bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unity and Development
Authors: Louw Stephen
Published: March 2007

This article examines the relationship between the classical Marxist tradition and the conceptual roots of totalitarianism. Here totalitarianism is understood to entail the attempt to frame the developmental impulses of modernity within the logic of a premodern political imaginary—defined as internally homogenous and transparent to itself. In the first part, we take issue with those who try to distinguish between the thought of Marx and Engels, and who insist that it is only in Engels's thought that the traces of a totalitarian politics might be found. In the second section, we outline briefly the context within which Marx's thought was developed, after which we argue that Marx's vision of communism is dependent on the three-phase vision of historical process which he inherited from Hegel. Without denying the historical peculiarities of the imposition of communism in Russia, we conclude that it is out of this latter vision of history that the conceptual roots of totalitarianism must be located.
Interpretive Social Science and the "Native's Point of View": A Closer Look
Authors: Jones Todd
Published: March 2007

In the past two decades, many anthropologists have been drawn to "interpre tive" perspectives which hold that the study of human culture would profit by using approaches developed in the humanities, rather than using approaches used in the natural sciences. The author discusses the source of the appeal of such perspectives but argues that interpretive approaches to social science tend to be fundamentally flawed, even by common everyday epistemological standards.
The Evolution of Partnerships
Authors: COOPER BEN , WALLACE CHRIS
Published: March 2007

In an evolutionary setting, players are allowed to choose not only their strategies for a particular game but also to some extent with whom they will play. This can lead to complex dynamics. Here, simulations are used to obtain some preliminary conclusions. It is shown that the ability to form fixed partnerships can enable players to coordinate on efficient outcomes. In scenarios where partnerships would lead to inefficient outcomes, they do not survive the evolutionary process.
A Memory Search Model of Reliability
Authors: Hunter John E. , Gillmore Gerald M.
Published: March 2007

A reanalysis is given of data presented by Gillmore in which a paired-item design permitted differentiation between reliability and communality. This analysis yielded results "inconsistent" with traditional reliability theory. A new model based on assumptions about memory is presented which fits Gillmore's data. The implications of this theory are indicated for reliability artifacts, measurement, factor analysis, and the measurement of change.
Contextual Analysis Revisited
Authors: Hauser Robert M.
Published: March 2007

This is a response to the immediately preceding article by George Farkas. Readers are directed to the Editor's Note on page 333 above.
Individuals and Social Structure
Authors: Erbring Lutz , Young Alice A.
Published: March 2007

Treatments of contextual effects in the social science literature have traditionally focused on statistical phenomena more than on social processes. Typically, the existence of contextual processes has been inferred on the basis of "group-level" effects (as contrasted with "individual-level" effects). This article seeks to redress that imbalance by focusing on underlying processes through which social structure and social interaction may impinge upon individuals. Four alternative generating mechanisms for contextual effects are discussed, along with their implications for model specification and estimation; only one of these, however, is found to be compatible with the notion of modeling individual outcomes as a result of group processes (endogenous feedback). Methods for consistent parameter estimation in endogenous feedback models are presented, based on maximum likelihood estimators for models with lattice autoregressive structure and their extension to models with lattice autocorrelated error structures. Moreover, since the latter often arise by failure to specify contextual processes explicitly, conventional statistical definitions of contextual effects are shown to be confounded with the resulting specification bias.
Statistical Evidence in Employment Discrimination Cases
Authors: WEISBERG HERBERT I. , TOMBERLIN THOMAS J.
Published: March 2007

Statistical methods in general, and multiple regression analysis in particular, are being used increasingly to provide evidence in employment discrimination cases. While the technical issues involved in using statistical methods to detect discrimination are straightforward, the conceptual issues are much less clearly understood. This article provides a framework to help clarify the conditions under which an estimated effect can be properly attributed to discrimination. Several interrelated issues have caused particular confusion, including the distinction between disparate impact and disparate treatment, the definition of test bias, the use of “reverse regression,” proxy variables for true productivity, and measurement error. A simple mathematical model is developed to analyze the precise nature of these issues. It is concluded that although employment discrimination cases involve all the usual problems involved in causal inference from observational data, certain aspects of the legal context may facilitate the valid application of statistical techniques.
Estimable Functions in Log-Linear Models
Authors: LONG J. SCOTT
Published: March 2007

Since Goodman's introduction of log-linear models to social scientists in 1972, the technique has become a basic tool. Applications have been limited, however, by a serious misunderstanding of the interpretation of parameters in log-linear models. The problem arises from attempts to interpret the parameters as though they are similar to regression coefficients, rather than as similar to ANOVA coefficients. More technically, the problem arises from a failure to understand the concept of estimability and its application to log-linear analysis. This article defines the concept of estimability for log-linear models, indicates the implications of this concept for the interpretation of parameters in log-linear models, and provides rules for determining the estimability of linear functions of parameters.
Using Key Informant Data in Comparative Community Research
Authors: KRANNICH RICHARD S. , HUMPHREY CRAIG R.
Published: March 2007

