bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do Children Create an Externality in the Provision of Public Education?
Authors: Shadbegian Ronald John , Ott Attiat F.
Published: April 2009

In 1972, Oakland presented a formal theory of congestible public goods. One implication of the Oakland model is that the marginal benefit of consuming a congestible public good, like public education, depends on both the level of congestion and the capacity of provision. This study uses a county-level panel data set (1967-1987), in the context of the Oakland model, to examine the effect of a “children externality” on the consumption of public education, a congestible public good. Viewed as a congestion cost, one would expect the number of school children in a community (i.e., the children externality) to contribute negatively to the service provision of public education, all else equal. Because this children externality, or consumption sharing of the public good, can be mitigated or eliminated by expanding the capacity, tax limits imposed on a local community’s ability to expand this capacity will further add to an already congested facility. Anticipating the results, the authors demonstrate that both the children externality and limits to expanding capacity lead to significantly lower per pupil expenditures on local public education.
Public Policy Toward Pecuniary Externalities
Authors: Holcombe Randall G. , Sobel Russell S.
Published: April 2009

Pecuniary externalities create third-party effects through changes in relative prices or asset prices. Unlike technological externalities, they do not misallocate resources and are necessary for the market to work efficiently. However, the political process does not differentiate pecuniary from technological externalities and often tries to prevent pecuniary externalities, which creates resource misallocations. The article shows how pecuniary externalities function in markets, why the political process takes account of pecuniary externalities, and why public policy toward pecuniary externalities results in resource misallocations.
Grant Illusion, Tax Illusion, and Local Government Spending
Authors: Mitias Peter M. , Turnbull Geoffrey K.
Published: April 2009

Tax and grant illusion are envisioned as alternative forms of fiscal illusion in the literature, with differing implications for local government spending. This article shows that tax and grant illusion, previously thought to be separate sources of fiscal illusion, are in fact interdependent. It presents a method for identifying the relevant (if any) form of fiscal illusion, exploiting the theoretical relationships to directly estimate perception parameters. The estimates reveal that county spending is affected by the traditional depiction of grant illusion rather than tax illusion.
Evaluating the Impact of Government Programs on Social Welfare: The Role of Targeting and the Allocation Rules Among Program Beneficiaries
Authors: Wodon Quentin , Yitzhaki Shlomo
Published: April 2009

A framework is provided for assessing the impact of social programs on welfare using two summary statistics: the mean benefit of the program and a distributional term (the Gini income elasticity of the program). The distributional term is itself decomposed into two components. The first component measures the targeting performance of the program, that is, who is participating and who is not. The second component measures the impact of the allocation rules for the distribution of the benefits among program participants. To help compare different programs, lower and upper bounds are provided for the two components of the distributional terms. Sensitivity analysis with respect to alternative formulations of the social welfare function is performed by using the (extended) Gini income elasticity. The framework is applied to data for three Latin American countries.
Has Riverboat Gambling Reduced State Lottery Revenue?
Authors: Elliott Donald S. , Navin John C.
Published: April 2009

Over the past decade, most states have introduced lotteries, and many now license casinos. To what extent does the presence of licensed casinos cannibalize revenues from state-sponsored lotteries? To what extent does pari-mutuel betting cannibalize revenues from state-sponsored lotteries? Based on pooled cross-section data for the period from 1989 to 1995, this research reveals significant cannibalization of lottery revenues by both casinos and pari-mutuel betting. Nevertheless, states, in general, gain by having both lotteries and casinos. In the case of pari-mutuel betting, however, the substitution is so severe that, at existing effective tax rates, lost lottery revenues outweigh states’ receipts from pari-mutuel betting.
The Theory of Fiscal Illusion in a Constitutional Perspective
Authors: Da Empoli Domenico
Published: April 2009

This article examines the theory of fiscal illusion, showing that after the international attention received, thanks to James M. Buchanan, it deserves some further reflections. In particular, this article emphasizes the general nature of the fiscal illusion processes, which can be found not only in totalitarian but also in democratic systems. At the end, the suggestion is made to remove (or at least minimize) the effects of the illusion processes and to make stable the fiscal system according to the Buchanan’s fiscal constitutional proposal.
The Avoidable Excess Burden of Broad-Based U.S. Taxes
Authors: Tideman Nicolaus , Akobundu Ebere , Johns Andrew , Wutthicharoen Prapaiporn
Published: April 2009

The excess burden of taxes can be reduced by shifting taxes from labor and capital onto land and by replacing progressive taxes with proportional taxes. This article uses a dynamic general equilibrium model to develop estimates of the magnitudes of reduction in excess burden that can be achieved in the United States by (1) incrementally shifting revenue from five broad-based taxes to land, (2) replacing the current progressive income tax with a flat tax, and (3) shifting as much taxation as possible to land.
The Myth of Fiscal Externalities
Authors: Browning Edgar K.
Published: April 2009

