bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictive Utility of the LSI for Incarcerated Female Offenders
Authors: COULSON GRANT , ILACQUA GIORGIO , NUTBROWN VERNA , GIULEKAS DIANA , CUDJOE FRANCIS
Published: March 2007

The Level of Supervision Inventory (LSI), an objective risk evaluation instrument based on social learning theory, was administered to 526 provincially incarcerated adult females. The average LSI score was 15.5, compared to average scores ranging from 20.9 to 25.1 for samples of provincially incarcerated adult males from the same jurisdiction. Data on three outcome measures were collected over a 39-month period. Use of LSI scores for prediction produced relative improvement over chance scores for 1-and 2year recidivism, parole failure, and halfway house noncompliance ranging from 54.5% to 71.5%. Across all types of discharge, offenders defined by the LSI as high risk were consistently more likely to fail on release than were low-risk offenders. Recommended cutoff scores for low- and high-risk female offenders are given, and the implications for classification and rehabilitation are explored.
No Hope for Parole
Authors: SORENSEN JON , WRINKLE ROBERT D.
Published: March 2007

The disciplinary records of 93 death-sentenced and 323 life-without-parole inmates were compared to those of 232 life-with-parole inmates. Disciplinary infraction levels across the groups were similar, differences disappearing when other variables were included in a multivariate regression. Death-sentenced and life-without-parole inmates were not more likely than life-with-parole inmates to commit acts of violence (i.e., murders or assaults). It was concluded that restrictive policies that are based on the assumptions of a disproportionate amount of violent behavior by death-sentenced and life-without-parole inmates should be reevaluated.
Informal Reactions and Delinquency
Authors: ZHANG LENING
Published: March 2007

Pursuing the recent resurgence of research interest in labeling theory, this study addressed an important but relatively neglected issue—the informal labeling process and delinquency—with data collected in the National Youth Survey. A testable model was developed by clarifying and specifying some conceptual issues regarding the informal labeling process. Consistent with labeling theory, the results of the data analysis based on this model indicated the significant role of informal reactions in accounting for youths' subsequent life and behavioral adjustments. However, in some important dimensions, the role was not uniform across different types of significant others and across gender. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Prediction of Adult Criminal Status from Juvenile Psychological Assessment
Authors: ANDERSON LAURENCE E. , WALSH JAMES A.
Published: March 2007

A total of 121 juvenile offenders assigned to a regional assessment center in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, for comprehensive psychological assessment between 1979 and 1984 were administered a test battery that included the WISC-R, the MMPI, and the Rorschach test. The offenders included 84 males and 37 females ages 12 to 15; among them were 48 Native Americans. In 1992, after a mean elapsed time of 9.9 years, all 121 were followed up and classified as either guilty ( n = 61) or not guilty ( n = 60) of a serious offense as an adult. Stepwise discriminant function analysis was used to find the best subset of variables with which to distinguish between the adults with a serious criminal record and those without. In order of importance, the four significant predictors selected from among 20 candidate variables were (a) the WISC-R comprehension subtest, (b) gender, (c) North American Native status, and (d) DQ+ from the Rorschach. A correct classification rate of 77.8% (as opposed to a base rate of 50.5%) was achieved, X2 (1) = 35.01, p<.001.
Short-Term Outcome of Inmates Participating in the Lifestyle Change Program
Authors: WALTERS GLENN D.
Published: March 2007

A follow-up of 291 inmates who completed at least one phase of the Lifestyle Change program revealed that these individuals recorded significantly fewer disciplinary reports after entry into the program than 82 inmates who were transferred or released before they had a chance to participate in a single session of the program. The 87 program participants and 24 control subjects who had been released from custody at least 3 months prior to the end of the follow-up period were included in a survival analysis of time elapsed between release and first negative outcome (halfway house failure, parole/supervised release violation, or arrest). Although the results favored subjects in the program condition, they failed to attain statistical significance. Greater program exposure was associated with slightly better outcomes and high-risk participants appeared to benefit more from the program than low-risk participants.
The Impact of Organizational Characteristics on Leadership Effectiveness Models
Authors: Hooijberg Robert , Choi Jaepil
Published: March 2007

Researchers have been criticized for applying generic organization and management theories to public sector organizations on the basis that such theories ignore significant public-private differences. To examine the extent to which generic theories can help us better understand public-private differences, the authors applied a generic leadership theory to both a private and a public sector organization and found interesting differences between the two organizations. The authors concluded that generic theories serve the useful purpose of allowing researchers to compare and contrast public sector management issues with those of other types of organizations. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Perceptions of Membership and Women in Administration
Authors: Rizzo Ann-Marie
Published: March 2007

