bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Attending Religious Schools and Religiosity on Black and Hispanic Academic Achievement
Authors: Jeynes William H.
Published: April 2003

Using meta-analysis, this study sought to determine the effects of religious schooling and personal religious commitment on African American and Hispanic students’ academic achievement. The results indicate that religious schooling and religious commitment each have a positive effect on academic achievement and school-related behavior. In the case of religious schooling, the effect sizes that emerged for religious schooling tended to be larger for older children. The effect sizes for religious schooling were evenlarger for school-related behavior thanthey were for academic achievement. The significance of these results is discussed.
Race-Ethnicity, Social Class, and Zero-Tolerance Policies
Authors: Verdugo Richard R.
Published: April 2003

Although school crime and violence have declined during the past 5 years, problems still exist. Consequently, educators have taken many steps toward making schools safer. One such step has been the development and implementation of zero-tolerance policies. Unfortunately, such policies have created more problems thanthey have resolved. Inaddition, these policies raise serious questions about race/ethnicity and social class in American public schools, especially in urban schools where zero-tolerance policy sanctions are more likely to be applied to ethnic/racial minority and poor students. The purpose of this article is to examine the implications zero-tolerance policies have in public schools, especially on race/ethnicity and social class relations. The author concludes with a set of recommendations for developing sound zero-tolerance policies.
Parental Choice and Language-of-Instruction Policies and Practices in Estonia
Authors: Kemppainen Raija , Ferrin Scott Ellis
Published: April 2003

This article will illuminate school and language choice and access to educational alternatives in Estonia among the Russian-speaking minority based on a literature review on school choice, and on preliminary findings from qualitative interview data conducted in Estonia among 15 families whose childrenstudy in Estonian schools, Russianschools, and bilingual programs. This research has found that Russian speaking choice parents selecting Estonian-speaking schools differ from nonchoice Russian-speaking parents in their resourcefulness. Second, the article discusses support systems provided to second language learners and will examine these from the perspective of second language acquisition theory. Despite the Soviet-era threat to the very survival of Estonian, and despite the current emphasis on the Estonian language, Estonian educational language policies and practices seem to indicate sensitivity and understanding of the issues involved insecond language acquisitionfor children in educational settings.
Catholic Schools
Authors: Cattaro Gerald M.
Published: April 2003

Paradoxically, because Catholic schools did not abandon education in urban society, the recent Supreme Court ruling on vouchers awakens interest in one of our nation’s best-kept urban secrets. Using the voucher case Zelman v. Simmons-Harris as a departure point, this article considers the past and current status of urban Catholic schools. The author appeals to the common good, to a common understanding, and to the common discourse in directing the United States’s struggle to meet the needs of a diverse and pluralistic society.
Stewardship and Critical Leadership
Authors: Gooden Mark A.
Published: April 2003

Traditional notions of leadership have been found to be problematic in their application to people of color and women because such notions were constructed based on research that did not include people of color. Inlight of these issues, this article explores problems associated with omitting traditionally subjugated groups. The article concludes with a recommendation for those interested in leading in urban environments to explore a combination of the notions of stewardship and critical leadership. These notions provide an appropriate framework for addressing the difficult issues facing leaders called to serve and lead in urban environments.
On the Intractability of the Achievement Gap in Urban Schools and the Discursive Practice of Continuing Racial Discrimination
Authors: English Fenwick W.
Published: April 2003

The “achievement gap” between African American and Latino students and those of their White counterparts continues to evoke national cries of consternation and condemnation of the public schools, particularly those in urban areas. This article posits that the achievement gap will never be resolved because it is an artifact of the process of measurement in which flawed tests have been used to assess pupil progress. In particular, IQ and its derivative achievement tests cousins have always shown that socioeconomic status (SES) is a crucial variable in explaining test score variance. SES is part of the concept of cultural capital, and this form of capital is a potent predictor of student success.
Teacher Attraction
Authors: Evans Lorraine
Published: April 2003

How does the organization affect the occupation? This article takes a collective look at school organizations, magnet schools as instruments of school choice and traditional schools, and the effect they have on teacher professionalization. Research indicates that the benefits of increased teacher professionalization include greater commitment, higher retention rates, and higher student outcomes—all major issues in school reform debates. Using a national-level data set, the author investigates four elements of professionalization in both the magnet and traditional school contexts to ascertain the impact the school organization has on teacher professionalization. The results indicate the magnet school context is indeed noteworthy in the areas of autonomy, both classroom control and influence on school policy, and professional development and salary, but is not significant in teacher credentialing.
Uprooting and Replacing Positivism, the Melting Pot, Multiculturalism, and Other Impotent Notions in Educational Leadership through an African American Perspective
Authors: Dantley Michael E.
Published: April 2003

