bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delayed Post-Course Evaluation by Educator-Students of a Long-Standing College Drug Education Course
Authors: Hammarlund E. Roy
Published: May 2005

This report presents an evaluation of a specific college drug education course three to eight years later by surveying a large number of its previous educator-participants. Thus the respondents have had ample time to determine the usefulness of the various types of information acquired from the course during their subsequent classroom, counseling or administrative experiences. Over 100 anonymous responses (57%) were obtained from public school educators who from previous enrollment data were shown to have taken the course sometime between 1968—1973. Each year was represented in the survey. The relative value of the different topics in the course syllabus is discussed. General, basic pharmacological information about ALL drugs, licit, illicit, alcohol, OTC, etc., was considered to be more valuable than specific information about current “street” drugs. The respondents wanted none of the present topics deleted, and they suggested adding additional topics, e.g., chemical additives, megavitamins, geriatric pharmacy. Most of the respondents indicated that they consider themselves to be more objective about drugs now than they were previously but that they don't believe their attitudes toward drug abusers have changed in the intervening period.
The Problems of Generations: And Generational Analysis
Authors: Dowd James J.
Published: May 2005

The focus of this paper is two fold: 1. conceptual and methodological problems underlying the life-span sociology literature that heretofore have not been discussed; and 2. application of the generational analysis model to the question of life cycle change in personal values. Specifically, we address the issues of whether (1) value change over the life course is a result of period shifts or individual maturation and (2) differences in values among age strata are a function of cohort experience or individual maturation (aging). Utilizing data from the Detroit Area Studies, four measures of values were constructed. The analyses shows that on only one of the four dependent measures was aging directly implicated in the findings. However, cohort differences and period effects were found to have a significant effect on the distribution of several of the value indices. The data are consistent with Mannheim's observation that older cohorts are affected by social change although the relative degree of observed change is much greater among the young [1].
Attempts to Modify Cognitive Tempo in Elderly Adults
Authors: Denney Nancy Wadsworth
Published: May 2005

Three experiments were conducted in an attempt to modify the cognitive tempo of elderly adults. In all three, attempts were made to modify response latency. In the first experiment, the participants were given either instructions to take as much time as they needed, instructions to respond as quickly as they could, or no instructions regarding response speed. In the second experiment, the participants observed a model who either responded more slowly, more quickly, or at the same speed typically used by elderly adults. In the third experiment, the participants were either forced to respond very slowly, forced to respond very quickly, or allowed to respond at their own rate. Only one of the experimental manipulations affected response latencies. The participants who were forced to respond very quickly in the third experiment exhibited a decrease in response latency from pretest to posttest while the participants in the other two conditions did not. There was a corresponding effect for errors; the participants in the fast condition exhibited very little change in error rate from pretest to posttest while the participants in the other two conditions made fewer errors on the posttest than on the pretest. In the third experiment, an attempt was also made to modify the error rate by training the participants in the use of a thorough and systematic scanning strategy. The strategy training had no effect on either errors or latencies.
The use of Drugs in the Search for a Human Aphrodisiac Experience
Authors: Edwards Ralph
Published: May 2005

This article delineates man's search for sexual pleasure through the aid of drugs and other substances. While myths prevail that drugs create the sexual libertine spirit, scientific evidence indicates that no known drug serves as an aphrodisiac. Alcohol and other drugs may be used in moderate doses to temporarily free sexual desire, lower inhibitions, and reduce anxiety. A drug, however, cannot by itself cause an individual to engage in sexual behavior that would otherwise be abhorrent to him. Excessive use of drugs usually is accompanied by diminished sexual interest and performance. L-Dopa and P.C.P.A. are the latest substances used where there have been claims of human sexual improvement. The reputed causal relationship between drugs and sex, however, appears to be inconsistent and quite secondary to psychological and emotional factors.
Student Attitudes Concerning Drug Abuse Education and Prevention
Authors: Fagerberg Seigfred , Fagerberg Karen
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to survey the drug use patterns for three academic settings-The University of Florida, Santa Fe Community College and two local high schools. Although the statistics found are not a typical of similar data collected in other sections of the country, several useful relationships were revealed.

For the total study population of 1,029 subjects, there was a high degree of drug use and experimentation, especially for alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana. Over 70 per cent of the students surveyed felt that they were well informed about drugs and that drug use should be restricted on all levels. However, approximately the same per cent were unaware of existing drug use prevention programs at their schools although they strongly favored such programs or courses especially for parents.

Sports and recreational activities were chosen as preferred alternatives to drug use. Small group discussions were indicated by a majority of students at all levels as the most effective approach to drug abuse education.