This paper addresses the special situation of the female administrator, her perceptions of membership in the work group and organization, and how these conceptions may reflect her sense of efficacy and impact on the organization. Jay Jackson's theory of psychological membership is the basis for examining perceived work group and organizational membership among male and female managers in three public agencies. The Person-Group Relationship Scale and Person-Organization Relationship Scale were used to collect the data. Finally, the article explores how the psychology of membership may affect the effective participation of female managers in public organizations.
Materialism and Humanism
Authors: Morrow Allyn A. , Thayer Frederick C.
Published: March 2007

Many argue that work should meet individual needs for fulfillment ( humanism), while meeting needs for personal income and organizational productivity ( materialism). Using a comparative analysis drawn from organization theory, organizatronal hu manism, social philosophy, and political theory, the article demonstrates that com patibility of the two modes is a critical issue throughout social thought . The authors side with those arguing that contradictory premises prevent satisfying marriage and that the dominant paradigm of materialism be abandoned, perhaps by separating work from income. Recognition of finite limits to global resources may hasten this change in world view.
Decentralizing City Government
Authors: Rogers Theresa F. , Friedman Nathalie
Published: March 2007

Citizen evaluations of two alternative forms of decentralizing city government- administrative and political-are analyzed from the perspective of the respondents' ethnicity, the socioeconomic composition of their neighborhoods, and their ap praisal of the delivery of essential city services. Data were collected in 1974 from a sample of 1,288 residents in selected Community Planning Districts m New York City. While the literature suggests that blacks are particularly receptive to decentral izing city government, the data reported here show that whites are more likely than blacks to endorse both administrative and political decentralization. The strongest commitment to decentralization comes from residents most dissatisfied with current service delivery and from a small but politically active segment of the public. Citizen feedback can serve as an integral component in the evaluation of service effectiveness and as an important mechanism m the search for alternative social change strategies directed to improving the quality of urban life.
Patterns of Administrative Decentralization in France
Authors: Brickman Ronald
Published: March 2007

In the aftermath of the 1968 demonstrations, the French university system underwent a reform designed, among other objectives, to increase the decision-making responsi bilities of the local universities. This paper analyzes the extent, nature, and processes of change in the distribution of authority between the national administration and the local academic institutions. A classification ofdecision-makingpowers by their instru mentality, political sensitiveness, institutional distinctiveness, and perception as indi vidual "rights" uncovers several consistencies which help explain why decentralization proceeded as far as and where it did.
The City as a Local Political Economy
Authors: Long Norton E.
Published: March 2007

The contemporary city is widely regarded as being politically and economically weak and relatively powerless. This may well be the case but it need not be. The city has lost its function in meeting the economic and spiritual needs of its people. In consequence, while it has legal citizens, it lacks real committed citizens. On the existence of such committed citizens the city'sfuture depends. Turning the city into a cooperative for the economic and spiritual full employment of its people would provide a basis for a revival and a recovery of function.
Implementing Workmen's Compensation Programs in the States
Authors: Thompson Joel A.
Published: March 2007

This article investigates the implementation of state workmen's compensation programs using a two-stage approach. Initially the agency that delivers workmen's compensation benefits and services is examined to determine what factors are important in explaining the agency's performance. Next the organization's performance is used as an independent variable along with other socioeconomic and political indicators to examine policy impact. The findings suggest that organizational characteristics are important determinants of organizational performance but organizational performance is not a significant factor in explaining policy impact.
Local Government Capacity Building
Authors: Ostrowski John W. , White Locuise G. , Cole John D.R.
Published: March 2007

A discussion of the use of structured group process techniques to enhance local legislative policy development and leadership is presented. Three group process techniques-Nominal Group Technique, Delphi, and Interpretive Structural Modeling—are presented in some detail and related to local legislative capacity building. Finally, the techniques are placed in the context of a case study in which group process techniques are used to assist a local legislative council in developing a policy-action strategy for several substantive local issues.
Priority-Setting Methods for Plural Policymaking Bodies
Authors: Grizzle Gloria A.
Published: March 2007

Priority-setting methods for policy boards must address both multiple criteria for choosing among alternative policies and the differing values of individual board members. Four techniques that might be appropriate for policy boards are decision analysis, simplified multiattribute rating technique, analytic hierarchy process, and social judgment theory. These techniques differ in approach, implementation, complexity, cognitive style, time required, and information demands. Factors to consider before using one of these techniques include what roles board members and staff should play, how individuals' opinions should be aggregated, and whether the political conditions exist that make it feasible to use the technique.
State Implementation and Federal Enforcement Priorities
Authors: Thompson Frank J. , Scicchitano Michael J.
Published: March 2007

