bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role Socialization of Juvenile Court Probation Officers
Authors: PETRONIO RICHARD J.
Published: March 2007

Operating from a theory of role socialization in organizations (Katz and Kahn, 1978), predictions of the degree of association between probation officers' sent and received roles and role behavior were tested in four juvenile courts. Probation officers' rehabilitative and control oriented role prescriptions, as communicated by judges, administrators, and supervisors and perceived by probation officers were measured, as were interactions between officers and juvenile probationers. The role communicated to probation officers by their superiors was found to be predictive of the role the probation officers perceived, but not of the role as enacted with juveniles.
Women Incarcerated in 1960, 1970, and 1980
Authors: EPPERSON DOUGLAS L. , HANNUM THOMAS E. , DATWYLER MARJORIE L.
Published: March 2007

Changes in the population of female prisoners at a local reformatory over a 20-year period were investigated by comparing demographic, educational, and personality characteristics of women admitted to the reformatory in 1960, 1970, and 1980. Although the data suggested an increase in more violent crimes over time, comparable differences on other variables were largely absent. Women admitted to the reformatory in 1980 did not differ from women admitted in 1960 in age, educational level, mental ability, or MMPI scores. Women admitted in 1970 did obtain higher achievement scores, but it was concluded that the characteristics of this prison population had remained relatively stable, thus increasing confidence in the relevance and usefulness of earlier research in developing a model of female criminality.
Memory and Violent Crime among Delinquents
Authors: ANDREW JUNE M.
Published: March 2007

This study, one of a series on violent crime, was designed to test whether good memory—traditionally an attribute of the psychopathic personality—might also appear among juvenile offenders unselected for psychopathy. It has been suggested that the type of superior memory that psychopaths enjoy may be limited to short-term memory for nonsense material, as reflected in the (nonverbal) Wechsler Digit Span subtest; but, on the other hand, juvenile offenders may actually score low on long-term, meaningful, verbal memory, as reflected in most of the other Wechsler Verbal IQ subtests. The present study tested juvenile offenders' Digit Span scores against Verbal IQ scores and found that, as hypothesized, Digit Span scores surpassed Verbal IQ scores. The effect was nonsignificantly more pronounced among more violent than among less violent offenders, indicating a need for further study. Suggestions are offered for laboratory research and further clinical study which might clarify the effect in regard to violence.
The Clinical and Statistical Prediction of Recidivism
Authors: WORMITH J. STEPHEN , GOLDSTONE COLIN S.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this research series was to investigate characteristics of a previously devised Recidivism Prediction Scheme with a regional sample of offenders and to assess possible means of integrating clinical and actuarial data sets. Study 1 revealed high interrater reliability coefficients, although agreement varied by items. Natives, maximum security inmates, and property offenders received poor prognostic scores in Studies 1 and 2. Study 2 provided validity data on the instrument and suggested how clinical and statistically based decisions might be integrated. However, in Study 3, the incorporation of clinical data into an actuarial scheme did little to improve the predictive accuracy of both multiple regression and unit weight systems when they were subjected to cross-validation.
An Assessment of the Megargee Typology in Lifelong Criminal Violence
Authors: MOSS C. SCOTT , JOHNSON MARK E. , HOSFORD RAY E.
Published: March 2007

The Megargee Typology, an inmate classification system, was examined to determine its effectiveness in predicting institutional adjustment and future recidivism. The MMPI scores of black inmates from the medium-security prison caught up in prison riots were classified into the ten typology groups conceptualized in this procedure. The inmates in the five typologies that are alledgedly reported to be most assaultive and violence prone were compared with those in a nonviolence prone typologies relative to (1) type of offense for which incarcerated, (2) incidences of violence while incarcerated, and (3) recidivism and future violent criminal activity. Chi-square analyses revealed no significant differences between the two sets of typologies in relation to any of the three criteria. Implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Prisonization, Staff, and Inmates
Authors: RAMIREZ JOHN
Published: March 2007

It was argued that implicit in the concept of prisonization is the assumption that the relationship between the staff and inmate social systems is oppositional both normatively and behaviorally. This assumption was termed the opposition assumption. This assumption may be false and needed to be empirically tested. Using the Q-type correlation coefficient in conjunction with the Q-sort relative rating procedure, the specific issues to which this investigation addressed itself were (a) whether staff members would exhibit high agreement, (b) whether inmates would exhibit high agreement, and, most important, (c) whether staff and inmates would exhibit low agreement in their appraisals of the prison's official administrative code regulating inmate conduct. These expectations were derived directly from the opposition assumption. Results substantiated the first two expectations. The third and most important expectation, however, was convincingly disconfirmed. Agreement between the staff groups and the inmate groups was as high as the within-staff and within-inmate agreement. Moreover, some groups of staff showed more agreement with some groups of inmates than they did with other groups of staff. Likewise, some groups of inmates showed more agreement with some groups of staff than they did with other groups of inmates.
Attribution, Salience, and Attitudes toward Criminal Sanctioning
Authors: CULLEN FRANCIS T. , CLARK GREGORY A. , CULLEN JOHN B. , MATHERS RICHARD A.
Published: March 2007