Many economists refer to phenomena whereby the behavior of people affects the cost of some subsidy or alters the revenues from some tax as externalities. The author refers to these as “fiscal externalities”; an example is smoking imposing costs on taxpayers due to the existence of subsidized medical care. This article shows that fiscal externalities do not necessarily imply any inefficiency, and when there is inefficiency, it is the result of the preexisting policy (the medical care subsidy) that creates the fiscal externality. Moreover, when there is inefficiency, the nature and magnitude of the fiscal externality is not a reliable guide to the appropriate corrective policy. For example, it will usually be best to modify the preexisting policy (the medical care subsidy) rather than tax smoking.
Estimates of the Changing Equity Characteristics of the U.S. Income Tax with International Conjectures
Authors: Aronson J. Richard , Lambert Peter J. , Trippeer Donald R.
Published: April 2009

This article provides empirical estimates of the redistributive impact of U.S. personal income tax over the period 1979-1990. The estimates are based on tax return data compiled from the Ernst and Young/University of Michigan tax research database. The authors employ the Gini coefficient decomposition methodology of Lambert and Aronson to distinguish between the vertical, horizontal, and reranking effects of the tax. The authors show growing pre- and posttax income inequality for the United States over the study period. But the data also suggest that the amount of horizontal inequity associated with the U.S. personal income tax is relatively low. This article also contains some international comparisons. The redistribution associated with income taxes in the United Kingdom and Spain has been measured with the same methodology the authors employ. These two countries are also characterized by growing pre- and posttax inequality, although the level of inequality is less there than in the United States. A final interesting point of comparison, however, is that the amount of horizontal inequity associated with the tax appears less than either in the United Kingdom or Spain.
Are Workers “Ricardian”? Estimating the Labor Supply Effects of State Fiscal Policy
Authors: Conway Karen Smith
Published: April 2009

This research investigates whether workers perceive current deficits as implied future taxes (la Ricardian equivalence) and therefore consider current deficits when formulating their expectations about future net wages. A life cycle model of labor supply that permits workers to be aware of the government's budget constraint over time is constructed and then estimated using microlevel data and state fiscal policy variables. The results reveal that state government budget deficits tend to increase male labor supply more (or decrease it less) the more the state relies on individual income taxes. Such an effect is what would be predicted with “Ricardian” workers.
The Theory of Administrative Federalism: An Alternative to Fiscal Centralization and Decentralization
Authors: Schwager Robert
Published: April 2009

Under administrative federalism, the central state sets quality standards for public projects and the local jurisdictions decide which projects are carried out. Decentralized decisions suffer from an interjurisdictional spillover. The central state cannot distinguish between useful and useless projects. It is shown that administrative federalism is always preferable to decentralization. This is due to the distinction between the net benefit of increasing the quality level for all projects and the net benefit of carrying out an additional project. If the information problem is sufficiently important, administrative federalism also is preferable to centralization. Finally, it may even implement the first best solution.
The Relative Progressivity of Social Services in Ecuador
Authors: Younger Stephen D.
Published: April 2009

This article examines the incidence of public subsidies to health and education services in Ecuador. In Ecuador, health and education services are the only public expenditures that consciously attempt to redistribute welfare to the poor. The methods combine demand estimates from the willingness-to-pay literature with welfare dominance tests, allowing a comparison of the standard benefit incidence analysis with the more sophisticated demand estimates. The results give a clear progressivity ordering for the public services examined: primary school subsidies are the most progressive, followed by health consultations for children, health consultations for adults and secondary education (which are statistically indistinguishable), and subsidies for tertiary education. Of these, only the first two have a significant impact on the distribution of per capita expenditure, inclusive of benefits. These results are remarkably consistent across the methods used.
Imperfect Competition and Tax Evasion
Authors: Chang Wen-Ya , Lai Ching-Chong , Chang Juin-Jen
Published: April 2009

This article applies the central feature of imperfect competition in the goods market to examine the validity of the Peacock and Shaw assertion that an increase in tax evasion will definitely lead to a higher domestic income and a lower level of total tax collections. The authors provide, for the first time, a solid microfoundation for the macroeconomic equilibrium with the activity of tax evasion. It is shown that the profit margin in imperfect competition is the key factor in determining whether the Peacock and Shaw belief is valid.
Redistribution and Internalization: The Many-Person Ramsey Tax Rule Revisited
Authors: Pirttilä Jukka , SchöB Ronnie
Published: April 2009