Observers allege that federal regulatory programs often establish inappropriate enforcement priorities. Efforts to comprehend the establishment of priorities and attempts to change them need to acknowledge that the states of ten play pivotal roles in enforcing federal regulatory policies. This article draws on the experience gained under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to explore, first, the degree to which state programs have exacerbated tendencies to emphasize safety over health enforcement in the workplace and inhibited amelioration of this situation. The findings do not consistently support a pessimistic perspective concerning state performance. Second, the article tests the utility of six possible explanations of variation in enforcement priorities among state implementing agents. Business dominance, pro-regulatory, and convergence explanations appear more helpful than affluence, partisan, and problem-severity theories.
Organizational Identity
Authors: Diamond Michael A.
Published: March 2007

Organizational identity offers a theory and practice for analyzing the intersubjective meaning of organizational behavior. It advances an explanation of individual feelings about organizations rooted in infancy, what Winnicott (1965) calls a "holding environment," and an explanation of interpersonal relationships in adulthood but with origins in infancy and childhood, what Kohut (1977; 1984) calls "selfobject transferences. "It further presents the notion of transference of emotions in hierarchical organizations as an instrument for observing and explaining key interpersonal relationships between organizational super ordinates and subordinates, and between organizational analysts and clients. Knowing organizational identity provides an understanding of unconscious motivations governing the behavior of organizational members.
Administrative Turnover in State Government
Authors: Haas Peter J. , Wright Deil S.
Published: March 2007

The frequency with which lop administrative officials in state government retain (or leave) their positions as agency heads is documented and discussions in this preliminary descriptive analysis of administrative turnover/tenure in state government. Two-year turnover rates during a 24-year period (1959-1983) are analyzed for 72 different types of administrative agencies in all 50 stales. Several findings ape prominent. (1) turnover rates have increased over time; (2) recently, about 50% of all state agency heads remain in the same position over each two-year period; (3) turnover is higher-among newly created agencies; and (4) turnover is higher among the directors of redistributive " agencies a1(d lower-among the heads of "distributive" agencies.
Leadership in the Administrative State
Authors: Terry Larry D.
Published: March 2007

This essay provides an alternative framework for interpreting the leadership role of public administrators in governance. It is argued, contrary to the views held by a large band of public administration theorists, that leadership in the administrative state need not and should not be governed solely by the entrepreneurial leadership model. In fact, excessive entrepreneurship is seen as a threat to public institutions. An argument is presented that public administrators are engaged in a special kind of leadership called Administrative Conservatorship. Public administrators are depicted as guardians of public institutions and, in turn, regime values.
A Contractarian approach to Public Administration
Authors: Spicer Michael W.
Published: March 2007

This article seeks to apply a contractarian approach to the design of public administrative structures and processes. It speculates as to what kind of public administration could have emerged hypothetically from unanimous agreement between rational individuals in a constitutional setting. The contractarian approach suggest the desirability of a system of public administration which provides administrators with significant discretion in following the directives of political leaders while at the same time constraining the use of that discretion for private purposes. Normative implications for various schools of public administration theory are discussed.
Organization and the Mother Archetype
Authors: Jacobson Kaaren Hedblom
Published: March 2007

This article explores the concept of organization as a manifestation of the mother archetype. Using the work of the depth psychologist C. G. Jung, the author contends that when the male identifies his ego with the organization he becomes one with the unconscious mother archetype that entraps and retards his adult development. Excessive concern for security, lack of independence, self-emasculation, inability to assume responsibility for one's actions, and lack of feeling become the hallmarks of such collective men. Ultimately, living in identification with an archetype results in the loss of control over one's perceptions and actions. In addition, the author contends that living in identification with the mother archetype also harms the organization.
The Relationship between Values and Practice
Authors: Near Janet P. , Baucus Melissa S. , Miceli Marcia P.
Published: March 2007

Previous research on whistle-blowers has tended to focus on the individual as the unit of analysis rather than on the organization or its subunits. Subunit level analysis of survey data from 15 subunits of the U.S. government was used to examine the relationship between members' values concerning wrongdoing and whistle-blowing and the organization's practices. We conclude that "positive" organizational climates may discourage serious wrong-doing and encourage whistle-blowing under some conditions, but the relationship is not as straightforward as might be expected.
Public-Institutional Processes
Authors: Clay Joy A.
Published: March 2007

