bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unravelling Adjustment Mechanisms
Authors: Zimnermann Angelika , Holman David , Sparrow Paul
Published: April 2003

Expatriate adjustment has been a prominent theme in international management research; nevertheless, the mechanisms of adjustment have rarely been investigated. This article addresses the issue by introducing a conceptual framework that integrates the theoretical notion of adjustment `modes' used in expatriation research with empirical descriptions of adjustment behaviours from the literature on intercultural management. The article further reports on a qualitative, in-depth study of German expatriates in the People's Republic of China. Participants detailed the differences they perceived in the new environment, as well as ways of adjusting to them. These included changes of expatriates' norms of interaction, the implemention of new working methods in the Chinese workplace, and the acquisition of new living habits. Perceived environmental conditions and adjustment behaviours were contingent a number of factors, such as education and job level of Chinese colleagues. Conclusions are drawn and implications for organizational practice and future research are made.
Research into Communication Patterns and Consequences for Effective Care of People with Alzheimer’s and Their Carers
Authors: Vass Antony Andreas , Minardi Henry A. , Ward Richard , Aggarwal Neeru , Garfield Cydonie , Cybyk Beau
Published: April 2003

This article offers a critical account of the ethical issues arising from the conduct of a research project investigating communication with and between people who have a dementia. These issues are examined with the background knowledge that there are no legal precedents to guide ethical procedures when carrying out research with this client group. Yet, if such research were not undertaken, there would be no opportunity to empirically evaluate present communication and care, or to recommend alternatives to this care. To address this situation, this article outlines a protocol for addressing a variety of ethical considerations. Finally, a working model of ethical procedures when undertaking research with people who have a dementia is presented. It is recognized that this is a dynamic process and will change over time. However, a starting point is needed to begin the process of accounting for ethical issues when undertaking research with this vulnerable group.
‘They Have Started to Call It Their Club’
Authors: Cahill Suzanne , Drury Mary , Lawlor Brian , O’Connor Deirdre , O’Connell Maurice
Published: April 2003

The design of residential care facilities for people with dementia has become an area of increasing clinical, architectural and research interest (Kitwood, 1997; Judd et al., 1998; Lawton, 2001). Less is known about day care design and about staff views of the adequacy of the social and built environment in which day care takes place. This article reports survey data on a study of 18 day centres providing dementia-specific care across the Republic of Ireland. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 77 practitioners (nurses in charge, care staff and branch managers). The focus of the research was on examining staff views of the physical characteristics of day care settings, the effectiveness of day care and staff views on the major benefits derived from day care attendance. The research also explored the perceptions of staff on how design features could be improved and their views on challenging behaviours, the suitability of certain clients for day care, staff training needs and the cost of care. Policy, practice and research implications emerging from the study are discussed. The article argues for the need for guidelines in best practice in dementia day care to be established in Ireland.
Qualitative Contributions to Resilience Research
Authors: Ungar Michael
Published: April 2003

The use of qualitative methods can make a substantial contribution to our understanding of the construct of resilience. In particular, qualitative research addresses two specific shortcomings noted by resilience researchers: arbitrariness in the selection of outcome variables, and the challenge accounting for the sociocultural context in which resilience occurs. Qualitative research can help to resolve these dilemmas in five ways. Qualitative methods: are well suited to the discovery of the unnamed protective processes relevant to the lived experience of research participants; provide thick description of phenomenon in very specific contexts; elicit and add power to minority ‘voices’ which account for unique localized definitions of positive outcomes; promote tolerance for these localized constructions by avoiding generalization but facilitating transferability of results; and, require researchers to account for their biased standpoints. Reference to exemplars of resilience research will be used to make an argument for the complementarity of research paradigms.
Buckshot’s Case
Authors: Terrell Joanne , Staller Karen M.
Published: April 2003

This co-constructed narrative reports on the experiences of a clinical social worker who testifies as an expert witness at death penalty mitigation hearings in Alabama. A state with a historic record riddled with racial inequities and injustices, Alabama uses the death penalty aggressively. For many poor defendants, the difference between death and life in prison without the possibility of parole is made at mitigation hearings in which the jury may hear testimony which puts the defendant’s life and crime in context. There is no better-suited profession than social work for conducting this task. This is the story of one social worker and one defendant whose life is on the line.
On Power and Domination
Authors: Munro Vanessa E.
Published: April 2003