Among the obstacles confronting community researchers are difficulties in conducting comparative research involving more than a small number of communities. This is especially true when research is directed toward investigations of social processes and actions that cannot reasonably be tapped using available secondary data sources. One potential approach to resolving this dilemma involves the collection of information on social processes and actions in communities from knowledgeable “key informants.” However, despite the fact that use of informants has become relatively common in community research, little attention has been directed to the specific strengths and weaknesses of such data collection procedures. Issues of validity and reliability of informant-based data have not been widely discussed, and there have been few attempts to assess or compare various informant selection criteria. In this article we focus on an empirical overview of the key informant method and the data it can generate. The analysis is based on data collected in conjunction with a study of growth mobilization processes in small urban places. Our findings provide mixed evidence regarding the contention that use of multiple informants from each study unit can provide reliable and valid data on community processes.
Misspecification, Asymptotic Stability, and Ordinal Variables in the Analysis of Panel Data
Authors: ARMINGER GERHARD
Published: March 2007

When using panel data important problems are often conveniently overlooked. These include model misspecification, asymptotic stability, unequally spaced panel waves, and the use of ordinal rather than metric data. While panel data may be useful to eliminate specification error, if the process generating data is in equilibrium, the problems of misspecification persist if a model with a lagged endogenous variable is formulated. Furthermore, the notion of asymptotic stability and its relation to the notion of inertia, which is often called stability by social scientists, is discussed. An important practical question is how to deal with data from panels with unequally spaced intervals between waves. Finally, the issue of the treatment of ordinal dependent variables is addressed. Using ordinal probit thresholds, the question of the variance of an ordinal variable across time is clarified and a quick estimator for this variance is given.
Measures of Dependence for Cross-Lagged Panel Models
Authors: MAYER LAWRENCE S. , CARROLL STEVEN S.
Published: March 2007

Panel studies are statistical studies in which two or more responses are measured for two or more individuals, or other sampling units, at two or more waves, or points in time. Typically the number of responses and the number of waves are small but the number of subjects is large. Cross-lagged panel studies are those in which the responses are continuous and divide naturally into two sets. One focus in such studies is to estimate and test the temporal effects with emphasis given to the effects of each set on the other. One approach to making such inferences involves casting the model as a set of regression equations and then estimating and testing the parameters by some variant of classical regression methods. Within this regression approach several authors have considered the problem of summarizing the degree of dependence by adapting the principle of “reduction in error.” We consider the same problem and develop measures from the multivariate likelihood ratio test statistics. We interpret these measures by relating them, for a stationary process, to the “feedback” measures developed for vector autoregressive processes. Finally we display the use of these measures on two sets of panel data.
A Seemingly Unrelated Poisson Regression Model
Authors: KING GARY
Published: March 2007

This article introduces a new estimator for the analysis of two contemporaneously correlated endogenous event count variables. This seemingly unrelated Poisson regression model (SUPREME) estimator combines the efficiencies created by single equation Poisson regression model estimators and insights from “seemingly unrelated” linear regression models.
Structural Equation Models for Ordinal Variables
Authors: XIE YU
Published: March 2007

This article presents structural equation models with discrete dependent variables that refer to occupational destinations. After assuming threshold measurement models and structural models with normally distributed error terms, it is shown that the linear relationships among observed and latent continuous variables can be treated in a way that is similar to conventional structural equation models in the LISREL framework. The models that are presented are simple cases of a large class of models that can be estimated with the computer program LISCOMP. Reanalyzing data from the 1962 Occupational Changes in a Generation Survey, the models incorporate discrete occupational destinations into the classic Blau-Duncan model. Results indicate that although the likelihood of becoming a manager, official, or proprietor is directly affected by parental social status, the chances of becoming a scientist or engineer are affected only indirectly through education.
Bootstrapping Goodness-of-Fit Measures in Categorical Data Analysis
Authors: LANGEHEINE ROLF , PANNEKOEK JEROEN , VAN DE POL FRANK
Published: March 2007