Doctors and physicians were considered the most reliable source of drug abuse information on the college and university level, while fellow peers were the primary source for the high school level.

Generally, the survey revealed that the extent of drug use in the three populations surveyed was high and effective preventative programs were lacking or minimal. Specific recommendations to minimize these deficiencies are presented in the article.
Mentors for Undergraduates in Technical Disciplines: A Collaborative Effort by Faculty, Student Development Professionals, and Alumni to Improve Undergraduate Retention and Success in Technical Majors
Authors: Newton Elizabeth , Wells-Glover Linda
Published: May 2005

Certain identifiable student groups are underrepresented and/or experience difficulties with degree completion in technical majors. In this project, mathematics and computer science faculty, alumni in these disciplines, and student development personnel collaborated to provide support for these students. Preliminary data suggests that a combination of career exploration and mentoring is helpful to these students in refining and pursuing their educational and career goals.
Older Motorist Yielding to Pedestrians: Are Older Drivers Inattentive and Unwilling to Stop?
Authors: Harrell W. Andrew
Published: May 2005

A field experiment investigated factors expected to influence yielding by motorists to a pedestrian waiting to cross a city street. One-hundred and sixty motorists passing through a marked crosswalk were participants. In addition, data were gathered on 120 baseline motorists who passed through the test intersection when a pedestrian was not present. A comparison of the age composition of the experimental sample with the baseline sample showed that the youngest group of drivers, i.e., under twenty-six years, was significantly more represented in the experimental sample and was more likely to stop for the experimental pedestrian than were motorists in other age groups. Contrary to a prediction that older motorists over age sixty-five would be less attentive to a pedestrian and, therefore, less likely to stop, this oldest group of drivers was not underrepresented in the experimental sample; i.e., their likelihood of yielding matched their likelihood of driving through the intersection. Further analysis, however, revealed that motorists over sixty-five years of age were significantly more likely than younger motorists to stop for a pedestrian who was conspicuously dressed (bright, highly visible clothing) and who was moving to cross the street rather than patiently waiting. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of difficulties that older drivers have in judging the speed of moving objects in a traffic environment.
Trends in Use of Alcohol and other Substances on Television
Authors: Greenberg Bradley S. , Fernandez-Collado Carlos , Graef David , Korzenny Felipe , Atkin Charles K.
Published: May 2005

The present study reports on a content analysis of the usage of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs during two recent television seasons. In each season a composite week of the three commercial networks' programming was videotaped, including one episode of each prime time and Saturday morning fictional series. Analyses showed that alcohol predominated in both seasons, accounting for more than two thirds of all the coded substance acts. More than two acts of alcohol use were found per hour in each season. From 9–11 p.m. it exceeded three instances per hour in the first season analyzed, and bordered on five instances per hour in the second season. Males and females participated in alcohol acts in proportion to and in quantities similar to their representation in the population of television characters, and those characters between 20–34 years old were more likely to be heavier drinkers. The middle class did heavier drinking as did comic characters.
“If We Could Make it So”: Drug Education for Exceptional Children
Authors: Floyd Jerald D. , Lotsof Antionette B.
Published: May 2005

This detailed position-paper reflects upon traditional and contemporary drug education with particular attention to programs in schools. The overview is followed by a discussion of the types of drug use, psychological needs, and a model for examining an individual's health status, with specific application for vulnerable individuals. An effective educational approach is presented by integrating the preceding critical issues with a practical rationale for developing drug education programs to meet the unique needs of exceptional children.
Social-Cognitive Skill Development with Sixth Graders and its Initial Impact on Substance Use
Authors: Gersick Kelin E. , Grady Katherine , Snow David L.
Published: May 2005

A primary prevention research project is described which tests an intervention model based on cognitive and interpersonal skill enhancement. Thirty-two classrooms of sixth grade students were randomly assigned to either Program or Control conditions, with Program classrooms receiving a twelve-session cognitive skill development curriculum aimed at reducing rates of substance use as measured by a drug use survey. Students in Program classrooms showed greater decision-making skills, including the ability to generate alternatives and to consider consequences and risks, greater ability to utilize social networks, and greater understanding of group roles, behavior, and alternatives. In addition, Program students reported less use of tobacco in the past year than Control Group students, but no differences between groups were found in use of alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs except for a tendency on the part of Program students to show greater experimentation with alcohol. The effectiveness of the intervention in promoting skill development and factors influencing the impact of the intervention on substance use behavior are discussed.
Friendships in Later Life: Definitions and Maintenance Patterns
Authors: Roberto Karen A. , Kimboko Priscilla J.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the meaning and maintenance of friend relationships in later life. The sample consisted of forty-one males and seventy-four females, sixty years of age or older. Participants were asked a series of open-ended questions regarding their past and present relationships with their friends. While older men and women tended to agree on the characteristics of a friend, gender differences emerged when they were asked to differentiate between a “friend” and a “close friend.” Older women were more likely to consider friends made earlier in their lives as still part of their friend network than were older men. Perceptions of current involvement with friends also differed depending upon the gender of the respondent. Discussion centered on the definition of friends in later life and gender differences found in maintenance patterns.
Effectiveness of Self-Generated Cues in Younger and Older Adults: The Role of Retention Interval
Authors: Bäckman Lars , Mäntylä Timo
Published: May 2005

