bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reasons Adolescents Don't Use Drugs: Exploring a “Depth of Acceptance” Model
Authors: Russac R. J. , Powell Richard S.
Published: May 2005

Adolescent's reasons for not using drugs were examined for evidence of factors that might lead to differential resistance to drug use. Six thousand eight-hundred and forty-one sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade students were administered a comprehensive drug survey which included: 1) demographic information, 2) reasons not to use drugs, and 3) self-reports of lifetime and current (30-day) drug use across sixteen drug categories. The reasons for not using drugs were then factor analyzed and the results compared to a “Depth of Acceptance” (DOA) model consisting of four orientations: External Outcome, Social, and Personal. These orientations are thought both to represent distinct immunization factors and to be differentially related in strength to lifetime and current drug use. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a close fit between the hypothesized orientations and factor loadings among the sixteen items. Collectively, the sixteen items were also found to be excellent predictors of both lifetime and current drug use. While multiple stepwise regression analyses did reveal differential predictive strengths between orientation and drug use, the misclassification of a single item apparently attenuated the results for Social Orientation. The DOA model appears to provide a useful framework for “fine-tuning” prevention messages based on factors that immunize against drug use.
Protective and Risk Predictors in the Development of Drug Use
Authors: Gerevich József , Bácskai Erika
Published: May 2005

The authors examined the relationship of two dimensions of the theory of social development—vulnerability (predictors, risk factors) and protectivity—in two samples, schoolchildren aged ten to fifteen years and addictive drug users. On the basis of the Hirschi model of protective factors, they found that the most important protective factors (attachment, commitment, involvement, belief) act against substance use. A surprising finding was that among the predictors of the addicts some forms of escape from the family act against the development of drug use, that is, they can be regarded as a protective predictor. The findings of the study draw attention to the complexity of the vulnerability-protectivity relationship and to the need for further research.
Ten Survivors of Cardiac Arrest
Authors: White Robert L. , Liddon Sim C.
Published: May 2005

Patients from two hospitals who had experienced a cardiac arrest with resuscitation, within a forty-three month period, were considered for the study. All surviving patients within a one-hundred mile radius were actually included; these ten were interviewed and evaluated.

The two most marked psychological reactions of these patients were 1) the use of “major denial” and 2) the experiencing of a transcendental redirection in their lives. Three patients used “major denial” and made good adjustments. Five patients experienced either a religious conversion or a philosophical redirection in their lives. All of these used either minimal or partial denial, and two made good adjustments. The “life review” prior to arrest, as reported by other authors, was not experienced in this sample.

All of the families interviewed assumed an overprotective role toward the patients, while the patients themselves were relieved to be able to discuss the incident. Case examples of various reactions are presented.
The Magnitude of Malnutrition in Latin America
Authors: Escudero José Carlos
Published: May 2005

Malnutrition, an illness which can easily be prevented and cured with existing resources and technology, is perhaps the most widespread disease in Latin America. However, it is unrecognized as such, and those population groups that suffer most from it are most prone to have their sufferings unrecorded. Two factors contribute to this: (a) the inaccuracy and incomplete coverage of vital statistics, as reflected by underregistration of deaths, insufficient medical certification of registered deaths, and biases both among certifying physicians and in the International Classification of Diseases; and (b) low population coverage by the health care systems and thus by the statistics which they generate. These factors are related to the ideological bias of those statistical systems and to the concepts of causality which they use.

Through a review and analysis of “ad hoc” studies on the frequency of malnutrition in Latin America and its incidence in relation to morbidity and mortality, an estimation is made of malnutrition-caused deaths, which would amount to almost one-fifth of deaths from all causes. As overall availability of food in Latin America is adequate, it is held that this continent ultimately has the level of malnutrition that it wishes to have.
A Case of Chronic Factitious Illness
Authors: Levy Norman B. , Rajapaksa Trikante
Published: May 2005

A twenty-four-year-old woman is presented with multiple previous hospitalizations for joint and muscle pains. Guarded in her description of symptoms, she reports that “lupus” has been diagnosed at several hospitals over the past few years, unable to recall the name of any other than one previous hospital. The medical work-up failed to show any abnormality except that compatible with previously diagnosed von Willebrand's disease. In the discussion of the case, the patient's desire to be taken care of is seen as a major dynamic, causing her to fabricate illness. The diagnoses of Munchausen Syndrome, malingering, conversion reaction and hypochondriasis are discussed and differentiated from each other, and the treatment of Munchausen Syndrome is discussed.
Structuralism in Instructional Design
Authors: Jonassen David H.
Published: May 2005