This article plumbs the depths of the fundamental grounding upon which educational leadership has been founded. It critically examines the traditional notions of positivism and rational-linear thinking that have served to guide practice in American schools. The article further interrogates modernist concepts of the melting pot and multiculturalism through an African American and critical theoretical voice. Finally, this article offers a postmodernist perspective grounded in spirituality that welcomes the bringing of the whole self to the work of school leadership and offers the most hope in constructing schools in the future that celebrate and exercise democracy, equity, and social justice.
The Responsive Classroom Approach
Authors: Horsch Patricia , Chen Jie-Qi , Wagner Suzanne L.
Published: April 2003

Most classrooms have students with behavioral problems, but such students tend to be more prevalent in low-income urban neighborhoods, and teachers in these schools often do not have adequate training or resources to address the children’s social-emotional needs. During the Schools Project—a partnership between the Erikson Institute and nine public schools in low-income Chicago neighborhoods—some of the partner schools addressed this dilemma by implementing the Responsive Classroom approach, created by the Northeast Foundation for Children to support students’ social-emotional development. No other intervention during the project ended up looking so different from school to school. At one extreme, an entire school community was transformed. At the other extreme, a school came to see the approach as an ivory-tower program unsuited for inner-city children. This article briefly describes the Responsive Classroom approach and conveys the range of implementation experiences in the Schools Project through four case histories.
The Utility of an Involvement and Talent Development Framework in Defining Charter School Success
Authors: Opp Ronald D. , Hamer Lynne M. , Beltyukova Svetlana
Published: April 2003

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the utility of an involvement and talent development framework in assessing the success of charter schools and their students. Focus group interviews were conducted with parent/guardians and teachers in four charter schools in Ohio. Teachers and parents mentioned the involvement of students, teachers, and parents and the growth in students’cognitive and affective talents as important indicators of school and student success. The study concludes that new approaches to the assessment of charter schools and their students need to reflect insiders’ perceptions of the importance of measuring involvement and talent development.
The Achievement Gap
Authors: Hunter Richard C. , Bartee RoSusan
Published: April 2003

The educational reform initiative, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), seeks to manifest best practices to produce improved results that are linked to issues of competition, class, and race. The quest for good teaching and quality learning within today’s standardized system, however, is only one component to measure academic outcomes. It is imperative that testing does not become the marginalized remedy of educational inequalities because school accountability exceeds the boundaries of pedagogy and curriculum.
A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Jeynes William H.
Published: April 2003

A meta-analysis was undertaken, including 21 studies, to determine the impact of parental involvement on the academic achievement of minority children. Statistical analyses were undertaken to determine the overall effects of parental involvement obtained for each study as well as specific components of parental involvement. Four different measures of academic achievement were used. The possible differing effects of parental involvement by gender and socioeconomic status were also considered. The results indicate that the impact of parental involvement overall is significant for all the minority groups under study. For all groups, parental involvement, as a whole, affected all the academic variables under study by at least two tenths of a standard deviation unit. However, among some of the races, certain aspects of parental involvement had a greater impact than did others. The significance of these results is discussed.
Working Conditions In Charter Schools
Authors: Malloy Courtney L. , Wohlstetter Priscilla
Published: April 2003

This article synthesizes past research findings on the work of charter school teachers and juxtaposes this research with case studies of forty charter school teachers in six urban charter elementary schools. Charter schools, with increased autonomy over personnel and budget, are given the freedom to make many decisions related to hiring, salary, and working conditions. In general, charter school teachers work longer hours and receive less job security than colleagues in traditional public schools. In some states, charter school teachers earn significantly less than other public school colleagues. The evidence also suggests, however, that teachers generally enjoy their professional lives in charter schools—their colleagues and the school’s education program. The authors argue that in order to continue to attract and retain teachers, charter schools may need to extend their use of autonomy to improve the working conditions of teachers and ultimately, to extend the life of the school.
Organizational Learning and School Change
Authors: Silins Halia Claudia , Mulford William Richard , Zarins Silja
Published: April 2003