This article proposes a public-institutional lens for analyzing managerial activities in public agencies. In contrast to the traditional view of management processes, a political-institutional perspective better captures and describes how public agencies interact with their environments and how they go about organizing internal activities to support agency-environmental interactions. After analyzing the traditional view of management processes, three principal qualities that define public-institutional processes are discussed that is, as political processes, as institutional sense-making processes, and as processes that accommodate individual differences.
Public Administration in Search of a Theory
Authors: Mainzer Lewis C.
Published: March 2007

Public administration has, during recent decades, been widely held to be a study in disarray, without an integrating theory, neither a discipline nor a component of a discipline. The orthodox solution is to affirm that it is an interdisciplinary study, requiring no central theory. 7The study should not and cannot be founded in a single discipline. This essay examines and challenges the case for public administration as an interdisciplinary study. It suggests politics as the discourse in which public administration most appropriately finds its place.
The Welfare State, Citizens, and Immersed Civil Servants
Authors: Racine David P.
Published: March 2007

Working from an Aristotelian perspective, the author argues that the welfare state, although able to meet social needs, cannot be very effective in solving complex social problems. The latter requires sensitivities to particular people in particular situations, which can only be acquired communally. This is the level at which citizens, in their pursuit of self-government, count as much as or more than public policies and agencies. However, citizens, on their own, may often lack the skills and wherewithal to tackle difficult social dilemmas. The article suggests experimenting with a strategy of immersing public administrators in communities to lend a noncoercive hand to citizen problem solvers.
Deming's Total Quality Management Movement and the Baskin Robbins Problem
Authors: White Orion E , Wolf James E
Published: March 2007

The movement toward adopting Total Quality Management (TQM) as a working organizational philosophy has reached a critical point. Experience with the implementation of TQM has yielded mixed results. Probably the main reason that the TQM innovation has not been more consistently successful is that, in many cases, it has been misunderstood and implemented more in name only than in a manner true to its principles. Taking the W E. Deming version of TQM as an exemplar, the paradigmatic essence of TQM is described, explained, illustrated, and contrasted with the traditional and dominant rational model of management. Then the issues that distinctively confront the implementation of TQM in the public sector are reviewed. The authors conclude that TQM holds great positive potential for adapting government administration to the requirements of what appears will be a fundamentally different and more demanding future. This is Part I of a two-part article.
American Ethnogenesis and Public Administration
Authors: Yanow Dvora
Published: March 2007

The categories that we have created in the United States to divide ourselves according to racial and ethnic characteristics are social constructions, not reflections of the natural world and as such are flexible and evolving. Yet we tend to regard and treat them as fixed, stable, scientifically grounded entities. In this way they become the basis for policy decisions and administrative actions. This article explores the characteristics of our current "racethnic" categories through the case example of the 1990 U.S. Census and raises questions about what features we highlight in creating these particular categories and what silences in public discourse are enabled by them The essay concludes with the implications for administrative practices of this public discourse on scientifically perceived "racethnicity" in two areas: the provision of client services and internal workplace diversity.
Thinking the Unthinkable in Public Administration
Authors: Maranto Robert
Published: March 2007

This article argues for ending tenure in the federal civil service. Arguments for tenure, and by extension against the old spoils system, are lacking. Even in the 19th century, relatively few federal managers lost their jobs after party changes. At the same time, limited rotation made the civil service relatively innovative and legitimate. Today, media scrutiny, more programmatic parties and presidents, and the limited capacity of the White House suggest that if presidential appointment authority were vastly expanded, the results would be modest. Such results as would occur might empower political leaders to accomplish more of their objectives and to remake under performing organizations, as well as empower career managers (who would still exist) to better lead their organizations. Each tendency would increase the effectiveness, representation, and legitimacy of the bureaucracy without necessarily increasing corruption. My arguments do not apply to state and local governments, which often operate in less competitive political environments.
Law versus Ethics
Authors: Martinez J. Michael
Published: March 2007

Developing a workable system of public service ethics is difficult owing, to a fundamental tension between law (public duties) and ethics (private duties). This article surveys the literature on legal ethics to observe how a well-defined public service profession has reconciled this tension, to some extent, through the adoption of a "legalized" code of ethics that also allows professionals to step from behind the prescribed system of rules and engage his or her individual ethical sense in appropriate instances. The article then surveys the literature on administrative ethics and concludes that contrary to current trends aimed at deprofessionalizing the field, public administration would benefit from creating a new profession of public administrators that could adopt a code of ethics similar to the legal profession's code of ethics, thus allowing for a fusion of legalized rules (public duties) and individual ethical precepts (private duties).
Impact of Racial Identity on African American Child-Rearing Beliefs
Authors: Thomas Anita Jones
Published: March 2007