Building upon the work of Stinchcombe, Taylor et al., the present research attempts to assess the impact of victimization, salience, and attribution on four measures of criminal sanctioning: general punishment, rehabilitation, capital punishment, and the punishment of white-collar crime. Utilizing a sample drawn from Galesburg, Illinois, our analysis revealed that attitudes were not significantly influenced by being a victim or by crime salience. In contrast, our measure of attribution (what a person “attributed” the cause of crime to) had consistent effects across the scales, with those having a positivist orientation being less punitive and more in favor of rehabilitation. When members of criminal justice related occupations were included in the analysis, these results generally continued to persist. These findings thus suggest that attributional processes and, in particular, the way in which people explain crime may be important determinants of the attitudes that those both inside and outside the criminal justice system hold toward sanctioning policy.
The Disciplinary Experiences of Mentally Disordered Inmates
Authors: ADAMS KENNETH
Published: March 2007

Inmates who can be characterized as disturbed-disruptive present difficult problems for both custodial and mental health staff. This study compares the disciplinary experiences of inmates referred to mental health units at two prisons to those of nonreferred inmates. It is found that referred inmates have higher infraction rates and that they are more likely to engage in rule violations that reflect symptomatic behavior. It is also observed that disciplinary dispositions for referred inmates occasionally invoke the assistance of mental health staff, and that these actions are often combined with the imposition of punishment. In addition, the data suggest that under some conditions punitive responses to infractions by emotionally disturbed inmates may lead to an escalation of disruptive behavior. These findings indicate that within prison settings pathology and disruptiveness are interrelated. They also suggest that disciplinary committees operate primarily under a legalistic model, which incorporates some elements of a flexible rules approach.
Meta-Analysis of Rehabilitation Programs for Juvenile Delinquents
Authors: IZZO RHENA L. , ROSS ROBERT R.
Published: March 2007

A meta-analysis of 46 studies of intervention programs for juvenile delinquents revealed a significant difference between programs that included a cognitive component and those that did not. Cognitive programs were more than twice as effective as non-cognitive programs. These results are consistent with previous qualitative analyses and provide support for a cognitive model of offender rehabilitation.
A New system for Cluster-Coding Child Molester MMPI Profile Types
Authors: DUTHIE BRUCE , McIVOR DANIEL L.
Published: March 2007

Several theories have been proposed for the classification of sex offenders in general and child molesters in particular. The current research was designed to determine if the MMPI is useful in classifying child molesters, employing cluster analysis methodology. An analysis of 90 child molester MMPI profiles produced eight MMPI cluster types. These eight cluster types appeared to be robust when subjected to discriminate analysis for the purpose of reclassification. Empirically derived descriptions for each of the cluster types are presented.
Predicting Predatory Behavior in a Population of Incarcerated Young Offenders
Authors: SHIELDS IAN W. , SIMOURD DAVID J.
Published: March 2007

Predatory relationships are characterized by violence or threats of violence and their prediction and prevention are matters of critical importance within the custodial setting. In an attempt to predict predatory behavior, 251 consecutive admissions to a secure custody Young Offenders Unit in a maximum security detention centre were administered the Young Offender-Level of Service Inventory (YO-LSI). Subjects ranged in age from 16 to 19 years. Twenty-eight of them subsequently displayed aggressive behavior toward other residents and had to be isolated. The YO-LSI distinguished predators from nonpredators and showed satisfactory interobserver reliability and internal consistency. Results suggested that predators have more extensive criminal histories and criminal sentiments, as well as more substance abuse, educational/employment, family, peer, and psychological problems.
Environmental Congruence and Symptoms of Psychopathology
Authors: GIBBS JOHN J.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the link between environmental congruence and symptoms of psychopathology among jail prisoners. Samples of New Jersey jail prisoners were administered instruments that measured environmental needs, perceived environmental resources, and symptoms of psychopathology. The needs and resources instruments were combined into a measure of environmental congruence and analyzed in conjunction with symptom scores. The results indicate that prisoners who have low environmental congruence, that is, expressed needs are not well matched by perceived resources, suffer from more extreme symptoms of psychological distress than do their counterparts, who enjoy relatively high congruence. This finding has several implications for environment-centered programs and research in jails.
Characteristics Associated with Successful Adjustment to Supervision
Authors: MACKENZIE DORIS LAYTON , SHAW JAMES W. , SOURYAL CLAIRE
Published: March 2007