When sparse data have to be fitted to a log-linear or latent class model, one cannot use the theoretical chi-square distribution to evaluate model fit, because with sparse data the observed cross-table has too many cells in relation to the number of observations to use a distribution that only holds asymptotically. The choice of a theoretical distribution is also difficult when model-expected frequencies are 0 or when model probabilities are estimated 0 or 1. The authors propose to solve these problems by estimating the distribution of a fit measure, using bootstrap methods. An algorithm is presented for estimating this distribution by drawing bootstrap samples from the model-expected proportions, the so-called nonnaive bootstrap method. For the first time the method is applied to empirical data of varying sparseness, from five different data sets. Results show that the asymptotic chi-square distribution is not at all valid for sparse data.
Artificial Intelligence within Sociology
Authors: CARLEY KATHLEEN M.
Published: March 2007

The potential linkages between artificial intelligence and sociology are growing. This growth is due to importation of artificial intelligence techniques into methodological tools for data analysis, a growing interest among researchers in artificial intelligence in the socially situated agent, and a growing interest among sociologists in using artificial intelligence techniques for theorizing about social phenomena. Increasingly, researchers are addressing concerns of traditional importance within sociology, such as the bases for cooperation, the role of structure in affecting individual agency, and interaction using computational models of intelligent adaptive agents. This article provides an overview of the role that artificial intelligence currently plays within sociology.
Modeling Organizational Adaptation as a Simulated Annealing Process
Authors: CARLEY KATHLEEN M. , SVOBODA DAVID M.
Published: March 2007

Organizations can be characterized as complex systems composed of adaptive and intelligent agents. Organizational adaptation occurs through restructuring and learning. Organizations can be modeled using a dual-level model in which restructuring is modeled as a simulated annealing process and individual learning is modeled using a stochastic learning model and boundedly rational agents. Such a model is presented, and its behavior is illustrated using a virtual experiment where the type of organizational adaptation is varied. Results suggest that the organizational design and performance relationship may be chaotic, despite the simple rules of change. Simple restructuring rules lead to a wide range of emergent organizational structures that increases with individual adaptation. Organizations locate good designs (through chance and slow change) regardless of the agents' intelligence; however, emergent designs depend on adaptability. Design features are not systematically related to performance; rather, small initial differences in design and environment can affect the emergent behavior.
The Latent Markov Chain with Multivariate Random Effects
Authors: HUMPHREYS KEITH
Published: March 2007

An analytically tractable latent Markov chain with correlated random effects from Gamma distributions is developed by combining techniques developed in latent class modeling and random effects modeling of survival and recurrent binary events data. Continuous unobserved heterogeneity in both classification error and latent class membership is allowed for. The model is used to compare a number of instruments that measure male labor market status in the British Household Panel Survey. Instrument specific, correlated random effects for classification errors are specified. Although the presented methodology is limited to binary events and specific distributional forms for the random effects, the analysis illustrates the importance of trying to understand and allow for potential complexities in classification error processes, if measurement error adjustments are to be relied on. The standard result of such analyses, that nontreatment of dependent classification errors leads to underestimation of the number of “changers,” is emphasized here.
A Method for Systematically Observing and Recording Collective Action
Authors: SCHWEINGRUBER DAVID , McPHAIL CLARK
Published: March 2007

The authors provide a set of criteria and procedures for systematically observing and recording collective action across temporary gatherings such as political demonstrations. Their method uses trained observers, distributed across a gathering, who complete a code sheet during time interval samples. The code sheet allows observers to record the extent of participation in 40 or more elementary forms of collective action by members of six actor categories. These elementary forms were inductively generated from extensive prior observations of temporary gatherings. The data collected provide a rich record of collective action across space and time. The method can be used to investigate a number of problems facing students of collective action and social movements.
Subaltern alternatives on caste, class and ethnicity
Authors: Heredia Rudolf C.
Published: March 2007

The challenges to the dominant hegemony in this land have focused on the key issues of equity and justice that underlie the quest for identity and dignity. Setting these in a more integrated and holistic context we focus on three crucial issues: caste and hierarchy, caste and class, and caste and ethnicity. We conclude with some more important leads which could be further pursued: a sub-altern hermeneutic, a new understanding of the fragmen tation and shift in our present electoral politics, and the dilemmas of intervention by the state, social movements and market mechanisms. In sum, subaltern alternatives do repre sent a horizon of revolt and revolution, which can fuse with others to construct the identi ties and ideologies for a brave new world.
Aestheticism and Morality
Authors: KATEB GEORGE
Published: March 2007

It is only through the duality of the `masculine' and the `feminine' that the `human' finds full realization.

Pope John Paul II

See the power of national emblems. Some stars, lilies, leopards, a crescent, a lion, an eagle, or other figure, which came into credit, God knows how, on an old rag of bunting, blowing in the wind, on a fort, at the ends of the earth, shall make the blood tingle under the rudest or the most conventional exterior. The people fancy they hate poetry, and they are all poets and mystics!

Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Dilemmas of Reform in Weak States: the Case of Post-soviet Fiscal Decentralization
Authors: WAY LUCAN A.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the dilemmas of reform in weak states through an examination of efforts to decentralize the fiscal system in post-Soviet Ukraine in the 1990s. Despite increased attention to the state, many reform efforts still ignore the full implications that state weakness has for institutional transformation. Inattention to the problems of institutional capacity has led to a misdiagnosis of the problems facing intergovernmental institutions in post-Soviet Ukraine. Overcentralization and soft budget constraints built into formal institutional design demand an unrecognized degree of institutional capacity that is frequently weak or absent in the post-Soviet context. In addition, reform measures that fail to take into account the problems of weak institutions have inadvertently reduced the authority of already enfeebled state institutions.
Pocock Foucault, Forces of Reassurance
Authors: CORLETT WILLIAM S.
Published: March 2007

One cannot step twice into the same river, nor can one grasp any mortal substance in a stable condition, but it scatters and again gathers; it forms and dissolves, and approaches and departs—Heraclitus.

Play is always play of absence and presence, but if one wishes to think it radically, one must think it before the alternative of presence and absence; it is necessary to think of Being as presence or absence from the possibility of play on, and not the other way around—Derrida.
Quality of Life and Quality of Persons
Authors: LANE ROBERT E.
Published: March 2007

If the obstacles to human development lie in the paucity of resources, in insuperable technical barriers, the task would be hopeless. We know instead that it is too often a lack of political commitment, not of resources, that is the ultimate cause of human neglect.

United Nations, Human Development Report, 1991
MEDIA COVERAGE OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Authors: BRUNK GREGORY G. , FISHKIN JAMES ANDREW
Published: March 2007

Little research has focused on the media's influence during presidential campaigns. In this article we examine the relative levels of media coverage given candidates before the nominating conventions of 1976. Using a dynamic model, we find that a candidate's relative level of media attention is often a significant predictor of his popularity over time.
BEYOND SIMPLE EXPOSURE
Authors: McLEOD JACK M. , McDONALD DANIEL G.
Published: March 2007

This study adopts a broad approach to problems associated with confusion in the literature on media orientations and political processes. Three different dependent variables representing cognition, attitude and behavior are examined in relation to multiple measures of media dependence: time spent, reliance, exposure to content, level of attention and gratifications sought. Results suggest complex relationships between media use and the dependent variables and again confirm an integrative role for television that is often hidden in analyses based on simple exposure time.
Implications of a Contextualist Approach to Media-Effects Research
Authors: PERRY DAVID K.
Published: March 2007

This article discusses implications of the contextualism of William McGuire (1983) for media-effects research. Scientific researchers traditionally have viewed research as a means of testing hypotheses. McGuire, however, maintains that researchers should assume all theories and hypotheses true a priori, but only in limited situations. Research still is needed to specify the contexts in which an idea approximates the truth. The article summarizes both contextualism generally and McGuire's version. It includes a discussion of contextualist implications for research practices and for the answers media-effects researchers give to questions of social concern.
Causal Accounts and Managing Organizational Conflict
Authors: BIES ROBERT J. , SHAPIRO DEBRA L. , CUMMINGS LARRY L.
Published: March 2007

People act in ways that sometimes violate social expectations or role requirements. To bridge the gap between action and expectation, and thus prevent conflict, the offending party can provide an account, which is an explanation of the behavior in question. This article examines situations in work organizations in which a boss refuses a subordinate's request, thus failing to meet the subordinate's expectations. Specifically, we examine the effects of a boss's causal account, which is an explanation claiming mitigating circumstances for the refusal, on subordinate reactions that might induce conflict (e.g., anger, complaints). In a survey of 121 currently employed subordinates, it was found that the mere claim of mitigating circumstances does not explain the influence of a causal account in lessening conflict; rather, it is the adequacy of reasoning in support of the claim and the boss's sincerity in communicating the causal account that explain the variance in subordinates' reactions. The implications of these results for an analysis of accounts as a conflict-management strategy are discussed.
Ego-Involvement and the Third Person Effect of Televised News Coverage
Authors: PERLOFF RICHARD M.
Published: March 2007

Two experiments explored the interface between ego-involvement and the third person effect. In Experiment 1, 34 pro-Israeli, 34 pro-Palestinian, and 34 nonpartisan control-group subjects viewed televised news coverage of the 1982 war in Lebanon. As predicted, pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian partisans believed that the news coverage would cause neutral viewers to become more unfavorable toward their side and more favorable toward their antagonists. Partisans also believed that neutral viewers would primarily recall facts that cast their side as the aggressor and their antagonists as the victim. A second experiment explored the accuracy of partisans' perceptions; participants in this study viewed the same news videotape that subjects watched in Experiment 1, and change in attitudes was assessed. The news coverage did not significantly influence subjects' attitudes toward Israel or the PLO, suggesting that involved partisans tend to exaggerate the magnitude and directional influence of mass media news coverage.
The Ups and Downs of Attention to Television
Authors: HAWKINS ROBERT P. , YONG-HO KIM , PINGREE SUZANNE
Published: March 2007