The design of mediated instruction has been traditionally premised on a behavioral model. Instructional systems were designed to complete associative connections in the learner. This mechanistic model has acceded to an organismic model of man, actively engaged in the construction of knowledge. Structuralism as a theoretical base has so pervaded instructional design procedures and principles that conceptually identical constructs are competing for attention in the field. Standardization of some of these variables in a structuralist framework will facilitate theoretical and empirical development of instructional design research.
Mapping Language Function in the Brain: A Review of the Recent Literature
Authors: Crafton Robert E. , Kido Elissa
Published: May 2005

Advocates of brain-based learning have argued that instructional methods, to be successful, must be based on an understanding of how the brain processes information. In the past most descriptions of neurocognitive function were largely speculative, relying on theoretical constructions of how we believed the brain to work. Recent advances in functional imaging—Positron Emission Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging—have, however, opened the brain to empirical study. This article will consider the potential importance of brain study for composition instruction, briefly describe functional imaging techniques, and review the findings of recent brain-mapping studies investigating the neurocognitive systems involved in language function. In short, understanding how language systems are organized in the brain represents the first step in our attempts to create brain-compatible instructional methods in the composition classroom. Following a review of the recent literature, the article will consider the possible implications of this information for pedagogical practice.
Bereavement Stress and Coping among Older Adults: Expectations versus the Actual Experience
Authors: Caserta Michael S. , Lund Dale A.
Published: May 2005

This investigation compared the stress and coping levels of 108 older adults who recently lost their spouse with expectations of stress and coping reported by eighty-five matched nonbereaved controls. While the bereaved reported moderately high stress levels over two years, their stress scores were lower and their coping scores were higher than what the nonbereaved anticipated their levels would be if their spouse died. The findings are consistent with evidence that is beginning to emerge in bereavement literature that demonstrates resiliency on the part of those who have suffered a loss and that the ability to cope with the loss is often underestimated.
The Role of Gender in Middle-Age Children's Responses to Parent Death
Authors: Moss Miriam S. , Resch Nancy , Moss Sidney Z.
Published: May 2005

The impact of the deaths of the last surviving elderly parent of 212 middle-aged children was studied. Daughters expressed more emotional upset, somatic response, and continuing tie with the deceased parent than sons; sons reported more acceptance of the death than daughters. The child's gender was not associated with a sense of personal finitude or control of grief. When we control in regressions for characteristics of the parent, the child, and the quality of their relationship, child's gender continued to add significantly to the bereavement outcomes above.
Validity of the Repeated Ghq among Pregnant Women: A Study in a Japanese General Hospital
Authors: Kitamura Toshinori , Toda Mari A. , Shima Satoru , Sugawara Masumi
Published: May 2005

Objective:

The authors examined the variability of the validity of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) on two different occasions.

Method:

The subjects were 120 pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic of a general hospital in Japan. The GHQ was distributed twice—in the first and third trimesters. They were then interviewed by a psychiatrist blind to the GHQ scores using the standard and the “change” version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS).

Results:

Of the 120 women, 108 and ninety-eight completed the GHQ and were successfully interviewed in the first and third trimesters, respectively. Seventeen percent (18/108) and 13 percent (13/98) women were given RDC diagnoses in the first and third trimesters, respectively: They were designated as cases. Despite a satisfactory discriminatory power of the GHQ on the first occasion [1], the validity measures of the GHQ on the second occasion were generally poor. Thus, the sensitivity was 39 percent and specificity 82 percent for the cut-off point of 7/8.

Conclusions:

The GHQ should be validated separately when distributed repeatedly to the same subjects.
The Closure of a Factory and its Impact on Health
Authors: Grayson J. Paul
Published: May 2005

SKF, one of Sweden's foremost corporations, is the world's largest producer of bearings. In the seventies, largely as a consequence of Japanese competition, in order to maintain its preeminent position, SKF embarked on a program of global rationalization and automation. One of the consequences of these measures was a decrease in the size of the overall SKF workforce and the closure of factories in a number of countries. One of the casualties was the manufacturing operation of SKF Canada Ltd.