Offender adjustment during community supervision was examined in two studies. Study 1 examined the positive social activities of parolees and probationers during community supervision. Shock parolees engaged in more positive social activities in comparison to regular parolees, probationers, and dropouts; however, once the intensity of supervision was controlled, differences among groups in positive social activities disappeared. Regardless of the supervision intensity, offenders who were younger, younger at first arrest, and non-White adjusted less well to community supervision. The second study examined the characteristics of offenders who successfully completed two phases of a shock incarceration program. Those who completed the in-prison phase had higher IQs and longer sentences, and believed more strongly in their ability to control events. Shock graduates who succeeded during the first year of parole supervision were older and were less likely to have a criminal history. They were also more apt to be employed and were involved in more positive activities during the first month of supervision.
Cohort Differences in Drug-Use Pathways to Crack among Current Crack Abusers in New York City
Authors: GOLUB ANDREW , JOHNSON BRUCE D.
Published: March 2007

Much prior literature has focused on substance use progression through alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana leading from a time of no drug use as a youth to the possibility of serious drug abuse. This article extends this literature by empirically examining retrospectively the sequence of hard drugs used as reported retrospectively by 994 hard drug abusers from New York City. The sequence was strongly mediated by birth year. Nearly all (81%) current crack abusers born prior to 1953 had previously injected heroin. At the other extreme, prior heroin injection was rare (10%) among crack abusers born since 1967. Many (37%) of these younger crack abusers initiated use of crack just after having used gateway drugs. Theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Assessment, Treatment, and Theorizing About Sex Offenders
Authors: MARSHALL W. L.
Published: March 2007

This article considers developments during the past 20 years in the assessment and treatment of sex offenders and in theoretical interpretations of their behavior. Research is reviewed indicating that in assessment there is a move toward including more cognitive features. One interpretation of the evidence to date suggests that phallometry has been overvalued and that considerable work remains to be done on the psychometric aspects of erectile measurement. Treatment also has moved in a more cognitive direction, but the addition of a relapse prevention approach has been the most significant innovation. A focus on treating juveniles has been a major development during the past 10 years. Theory development is accelerating, but there needs to be more emphasis on developing and refining our specific constructs rather than elaborating broad explanatory theories. Future developments are suggested.
Evaluating the Drug-Abusing Probationer
Authors: BROOME KIRK M. , KNIGHT KEVIN , JOE GEORGE W. , SIMPSON D. DWAYNE
Published: March 2007

Practitioners working in drug treatment programs within the criminal justice system often must choose between the clinical benefits of the counselor-client interview and the time savings of self-administered instruments. The Brief Background Assessment (BBA), an intake instrument, was administered to clients in a probation-based drug treatment program as both a structured interview and as a self-administered assessment. Agreement between the two administrations was high across all areas assessed by the BBA. Likewise, nonagreeing responses were distributed randomly, across administration type. The results suggest that information collected by a self-administered intake assessment such as the BBA provides information similar to that gathered by interview-based intake assessments.
The Influence of Gender and Mental State on Police Decisions in Domestic Assault Cases
Authors: FINN MARY A. , STALANS LORETTA J.
Published: March 2007

Research findings on gender biases in police decision making are mixed and have not directly examined how assailants' gender affects officers' interpretation of situational cues or their decisions. Using hypothetical scripts and experimental manipulation, this study examined how disputants' gender and mental state affected 130 officers' inferences about dangerousness, responsibility, credibility, and control and, ultimately, their decisions to arrest or refer for involuntary civil commitment in domestic assault cases. Officers inferred that male victims of domestic assault had more control over their actions and were more responsible than female victims. Mentally ill assailants were viewed as more dangerous and less in control of their actions than normal assailants. Gender influenced the arrest decision through officers' assessments of disputants' credibility and responsibility. Female mentally ill assailants were more likely than males to be referred for involuntary civil commitment. The findings suggest that both gender and mental state affect officers' inferences and decisions in domestic assault cases.
Bureaucracy, Contradiction, and Ideology in Two Societies
Authors: Urban Michael E.
Published: March 2007