Younger and older participants generated one or three properties to a set of forty nouns. Immediately after, one week after, or three weeks after this generation phase, the participants received an incidental recall test, in which they were cued with their self-generated properties, and requested to recall the nouns. Although the younger adults recalled more nouns than the older participants in all conditions, both age groups exhibited an extremely high level of immediate recall. In addition, younger and older adults did not differ with respect to the forgetting rate, and both age groups recalled more nouns when three, as compared to one, properties were provided as cues. It is suggested that cue effectiveness is optimized both for younger and older adults when the cues describing the information encoded are compatible and distinctive. Finally, it is emphasized that the individual's idiosyncratic knowledge may serve an important function in attempts at optimizing memory performance of elderly people.
Investigating Learning Styles on Different Hypertext Environments: Hierarchical-like and Network-like Structures
Authors: Melara Gloria E.
Published: May 2005

This article examines the effect of learning style on learner performance within two different hypertext structures. Each instructional environment is modeled by a Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) on the Shortest Path Algorithm. Both CBI applications have the same information but different structures for accessing the information. One CBI application with a hierarchical structure provides access to a concept only when all the subordinated concepts have been accessed. The other CBI application with a network structure provides access to any related concept with no limitations. Learning style was categorized using Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI). An experimental study conducted with forty students revealed that both applications were equally effective, and were able to accommodate learners with different learning styles. The study also found that learners using network structures completed the instruction sooner than learners using hierarchical structures, and there was no significant difference in their achievements.
Using Expert Systems to Build Cognitive Simulations
Authors: Jonassen David H. , Wang Sherwood
Published: May 2005

Cognitive simulations are runnable computer programs for modeling human cognitive activities. Traditionally used to develop expert and learner models for intelligent tutoring systems, building simulations are also effective learning activities in psychology-related courses. Using inexpensive and easy-to-use expert system shells, students can develop simulations of cognitive processes. This article reports a case study where expert systems were used as a formalism for modeling metacognitive processes in a seminar. Building cognitive simulations engages intensive introspection, ownership, and meaning making in learners who build them.
Human Values and Cocaine Use
Authors: Carlson B. Robert , Edwards William H.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between prioritized rankings of human values among persons who either use or do not use cocaine. Three hundred eighty-three college-aged subjects were given the Wellness Activity Profile, a questionnaire that yielded data on cocaine use and human values. Discriminant analyses indicated that the value profiles of cocaine and non-cocaine users were significantly different for both males and females. The results support the contention that dominant value orientations differ between those using cocaine and those abstaining. Personal values are more important to users, while social values are more important to non-users. Results of the study suggested that prevailing theories informing educational and treatment protocols need to account for value structures that discriminate cocaine users from non-users.
Motivating Students to Not Smoke
Authors: Greenberg James A. , Pollack Bernard
Published: May 2005

This study tested a new strategy, based on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, for motivating college students to not smoke. A ninety-one item questionnaire was developed and tested, and administered before and after the study to subjects who were divided into an experimental and a control group. Didactic material on smoking and topics such as social approval, academic achievement and career success were presented to the experimental group. An analysis of covariance showed statistically significant changes in student's responses to cognitive and attitudinal statements. It also showed non-significant but positive changes in smoker's motivation to attempt cessation and in smoking behavior. It is recommended that this promising strategy be investigated further.
Advanced Social Role-Taking and Cognitive Development in Gifted Adults
Authors: Powell Philip M.
Published: May 2005

Examined the possible parallelism between social role-taking and cognition in forty-four gifted adults. The men and women, aged twenty-one to fifty-five were white and middle class. They were administered measures of advanced role-taking levels formulated for this study and measures of formal operations and of post-formal operational development based on category theory. The three hypotheses were: (1) role-taking levels termed “interactive effect” and “interactive empathy” would form an invariant sequence; (2) measures of formal operations and of post-formal operational levels would form an invariant sequence; and (3) the formal operations and post-formal operational levels would provide the necessary cognitive prerequisites for role-taking levels of interactive effect and interactive empathy, respectively. The findings supported all three hypotheses. Age was correlated significantly with role-taking behavior. In the discussion, category theory was suggested as one way to define post-formal operational thinking.
Comparing Grandchildren's and Grandparents' Stake in Their Relationship
Authors: Harwood Jake
Published: May 2005