The following article concentrates on the consequences of the shutdown for employees. It is seen that over five surveys conducted over a two and a half year period the impact of the shutdown on some dimensions was the same for former employees and their wives. On others, former employees responded differently than their wives. Overall, however, the closure of SKF Canada Ltd., in terms of stress, economic hardship, and ill-health, was devastating for both former employees and their wives.
Belief in a Just World and the Perceived Injustice of Dying Young or Old
Authors: Chasteen Alison L. , Madey Scott F.
Published: May 2005

We investigated how belief in a just world (i.e., that people get what they deserve) affects the perceived injustice of dying young versus dying old. Younger and older adult participants completed a measure of their just world beliefs and then were randomly assigned to read one of four newspaper articles purportedly about a person who died in an automobile accident. In the articles, both the victim's age (19 or 79) and the victim's outlook on life (concerned about the future or living for today) were varied. Results indicated that participants viewed the death of a younger victim as more unjust than the death of an older victim. Older adults, however, experienced less negative affect than did younger adults when reading the article. Older adults also expressed a higher belief in a just world (BJW) than did younger adults. In addition, BJW was related to perceived justice. Participants with a higher BJW perceived the deaths of both victims as more tragic and unjust than did those with a low BJW. The victim's outlook on life did not affect perceived justice. Implications for medical decision-making, the use of aggressive treatment, and the relative value of youth versus age are discussed.
Community Attitudes toward Funeral Directors
Authors: Kalish Richard A. , Goldberg Helene
Published: May 2005

Attitudes and experiences of church members concerning the practices of funeral directors were surveyed through a two-phase sampling procedure. A sample of clergy was approached by mail and asked to distribute questionnaires to persons in their congregations who had recently experienced making funeral arrangements. A total of 155 individuals returned completed questionnaires describing reactions based on one specific funeral arrangement. The attitudes and experiences of these persons regarding the practices of funeral directors, pricing arrangements for funerals, and related factors were investigated. For the most part, respondents indicated satisfaction with funeral home practices, although for any given practice, a modest percentage had had a negative experience. Many survey questions were based on Federal Trade Commission policy issues.
Hypochondriacal Concerns and Attitudes toward Illness in Males and Females
Authors: Hernandez Juan , Kellner Robert
Published: May 2005

Objective:

To review the published studies on the sex distribution of hypochondriasis, and to examine sex differences in hypochondriacal concerns and in attitudes toward illness.

Method:

The Illness Attitude Scales, Factors 2 and 3 of the Whiteley Index and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) were administered to fifty randomly-selected female family practice patients ages eighteen to sixty-five, and to male patients matched by age in decades. From a pool of 130 consecutive nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients, fifty females and fifty males were matched with the family practice patients.

Results:

Although females rated themselves as more depressed than males in both groups, there were no significant differences between the sexes in hypochondriacal fears and beliefs. Psychiatric male patients reported the most adverse effects of bodily symptoms on work and leisure. There were no other significant differences between the sexes in any of the other attitudes toward illness or symptoms. Hypochondriacal concerns were more common in the psychiatric patients than in the family practice patients of both sexes.

Conclusion:

The review of published studies on the sex distribution of hypochondriasis suggests that disease phobia is more common in females, except for the cardiophobic syndrome, which is more common in males. The other reported differences are inconsistent and appear to be caused by referral biases, varying diagnostic criteria, and cultural factors. In our study, we found no substantial differences between males and females in hypochondriacal concerns and attitudes toward illness.
Applauding Mediocrity: Tl Dating and the Navajo Tree Ring Dates Revisited
Authors: Espenshade Christopher T.
Published: May 2005

In their 2002 study comparing Early Navajo period tree ring dates and thermoluminescence (TL) results from sherds and fire-altered rocks, Dykeman et al. (2002:145) applaud the “remarkable correspondence between tree-ring and thermoluminescence results.” However, re-examination of their data suggests that the rate of certain correspondence (40%) is low, and mathematical modeling shows that a similar rate (35%) could be achieved with random guesses for dates. As the Dykeman et al. (2002) article was presented to champion the use of TL dating on sherds and fire-altered rocks, this re-examination yields a call for more extensive controlled testing of the TL method before its widespread use in North American archaeology.
Psychophysiologic Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Finch Stuart M.
Published: May 2005

Psychosomatic disorders in children and adolescents is a topic that covers a wide variety of illnesses and one which is difficult if not impossible to define accurately. In general, chronic emotional states, often nonspecific, serve as strong contributors to the development of a physical illness. The particular illness is often dictated by varying degrees of biological predisposition in one physiological system—i.e., such a predisposition in the respiratory system may lead to asthma or in the gastrointestinal system to ulcerative colitis. In some cases the biological factor is large and the emotional factor minimal, while in other cases the reverse is true. In the early days of research in psychosomatic disorders it was widely believed that each disorder was accompanied by certain specific emotional problems. Further study has shown this is not true. It was also felt that many, if not most of these disorders could be cured by psychotherapy, and this also has proven to be a fallacy. We have moved more and more to the team approach. Since both psyche and soma are involved, more than one specialist is usually required. In children and adolescents this may involve a child psychiatrist, a pediatrician, an allergist or gastroenterologist, a social worker and a psychologist. It requires time and patience to form an effective and smoothly functioning team in which all members respect one another's potential contribution. Some examples of team operation are presented and some of the problems outlined. In addition, there is attention given to the special problems of the adolescent and also the child with chronic nonspecific physical complaints as well as the child who requires hospitalization.
Catecholamine Metabolism in Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Halmi Katherine A.
Published: May 2005