This study explores the impact of racial identity attitudes on African American parents’ child-rearing beliefs. Specifically, the study seeks to understand differences on family ties, discipline, independence, obedience, and religion according to racial identity attitudes. Participants were 104 parents who were administered the Black Parental Attitude Scale and the Racial Identity Attitude Scale. Results indicate that parents with immersion attitudes endorse discipline and religion but do not support independence in children. Parents with internalization attitudes support all of the Afrocentric parenting beliefs and child-rearing practices included in the study, such as cleanliness, family ties, obedience, religion, and independence in children.
An Examination of Spirituality among African American Women in Recovery from Substance Abuse
Authors: Brome Deborah Ridley , Owens Michelle Deaneen , Allen Karen , Vevaina Tinaz
Published: March 2007

Spirituality and its relationship to mental health outcomes (self-concept and coping style), familial attitudes (family climate and attitudes toward parenting), and satisfaction with social support was examined among African American women in recovery from substance abuse. Using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale as a measure of spirituality, the median split method was used to divide a sample of 146 African American women in recovery from substance abuse into high and low spirituality groups. It was found that women in the high spirituality group expressed a more positive self-concept, active coping style, perceptions of family climate, and attitudes toward parenting than women in the low spirituality group. In addition, the high spirituality group expressed greater satisfaction with their
Attitudes Toward Black English and Code Switching
Authors: Koch Lisa M. , Gross Alan M. , Kolts Russell
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine African American adults’ perceptions of those African Americans who use Black English (BE), Standard English (SE), or code switch (CS) between the two languages. African American male and female college students were exposed to an audiotaped man speaking in BE, SE, appropriate CS (SE in a formal setting and BE in an informal setting), or inappropriate CS (BE in a formal setting and SE in an informal setting). Participants were then asked to rate the speaker on a number of personality characteristics using the Revised Speech Dialect Attitudinal Scale (SDAS); participants also were asked about wanting to know or work with the speaker. Results indicated that participants rated the SE and appropriate CS model more favorably than either the BE or inappropriate CS model; they wanted to get to know the SE and appropriate CS speaker as opposed to the inappropriate CS speaker and would like to work with the SE and appropriate CS speaker as opposed to the BE or inappropriate CS speaker.
Who's Stereotyping Whom: A Conceptual and Analytical Reinterpretation of the Sager and Schofield (1980) Study
Authors: Ghee Kenneth L.
Published: March 2007

A recent study by Sager and Schofield (1980), employing a Black and White sample, examined the influence of racial cues on the interpretation of ambiguously aggressive acts. Based on a significant main effect of race permutations on a scale measuring perceived aggression, the authors suggested that the data reflect a general bias by both White and Black subjects against Black actors, and they concluded that be havior ratings by Black students reflect the same "anti-Black bias" as those by White students. The validity of this conclusion is rejected as untenable based on purely logical deductions, and a more tenable interpretation of the data is presented. Examination of the data reveals that the sig nificant differences observed for White and Black judges are a result of two different response sets and not a similar ' 'anti-Black bias" as postulated by Sager and Schofield. The data pattern indicates that although perceived aggression ratings for same race actors (i.e., Whites judging Whites and Blacks judging Blacks) were similar, opposite race ratings (i.e., Whites judging Blacks and Blacks judging Whites) were influenced to a significant degree by racial cues. The present reinterpretation acknowledges the operation of per ceptual categorization in the social cognition of both Blacks and Whites and does not suggest, as does the Sager and Schofield view, that Blacks simply apply White outgroup stereotypes of Blacks onto themselves. It is argued that the original interpretation may reflect an ethnocentric research bias that focuses on only one side of a dyadic process in interpersonal and intergroup perceptions.
Evaluation of a Holistic Model of Mental Health Symptoms in African American Women
Authors: Taylor Jerome , Jackson Beryl B.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent to which a holistic model of mental health problems applies to the understanding and prediction of general mental health symptoms in an urban sample of 289 African American women. Our holistic model examines effects of eight variables on mental health problems: life events, social support, religious orientation, internalized racialism, physical health problems, marital status, socioeconomic status, and developmental status. From relationships hypothesized among variables, a structural equation model was formulated. Overall, the proposed model fit the data quite well. At the level of intervariable relationships, 7 of 8 hypotheses were partially to completely corroborated. Results were compared with parallel application of the holistic model to the understanding and prediction of alcohol consumption.
Understanding Violence in Contemporary and Earlier Gangs: An Exploratory Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action
Authors: Evans Judy P. , Taylor Jerome
Published: March 2007

