bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Psychological Gender, Gender-Related Perceptions, Significant Others, and the Introducer of Technology upon Computer Anxiety in Students
Authors: Brosnan Mark J.
Published: May 2005

The gender-related effects of masculinity, femininity, and perceiving technology to be masculinized upon computer anxiety in undergraduates is investigated in addition to the effect of significant others who use computers and the introducer of the technology. The results demonstrate a sex difference, females reporting higher levels of computer anxiety than males. For females, computer anxiety negatively correlated with masculinity, while femininity positively correlated with computer anxiety for males. Sixty-four percent of females agreed that computing was a male activity and that men were better at computing than women. Females who agreed with this latter statement were significantly less computer anxious than females who did not agree with this statement. Additionally, over 40 percent of the variance in female computer anxiety was accounted for by age and having a male friend who used a computer, suggesting that females use males for computer-related support as a strategy to reduce anxiety.
College Students' Attitudes toward New York State's Drug Law as a Function of Geographical Location
Authors: Cohen Ronald Jay , Swerdlik Mark , Molstre John A.
Published: May 2005

Thirty college students from three States (New York, Michigan, and Kansas; N = 90) responded to a ten-item Likert-style survey designed to gauge attitudes toward New York State's drug laws. The items selected for the survey were based on data from a previous study which used an open-ended questionnaire to sample student reaction to the then recently passed laws. The students in the present study significantly differed in their response to three of the items, yielding findings that were not open to any single interpretation. The study must be considered as only an exploratory first step toward attempting to measure and understand college students' attitudes toward drugs and drug laws. Such understanding will, in part, ultimately lead to the design of professional interventions effective in dealing with campus drug abuse.
Comparison of Text and Video as Forms of Feedback during Computer Assisted Learning
Authors: Lalley James P.
Published: May 2005

This study compared the effectiveness of textual feedback to video feedback during Computer Assisted Learning (CAL). Based upon the assertions of Dual Coding Theory (Paivio), it was hypothesized that video feedback would result in superior learning and retention compared to textual feedback. Two computerized biology lessons were administered to secondary students ( N = 60). Lessons consisted of a brief text introduction followed by multiple-choice questions with text or video feedback. Students received one lesson with textual feedback and one with video. Learning and retention were tested at the knowledge and comprehension levels. Students also indicated preference for feedback type. Between-subject MANCOVAs comparing text to video found that video feedback resulted in superior learning and comprehension. A Chi-square analysis indicated that students preferred video to text as feedback.
Characterizing Adolescents, Middle-Aged, and Elderly Adults: Putting the Elderly into Perspective
Authors: Luszcz Mary A.
Published: May 2005

Adolescents, middle-aged, and elderly adults used a Likert scale to describe an ideal, real, or typical person of either their own age group or one of the other two. On each of four dimensions of instrumentality, autonomy, acceptability, and integrity, ideal people were characterized more positively than real or typical ones. Age of neither participant or stimulus object affected these judgments. Stereotypes emerged when typical people were rated, though judgments on real people suggested little difference between elderly and middle-aged people. However, real adolescents were judged to be more unacceptable, dependent, and instrumental than were middle-aged and elderly adults. On instrumentality the age groups differed in their perceptions of each other. Adolescents and middle-aged adults perceived instrumentality to decline in old age, but the elderly did not agree. Thus attitudes reflected stereotypes when broad categorical decisions were required, but stereotypes broke down when known people were characterized.
Older Persons' Perceptions of the Frequency and Meaning of Elderspeak from Family, Friends, and Service Workers
Authors: O'Connor Brian P. , St. Pierre Edouard S.
Published: May 2005

Older persons ( N = 159) were surveyed for their impressions of and experiences with elderspeak from friends, same-age family members, younger family members, familiar service workers, and unfamiliar service workers. Two dimensions, “warmth” and “superiority,” emerged in the judgments of elderspeak from all five speaker types. Respondents perceived more warmth and less superiority in elderspeak from friends than they did in elderspeak from unfamiliar service workers. Among younger seniors, elderspeak was received primarily from unfamiliar service workers, whereas among nursing home residents, elderspeak was received from all speaker types. Variation thus exists in the covert experiences of elderspeak from different sources, and in the frequency of receipt of elderspeak from different sources.
Alcohol: America's Most Widely Misused Drug
Authors: Burgess Mary M.
Published: May 2005

This article discusses alcohol as a drug, not merely a social beverage. It points up its major implications to society at large as well as to the individual, his family, employer, and friends. Also discussed are the advent of new drugs as a significant factor in our society and the need at this time to re-evaluate our experience and attitudes toward our legal drug, alcohol. While mentioning the recent increase in public interest in this area, it points up the need for even greater public support of new programming in the areas of research, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. Sources of further information and assistance are given.
Balanced vs. One-Sided Communications about Drugs
Authors: Kohn Paul M. , Snook Suzi
Published: May 2005

