bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Efficacy and Depressive Symptomatology in Older Adults: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Davis-Berman Jennifer
Published: May 2005

This exploratory study concerns the relationship between self-efficacy and depressive symptomatology in older adults. Two hundred community-residing older adults were administered the Depression Adjective Checklist and three self-efficacy scales over the telephone. The results suggest a strong relationship between general, physical, and global self-efficacy and depression. Finally, physical and general self-efficacy were identified as the strongest predictors of depression. Implications of self-efficacy theory in relation to depressive symptoms as well as suggested practice implications are presented.
Worry in Pre- and Post-Retirement Persons
Authors: Skarborn Marianne , Nicki Richard
Published: May 2005

With two cohorts, elderly persons who were retired and older persons who were not retired, amount of worry as assessed by Wisocki's broadly designed Worry Scale Revised (WSR) and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) was significantly greater for the pre-retirement group. Women were found to worry more than men on both the WSR and the PSWQ. Significant correlations between WSR and Worry Diary, PSWQ, and SCL-90-R (anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsiveness) scores strengthened claims for the WSR as a valid measure of worry in older/elderly persons.
Drug Education: A Cultural Perspective, an Educational Model and an Implementation Scheme
Authors: Floyd Jerald D. , Lotsof Antoinette B.
Published: May 2005

An overview of the historical progress of drug education is presented. The manuscript examines attitudes towards drug use and challenges many of the traditional assumptions relating to this critical area. Based on this examination, a new set of goals for drug education are suggested. An approach to drug education that is more in touch with the realities encountered by school-aged children is discussed.
Self-Ratings of Past, Present, and Future Cognitive Performance across Adulthood
Authors: Fingerman Karen L. , Perlmutter Marion
Published: May 2005

Age differences in self-ratings of present and projected past and future cognitive performance were examined across a variety of cognitive domains. Participants ( N = 151) in their twenties, forties, sixties, and eighties completed a battery of cognitive tasks and rated their present performance, likely performance five years ago (past), and projected performance five years hence (future) for each task. Performance on fluid/speeded intelligence, memory, and reasoning tasks followed a progression of poorer performance with age. Age differences in self-assessment of projected past and future performance were found, as were age by time interactions. Self-ratings of participants in their twenties tended to reflect projections of continuing improvement from past to present to future, but self-ratings of participants in older age groups tended to reflect perceptions of increasing decline over time. These findings suggest that age differences in self-ratings of cognitive performance may be related to age specific implicit theories of cognitive development.
The Comprehensive Assessment and Referral Evaluation (Care)—Rationale, Development and Reliability
Authors: Gurland Barry , Kuriansky Judith , Sharpe Lawrence , Simon Robert , Stiller Pamela , Birkett Peter
Published: May 2005

The Comprehensive Assessment and Referral Evaluation (CARE) is a new assessment technique which is intended to reliably elicit, record, grade and classify information on the health and social problems of the older person. The CARE is basically a semi-structured interview guide and an inventory of defined ratings. It is designated comprehensive because it covers psychiatric, medical, nutritional, economic and social problems rather than the interests of only one professional discipline. The style, scope and scoring of the CARE makes it suitable for use with both patients and non-patients, and a potentially useful aid in determining whether an elderly person should be referred, and to whom, for a health or social service. The CARE can also be employed in evaluating the effectiveness of that service if given.
“Get High on Yourself”: The Effectiveness of a Television Campaign on Self-Esteem, Drug Use, and Drug Attitudes
Authors: Domino George
Published: May 2005

The effectiveness of a week long television campaign — Get High on Yourself — was assessed at three urban high schools, through measures of self-esteem, drug use, and drug attitudes administered ten days prior to the campaign and four weeks later. The results indicate no significant changes that could be attributed to the campaign. A significant relationship was obtained between level of self-esteem, drug use, and drug attitudes.
Educating Community Gatekeepers about Alcohol Abuse in Women: Changing Attitudes, Knowledge and Referral Practices
Authors: Beckman Linda J. , Mays Vickie M.
Published: May 2005

