bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alternative Approaches to Spatial Autocorrelation: An Improvement Over Current Practice
Authors: Arora Swarnjit S. , Brown Murray
Published: March 2007

THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE TEMPORAL ERROR TERMS ∈ t AND ∈t-n DECLINES AS n INCREASES CAN BE JUSTIFIED BY APPEALING TO FIRST OR SECOND ORDER MAR-KOV PROCESSES OR TO SPECTRAL ANALYSIS, BUT A SIMILAR ASSUMPTION CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED FOR SPATIAL ERROR TERMS. THIS INTRODUCES AMBIGUITY IN THE SPECIFICATION OF THE WEIGHTING MATRIX W. IN THIS PAPER WE PROPOSE THE JOINT GENERALIZED LEAST SQUARES, EQUICORRELATED ERROR TERMS, RANDOM ERROR COMPONENT MODELS, AND RANDOM COEFFICIENT REGRESSION MODELS AS ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS. THESE APPROACHES ARE SUBJECT TO FEW OR NO PERSONAL BIASES, YET THEY ARE ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM OF SPATIAL AUTOCORRELATION.
Tinbergen-Type Central Place Systems
Authors: Mulligan Gordon F.
Published: March 2007

This paper considers Tinbergen's hierarchical flow model in a spatial context. The existence of city systems having consistent geometrical properties is shown to be compatible with his proposal. These city systems exhibit central place properties which differ from those of Christaller and Lösch. City populations are then generated through a formulation which reflects Tinbergen's logic and the early Beckmann model is shown to be a special case of this formulation. Finally, the urbanization ratio is delimited for this third class of central place systems.
Economic Growth and Urbanization: A Study of Japan
Authors: Shishido Hisanobu
Published: March 2007

This paper describes some results obtained from simulating a computable general equilibrium model calibrated with 1960 data for Japan. Of the two closures used, the Keynesian type, which assumes unutilized resources, performs better than the neoclassical closure, which assumes full employment of all factors of production. In other words, Japanese economic growth in the 1960s may be characterized by the decisions of investors who regarded the supply of quality labor as virtually unlimited. Spatial aspects of population shifts have a significant bearing on macro growth potentials if social capital demands are spatially differentiated.
A New Technique for the Construction of Non-Survey Regional Input-Output Models
Authors: Stevens Benjamin H. , Treyz George I. , Ehrlich David J. , Bower James R.
Published: March 2007

A technique for creating regional input-output models based on national input-output technological coefficients is developed and tested. The Regional Purchase Coefficient (RPC), i.e., the proportion of regional demand fulfilled from regional production, is based on substitution between extra-and intra-regional sources in response to relative delivered costs. An RPC estimating equation is fitted using state economic and interstate transportation data. RPCs for all sectors are estimated for use in constructing 500-sector non-survey models for Washington and West Virginia. The A matrices, inverse matrices, and multipliers for suitable aggregations of these models are compared with the corresponding components of recent survey-based models for the same two states. The comparisons indicate that the RPC technique can provide at low cost models that are acceptably accurate for use in regional impact analysis.
Nonstationary Markov Modeling: An Application to Wage-Influenced Industrial Relocation
Authors: Kelton Christina M. L.
Published: March 2007

A recently proposed technique for estimating nonstationary transition probabilities for a Markov process is developed for empirical implementation. Its use is then demonstrated by analyzing the process of industrial relocation for the U.S. apparel industries. Transition probabilities for twenty-one apparel industries and four time periods are estimated with aggregate frequency data and an embedded wage-adjustment model. The stationarity assumption of no wage-rate effect on the transition probabilities cannot be rejected.
The Role of Towns in Chinese Regional Development: The Case of Guangdong Province
Authors: Lin George C. S. , Ma Laurence J.C.
Published: March 2007

Small towns in China have recently emerged as the most dynamic element of national development and urbanization in the post-reform era. Two types of towns in China's southern province of Guangdong are quantitatively analyzed to reveal their functional features. The county capitals and market towns are found to be different in the forms of enterprise ownership, employment structure, educational and health facilities, urban infrastructure, and in the absorption of surplus rural labor. Manufacturing dominates the employment of both types of towns, transforming them from traditional marketing centers to contemporary industrial centers. Policies should be designed to facilitate the growth of the collectively owned town industries to avoid competition with the state-owned industries.
From Dayton to Little Rock: Creationism Evolves*
Authors: Nelkin Dorothy
Published: March 2007