This article examines the nature of organizational learning and the leadership practices and processes that foster organizational learning in Australian high schools. A path model is used to test the relationships between school-level factors and school outcome measures in terms of students'participation in and engagement with school. The importance of reconceptualizing schools as learning organizations to promote successful school change is discussed.
Principal Leadership for Professional Development to Build School Capacity
Authors: Youngs Peter , King M. Bruce
Published: April 2003

Based on a multiyear, qualitative study of urban elementary schools, this article examines the extent to which and the ways in which principal leadership for professional development at four schools addressed three aspects of school organizational capacity: teachers' knowledge, skills, and dispositions; professional community; and program coherence. Findings from the study indicate that effective principals can sustain high levels of capacity by establishing trust, creating structures that promote teacher learning, and either connecting their faculties to external expertise or helping teachers generate reforms internally. Study results also suggest that during transitions in school leadership, incoming principals must be cognizant of shared norms and values among their faculties before initiating new practices in curriculum, instruction, or school organization. Finally, study findings indicate that in future studies of principal effects, it may be useful for researchers to employ professional community and program coherence as mediating variables between principal leadership and student achievement.
The Three Faces of Power: The U.S. Supreme Court’s Legitimization of School Authority’s Parental, Police, and Pedagogic Roles
Authors: Ehrensal Patricia A.L.
Published: April 2003

In its decisions New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) and Vernonia v. Acton (1995), the U.S. Supreme Court legitimated the actions and policies of school authorities. In doing so, it also defined and legitimated the following three roles of school authorities: agent-of-state, custodial, and tutelary. Hence, the role of school authorities and the nature of their relationship with students has become a vacillating one. This article explores the trichotomous roles cited in these U.S. Supreme Court decisions. It also examines that although school authorities claim, in their professional judgment, to be acting in the best interest of the students, they are reproducing and reinforcing the asymmetrical power relationships in schools and society. Finally, this article addresses ethical ramifications of, what those concerned with social justice designate as, the systemic violence that may be wrought by school authorities enacting their trichotomous roles.
Single-Gender “Innovations”: Can Publicly Funded Single-Gender School Choice Options Be Constitutionally Justified?
Authors: Mead Julie F.
Published: April 2003

This article explores the question, Under what circumstances is single-gender education consistent with applicable law? First, a brief review of the prevalence of existing public single-gender programs at the elementary and secondary level is provided. Next, the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the two sources of federal legal authority guiding this issue, are discussed. Finally, the article analyzes the existing single-gender options to answer the question of the legality of the programs and presents issues of which those operating or considering the operation of single-gender programs should be mindful.
Zero Tolerance for Children: Two Wrongs Do Not Make a Right
Authors: Sughrue Jennifer A.
Published: April 2003

The federal government, through the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 (GFSA), required states to enact zero tolerance legislation mandating school districts to expel students automatically for a period of one year if they brought weapons to school. Under threat of losing federal education dollars, states complied. In turn, school districts developed disciplinary policies that reflected state mandates. In Virginia, as in other states, concern has mounted that application of these policies sometimes results in inequitable and nonsensical treatment of children. In this paper, the evolution of zero tolerance policies is traced from their progenitor, the GFSA, to the school district level. Utilizing Virginia as an example for the emergent case law, this article illustrates the debate on zero tolerance consequences among which may deny students access to schooling and ultimately development as reflective members of a democratic society.
The Demographics of Justice: Student Searches, Student Rights, and Administrator Practices
Authors: Stefkovich Jacqueline A. , Torres Mario S.
Published: April 2003

This study employs a mixed methodology consisting of legal research, policy analysis, and quantitative research to study the impact of two U.S. Supreme Court decisions, N.J. v. T.L.O. and Vernonia v. Acton on students’ rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures as guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Researchers studied 173 lower court cases following the U.S. Supreme Court rulings and found, among other things, that most decisions were in state and criminal courts; 79% favored school districts rather than students; a standard of reasonable suspicion was used in 62% of all searches; 75% of the students searched were males and 75% were between the ages of 14 and 17; and strip searches occurred most frequently in poorer communities. The courts have granted considerable discretion to school officials in searching students, a fact that has strong implications for students’ rights.
A Study Of The Distribution Of Sample Coefficient Alpha With The Hopkins Symptom Checklist: Bootstrap Versus Asymptotics
Authors: Yuan Ke-Hai , Guarnaccia Charles A. , Hayslip Bert
Published: April 2003