This paper examines the intergenerational stake hypothesis in the grandparent-grandchild relationship. The hypothesis predicts that older generations will perceive more closeness in a relationship than younger generations. Grandparent-grandchild dyads are surveyed concerning various aspects of their relationship. Using measures of closeness and an established typology of grandparent-grandchild relationship style (Cherlin & Furstenberg, 1985), the study finds that grandparents perceive their relationship with their grandchildren to be considerably closer than their grandchildren perceive the relationship. However, their grandchildren perceive the relationship to be more active than their grandparents do. Explanations of these findings consistent with the intergenerational stake hypothesis are advanced. It is found that the two parties often disagree as to the nature of their relationship on the Cherlin and Furstenberg typology. Details of these disagreements are examined in detail, and implications for the grandparent-grandchild relationship are discussed.
Boater Training, Drinking and Boating, and other Unsafe Boating Practices
Authors: Bell Nicole S. , Howland Jonathan , Mangione Thomas W. , Senier Laura
Published: May 2005

Objectives:

Identify associations between lack of formal boater training, drinking and boating, and other unsafe boating practices.

Methods:

A telephone survey queried respondents (age 16 or older in continental United States) about boating experience, type of boat used, and training.

Results:

Of the 3,042 boaters surveyed (70% response), most had no formal training (73%). Boaters with formal training failed to use PFDs about as often as those without formal training and were equally or more likely to use alcohol while boating.

Conclusions:

The unexpected association between formal training and unsafe boating practices is probably due to reduced risk perception and inadequacies of boater training programs. Such programs seldom mention the risks of alcohol use while boating. Decisions to mandate formal training should be informed by these results; if mandated, training should address the risks of alcohol use while boating, and should be renewed frequently enough to offset reductions in risk perception.
The Effects of Previously Acquired Knowledge on Memory for Textual Information
Authors: Byrd Mark
Published: May 2005

The present experiment was designed to examine how the semantic memory store of previously acquired knowledge affects the ability of young and old adults to retain textual information. The participants were presented with a series of biographical passages and were told they concerned either a famous historical character or a fictitious character. In an immediate recognition test, both young and old adults were able to discriminate between test and distractor sentences. However, in the delayed recognition condition, older adults had considerable difficulty in differentiating between target and distractor sentences, particularly in the famous character story condition. It was thought that as the older adults' episodic memory for the story deteriorated, they were unable to discriminate successfully between their store of previously acquired knowledge and the recently learned textual information.
Political Context of the World Health Organization: Sugar Industry Threatens to Scupper the WHO
Authors: Boseley Sarah , McMahon Jean
Published: May 2005

The Sugar Association, representing the U.S. sugar industry, is highly critical of a WHO report on guidelines for healthy eating, which suggests that sugar should account for no more than 10 percent of a healthy diet. The association has demanded that Congress end its funding of the World Health Organization unless the WHO withdraws the guidelines, and the association and six other big food industry groups have also asked the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to use his influence to get the WHO report withdrawn. The WHO strongly rejects the sugar lobby's criticisms.
Effect of a Marijuana Drug-Education Program: Comparison of Faculty-Elicited and Student-Elicited Data
Authors: Ebel H. C. , Katz David , Rosen Allen
Published: May 2005

This study examines (1) effects of a drug-education course upon the relationship between drug attitudes and usage and (2) the validity of attitude-usage relationships, through a comparison of data elicited by peers and teachers.

Questionnaires given to students at the beginning and end of the course indicated significant shifts in attitude-usage patterns. For student-administered surveys, attitudinal shifts took place exclusively among non-users; for teacher-administered surveys, shifts took place among drug-users. Control course students displayed no consistent precourse-postcourse pattern.