Children have previously been shown to redirect their attention actively away from Sesame Street segments rendered less comprehensible by either random ordering of scenes or alterations of the audio track (Greek or backward speech). In this study, the visual attention of 60 children, ages 3.5, 5, and 6.5, was tracked for smaller time units and showed an early (though not immediate) increase in attention to random segments, suggesting an attempt to deal with difficult but seemingly accessible content. Attention to segments with incomprehensible language decreased quickly and stayed low for all ages. Analyses of lengths of individual looks at television replicated the attentional inertia phenomenon, but with noteworthy differences between the three types of segments, and especially for looks at the television during latter parts of segments. The findings are interpreted in terms of Huston and Wright's sampling model of attention. Surprisingly, there was little evidence of developmental changes in these results.
What Kind of Commodity Is News
Authors: McMANUS JOHN H.
Published: March 2007

U.S. news organizations, both print and broadcast, are moving from practices in which “professional” journalists define what is newsworthy toward letting the market decide. The trend has generated much debate, but little from a theoretical perspective. This article seeks to provide some conceptual tools for thinking about how news will fare as a market-driven product. The analysis concludes that those who argue that market forces will improve journalism have not carefully examined the nature of news with market theory—microeconomics. In fact, microeconomic theory suggests that commodities like news are likely to engender opportunism on the part of news organizations.
Empathy and Burnout in Human Service Work
Authors: MILLER KATHERINE , BIRKHOLT MARTY , SCOTT CRAIG , STAGE CHRISTINA
Published: March 2007

Burnout is an often-cited danger of human service work, and emotional communication is one of the most important causes of burnout in such jobs. In this paper, we review theoretical work on emotional communication and burnout, concentrating on the Empathic Communication Model of Burnout (Miller, Stiff, & Ellis, 1988). We then argue that a consideration of job involvement, organizational role, and attitude regarding service recipients could enhance the extent to which this model constitutes a complete understanding of the burnout process. We pose several research questions and one hypothesis regarding the role of these variables in affecting the fit of the Empathic Communication Model and test them with a sample of workers who provide services to the homeless. The results of our research provide support for a modified version of the Empathic Communication Model and suggest that the moderating variables of job involvement, organizational role, and attitude about service recipients influence the impact of various portions of the model in explaining burnout.
Strategic and Nonstrategic Explanations for Attentional Inertia
Authors: HAWKINS ROBERT P. , TAPPER JOHN , BRUCE LISA , PINGREE SUZANNE
Published: March 2007

Previous research and theory have focused on nonstrategic explanations for attentional inertia phenomena in television viewing (that looks become more stable and reflect greater cognitive engagement as they get longer). However, varying relatedness of episodes, for which strategic inertial processes should vary in strength, produces a corresponding difference in inertia of looks crossing those boundaries. Although an additive model would suggest that all these within-narrative boundaries should show stronger relationships than at unrelated-content boundaries, this was not the case. It may thus be that results previously interpreted as reflecting nonstrategic processes instead result from strategic processes not before considered.
Teenagers and Public Space
Authors: LIEBERG MATS
Published: March 2007

Teenagers have no obvious right to spaces of their own. They often have nowhere else to go except outdoor public places, where they often come into conflict with other groups. This article explores this dilemma. Based on empirical studies in Sweden, the article describes how teenagers use public spaces in their local environments to create meaning and context in their existence. It indicates which places they use, what characterizes these places, and how teenagers use them. Variation and variety in the structures and environments of places mean that the local field of activity cannot always be encompassed by traditional generalizing theories. Knowledge of the significance of local variations in the identity construction and action strategies of youth thus becomes an important link in understanding and interpreting the postmodern society.
Deceptive Realities
Authors: BURGOON JUDEE K. , BULLER DAVID B. , FLOYD KORY , GRANDPRE JOSEPH
Published: March 2007