Studies are reviewed that address the question of whether anorexia nervosa is associated with abnormalities in central nervous system catecholamine metabolism. There is some support for the hypothesis that norepinephrine and dopamine metabolism are altered in this disorder.
Algorithms for Resource Allocation of Substance Abuse Prevention Funds Based on the Estimated Need: A Case Study on State of Florida—Part 1
Authors: Kim Sehwan , Wurster Leslie , Williams Charles , Hepler Nancy
Published: May 2005

The purposes of Parts 1–3 of this article is to develop a framework for county-based prevention resource allocation algorithms based on the aggregated need for substance abuse prevention services estimated at the county level. The development of these algorithms is founded upon two databases: statewide student drug survey and a set of social indicators routinely collected and published by various agencies of the state of Florida. The resource allocation models are devised by developing several indices of prevention needs that are conceptualized in terms of: 1) county-based composite drug use index (COMDRUG), 2) the definitions of prevention target populations as envisioned by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), 3) composite risk-factor index score, and 4) a set of social indicators that are empirically related to COMDRUG observed at the county level. The first three models are based on the prevention needs estimated from the statewide student survey on substance abuse. The social indicator model, however, is presented as an alternative resource allocation model which may be used in lieu of or in the absence of statewide survey. The resource allocation algorithms found on these four conceptualizations are thought to be more equitable and appropriate to the prevention needs of various communities than may be contrived otherwise. Due to a significant amount of information leading to the development of these models, Part 1 of this series is devoted to the following three topics: 1) sampling method used, 2) poststratification weighting methods used to estimate county-based COMDRUG, and 3) the development of resource allocation models based on COMDRUG and the IOM definitions of prevention target populations.
A Mixed-Fidelity Approach to Technical Training
Authors: Rouse William B.
Published: May 2005

Approaches to training based on theory, proceduralization, and simulation are reviewed. The strengths of each approach are combined to produce a new method involving a mix of low, moderate, and high fidelity simulators. Applications of the mixed-fidelity approach to aircraft maintenance and marine engineering are discussed.
Grandparent Visitation Rights: An Inappropriate Intrusion or Appropriate Protection?
Authors: Keith Pat M. , Wacker Robbyn R.
Published: May 2005

Increased divorce rates, longevity in multi-generational families, and activism by older persons are a part of the context in which the role of grandparents in the family, an overview of grandparent visitation statutes, and controversy about visitation rights are discussed. The history and characteristics of grandparent visitation statutes, the process of filing, and criteria used to grant visitation provide insight into the complexities of the request for, and determination of, these rights. Family dynamics interact with a myriad of state statutes to suggest implications for research and policy.
The Economics of Pharmaceutical Supply in Tanzania
Authors: Yudkin John S.
Published: May 2005

This paper analyzes the patterns of purchasing, distribution, and utilization of pharmaceuticals currently found in Tanzania, an underdeveloped country in Africa. Like other nations in the Third World, Tanzania offers the prospect of a rapidly expanding market for the multinational pharmaceutical industry. However, this market has been to a large extent developed by the intense promotional activities of the drug companies themselves. In addition to normal marketing methods, these companies indulge in techniques which would be neither acceptable nor legal in developed countries. As a result, expensive proprietary drugs are overpurchased and overprescribed, mainly in the large urban hospitals, with consequent deprivation of other health care facilities, particularly those for the rural peasants who form the majority of the population. The activities of the multinational pharmaceutical companies in the Third World are therefore an important component in the continuing underdevelopment of health in these nations.
Personal Constructs, Threat and Attitudes toward Death
Authors: Krieger Seth R. , Epting Franz R. , Leitner Larry M.
Published: May 2005

The present study introduced a personal construct approach to the assessment of threat of death. Two experiments were reported in which the relationship of this measure, referred to as the Threat Index, to a number of self-report variables, the Lester Fear of Death Scale, and the Templer Death Anxiety Scale was investigated. A total of 112 college students participated in the experiments which demonstrated a significant relationship between the Threat Index, self-reported fear of death, conceivability of personal mortality, and the Lester Scale. No significant relationship was found between the Threat Index and belief in afterlife, frequency of thoughts about death or suicide, or the Templer Scale. The possible advantages of the Threat Index procedure were discussed in terms of its relationship with the other measures of death concern, the various self-report variables, and previous criticisms of death concern assessment techniques.
Computers, Quantitative Methods and the Teaching of Sociology: A New Approach to an Old Problem
Authors: Morris David C. , Johnson William S.
Published: May 2005