In response to peers, drug-users made initially accurate statements; non-users disguised their behavior until the postcourse survey. In response to teachers, non-users respond accurately while drug-users distort until postcourse surveys.
Reaching for Diversity: Recruiting and Retaining Mexican-American Students
Authors: Walker David A. , Schultz Ann M.
Published: May 2005

The authors focus on creating a comprehensive model for recruiting and retaining Mexican-American students. The academic and cultural issues facing Mexican-American students, as well as how Hispanic cultural values could be addressed in a comprehensive recruitment and retention model, are presented.
Alienation and Public Housing for the Elderly
Authors: Larson Calvin J.
Published: May 2005

The respondents in this study are those who entered two independently administered low income elderly housing projects in northwestern Vermont during the summer of 1971. The central hypothesis examined is that the alienating effects of the move will vary inversely with the tenant's ability to maintain established and acquire new social relationships. In general, the results were consistent with hypothesized expectations.
Age and Creative Productivity: Nonlinear Estimation of an Information-Processing Model
Authors: Simonton Dean Keith
Published: May 2005

A two-step cognitive model is outlined that explicates the key empirical findings on the relation between age and creative productivity. Two primary information-processing parameters, the ideation and elaboration rates, define a mathematical function that both describes the age curves and specifies how those curves vary across disciplines. To validate the model further, a nonlinear estimation program was applied to previously published tabulations on the longitudinal fluctuations in creative output. The resulting parameter estimates also yield the expected peak age and the creative half-life for each domain of achievement. Despite the prediction of a post-peak decline, the model's implications for creativity over the life span are optimistic.
The Social Attitudes of College Students toward Marijuana: Implications for Education
Authors: Toohey J. V. , Dezelsky T. L. , Baffi C. R.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to identify college students' self-reported reasons for using or not using marijuana and to compare these patterns of acceptance or rejection with value frameworks from which drug decisions are made. A questionnaire was designed to measure patterns of past and present drug use behavior in relationship to age, sex, social values and grade point average. The data were analyzed by using the Nonparametric statistical method of chi-square. The findings in this study indicate that specificity is needed in drug education. The marijuana user should be presented with a drug education learning experience which would weaken or diminish the “Therapeutic Drug Ethic” values system, and strengthen the “Wisdom of Nature Ethic” values system.
Aging and the Aged in “The Greek Anthology”
Authors: Wortley John
Published: May 2005

A large collection of short Greek poems made in the tenth and eleventh centuries at Constantinople contains items ranging back many centuries. These shed some light on many aspects of Hellenic life and attitudes, but light of what validity it is hard to be certain as these poems are to a certain extent literary conceits. Insofar as they are more than that, they reflect some interesting attitudes to aging and the aged, especially women. They reflect (for instance) scorn for the woman who used to trade the charms which she has now outlived, but a surprising degree of affection for the elderly woman who has aged gracefully and retained her lover's devotion. They reflect the qualms and fears of the man who perceives the onset of old age, the anger of the one who fights against it, and the calm of him who is resigned to it. They provide some evidence of the ills that drove working men and women into retirement and some rare evidence of what constituted a working life, at least for charioteers.
Attitudes toward Mandatory Retirement: An International Comparison
Authors: Hayes Bernadette C. , Vandenheuvel Audrey
Published: May 2005

Over recent decades, whether legislation supporting mandatory retirement should exist has been debated frequently. The issue has been exacerbated by the growing number of elderly people within western societies. Using nationally representative data from the United States of America, West Germany, Great Britain, and Australia, this article provides an international comparison of individual's attitudes toward mandatory retirement. These attitudes are found to differ sharply according to country, with the Americans most strongly opposed and the Britons most accepting. Multiple regression techniques are used to address the relative importance of socio-demographic and political ideological factors in predicting attitudes toward compulsory retirement. The strongest socio-demographic predictor is education. Measures of political ideology are also significant predictors; that is, acceptance of government intervention in various areas of the labor market is positively related to the acceptance of government regulation of retirement age.
Discerning the Epidemiology of Drug Use among a Sample of College Students
Authors: Clifford Patrick R. , Edmundson Elizabeth , Koch William R. , Dodd Barbara G.
Published: May 2005

Although estimates concerning the prevalence of various forms of substance abuse vary considerably, it is critical to note that even the more conservative estimates indicate a major public health problem. Furthermore, increased drug experimentation has been frequently associated with the college experience. Utilizing a slightly modified version of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Monitoring the Future Survey, the present study examined the epidemiology of self-reported drug taking behaviors (e.g., alcohol, marijuana, tranquilizers, stimulants, psychedelics, etc.) among a sample ( n = 683) of students attending a major public university. Data analyses focused on the specific settings and social groupings in which drug use occurred as well as on the frequency and type(s) of drug taking behaviors. Based on the results yielded from a disjoint cluster analysis, four distinct groups of drug users were identified. These four groups then served as categories of the dependent variable in a discriminant function analysis. A general linear models procedure was employed to identify the more efficacious discriminating (i.e., independent) variables.
Awareness of Substance Abuse and other Health-Related Behaviors among Preschool Children
Authors: Tennant Forest S.
Published: May 2005