This experiment compared the effectiveness of a dissuasive message about illicit drugs alone (one-sided condition), and combined with similar material about licit drugs (balanced conditions). The subjects were high-school students. Contrary to expectation, the one-sided message proved effective while its balanced counterparts did not. Explanations in terms of reactance and demand characteristics were found inadequate. It was suggested that the licit-referent content of the balanced messages offered subjects a worse-peril rationalization for permissive attitudes to illicit drugs.
A Psycho-Educational Therapy Program for Delinquent Boys: An Evaluation Report
Authors: Garber Judy , Tapp Jack T. , Dundan Michael , Tulkin Steven R. , Jens Kathy
Published: May 2005

A matched subject design was employed to assess the effectiveness of an experimental program for the improvement of the self-image and interpersonal relations of adolescent boys on probation. The boys in the experimental group (N = 10) participated in a series of small group sessions designed to teach principles drawn from the theory of Transactional Analysis. Control group delinquents (N = 10) from the same community continued their previous association with the area youth worker. Psychological tests were administered to all subjects at the beginning and again at the end of the ten-week training period. Significant differences were found between the two groups on a number of post-test measures indicating an appreciable positive change in self-concept and inner-directedness for the experimental subjects. There were no measurable changes in self-disclosure to parents or in the perceived relationships within the family. The results support the use of an educational model as a means of altering the self-perceptions of delinquent boys.
The Contented Older Client of Bureaucracy
Authors: Goodsell Charles T.
Published: May 2005

Interviews of 240 welfare clients as they departed from welfare offices in four U.S. cities indicate a marked tendency for older clients to be more satisfied than younger clients with treatment and services received in just-completed bureaucratic encounters. Other studies have shown similar tendencies. It is speculated that the phenomenon is a combination of pro-elderly discrimination on the part of bureaucrats and a tendency for older Americans subjectively to perceive their experiences with officialdom in a more favorable light.
Drinking and Alcoholism as Presented in College Health Textbooks
Authors: Goldstein Michael S.
Published: May 2005

This research is a content analysis of those portions of college level health education textbooks which deal with drinking and alcoholism. Twenty books published between 1966 and 1973 were examined on the following topics: space alloted to alcohol and alcoholism; the relationship of alcohol and other drugs; why people drink; definitions of alcoholism; causes of alcoholism; treatment of alcoholism; and the effect of alcohol on society. The findings reveal a low level of reliability of information between the texts and high levels of inconsistency within the texts. Possible implications of these results for health education are discussed.
The Effect of Hypermedia Authoring on Elementary School Students' Creative Thinking
Authors: Liu Min
Published: May 2005

Promoting creative thinking in children has been an issue of critical importance to educators. Research shows that appropriate uses of computer programs such as word processing, computer imaging, and Logo programming have the potential to enhance children's creativity. Little is known, however, about the impact of hypermedia technology on children's creative thinking. This study examined whether engaging elementary school students in hypermedia authoring would promote their creative thinking. It was found that after engaging in an extended period of hypermedia authoring, the fourth graders increased their creativity scores in a number of areas. The low and intermediate ability students appeared to benefit from the hypermedia authoring environment more than the high ability students and working collaboratively on the hypermedia authoring projects enabled students to demonstrate higher creativity scores than when working individually. The findings are consistent with research on hypermedia and creativity with Logo in showing that by offering a new dimension for expressing thoughts and encouraging novel ways of presentation, hypermedia authoring is another way to facilitate children's cognitive development and promote their motivation toward learning.
Dropouts: A Study of Drug Use
Authors: Winburn G. Michael , Hays J. Ray
Published: May 2005

A group of 144 high school dropouts were surveyed in an effort to study the prevalence and correlates of their drug use as compared to that of 2,277 high school students. Tobacco (74%) and alcohol (71%) were reported to be the most used of nine categories of substances included in the survey. Next highest categories of use were of marijuana (38%) and stimulants (31%). The category of drugs with the lowest overall reported use was opiates or cocaine, with 11.9 per cent of the dropouts reporting use. The results were reported according to grade level, sex, and ethnicity.
Supports for, and Consequences of, Early Drug Involvement among Inner City Junior High School Youths Living in Three Neighborhood Settings
Authors: Dembo Richard , Schmeidler James , Taylor Robert , Burgos William
Published: May 2005