By tracing the inter-relationships among the concepts " modern industrialism," " bureaucracy, " and " ideology, " a general ideology of modern administration emerges. This ideology is anchored in a concept of technical rationality which treats solely means arranged in such a way as to attain most efficiently and effectively ends which are understood as " given." This ideology ascribes the attribute of rationality to organizations, not to men. Here a contradiction arises in thought ( for what is efficient and effective for the organization may be the reverse for its members) and in the administrative practice guided by this thought ( what are referred to as the "internal" and " external" contradictions). By reviewing American and Soviet administrative literature, a pattern of parallel responses to the contradiction in administrative practice is reconstructed. These " special" ideologies of administration resolve symbolically the contradictions noted in practice and explain to administrators how and why they should perform in the face of inconsistencies in their role.
Group Representation in Local Bureaucracies
Authors: Schumaker Paul D. , Billeaux David M.
Published: March 2007

This paper examines a variety of explanations for why some active groups are better represented in local bureaucracies than other active groups. An examination of 1397 group-agency relationships in 55 cities resulted in some tentative evidence supporting the following propositions: (1) The organizational structures of groups-their permanency, their cohesion, and their size—do not explain the level of group representa tion in local bureaucracies. (2) The behavioral characteristics of groups—"the public-regardingness" of their demands, the "effectiveness" of their leadership, and the "conventionality" of their style-partially explain variations in group representation. (3) Organizations composed primarily of blacks and especially of low-status citizens tend to adopt some ineffective behaviors—making private-regarding demands, using ineffective leadership, and adopting unconventional styles-which result in reduced representation. (4) The extent to which blacks are underrepresented in local bureaucracies is not fully accounted for by behavioral variables. Part of the underrepresentation of black groups may be due to continuing overt discrimination.
Technology and Productivity
Authors: Danziger James N.
Published: March 2007

In the searchfor innovations which might generate productivity gains in local govern ment, substantial attention has focused on the utilization of computers and automated information systems. The evaluations of more than 2,600 local government personnel in 42 American cities reveal that local governments have enjoyed some productivity gain attributed to computer applications, particularly with respect to increased work volume. Employing contingency theory as a conceptual framework, this article then assesses whether between-government variations in these productivity gains can be accounted for by size contingencies, technological contingencies, political contin gencies, or the user-technician interface. It is established that intergovernmental variations in productivity gains from computers are most powerfully associated with the nature of the user-technician interface and are somewhat associated with political contingencies.
The Goals of Reorga niza tion
Authors: Salamon Lester M.
Published: March 2007

Recent debates, both in the political arena and in academic circles, have thoroughly clouded the objectives that government reorganization can reasonably be expected to advance. To remedy this, this article suggests a framework for sorting out the lengthy laundry lists of possible goals commonly associated with reorganization. According to this framework, reorganizations can be distinguished according to whether their primary objective is (1) economy and efficiency; (2) policy effetiveness; or (3) tactical advantage. Each of these three major types of reorganizations has its own basic characteristics, political and administrative dynamics, underlying theory, and advantages and disadvantages. While no particular reorganization may fall exclusively into an y one of these categories, this framework can help clarify discussions of organizational reform and improve our understandmg of the objectives such reform can accomplish.
Implementation and Safety Regulation
Authors: Marvel Mary K.
Published: March 2007

The public policy literature suggests that effective program implementation is less likely if formulation and implementation reside at different levels of government than if they are at the same level. This article provides an empirical examination of this hypothesis using the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) as the vehicle for the analysis. The Act allows states the option of implementing its provisions; 22 states operate their own programs while federal officials operate programs in the remaining 28. Comparison of enforcement activity across these two levels of implementation indicates that federal officials have displayed significantly more implementation activity than their state counterparts. Explanations of the differences in factors which affect implementation effort for the two groups of programs and the implications for future policy development are offered.
Efficiency in Social Service Organizations
Authors: Sandefur Gary D.
Published: March 2007

This article addresses two unresolved issues in studying organizational efficiency: first, the problem of evaluating organizations; second, the problems involved in investigating the interrelationships of efficiency, structure and organizational environments. We argue that answering these questions requires careful consideration of the divergent interests of various organizational constituencies. Also, an analysis of the second question requires the use of dynamic models that have just recently appeared in the literature.
The Implementation of Environmental Policy in China
Authors: Ross Lester
Published: March 2007