Although the theory of reasoned action has been quite successful in predicting a wide range of social behaviors, it has not been used in understanding the behavior of gangs. The purpose of this article is to review the theory of reasoned action, to demonstrate how it can be applied to understanding gang violence, and to illustrate its potential applicability to a pilot sample of contemporary and earlier gangs living in a large metropolitan community.
Signifying as a Scaffold for Literary Interpretation
Authors: Lee Carol D.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the efficacy of signifying, a form of social discourse in the African American community, as a scaffold for teaching skills in literary interpretation. Specifically, the hypotheses of this study were that skill in signifying and prior knowledge about social conventions, themes, and values on which the instructional texts were based would positively influence skill in interpreting fiction. Prior to instruction, two tests were administered to measure prior social knowledge and skill in signifying. Pretest and posttest essay exams were administered to test progress in literal and inferential reading categories. Rasch scale analysis was used to calibrate the tests and to estimate person measures. Six classes of average level seniors from two high schools in a large midwestern urban district participated in the project: 4 experimental classes and 2 control or no-treatment classes. The majority of students, however, scored below national norms on standardized reading tests. The experimental group achieved a statistically significant mean gain over the control group. The experimental group achieved statistically significant gain in two of the inferential reading categories. Signifying and prior social knowledge measures showed statistically significant correlations with achievement at both the pretests and posttests.
Estimating Achievement Performance: A Confirmation Bias
Authors: Murray Carolyn B.
Published: March 2007

This study expands on John Darley and Paget Gross's 1983 research examining the process leading to the confirmation of a perceiver's expectancies about a target individual when the social label that created the expectancy provides poor or tentative evidence about the target's true dispositions or capabilities. In line with previous findings, stereotype information in the no-performance condition did not produce differential estimates of the child's achievement ability, but stereotype information did affect estimates of the child in the performance condition. Thus individuals found evidence in the ambiguous performance sequence congruent with the race, class, and gender stereotypes. The combination of race, class, and gender resulted in more extreme expectancy confirmation for the Black, lower class, male child than for the other race, class, and gender combinations. Thefindings are discussed with respect to implicationsfor teacher education.
The Talking Drum: Moving Towarda Psychology of Literacy Transformation
Authors: Gaines Joseph H.
Published: March 2007

This article discusses how the talking drum has been a viable cultural voice for many West and Central African cultures in the acquisition of literacy. Based on this discussion; the author proposes research questions regarding the function and use of music and language, cognition and the psycholinguisticfeatures of the drum languages, the psychological dimension of music production, and its link to acoustic phonetic symbols of the drum languages. Ofparticular concern is the musical character of tonal languages spoken in Africa and the use of the talking drum for literacy purposes. In addition, the article describes the important role of the talking drum in the maintenance of archaic forms of (tonal) languages through mnemonic code systems and the speech mode of drumming.
Transracial Adoption Is Not the Solution to America's Problems of Child Welfare
Authors: Abdullah Samella B.
Published: March 2007

The philosophy of black consciousness, therefore, expresses group pride and the determination by the blacks to rise and attain the envisaged self. Atthe heart of this kind of thinking is the realization by the blacks that the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. Steve Biko (Woods, 1978)
Black Dating Professionals' Perceptions of Equity, Satisfaction, Power, and Romantic Alternatives and Ideals
Authors: Davis Larry E. , Emerson Shirley , Williams James Herbert
Published: March 2007

Blacks are the largest group of single individuals in America; they also have the lowest male to female gender balance. However, little is known about the romantic perceptions of single Black daters. Data were obtained via a question-naire from a group of professional single Black men (n = 44) and Black women (n = 91). Of interest were perceptions of their existing relationships with respect to satisfaction, equity, power, and romantic alternatives and ideals. Findings indicate significant gender differences: Males and females indicated similar levels of overall satisfaction, but females reported perceiving less equity and wielding more power in their relationships than did males. Males and females did not differ in their perceptions of available romantic alternatives, butfemales did report their existing relationships to be less ideal than did males. Sexual relations and partner's physical attractiveness were significant predictors of satisfaction for both males and females; equity was also significantforfemales.
Not Everybody is "Different-From-Me": Toward a Historico-Cultural Account of Prejudice
Authors: Reed Edward S. , Gaines, Stanley O.
Published: March 2007