This article addresses the concept of pursuing more focussed and innovative drug abuse prevention efforts in urban settings. Concentrating in inner city junior high school youths, our study found an interactive relationship between perceived neighborhood setting and various supports for, and consequences of, their drug involvement. The results imply that the processes by which youths become involved with drugs should be the focus of future research to enhance and improve drug abuse prevention programs. Finally, we recommend such research be utilized: 1) to identify and reduce youths' drug abuse vulnerability; and 2) to reestablish or create socio-cultural norms which reinforce limited and controlled drug use.
Temporal and Status Dimensions of Life Cycles
Authors: Fry Christine L.
Published: May 2005

An alternative approach to the life cycle is developed which avoids the creation of monolithic age categories and exclusive reliance upon the unidimensional index of chronological age. An age status graph is constructed by intersecting age with a status dimension. Using a card sort technique, age norms of status transition for family and work are ascertained. These data exemplify the potential utility of age status graphing in understanding the life cycle. The methodological strengths of operationalizing variables, explicitness of criteria, and conceptual flexibility are discussed.
Computer use by School-Age Children: Trends, Patterns, and Predictors
Authors: Rocheleau Bruce
Published: May 2005

Patterns of computer use are studied based on analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) in which a cohort of students and their parents were surveyed for five consecutive years. Special attention is given to students who were heavier users of computers. Heavier use is associated with high SES as well as superiority in grades. Heavier use declined as this cohort progressed from the seventh grade to high school despite increasing access to computers at home. Parents with computers at home reported that their children used computers mostly for educational purposes. Males were significantly more likely to be heavier users until the 1992 survey when the gap with females narrowed. A substantial proportion but less than half (42%) of heavier users remained more frequent users from 1988 to 1992. Analysis suggests that computer ownership and parental interest in their children using computers exerted the biggest impacts on the likelihood of being a heavier user.
Adolescent Attitudes and Beliefs toward Aging and the Elderly
Authors: Doka Kenneth J.
Published: May 2005

This article reports the results of an oral history project that used adolescents to interview elderly informants. The adolescents had considerable misinformation about aging and anxiety about the later stages of the life cycle. They also had negative stereotypes toward the elderly. The adolescents who participated in the project expressed enthusiasm for the project and admiration for the elderly they interviewed. However, participation in the project did not significantly impact upon beliefs and attitudes toward aging or the elderly. Factors that might account for these results, and implications of these results, are discussed.
Age and Skill Differences in Adaptive Competence
Authors: Smith M Cecil , DeFrates-Densch Nancy , Schrader Thomas O. , Crone Susan F. , Davis Denise , Pumo Deborah J. , Runne Joan T. , van Loon Preston C.
Published: May 2005

Previous research has documented qualitative changes in certain cognitive abilities during the older adult years, such as in short-term memory, perceptual and motor skills, and attentional capacities. Other work has suggested that a number of significant age-related changes, across a variety of cognitive abilities, are based on social experiences, such as occupational or recreational activities. The current study is based on earlier research by Perlmutter and her colleagues (1990) and examines age and skill-related differences among adults engaged in a social-recreational activity. BINGO players, ranging in age from nineteen to seventy-four, and having from less than two months to over twenty years of playing experience, were given a variety of psychometric, cognitive, and experimental measures. The participants were also observed as they played real BINGO games. No age-related differences were found on the psychometric or memory measures, suggesting that BINGO playing experience may have positive benefits for many older adults. Skilled players at all age levels were found to be more efficient in their game-playing actions. The oldest and most experienced players did not differ from the younger, equally experienced, players on the cognitive and skill-based tasks. These findings demonstrate the need to investigate adaptive competence in those situations in which social-environmental factors play a role in enhancing older adults' cognitive skills.
Onset of Physical Impairment of Independently Living Older Adults and the Support Received from Sons and Daughters in the Netherlands
Authors: Van Groenou Marjolein I. Broese , Knipscheer Cees P. M.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the relation between the onset of physical impairment of older parents and the instrumental and emotional support received from adult children in the Netherlands. The data were derived from 1,313 older parents who participated twice in a large survey with an interval of about one year between the times of measurement. For the 356 parent-child relationships of the 186 parents who experienced an onset of physical impairment, the support intensities were compared with the support in the child relationships of parents who remained in good health. The results indicated that, given the onset of physical impairment, both sons and daughters are likely to increase the intensity of instrumental and emotional support to their parent, but the increase is the strongest in mother-daughter relationships. Multivariate regression analyses showed that the intensity of support was significantly determined by the onset of parental physical impairment, but even more so by the type of parent-child relationship.
Dimensions of Disengagement among Black and White Rural Elderly
Authors: Thurmond Gerald T. , Belcher John C.
Published: May 2005

This paper delineates the various dimensions of disengagement that have been suggested in the gerontological literature and tests hypotheses derived from three competing theoretical perspectives of aging (role, activity, and disengagement). Data used in the analysis come from a sample of 384 elderly respondents in rural Georgia county. None of the theoretical models successfully explained the relationships analyzed.
Attitudes toward Drugs and Drug Education
Authors: Haggerty Donald J. , Zimering Stanley
Published: May 2005

Citing the need to provide drug education for prospective teachers the authors refer to a study conducted to determine the number of colleges that have implemented such a program. Some attention is given to the characteristics related to attitude formation in childhood and the need to begin drug education early, with emphasis being placed on mental health.