Policy implementation in the People's Republic of China is analyzed according to the properties of three archetypical implementation strategies: bureaucratic-authoritative, market exchange, and exhortational campaign. The three are first discussed in terms of political support, relative costs, and other attributes. The implementation of environmental policy is then analyzed according to the effects of changes in strategy. Policy effectiveness is shown to vary considerably depending upon the form of implementation. Political factors constrain choice of strategy, but considerable latitude for variation has developed since Mao's death.
American Public Administration and the Idea of Reform
Authors: O'Toole Laurence J.
Published: March 2007

The conventional wisdom concerning American public administrative thought suggests that a naive orthodoxy in vogue during the first portion of this century, was exposed as ideology a few decades ago and that the demise of the orthodoxy signaled the rise of innumerable perspectives. In this article, however, it is proposed that American public administration has retained an orthodoxy of reform in its continuing series of attempts to reconcile the tensions between democracy and bureaucracy. An analysis of the idea of reform as reflected in several significant administrative writings suggests one reason why the efforts of American administrative theorists have been consistently unsatisfying.
Social Democracy and Bureaucracy
Authors: Hetzner Candace
Published: March 2007

The Labour Party in Great Britain has been committed to the principle of equality and has addressed itself both in rhetoric and in practice to furthering the equalitarian ideal in power and authority relationships in English society, viz., in Parliament and industrial organizations. However, though the Party has relied heavily on the bureaucracy for effecting social democracy, the Party has had little interest in equalitarian access to the Higher Civil Service, which has traditionally recruited predominantly middle-class Oxbridge graduates. The explanation lies in the joint membership of Labour Party intellectuals and civil servants in what Edward Shils, has called the "aristo-gentry" culture.
An Integrated Perspective of Self-Control in Organizations
Authors: Manz Charles C. , Mossholder Kevin W. , Luthanvs Fred
Published: March 2007

A theoretical view of control is developed that argues that self-control is at the core of the organizational control process. Various "levels "making up the control process and issues regarding "sources"from which to initiate control attempts are considered. Also, contingency variables relevant to decisions regarding the appropriate source from which to initiate control are addressed. Overall, the need for an expanded view of control is developed; this view recognizes the importance of self-control as well as external control mechanisms and identification of an adequate fit between these two modes for each unique situation.
Bureaucratic Politics in Development Assistance
Authors: Sullivan Denis J.
Published: March 2007

This article analyzes the American economic aid program in Egypt. The focus is on the interbureaucratic struggles facing USAID officials, both in Washington and in Cairo. The primary hypothesis is that such struggles are significant impediments to fulfilling the economic development goals of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This analysis of conflicting approaches to development provides evidence for why the AID program in Egypt has yet to have a major impact on Egyptian development effort& Given the political realities behind any aid program, one way to improve the aid donating process is to restructure the principal aid agency (USAID) and reconstitute it as an independent agency, beyond the influence of Congress, the State Department, and other organizations.
Fire Alarms, Garbage Cans, and the Administrative Presidency
Authors: Durant Robert F.
Published: March 2007

This exploratory essay offers an analytical framework for assessing the implications of the administrative presidency for what Heclo termed the "larger organizational life of government. " It begins by offering a four-cell typology of policy initiatives associated with the administrative presidency. The essay then links disparate types of political dynamics to these four types. A threefold argument is presented. First, presidential appointees using administrative strategies to alter agency agendas routinely find themselves trying to cope with "fire alarm " oversight. Second, the type of policy initiative pursued (quantum, emergent, convergent, and gradualist) will affect the nature, scope, and intensity of conflict spawned by this type of oversight (disintegrative, adversarial, manipulated agreement, and mutual accommodation). Finally, the dynamics illustrated indicate that the administrative presidency is more permeable to both micro- and macropolitical intervention than commonly portrayed by either its supporters or detractors. The essay concludes by suggesting areas of research that scholars interested in the administrative presidency might profitably pursue.
Public Administrative Liability for Constitutional Torts, the Rehnquist Court, and Public Administration
Authors: Rosenbloom David H.
Published: March 2007

Under the Burger Supreme Court (1969-1986) public administrative liability for violation of individuals' constitutional rights increased dramatically. In consequence, public administrators were well advised to develop knowledge of the constitutional law pertaining to their jobs and to incorporate constitutional values and requirements into their official actions. An analysis of public-sector liability decisions by the Rehnquist Court from 1986 through 1990 indicates that it has taken an incremental approach to dealing with the issues posed and has not staked out a markedly new direction or rollback to the pre-Burger years. In particular, this article analyzes Rehnquist Court liability decisions dealing with state action; coverage, respondeat superior, absolute immunity, and several process issues.
Administration at the Cusp of Science
Authors: Pletenik Betty , Cooper Phillip J.
Published: March 2007