The 1981 legislation in Arkansas and Louisiana which required "balanced treatment of creation-science and evolution-science" represents the most ambitious effort of the "scientific creationists" to date to gain equal time for the teaching of the book of Genesis as an alternative and viable scientific theory of origins. The trial testing the constitutionality of the Arkansas law culminated in a powerful and unambiguous decision; however, creationists continue to lobby for similar legislation in many other states. Far from an aberration, today's scientific creationists represent a modern manifestation of a deep fundamentalist current in American social history.
The Policy Implications of Differing Concepts of Risk
Authors: Bradbury Judith A.
Published: March 2007

The author draws on the policy analysis literature to delineate the linkage between conceptualization of risk and the formulation and proposed solution of risk-related policy problems. Two concepts of risk are identified: (1) a concept of risk as a physically given attribute of hazardous technologies and (2) a concept of risk as a socially constructed attribute. The argument is advanced that the social construction of risk provides a firm, theoretical basis for the design of policy. The discussion links the perception, manage ment, and communication of risk to the more fundamental issue of the nature and role of science and technology.
"Testing - One, Two, Three ... Testing!": Toward a Sociology of Testing
Authors: Pinch Trevor
Published: March 2007

This article explores testing as research site in the sociology of technology. A fully generalizable analysis is offered of testing in terms of a notion of projection. Prospective, current, and retrospective testing are identified The article is illustrated with examples of testing a clinical budgeting system in the United Kingdom National Health Service and the testing of the O-rings on the space shuttle Challenger. Lastly, the theme of "testing the user" is developed Some comments are offered on the pervasiveness of testing in society at large.
Conceptualizing Knowledge Used in Innovation: A Second Look at the Science-Technology Distinction and Industrial Innovation
Authors: Faulkner Wendy
Published: March 2007

This article reviews empirical and conceptual material from two distinct research traditions: on the science-technology relation and on industrial innovation. It aims both to shed new light on an old debate—the distinction between scientific and technological knowledge—and to refine our conceptualizations of the knowledge used by companies in the course of research and development leading to innovation. On the basis of three empirical studies, a composite categorization of different types of knowledge used in innovation is proposed, as part of a broader framework encompassing two further taxonomic dimensions. It is hoped that this typology and framework might provide useful research tools in furthering our understanding of the knowledge transfers and transformations that occur in the course of innovation. It could also prove useful for organizations and groups facing difficult strategic choices about technology.
Anthropology and the Cultural Study of Science
Authors: Martin Emily
Published: March 2007

This essay explores how the distinctively anthropological concept of culture provides uniquely valuable insights into the workings of science in its cultural context. Recent efforts by anthropologists to dislodge the traditional notion of culture as a homogenous, stable whole have opened up a variety of ways of imagining culture that place power differentials, flux, and contradiction at its center. Including attention to a wide variety of social domains outside the laboratory, attending to the ways nonscientists actively engage with scientific knowledge, and focusing on the complex interactions that flow both into and out of research laboratories are ways the activities of both scientists and nonscientists can be situated in the heterogeneous matrtx of culture. Three images—the citadel, the rhizome, and the string figure—allow us to picture the discontinuous ways science both permeates and is permeated by cultural life.
The Patient Encounter Method
Authors: Garrard Judith , Keyes Margaret A. , Verby John E.
Published: March 2007

The focus in this paper is upon the method ology used in evaluationg the clinical learning experiences of medical students in rural and university settings. The data collection instrument designed for this study is described as are the uses of the resulting data for purposes of formative and summative evaluation. The method ological literature dealing specifically with time and effort allocation studies is reviewed, and a three-dimensional scheme for categorizing these different method ological variations is described
Assessing Clinical Competence
Authors: Greenlick Merwyn R.
Published: March 2007

The central function of medical care sys stems throughout time has been to provide societal institutions to deal with the anxiety and disruption caused by disease. This perspective requires that an assumption of the degree to which a medical practitioner has fulfilled societal obligations must include assessment of dimensions other than technical effectiveness. Measuring effectiveness requires two types of evaluation: the usual quality measures (technical effectiveness), and measures of performance on psychoso cial dimensions including measures of the extent to which a practitioner can positively affect the outcome of the disease process, and the effect of the practitioner's own behavior on patients. In addition, a societal view of assessing clinical competence requires measurement of the practitioner's efficiency in using finite resources. Finally, a societal view of assessing clinical compe tence requires that the evaluators include persons with expertise far different from that presented by the clinician-scientist.
Who Should Abstract Medical Records?
Authors: Bertelsen Judy
Published: March 2007