Two workshops were designed to influence community gatekeepers' knowledge, attitudes and referral practices toward women alcohol abusers. Both didactic and experiential approaches were employed by a staff of experts and facilitators in the area of alcohol abuse in women. Workshop participants completed self-administered pre- and post-workshop questionnaires and a six month follow-up questionnaire was administered via telephone interview to participants in the first workshop. The workshop format was successful in increasing participants' knowledge about alcohol abuse and women alcohol abusers and gains in knowledge persisted for six months. However, little change in attitudes or behavior was found. The importance of considering the prior training and background characteristics of participants is highlighted. In part, the limited success of the workshop may be due to its appeal primarily to gatekeepers relatively knowledgeable about women's issues and/or alcoholism. New interventions must design outreach techniques to motivate those most in need of training to attend.
Governmental Response to Widespread Marijuana Use as Determined by a Comparison of 1969 and 1971 Statutes
Authors: Ritter David R.
Published: May 2005

The widespread use of marijuana across all strata of our social system has led to scrutiny and criticism of the state statutes governing its use. The specified punishments of these drug laws have been deemed severe, and the statutes themselves are outdated. The purpose of this article is to determine the extent of state statute amendment and the severity of the incarceration inherent in the revised laws.

Data, presented both in context and tabular form reveal that statute revisions have been oriented toward the first-time offender and that the penalties for subsequent possession of marijuana continue to be harsh.
Dependency Traits among Parents of Drug Abusers
Authors: Tennant Forest S.
Published: May 2005

Recent studies cast doubt on whether there is a significant association between parents' dependency traits and drug habits in their offspring. Reported here is a survey of 1,091 young males in the U.S. Army. The reported occurrence of parents' alcohol consumption, smoking, use of stimulants and sedatives, and overeating were compared among abusers and non-users of hashish, amphetamines and opiates. The only parental trait that showed as much as a 20 per cent difference in occurrence between abusers and non-users was use of stimulants and sedatives by parents of opiate abusers. This study indicates that parental dependency traits may have less relationship to drug habits in their offspring than previously believed.
Privatizing the Welfarist State: Health Care Reforms in Malaysia
Authors: Khoon Chan Chee
Published: May 2005

In Malaysia, the shifting balance between market and state has many nuances. Never a significant welfare state in the usual mold, the Malaysian state nonetheless has been a dominant social and economic presence dictated by its affirmative action-type policies, which eventually metamorphosed into state-led indigenous capitalism. Privatisation is also intimately linked with emergence of an indigenous bourgeoisie with favored access to the vast accumulation of state assets and prerogatives. Internationally, it is conditioned by the fluid relationships of converging alliances and contested compromise with international capital, including transnational health services industries. As part of its vision of a maturing, diversified economy, the Malaysian government is fostering a private-sector advanced health care industry to cater to local demand and also aimed at regional and international patrons. The assumption is that, as disposable incomes increase, a market for such services is emerging and citizens can increasingly shoulder their own health care costs. The government would remain the provider for the indigent. But the key assumption remains: the growth trajectory will see the emergence of markets for an increasingly affluent middle class. Importantly, the health care and social services market would be dramatically expanded as the downsizing of public-sector health care proceeds amid a general retreat of government from its provider and financing roles.
Academic Advising: Views of the Givers and Takers
Authors: Lowe Anna , Toney Michael
Published: May 2005

This study was designed to examine the satisfaction with academic advising among students enrolled in a university teacher certification program. An attempt was made to determine if the type of advisor, the status of the student (undergraduate or graduate), and the frequency of contacts with the advisor significantly predicted student satisfaction. Also, there was a focus on whether retention rates were related to these variables. Finally, the perceptions of students and advisors regarding the importance of specific advisory responsibilities were classified to determine if an order of importance existed among these tasks and if the groups differed in their perceptions. The participants were 200 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a school of education, college of arts and sciences, and a university adult college for returning students. The academic advisors were staff, whose primary responsibility was advising, and faculty. Data were gathered through the completion of a survey for each participant group. The results indicated that academic advising services vary widely across colleges and that the distribution of services varied between student groups. These factors impacted student satisfaction with the advising process. Further, it was found that there are differences in the perception of the importance of advising responsibilities based on student status. To bring about a more effective advising system, it was recommended that advising be recognized as a higher priority activity, advisors be trained, advising responsibilities be defined, materials be improved and made more widely available, and accountability, evaluation, and reward measures be instituted.
The Variety of Social Skills: Remarks by the Discussant
Authors: Schonfield David
Published: May 2005