There is a growing awareness in the social sciences that college level course work should offer not only substantive materials but should also acquaint students with research methods and techniques relevant to the particular discipline. This article presents information concerning the development of computer based research materials designed to meet these needs. The study upon which this article is based demonstrates that while there is a definite need for quantitative methods and an understanding of computer based data analysis in an undergraduate Sociology curriculum, the effective implementation of both requires the creation of a non-threatening learning environment.
The American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery
Authors: Wolpin Milton
Published: May 2005

A brief description is given of the American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery and the work of some of those who have been closely associated with it. Reasons for the recent interest in imagery are indicated. Examples are given of some of the concerns that have been considered at the conferences, sponsored by the Association. It is suggested that the Association performs important functions and readers are asked to consider their potential involvement in the organization and ways in which it might further develop.
An Evaluation of University Students as a Model Population in Predicting Performing Arts Attendance
Authors: Kettlewell Neil M.
Published: May 2005

In the present study, attitudinal and behavioral variables were found using university students as subjects which predicted attendance for ballet, interpretative dance, theater, art museums, and symphonies. The equations developed were tested for predictive accuracy on patrons of the ballet. The equations were found to predict even greater amounts of the variance in the ballet sample than for the student sample with the exception of the theater. The extent of the variance predicted, in the areas previously studied, i.e., symphony and theater, increased vis-a-vis these studies. Overall, prediction of variance ranged from a low of 44 percent to a high of 57 percent based on the performing arts group studied.
Oral Health Status and its Inequality among Education Groups: Comparing Seven International Study Sites
Authors: Chen Meei-Shia
Published: May 2005

This study compares oral health status and its inequality among education groups across seven study sites in five countries: Erfurt, Germany; Lodz, Poland; Yamanashi, Japan; New Zealand; and Baltimore and the Lakota and Navajo Indian Health Service sites in the United States. The data, from the International Collaborative Study of Oral Health Outcomes, were collected through personal interviews and clinical examinations. The research group measured the study sites' overall oral health, examining the percentage of the population with five or more missing and two or more decayed teeth. The group also assessed the magnitude of inequality among education groups by using indices of excess morbidity. Baltimore had the lowest percentage (10.8 percent) of decayed teeth and second lowest percentage (17.3 percent) of missing teeth, but the greatest indices of excess morbidity (79.2 percent for missing, 73.1 percent for decayed). Lodz, by contrast, had the worst overall dentition status (75.3 percent for missing, 70.3 percent for decayed) but the lowest inequality indices (10.6 percent for missing, 13.8 percent for decayed). This study demonstrates the need for policymakers in the study countries to consider not only overall levels but also the distribution of oral health, and it presents various challenges for oral health professionals in designing and implementing oral health programs.
Females Surpass Males in Computer Problem Solving: Findings from the Minnesota Computer Literacy Assessment
Authors: Anderson Ronald E.
Published: May 2005

Results from the 1979 Minnesota Computer Literacy Assessment conducted by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, show that high school females performed better than males in some specific areas of programming. The areas of female superiority are those such as problem analysis and algorithmic application where the problems are expressed verbally rather than mathematically. While these findings may result from unique features of computer education in Minnesota, the findings may also be a consequence of the fact that the Minnesota assessment instrument was relatively free of mathematical bias. These findings and those of the 1982 National Assessment of Science on female superiority in “science decision making” imply that women are better than men at tasks usually defined as systems analysis rather than program coding.
Determinant Factors Contributing to Variations in Memory Performance in Centenarians
Authors: Hansson Jan-Åke , Hagberg Bo
Published: May 2005

The role of environmental markers in memory performance among centenarians was examined in a study comparing non-cognitive factors to various aspects of memory performance. The centenarian group participating in the study consisted of 100 individuals (82 females and 18 males). Selected as non-cognitive factors were Quality of Life, Life-Habits, Health, Personality, and Autonomy. These factors were later compared to memory performance in short-term memory, semantic memory, and episodic memory. Using a structural equation model, results showed that performance in short-term memory was best predicted by life-habits and personality, while performance in semantic and episodic memory were best predicted by autonomy and life-habits. Implementation of the result from a life-span perspective includes a closer monitoring of environmental markers in the future. In effect, this could preserve memory function and optimum health through old age, thus making interventions easier to realize.
Prehistoric Procurement of Secondary Sources: The Case for Characterization
Authors: Lavin Lucianne , Prothero Donald R.
Published: May 2005