Sample coefficient alpha is commonly reported for psychological measurement scales. However, how to characterize the distribution of sample coefficient alpha with the Likert-type scales typically used in social and behavioral science research is not clear. Using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, the authors compare three characterizations of the distribution of the sample coefficient alpha: the existing normal-theory-based distribution, a newly proposed distribution based on fourth-order moments, and the bootstrap empirical distribution. Their study indicates that the normal-theory-based distribution has a systematic bias in describing the behavior of the sample coefficient alpha. The distribution based on fourth-order moments is better than the normal-theory-based one but is still not good enough with finite samples. The bootstrap automatically takes the sampling distribution and sample size into account; thus it is recommended for characterizing the behavior of sample coefficient alpha with Likert-type scales.
Detection Of Differential Item Functioning In Large-Scale State Assessments: A Study Evaluating A Two-Stage Approach
Authors: Zenisky April L. , Hambleton Ronald K. , Robin Frédéric
Published: April 2003

In differential item functioning (DIF) studies, examinees from different groups are typically ability matched, and then one or more statistical indices are used to compare performance on a set of test items. Typically, matching is on total test score (a criterion both observable and easily accessible), but it may be limited in value because if DIF is present, it is likely to distort test scores and potentially confound any item performance differences. Thus, some researchers have advocated iterative approaches for DIF detection. In this article, a two-stage methodology for evaluating DIF in large-scale state assessment data was explored. The findings illustrated the merit of iterative approaches for DIF detection. Items being flagged as DIF in the second stage were not necessarily the same items identified as DIF in the first stage and vice versa, and this finding was directly related to the amount of DIF found in the Stage 1 analyses.
Differential Item Functioning Results May Change Depending On How An Item Is Scored: An Illustration With The Center For Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale
Authors: Gelin Michaela N. , Zumbo Bruno D.
Published: April 2003

The present study investigated potentially biased scale items on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D). The 20-item CES-D was scored using two binary methods (presence and persistence) and one ordinal method. Gender differential item functioning (DIF) was explored using Zumbo’s OLR method with corresponding logistic regression effect size estimator with all three scoring methods. Gender DIF was found with the CES-D item “crying” for the ordinal and presence methods of scoring. The persistence scoring method identified two DIF items (effort and hopeful); however, this scoring method appears to be of limited use due to low variability on some items. Overall, the results indicate that the scoring method has an effect on DIF; thus, DIF is a property of the item, scoring method, and purpose of the instrument.
Online Measurement Of Appraisals Of Students Faced With Curricular Tasks
Authors: Crombach Marjo J. , Boekaerts Monique , Voeten Marinus J. M.
Published: April 2003

The On-Line Motivation Questionnaire assesses students’ judgments of a learning situation in real classroom situations. The present study focuses on the part of this instrument related to student appraisals at the onset of a task. A sample of 780 Dutch 7th-grade students completed the questionnaire for eight tasks (Dutch, French, history, mathematics) on two occasions. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that seven of the eight presupposed factors could be distinguished empirically. This internal structure appeared invariant over the academic tasks included in the study and seemed also stable over a half-year period. Internal consistencies of scores on the seven subscales appeared satisfactory for research purposes.
Higher Order Factor Structure Of A Self-Control Test: Evidence From Confirmatory Factor Analysis With Polychoric Correlations
Authors: Flora David B. , Finkel Eli J. , Foshee Vangie A.
Published: April 2003

The self-control test developed by Grasmick, Tittle, Bursik, and Arneklev was designed to measure each of six components of self-control, namely, impulsivity, a preference for simple rather than complex tasks, risk seeking, a preference for physical rather than cerebral activities, a self-centered orientation, and a volatile temper. This conceptualization clearly suggests that self-control may be defined as a higher order construct that leads to each of these components, which in turn may be represented as first-order factors or constructs. However, due to various limitations, previous analyses of the test failed to establish this factor structure. By employing proper methods for the factor analysis of Likert-type items and explicitly testing a higher order structure, the authors show that the self-control test may provide more valid measurement of the psychological constructs it was intended to measure than previous research suggests.
Another Look At Technology Use In Classrooms: The Development And Validation Of An Instrument To Measure Teachers’ Perceptions
Authors: Hogarty Kristine Y. , Lang Thomas R. , Kromrey Jeffrey D.
Published: April 2003

This article describes the development and initial validation of scores from a survey designed to measure teachers’ reported use of technology in their classrooms. Based on data obtained from a sample of approximately 2,000 practicing teachers, factor analytic and correlational methods were used to obtain evidence of the validity of scores derived from responses to the instrument. In addition, analyses of Web and paper versions of the survey suggest relatively minor differences in responses, although the response rates for the paper version were substantially higher. The results were interpreted in terms of the utility of the instrument for measuring the confluence of factors that are critical for inquiry related to technology use in classrooms.
Treatment Of Missing Data At The Second Level Of Hierarchical Linear Models
Authors: Gibson Nicole Morgan , Olejnik Stephen
Published: April 2003