This article studies the trade-off between efficiency and equity objectives within a model of commodity taxation. It derives two formulations for a many-person Ramsey tax rule in the presence of externalities. The first tax rule reveals that the aggregate compensated decrease in the demand for a taxed good should be the larger (i) the more luxurious the good and (ii) the stronger the taxed and the polluting goods complement each other. The second tax rule shows that the standard many-person Ramsey rule holds for the nonenvironmental part of a commodity tax, provided that the consumption of the polluting good is already subject to a second-best optimal internalization tax.
The Reformer’s Dilemma
Authors: Shughart William F.
Published: April 2009

By redirecting scarce resources away from socially productive employment, the pursuit of wealth transfers by special interest groups converts those transfers into social costs. In the limit, the available rents are fully dissipated and the welfare loss associated with rent seeking equals the sum of the value of the rent rectangle and the deadweight loss triangle. This article shows that by eliciting expenditures to defend existing rents, attempts to reform the rent-seeking society cannot lower the social cost bill; they can only add to it. Hence, the only way to avoid the reformer's dilemma is to not grant monopoly rights in the first place.
The Determinants of State Government Debt Financing
Authors: Ellis Michael A. , Schansberg D. Eric
Published: April 2009

This article analyzes the determinants of state debt financing-including the composition of government spending and the desire to make intergenerational transfers, as well as a variety of economic, political, and institutional factors. The authors find that a greater proportion of younger voters is correlated with increased debt at the state level, but a greater proportion of elderly voters is correlated with decreased debt, probably because of the composition of state government spending. Moreover, the authors find that political variables are largely irrelevant to the accumulation of debt at the state level and that some types of institutional restraints are effective in limiting the size of state debt.
Expansionary Effects of Fiscal Consolidation: The Role of Expectations and Interest Rates In the Case of Denmark
Authors: De Bonis Valeria , Thimann Christian
Published: April 2009

The Danish fiscal consolidation of the early 1980s has received much scholarly attention because it was followed by an expansion of demand and output. The expansion of private consumption so far has been attributed to the expectations of future lower tax burdens. This article analyzes the outcome from a different perspective, suggesting that the decline in interest rates and also some degree of substitutability between private and public consumption played a crucial role in boosting private consumption. It shows that much of the consumption puzzle found in previous studies vanishes once the interest rate is included as an explanatory variable. This result is important from an economic policy perspective because it relates the expansionary effect to a variable that, in contrast to expectations about future tax cuts, is directly observable and more closely linked to the actual policy stance.
The Impact of Motor Vehicle Accidents on the Psychological Well-being of At-fault Drivers and Related Passengers
Authors: Ho Robert , Davidson Graham , Van Dyke Marilyn , Agar-Wilson Mary
Published: April 2009

This study assessed the effects of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) on drivers’ and passengers’ responsibility attribution, and levels of psychological distress and well-being. A total of 321 MVA victims from the state of Queensland, Australia, participated in this study by responding to a questionnaire designed to measure the study's critical variables. Of the sample, 221 were drivers (99 males, 122 females) and 100 were passengers (31 males, 69 females). Of the passengers, 47 percent reported that they were related to the driver, while 53 percent reported that they were not related to the driver. The drivers were categorized by their attribution of responsibility for their accidents, with a resultant 20 percent perceiving themselves to be at fault, and 80 percent perceiving themselves not to be at fault. Results obtained from MANOVAs showed that there was a significant decrease in reported well-being for both passenger- and driver-victims following their accidents. For drivers, the decrease was significantly greater for those who did not accept responsibility for their accidents than those who did. Path analysis showed that blaming others for the accident was associated with higher levels of psychological distress and a lower level of psychological well-being (PWB) for both passengers and drivers. For drivers, accepting responsibility for the accident was associated with lower levels of psychological distress and a higher level of PWB. Implications for the development of coping strategies for MVA victims are discussed.
Sensitivity to Change Following Liver Transplantation
Authors: O'carroll Ronan E. , Cossar Jill A. , Couston Maggie C. , Hayes Peter C.
Published: April 2009

There is an increasing focus on the importance of quality-of-life (QOL) factors in evaluating the efficacy of medical and surgical interventions. There are a wide number of instruments currently available, and the aim of the present study was to evaluate the relative sensitivity to change of three widely used QOL measures, the WHOQOL-100, the SF-36 and the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist, focusing on psychological and physical components of life quality. Fifty patients were assessed pre- and 3 months post-liver transplantation. In addition, 21 patients with liver disease but who were not transplanted were assessed twice, separated by a 3-month interval, in order to serve as a comparison group. All QOL measures showed significant improvement following liver transplantation, whereas the control group showed no significant within-subject change on any measure. We employed the Standardised Response Mean (SRM) effect size as our index of clinically meaningful change in QOL measures. Large SRM effect sizes were obtained following liver transplantation for WHOQOL-100 and SF-36 summary measures, and for the Rotterdam physical subscale. In contrast, the traditional SF-36 scale scores and Rotterdam psychological subscale exhibited only moderate sensitivity to change.
Racial Segregation and Cigarette Smoking Among Blacks: Findings at the Individual Level
Authors: Landrine Hope , Klonoff Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2009

