-directed subjects' attitude scores were more responsive to the message source than were the comparable scores of Inner-directed subjects. Results regarding argument strength were not significant but suggest that Other-directed attitudes are influenced by a combination of textual arguments and social cues.
Child Molestations by Homosexual Foster Parents: Illinois, 1997–2002
Authors: Cameron Paul
Published: December 2005

Do those who engage in homosexuality disproportionately sexually abuse foster or adoptive children as reported by child protective services? Illinois child services reported sexual abuse for 1997 through 2002. 270 parents committed “substantiated” sexual offenses against foster or subsidized adoptive children: 67 (69%) of 97 of these mother and 148 (86%) of 173 of these father perpetrators sexually abused girls; 30 (31%) of the mothers and 25 (14%) of the father perpetrators sexually abused boys, i.e., 92 (34%) of the perpetrators homosexually abused their charges. Of these parents 15 both physically and sexually abused charges: daughters by 8 of the mothers and 4 of the fathers, sons by 3 of the mothers, i.e., same-sex perpetrators were involved in 53%. Thus, homosexual practitioners were proportionately more apt to abuse foster or adoptive children sexually.
Young Children's Natural Learning Environments: Contrasting Approaches to Early Childhood Intervention Indicate Differential Learning Opportunities
Authors: Dunst Carl J. , Bruder Mary Beth , Trivette Carol M. , Hamby Deborah W.
Published: December 2005

1,000 parents of infants and toddlers enrolled in early childhood intervention programs were surveyed about the number of learning opportunities provided their preschool children using different approaches to early intervention. Findings showed that more learning opportunities were reported when participation in everyday activity settings was conceptualized as a type of intervention rather than as settings for professionals to conduct their interventions.
Relationship between Machiavellianism Scores and Performance of Real Estate Salespersons
Authors: Aziz Abdul
Published: December 2005

Data from two samples ( ns = 37 and 35) of real estate agents showed a significant positive correlation of .37 between Machiavellianism (Mach-B scores) and self-reported sales volume. Present findings support earlier results from samples of stockbrokers and automobile salespersons showing Mach-B scores to be positively related to sales performance.
Police Solidarity and Tolerance for Police Misbehavior, Revisited
Authors: Trostle Lawrence C.
Published: December 2005

A small scale replication of Lester and Brink's (1985) study of police misbehavior was recently conducted with a sample of 125 police officers from Southern California. The findings of this study were diametrically opposed to those of Lester and Brink's findings. This study indicates that there does not appear to be a relationship between peer association while off duty and a proclivity for official misconduct. Several reasons are mentioned for possible explanation of the different findings.
Exercise, Pain, Perceived Family Support, and Quality of Life in Korean Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: Lim Hyun-Ja , Lee Myeong Soo , Lim Hyun-Suk
Published: December 2005

Relations of habitual exercise and pain, perceived family support, and the quality of life in patients with functional class II for ankylosing spondylitis were explored. In a cross-sectional study perceived pain, family support, and quality of life were compared for 30 patients (23 women and 7 men whose mean age was 28.3 yr. ± 8.6 yr.) practicing exercise regularly and for 38 sedentary patients (31 women and 7 men whose mean age was 27.2 ± 6.7 yr.). Exercising patients reported significantly lower pain, greater perceived family support, and increased quality of life than their sedentary peers. Pain ratings were significantly negatively correlated with the quality of life in both groups ( r = −.26 in exercisers and r = −.50 in sedentary patients) and control group's perceived family support was significantly correlated .44 with quality of life. These results encourage further study of the associations of habitual exercise with perceived pain, family support, and quality of life.
Individual Characteristics Associated with Resilience in Single-Parent Families
Authors: Greeff Abraham P. , Ritman Ilona N.
Published: December 2005

This study identified individual characteristics as a resource to enhance the resilience of a family dealing with the loss of a parent. 25 white single-parent families who had lost a parent between 1 and 4 yr. previously were identified by four postgraduate students in the Western Cape, South Africa. Each single-parent, 19 women and 6 men ( M age = 48 yr., SD = 7.65), were asked to state the personal qualities which helped the family adapt after the loss, after the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8 and the Ego-resiliency Scale were completed. The expected positive relationship between personal resilience and family functioning could not be confirmed. However, the qualitative results indicate that optimism, perseverance, faith, expression of emotions, and self-confidence were prominent individual characteristics of resilience viewed as resources in promoting resilience in these single-parent families.
Psychometric Properties of the Reassurance-Seeking Scale in a Turkish Sample
Authors: Gençöz Tülin , Gençöz Faruk
Published: December 2005

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Reassurance-Seeking Scale in a sample of 102 Turkish undergraduate students. High internal consistency reliability was found for the Reassurance-Seeking Scale (alpha = .86). Factor analysis of the scale identified a single component that accounted for 71% of the total variance. The scale was significantly positively correlated with the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory and had a significantly negative correlation with the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Partial correlations of Reassurance-seeking with Depression scores as controlled by Anxiety scores and with Anxiety scores as controlled by Depression scores indicated that Reassurance-seeking scores maintained association with Depression but not with Anxiety. All these findings were in line with expectations.
The Spanish Version of Betts' Questionnaire upon Mental Imagery
Authors: Campos Alfredo , Pérez-Fabello María José
Published: December 2005