Lithic source identification is a new and exciting subfield of archaeology. Sourcing studies often concentrate on prehistoric quarry areas within primary, or in situ, bedrock outcrops. Other important but underrated resources are primary, non-quarry outcrops and secondary, redeposited materials such as glacial till and water-laid gravels. This article discusses the characterization of chert sources by petrographic, or thin section analysis, and assesses the technique's usefulness in identifying specific rock units as the raw material source for prehistoric artifacts. Data from source areas and from archaeological sites in the Delaware and lower Hudson drainages of New Jersey and New York are used to illustrate the need for analysis of non-quarry chert source localities.
Adolescent-Parent Death Attitude Resemblance in Kuwaiti and Sudanese Families
Authors: Awadalla Abdelwahid , Al-Fayez Ghenaim , Arikawa Hiroko , Templer Donald I.
Published: May 2005

The present study determined the family resemblance in death anxiety and death depression in Kuwait and in the Sudan. There were moderate correlations between Death Anxiety Scale (Templer, 1970) and Death Depression Scale (Templer, Lavoie, Chalgujian, & Thomas-Dobson, 1990) scores of adolescents and their parents and between the scores of the mothers and fathers. The correlations tended to be higher in death depression than in death anxiety, and it was speculated that such may not have been found if the more recently constructed Death Depression Scale-Revised (Templer et al., 2002) had been used. The present findings mesh with family resemblance death attitude research in the United States and in the Philippines in indicating a transmission of death attitude in the family context. Differences in the pattern of correlations were interpreted in terms of cultural differences.
Mobile Computing in Higher Education: Faculty Perceptions of Benefits and Barriers
Authors: Shim Minsuk K. , Shim Sung J.
Published: May 2005

Using data from a survey of faculty at a university that is planning to adopt campus-wide mobile computing, this study examined the faculty's perceptions toward the potential benefits of and barriers to mobile computing in higher education. The study also examined the role of three moderating variables associated with the faculty's current use of related technologies in the formation of perceptions about the benefits and barriers. The findings can help explicate the faculty's perceptions toward mobile computing to support educational activities. Such understanding will prove helpful to academic and technology administrators who are planning to adopt mobile computing.
The Comprehensibility of Simplified English in Procedures
Authors: Shubert Serena K. , Spyridakis Jan H. , Holmback Heather K. , Coney Mary B.
Published: May 2005

Anecdotal evidence suggests that using a restricted language called Simplified English (SE) to write procedural documents is the best method to accommodate specific audiences. Providing empirical data to prove or disprove this hypothesis is the point of the experiment reported here. This study examined the effect of document type (SE versus non-SE), passage (Procedure A versus Procedure B), and native language (native versus non-native English speakers) on the comprehensibility, identification of content location, and task completion time of procedure documents for airplane maintenance. This research suggests that using SE significantly improves the comprehensibility of more complex documents. Further, readers of more complex SE documents can more easily locate and identify information within the document. For the documents tested in this experiment, the SE and non-SE documents took essentially the same amount of time for subjects to read and complete the test. Finally, while the difference between native and non-native English speakers could not be tested statistically because of extremely different cell sizes, the comprehensibility and content location scores for the native and non-native speakers appear to be quite different, with the non-native speakers benefiting from SE more than the native speakers.
Motivating Recalcitrant Business and Technical Writing Students
Authors: Sparrow W. Keats
Published: May 2005

The business or technical writing teacher can mitigate against his pragmatic students' recalcitrance toward language studies by pointing out the utility of knowing how to write well. However, rather than turning to hackneyed arguments or to literary evidence, he can motivate students more effectively by turning to compelling testimonials from leaders in business and industry, to appropriate personal experiences, and to stimulating classroom strategies that emphasize the importance of language ability in career, social, and civic aspirations. The lively use of such readily available resources can improve student attitude toward the course and should thus improve student performance.
Death Education and Physicians' Attitudes toward Dying Patients
Authors: Dickinson George E. , Pearson Algene A.
Published: May 2005

The literature suggests that physicians have difficulty relating to dying patients. Medical schools traditionally have not addressed themselves to this issue. The object of this research was to determine if physicians' reported attitudes toward dying patients were related to the amount of death education physicians received. A 71 per cent return rate was received from a questionnaire mailed to 1540 graduates (classes of 1972–1975) from five selected medical schools. Twenty per cent of the physicians had taken an entire course in medical school on relating to dying patients. Physicians with formal coursework tended to relate somewhat differently to the dying patient than did physicians who did not take such a course as four of the eleven Likert-type statements on relating to dying patients revealed a statistically significant relationship–using a Chi-square test–between those who had a course on dealing with dying patients and those with less than a course. It is suggested that this difference might also be attributed to a self-selection of students choosing to take such a course.
A Note on Shneidman's Psychological Pain Assessment Scale
Authors: Leenaars Antoon A. , Lester David
Published: May 2005