The accuracy of patient record data depends not only on the quality of medical record keeping but also on the accuracy of the process of abstracting patient records to produce data suitable for analysis. This article reports results comparing record abstracts produced by four classes of abstracter : physicians, tumor registrars, nurses, and fourth-year medical students. The purpose of the comparison was to determine whether or not there were differences in accuracy among the four groups and, if accuracy was approximately equal, whether there were substantial differences among the costs of employing the four groups.
Comparing NursePractitioners and Physicians
Authors: Bibb Barbara N.
Published: March 2007

The question "where is the 'nurse' in the nurse-practitioner" is addressed by comparing processes of care employed by nursepractitioners (NP) and physicians (MD) in the overall management of commonly occurring problems in primary care practice. Subjects in a nonrandom sample of 15 NPs and 11 MDs independently described their proposed management of two pediatric and two adult hypothetical cases. NP and MD responses were compared to identify differences in the inclusion of explicit process criteria items in thefollowing categories: problem assessment, diagnostic plan, therapeutic plan, health education, follow-up. The differences between NPs and MDs were almost entirely in the NPs' more frequent inclusion of expressive "caring" functions which have traditionally been thefocus of nursing practice. The extent to which "care" as well as "cure" process variables affect outcome measures is discussed with regard to testing the effectiveness of the "care" component of health services, regardless of the professional identity of the provider.
Peer Review of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Authors: Cohen Lawrence H. , Nelson Dean W.
Published: March 2007

American Psychological Association/CHAMPUS peer reviewers (N = 168) evaluated clinical treatment reports that described psychodynamic treatment of middle-aged, depressed outpatients. Descriptive data are reported on the reviewers' recommendations concerning the reimbursement for previous and total (previous plus future) care. In addition, generous and restrictive reviewers are compared on their theoretical orientation, the self reported factors affecting their review decisions, and their previously reported clinical practice patterns and attitudes toward psychological peer review. The implications of these findings for mental health qualitY assurance programs are discussed.
Obtaining Generalizability Coefficients for Clinical Evaluations
Authors: Boodoo Gwyneth M. , O'Sullivan Patricia
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the determination of reliability coefficients for clinical evaluation forms by use of generalizability theory. This method is contrasted to some of the commonly used measures of interobserver agreement, interobserver reliability, and classical reliability. The value of this method in terms of making recommendations, such as the number ofjudges and the number of items on a form, in order to improve reliability is illustrated by two examples. Also, the difference between norm-referenced decisions and criterion-referenced decisions in determining reliability with this method is presented.
Advocacy through Convenient Definition of Societal Objectives
Authors: Joglekar Prafulla
Published: March 2007

In modern democracies, societal objectives are pluralistic, varied, and often mutuallv conflicting. Consequently, cost-benefit analysts have considerable scope for defining societal objectives in a manner most suitable for advocating their clients' programs. Three different therapies for a hypothetical disease are considered. A Iternative definitions of societal objectives suitable for the advocacies of the different therapies are outlined. Some generalized principles of advocacy through convenient definition of societal objectives are identified.
A Service Delivery Program and Its Evaluation
Authors: Jessop Dorothy Jones , Stein Ruth E.K.
Published: March 2007

Descriptions are rare of instances in which true experimental designs have been implemented in evaluating ongoing programs. This article is a case study of a health service delivery program and the classical pretest-posttest randomized experiment that evaluated it. The main theses are (1) that the research developed was based on the values and interests of the persons and institutions involved, and concordance in interests and values among the severalparties was responsible for success in implementing the rigorous experimental design; and (2) that the program being evaluated and the research evaluation affect each other in significant ways, some intended and others unanticipated.
The Quality of Maintenance Therapy for End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Smith Marc D. , Purnell Patricia P. , Hong Barry A. , Robson Alan M.
Published: March 2007

Prior to 1972, ESRD patients selectedfor maintenance dialysis or renal transplantation were generally young, emotionally and socially well-adjusted, and physically healthy exceptfor their renal disease. Following the enactment of Public Law 92-603 (1972), which extended Medicare coverage to virtually all ESRD patients, the criteria for the selection of patients were substantially liberalized. During the past decade, maintenance therapy has increasingly been provided for severely debilitated ESRD patients whose reported levels of rehabilitation have been less than desired. While the majority of the current ESRD patient population have not been restored to their premorbid levels of individual and social functioning, recent studies suggest this may be the result of initiating rehabilitation efforts too late in the disease process. For optimal socialfunctioning to be achieved by ESRD patients, it is concluded thatpsychosocial intervention and support must be initiated at the time ESRD is diagnosed and be focused on the maintenance, rather than rehabilitation, of the patient's functioning.
The Effect of Nonlinear Transformations on a Likert Scale
Authors: Baggaley Andrew R. , Hull Alan L.
Published: March 2007