Deceptive interpersonal interactions are an ideal venue in which to examine the issue of reality. Interpersonal deception theory offers a framework for considering why deceivers (by convention called senders), coparticipants (i.e., targeted receivers), and observers arrive at discordant views of reality. Deceivers' ulterior motives lead them to construct through communication a version of reality contrary to what they hold to be true. Due to adherence to Gricean principles of cooperative discourse, conversational demands, and the nature of the relationship between participants, interlocutors as well as nonparticipative observers may be inclined to accept the alter reality created by senders rather than apprehend the “true” state of affairs. Recent research findings are reviewed, and original data from a pilot investigation of deception strategies are presented to illustrate ways in which senders may perpetrate deception and the extent to which receivers and observers recognize such machinations.
Young People's Beliefs About Intergenerational Communication
Authors: WILLIAMS ANGIE , OTA HIROSHI , GILES HOWARD , PIERSON HERBERT D. , GALLOIS CYNTHIA , NG SIK-HUNG , LIM TAE-SEOP , RYAN ELLEN BOUCHARD , SOMERA LILNABETH , MAHER JOHN , CAI DEBRA , HARWOOD JAKE
Published: March 2007

This article examines young people's perceptions of their conversations with older people (age 65-85) across nine cultures−five Eastern and four Western. Responses from more than 1,000 participants were entered into a crossnational factor analysis, which revealed four initial factors that underlie perceptions of intergenerational conversations. Elder nonaccommodation was when young participants reported that older people negatively stereotyped the young and did not attend to their communication needs. On the other hand, elder accommodation was when older people were perceived as supportive, attentive and generally encouraging to young people. A third factor was respect/obligation and a fourth factor labeled age-irrelevant positivity described a situation where young people felt conversations with much older people were emotionally positive and satisfying, age did not matter. Examining cross-cultural differences, some East versus West differences were observed, as might be expected, on the basis of simplistic accounts of Eastern collectivism versus Western individualism. However, the results challenge commonsense notions of the status of old age in Eastern versus Western cultures. On some dimensions, participants from Korea, Japan, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines appear to have relatively less positive perceptions of their conversations with older people than the Western cultures−the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. But there was also evidence of considerable cultural variability, particularly among Eastern cultures−variability that has heretofore all too often been glossed over when global comparisons of East versus West are made. A range of explanations for these cultural differences is explored and implications for older people in these societies are also considered.
Boundary Rules
Authors: WILSON LAURYN L. , ROLOFF MICHAEL E. , CAREY COLLEEN M.
Published: March 2007

Boundary rules are social conventions that protect the primary activities of a relationship from extrarelational interference. This study examines how boundary rules restrict the ability of individuals to express their concerns about the negative behavior and characteristics of a friend's romantic partner. A survey of college students indicated that about 50% of their concerns had been communicated to their friend, but less than 10% were expressed directly to the romantic partner. Respondents provided a variety of reasons for not disclosing irritations as well as specifying conditions under which they could express their concerns. Females were more likely than males to disclose their concerns to the friend, but no gender differences were found with regard to disclosing irritations to the romantic partner.
Adolescent Male Offenders
Authors: LOPEZ VERA A. , EMMER EDMUND T.
Published: March 2007

Perspectives of adolescent offenders were examined, especially how they define, interpret, and in some cases justify their delinquent behaviors. Grounded theory methodology was used to examine the cognitive, affective, moral, sociocultural, and situational components that influence how and why adolescents commit crimes. A total of 24 adolescent males were interviewed. A theory of delinquent crime contexts emerged. This article focuses on three of these crime contexts: the emotion-driven violent assault, the belief-driven violent assault, and the mixed-motive mixed-crime contexts.
A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of an Intensive Rehabilitation Supervision Program
Authors: BONTA JAMES , WALLACE-CAPRETTA SUZANNE , ROONEY JENNIFER
Published: March 2007

Over the past 20 years, an increased understanding has been developed of what interventions do and do not work with offenders. Treatment programs that attend to offender risk, needs, and responsivity factors have been associated with reduced recidivism. There is also a recognition that sanctions without a rehabilitative component are ineffective in reducing offender recidivism. This study evaluates a cognitive-behavioral treatment program delivered within the context of intensive community supervision via electronic monitoring (EM). Offenders receiving treatment while in an EM program were statistically matched on risk and needs factors to inmates who did not receive treatment services. The results showed that treatment was effective in reducing recidivism for higher risk offenders, confirming the risk principle of offender treatment. The importance of matching treatment intensity to offender risk level and ensuring that there is a treatment component in intensive supervision programs is reaffirmed.
Reliability, Construct, and Concurrent Validities of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire
Authors: LOZA WAGDY , DHALIWAL GURMEET , KRONER DARYL G. , LOZA-FANOUS AMEL
Published: March 2007

The Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ) is a recently developed self-report questionnaire designed to predict violent and nonviolent offender recidivism. This 67-item, six-subscale tool measures quantitative criminogenic risk-need areas. The SAQ was administered to 303 federally sentenced Canadian male offenders. The total scale test-retest reliability coefficient was .95 and ranged from .69 to .93 for the subscales. Coefficient alphas ranged from .42 to .87. All the subscales with the exception of one had a one-factor solution. The SAQ subscales correlated with other instruments assessing similar constructs and with other measures of recidivism. Offenders with high SAQ totals and subscale scores committed significantly more offenses than did those with low SAQ scores. Similarly, offenders with a history of violence had higher SAQ total scores than the offenders with no history of violence. These preliminary results support the further study of the SAQ as an instrument for predicting violent and nonviolent recidivism.
Guest Editorial
Authors: LEVINSON ROBERT B.
Published: March 2007

The term “classification” is used in a variety of ways in correctional settings: as the procedure by which incoming inmates are designated to prisons at appropriate security levels; as the process that places prisoners in different living quarters within an institution; as the method that assigns inmates their custody level; and as the practice that results in program activities being selected for prisoners on an individualized basis. Because of its critical role, classification affects every aspect of a correctional system's operation. This article attempts to differentiate among the plethora of meanings as an aid to clearer communication.
Stress and Burnout
Authors: BELCASTRO PHILLIP A. , GOLD ROBERT S. , GRANT JUSTINE
Published: March 2007

Teachers in correctional schools are exposed to stress because of the general demands of teaching and the peculiar constraints of correctional education. This study is an attempt to discover whether stressed teachers differ from nonstressed teachers in their work-related characteristics and in their pattern of somatic complaints and illnesses. A total of 17% of the teachers in this study were classified as burned out. It was concluded that burnout represented some potential health risks for stressed teachers.
Police Services to Battered Women
Authors: BOWKER LEE H.
Published: March 2007

This article summarizes the experiences of 146 battered women recruited on a voluntary basis from southeastern Wisconsin. The sample differs from any previous study of wife beating in that all subjects were free of violence for at least 1 year prior to the interview. The victim perspective on police behavior derived from reports of 276 contacts between these women and police officers allows us to identify concerns associated with police demeanor, inadequate use of nonlegal “helping profession” intervention techniques, reluctance to arrest the suspects, and inconsistency of response among calls. The results of the Milwaukee study are consistent with a new model for the training of police officers that integrates training in verbal helping behavior with education about the situation of battered wives and an increased emphasis on the desirability of arrests where that action has been requested by the victim of a domestic assault. Such a training program has already been developed by the Women's Resource Network.
Validation of the Megargee Typology in a Halfway House Setting
Authors: MRAD DAVID F. , KABACOFF ROBERT , DUCKRO PAUL
Published: March 2007

This study attempts to replicate the derivation of the MMPI classification system developed by Megargee and his collaborators. Several studies attempt to cross-validate the classification system by applying the sorting rules to different populations. Only one other study has tried to replicate the derivation of the types. The results of the present study, using a diverse halfway house population, are largely supportive of the Megargee types, but types Baker, Easy, and Jupiter failed to replicate. Suggestions are made for improving the test-retest reliability of the classification system, and implications for future research are proposed.
Former Mental Patients in a Prison and Parole System
Authors: ADAMS KENNETH
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the socially disruptive behavior of former mental patients for a sample of Federal inmates during prison confinement and upon release to the community. The analysis focuses on comparisons between these and other inmates in terms of prison disciplinary infractions and post-prison adjustment. Within the prison, it was found that the former mental patients had a higher disciplinary infraction rate than other inmates. This difference persisted even when differences in the known correlates of disciplinary infractions were accounted for. In the community, it was also found that the former mental patients were more likely to fail at adjustment. However, this difference was not statistically significant once differences in the known correlates of post-prison failure were accounted for. The implications of these two findings are discussed.
Job Burnout in Probation and Parole
Authors: WHITEHEAD JOHN T.
Published: March 2007

Data are presented from a sample of almost 1000 probation and parole workers concerning job burnout, as measured by one currently accepted indicator. The problem was not as extensive as some popular accounts have implied, but a sizable proportion of the sample did report experiencing the difficulty. Findings on the levels of burnout at different seniority levels suggest that burnout is worst for employees past their initial period of employment and lowest for the newly hired and for the most experienced. Intervention implications based on this preliminary analysis include attention to consciousness raising, orientation program development, and utilization of more experienced probation officers as mentors.
Intelligence Versus Academic Achievement
Authors: REILLY THOMAS F. , WHEELER LARRY J. , ETLINGER LEONARD E.
Published: March 2007