Shneidman's Psychological Pain Assessment Scale (PPAS) was explored for its validity and reliability. The test-retest reliability of the measures was quite modest for a 28-day interval. In a sample of undergraduate students, measures of psychache were significantly associated with prior suicidality; yet, the PPAS had only a modest degree of validity. More detailed study is warranted, before final conclusions can be made.
Father Dead, Mother Dead: Bereavement and Fictive Death in Penan Geng Society
Authors: Brosius J. Peter
Published: May 2005

A characteristic of the mortuary complexes of central Bornean societies is the existence of systems of “death-names.” Death-names are actually titles, given to persons on the death of a relative. This article examines the system employed by Penan Geng hunter-gatherers. What is significant about the Penan complex is that death-names are employed in a wider range of contexts than that of bereavement: they are used 1) to express affection, 2) to verify statements, and 3) as curses. Each of these usages derives from the assumption that reference to the death of a living individual may bring it about. Much recent scholarship on death has been predicated on the assumption that humans deny death. The Penan case would seem to counter this. Penan have incorporated the theme of death into all forms of social discourse. Rather than denying death, this discursive complex uses reference to the death of self or others to social ends.
Administering the Climate Survey: A Toolkit
Authors: Rothwell William J.
Published: May 2005

Climate surveys are an important part of an organizational communication program. They facilitate upward communication and provide an opportunity for meaningful change. Although many questionnaires are commercially available, managers in small organizations can seldom afford them—or even know where to get them. This article describes the conduct of a climate survey and provides a questionnaire for the readers' use.
The Attitudes of Physicians toward Prolonging Life
Authors: Travis Terry A. , Noyes Russell , Brightwell Dennis R.
Published: May 2005

A brief questionnaire concerning the care of terminally ill patients was distributed to all physicians in the state of Iowa. The response to it suggests that Iowa physicians believe that terminal patients often realize that they are dying, though they rarely speak of it. Nearly half of those physicians revealed that they frequently omitted life-prolonging procedures or medications in the care of these patients. Likewise, close to half indicated that with some increased sharing of responsibility for decisions in this area, they might increase the frequency of this particular practice. In contrast, the vast majority expressed opposition to change in social attitudes which would permit physicians to hasten death. An analysis of responses to the questionnaire revealed the influence of experience upon the attitudes and practices of Iowa physicians. With greater exposure to terminal patients they more readily discussed a patient's prognosis with him, more often received requests for interruption of treatment, and more frequently omitted life-prolonging measures.
The Identification of Psychiatric Morbidity by Internists and Subsequent Selection for Psychiatric Referral
Authors: Schubert Daniel S. P. , Gabinet Laille , Friedson William , Billowitz Aaron , Miller Sheldon
Published: May 2005

Past literature raises the question as to the degree of identification of psychiatric morbidity among medical inpatients. A psychosocial information scale was used to rate charts of seventeen inpatients who later received a psychiatric consultation and seventeen who did not during the index admission. More psychosocial items were generally present in the charts with those patients receiving later psychiatric consultation overall and specifically in the areas of psychiatric chief complaint, history of behavior change and past psychiatric history. It was concluded that many patients with psychiatric morbidity on medical wards were not so identified and this was a prime reason for their non-referral, although several of the sub-groups of such patients could benefit from psychiatric treatment. Non-psychiatrists were urged to adopt a more holistic approach to medicine with emphasis on continuity of care to insure comprehensive diagnosis and management.
User Instructions for the Elderly: What the Literature Tells Us
Authors: Van Hees Maartje M. W.
Published: May 2005

With elderly people becoming an ever larger part of our society, the usability of modern technical products for these people is becoming an ever more important issue. Instructions that optimally fit the needs of this elderly audience could enhance the usability of the products they belong to. The study described in this article is aimed at an investigation of this gerontological research literature to find out what is already known about age deficiencies in cognitive processes which might adversely influence instructional text processing. On the basis of the findings from this research, tentative guidelines could be given on how such manuals could be designed and written. Moreover, we propose several kinds of follow-up research that still have to be carried out to gather more knowledge on the topic of manuals for the elderly.
Drug Abuse Prevention Curricula in Public and Private Schools in Indiana
Authors: Bosworth Kris , Cueto Santiago
Published: May 2005

Recent research on drug education has focused on public schools. This study compares public school drug education programs with such efforts in private schools in one midwestern state. All schools in the state were asked to respond to a survey on curricula and training. This study reports on the types of prevention curricula used and at what grades, as well as the number of schools with trained staff. For almost every grade a higher percentage of public schools was found to be implementing drug education programs than private schools. This was manifested in public schools developing their own programs and/or purchasing commercially available drug curricula. Although an equal number of private and public schools have trained staff, less than half of all schools report a trained staff at each grade level. Directions for future research based on these results are suggested.
What is a Theory of Consciousness a Theory of?—The Search for Criterial Constraints on Theory
Authors: Baars Bernard J.
Published: May 2005