The analysis of data collectedfrom behavioral assessment instruments is typically conducted using parametric statistics, with little or no reference given to the underlying nature of the scale being used. If the nature of the distances between the scale points is not understood, the concept of normality of the distribution becomes clouded. An empirical approach to studying thisproblem was developed, using responses to a clinical performance evaluation instrument that uses a four-point behaviorally-anchored scale. Various combinations of nonlinear transformations were applied to the evaluation responses. The factorial structure of the fifteen items constituting the evaluation form was minimally affected by the transformations, suggesting that parametric statistics can be applied to behaviorally-anchored rating scales.
Legal Trends Affecting the Validity of Credentialing Examinations
Authors: O'Brien Thomas L.
Published: March 2007

Credentialing examinations have, in the past, been relatively immune from legal attack based on allegations that the examinations lack validity. Specifically, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not apply to credentialing examinations. Further, courts have interpreted the dueprocess and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution in such a way that constitutional attack is difficult. However, recent legal developments seem likely to change this situation. This article examines the extent of the present legal obligation to demonstrate the validity of credentialing examinations in three areas: the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Constitution, and the antitrust laws. It also examines recent trends that seem likely to change those obligations in the future.
Dimensions of Motivation for Continuing Medical Education of Primary Care Physicians
Authors: Wolf Fredric M. , Gruppen Larry D. , van Voorhees Curtis , Stross Jeoffrey K.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons and underlying dimensions of the motivations ofprimary care physicians for participating in continuing medical education (CME). Physicians rated the importance of 18 reasons for participating in CME on a Motivation for Continuing Medical Education (MCME) Inventory. Results indicated that the most important reasons were maintaining competence, increasing knowledge and skills, staying up to date, and enhancing patient care. The least important reasons werefinancial gain and improving their professional image and work situation. Comparisons ofphysicians'reasonsfor CME with the desires of the public and legislative bodies revealed both similarities and differences. A principal components analysis of the MCME items yielded six relatively independent underlying motivational dimensions accounting for 71% of the total variance: Competence and Patient Care. Collegial Interaction, Professional Enhancement, Efficiency, Respite from Practice, and Legal Concerns. It is suggested that these motivational dimensions may be helpful in the planning of continuing medical education programs.
The Roles of Bars and Restaurants in Preventing Alcohol-Impaired Driving
Authors: Saltz Robert F.
Published: March 2007

Server intervention is a community-based approach to preventing alcohol-impaired driving. It refers to a set of strategies designed to alter the drinking environment so as to reduce the likelihood of a drinker becoming intoxicated or, failing that, to prevent him or her from driving while intoxicated. The research reported here evaluates the impact of a server intervention program on customer's consumption of alcoholic beverages using a quasi-experimental nonequivalent controlgroup design. The program entailed revision of establishment policies and job descriptions and an 18-hour trainingfor management and staff. Interviews with randomly selected customers for two months prior to and following program implementation provided data on customer characteristics and consumption. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses reveal that although absolute consumption and rate of consumption were unaffected by the program, the likelihood of a customer's being intoxicated was cut in half
The Importance of Considering Alternative Structural Equation Models in Evaluation Research
Authors: Hays Ron D. , White Ken
Published: March 2007

The availability of the LISREL computer program and similar software (for example, COSAN, EQS) have made structural equation modeling accessible to researchers interested in program evaluation. An article was published in the December 1985 issue of this journal that used LISREL to investigate the relationship between family medicine residents' moral reasoning and their clinicalperformance with patients (Sheehan et al., 1985). We present a reanalysis of the datafrom that study to illustrate the importance of considering alternative structural equation models in evaluation research.
The Client Interaction Scale
Authors: Brekke John S. , Aisley Robert A.
Published: March 2007