This study explored the role of racial segregation in cigarette smoking among US blacks. Five hundred and twenty black adults sampled door-to-door in 10 randomly selected, southern California census tracts completed a survey assessing their degree of racial segregation, experiences with racial discrimination, smoking, and income. Results revealed that the prevalence of smoking among highly segregated blacks (32.9 percent) was significantly higher than that of their less segregated cohorts (19.9 percent). Income, gender, and experiences with racial discrimination did not play a role in smoking but low education levels contributed. Early childhood segregation appeared to be the specific segregation variable associated with smoking among black adults.
Methodolatry and Qualitative Health Research
Authors: Chamberlain Kerry
Published: April 2009

The increasing turn to qualitative research in health psychology raises a number of issues about the appropriate use and relevance of qualitative methods in this field. In this article I raise concerns about methodolatry: the privileging of methodological concerns over other considerations in qualitative health research. I argue that qualitative researchers are in danger of reifying methods in the same way as their colleagues in quantitative research have done for some time. Reasons for the pre-eminence of methods are discussed briefly and their consequences considered. The latter include: a concern with ‘proper’ or ‘correct’ methods; a focus on description at the expense of interpretation; a concern with issues of validity and generalizability; an avoidance of theory; an avoidance of the critical; and the stance of the researcher. I offer some suggestions for avoiding methodolatry and some opinions on how we might develop and use qualitative research more effectively in health psychology.
Theorizing Health and Illness: Functionalism, Subjectivity and Reflexivity
Authors: Stam Henderikus J.
Published: April 2009

Health and illness in contemporary psychology are remarkably undertheorized, with the consequence that implicit definitions of these topics are unquestionably imported into health psychology. Largely inspired and oriented to the medical system, health psychology is often subservient to biomedically inspired theory or directed to solving the problems of the health care system, not those of its patients or those who might ultimately benefit from health knowledge. Qualitative approaches have attempted to reintroduce the voice of the patient/sufferer/individual back into health psychology but without adequate theoretical integration this work has been marginalized and ignored by mainstream health psychology in the service of medical modelling. The point is not to develop a health psychology as an exclusive disciplinary enclave but rather to open up the possibilities of a responsible knowing. Using Kathryn Addelson’s work on professional knowing I argue that the collective activity that constitutes health psychology can be made more explicit not only by devising reflexive theories and practices but by focusing on what the outcomes of that activity might be. Functional theories of health and illness, on the other hand, obscure our epistemological and moral commitments.
The Social Relations–Physical Health Connection: A Comparison of Elderly Samples from the United States and Japan
Authors: Janevic Mary R. , Ajrouch Kristine J. , Merline Alicia , Akiyama Hiroko , Antonucci Toni C.
Published: April 2009

Cross-national comparison of the social relations–physical health association in the elderly can broaden our understanding of the implications of social relationships in this age group. Using representative cross-sectional samples of adults aged 60–93 years from metropolitan areas in the United States and Japan ( n = 1005), we used analysis of variance to examine between-country differences in the association of illness with measures of network structure, social support, and negative relations. One significant between-country difference in this association was found: in Japan only, ill women reported more available financial help from their child than did non-ill women ( p < .05). Ill women in both countries reported less sick care available from their spouse than did ill men ( p < .05) and more negative relations with their child than did non-ill women ( p < .05). These results suggest the primacy of gender, rather than cultural context, in shaping the association between social relations and health.
Motivations for Anabolic Steroid use Among Bodybuilders
Authors: Wright Sam , Grogan Sarah , Hunter Geoff
Published: April 2009

Steroid use is increasing, in parallel with rising concerns about body image. This study aimed to uncover bodybuilders’ motivations for using steroids using 135 questionnaires completed by readers of two bodybuilding magazines. The analyses reveal a polarization of beliefs about steroids between users and non-users. Steroid users were less likely to be concerned about the physical side effects, and many believed that steroids are not harmful in moderation, and that only ‘ignorant people’ criticize steroid use. Their main motivations for using steroids were: wanting to excel at competitive bodybuilding; wanting to be more muscular; and feelings of enhanced confidence. The fact that steroid users in the sample were ‘stacking’ dangerously high levels of steroids (up to 15 steroids at a time) reveals the need for a detailed understanding of the motivations for steroid use in order to inform the development of effective harm minimization messages.
Eating Your Words: Discursive Psychology and the Reconstruction of Eating Practices
Authors: Wiggins Sally , Potter Jonathan , Wildsmith Aimee
Published: April 2009