In this article, the authors critique the assumption that physical difference per se leads to intergroup conflict. Building on the social psychology of WE.B. Du Bois, it is contended that the universalist perspective of mainstream social psychology-which holds that the in-group/out-group bias of European Americans is replicated in African Americans and in other minority groups-reflects the mainstream, White-oriented thinking of North American society in general and North American psychology in particular The authors argue that many mainstream psychologists havefailed to acknowledge the limitations oftheirown sociohistorical circumstances and that what they have treated as universal characteristics has typically been their own limited experience fallaciously generalized. Only by acknowledging the limitations of each group 's perspectives and the sociohistorical background of those perspectives can mainstream psychologists develop inclusive, accurate theories of the personal and interpersonal functioning of persons from diverse backgrounds.
Prospective Teachers' Attitudes toward Bullying and Victimization
Authors: Craig Wendy M. , Henderson Kathryn , Murphy Jennifer G.
Published: March 2007

In the present study, the effects of both contextual and individual factors on attitudes toward bullying among prospective teachers were examined. Contextual factors included type of aggression and the condition of having witnessed bullying. Individual factors included sex, age, empathy, sex role orientation and belief in a just world. A MANCOVA revealed no sex differences, but there was a significant main effect of the contextual factors on (a) the extent to which acts were labelled as bullying, (b) the perceived seriousness of bullying and (c) the likelihood of intervention. Physical types of aggression were labelled more often as bullying, were viewed more seriously and were more likely to warrant intervention than verbal aggression. Multiple regression analysis revealed that type of aggression, witnessing the interaction, empathy, masculinity and femininity predicted intolerant attitudes toward bullying. The results are discussed with reference to intervening in the problem of bullying.
School Psychology and Special Education in Mexico: An Introduction for Practitioners
Authors: Rhodes Robert L.
Published: March 2007

Very little information is currently available to practising school psychologists regarding the educational experience of individuals whose home country is Mexico. This limitation is particularly true for practitioners attempting to learn about school psychology and special education services which might have been received in Mexico. The number of school-age children who immigrate from Mexico to other countries each year highlights the importance of a shared understanding of available services. This article provides practising school psychologists with an introduction to school psychology and special education services in Mexico. Information gained from a review of the available literature, in-depth interviews with special education administrators working in Mexico and tours of facilities throughout the nation is presented. While focusing on Mexico, the information gathering procedures utilized in the present study may serve as a model for practitioners from various nations who serve populations of children for whom immigration and a lack of understanding of previous educational services are an issue.
Bullying in Schools
Authors: Carney Amy G. , Merrell Kenneth W.
Published: March 2007

Bullying is a problem which is receiving increasing attention worldwide. Researchers in several countries have already devised and implemented bullying intervention/prevention programs on a nation-wide basis. Data from large-scale trials of comprehensive, school-wide programs indicate that when used as a long-term ongoing solution rather than a 'quick fix' in crisis situations, bullying behaviour can be reduced significantly. This article examines terminology, background, developmental aspects and myths about bullying. Psychosocial characteristics of and implications for bullies and victims are discussed. Four bullying interventions are summarized and reviewed, and the main findings indicate everyone must shoulder the responsibility of putting an end to bullying behaviour.
The Informal Curriculum
Authors: Eshel Yohanan , Koriat Amalia
Published: March 2007

It has been argued that the nature of academic school psychological programmes and the training provided by them are revealed mainly by the informal and often more latent, messages delivered to students. These informal messages indicate the extent to which the programme treats students as partners in a complex learning process who may participate in determining its course or as those who should be informed; they may regard students as developing adults capable of responsible problem solving in the school setting or as those who still have to learn by watching others; and they determine the complementary roles of students and faculty members. We posit that these informal determinants of the training programme determine to a large extent the role definition of school psychology that guides them and is conveyed to the students.
Inclusive Schooling-Middle School Teachers' Perceptions
Authors: Heiman Tali
Published: March 2007

According to the Special Education Law passed in 1988, inclusion is the mandated educational policy in Israeli schools. This article presents an overview of Israeli middle school teachers' perceptions regarding inclusive schooling. One hundred and sixteen middleschool teachers in central Israel were asked to define inclusion and to discuss the major difficulties they encountered in inclusive classes as well as the benefits of effective integration. The great majority of the teachers expressed the need to increase their knowledge about the requirements of students with learning disabilities and evinced their readiness to adjust their teaching methods. On the other hand, they stressed the need for professional guidance and adequate tools and conditions. Recommendations for obtaining the training and support necessary for successful inclusion are offered.
Intelligence Testing or Testing Inteligently
Authors: Garner J. Bradley
Published: March 2007