When are psychologists entitled to call a certain theoretical construct “consciousness?” Until the past few years most cognitive psychologists avoided dealing with conscious experience, in part because of a widespread view that there are no reliable empirical constraints to provide a foundation for theory. Today there is an increasing willingness to address the question. But how do we find the relevant empirical constraints? This article maintains that we only need to specify the minimal conditions of occurrence and nonoccurrence of a conscious experience, as expressed in a reliable way by subjects. One can do this by contrastively analyzing closely matched pairs of psychological events which seem to differ only in respect to the fact that one member of the pair is conscious, while the other is not. The article discusses five sets of such phenomena, and suggests some general properties that characterize them. Much of the empirical evidence needed for a theory of consciousness already exists today–only the theory itself is lacking.
Coping with Loss: Differences between Widows and Widowers of Deceased Cancer Patients
Authors: Gilbar Ora , Dagan Anat
Published: May 2005

This study compares the adjustment to loss on the part of forty-three widows and twenty-four widowers, all former spouses of patients who died of cancer. The patients and the families were treated at the Unit for Home Care of the Oncological Institute in the Linn Clinic in Haifa as well as in various hospitals in Haifa for the terminally ill. The main findings indicate that widows of patients who died of cancer suffer more than widowers. This can be learned by comparing the psychological (BSI), psychosocial (PAIS) and behavioral subscales (TRIG) of adjustment, and from ANOVA analyses of the three scales.
The Development of Video Tapes for High School Physics Courses: The Mechanical Universe and beyond
Authors: Olenick Richard P.
Published: May 2005

Adaptations of the college level PBS series The Mechanical Universe were created by a group of nationally recognized high school physics teachers. The adaptations were created to use the power of the television medium to develop a sound and solid understanding of physics, when used in conjunction with any existing high school course and textbook. Twenty-four modules were developed, each of which contains a ten- to twenty-minute videotape adaptation and written teacher support materials. The topics of these modules were selected to enhance the teaching of classical as well as more modern topics in physics and thereby bring the curriculum closer to the frontiers of physics. The video adaptations are designed to be easily incorporated into a class meeting and make extensive use of historical recreations, complete animation, demonstrations, and applications. The supportive teacher resource materials help teachers integrate the concepts presented in the video with more traditional high-school text materials and to create an interactive environment in the classroom. The inception and development of this project is discussed in detail.
Transfer Effects of Semantic Networks on Expert Systems: Mindtools at Work
Authors: Marra Rose M. , Jonassen David H.
Published: May 2005

Semantic networks and expert systems can support learning and critical thinking as Mindtools. Mindtools are computer-based tools that function as intellectual partners with the learner in order to engage and facilitate critical thinking and higher-order learning. Semantic networks and expert systems in particular are cognitive reflection tools that help learners to build a representation of what they know by designing their own knowledge bases. Semantic networks have been used as a knowledge elicitation tool for expert system construction; however, the effects of using these tools together has never been formally studied. This study examined the effects of building semantic networks on the coherence and utility of expert systems subsequently constructed. Subjects who constructed semantic networks first produced expert systems with significantly more rules and rule types than a control group. The task's intentional ambiguity and the differences in thinking necessary for semantic network and expert system construction may have affected the non-significance of other expert system complexity variables.
The American Compensation Phenomenon
Authors: Bale Anthony
Published: May 2005

In this article, the author defines the occupational safety and health domain, characterizes the distinct compensation phenomenon in the United States, and briefly reviews important developments in the last decade involving Karen Silkwood, intentional torts, and asbestos litigation. He examines the class conflict over the value and meaning of work-related injuries and illnesses involved in the practical activity of making claims and turning them into money through compensation inquiries. Juries, attributions of fault, and medicolegal discourse play key roles in the compensation phenomenon. This article demonstrates the extensive, probing inquiry through workers' bodies constituted by the American compensation phenomenon into the moral basis of elements of the system of production.
Death Anxiety: Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Cigarette Smoking
Authors: Templer Donald I.
Published: May 2005

There were significant positive correlations between the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) and the Neuroticism Scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory but not with the Extraversion Scale of this inventory. The mean DAS score of cigarette smokers was neither significantly different from that of non-smokers nor from that of ex-smokers. However, within the cigarette smoking group, there was a significant negative correlation (r = −.25) between DAS score and number of cigarettes smoked per day.