The problem of missing data at the second level of a two-level hierarchical data structure was investigated. Using data generated to simulate the 1982 High School and Beyond data set, five missing data treatments—listwise deletion, overall mean substitution, group mean substitution, the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm, and multiple imputation—were examined under four manipulated conditions: number of Level 2 variables, Level 2 sample size, Level 1 intercept-slope correlation, and percentage of missing data. Listwise deletion, group mean substitution, and the EM algorithm performed equally well for the variable having missing values. For the variables having no missing data, listwise deletion and the EM algorithm performed satisfactorily. Only listwise deletion performed well in estimating random effects except when the Level 2 sample size was 30 and 40% of the data were missing. The practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Relationships Between The Underlying Constructs Of The Beck Depression Inventory And The Center For Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale
Authors: Skorikov Vladimir B. , VanderVoort Debra J.
Published: April 2003

This study examines the relationships between the constructs of depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the revised Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in a sample of 261 college students. The two scales were found to have a moderately high correlation and a similar pattern of relationships to measures of anxiety, hostility, self-esteem, hypochondriasis, and locus of control. However, the relations between the subscales and the factor structure of the subscales derived from both instruments suggest that the BDI and CES-D measure different aspects of depression despite sharing some symptoms. Therefore, the authors argue that the BDI and CES-D should not be used interchangeably. The results are discussed in terms of the applicability of the two measures of depression for use with nonclinical populations.
Incorporation Of Content Balancing Requirements In Stratification Designs For Computerized Adaptive Testing
Authors: Leung Chi-Keung , Chang Hua-Hua , Hau Kit-Tai
Published: April 2003

In computerized adaptive testing, the multistage a-stratified design advocates a new philosophy on pool management and item selection in which, contradictory to common practice, less discriminating items are used first. The method is effective in reducing item-overlap rate and enhancing pool utilization. This stratification method has been extended in different ways to deal with the practical issues of content constraints and the positive correlation between item difficulty and discrimination. Nevertheless, these modified designs on their own do not automatically satisfy content requirements. In this study, three stratification designs were examined in conjunction with three well developed content balancing methods. The performance of each of these nine combinational methods was evaluated in terms of their item security, measurement efficiency, and pool utilization. Results showed substantial differences in item-overlap rate and pool utilization among different methods. An optimal combination of stratification design and content balancing method is recommended.
Assessing The Factor Structure Invariance Of Self-Concept Measurement Across Ethnic And Gender Groups: Findings From A National Sample
Authors: Yin Ping , Fan Xitao
Published: April 2003

This study investigated the degree of factor structure invariance of self-concept measurement across ethnic and gender groups. The National Educational Longitudinal Survey of 1988 (NELS: 88) data were used for the investigation. The factor pattern coefficients and factor variances/covariances were found to be statistically not invariant across either ethnic or gender groups. The concern about the effect of the large sample size on the statistical significance test results led to the authors’ examination of descriptive model fit indices that suggested that it would be reasonable to consider the factor pattern coefficients and factor variances and covariances as invariant across ethnic and gender groups.
Estimating Test Score Reliability When No Examinee Has Taken The Complete Test
Authors: Feldt Leonard S.
Published: April 2003

In some settings, the reliability of test scores must be approximated even though no examinee has taken the complete instrument. Rather, one group of individuals has taken one fraction of the items; a second independent group has taken a different, nonoverlapping fraction of the items; and so on. Ultimately, a representative sample of examinees will take the complete test, but at the time when the estimate of reliability is required, no such sample is available. Formulas are developed in this article to cope with this situation. The choice of one formula over another is contingent on the degree of similarity between or among the part-tests. Different estimators are developed for part-tests that are judged to be classically parallel, tau-equivalent, or congeneric. Standards are proposed for differentiating among these three models for the part-tests.
Spatial Choice and Preference in Multilevel Movement Networks
Authors: Chang Dongkuk
Published: April 2003