Supportive data are presented from a survey of students' drug knowledge and practice at State University College, Stony Brook, N.Y., regarding how drug education programs should be taught. Several relevant factors are listed which should be considered in a drug education program from the viewpoint of the students surveyed. The authors conclude that there is probably no more urgent task facing our colleges than planned programs for training teachers in drug abuse education.
Response of the Elderly to Disaster: An Age-Stratified Analysis
Authors: Bolin Robert , Klenow Daniel J.
Published: May 2005

This article analyzes the effects of chronological age of disaster victims on their responses to stress effects of natural disasters. Previous research is reviewed and major findings of that research are noted. Findings regarding disaster losses, physical impacts, aid utilization patterns, kinship relations, relative deprivation, social-psychological impacts, neglect of elderly disaster victims, and differential recovery rates by age are retested on new data. Data described herein were gathered using survey techniques in two disaster stricken communities in Texas. Elderly victims' responses to the tornadoes are compared to a nonelderly (under sixty years of age) group to assess differences. Findings of previous research were, in many instances, supported although certain divergences between the current findings and preceding findings are noted, particularly in rates of recovery.
How Parents Influence Their Children's Drug Attitudes and Practices
Authors: Galli Nicholas
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to determine how parents influence their children's drug attitudes and behaviors. In addition to identifying specific drug practices and demographic variables, parents responded to a modified version of Shoben's Parent Attitude Survey. The PAS measures the level of parental dominance, possessiveness, and disregard for the child. Moderately dominant parents were found to have children with more healthful attitudes towards drugs and lower patterns of drug use than parents who had low scores on this subscale.
Communication and Informed Consent in Clinical Geriatrics
Authors: Ratzan Richard M.
Published: May 2005

Obtaining a valid informed consent from an elderly person, especially with possible senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type (SDAT), first may involve solving the practical problems of effective communication. Perceptual constraints that frequently occur in the elderly and that may interfere with communication, i.e., the sharing of information, are auditory and/or visual. The most common auditory obstacle, presbycusis (the hearing loss for pure tones due to normal aging) and other hearing impairments, may make the communication of any information about a proposed research project difficult, if not impossible, when not suspected and successfully overcome. Speech and language impediments, whether as a result of stroke or SDAT, are also common and need to be addressed if the person is to communicate his or her concerns and questions effectively with the researcher. Included in such constraints are the misunderstandings that arise from the use of confusing vocabulary, especially “medicalese.” Presbyopia, cataract, and glaucoma are some of the visual constraints that may play an important role in making it difficult for the person to read the informed consent form. This article discusses these and other impediments to effective communication with SDAT elderly and makes suggestions how to obviate them.
Prevalence and Covariates of Subjective Forgetfulness in a Normal Population in the Netherlands
Authors: Ponds Rudolf W. H. M. , Commissaris Kees J. A. M. , Jolles Jellemer
Published: May 2005

In this study we examined the prevalence and covariates of forgetfulness in a large sample of almost 2,000 subjects in the age range twenty-four to eighty-six years. Nearly 40 percent of the participants considered themselves to be forgetful. There was a systematic increase in the prevalence of forgetfulness with age, from 29 percent in the young age group to 52 percent in the oldest age group. Forgetfulness was not considered to be a serious problem in terms of perceived hindrance and worry by most subjects, independent of their age. Age, depression, and subjective health (especially complaints about vitality) acted as covariates of forgetfulness. Gender and education had no effect on the prevalence of forgetfulness. The younger adults ascribed their forgetfulness more to potentially reversible and manageable memory-extrinsic causes such as tension and emotional problems, whereas the older adults mentioned less manageable and more or less irreversible memory-intrinsic causes such as aging more often.
The Experience of Being at Home Throughout the Life Span. Investigation of Persons Aged from 2 to 102
Authors: Zingmark Karin , Norberg Astrid , Sandman Per-Olof
Published: May 2005