Within feminist commentary, there has been increasing disillusionment with the radical feminist thesis commonly associated with the work of Catharine MacKinnon. Set against the backdrop of this disillusionment, this article traces the development of an emerging genre of contemporary feminist critique, which has been heavily influenced by the writings of French genealogist Michel Foucault. The work of Foucault, despite focusing upon issues of power and sexuality that have long since been central to the radical feminist project, appears to offer a stark alternative to the accompanying radical feminist emphasis upon grand-scale theories of domination and gender-based victimization. Highlighting the points of divergence between Foucault and radical feminism, this article joins with much contemporary feminist commentary in heralding the Foucaultian position as a worthy alternative, capable of remedying the problems of essentialism and determinism that have plagued MacKinnon's arguments. Unlike much contemporary feminist commentary, however, this article also seeks to highlight the similarities between the theoretical positions of MacKinnon and Foucault. With a particular focus upon Foucault's work on domination, this article charts the reinsertion of asymmetrical power relationships within the Foucaultian landscape, and highlights the impact of that development upon popular understandings of his thesis on micro-politics, bio-power and resistance. Locating the centrality of domination to Foucault's thesis on power, the article will re-establish the relevance of related aspects of that analysis for the purposes of contemporary feminist critique.
Who Buys What? How Integration Capability Affects Acquisition Incidence and Target Choice
Authors: Mitchell Will , Shaver J. Myles
Published: April 2003

Firms differ in their integration capability, which is the ability to absorb and manage businesses on a continuing basis. We expect integration capability heterogeneity to influence acquisition strategy by profit-seeking firms, affecting both their propensity to acquire and the types of businesses that they target. We argue that a firm's integration capability increases with its product line scope and test two hypotheses: (I) firms with greater existing product line scope are more likely to be acquirers; and (2) firms with greater product line scope are more likely to purchase product lines that they already operate. Data from the US medical sector between 1978 and 1995 support hypothesis I .We then find that all firms tended to purchase product lines that they did not previously operate, but, consistent with hypothesis 2, that firms with greater product line scope made acquisitions that had greater overlap with their existing product lines. The results are analogous with the biological observation that the most successful predators are better able to target desirable prey as well as being better able to overpower the prey they target.
Implications of National Cultural Impacts for Conflict Resolution and Team Learning in Spain: Observations From a Comparative Case Study
Authors: Sauquet Alfonso , Bonet Eduard
Published: April 2003

The problem and the solution. The pattern of Spanish national culture in terms of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity leads to a strong orientation toward rules and deference to leadership. Group harmony as validation of the individual is a strong value inhibiting open disagreement and generative conflict. Leaders play a central role in framing norms that support both the collective identity of the group and task accomplishment, create task designs that honor interdependence, and balance the need for saving face with open discussion and productive disagreement. Initially, these issues can be constructively resolved through informal networks.
When Two Fields Collide
Authors: Barata Paula , Senn Charlene Y.
Published: April 2003

Feminist theorists in law and the social sciences have questioned the appropriateness of using the methods of their disciplines as tools for bettering the lives of women who have experienced domestic violence. The authors begin with a brief review of the major feminist critiques within these two domains. They explore the assumptions on which both are based and provide examples of how well-meaning attempts to use these disciplines in the area of domestic violence have fallen short of their goals. They then show how the problematic assumptions of both disciplines may be worsened when research on domestic violence is done within the context of the criminal justice system using the example of the mandatory arrest experiments. They conclude that research and the law should come together only under conditions where feminist critiques are taken seriously and the perspectives of women who are the victims of these offenses are placed at the center of the work.
Leaving An Abusive Partner
Authors: Anderson Deborah K. , Saunders Daniel G.
Published: April 2003

Four facets of leaving an abusive relationship are reviewed: (a) factors related to initially leaving an abusive partner; (b) the process of leaving an abusive relationship; (c) the psychological well-being of survivors after leaving; and (d) the predictors of this well-being. The conceptual and methodological limitations of studies in each of these areas are presented. Consistently found predictors of leaving include both material and psychological factors. Because battered women typically undergo several shifts in their thinking about the abuse before leaving permanently, research on leaving as a process is highlighted. A stress-process framework is used to explain the seemingly paradoxical finding that some women just out of the abusive relationship may have greater psychological difficulties than those who are still in it. For those experiencing the most stress, psychological health can worsen over time. Researchers and practitioners need to pay more attention to the plight of women who have left abusive partners.
A Cervical Cancer CD-ROM Intervention for College-Age Women: Lessons Learned from Development and Formative Evaluation
Authors: Evans Alexandra E. , Edmundson-Drane Elizabeth , Harris Karol Kaye , Campbell-Ray Tara
Published: April 2003