The Client Interaction Scale (CIS) is a brief assessment tool for measuring client integration into the client-to-client interactive milieu in Community Support Programs (CSPs) for persons with chronic mental illness. Using a sample of 95 clients from three different CSPs, the scale shows excellent interitem reliability. A factor analysis indicates that it measures the clients' level of integration on unique affective and instrumental dimensions. The scale also discriminates among environments known to differ on their interactive qualities. Its application to the evaluation of CSPs and other program environments is discussed.
Judge Consistency and Severity Across Grading Periods
Authors: Lunz Mary E. , Stahl John A.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this research project was to confirm that differences in the severity of judges and the stringency of grading periods occur, regardless of the nature of the assessment or the examination materials used. Three rather different examinations that require judges were analyzed, using an extended Rasch model to determine whether differences in judge severity and grading-period stringency were observable for all three examinations. Significant variation in judge severity and some variation across grading periods were found on all three examinations. This implies that regardless of the nature of the examination, items, or judges, examinee/measures cannot be considered independent of the particular judges involved unless correction for severity is made systematically. Accounting for judge severity and gradinig-period stringency is extremely important when pass/fail decisions that are meant to generalize to competence are made, as in certification examinations.
Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Medical Helping Relationship Inventory
Authors: Wolf Fredric M. , Reza Ernesto , Woolliscroft James O. , Calhoun Judith G. , Boxer Grace Jordison , Zweifler Andrew J.
Published: March 2007

Results of five studies; which were conducted over a 4-year period, provide initial evidence that a new instrument, the Medical Helping Relationship Inventory (MHRI), can reliably and validly be used in the evaluation of medical communication skills. The final version of the MHRI consists of five scales that assess preferences for understanding, probing, focusing, reassuring, and judgmental responses to patients. Coefficient alpha reliability estimates for these scales exceeded estimates obtained for both the counseling Helping Relationship Inventory and a preliminary version of the MHRI and ranged between .62 and .91 (Studies I and 2). Evidence of convergent, discriminant, and construct validity is provided in Studies 3 and 4. Results were replicated and cross-validated in Study 5. The authors believe that the MHRI may be useful in other settings (e.g., other medical or professional schools) and with other groups ofhealth professionals (e.g., house officers; community physicians, nurses, social workers, and others).
The Evaluation of an International Fellowship Program in the Health Sciences
Authors: Balla John I. , Balla Margaret
Published: March 2007

The evaluation of an international fellowship program in the health sciences, provided for Philippine graduates at the University of Hong Kong and financed by a third-party donor, highlights areas of conflict within a program. To be effective, program developers and associated evaluation projects must deal with such potential elements of conflict. The results of the evaluation indicate that the outcome of a fellowship is often something good but undefinable, such as increased selfesteem. Specific and lasting benefits beyond this depend on local conditions and will not occur without the necessary infrastructure and supportive leadership. Change following an evaluation requires discussion aimed at mutual understanding and conflict resolution. It is essential to decide whose perspective is to take precedence when making value judgments about the worth of the program. Eventually, it may have to be judged from the perspective of the participants rather than objectives prescribed by a nonparticipant third party.
Does Mutual Help Facilitate Newly Bereaved Widowers?
Authors: Tudiver Fred , Hilditch John , Permaul Joanne A. , McKendree Diana J.
Published: March 2007

Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of mutual-help interventions for bereaved women, but there have been no controlled intervention studies of this type for men. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a mutualhelp group intervention for new widowers, using a randomized controlled design. A community sample of 113 recruited widowers bereaved less than 12 months were randomly allocated into treatment (n = 61) and waitinglist control groups (n = 52). Treatment consisted of nine weekly semistructured peer group sessions, which focused on the griefprocess, diet, new relationships, exercise, and life-style issues. Analysis of variance of three psychological measures (GeneralHealth Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and three social measures (Social Adjustment Scale, Social Support Questionnaire for both availability and satisfaction) showed significant improvement over time for all subjects, but no significant differences between the two groups over the observation period (baseline to 8 months). Possible reasons for no treatment effect include: men may take longer than anticipated to work through their grief with a delay in any measurable effect; the more recovered men dropped out early; and focusing widowers' attention on their own and others'grief may hinder an early (and measurable) recovery from their grief
Evaluating Policy Change in Physician Manpower Planning
Authors: Valentine John A.
Published: March 2007

The decade of the 1980s witnessed a revitalization of free-market interest in the use of incentives and voluntary participation to promote activities in a wide range of fields. Because of its history of decentralized control over physician residency training, the state of New Jersey found such an approach appealing when it sought to restructure its graduate medical education system. Two statewide task forces spent a year developing policy changes designed to produce voluntary changes in such areas as the size and growth of the state system. However, a 2-year follow-up survey of the directors of state residency programs revealed little perceivable change.
Capturing the Complexity of Clinical Learning Environments with Multiple Qualitative Methods
Authors: Frye Ann W. , Hoban J. Dennis , Richards Boyd F.
Published: March 2007