One hundred and fifty persons aged two to 102 narrated their experiences related to the phenomenon “being at home.” Several common interdependent and interrelated aspects of the experience of being at home were identified throughout the life span. These aspects are believed to entail cognitive, emotional, and conative dimensions of the experience: safety, rootedness, harmony, joy, privacy, togetherness, recognition, order, control, possession, nourishment, initiative, power, freedom. The sense of being related was found to be a common condition of the experience of being at home, i.e., related to significant others, significant things, significant places, significant activities, oneself, and transcendence. In the process of maintaining the experience of being at home throughout life the phenomena “being given a home,” “creating a home,” “sharing a home,” and “offering a home” were integral parts. A progression in the experience of being at home throughout the life span was identified.
Minority Status, Aging, and Mental Health
Authors: Markides Kyriakos S.
Published: May 2005

Research findings on mental health and life satisfaction among aged blacks, Mexican-Americans and native Americans are reviewed. Although the literature has generally followed a social stress perspective that predicts greater mental health problems among minority group aged, the evidence shows that mental health and life satisfaction of these groups is not any lower than might be anticipated based on their relative socioeconomic standing. It is concluded that, despite increased research, little is known about how ethnicity and minority group status influence psychopathology and life satisfaction in late life.
Motivational Goal Objects in Later Life
Authors: Lapierre Sylvie , Bouffard Léandre , Bastin Etienne
Published: May 2005

With a sentence completion technique, 708 elderly participants (64 to 90 years of age) expressed 15,020 personal aspirations. These goals were classified according to their motivational content in ten major categories and their relationships with different sociodemographic variables were studied. Two goal profiles emerge from this analysis. Aspirations centered on self-preservation are associated with very old age, functional impairment, lower S.E.S. and education, being alone or institutionalized. Aspirations of self-development and interpersonal relationships are associated with younger age, physical autonomy, higher S.E.S. and education, being married or living at home. Development of meaningful personal goals are discussed as a mean of intervention with elderly individuals.
The Value of Cat Ownership to Elderly Women Living Alone
Authors: Mahalski Pauline A. , Jones Robin , Maxwell Gabrielle M.
Published: May 2005

A survey of elderly women was carried out to discover their attitudes towards pet cats. The women were living in publicly-owned pensioner housing in two New Zealand cities. In one city cats were allowed in the pensioners' housing and in the other city they were not. Attitudes towards cats were more positive in the city where cats were allowed, and more positive if pensioners owned a cat, or wished to own one. As positive attitudes towards cats outweighed negative ones, the City Authority which had prohibited cats reversed its policy. There was conflicting evidence about the role of cats in reducing feelings of loneliness. It appears that “loneliness” signifies the loss of many aspects of social interaction and that pets may substitute for only some of these interactions.
Correlates of Life Satisfaction: An Aid Analysis
Authors: Toseland Ron , Rasch John
Published: May 2005

The Automatic Interaction Detector (AID3) was used to develop a model based on the interaction of predictors of life satisfaction. The sample consisted of 871 people over fifty-five years of age. Thirty-one potential predictors were used representing demographics, environmental variables, and social psychological variables. The findings indicate that nine predictors explained 22.1 per cent of the variance in life satisfaction scores. The most important predictors of life satisfaction were family life satisfaction, personal health satisfaction, and satisfaction with dwelling. The interactions between the predictors indicated that a simple linear-monotonic relationship between the predictors was too restrictive.
The Marihuana Perception Inventory: Stage 2 — Confirmatory Evidence
Authors: Gabany Steve , Eiseman Seymour
Published: May 2005

A perceptual inventory was developed earlier to determine the relationship between societal or familial factors and the onset of marihuana use among youths, and to discover if these perceived relationships differed by demographic characteristics such as ethnicity, religious persuasion, and parental status. This study reports the results of analyzing a second sample—junior- and senior-high students. Factor analysis again revealed a five-factor solution, this time with twenty-six of the thirty-four items included; scales were again labeled Rebelliousness; Societal Issues: Parental Limitations; Maturational Difficulties; and, Inherent Predispositions. While development continues, the instrument appears sufficiently stable to aid drug educators design focused programs.
Methodological Considerations for Research on Late Life Future Temporal Perspective
Authors: Rakowski William
Published: May 2005

Several complications may be encountered by the investigator who wishes simply to “plug a future time perspective measure or two” into highly quantitative analyses. Difficulties in data collection appear to arise both from the complex nature of time perspective and from characteristics sometimes associated with older respondents themselves. Although an accompanying data base for empirically determining the most appropriate procedures is currently absent, it appears that an awareness of certain basic points can enhance the quality and accuracy of data collection. A number of these generic methodological considerations are discussed, and various suggestions are offered. Time perspective should not be considered a universal solution for every researchable issue in gerontology. Its strong face validity and literature to date should, however, encourage our addressing the methodological difficulties that exist.
Effects of Quiz Distribution on Web-Based Instruction in an Industrial Training Environment
Authors: Whittam Kimberly P. , Dwyer William O. , Leeming Frank C.
Published: May 2005