Psychological research into eating practices has focused mainly on attitudes and behaviour towards food, and disorders of eating. Using experimental and questionnaire-based designs, these studies place an emphasis on individual consumption and cognitive appraisal, overlooking the interactive context in which food is eaten. The current article examines eating practices in a more naturalistic environment, using mealtime conversations tape-recorded by families at home. The empirical data highlight three issues concerning the discursive construction of eating practices, which raise problems for the existing methodologies. These are: (1) how the nature and evaluation of food are negotiable qualities; (2) the use of participants' physiological states as rhetorical devices; and (3) the variable construction of norms of eating practices. The article thus challenges some key assumptions in the dominant literature and indicates the virtues of an approach to eating practices using interactionally based methodologies.
Adjustment to an Artificial Limb: A Qualitative Perspective
Authors: Gallagher Pamela , Maclachlan Malcolm
Published: April 2009

The purpose of this study was to identify factors considered to be important in the adjustment to amputation and the wearing of a prosthetic limb from the perspective of the person who has had a lower limb amputation. Hence, focus group methodology was employed as a means of acquiring perspectives within a population of young adults who had a lower limb amputation. Preliminary thematic analysis revealed that factors such as self-image, social, physical and practical concerns, the meaning attributed to and the acceptance of the amputation and support among others were important in the adjustment process. These findings have substantial implications for directing future research.
Correlates and Predictors of Self-reported Psychological and Physical Morbidity in Chronic Caregiver Stress
Authors: Vedhara K. , Shanks N. , Wilcock Gordon , Lightman S. L.
Published: April 2009

An investigation was conducted to explore: (1) whether psychological and physical morbidity share similar psychosocial determinants; (2) the long-term stability of these determinants; and (3) the role of neuroticism in predicting psychological and physical morbidity. Fifty spousal caregivers of dementia patients were recruited into a 12-month study. Participants were followed up at six-monthly interva ls during which they completed scales measuring psychosocial mediators, psychological morbidity, physical morbidity and neuroticism. Psychological morbidity was influenced primarily by indices of coping and neuroticism. Physical morbidity was influenced primarily by indices of psychological morbidity (increased psychological morbidity was associated with perceptions of greater physical morbidity). Neuroticism exhibited significant cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships with the indices of psychological morbidity, but only cross-sectional relationships with the indices of physical morbidity.
Sociodemographic Factors, Smoking and Common Mental Disorder in the Renfrew and Paisley (MIDSPAN) Study
Authors: Rasul F. , Stansfeld S. A. , Davey-Smith G. , Hart C. L. , Gillis C.
Published: April 2009

The relationships between common mental disorder measured by the General Health Questionnaire and sociodemographic variables and cigarette smoking were examined from baseline data in a community study of 15,406 men and women, aged between 45 and 64 years from two towns close to Glasgow. Between 1972 and 1976 all those respondents from Renfrew and Paisley between the ages of 45 and 64 years who met the residency criteria were invited to attend community clinics, where a clinical examination was carried out and the General Health Questionnaire was completed by 3783 (53.6 percent) men, and 4683 (56.1 percent) women. Women had a higher risk of disorder than men did. More women (20.3 percent) than men (15.4 percent) were possible cases of common mental disorder. Women showed a decrease in disorder with age but no apparent trend in men was observed. Marital status was significantly associated with disorder, with the widowed and separated showing especially high rates of psychiatric disorder. Married men, in contrast to married women, had relatively low levels of psychiatric disorder. Both social class and level of deprivation of the area were associated with psychiatric disorder. For both men and women there was a trend in disorder associated with social class; men in social class V had twice the level of psychiatric disorder compared to those in social class II. For women there was a shallow gradient showing higher levels of disorder with lower social class. Smoking habits were also related to psychiatric disorder; never- and exsmokers had relatively low rates of psychiatric disorder whereas, among current smokers, risk of psychiatric disorder, increased with the number of cigarettes smoked, though only for women.
Associations Between Attachment Representations and Health Behaviors in Late Adolescence
Authors: Scharfe Elaine , Eldredge Deborah
Published: April 2009

In this study, we tested the associations among attachment ratings and health behaviors by relationship status. For individuals in relationships, attachment security was associated positively with health promotion and quality sleep and negatively with risk behaviors; fearfulness was associated positively with risk behaviors. With the exception of sleep behaviors, associations with security and fearfulness were reversed for single participants. Associations between dismissingness and quality of sleep support the proposal that individuals who deny or dismiss their attachment needs may experience physical symptoms of distress that affect their health. Future work exploring the benefits of security when coping with illness or lifestyle change is discussed.
Reducing Skin Cancer Risk: An Intervention Based on Protection Motivation Theory
Authors: McClendon Brian T. , Prentice-Dunn Steven
Published: April 2009