This article considers the problems faced by judges in law and policy disputes involving complex scientific and technological issues. It examines the historical development of government involvement in regulating recombinant DNA research, focusing on Foundation on Economic Trends v. Heckler, a challenge to the deliberate release of a genetically engineered microorganism into the environment. Although efforts were made to handle this case in terms of narrowly defined legal issues, this analysis demonstrates that cases like this produce an inevitable mixture of legal, scientific, and policy issues. The article considers the implications of this blending of issues for the study of controversies involving law, science, and administration.
Managerial Leadership in Divided Times
Authors: Dobel J. Patrick
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the special constraints imposed on public managers by divided governments that make it very difficult to pursue the normal strategies of effective public management. It examines the two terms of William D. Ruckelshaus as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to illustrate the strategy of personal and institutional independence, which Rucketshaus developed to address these constraints. In particular he focused his time and effort in four areas: (a) appointing competent professionals, (b) supporting consistent strong enforcement efforts, (c) providing good and credible information and working to define the terms of the debate, and (d) providing access to all. This managerial strategy enabled him to build institutional independence and autonomy, but paradoxically, the very strengths that helped him in these areas undercut his ability to influence the substantive agenda of the agency.
Medicaid and Managed Care
Authors: Swoboda Dale P.
Published: March 2007

For states, the budget burdens precipitated by Medicaid call for innovative measures that result in true economic savings. Nearly all states are engaged in reforming their Medicaid organizations to meet the costs of increased financial responsibility. This article considers the issue of health care reform through one state organization's response to a particular mandate. The case shows how a state Medicaid agency attempted to alleviate the financial burdens of that mandate by extending its philosophy of managed competition through the use of negotiated and competitive managed care contracts for organ transplantations. The agency expected to achieve significant cost savings. The results suggest that managed competition and negotiation hold promise to states as a means for meeting the high costs of technology in the Medicaid environment.
Interest Group Influence on Rule Making
Authors: Furlong Scott R.
Published: March 2007

A majority of actual policy is not developed by Congress but by regulatory agencies that have been delegated the authority to interpret congressional intent. Using some of the major variables associated with interest group influence on Congress, this study examines a model of interest group influence on agency rule makings. The study uses survey data to examine how interest groups relate to regulatory agencies, how those groups participate in rule making, and how they perceive the effectiveness of their participation. The full models and certain theoretical variables support the interest group influence on rule-making hypotheses, but some major discrepancies arise concerning commonly held theories of the political science literature. The study will, it is hoped, lead to further research on the important relationship between interest groups and regulatory agencies.
Upward Mobility and Parenting in Middle-Income Black Families
Authors: McAdoo Harriette Pipes
Published: March 2007

A review of the various cycles in research on non-poor Black families is related to various movements within the Black community. The relevance of various SES classifications and characteristics of economically mobile families are explored. The roles of dual-parent employment, high mobility aspirations, and discrimina tion on parenting are covered. In a sample of 178 families with 305 parents, the extended family help network was found to be still an important source of support, from kin and fictive kin, for newly mobile and those one or two generations of middle-income status, yet the reciprocal obligations for help received were not felt to be excessive.
West African and Black American Working Women: Historical and Contemporary Comparisons
Authors: Griffin Jean Thomas
Published: March 2007

Black American women and African women share a common cultural heritage, including a long tradition of working. In this paper, African working women are discussed in terms of their historical and contemporary working contexts in comparison with those of Black American working women. Observations of and interviews with seven working women were conducted in three West African countries. Information was sought concerning economic independence, education, employment, family background, marriage, and social support groups. The results of this study indicate a number of future research directions in the areas of alternative family models, self-image, increased economic independence, education, and training.
Menstrual Cycle Influences on Alcohol Consumption among Blacks
Authors: Dumas Marina C. , Calliet LaRue L. , Tumblin Ingrid G. , King Alan R.
Published: March 2007

Alcohol consumption patterns among 39 Black men, normally cycling women, and women taking oral contracep tives were examined over a 30-day self-monitoring period to determine the influence of the menstrual cycle on drinking behavior. Previous animal and human data suggest premen strual increases and mid-cycle decreases in alcohol con sumption, but contradictory reports of an absence of men strual cycle effects have emerged more recently. Decreased drinking among women taking oral contraceptives also has been reported. No studies examining Black subject samples could be isolated, and indications of racial differences in metabolic rates suggest that generalizations about Black women from studies using predominantly White subjects may be unjustified. No overall significant differences were found in alcohol consumption patterns or amounts of alcohol consumed for the three groups across the menstrual cycle. The effects of the sex hormones and the possibility of interactions between menstrual cycle symptomatology and drinking patterns are discussed along with implications and recommendations for future research in this area.
Transpersonal Psychology: The Role of the Afrocentric Paradigm
Authors: Myers Linda J.
Published: March 2007