Although Web-based training has experienced significant increase in popularity recently, there is a paucity of empirical information on how these programs should be designed. Fundamental questions about basic design elements (e.g., user interface, quizzing strategies) are still to be answered. This study evaluated quiz distribution in a Web-based training program for a manufacturing organization. Results indicated that the trainees—shop supervisors with little to no prior computer experience—had a very positive reaction to the course and performed well on the final test. Furthermore, frequency of pop-up quizzes during the course had no effect on the test scores, time needed to take the course, or the trainees' reaction to the course. These results are discussed in terms of their implication for Web-based instructional design.
Perceptions of Intergenerational Relations and Psychological Well-Being among Elderly Mexican Americans: A Causal Model
Authors: Markides Kyriakos S. , Costley Delia Saldaña , Rodriguez Linda
Published: May 2005

A simple path analysis model is applied to data on ninety-eight older Mexican Americans residing in southwest San Antonio. Measures of perceived intergenerational solidarity and activity are treated as intervening variables between health and socioeconomic status on the one hand and life satisfaction on the other. The addition of intergenerational solidarity to the other three independent variables found to be consistent predictors of life satisfaction in previous research contributes significantly to the explanation of life satisfaction. The variable fails, however, to play a significant intervening role except between health and life satisfaction.
Autobiography: The Negotiation of a Lifetime
Authors: Tarman Vera Ingrid
Published: May 2005

Throughout reminiscence and life review literature there is a prevailing tendency to interpret studies in a developmentalist perspective. Another approach to consider is the interpretive. It not only incorporates the former's insight, but also attempts to explain its inconsistencies by examining the other equally important factors operating in these studies. Following a discussion of both the developmentalist and the interpretive approach, I examine anumber of studies on reminiscence and the life review. This study uses the interpretive approach, particularly Goffman's dramaturgical approach, to further understand the objective of reminiscence and to see how the social element emphasized by the interpretive approach can in fact be the deciding factor in the consequent adjustment or maladjustment of the older person.
Interaction and Well-Being in Old Age: Is it Quantity or Quality That Counts?
Authors: Gibson D. M.
Published: May 2005

This article explores the relationship between two dimensions of social interaction and well-being, controlling for the key antecedent variables of health and income. The two dimensions of interaction relate to the quantity and adequacy of social contact. Using more comprehensive indicators of social interaction than are generally available, the results indicate that it is the respondent's assessment of the adequacy of his or her social contact, rather than the amount of social contact per se, that is a critical determinant of well-being in old age.
Seniors' Assessment of Their Health and Life Satisfaction: The Case for Contextual Evaluation
Authors: Stolar G. Elaine , Macentee Michael I. , Hill Patricia
Published: May 2005

Health care professionals have been puzzled by the highly positive statements on health and life satisfaction made by seniors, particularly when compared to professionally collected data. In 1987–1988, a stratified, random sample of 520 seniors living independently in the community (70–99 years) were interviewed in their own homes. The above response pattern again held. However, it was apparent that opinions on life satisfaction vary with type of health problem. Content analysis of the spontaneous remarks made by the participants indicates that the overall, current, and anticipated levels of satisfaction expressed were associated significantly with the historical perspective or lifeview of the participants, and with their state of health. Utilizing the theoretical concept “sense of coherence” gives direction to understanding these phenomena.
The Effects of Fear Appeal and Communication upon Attitudes toward Alcohol Consumption
Authors: Fritzen Robert D. , Mazer Gil E.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the study was to clarify principles of communication pertinent to alcohol and drug educational programs. Specifically the relationship between two independent variables, the fear appeal of the message and the character of the communicator, and the attitudes, behavior and information retention of seventh and eighth grade pupils with respect to the consumption of alcoholic beverages was explored. A number of significant findings are reported and their implications for alcohol education programs are discussed.
Substance Abuse Education in the U. S. Air Force
Authors: Colson James D.
Published: May 2005

The USAF Substance Abuse Seminar represents a new phase of preventative drug and alcohol abuse education, which has been implemented Air Force wide. The four hour seminar is presented to the general Air Force population on an event oriented basis. It is designed specifically to raise the level of substance abuse awareness among Air Force members and emphasize substance abuse information in relation to the individual's role and responsibilities within the Air Force. The seminar includes: (1) Air Force Drug/Alcohol Abuse Control policies, relating to substance use by Air Force members; (2) local conditions, regarding substance abuse; (3) socio-pharmacology, concerning the status of substances relative to their effects; and (4) personal responsibility in the use of substances, reflecting the concept of responsible substance use. Further information concerning the objectives and implementation of the seminar program is presented.
An Alternative to the Neoliberal Model in Health: The Case of Venezuela
Authors: Feo Oscar , Siqueira Carlos Eduardo
Published: May 2005