Standardized tests of intelligence have long been the stock and trade of the school psychologist. Recent court decisions and professional debates have questioned the utility of such a practice. The arguments continue, and school psychologists find themselves caught in the tempest of a violent storm. The time has come to reconsider the issue and propose alternative uses for traditionally standardized evaluation procedures. Such an approach is limited only by the bounds of our imagination.
Providing Services to Preschool-aged Children
Authors: Schakel Jacqueline A.
Published: March 2007

The importance of the early childhood years in a child's growth and development cannot be overemphasized. During these years growth is rapid and the foundations for later sensory, motor, cognitive, physical, language and social-emotional development are laid. Some of our most prominent and respected scientists, theoreticians and scholars have emphasized these critical early years (Bloom, 1964; Bronfenbrenner, 1975; Bruner, 1969; Hunt, 1961; White, 1975) and evidence gathered during the last thirty years supports their early work.
Comparison of the Goodenough-Harris and Naglieri's Draw-a-Person Scoring Systems for Greek Children
Authors: Bardos Achilles N. , Softas Basilia C. , Petrogiannisc Konstadinos
Published: March 2007

This study examined the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (Harris, 1963) and Naglieri's Draw-a-Person: A Quantitative Scoring System (1988) scoring system for a sample of 114 Greek children. Analyses indicated non-significant mean standard score differences between the two scoring systems for the man, woman, self and total score drawings. Correlations between Naglieri's DAP individual drawings and the DAP Total Test with the Goodenough-Harris scores were high and significant providing validity support for the Naglieri scoring system. Implications of these results for use of the measures, particularly by Greek psychologists, are presented.
Helping to Implement Co-Operative Learning
Authors: Margolis Howard
Published: March 2007

As instructional consultants, school psychologists must often help teachers choose and implement new instructional methodologies of potential benefit to students. Co-operative learning is one of these instructional approaches. During the past few years it has garnered a great deal of teacher and administrative interest, making it important that psychologists understand the nature of cooperative learning, the thrust of research, difficulties teachers might face and what they can do to support implementation. This article addresses these concerns.
Tales and Fiction
Authors: Guggenbuhl Allan
Published: March 2007

This article discusses group psychotherapy as a possible crisis intervention technique for children and juveniles with behavioural problems at school or whose families are going through divorce, or as an intervention technique in troublesome school classes. The therapeutic group work at the Children and Juvenile Educational Counselling Centre in Bern, Switzerland, is described - 'mythodrama' or the 'tales, fiction and horror technique,' a therapeutic approach which was developed during the last couple of years. The tale at the beginning of the article serves as an introduction and is followed by a description of the different phases of mythodrama. Finally, the main elements of this approach are summarized.
Social Skills Assessment and Intervention with Children and Adolescents
Authors: Elliott Stephen N. , Busse R. T.
Published: March 2007

Children who persistently exhibit social skills deficits experience both short and long-term negative consequences, and these negative consequences may often be precursors of more severe problems later in life. If untreated, researchers have indicated that social skills deficits in early childhood are relatively stable over time, related to poor academic performance and may be predictive of social adjustment problems and serious psychopathology in adolescence. Procedures for linking assessment and classification of social skills problems to treatments are briefly reviewed. A number of procedures have been identified as effective methods for treating social skills deficits. The myriad of procedures can be classified into three categories: (1) operant conditioning, (2) social learning, and (3) cognitive-behavioral procedures. In practice, behavioral rehearsal is often incorporated into treatments and most of the effective social skills interventions are combined procedures rather than a single technique. Guidelines for implementing major treatment components are discussed and an overall implementation plan is presented.
Teaching and Learning
Authors: Makray Elaine Tereza , Shepard Sandra Ruth , Giglio Zula Garcia
Published: March 2007

... and Scheherazade would mingle one tale with another, and this seemed to be never ending. On finishing one story she would start a new one, always leaving it in suspense upon the dawn. And the sultan was always interested in the continuation of it. (The 1001 Nights)
Pedology in Europe and Developmental Psychology in Ukraine
Authors: Holowinsky Ivan Z.
Published: March 2007

An educational movement defined as pedology emerged in Europe prior to the First World War. Its stated purpose was the scientific study of children. The movement attracted well-known pioneers of developmental psychology of that time e.g. A. Binet, V. Bekhtiarev, G.S. Hall. Interest in pedology manifested itself considerably within the emerging Soviet psychology of the 1920s. Such world-renowned psychologists as L.S. Vygotsky and A.R. Luria were supporters of pedology. This paper discusses European pedology and developmental psychology in Ukraine during the period of a profound struggle between scholars and party functionaries (apparatchics). The problem has been complicated by the nationalities question in the former Soviet Union.