Drawing analogies between social and perceptual motor skills can obscure the very different aims of participants in different social situations. Dissimilar social encounters often demand dissimilar abilities. Appropriate behavior in one case may be completely inappropriate in another. Insofar as there is a recognizable general social skill, everyday observation suggests that this usually improves during the adult years and does not deteriorate in later life unless sensory loss is severe or mental illness strikes. The special demands of institutional living might be alleviated through the efforts of sensitive care-givers, but professionals should be wary of accentuating minor problems. The vast majority of elderly people cope adequately with their social relationships without special courses.
Pathogenic Life Changes in Middle Adulthood and Coronary Heart Disease: A Life-Span Developmental Perspective
Authors: Falger Paul R. J.
Published: May 2005

Empirical evidence is reviewed about the contributions of life changes and the coronary-prone behavior pattern in the development of myocardial infarction in middle adulthood. Since established clinical risk factors account for about half of the total variance, it is necessary to explore in more detail the crucial developmental role that distressing psychologic and social parameters should play. Because of the generally prolonged incubation period of the effects of psychosocial risk factors, it is proposed that they should be studied from a life-span developmental perspective. Two metamodels seem appropriate in this respect: a mechanistic model by Dohrenwend and Dohrenwend, and an organismic model by Levinson. After scrutinizing some properties of these models, including their potential explanatory power, it is argued that an organismic model may predict better the pathogenic development of distressing psychosocial risk constellations over consecutive phases in the life course of the heart patient.
Engaging Preservice Teachers in Hypermedia Authoring: Process and Outcomes
Authors: Fitzgerald Gail E. , Hardin Laura , Hollingsead Candice
Published: May 2005

This article presents the methods and outcomes of a semester-long course in hypermedia authoring and instructional strategies for preservice teachers. Participants were required to learn a hypermedia authoring program and work in cooperative learning groups to produce a hypermedia software product for use with children with special needs. Data were collected from process logs; semi-structured, open-ended interviews; questionnaires; and pretest and posttest measures of computer anxiety. During the development of their projects, participants spent nearly an equal amount of time planning their software as they did in the mechanics of producing the software. Posttest findings revealed that participants showed a decrease in computer anxiety through their involvement in the course, and the lowest levels of anxiety were associated with graduate rank and prior teaching experience. Following the course, participants expressed confidence in their abilities to author hypermedia software and an interest in future involvement in hypermedia authoring as teachers.
Outpatient Cocaine Abuse Treatment: Predictors of Success
Authors: Westhuis David J. , Gwaltney Lisa , Hayashi Reiko
Published: May 2005

In 1990 more than 238,000 patients in the United States entered treatment, with cocaine as their primary diagnosis. This represented 36 percent of the treatment admissions for substance abuse. This research project uses data from the U.S. Army's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Program to analyze which treatment and demographic variables have an effect on cocaine treatment outcomes. The sample included 3602 soldiers entered into treatment between 1983 and 1992 for cocaine abuse. The logistical regression results suggested the following treatment variables had an effect on outcomes: the type of treatment provided, the length of time in treatment, the number of different types of drugs being abused prior to treatment, and the length of time since the patient had abused cocaine prior to entering treatment. Race of the patient had an impact on treatment outcomes, but gender, educational level, age, rank of the soldier, marital status, and length of time in the military did not have an impact on treatment outcomes.
Grandparents in the United States and the Republic of China: A Comparison of Generations and Cultures
Authors: Strom Robert D. , Strom Shirley K. , Wang Chih-Mei , Shen Yuh-Ling , Griswold Dianne , Chan Hou-Sheng , Yang Chu-Yin
Published: May 2005