The authors present a synthesis of the proposals put forth by the health sector of Venezuela during the framing of the new Venezuelan Constitution. They summarize the background to the National Constituent Assembly and the legal framework typical of the health sector at that time, identify the methodological aspects that substantiated the health topics included in the new Constitution, and analyze the articles that shape the current constitutional health framework in Venezuela, summarizing their most important features and comparing them with neoliberal health proposals.
German Academic Programs in Technical Communication
Authors: Smith Herb J.
Published: May 2005

While research in international technical communication has flourished during the last 10 years, there has been little published on technical communication programs outside the United States. This article addresses this need by describing 12 representative academic technical communication programs in Germany, including Germany's first master's degree program. While there are no statistics on the number of technical communicators working in Germany, tekom (Gesellschaft für technische Kommunikation), the German professional society for technical communication, estimates roughly 4,400 members. While German academic programs in technical communication share many features with their counterparts in the United States, German academic programs do stress internships, foreign language study, and study abroad exchange programs more than technical communication programs in the United States.
Humanizing Nursing Home Environments: The Relevance of Hospice Principles
Authors: Munley Anne , Powers Cynthia S. , Williamson John B.
Published: May 2005

At the heart of the rapidly growing American hospice movement is a philosophy of care that emphasizes patient individuality and responsiveness to total needs of the dying and their families. To date, the response to this model of terminal care has been favorable. The hospice is viewed as a humanizing mode of health care with a capacity to enhance the quality of life experienced by persons defined as terminal. Data gleaned from participant observation in an American hospice program by one of the authors supports this view. The hospice has the potential to provide a social context for humane, personalized death in which maximum effort can be made to control pain in all its forms: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual. Sociological literature has been much harsher in its assessment of the quality of life in nursing homes. Such discussions frequently include references to nursing home environments as fostering loss of autonomy and social death. This paper suggests that the hospice approach to care of the dying includes several elements that can be utilized to improve the quality of life in nursing homes: a total needs emphasis, increased patient autonomy, open discussion of death, a community ideology, a team orientation that cuts across levels of staff hierarchy, a role blurring of caregivers, focus on patients and families as the unit of care, and mutually beneficial integration of hospice with the outside community. There are, however, crucial differences between a hospice and a nursing home which may hamper direct transference of humanizing hospice principles, e.g., hospice patients are defined as terminal; staff, thus, can be motivated to put forth their best because of perceived time limits. There are also important differences in the characteristics of patient populations, length of stay, economic constraints, ability to attract volunteers, and emphasis on task-orientation. The time has come to apply increased ingenuity to adapting humanizing hospice principles to the care of elderly in nursing homes.
Differences in Background and Drug Use History among Three Types of Drug Users Entering Drug Therapy Programs
Authors: Curtis Bill , Simpson D. Dwayne
Published: May 2005

The 26,316 patients who entered drug therapy programs participating in the DARP from June, 1971, to March, 1973, and who had used drugs for at least two years were grouped into three drug use categories: daily users of opioids, less-than-daily users of opioids, and non-users of opioids. Differences were observed among these three groups regarding the first drug used daily and the age at first drug use. A multiple discriminant analysis including demographic, drug history, and personal background variables indicated that the major differences among these types of drug users revolved around ethnic and age-related variables.
An Investigation of Learning under Two Types of Social Reinforcers in Young and Elderly Adults
Authors: Hutchison Sam L.
Published: May 2005

The verbal learning performance of young and elderly subjects was compared under a factorial design employing praise and reproof and verbal feedback as social reinforcers. Regardless of age group, all subjects made fewer errors under a feedback condition where a correct response was reinforced with a “right” and an incorrect response was not responded to by the experimenter. Elderly subjects performed equally well under praise, reproof, and a neutral control condition. Younger subjects, however, showed superior performance under the control treatment and poorer learning under both praise and reproof.
Measuring Social Interaction of the Urban Elderly: A Methodological Synthesis
Authors: Sokolovsky Jay , Cohen Carl I.
Published: May 2005

In general, the gerontological literature has characterized the inner-city elderly, especially those aged residing in single room occupancy hotels, as “isolates” or “loners.” However, it is proposed that the notion of isolation is largely a myth and that many studies have been hampered by inadequate research instruments. This paper illustrates: 1) The severe limitations of the traditional measures of determining sociability; 2) How social network analysis can overcome many of the deficiencies of other methods; and 3) How a synthesis of the anthropological and sociological approaches to network analysis can optimize data collection and provide culturally meaningful information.
Age Identification in the Elderly: Some Theoretical Considerations
Authors: Baum Steven K.
Published: May 2005