Despite the decline of incidence rates of cervical cancer over the past 50 years, data suggest an increase of precervical cancer among college women. This increase may be the result of the high prevalence of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) among this population. To increase cervical cancer prevention behaviors, we developed a computer-based intervention targeting women ages 18 to 24. Through the use of story scripts, role models, and demonstrations (both animated and videotaped procedures), women learn the importance of regular Pap smear screenings, personal risks for developing cervical cancer, the meaning of and dealing with abnormal Pap smears, communication with health care providers, and sexual practices that impact the transmission of HPV. Results from the formative evaluation support the viability of CD-ROM interventions in health education and emphasize the importance of addressing women’s cognitive and affective perceptions surrounding cancer, sexual health, and gynecological exams. Lessons learned from the development process are presented.
Use of Local Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data in the Development of Health Promotion Programs
Authors: Green Daniel , VanDerslice James , Byrd Theresa , Cardenas Victor
Published: April 2003

To support program planning for a local health foundation whose mission is health promotion, a survey consistent with the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was conducted in El Paso County, Texas. A total of 1,010 adult participants were interviewed in either English or Spanish. Age-adjusted prevalence estimates of several health indicators were compared to statewide and national BRFSS estimates. Data were presented to the community in an open forum, and community groups were invited to propose interventions to improve the health of El Pasoans. Several differences in risk factors were noted in El Paso as compared to the state of Texas. These local data were useful in the development of intervention programs, which are now being evaluated. This survey identified opportunities for public health interventions and was useful for raising community awareness of health behavior issues. It proved affordable both for surveillance and program building.
The Clinic HELP Initiative: Promoting Health Education in Primary Care Clinics
Authors: Hoke Mary M. , Byrd Theresa L. , Kelly Michael P. , Brandon Jeffrey E. , Lang Paul
Published: April 2003

Funding from a local conversion foundation was used to develop an initiative to extend health education services to medically indigent residents along the U.S.-Mexican border. The initiative included the direct funding of 10 clinic sites, the development of a technical assistance team, and the establishment of a health education network. Strengths, weaknesses, and lessons learned are discussed. Recommendations for collaboration between private funding agencies, universities, and practice sites include: developing a support system for health educators, providing ongoing training, and helping health educators develop measurable goals and objectives.
A Comparison of Instructional Methods for Weight Loss in Women
Authors: Jones Katherine S. , Burkett Lee N.
Published: April 2003

This study tested effects of three methods for delivering a weight-loss education program for women. Seventy-four predominantly White participants at least 10 pounds over healthy weight began the program. Their average age was 41.7 years (range = 19 to 73), weight 173 pounds, Body Mass Index (BMI) 29.36, and waist/hip ratio .77. Participants were randomly placed into three groups: classroom (24), textbook (25), or computer program (25). The curriculum for all participants was taken from the same weight-loss manual, and all participants completed the same weekly assignments. Participants’ weight loss, BMI, and waist/hip ratios were compared at the end of the program. Weight loss (F = 29.4, p < .001; 2, 102 DF), reduction in BMI (F = 29.5, p < .001; 2, 102 DF]), and waist/hip ratio reduction (F = 3.11, p < .05; 2, 102 DF) across all groups were significant. There were no significant group differences in weight loss, BMI, waist/hip ratio reduction, or drop-out rates.
Implementing University-Based Wellness: A Participatory Planning Approach
Authors: Reger Bill , Williams Kimberly , Kolar Maria , Smith Holli , Douglas J. William
Published: April 2003

Community and work-site wellness programs are increasing in prominence. However, planning and implementing such programs at large bureaucratic institutions are difficult. This project established a wellness program at a major university using a participatory planning approach that is applicable to other complex organizations. University students, faculty, staff, administrators, and retirees volunteered to participate in a 12-week planning project. The project consisted of weekly sessions designed to promote participation, ownership, and problem solving. Activities included information exchange, wellness lifestyle practice, reflection, discussion, and wellness program planning. Participants organized themselves into special task forces to identify campus health problems, barriers, and resources as well as to define goals and implementation strategies for a proposed ongoing university wellness program. A campus-wide university wellness program was implemented the following academic year. The project was effective in overcoming institutional barriers and mobilizing community resources. It is recommended that this approach be used in other settings.
Implementation and Evaluation of a Web-Based Continuing Education Course in Injury Prevention and Control
Authors: Bernhardt Jay M. , Runyan Carol W. , Bou-Saada Ingrid , Felter Elizabeth M.
Published: April 2003

Training in injury prevention and control represents a major deficit in the fields of health promotion and public health. Internet-based distance learning is an innovative method of offering continuing education to professionals, but this approach has not yet been widely researched or implemented with public health audiences. VINCENTweb involved the development and evaluation of a no-cost continuing education course on injury prevention and control presented exclusively on the World Wide Web. The course was evaluated using online surveys at baseline and follow-up. Participants, especially those with lower education levels, provided positive feedback about the course and reported high levels of learning and satisfaction. This article describes the development and evaluation of VINCENTweb and discusses the implications for developing future Internet-based courses in public health.
Formative Evaluation of an Intervention to Increase Compliance to HIV Therapies: The ALP Project
Authors: Fourney Andrew M. , Williams Mark L.
Published: April 2003