Clinical clerkships are multidimensional educational experiences. Collecting data to describe them accurately required the use of multiple data collection methods, including observation, interviews, short written questionnaires, activity log cards, and examination of clerkship documents. These methods varied in efficiency, ease of use in the various settings of the clerkships, the degree of nonintrusiveness in the patient care and educational processes, and usefulness in combination with other data collection techniques. Combining data collected by more than one method allowed the authors to capture both the big picture of the clerkships and the depth of detail required to describe them adequately. The authors increased the reliability of their study conclusions by frequently submitting them to review by students and clerkship directors.
The Reliability of Medical Student Ratings of Clinical Teaching
Authors: Solomon David J. , Speer Alice J. , Rosebraugh Curtis J. , DiPette Donald J.
Published: March 2007

This study estimated the interrater reliability of medical student evaluations of clinical teaching. Data consisted of 1,570 ratings evaluating 147faculty over a 4-year period in a 3rd-year internal medicine clerkship. The number of ratings a typical faculty member receives in a year was also calculated and used to extrapolate the standard error of measurementfor data typically available to evaluatefaculty at different time intervals. The data available to evaluate afaculty member after I year was not adequate, but improved substantially at the 5-to 7-yearmark when a faculty member is typically evaluated for promotion and tenure.
Developing and Implementing an Intervention
Authors: Spinola Carla , Stewart Liz , Fanslow Janet , Norton Robyn
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the role offormative and process evaluation in the development and implementation of a pilot intervention to improve the identification, treatment, and referral of women abused by their partners who present to an emergency department (ED). These evaluations were undertaken in conjunction with an outcome evaluation of training in and use of a five-step protocol of care piloted in a New Zealand public hospital. The outcome evaluation showed there was an improvement in identification and acute care of abused womenfollowing the intervention. The article highlights key factors that were relevant to the intervention's development and implementation, including social context, development processes, appropriateness for the setting, and level of support from key stakeholders. Factors identified as key to intervention effectiveness included its appropriateness for abused women and responsiveness to specific hospital, department, and staff needs. The key role offormative and process evaluation in the development and implementation ofpilot interventions is highlighted, and the particular lessons gained from this study have relevance and application to other interventions.
The reform of public service broadcasting in Italy
Authors: Hibberd Matthew
Published: March 2007

This article provides an overview to a series of reforms undertaken at RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana), the Italian public service broadcasting company, since July 1993. The reform process began as a direct result of the collapse of the Christian Democrat party and its coalition partners after 45 years of continuous government and was initiated by the centre-left `Technocrat' government led by the former governor of the Bank of Italy, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (April 1993 to May 1994); it was also continued by the centre-right Berlusconi government (May 1994 to December 1994), by the centre-left Dini government (January 1995 to April 1996) and the centre-left Prodi government (April 1996 to October 1998). The research focuses on the impact of the reform process on the functioning of public service broadcasting in Italy. It identifies four areas of RAI's operations which merit special attention: the system of political occupation, the so-called lottizzazione; the internal network system; the devolution of Raitre (RAI's third channel); and the RAI and Fininvest-Mediaset duopoly. The final section assesses the potential impact of the 1997 Broadcasting Act, which spells a further period of reform for RAI.
A day at the zoo: political communication, pigs and popular culture
Authors: van Zoonen Liesbet
Published: March 2007

Current worries about a supposedly increasing popularization of political campaign methods and styles are rooted in the historical oppositions between popular culture and modernism. The folkloric world of popular culture, ruled by coincidence and marked by suspicion and sensation, seems to be thoroughly at odds with the modernist tradition of politics which is distinguished by a belief in rationality, progress and the capacity of people to take control over their own lives. Nevertheless, there are many historical articulations of popular culture and politics which have by definition been contested and controversial. Nowadays, a general fear is that politics is becoming completely popularized, implying among other things an appearance of politicians on popular `platforms', a changed rhetorical style and an adaptation and acknowledgement of popular political themes. In such `moral panics', politicians, academics and journalists alike, firmly blame (commercial) television for such a `refeudalization' of political life and for the increasing numbers of political cynics among citizens. But popular political communication should instead be perceived as a symptom of a crisis in the relation between citizens and their representatives, and as an attempt to restore that relation. Whereas the different social traditions of popular culture and politics will prevent the complete popularization of politics, in the postmodern condition there is a need for a new generation of politicians who are able to reconcile the different requirements of popular culture and representative politics, and who may thus inspire a much needed revived sense of connectedness between citizens and their representatives.
The mechanisms of management control at the New York Times
Authors: Chomsky Daniel
Published: March 2007