Gerontologists have long noted the discrepancy between chronological age and a person's perception of age. Labeling theory suggests that older people who “feel young” are denying their age because of the stigma attached to the label “old.” When the empirical literature is reviewed, however, there is little actual evidence to support this notion. More apparent are the data that suggest “younger age feeling” represents various dimensions of physical, psychological, and social well-being. Gerontologists would do well to reconsider their earlier notions of age identification and construct a new model based upon the subjective expression of wellness in later years.
A Qualitative Exploratory Study of Substance Abuse Prevention Outcomes in a Heterogeneous Prevention System
Authors: Clapp John D. , Early Theresa J.
Published: May 2005

The prevention of abuse of alcohol and other drugs is a concern for parents, policy-makers, educators, and social service professionals. Prevention programs are sponsored by many different types of social and educational agencies using a variety of intervention strategies. This article reports a study of a sample of such programs in the state of Nevada. The overall prevention system in the state espouses a “risk and resiliency” approach to prevention. Focus group methodology was used to study perception of outcomes of these programs from the viewpoints of various program stakeholders (youth participating in the programs, parents of participants and program staff). Analysis of the qualitative data yielded findings about potential outcomes as well as implicit program theories. Implications for future planning efforts as well as further evaluation efforts are discussed.
Modified Stages of Acquisition of Gateway Drug Use: A Primary Prevention Application of the Stages of Change Model
Authors: Kelley R. Mark , Denny George , Young Michael
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the study was to identify the stages of acquisition of gateway drugs in fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. The Stages of Acquisition model is a primary prevention application of the Stages of Change model. The subjects in the study were 811 students from seventeen elementary schools in Arkansas and Missouri. The instrument elicited information regarding the stages of acquisition and individual self-reported drug use. The data were analyzed using frequency, distribution, discriminant analysis, and correlation analyses. Stage placement was confirmed using a series of drug use measures. Results confirmed the existence of discrete stages of acquisition. Results supported the concept of gateway drugs in that subjects indicated they had progressed further through the stages of acquisition of alcohol use than through the stages of acquisition of cigarettes use, smokeless tobacco use, or marijuana use.
Developmental Differences in Children's Production and Recall of Information as a Function of Computer Presentational Features
Authors: Calvert Sandra L.
Published: May 2005

Developmental differences in children's production and recall of computer-presented information was examined at varying levels of action and verbal labels when presented in list or story conditions. Forty children, equally distributed by grades kindergarten and second, were randomly assigned to a list or story condition. Within each condition, the same twenty-four objects (six sets of four objects) were presented with or without action and verbal labels. Kindergartners were more responsive to, and dependent upon, action and verbal labels for their production and recall of object names than were second graders. Results suggest a developmental shift from feature-dependence to feature-independence in children's computer information processing activities.
Alcohol Education in the School
Authors: Globetti Gerald
Published: May 2005

In American society the prevention and reduction of undesirable conditions have always centered around education. However, the field of alcohol education is in a rudimentary stage and adequate programs are almost nonexistent. This study reports on the perception of alcohol education among a representative sample of high school students. The data show the students to be interested in this type of subject matter. However, few are receiving information, and the quality of that transmitted is questionable.
An International Role Model for Training Staff in Health Care Facilities
Authors: Saul Shura , Saul Sidney R.
Published: May 2005

This paper describes a unique experience in training the staff in the Borders Health District in Scotland in techniques designed to improve the quality of life of elderly people inside and out of the institution.

The reader is given a concise description of the curriculum; the philosophic approach; and the methodology. The latter is of particular interest since it appeals to emotional as well as cognitive learning. These techniques are spelled out as are some of the simple exercises used to demonstrate how elderly people may feel re: specific physical and emotional handicaps.

The need for and a plan for administrative support and follow up are described as well as the close relationship of education and improved services.
The Aged and Diachronic Solidarity in Modern Society
Authors: Baum Rainer C. , Baum Martha
Published: May 2005

Theory in social gerontology has mostly taken the individual as the main unit of inference. But one may learn more about the conditions of older people through a focus on diachronic solidarity conceptualized as a societal requisite. For this suggests that industrial societies have varying needs for older people. Depending on the stability of their institutions, identification with them, and presumptions about their stability, older people may or may not be accorded an important role in the symbolization of societal continuity. Limited evidence on the relation between income stratification by age and regime stability supports this hypothesis.