In spite of growing demands for research into the pedestrian movement characteristics of large multilevel spaces, research attempted so far has featured fragmented approaches lacking reference to spatial preference in the process of route choice and decision behavior. This article investigates how multiple design factors, such as attractors and generators of movement, grade separation by multiple levels, and local visual factors of transition spaces, affect the patterns of individual route choice and movement behavior. More specifically, this study explores the dynamic interactions occurring between the internal route structure, the degree of familiarity, and the level changes of the two multilevel systems. This investigation aimed to determine which design factor is more vital for understanding how multilevel systems work in general. The two case studies studied have demonstrated that there are certain hierarchical interactions among those design factors that contribute to route choice and decision behavior in multilevel urban complexes.
Evidence for Rapid Affective Evaluation of Environmental Scenes
Authors: Korpela Kalevi M. , Klemettilä Terhi , Hietanen Jari K.
Published: April 2003

The authors employed an affective priming paradigm to provide direct evidence for the rapid evaluation of natural and urban environments suggested in evolutionary models of environmental perception and restoration. Pictures classified as urban and nature environments differing in restorative and affective quality were presented as prime stimuli. They were followed by presentations of human vocal expressions of joy, anger, and emotional neutrality as target stimuli. The participants were required to judge the vocal one-word expressions and produce a forced-choice reaction between joy and anger. The reaction times to vocal expressions of anger were shorter after the presentation of urban scenes associated with low restorative potential and negative affect than after nature scenes associated with high restorative potential and positive affect. The reaction times to vocal expressions of joy were shorter after the presentation of a nature scene than of an urban environment. The results provide support for the rapid and automatic affective evaluations of environmental scenes.
Chronic Exposure to Noise in Industry
Authors: Raffaello Maela , Maass Anne
Published: April 2003

A field study ( N = 62) is reported comparing two industries that had comparably high noise levels during the pretest phase; one of the two factories was subsequently moved to a new site with strongly reduced noise levels, whereas the control industry remained in the same building as during pretesting. The main prediction was that the reduction of noise in the experimental organization would lead to greater environmental satisfaction, greater job satisfaction, reduced stress symptoms, reduced difficulty of communication, a more positive company image, and greater attachment to the company. No changes from pretest to posttest were expected in the control industry for any of these variables. The hypotheses were fully confirmed, suggesting that environmental conditions reliably affect not only the worker’s physical and psychological well-being but also organizationally relevant variables such as image of and attachment to the company, which have largely been ignored by previous research.
Linking Objective Measures Of Space To Cognition And Action
Authors: Zimring Craig , Dalton Ruth Conroy
Published: April 2003

This article reviews the synergy between a number of differing academic disciplines with reference to the study of spatial cognition. It identifies three potential areas for future collaboration: understanding the relationships between the form of the physical world and mental representations, linking space to action, and creating alternative methods and approaches for studying environmental cognition. After discussing the possibilities for collaboration within each of these areas, the article continues by reviewing in detail the articles contained within this special edition. An attempt is made to identify common ground and links between the different articles, illustrating how they might relate both to each other and to the areas of future research identified earlier.
Space Syntax
Authors: Bafna Sonit
Published: April 2003

The purpose of this article is to provide a background to the analytical techniques and related terminology used commonly in space syntax studies. The basic premises of space syntax are presented, its methodological procedures described, and certain key terms defined. Finally, issues relating space syntax studies to questions of spatial cognition are discussed.
Space Syntax And Spatial Cognition
Authors: Penn Alan
Published: April 2003

Space syntax research has found that spatial configuration alone explains a substantial proportion of the variance between aggregate human movement rates in different locations in both urban and building interior space. Although it seems possible to explain how people move on the basis of these analyses, the question of why they move this way has always seemed problematic because the analysis contains no explicit representations of either motivations or individual cognition. One possible explanation for the method’s predictive power is that some aspects of cognition are implicit in space syntax analysis. This article reviews the contribution made by syntax research to the understanding of environmental cognition. It proposes that cognitive space, defined as that space which supports our understanding of configurations more extensive than our current visual field, is not a metric space, but topological. A hypothetical process for deriving a nonmetric space from the metric visibility graph involving exploratory movement is developed. The resulting space is shown to closely resemble the axial graph.
The Skeleton In The Cognitive Map
Authors: Kuipers Benjamin , Tecuci Dan G. , Stankiewicz Brian J.
Published: April 2003