Many juvenile delinquents are placed in special education programs labeled as emotionally disturbed, mentally retarded, or learning disabled. This study compared the intelligence and academic achievement of the aforementioned classifications in order to determine similarities and differences. The results indicated that the juvenile delinquents were similar to the learning disabled and emotionally disturbed intellectually, and they were similar to the learning disabled and educable mentally retarded academically. In terms of both intelligence and academic achievement combined, juvenile delinquents had the greatest similarity to the learning disabled than either educable mentally retarded or emotionally disturbed. Therefore, teachers of juvenile delinquents should be familiar with the emotional manifestations of learning problems.
The Role of the Environment and Person When Predicting Burnout among Correctional Personnel
Authors: GERSTEIN LAWRENCE H. , TOPP CHARLES G. , CORRELL GREGORY
Published: March 2007

Burnout among correctional staff was examined within a person-environment framework. Total exhaustion and number of bad day scores were expected to be related to sets of personal (e.g., age, length of employment) and environmental (e.g., relationship with coworkers, role ambiguity) variables. Results of regression analyses supported this prediction and also suggested that burnout was more closely linked to the working environment than characteristics about the staff. Surprisingly, this experience was best explained by the staffs' relationship with inmates. It appears that altering the staffs' social networks and self-expectations would not reduce burnout, while enhancing contact with inmates and clarifying work roles would.
Aids Awareness and the Impact of AIDS Education in Juvenile Corrections
Authors: LANIER MARK M. , McCARTHY BELINDA R.
Published: March 2007

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) poses significant problems for offenders, correctional administrators, and staff. The present study examined AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and precautionary measures reported by incarcerated juvenile offenders. It found that although offenders were relatively well-informed, there were misconceptions about the disease and its significance. Education increased levels of understanding and influenced attitudes toward AIDS. Findings indicate that instruction should emphasize the role of specific precautions and the need to utilize those precautions invariably. Guidance and the reinforcement of educational efforts should also be provided in community supervision settings.
Public Support for Correctional Treatment
Authors: CULLEN FRANCIS T. , SKOVRON SANDRA EVANS , SCOTT JOSEPH E. , BURTON VELMER S.
Published: March 2007

For the past decade or so, scholars have joined with politicians in suggesting that citizens manifest little support for correctional treatment. Based on a 1986 survey of Cincinnati and Columbus residents, we present data that question this broad assumption. The data indicate that rehabilitation receives considerable support, though this is most pronounced for certain offenders and for certain treatment modalities. In general, the study reinforces the finding of a growing body of revisionist research that the public retains faith in rehabilitation as a legitimate goal of the correctional process.
The Gunther Special
Authors: KINGSNORTH RODNEY F.
Published: March 2007

The “Gunther Special” is an innovative sentencing program for youthful DUI offenders based on a deterrence rationale. Program requirements include a visit to the morgue to view bodies of accident victims, a 4-hour Saturday night visit to a hospital emergency room, a 1-hour education/ counseling interview with a family nurse practitioner, and a 1,000-word essay to be presented to the court within 6 months reflecting on these experiences. A comparison of 168 offenders completing the program and 168 individually matched controls unequivocally indicates the failure of the program to reduce recidivism rates.
Individuals with Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System
Authors: WERTLIEB ELLEN C.
Published: March 2007

A review of the literature was conducted to determine the treatment of individuals with disabilities within the criminal justice system. The focus was on those persons who are suspects or convicted offenders. Issues related to initial interactions with police officers to trial proceedings and eventual incarceration were discussed. Special attention was given to the Miranda warnings, competency to stand trial, plea bargaining, Eighth Amendment issues, and alternatives to incarceration.
An Information-Processing Perspective on the Behavior of Neglectful Parents
Authors: CRITTENDEN PATRICIA M.
Published: March 2007

This article examines research on neglectful parents to develop theory on how and why neglectful behavior occurs. Using cognitive theory on information processing, four stages at which parents could fail to respond to signals of children's needs are identified. Specifically, parents could fail to respond to stimuli indicative of children's need for care because they (a) did not perceive the signal, (b) interpreted the signal as not requiring a parental response, (c) knew that a response was needed but did not have a response available, or (d) selected a response but failed to implement it. It is proposed that failure at each stage represents a different type of neglect. Moreover, each stage is hypothesized to be associated with different types of parental developmental history and to call for different types of intervention.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Level of Supervision Inventory (LSI) Among Male Canadian Federal Offenders
Authors: LOZA WAGDY , SIMOURD DAVID J.
Published: March 2007

The Level of Supervision Inventory (LSI) is a quantitative risk/need assessment instrument used to identify an offender's risk of committing criminal behavior and need for clinical services. The present study examined the LSI's utility among Canadian male federal offenders. The LSI was administered to 161 inmates during a structured interview and was verified through a review of case file information. The LSI possessed acceptable psychometric properties and demonstrated convergent validity with measures of relevant criminogenic constructs. Also, violent and nonviolent offenders differed on LSI total score and several LSI subtotals. Discussion focuses on treatment implications and areas for future research.