Many explanations for news media behavior focus on the biases of journalists, neglecting the structural constraints they face. Others have theorized that the power of ownership limits the autonomy of reporters and represents a significant influence on news coverage. This article examines the internal records of the New York Times and identifies several mechanisms of management control. Editors suggest the tone and substance of stories and later the content and significance of stories that reporters submit. Owners establish editorial polices and intervene directly in news decisions. And they shape the ideological environment through their power to hire, promote and fire.
Researching the Migration of the Elderly
Authors: Rives Norfleet W.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the major sources of statistical information for conducting research on the migration of the elderly. The discussion covers government statistical programs for the analysis of both migration flows and migrant characteristics. Special attention is devoted to the two most important sources of information the Census of Population and Housing and the Current Population Survey.
General versus Aged Interstate Migration, 1965-1970
Authors: Flynn Cynthia B.
Published: March 2007

This article compares elderly and general interstate migration patterns by volume and by salient streams. The top ten ranking origin and destination states were identified for both populations. The differences are greater for destination states than for origin states. This is primarily due to Florida and California, which account for a third of the inmigration of people age 60 and over, but only 18% of the general inmigration. The transaction flow analysis shows that California and Florida dominate the salient flow structure for the retirement-aged migrants to a degree not true for the general population.
Knowledge of Aging in an Elderly Population
Authors: West Helen L. , Levy Walter J.
Published: March 2007

A total of 164 older people were given a facts on aging quiz to determine level of knowledge, common misconceptions, and aging bias. Results were compared with university undergraduates' scores. Findings indicate the elderly were not as knowledgeable, held similar misconceptions, and were less antiaged in their bias than the students. Within the group of older people, few differences were found, with the exception that males were more antiaged in their bias, as were the "old-old."
Interstate Migration of the Elderly
Authors: Rives Norfleet W. , Serow William J.
Published: March 2007

This study examines selected patterns of interstate migration for the older population of the United States during the period 1965-1970. Three broad topical areas are investigated: (1) the age and sex composition of migration streams of the elderly, (2) the effects of migration on state age distributions, and (3) the measurement and analysis of migration streams using migration preference indexes and basic gravity models. While the findings tend to confirm much of what is already. known about older interstate movers, the use of migration streams, rather than net migration, brings into sharper focus the nature of migration among the elderly and underscores the need for further research, particularly on matters related to planning and public policy.
Cognitive Differentiation and the Perception of Older Persons
Authors: Durand Richard M. , Roff Lucinda Lee , Klemmack David L.
Published: March 2007

Using data collected from a probability sample of 1012 adults, this study examines the relationships among knowledge about aging, net negative bias in knowledge about aging, fear about the consequences of being old, and differentiation of image of older persons. The findings that negative bias in knowledge about aging and fear of the consequences of being old predict differentiated images of older people provides support for the vigilance hypothesis as applied to the stimulus-object "older person."
Test of a Model of Domain Satisfactions and Well-Being
Authors: Carp Frances M. , Carp Abraham
Published: March 2007

There is a need for conceptual models that accommodate data on older as well as younger adults. The Campbell et al. (1976) model of life quality proved more successful in accounting for life-domain satisfactions for persons 54 and younger than for those 55 and older. The model for this study includes as predictors the discrepancies of own situation from the 4 most powerful reference frames used by Campbell et al. (aspiration, typical American, best ever had, and close friends), plus equity. Typical American, equity, and best ever had were the most successful reference frames in accounting for independent variance in satisfactions with 13 domains of life experience for adults 25-98. Aspiration, unlike any of the other 4 predictors, appears to exhibit an age-group interaction effect: In several cases it is related more closely to domain satisfaction for people under 55 than for those older. Reference frame-own situation differences, summed across domains, were effective in predicting overall well being or life quality.
Reward Structures and Organizational Design
Authors: Spilerman Seymour , Litwak Eugene
Published: March 2007

This article is concerned with the issues of motivation and control of nursing home personnel to increase their responsiveness to the needs of the elderly. The perspective taken is one of organizational analysis and, specifically, a consideration of the functions and dysfunctions of particular reward structures. The reward structures analyzed are (1) reimbursement schemes for homes in relation to the performance of home administrators and (2) supervisory arrangements for personal care workers in regard to the delivery of nonroutine services to patients. We point out some of the difficulties inherent in existing organizational structures and suggest modifications to increase the influence of patients and their relatives.
Older Men's Earnings Tests and Work Activity
Authors: Tracy Martin B.
Published: March 2007