Conspicuously absent in the literature of transpersonal psy chology in its search for a paradigm is an exploration of traditional African culture and world view. Such a legacy of omission from philosophical and psychological endeavors is common. This is due to the fact that until recently African culture has been so badly misunderstood because of the imposition of alien world view in its analysis. The unity and integration of knowledge that we seek in a transpersonal paradigm has its framework already existent in the African world view and is identified in Afrocentric psychological theory.
Relationship between Internalized Racism and Marital Satisfaction
Authors: Taylor Jerome
Published: March 2007

This investigation evaluates the extent to which level of marital satisfaction is affected by level of internalized racism in a sample of 96 Black inner-city couples. The hypothesis that internalized racism is inversely related to marital satisfaction is marginally to acceptably supported. Husbands reporting more internalized racism tended to report less marital satisfaction just as wives reporting more internalized racism tended to report less marital satisfaction. Marital satisfaction of wives was not affected directly by internalized racism of husbands, nor was marital satisfaction of husbands directly affected by internalized racism of wives. However, since marital satisfaction of husbands and wives was moderately correlated, it is possible that the effect of internalized racism of one spouse on marital satisfaction of the other is mediated through explanatory links identified in this paper. The role of socioeconomic status in mediating relationships between internalized racism and marital status is examined along with implications.
Some Socio-Behavioral Correlates of African Self-Consciousness in African-American College Students
Authors: Baldwin Joseph A. , Brown Raeford , Rackley Reginald
Published: March 2007

Two stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed on the African self-consciousness (ASC) Scale scores of 219 African-American male and female college students utilizing 36 background and 20 Africentric activity factors as the predictor variables. The results revealed that only a very small number of the two sets of predictors were significantly related to the ASC scores. The background factors of parental membership in predominantly Black organizations, exposure to Black studies courses, and prior experiences with racism/racial prejudice significantly predicted ASC scores and accounted for some 34% of the total variance. The activity factors of attending African cultural activities, reading books about Blacks/ African culture, and giving aid/assistance to other Blacks all during the preceding year predicted ASC scores. This latter group of findings, however, accounted for such a nominal portion of the total variance that they must be considered inconclusive. It was concluded that these findings point toward a potentially promising area of African self-consciousness research, but more rigorous and systematic approaches to measurement development in particular, as well as sampling are needed to enhance this general area of prediction.
Validation of the Scale of Racial Socialization for African American Adolescents: Steps toward Multidimensionality
Authors: Stevenson Howard C.
Published: March 2007

Little empirical work has been initiated that broadens the definition of racial socialization and its measurement to integrate it with current theoretical discussion of racial identity developmentand AfricanAmerican cultural characteristics and strengths. This study reports the development and validation of the Scale of Racial SocializationforAdolescents (SORS-A). A principal components analysis was conducted following administration of the SORS-A and measures of demographics, family communication about racism, and perception of skin color to 200 African American urban teenagers. Four factors were found to be very meaningful and moderately reliable. The racial socialization factors include Spiritual and Religious Coping, Extended Family Caring, Cultural Pride Reinforcement, and Racism Awareness Teaching. A second-order factor analysis to identify underlying themes was also conducted. Themes of protective and proactive racial socialization were found to be supportive of a theoreticalframework for racial socialization that is multidimensional and inclusive of both socially oppressive and culturally empowering experiences.
Self-Concept and Motivational Patterns of Resilient African American High School Students
Authors: Gordon Kimberly A.
Published: March 2007

This study of 138 urban subjects examined the role of self-concept and motivation in aiding resilient African American high school sophomores to obtain academic competence. In this study, high school sophomoresfrom an impoverished, stressful background with grade point averages of 2.75 or above were considered academically resilient. To determine resiliency status, socioeconomic status was determined by the Hollingshead Two Factor Index and stress by a self-report measure. Self-concept and motivation were measured by the High School Assessment of Academic Self-Concept and the Assessment of Personal Agency Beliefs. Findings suggest that resilient African American high school students differedfrom their nonresilient peers in the cognitive domain: cognitive ability, cognitive environmental support, cognitive control, and cognitive importance. They also placed more emphasis on extracurricular activities and material gain.
African American Adolescents and Skin Color
Authors: Robinson Tracy L. , Ward Janie V.
Published: March 2007