Caucasian college students who intentionally tanned participated in a brief skin cancer intervention based on protection motivation theory (PMT). This intervention targeted skin appearance and consisted of brief lectures, a comprehensive essay, video clips about a young man who died of melanoma, and short discussions. Compared to a waitlist control group, the intervention group showed increases on PMT variables and intentions at post-test. The waitlist group later received the intervention and showed similar increases. Additionally, all but one PMT variable maintained post-test levels at a one-month follow-up. Photographs taken at post-test and at the one-month follow-up were judged by raters blind to the hypothesis. Seventy-two percent of participants were judged to have lighter skin whereas only 16 percent had darker skin. These results provide additional support for theory-based methods for changing maladaptive attitudes and behaviors associated with skin cancer risk.
Experiences of Family Caregiving among Older Australian Women
Authors: Lee Christina
Published: April 2009

This article uses quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the effects of family caregiving on physical and emotional wellbeing, finances and leisure among a cohort of Australian women aged 70 to 75 years. A total of 11,939 women was examined. Of these, 10 percent ( n = 1235) identified themselves as caregivers for frail, ill or disabled family members and 168 made open-ended comments about their caregiving experiences. Unlike other surveys with younger respondents, the data failed to demonstrate any differences in physical health between caregivers and others. Caregivers were, however, significantly more likely to have low levels of emotional wellbeing and to feel stressed, rushed and pressured. Qualitative analysis supported the value of the concept of the ‘ethic of care’ in understanding the social and individual forces that propel older women into providing family care despite its demonstrably negative effects on their wellbeing.
Lay Attitudes toward Genetic Testing for Susceptibility to Inherited Diseases
Authors: Shaw John S. , Bassi Kimberly L.
Published: April 2009

One of the most important issues facing legal and medical policy makers in the coming years will be whether to employ populationbased testing for genetic markers of inherited diseases. Two hundred and twenty-six randomly selected individuals from Easton, Pennsylvania completed a mail questionnaire that was designed to assess the general public’s attitudes toward many of the personal and societal issues surrounding genetic testing for disease susceptibility. Respondents were generally optimistic about the potential benefits of genetic testing, and their attitudes about genetic testing were associated with their personal interest in getting a genetic test. Respondents were more likely to be interested in undergoing genetic testing for disease susceptibility if they might have some control over the targeted disease (i.e. there was a cure) and if the test was highly predictive of their chances of developing the disease. Respondents were wary of granting access to genetic testing results to anyone other than doctors and family members, and they did not want the government, religious leaders, or the courts involved in regulating genetic testing. These results have important implications for psychologists, genetic scientists, bioethicists, and legal scholars who are grappling with the many issues related to population-based genetic testing for inherited diseases.
A Structural Evaluation of the Expanded Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale with a Diverse Sample of Caucasian/European, Native, and Black Canadian Women
Authors: Chaplin William F. , Davidson Karina , Sparrow Virginia , Stuhr Judith , Van Roosmalen Erica , Wallston Kenneth A.
Published: April 2009

The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scale is a widely used measure of the factors that people believe exert some control over their health. The purpose of the research reported here is to provide an independent evaluation of the structural properties of the recently expanded MHLC. Specifically we sought to address the issue of the interdependence of the external locus of control scales (Powerful Others, God, and Chance) and the legitimacy of the addition of a measure of God control as a separate subscale in the expanded MHLC. The study is based on an ethnically diverse sample of 371 community women, recruited through a random digit dialing procedure, who responded to all the items on the expanded MHLC. Although, the three external factors (God, Powerful Others, and Chance) are substantially correlated, structural analyses indicate that a four-factor model consisting of the three external scales and the Internal control scale provides the best fit to the observed covariances among the items. We view this result as supporting the addition of the God subscale as a separate dimension of external health locus of control. We also find support in these results for the continued scoring of four subscales on the MHLC rather than combining the three external subscales on one dimension as some have suggested.
Getting More People on the Stairs: The Impact of a New Message Format
Authors: Kerr Jacqueline , Eves Frank F. , Carroll Douglas
Published: April 2009

Previous research has found that poster prompts are associated with significant increases in stair use. The present study examined the use of messages on the stair risers, as an alternative to posters, to encourage stair climbing. Observers monitored shoppers' stair and escalator use over a 2-week baseline and 6-week intervention period. The prevalence of stair use increased from a baseline value of 8.1 percent to 18.3 percent when the motivating messages were in place. This increase is greater than that found in studies that used poster prompts in shopping centre venues. The apparent advantage of stair-riser banners is discussed in terms of their visibility and attractiveness, as well as their capacity to present multiple messages likely to appeal to a broader constituency. It is concluded that promoters of physical activity should use colourful, tailored stair-riser banners, rather than posters, to encourage stair climbing.
Attributions and Misconceptions in Angina: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Furze Gill , Lewin Robert J. P. , Roebuck Alun , Thompson David R.
Published: April 2009