Non-adherence to highly effective antiretroviral medications can lead to treatment failure and the development of drug-resistant strains of HIV, and may result in an epidemic of treatment resistant HIV. This article describes a theory-based intervention (ALP) that was developed to increase adherence to HIV therapies among low-literacy populations of HIV positive African American women. The ALP intervention consists of a cartoon book and a cassette tape suitable for individuals with less than a 3rd-grade reading level. Qualitative data were collected through focus groups and expert panel interviews to conduct a formative evaluation. The results indicated that constructs of the Health Belief Model and Social Cognitive Theory were recognizable by behavioral scientists and that the materials would be used as intended by the target population to achieve the desired behavior change. This type of evaluation is a cost-effective method that can be used to develop effective interventions and obtain community buy-in.
Engaging High-Risk Populations in Community-Level Fitness Promotion: ROCK! Richmond
Authors: Yancey Antronette K. , Jordan Audrey , Bradford Judith , Voas Jeanette , Eller Theresa J. , Buzzard Marilyn , Welch Michael , McCarthy William J.
Published: April 2003

The purpose of this study was to determine whether ROCK! Richmond, a healthy nutrition and physical activity promotion initiative of the Richmond (Virginia) City Department of Public Health was effectively recruiting the high-risk individuals for whom this lifestyle change intervention was intended. The effectiveness of recruitment, participant demographic and health status characteristics were compared with those of respondents to a random sample survey conducted 18 months earlier. Relatively high-risk residents were recruited. ROCK! Richmond participants were disproportionately African American and female, had significantly higher body mass indices (BMIs), and were more likely to report a family history of chronic disease. However, their employment, education, and income levels were higher than those of the citywide sample. Certain high-risk segments of the population were successfully reached and involved in community fitness activities. Different recruitment methods may need to be used to recruit more from among the lowest socioeconomic strata.
Measuring Within- and Between-Group Agreement: Identifying the Proportion of Shared and Unique Beliefs Across Samples
Authors: Weller Susan C. , Baer Roberta
Published: April 2003

Questions about culture sharing and uniqueness can be addressed by measuring the amount of agreement within and between groups. This article describes methods to measure withinand between-sample agreement with particular emphasis on finding, using, and interpreting agreement. The discussion focuses on the case of a single set of related questions asked of two or more groups of informants, but the methods apply to the more general case with a set of related variables recorded for two or more sample units (e.g., culture traits or inventory materials). Methods are illustrated with Weller and Baer's study of withinand between-group agreement for four Latino samples for beliefs about each of five illnesses (AIDS, diabetes, the common cold, empacho, and mal de ojo ).
A Statistical Method for Comparing Aggregate Data Across A Priori Groups
Authors: Borgatti Stephen P.
Published: April 2003

This article introduces a new method for statistically comparing pairs of aggregate data series. Aggregate data series refers to a set of values, each of which is averaged or otherwise aggregated across respondents. The motivating problem is the comparison of aggregate proximity matrices, such as those obtained from pile sort exercises. The standard approach to this problem uses the nonparametric, permutation-based quadratic assignment program (QAP) technique. However, the null distribution that QAP is based on is inappropriate for comparing subsamples of a data set and may lead to misleading conclusions. The new method can yield different results than QAP, results more in line with researchers' intuition. Furthermore, the method can be applied to a variety of data types beyond those appropriate for QAP.
Supplementary Interviewing Techniques to Maximize Output in Free Listing Tasks
Authors: Brewer Devon D.
Published: April 2003

Free listing is an important ethnographic tool for defining semantic domains. However, when informants free list items from a particular domain, they often do not mention all items they know because they forget items and/or do not understand that they should list exhaustively. In this article, the author reviews results from research on three supplementary interviewing techniques to encourage full responding and enhance recall in such tasks (nonspecific prompting, reading back to the informant the items he or she free listed, and using free-listed items as semantic cues). These methods increase substantially the number of items elicited from individual informants and the number of items in a domain identified from informants in the aggregate. Moreover, these techniques do not require the interviewer to have any prior domain knowledge to be effective.
Techniques to Identify Themes
Authors: Ryan Gery W. , Bernard H. Russell
Published: April 2003