Sheehan's shortened form of Betts' Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery is one of the most widely used inventories for measuring imaging. Participants were 562 undergraduate students (414 women and 148 men), with a mean age of 20.2 yr. In a principal components analysis followed by varimax orthogonal rotation for the Spanish version, eight factors were identified, six of which coincide with those of the original English version. Internal consistency was .92 (Cronbach alpha). Scores on the Betts Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery correlated −.34 with those on the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control, .58 with those on the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, and .02 with the Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire.
Effects of Anxiety on Communication Tasks for Children in Traditional and Individualized-Multiage Classrooms
Authors: Papay James P. , Hedl John J. , Spielberger Charles D.
Published: December 2005

The effects of anxiety on concept acquisition were evaluated for first and second grade children enrolled in either a traditional or in an individualized or multiage learning program, the latter specifically designed to reduce anxiety during the learning process. Regardless of their learning environment, first graders who scored high on trait anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, performed more poorly than those with low trait anxiety. Individualized-multiage second grade children scored lower on state anxiety than children in the traditional group. The largest reduction in anxiety occurred at the second grade, suggesting that anxiety reduction was cumulative for the individualized-multiage program children during the first two years of their primary grade education. However, the individualized-multiage environment was detrimental to performance of second graders on the easier concrete concept acquisition test, suggesting that some anxiety is needed during learning to enhance attention and facilitate performance.
Updating Information in Verbal Working Memory and Executive Functioning
Authors: Doiseau Frédéric , Isingrini Michel
Published: December 2005

50 older adults ( M age = 77.9 yr., SD = 7.3; 35 women and 15 men) were tested using the updating working-memory task. They were also given the neuropsychological Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, assumed to evaluate executive functioning and the frontal cortex. A factor analysis with age, education, and verbal ability partialled out was computed on the updating task outcomes and resulted in a two-factor solution, indicating that this task requires two independent processes, interpreted as reflecting a storage component and an updating component. Partial correlations with age, education, and verbal ability partialled out indicated that Wisconsin Card Sorting Test measures were significantly associated with the factor supposed to reflect the updating process. Such results appeared consistent with the model of working memory with a central executive system involved in the updating process and related to the executive-frontal functioning, and a phonological loop system involved in the storage of verbal information and not linked to executive-frontal functions.
Type A Behavior Pattern as a Predictor of Psychiatric Sick-Leaves of Spanish Teachers
Authors: Moriana Juan A. , Herruzo Javier
Published: December 2005

The present study examined the relationship between the Type A Behavior Pattern and certain psychopathological disorders, namely, anxiety and depression, within an occupational setting. A sample group of 100 high school teachers (37 men and 63 women) who had taken one or more psychiatric leaves of absence were studied. An additional 100 teachers (47 men and 53 women), with no history of psychiatric sick-leaves, were randomly assigned to a control group. The groups shared the same organizational setting. The Jenkins Activity Survey, Form H, was administered to assess the Type A Behavior Pattern of both groups. Binomial logistic regression analysis indicated this pattern was related to psychiatric sick-leaves.
Topic Variability and Linguistic Convergence in Marital Couples' Speech as Related to Specific Attachment Style
Authors: Anolli Luigi , Balconi Michela
Published: December 2005

Links between mental working models, attachment style, and linguistic strategies were analyzed in the present research, which focused on linguistic choices made by marital couples. Eight couples (16 Italian subjects, M age = 49.1, SD = 0.4) with drug-addicted sons and undergoing systemic therapeutic treatment were recruited. Conversational transcripts were coded by two judges. The research analyzed (a) the definition of a topics map derived from the Adult Attachment Interview, using the discursive level of the topic; (b) the systemic-functional analysis of the topics, through both the micro- and macro-unit levels and the lexical/semantic indexes of the discourse; (c) the within-couple convergence in terms of linguistic moves, and, more generally, of their cognitive strategies. Specifically, a hierarchical model of the topic organization was used to explain the recursivity of the thematic choices made by the participants. Secondly, the characterization of the topics in terms of their cognitive/emotive values (high/low “critical” topics) was explained, especially through some “linguistic markers” as disfluency or lexical/semantic indexes (i.e., linguistic variety and completeness indexes). Third, it was found that different and specific linguistic strategies were adopted by the couples in order to reiterate their internal working models. The high convergence of linguistic patterns inside the marital couple was discussed as representative of “dysfunctional” working models, from both the communicative and relational points of view.
Exact and Resampling Probability Values for Weighted Kappa
Authors: Berry Kenneth J. , Johnston Janis E. , Mielke Paul W.
Published: December 2005

Permutation procedures to compute exact and resampling probability values for weighted kappa are described. Comparisons with asymptotic probability values demonstrate that exact permutation procedures are advantageous for sparse data sets, whereas resampling permutation procedures are appropriate for both sparse and nonsparse data sets.
Attitudes of University Precalculus Students toward Mathematics
Authors: Alkhateeb Haitham M. , Mji Andile
Published: December 2005

To investigate the attitudes of 200 university students (83% freshmen) toward mathematics, a questionnaire was administered to report on their attitudes toward mathematics. Analysis indicated that students studying precalculus had a somewhat positive attitude toward mathematics.
Relation between School Bullying during Adolescence and Subsequent Long-Term Unemployment in Adulthood in a Finnish Sample
Authors: Varhama Lasse M. , Björkqvist Kaj
Published: December 2005

The relationship between school bullying in adolescence and long-term unemployment in adulthood was investigated. A questionnaire was distributed to 68 participants of a training program for people with long-term unemployment in Finland. Responses were compared with data of a nationwide investigation (sample 53,394) of the prevalence of school bullying, according to which 8% of Finnish pupils are regularly bullied at least once a week. Among people with long-term unemployment, 29% reported having been exposed to school bullying at least once a week during their adolescence. This finding indicates a relationship between self-reported school bullying in adolescence and long-term unemployment in adulthood.