A group of forty-six preschool children, ages five and six, who were recipients of well-child examinations, were surveyed by a trained person without parents or teacher present. Subjects were shown eight pictorial representations of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, smoking, over-eating, tooth brushing, exercising, wearing a seat belt, and violence towards others. Each child was asked to identify each health-related behavior; explain its health implication; state whether they currently practiced or planned to engage in the behavior in the future; and identify their source of knowledge. All children could identify at least some of the behaviors and relate some health benefits or hazards of the behavior. Parents and television were the primary sources of knowledge. This study suggests that preschool children may be a suitable target population for substance abuse and other health-related education, since awareness of these behaviors was very high in the group of children studied here.
Personality, Longevity, and Successful Aging among Tokyo Metropolitan Centenarians
Authors: Shimonaka Yoshiko , Nakazato Katsuharu , Homma Akira
Published: May 2005

The purpose of our study was to examine two hypotheses: 1) that androgyny and Type B behavior are related to longevity; and 2) that personality characteristics associated with longevity may also be related to successful aging. Participants were eighty-two centenarians (37 men and 45 women) who were compared with 605 elderly in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. Both groups were living in the Tokyo metropolitan area. We used the Bem Sex Role Inventory and Bortner Pattern A Behavior Scales to measure personality, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Cattell Anxiety Scale to measure successful aging. We found that androgyny was not more prominent among centenarians than masculinity, femininity, or undifferentiated. In fact, more femininity was observed. Additionally, we found that more women were classified as feminine than were men. The results indicated more Type B's among centenarians than among those in their sixties and more women than men showed Type B behavior. Our hypothesis that Type B behavior is related to longevity was supported. We observed lower self-esteem for femininity than for either the masculinity or androgyny. We also observed that anxiety was lower for femininity than masculinity but higher than androgyny among women. Type B women showed lower self-esteem than Type A women. Type B men showed lower anxiety than Type A men. We conclude that femininity is related to longevity and that androgyny may be related to successful aging. Further, we suggest that Type B behavior is associated with longevity, but its relationship to successful aging differs between men and women.
Adolescent and Adult Alcohol Attitudes in a High Alcohol Consumption Community
Authors: De Haan Laura , Thompson Kevin M.
Published: May 2005

The study examines alcohol-related attitudes among adolescents and adults in a high consumption community, exploring whether adolescents and adults hold similar or different views regarding adolescent drinking. Data were gathered from adults in a Midwestern city via random telephone survey of 487 adults (30% with children under the age of 21). Students in grades 6–12 ( n = 558) also completed a youth version of the survey in classrooms. Results indicated that becoming a parent was associated with more restrictive attitudes about adolescent alcohol use, regardless of the age of their children. Adolescents aged 14 to 17 had the least restrictive attitudes. Adults aged 18 to 24 (who were not parents) reported values similar to older adolescents. Younger adolescents, while similar to older adolescents in perception of community alcohol problems, were more like parents and older adults in attitudes about adolescent drinking. Both adolescents and adults greatly overestimated actual amounts of community adolescent binge drinking.
A Three Dimensional Structure of Drug Attitudes
Authors: Wong Martin R. , Allen Thomas
Published: May 2005

College students were asked to respond to eighteen household, legal, and illegal drugs as to their perceived dangerousness, strength, pleasantness and their own usage. Drugs tended to factor into four areas: an alcohol factor; a “drug” factor containing stimulants, sedatives, and others; a household drug factor containing cola, over-the-counter drugs, aspirin, and others; and a less stable fourth factor of changing membership. Perceptions of strength and dangerousness were highly correlated. Usage and dangerousness tended to be negatively correlated while usage and pleasantness tended to be positively correlated. The dangerousness dimension separated the drugs into legal and illegal categories. Marijuana was a primary exception to this sorting and took membership among the legal drugs. The relationships among perceptions and usage are discussed.
Changing Patterns of Drug Abuse in Nassau County
Authors: Rudner Seymour
Published: May 2005

Though little hard data is available, the evidence for a changing drug scene in the United States generally and suburbia in particular is presented. The discernible trend in youthful, middle-class drug abuse is a shift to alcohol, religious or other drug-free fads. The hard-core (heroin) problem will probably increase in correlation with absolute or relative impoverishment.
A Student-Centered Individual-Level University Retention Program Where Attrition is Low
Authors: Sieveking Nicholas , Perfetto Greg
Published: May 2005