Experts seem to find routes in complex environments by finding a connection from the source to a “skeleton” of major paths, then moving within the skeleton to the neighborhood of the destination, making a final connection to the destination. The authors present a computational hypothesis that describes the skeleton as emerging from the interaction of three factors: (a) The topological map is represented as a bipartite graph of places and paths, where a path is a one-dimensional ordered set of places; (b) a traveler incrementally accumulates topological relationships, including the relation of a place to a path serving as a dividing boundary separating two regions; and (c) the wayfinding algorithm prefers paths rich in boundary relations so they are likely to acquire more boundary relations. This positive-feedback loop leads to an oligarchy of paths rich in boundary relations. The authors present preliminary computational and empirical tests for this hypothesis, and provide initial results.
Just Down The Road A Piece
Authors: Haq Saif , Zimring Craig
Published: April 2003

This study explores whether people’s topological knowledge changes as they get to know a setting. Volunteers ( n = 128) performed open and directed searches in three large hospitals. In open searches the participants attempted to become familiar with the hospital; in directed searches they sought specific locations. The participants also performed various cognitive tasks such as pointing and sketch mapping. During initial exploration, they relied more on local topological qualities, such as how many additional nodal decision points could be seen from a given node. As they got to know the setting better, their wayfinding behavior was better predicted by more global qualities such as the space syntax integration of a node. This suggests that people rapidly move from a local to a more global topological understanding as they learn a setting. In addition, space syntax measures were good predictors of the participant's ability to point to out-of-sight locations and of their sketch maps.
Ervin H. Zube (1931-2002)
Authors: Gobster Paul H. , Palmer James F. , Crystal Joseph H.
Published: April 2003

Ervin H. Zube was a primary force among environment-behavior researchers, particularly those who helped develop the area of landscape perception and assessment. In this commemorative essay, the authors highlight some of Zube’s significant contributions to environment-behavior studies and identify a set of his publications that has had an impact on the field. In particular, they examine how Zube, Sell, and Taylor’s article “Landscape Perception: Research, Application and Theory” has helped shape subsequent research in landscape perception and suggest how environment-behavior researchers might build on its achievements.
Building Walls Of Brick And Breaching Walls Of Separation
Authors: Billig Miriam , Churchman Arza
Published: April 2003

The significance of a physical separation in housing between socioeconomically different populations as subjectively evaluated by the residents involved was examined in three new housing developments built in neglected neighborhoods in Ramat Gan, Israel. Each development consists of five to seven modern new condominium buildings, very different in appearance and status from the adjacent old buildings. One hundred twenty women were interviewed from the new and old buildings. The everyday encounter between them takes place in the common public services, on the street, and through the view from their windows. A clear physical boundary was important to the groups of widely differing status and affected their attitudes and behavior. Physical separation between the new and the old buildings improved satisfaction with their housing among both population groups. In the absence of physical separation, dissatisfaction, disengagement, and indications of ethnic tension were more likely to be found.
The Role Of Permanent Student Artwork In Students’ Sense Of Ownership In An Elementary School
Authors: Killeen Jennifer Platten , Evans Gary W. , Danko Sheila
Published: April 2003

The objective of this study is to determine if the physical design of learning environments can foster a sense of student ownership in the learning process. Accommodation of permanent student artwork to school interior spaces may enhance student ownership. Sense of ownership incorporates personalization, sense of control, territoriality, and involvement. The authors uncover a significant association between school design and students’ sense of ownership. Furthermore, within a school incorporating permanent artwork, the stronger students’ perceptions are that their artwork can be permanently displayed, the greater their sense of ownership is.
Incentives, Morality, Or Habit? Predicting Students’ Car Use for University Routes With the Models of Ajzen, Schwartz, and Triandis
Authors: Bamberg Sebastian , Schmidt Peter
Published: April 2003

The predictive power of the Ajzen, Triandis, and Schwartz models are compared in the context of car use for university routes. Two hundred fifty-four students filled out a questionnaire designed to measure the components of the three models. In the prediction of intention to use a car, results indicated that one variable from the Trinandis model—role beliefs—increased the explanatory power offered by the components of the Ajzen model. In the prediction of self-reported car use, one variable of the Triandis model—car use habit—significantly increased the predictive power of the Ajzen model. The central variable of the Schwartz model—personal norm—exerted no significant effect either on intention or on behavior. The implications of the findings for interventions to reduce the car use of students for university routes are discussed.
Trust And Social Representations Of The Management Of Threatened And Endangered Species
Authors: Cvetkovich George , Winter Patricia L.
Published: April 2003