Theme identification is one of the most fundamental tasks in qualitative research. It also is one of the most mysterious. Explicit descriptions of theme discovery are rarely found in articles and reports, and when they are, they are often relegated to appendices or footnotes. Techniques are shared among small groups of social scientists, but sharing is impeded by disciplinary or epistemological boundaries. The techniques described here are drawn from across epistemological and disciplinary boundaries. They include both observational and manipulative techniques and range from quick word counts to laborious, in-depth, line-by-line scrutiny. Techniques are compared on six dimensions: (1) appropriateness for data types, (2) required labor, (3) required expertise, (4) stage of analysis, (5) number and types of themes to be generated, and (6) issues of reliability and validity.
Prayer, Contentious Politics, and the Women of the Wall: The Benefits of Collaboration in Participant Observation at Intense, Multifocal Events
Authors: Mazie Steven V. , Woods Patricia J.
Published: April 2003

Social scientists who engage in qualitative fieldwork typically follow the ethnographic model of the single scholar in the field. We argue that collaboration in on-site participant observation is an underutilized but vital methodological tool, particularly in the case of one common form of communal conflict in the late-modern period: intense, multifocal events. At mass demonstrations, rallies with small groups of opposing forces, and other public events involving multiple actors, sights, sounds, and interactions, collaboration provides multiple perspectives in a given research moment that one researcher cannot, by definition, experience and observe alone. By joining forces, two researchers may exploit variations in their physical vantage points, disciplinary training, range of area knowledge, and personal background (including gender, ethnicity, religion, and class) to produce more accurate and more meaningful studies. We support our claims with evidence from our own impromptu on-site collaboration in the case of a women’s prayer session at the Western Wall in Jerusalem in June 2000.
Interleague Play and Baseball Attendance
Authors: Butler Michael R.
Published: April 2003

The effects of interleague play on baseball attendance are estimated via a model of daily attendance from the 1999 season. The results suggest that interleague play results in about a 7% increase in attendance over a comparable intraleague game, yielding an increase in revenue from ticket sales of about one half of 1%. These results are heavily dominated by a relatively small number of attractive visiting teams and, more particularly, by a small number of attractive interleague matchups. Although fans respond positively to some interleague match-ups, many others attract no more and sometimes even fewer fans than traditional intraleague games.
Crime, Punishment, and Recidivism
Authors: Allen W. David
Published: April 2003

Among the fundamental elements of the sport of ice hockey are the on-ice rules violations occasionally committed by players and the penalties assessed for those violations. During the 1998-99 season, the National Hockey League (NHL) for the first time experimented with the deployment of two on-ice referees for a selection of games instead of the customary single referee, significant in that only referees have the authority to call penalties. In this article, that experimental 1998-99 season provides the empirical setting for a test of the economic model of crime, which suggests that economic agents allocate time to legal and illegal activity by considering the benefits and costs of these activities. Here, those economic agents are NHL players. Empirically, relatively nonviolent illegal activity appears significantly influenced by benefits and costs, but particularly violent acts appear to occur more randomly. Particularly violent penalties increase when a second referee is deployed, suggesting a dominant “apprehension effect” rather than a dominant “deterrence effect” of what amounts to an increase in the presence of police.
On the Economics of Doping and Corruption in International Sports
Authors: Maennig Wolfgang
Published: April 2003

The subjects of doping and corruption in the Olympic family and the fight against them have until now largely been matters of sporting politics and jurisprudence. This contribution emphasizes that (a) both problems have a high degree of economic determination and(b) economics can offer efficient solutions. The corruption problem could be damp ened by reducing the surpluses in the host cities, making the selection process more trans parent, and increasing the incentive for corruption-free behavior. With regard to the phenomenon of doping, an economic solution could increase the expected costs of doping by agreeing on financial penalties of a sufficiently high level.
Media and Participative Strategies
Authors: Winocur Rosalía
Published: April 2003

This article deals with the political dimension of participation in radio under the new conditions of mediatic space. The author studies the political dimensions of participation by exploring different forms of inclusion of citizens in different genres of spoken radio, be it as actors, central figures of news, statistical abstraction, or object of reflection. By exploring these different dimensions of the involvement of citizens in spoken radio, the author outlines different notions of participation and the meaning these have for the participants and, through that, the implications for thinking about the problem of democratization and the public sphere.
Litigation, Courts, and Bureaucratic Policy
Authors: Howard Robert M.
Published: April 2003

Many view courts as institutions that allow individual litigants to achieve equity, or fairness, when the litigant has a dispute with a branch of government. However, many also argue that this fairness comes at the expense of efficiency and democratic control, particularly when individuals sue government agencies. Perhaps no agency exemplifies the competing concerns of equity, efficiency, and policy controlas does the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Taxpayer suits against the IRS seek individual fairness but at the expense of IRS efficiency and policy control. However, in using a two-stage least squares analysis of court verdicts, IRS audits, and litigation rates, I find that courts and litigants can achieve both fairness and IRS efficiency. Courts help the tax system function, by signaling to the IRS that their audit policy is incorrect and inefficient. Thus, courts aid both fairness and efficiency.
Ghostwriters on the Court?
Authors: Wahlbeck Paul J. , Spriggs James F. , Sigelman Lee
Published: April 2003