Although there have been a number of studies regarding attributions and misconceptions in people following a heart attack, there have been no comparable studies in people with angina. Semi-structured interviews were held with 20 people suffering from angina to discover their beliefs about angina, particularly those that may be misconceived or associated with maladaptive coping. Nineteen of the 20 participants held such beliefs. Stress was the most frequent causal attribution and misconceived angina avoidance strategies were cited by the majority. The beliefs about angina held by this sample may have implications for their health-related quality of life, if their experience mirrors that found within heart attack populations.
Assessing Family Members’ Motivational Readiness and Decision Making for Consenting to Cadaveric Organ Donation
Authors: Robbins Mark L. , Levesque Deborah A. , Redding Colleen A. , Johnson Janet L. , Prochaska James O. , Rohr Michael S. , Peters Thomas G.
Published: April 2009

This study assessed the applicability of two important components of the transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) to family consent for cadaveric organ donation. Men and women ( N = 169), who consented or refused to donate the organs of a family member, completed a telephone survey reflecting the stage of change and decisional balance constructs. Psychometric analyses resulted in a two-factor decisional balance scale: a seven-item scale representing negative perceptions of consent (cons), and a seven-item scale representing positive perceptions of consent (pros). The pros and cons were significantly associated with stage of readiness for donation consent and with the family consent decision. Research utilizing this measure has the potential to enhance intervention programs to increase donation consent rates.
Women's Experience at the Time of Menopause: Accounting for Biological, Cultural and Psychological Embodiment
Authors: Stephens Christine
Published: April 2009

In understanding health and illness, it has long been apparent that psychological and social aspects are as important as the biological explanations of the biomedical model. Recent studies of women's experience of menopause have demonstrated the psychological and social constructions of women's bodies, but have neglected to include individual embodiment and the notion of a social world that is inescapably embodied. This paper presents arguments for the consideration of an integrated approach to embodiment and, drawing upon recent theorizing, a conceptual framework that is able to take into account the integration of psyche, biology, and culture. The accounts of 80 New Zealand women, aged between 45 and 60, are analysed, using categories labelled, ‘visceral’, ‘experiential’, ‘normative’ and ‘pragmatic’, to provide a description of women's embodied and culturally embedded experience of menopause. The incorporation of these analytic categories, and the usefulness of the application of the model in contemporary applied work, is discussed.
The Impact of Iatrogenically Acquired Hepatitis C Infection on the Well-being and Relationships of a Group of Irish Women
Authors: Dunne Elizabeth A. , Quayle Ethel
Published: April 2009

The views of 32 women with iatrogenic Hepatitis C on its impact on their sense of wellbeing were elicited through focus groups. The views obtained were analysed using ‘interpretative phenomenological analysis’. Accounts of profound fatigue, reactive depression, and deterioration in cognitive functioning predominated. Work outside and inside the home was severely curtailed or stopped. Marital relationships were affected, sometimes adversely, as were relationships with children and other family members. Participants experienced a general lack of understanding of their level of disability, yet also felt the need to shield others from worry. Overall results suggested that participants’ compromised health was having a major impact on their sense of identity.
Male Circumcision: Pain, Trauma and Psychosexual Sequelae
Authors: Boyle Gregory J. , Goldman Ronald , Svoboda J. Steven , Fernandez Ephrem
Published: April 2009

Infant male circumcision continues despite growing questions about its medical justification. As usually performed without analgesia or anaesthetic, circumcision is observably painful. It is likely that genital cutting has physical, sexual and psychological consequences too. Some studies link involuntary male circumcision with a range of negative emotions and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some circumcised men have described their current feelings in the language of violation, torture, mutilation and sexual assault. In view of the acute as well as long-term risks from circumcision and the legal liabilities that might arise, it is timely for health professionals and scientists to re-examine the evidence on this issue and participate in the debate about the advisability of this surgical procedure on unconsenting minors.
Tuberculosis and Stigma: Predictors of Prejudice Against People with Tuberculosis
Authors: Jaramillo Ernesto
Published: April 2009

Tuberculosis is a main cause of mortality and morbidity in developing countries. Although diagnostic and curative means are well known, they are not always available and affordable. Also, the disease has a worldwide stigma, which adds to the suffering. A survey exploring the correlates of prejudice, as an attitudinal component of this stigma, was carried out in Cali, Colombia. Results show that scientifically unfounded beliefs about the transmission of the disease are the main significant predictor of the instrumental function of this attitude. Health education and, arguably, more successful control programmes could help to reduce the social isolation suffered by people with tuberculosis.
A Community-based Study of Prolonged Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue
Authors: Jason Leonard A. , Jordan Karen M. , Richman Judith A. , Rademaker Alfred W. , Huang Cheng-Fang , Mccready William , Shlaes Jennifer , King Caroline P. , Landis Dana , Torres Susan , Haney-Davis Trina , Frankenberry Erin L.
Published: April 2009