Retention research and intervention strategies at low attrition institutions can often benefit from approaches other than the traditional methods that employ sampling techniques and statistical analysis. For example, many students will predict the likelihood of their own dropping out and then follow-up by requesting university-based counseling services. The difficulties such students describe are often idiosyncratic and may not lend themselves to large-scale categorizations. Often, the students themselves are not fully aware of the reasons for their anticipated withdrawal and make misleading attributions of cause, frequently adopting commonly identified university chalenges. Furthermore, in order to initiate prevention programs, it is not always necessary to know the “real” reason for which a student might withdraw. Rather, individual counseling and/or referrals within a university network, in a package of investigative and clinical services, can further retention while maintaining a neutral stance on the “true” reasons students choose to leave an institution. In many cases, such one-on-one interventions can improve retention even when an actual resolution of the individual's stated problems is not achieved. The current article describes a systematic “student centered” retention program developed under the auspices of a university Psychological and Counseling Center. Through self-identification and follow-up, individuals are assisted with complex issues, which if not addressed, commonly lead to withdrawal. One principle suggested by our work is that, at high retention schools, a useful alternative is promoting reasons for students to stay rather than attempting to predict and resolve the multiple reasons for which they might choose to leave. Additionally, the student-centered retention approach may lead to the identification of university-wide issues, and hence to long-term structural change in the institution.
Interests and Skills of Volunteers in an Ombudsman Program: Opportunities for Participation
Authors: Keith Pat M.
Published: May 2005

Volunteers' reasons for interest in and skills they could employ as resident advocates in nursing facilities under the auspices of an ombudsman program were obtained from applications of 778 individuals. A unique feature of the research was that interests and skills were assessed prior to volunteer participation. In contrast to motivations for volunteering, skills of volunteers are infrequently studied; yet, they have implications for training and performance. Age, education, employment, and prior volunteer experience affected reasons for interest and skills. Less education, unemployment, older age, and fewer prior volunteer experiences may identify those with greater obstacles to participation who may benefit from additional education and training. Data from application forms may be used to suggest needed areas of instruction.
Age Differences in Coping: Does Less Mean Worse?
Authors: Meeks Suzanne , Carstensen Laura L. , Tamsky Brenda-Fay , Wright Thomas L. , Pellegrini David
Published: May 2005

Previous research suggests that elderly people utilize fewer coping strategies than younger people. Some researchers suggest that these quantitative changes reflect decreases in the use of maladaptive strategies; others contend that they reflect decreases in the use of adaptive strategies by older adults. The present article reports the findings of three studies of coping in older people, two addressing coping with health problems, and the other addressing coping with moving. In all three studies, the number of self-reported coping strategies decreases with age. Results do not support the idea that decreases in the number of strategies imply decrements in the quality of coping, however: in two studies, age was unrelated to the effectiveness of strategies, in the third, effectiveness ratings were higher for older subjects. The need for evaluation of specific outcomes of coping strategies is discussed, along with the need for task-specific measurement of coping. It is proposed that decreases in the number of coping strategies reflect improved coping efficiency, rather than a deterioration of adaptational skills.
Social Interaction and Depression in Elderly Individuals
Authors: Rotenberg Ken J. , Hamel Jocelyn
Published: May 2005

Forty-two elderly individuals received partial or complete testing on: (a) the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale; (b) frequency of social interaction (quantity of social interaction); and (c) round-robin reports of disclosures among peers, that yielded whether the persons had reciprocally intimate relationships (quality of social interaction). It was found that depression was: (a) negatively correlated with the measure of the quantity of social interaction entailing frequent conversations; and (b) contrary to expectation, positively correlated with having reciprocally intimate relationships. Also, the individuals' intimacy of disclosure to peers was not correlated with the intimacy of disclosure received from them; indicating a lack of reciprocity of self-disclosure. The findings were interpreted as showing that depression in elderly individuals is negatively related to having peers to “talk to” frequently, but positively related to having reciprocal exchanges of negative communications.
Symbolic Interaction and Retirement Adjustment: An Empirical Assessment
Authors: Cox Harold , Bhak Albert
Published: May 2005

Using a variety of indicators of retirement adjustment most studies have focused on two variables as the critical ones: the kind of work the individual was involved in prior to retirement with its concomitant style of life or the individual's pre-retirement attitudes. Focusing on the latter variable and using a symbolic interaction perspective, it was hypothesized that the individual's significant others are crucial to both the development of his pre-retirement attitudes and his post-retirement adjustment. The data upheld both the predicted relationships, and further suggest that the social world of older people is comprised of both primary groups and proximate others. The Lowenthal and Haven concept of confidants as a major factor in the adjustment of older people, though valuable, too narrowly defines their social world. The broader concept of significant others comprised of both confidants and proximate others seems more realistic.
Widowhood and Well-Being: An Examination of Sex Differences within a Causal Model
Authors: Arens Diana Antos
Published: May 2005

National survey data (NCOA/Harris and Associates, 1974) are analyzed in a causal model to discern differences in the effects of widowhood on the well-being of older men and women. Based on previous research on mental illness, mortality differentials, and the quality of life, it is hypothesized that widowhood has an adverse impact on well-being, and that this relation is stronger for men than women.