A common refrain among Supreme Court watchers is that today it is law clerks who are primarily responsible for drafting the justices’opinions. We search for traces of clerical drafting—identifiable stylistic “fingerprints”—in the first drafts of the opinions that two justices, Lewis F. Powell Jr., and Thurgood Marshall, circulated during the 1985 term of the Court. These two justices relied on their clerks to a different degree: Powell’s office procedures called for him and several clerks to participate in writing each opinion, whereas Marshall reputedly delegated most writing responsibilities to his clerks. We do detect the clerks’ distinct styles in the justices’ opinions, though; as expected, the fingerprints are clearer for Marshall’s clerks than for Powell’s. We also find differences across opinion type, with the clerks’unique style most easily discernible in separate opinions, as opposed to majority opinions.
The Effects Of Primary Divisiveness On General Election Outcomes In State Legislative Elections
Authors: Hogan Robert E.
Published: April 2003

Does a divisive primary contest harm a candidate’s chances in the general election? This question is addressed in an analysis of legislative campaigns in nine states during the 1994 and 1996 election cycles. Findings indicate that primary divisiveness does affect general election outcomes but in the opposite direction than anticipated. Greater divisiveness in a candidate’s primary leads to a higher vote share in the general election. Similarly, greater divisiveness in a general election opponent’s primary leads to a candidate receiving a lower vote share. Simply the presence of a primary challenge is found to exert a substantial positive influence for a candidate in the general election, particularly in open seat contests. Such counterintuitive results are attributed to the low levels of information that voters typically possess about state legislative primaries and to the strategic decisions of candidates who seek legislative office.
Congress And Citizen Discontent
Authors: Farnsworth Stephen J.
Published: April 2003

This study, which uses a national survey conducted by Hibbing and Theiss-Morse, finds that evaluations of the membership of Congress and of one’s own representative in the U.S. House are both tied closely to issues of procedural justice and, in particular, to the perceived fairness of Congress and to the perceived responsiveness of the legislative branch to the citizenry. The extent to which a citizen desires parochial legislative behavior is of little consequence for evaluating the legislative branch, or even one’s own representative.
Divisive Primaries And The House District Vote
Authors: Romero David W.
Published: April 2003

The verdict on the divisive primary hypothesis has fluctuated as investigators have pursued a variety of theoretical and methodological debates. Although most recent studies find that divisive primaries harm general election outcomes, some claim that this effect is spurious, an artifact of uncontrolled electoral prospects phenomena. I argue that this claim is debatable because it rests on questionable conceptual and model constructs and evidence inconsistent with an investigation that controls for the phenomena central to the spurious effect claim. Instead, I show that null and alternative hypothesis findings turn on an unfeatured design characteristic, pooling election years. After controlling for phenomena central to the spurious effect claim and pooling election years, I extend the divisive primary hypothesis to the arena currently void of evidentiary support: elections to the House of Representatives. In addition, I find that the divisive primary penalty is asymmetric, applying in incumbent but not open-seat races.
Recognizing Emotion from Facial Expressions: Psychological and Neurological Mechanisms
Authors: Adolphs Ralph
Published: April 2003

Recognizing emotion from facial expressions draws on diverse psychological processes implemented in a large array of neural structures. Studies using evoked potentials, lesions, and functional imaging have begun to elucidate some of the mechanisms. Early perceptual processing of faces draws on cortices in occipital and temporal lobes that construct detailed representations from the configuration of facial features. Subsequent recognition requires a set of structures, including amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, that links perceptual representations of the face to the generation of knowledge about the emotion signaled, a complex set of mechanisms using multiple strategies. Although recent studies have provided a wealth of detail regarding these mechanisms in the adult human brain, investigations are also being extended to nonhuman primates, to infants, and to patients with psychiatric disorders.
How Does the Brain Process Upright and Inverted Faces?
Authors: Rossion Bruno , Gauthier Isabel
Published: April 2003