Using quantitative analysis of questionnaire responses, observations during focus group discussions, and qualitative assessment of discussion statements, the present study examined trust and social representations of the U.S. Forest Service’s management of Southern California national forests for the protection of endangered species. Supporting expectations based on the salient values similarity (SVS) model, it was found that (a) trust was highly correlated to assessments of shared salient values, and (b) trust and both the evaluation and acceptance of specific forest management practices were strongly related. Four patterns of social representations of shared value saliency and trust of U.S. Forest Service forest management to protect species were identified. Results demonstrate the importance of trust to the acceptance of forest management practices. They also suggest the need to recognize the influence of perceived variations in saliency of values in the SVS model.
Finding A Place In The Country
Authors: Crump Jeff R.
Published: April 2003

Exurban areas are the fastest growing type of residential development in the United States. Although exurbia may represent a distinctly new settlement pattern, to date relatively little is known about why people choose to live in the exurbs. The purpose of this article is to examine the factors underlying the residential choices of suburban and exurban residents of Sonoma County, California. The research question is, Why do some people choose to live in an exurban setting, whereas others move to suburban locations? The findings of the study indicate that exurban residents are motivated by the desire to live in a rural environment. In contrast, suburbanites are more concerned with the cost of housing and access to highways. These results support the conclusion that exurban growth is a distinctive phenomenon reflecting residents’ desire to live in a rural setting.
Homogeneity Around the World?
Authors: Wu H. Denis
Published: April 2003

This study investigates and compares the impact of systemic determinants on international news flow between developed and developing nations. Systemic factors are defined as traits of nation, interaction and relatedness, and logistics of news gathering and distribution. Trade volume is found to be the dominant predictor of news flow. Trade and presence of news agencies impact news flow regardless of the nation's development level. Population and distance, however, are found to be predictors only in the developing countries, while GDP is an exclusive predictor in the developed counterparts. Globally speaking, trade, population, news agencies and geographic proximity emerge as conducive factors to transnational news flow.
International Elections on US Network News
Authors: Golan Guy , Wanta Wayne
Published: April 2003

A content analysis examined factors that could predict coverage of international elections on US newscasts. All 138 elections held between 1 January 1998 and 1 May 2000 were included in the analysis. Many of the results run counter to previous findings. Countries with few ancestral ties with the US, with nuclear arms or developing nuclear arms, with close relations with China, with low trade with the US and in regions with conflicts were more likely to receive election coverage than other nations. In general, while the elections offer the news media the opportunity to show positive news — democracy in action — coverage continues to concentrate on the negative by highlighting elections in those countries that pose potential threats and are relatively unknown to the US.
Individual Perceptions of International Correspondents in the Middle East
Authors: Ibrahim Dina
Published: April 2003

This article examines the issues international correspondents have cited in various surveys and interviews as obstacles to fair reporting in the Middle East over the past 30 years. Using the hierarchy of influences approach, it is an examination of the individual influences of journalists' perceptions on media content, and how their perceptions may affect stories filed from the Middle East. Potential impact of organizational pressures and routines of the news production process on news from the Middle East are also assessed.
Is There an Association between Life Events, Postnatal Depression and Thyroid Dysfunction in Thyroid Antibody Positive Women?
Authors: Oretti Rossana G. , Harris Brian , Lazarus John H. , Parkes Arthur B. , Crownshaw Tina
Published: April 2003

Background: Postnatal depression is more common in women positive for thyroid autoantibodies, independent of thyroid hormone dysfunction, but the basis of this association is unclear.

Aims: The objective of the work reported here has been to investigate from data obtained from previously published research, a possible association between life events, postnatal depression and the development of thyroid dysfunction in women who are positive for thyroid autoantibodies.

Method: A cohort of pregnant women whose thyroid antibody status was positive ( N = 115), was identified at antenatal booking (approximately 16 weeks). These, and a group of women negative for thyroid antibodies ( N = 123), were assessed for depression at six to eight weeks postpartum and then at 12, 20 and 28 weeks postpartum according to Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC). The number and type of life events over the preceding year were also assessed at eight weeks postpartum using Paykel's Life Event Schedule. At four weekly intervals postpartum until six months, thyroid antibody levels and thyroid function (plasma T3 T4 and TSH) were measured.

Results: As anticipated, the thyroid antibody status remained the same throughout the study, and there was no difference in the number or type of life events reported in the preceding year, between antibody positive and antibody negative women. Postnatal depression was associated with an excess of both total and negative life events, independent of thyroid antibody status or actual thyroid hormonal status. Women who developed thyroid dysfunction did not report an excess of life events (total, negative or neutral) in the preceding year.

Conclusion: There was an excess of reported total and negative life events in women with postnatal depression, but this was independent of thyroid antibody status or function.