While the data support an overall decline in well-being of persons who are widowed, a direct effect of widowhood is substantial only for the negative dimension of the well-being of women. Widowed persons experience lower levels of well-being largely because they tend to be older, in poorer health, and less active in social life than their married counterparts. In the case of widowed women, low economic resources is also a key factor. A consistent pattern of greater reductions in levels of social participation in widowhood for men was not evident.
Age Differences in Self-Appraisal Motivation
Authors: Von Dras Dean D.
Published: May 2005

One hundred and eight young (mean age 29 years) and 108 older adults (mean age 69 years) participated in a laboratory investigation of self-appraisal motivation. Participants were recruited via media advertisement to take part in a study of two novel and different thinking abilities and randomly assigned to either a similar others, dissimilar others, or temporal-self comparison referent condition. Each participant was administered two tests purported to measure different thinking abilities and received experimenter-controlled test feedback intended to manipulate participants' level of uncertainty about these abilities. Motivation to self-appraise was assessed via behavioral choice measures collected following the inducement of uncertainty about ability status. Results indicated that older adults were less likely than the young to initiate behaviors that would reduce uncertainty about ability. Subsequent post-hoc analyses suggested that self-appraisal motivation in young adulthood is not moderated by level of perceived efficacy, while in later adulthood an attenuation of self-appraisal motivation occurs as a result of low efficacy or heightened uncertainty about one's capabilities.
Antecedents of Smoking among Pre-Adolescents
Authors: Ahlgren Andrew , Norem Ardyth A. , Hochhauser Mark , Garvin Joan
Published: May 2005

About 600 fifth and sixth grade students were assessed regarding previous and current smoking activity, parents' smoking, four dimensions of self esteem, and a variety of attitudes toward school. A series of multivariate analyses showed that students were more likely to begin smoking if they had parents providing a smoking model, had low self esteem (especially with respect to family and school contexts), and disliked school and feared failure. Students who had continued to smoke showed reduced failure anxiety and reduced decrements of self esteem. In the absence of evidence on causality, this apparent amelioration might be seen as resulting from a stress-relieving effect of smoking behavior itself, from socialization into a smoking group, or simply from students having been predisposed to begin smoking by an attitudinal pit.
Determinants of Adaptive Behavior among Older Persons: Self-Efficacy, Importance, and Personal Dispositions as Directive Mechanisms
Authors: Slangen-De Kort Yvonne A. W. , Midden Cees J. H. , Aarts Henk , van Wagenberg F.
Published: May 2005

Successful aging calls for effective adaptation, which in turn implies flexible use of coping strategies to optimize personal functioning and well-being. The present paper studied adaptive choice behavior of older, independently living persons faced with complications in their houses. The goal was to gain insight into the concrete coping process and its outcome—in terms of the choice of assimilative vs. accommodative strategies—and in the role of three determinants on this process. The determinants were perceived self-efficacy, importance of the problem, and personal dispositions (flexibility and tenacity). A sample of 199 independently-living older persons participated in an experiment that was based on a scenario and questionnaire method, with problems stemming from the domain of independent living. Results mainly underlie the crucial role of perceived self-efficacy and are discussed in view of the concept of successful aging.
The “Life Drawing” as a Measure of Time Perspective in Adulthood
Authors: Whitbourne Susan Krauss , Dannefer W. Dale
Published: May 2005

As a measure of time perspective, a variation of the life graph was administered to forty-seven men and forty-seven women ranging from twenty-four to sixty years ( M age = 40.67). It was expected that age would be related positively to past versus present temporal dominance and lack of future extension of the life drawing. The effects of sex, work status, and geographic mobility were also assessed through log-linear analyses. Age was found to relate to past temporal dominance, particularly for men. Twelve month test-retest analyses of data from fifty-five respondents showed that both time perspective measures were reliable. Life changes in that interval appeared to precipitate movement from past to present temporal dominance. Temporal dominance also showed a relationship to behavioral observations made by interviewers at the first testing occasion. Of interest was the lack of support in the life drawings for age-stage theories of adult development in that the events depicted as markers had no relationship to age.