The face inversion effect (FIE) is defined as the larger decrease in recognition performance for faces than for other mono-oriented objects when they are presented upside down. Behavioral studies suggest the FIE takes place at the perceptual encoding stage and is mainly due to the decrease in ability to extract relational information when discriminating individual faces. Recently, functional magnetic resonance imaging and scalp event-related potentials studies found that turning faces upside down slightly but significantly decreases the response of face-selective brain regions, including the so-called fusiform face area (FFA), and increases activity of other areas selective for nonface objects. Face inversion leads to a significantly delayed (sometimes larger) N170 component, an occipito-temporal scalp potential associated with the perceptual encoding of faces and objects. These modulations are in agreement with the perceptual locus of the FIE and reinforce the view that the FFA and N170 are sensitive to individual face discrimination.
Unsolved Mysteries: The Hippocampus
Authors: Isaacson Robert L.
Published: April 2003

The continuing explosion of scientific interest in the hippocampus began in the 1950s, initiated in large part by the recognition of the importance of the observations of hippocampectomized monkeys made by Klüver and Bucy and the remarkable memory loss of patient H. M. following temporal lobe surgery. Subsequent to these studies, research and theories about the hippocampus grew exponentially in number and diversity. As yet, no theory of hippocampal function explains all of the phenomena discovered in the clinic or laboratory. In this article, experimental results that have been forgotten or ignored in most theories are presented. Adequate theories of hippocampal function must account for known, reliable postsurgical behavioral observations and consider the conditions under which anomalies are noted. Comprehensive theories will require new approaches in which the interactions of the hippocampus with the central nervous system are understood.
Motivation, Working Memory, and Decision Making: A Cognitive-Motivational Theory of Personality Vulnerability to Alcoholism
Authors: Finn Peter R.
Published: April 2003

This article presents a cognitive-motivational theory (CMT) of the mechanisms associated with three basic dimensions of personality vulnerability to alcoholism, impulsivity/novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and excitement seeking. CMT describes the interrelationships between activity in basic motivational systems and attentional, decision-making, and working memory processes as the mechanisms associated with variation in each personality trait. Impulsivity/novelty seeking reflects activity in both appetitive and inhibitory motivational systems, greater attention to reward cues, and increased emotional reactivity to reward and frustration. Harm avoidance reflects individual differences in fearfulness and activity in specific inhibitory systems. Excitement seeking reflects the need to engage in appetitive behaviors in less predictable environments to experience positive affect. CMT also describes the impact of working memory and the specific motivational processes underlying each trait dimension on the dynamics ofdecision making from the perspective of decision field theory.
Cortical Region Interactions and the Functional Role of Apical Dendrites
Authors: Spratling M. W.
Published: April 2003

The basal and distal apical dendrites ofpyramidal cells occupy distinct cortical layers and are targeted by axons originating in different cortical regions. Hence, apical and basal dendrites receive information from distinct sources. Physiological evidence suggests that this anatomically observed segregation ofinput sources may have functional significance. This possibility has been explored in various connectionist models that employ neurons with functionally distinct apical and basal compartments. A neuron in which separate sets ofinputs can be integrated independently has the potential to operate in a variety ofways not possible for the conventional neuron model, in which all inputs are treated equally. This article thus considers how functionally distinct apical and basal dendrites can contribute to the information-processing capacities of single neurons and, in particular, how information from different cortical regions could have disparate effects on neural activity and learning.
Psychological Functions of the Cerebellum
Authors: Katz Donald B. , Steinmetz Joseph E.
Published: April 2003

For most ofthe 20th century, the brain science community held the view that the cerebellum was exclusively involved in motor control functions. Over the past 20 years, this has largely been replaced by the idea that the cerebellum participates in a variety of motor and nonmotor functions and, importantly, may contain neurons that display longand short-term plasticity, encoding behavioral and cognitive functions. The authors present evidence for the involvement of the cerebellum in motor and nonmotor functions and further suggest that the cerebellum’s internal neural architecture and connectivity patterns with other areas ofthe brain determine the range offunctions that the cerebellum participates in. To stress the interactive nature ofthe structure, the authors suggest that the phenomena that the cerebellum encodes may be best described generally as the psychological functions ofthe cerebellum instead ofattempting to categorize all functions as either motor or nonmotor.
Review of Vitamin E and Selenium in the Prevention of Prostate Cancer: Implications of the Selenium and Vitamin E Chemoprevention Trial
Authors: Pak Raymond W. , Lanteri Vincent J. , Scheuch John R. , Sawczuk Ihor S.
Published: April 2003