This study examines skin color in the lives of African American adolescents and explores the relationship to self-esteem and dating relationships. Adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19 years were recruited through schools, churches, and informal networks. A questionnaire was developed by the researchers to explore the meaning of skin color in the lives of African American adolescents and its effect on self-esteem. Primary studyfindings were that (a) a relationship existed between satisfaction with skin color and self-esteem; (b) students self-reported as "lighter" or "darker" had lower levels of satisfaction with their skin color than did students whose skin color was classified as "somewhere in between"; (c) although the difference was nonsignificant, a greater proportion of men than women expresseda desirefor lighterskin; and (d) a gender difference was noted on the dating variable, "Skin color makes a difference to guys when they date girls." Implications of thefindings are discussed.
A Review of Empirical Research Involving the Transracial Adoption of African American Children
Authors: Alexander Rudolph , Curtis Carla M.
Published: March 2007

A number of studies have been conducted concerning the adoption of African American children by White families, challenging the opposition by African American professionals. The consensus of the findings has been that African American children have not been psychologically harmed by these placements. When proponents of transracial adoption have referred to studies, they have uncritically accepted conclusions supporting transracial adoptions without commenting upon the soundness of the researchers' methodology and the extent to which the conclusions were consistent with the limitations in the studies. The authors critically evaluate the empirical literature and discuss suggestions and strategies for African American professionals.
Preferred Style and Ethnicity of Counselors by African American Males
Authors: Okonji Jacques M. A. , Ososkie Joseph N. , Pulos Steven
Published: March 2007

This study compared reality therapy and person-centered therapy practiced by an African American counselor and a European American counselor African American Job Corps participants were randomly assigned to view one offour videotapes of simulated counseling sessions. Results indicate a statistically significant difference between reality therapy and person-centered therapy, and between an African American counselor and a European American counselor Higher ratings were given to reality therapy over person-centered therapy and to an African American male counselor over a European American male counselor
Goal Discrepancy in African American Male Student-Athletes' Unrealistic Expectations for Careers in Professional Sports
Authors: Sellers Robert M. , Kuperminc Gabriel P.
Published: March 2007

The present study investigated whether African American male college student-athletes unrealistically focus their career goals on professional athletics to the detriment of their academic pursuits. The study considered the professional athleticaspirations of 702 AfricanAmerican male student-athletesfrom42 NCAA Division I universities using the concept of goal discrepancy to identify individuals whose professional athletic aspirations were inconsistent with their current status asfirst team members of theirfootball or basketball programs. The results found only 5% of the sample to be goal discrepant and that among goal discrepant student-athletes, the majority were underclassmen. Institutional characteristics, such as intensity of the athletic program and segregation of athletes from nonathletic students, were stronger predictors of goal discrepancy than personal characteristics, such as socioeconomic status or precollege academic preparation. The results are discussed in relation to social policy that influences access to educational opportunity for African Americans.
Redefining Race in the Workplace: Insights from Ethnic Identity Theory
Authors: Thomas Kecia M. , Phillips Layli D. , Brown Stephanie
Published: March 2007

Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists are becoming increasingly interested in race in the workplace, especially given the numerous reports touting the changing demographic makeup of new entrants in the labor market. Past studies that have examined race in the organizational arena have often developed without theoretical grounding as well as relied on nominal definitions of race. Furthennore, race research in the organizational sciences has also relied on deficit models of difference to discuss results of studies that have mostly used comparative designs. This article encourages the use of ethnic identity theory by I/O psychologists to open the field to new ways of thinking about race and studying it in organizations.
Cardiovascular Responses to Conflict Stress in African American Mother-Daughter Dyads
Authors: McClure Faith H. , Myers Hector F.
Published: March 2007

This study evaluated the effect of family conflict interactions on cardiovascular responses of African American hypertensive and normotensive mother-daughter dyads and determined degree of mother-daughter concordance of physiologic response. Sixteen African American hypertensive mothers and 21 African American normotensive mothers and their teenage daughters discussed 2 topics, one involving no conflict and the other involving participant-identified conflict. Differences in blood pressure (BP), both systolic and diastolic, and heart rate (HR) were examined. As expected, hypertensive mothers and their daughters had higher BP levels (responsivity) than did their normotensive counterparts. For mothers, differences were due largely to group differences at baseline. For daughters, differences were due largely to group differences in body mass. BP reactivity (change) did not differ significantly between the groups. Few HR effects were observed. There was moderate BP concordance and low HR concordance. The findings suggest that conflict management and body mass may be important factors to consider among families at risk for hypertension.