Previous estimates of the prevalence of fatigue and chronic fatigue have derived largely from treated populations and have been biased by differential access to health-care treatment linked with gender, racial/ethnic and social class status. This study involves a community-based prevalence study of prolonged fatigue and chronic fatigue. It addresses: (1) the rate of prolonged fatigue and chronic fatigue in a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse sample of 28,673 adults in Chicago; and (2) establishes the relative prevalence of prolonged fatigue and chronic fatigue across race/ethnicity, socio-economic status and gender. Univariate and multivariate statistical techniques were utilized to delineate the overall rate of prolonged fatigue and chronic fatigue in the Chicago population and its relative prevalence by gender, race/ethnicity, and social class. Findings indicated that fatigue is common in urban populations, but that prolonged fatigue and chronic fatigue occur in about 5.00 to 7.68 percent and 2.72 to 4.17 percent, respectively, of the sample of the population. Highest levels of fatigue were consistently found among women and those with lower levels of education and occupational status.
Health, Stress and Coping among Women Caregivers
Authors: Lee Christina
Published: April 2009

Informal family-based care of dependent adults places a significant burden on caregivers. The impact of caregiving on subjective wellbeing, preventive behaviours, lifestyle and employment is well documented, and there is good evidence for increases in risk factors for serious illness, although evidence on actual incidence of major illness varies between studies. The individual-based focus of much research on this topic has tended to obscure the social and cultural forces underlying the fact that the majority of family caregivers are women, and to ignore the gender inequities which are perpetuated by an assumption that family caregiving is naturally the work of women. This article reviews evidence on the burden of caregiving, and argues for psychological research which addresses issues of public policy rather than the individual woman and her personal ability to cope.
A Modified Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory for Chronic Training and Baseline Profiles of Participants in the Activity Counseling Trial
Authors: Rejeski W. Jack , Reboussin Beth A. , Dunn Andrea L. , King Abby C. , Sallis James F.
Published: April 2009

An earlier study reported on the development of a scale to measure feeling states during acute bouts of exercise: the Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory (EFI-A). The present study reports on the psychometric properties of a revised scale to assess responses to habitual or chronic physical activity: the EFI-C. The EFI-C was administered during baseline testing to 830 sedentary men and women patients with a mean age of 51.5 years. Factor analytic procedures revealed that the EFI-C consisted of two factors, one assessing pleasant feeling states and a second that taps the unpleasant experience of physical exhaustion. Both subscales have excellent internal consistency reliability coefficients (0.90) and are reasonably stable over time, having test–retest coefficients in excess of 0.70. The scales correlated in expected directions with related constructs and in preliminary analyses showed an anticipated pattern of sensitivity to physical activity interventions. Mean scores for various demographic groups are reported. Future research should examine whether the EFI-C is a predictor of adherence to physical activity and its potential role in mediating the positive mental health effects of physical activity.
The Role of Social–Cognitive Research in Informal Care
Authors: Orbell Sheina
Published: April 2009

In this article I aim to outline the ways in which psychological research, and in particular, a social–cognitive approach, can make a meaningful contribution to the development of public policy and health and community care practice.
Lay Theories of Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Benveniste Jodie , Lecouteur Amanda , Hepworth Julie
Published: April 2009

Previous studies on lay theories of anorexia nervosa have examined the ‘accuracy’ of lay knowledge, and the identification of factors by family and friends that would encourage early interventions (Huon, Brown, & Morris, 1988, 7, 239–252; Murray, Touyz, & Beumont, 1990, 9, 87–93). In contrast to these approaches, we examine lay theories of anorexia nervosa using a critical psychology perspective. We argue that the use of a discourse analysis methodology enables the examination of the construction of lay theories through dominant concepts and ideas. Ten semi-structured interviews with five women and five men aged between 15 and 25 years were carried out. Participants were asked questions about three main aspects of anorexia nervosa: aetiology, treatment and relationship to gender. Each interview was analysed in terms of the structure, function and variability of discourse. Three discourses: sociocultural, individual and femininity, are discussed in relation to the interview questions. We conclude that, in this study, lay theories of anorexia nervosa were structured through key discourses that maintained a separation between sociocultural aspects of anorexia nervosa and individual psychology. This separation exists in dominant psychomedical conceptualizations of anorexia nervosa, reinforcing the concept that it is a form of psychopathology.