The National Cancer Institute in cooperation with the Southwest Oncology Group has begun one of the largest prostate cancer prevention studies to date, the Selenium and Vitamin E Chemoprevention Trial (SELECT). The purpose of this article is to review the evidence and discuss the individual antioxidant compounds under study. The authors comprehensively reviewed the peer-reviewed literature on the chemoprevention of prostate cancer with emphasis on the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium. The credible leads for the primary prevention of prostate cancer using selenium and vitamin E have emerged as secondary findings from randomized controlled trials with corroborative evidence from observational and in vitro studies. Selenium and vitamin E are widely available compounds that are safe if taken in moderation, with relatively few adverse effects. The evidence in support of the antioxidants in the primary prevention of prostate cancer is promising, and the next step in definitively answering the question has been addressed by the investigators of SELECT. The SELECT study will define the role of the antioxidants selenium and vitamin E in the prevention of prostate cancer; complete data from the study will be available in 12 years.
Panax ginseng: A Role in Cancer Therapy?
Authors: Chang Yuan S. , Seo Eun-Kyoung , Gyllenhaal Charlotte , Block Keith I.
Published: April 2003

Panax ginseng is a plant that has been used in traditional medicine in China for thousands of years. It is used as a general tonic or adaptogen with chronically ill patients and is frequently featured in traditional medicine prescriptions from China, Japan, and Korea used by cancer patients. The putative active compounds are the ginsenosides, of which there are more than two dozen. These compounds are found in both Panax ginseng and in other Panax species that are used in herbal medicine. Analysis of ginsenosides is being used in developing quality control assessments for ginseng, which has frequently been adulterated due to its high cost; many currently available standardized extracts do appear to contain the amounts of ginsenosides listed on package labeling. The toxicity of ginseng appears to be low: some of the reports of toxic episodes of ginseng may actually pertain to other components of multicomponent preparations. Very low incidence of toxicity has been observed in ginseng clinical trials using well-characterized preparations. Numerous pharmacological activities of ginseng and the ginsenosides have been explored: the authors review here the activities relating to cancer. Immune system modulation, antistress activities, and antihyperglycemic activities are among the most notable features of ginseng noted in laboratory and clinical analyses. Much testing has been done in humans to explore ginseng's purported antifatigue properties, but this area remains controversial. A number of investigations point to antitumor properties and other pharmacological activities related to cancer, but no trials have yet confirmed a clinically significant anticancer activity. Cancer patients may empirically find ginseng to be useful when they are fatigued, although clinical trials should be conducted to confirm its benefits.
Student Attrition, Retention, and Persistence: The Case of the University of Texas Pan American
Authors: Salinas Alfredo , Llanes Jose R.
Published: April 2003

This article reports on a causal-comparative study of 1,425 students constituting the entire cohort of 1992 entering freshman at the University of Texas Pan American (UTPA). The study compares the characteristics of the cohort who left UTPA before graduation, those who were retained and graduated within 6 years, those who left and did not return, and those who returned and ultimately graduated from the institution. Using persistence models, the study reveals a pattern of student behavior and student characteristics to each group that provides indications of how to identify and assist students in danger of not completing their education.
A Rationale for a Transformative Approach to Education
Authors: Mayo Peter
Published: April 2003

This article proposes a rationale for a transformative approach to education against the backdrop of an analysis of the current political scenario marked by neoliberalism and the effect of this ideology on educational policy and practice. The author looks at some of the intellectual influences that, in his view, continue to abet this process and the larger process of capitalist restructuring, all of which have an effect on educational policy making and practice. What signposts should one explore for a transformative education, based on ideals of social justice, bearing this scenario in mind? The article will tentatively propose some of the ingredients for a transformative process of education and then proceed by providing a critical reflection on two “on the ground” projects taking place in the author’s home country.
Transformative Education
Authors: McWhinney Will , Markos Laura
Published: April 2003

The human condition has changed radically in the past 100 years. Educational institutions, formal and informal, have not kept pace with technological innovations, the lengthening life span, or the need for ongoing reeducation to reinvigorate lives. The authors distinguish between learning and education and, more significantly, between transformative learning and transformative education. They then introduce the path of transformative education following a Navaho healing ritual that illuminates the mega-myth of death and rebirth as a model on which to organize ideas of adult transformative education across an extended life span. The purpose is to highlight the need for a fourth level of education suitable to 21st-century society, and to engage a global, cross-disciplinary dialogue to inform transformative educational practice across its personal, productive, instrumental, emancipatory, and holistic goals.
Transformative Learning as Discourse
Authors: Mezirow Jack
Published: April 2003

This article presents an elaboration of the epistemology of transformative learning in adult education. Transformative learning is understood as a uniquely adult form of metacognitive reasoning. Reasoning is the process of advancing and assessing reasons, especially those that provide arguments supporting beliefs resulting in decisions to act. Beliefs are justified when they are based on good reasons. The process of reasoning may involve such tacit knowledge as aptitudes, skills, and competencies. The article examines the nature of reasoning within the context of critical-dialectical discourse—the intersubjective process of communicative learning by which adults assess beliefs—and its implications for democratic citizenship and adult education.