It is widely held that removing the earnings test for old-age pensions under social security will increase labor force activity among persons aged 65-69. This study examines what happened to labor force participation rates of men in this age group following legislation that eliminated the test in Canada, liberalized it in Austria and the United Kingdom, and made it more restrictive in the Federal Republic of Germany. The consequences of a condition of total withdrawal for payment of pensions in Finland and modest increases in the ceiling level in the United States are also examined. The basic finding is that labor force participation rates of men aged 65-69 have not increased when earnings tests have been removed or liberalized. The experiences of all six countries indicate that the age of first eligibility and the level of benefits are more important than the earnings test in influencing the work activity of older men. The results of the study suggest that the trend toward early retirement is less likely to be affected by economic incentives characteristic of earnings tests and delayed retirement credits than by measures designed to make employment more responsive to individual needs.
A Note on the Moderation Concept in the Life Course
Authors: Montgomery Rhonda J. V. , Borgatta Marie L. , Borgatta Edgar F.
Published: March 2007

The authors have advanced a moderation concept as relevant to understanding the aging process and some classes of potentially harmful behavior, such as alcohol abuse and smoking. Because studies have not been devised specifically to examine the process, statistical information cannot be directly interpreted as reflecting moderation. Competing hypotheses of cohort effects, attrition, and other effects cannot be discounted or partitioned with any confidence. Limited interpretations are advanced, and the research directions required are noted, along with the importance of the concept for possible policy formulation.
Experiencing Social Generations Phenomenal Dimensions
Authors: Nydegger Corinne N. , Mitteness Linda S. , O'Neil John
Published: March 2007

Due to the interest in relations among lineal generations, phenomenal aspects of social generations have been neglected. These experiences of social change, in relation to both ascending and descending generations, were the focus of an emic content analysis. For this well-educated sample of fathers over 45 years of age, social trends are as important as values changes, although the latter gain salience for descending generations.
Widowhood and Social Participation in Later Life
Authors: Ferraro Kenneth F.
Published: March 2007

This article is a review and theoretical analysis of widowhood and social participation in later life. Two conceptual models, one focusing on decrements and the other on compensations in social participation, are considered in reviewing the literature. After a brief critique of the methodological characteristics of the research, several different types of social participation are examined. The vast majority of research indicates that, although some decrements in social participation may occur, very few, if any, take place immediately after the death of spouse. In fact, the loss of spouse is more likely to immediately intensify social relationships than attenuate them. Of special interest is the recurrent finding that certain types of social participation are likely to increase a few years after the death of spouse. The results are interpreted as favoring a compensation model of role loss and social participation.
Early Retirement Processes among Older Men
Authors: Hayward Mark D. , Hardy Melissa A.
Published: March 2007

This study examines the influence of the occupational work context on early retirement, focusing specifically on the ways in which the nature of work in the occupation constrains early retirement processes. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Men and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, a model of early retirement is specified in which retirement is a function of health, pension coverage, union membership, the wage rate, compulsory retirement regulations, tenure, and certain background factors. This model is estimated within occupational job families where a job family is a cluster of occupations grouped according to major task dimensions of the occupational work context. The findings indicate that the effects of certain traditional determinants of early retirement vary substantially across occupational work contexts, demonstrating that the labor force opportunities of older men are defined within an occupational context, and that the impact of individual and job characteristics relevant to the early retirement decision are shaped by the nature of work. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.
General Versus Elderly Interstate Migration and Population Redistribution in the United States
Authors: Rogers Andrei , Watkins John
Published: March 2007

This article describes recent patterns of interstate migration in the United States for the general population and contrasts them with those of the elderly population. An analysis of age-specific migration rates, of multiregional life tables, and of population projections illuminates the process of interregional redistribution of both populations and supports the findings of studies of elderly migration that have identified the remarkably dominant position held by the three retirement destination states of Florida, California, and Arizona.
An Early Retirement Incentive Program
Authors: Seltzer Mildred M. , Karnes Jane
Published: March 2007

Despite academic rhetoric, there are few empirical data available about academic administrators' perceived expectations and achievements resulting from an early retirement incentive program. A natural laboratory for undertaking a preliminary and heuristic study of the perceived impact of such a program became available in Ohio when one was enacted by the state legislature. This study examines academic administrators' expectations for and perceptions of the impact of this program as well as their satisfaction or lack of it with an early retirement incentive program.
The Transition to the Caregiving Role
Authors: Stoller Eleanor Palo , Pugliesi Karen L.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the impact of helping among a panel of people assisting older people living in the community. Data were collected through interviews in 1979 and in 1986 with a linear probability sample of older people living in the community and with their primary helpers. Results suggest that providing assistance to an older person over an extended time period undermines the elder helper relationship. Despite evidence that extended helping is difficult, the helpers in this panel continued to respond to the older person's need for assistance. The analysis also indicated that these early stages of caring may also generate positive outcomes for the helpers.