Grandparent behaviors in the United States and the Republic of China are examined to identify curriculum themes for helping them adjust to their changing role. The 3,286 non-consanguineous subjects included Chinese ( n = 751), African Americans ( n = 777), Caucasian Americans ( n = 1,086), and Mexican Americans ( n = 672). Analyses were performed using 1) Generation with three levels (grandparent, parent, and grandchild) and 2) Culture with four levels (Chinese, African American, Caucasian American, and Mexican American). The results revealed significant differences in perceptions about grandparents across cultures as well as between generations within cultures. All three generations reported grandparent strengths and needs. Specific guidelines and curriculum topics are recommended for education to support grandparent development.
The Incidence of Mood Altering Drug Use and Abuse among Middle-Aged Women in Florida
Authors: Shepherd Timothy L. , Wotring C. Edward , Schmeling David
Published: May 2005

This report presents some findings of two studies designed to examine the incidence of mood altering prescription drug use among middle-aged women in Florida. The first study was a panel study of a small purposive sample of middle-aged women. The second study utilized a large sample from four major population areas of Florida of women at home during the day. The use of mood altering prescription drugs such as barbiturates, amphetamines, tranquilizers and sedatives was examined as well as the use of over-the-counter non-prescription drugs.
Computer Experience, Gender, and Classroom Environment in Computer-Supported Writing Classes
Authors: Levine Tamar , Donitsa-Schmidt Smadar
Published: May 2005

This experimental study explores whether, and to what extent, do differences in gender and experience with word processing affect how students perceive their classroom environment in high school writing classes. The study was conducted in thirty-four classrooms and includes data from 951 students. The experimental group was comprised of twenty-four writing classes implementing an instructional approach to writing through computer-supported instruction. Ten classes which did not use computers in their writing classes served as a control group. The data revealed significant differences in all dimensions of the classroom environment and indicated a more positive perception of the classroom environment among students in the experimental group. The findings also showed that in the control group there are differences in the way classroom environment is perceived by students with, and without, prior experience in word processing. No such differences were found to exist in the experimental group. The findings revealed that within the two different learning environments, there are differences in the ways boys and girls perceive their classroom environment. Also found are differences between boys and girls in both computer ownership and in the actual use of word processing, with more boys having home computers and making more use of word processing outside school.
Drug Education to Date: A Review
Authors: Randall Diana , Wong Martin R.
Published: May 2005

A comprehensive review is presented of Drug Education programs for school students from 1967 to date, with an eye toward eking out whatever guidance can be obtained for future efforts. Programs are organized into categories beginning with those lacking in any meaningful evaluation to those which reported more elegant designs using appropriate control groups, long term follow up of effect, and some attempt at the collection of behavioral evidence.

In general it was found that the great bulk of Drug Education programs reported in the literature were lacking in any meaningful evaluation that would provide data for guidance in the design of future programs. Discussion of the shortcomings revolves around evaluation methodology, measurement, assumptions, and objectives. It is pointed out that given some reasonable assumptions about society, e.g. that drugs will always be available for use, and that ultimately use or non use will be a personal decision, new and more clearly defined objectives for drug education seem to be prescribed. Possible examples of these objectives are given.
Reinventing Mass Communication: A World Health Organization Tool for Behavioral Change to Control Disease
Authors: Banerji Debabar
Published: May 2005

Most of the WHO's vertical programs, because they were ill-conceived, ill-designed, and defectively implemented, have fallen far short of expectations. These limitations have been doggedly ignored by the WHO, although the authorities in India have now realized that such vertical programs are expensive and not sustainable. Launching of Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI) appears to mark a desperate effort to revive their performance. It represents yet another deviation from the mandate given to the WHO. In 1983, the then director general warned against motivational manipulation of people to sell health ideas, but the WHO has now brazenly come forward to look for help from the private sector. COMBI uses the jargon and language of the market place to “market” health programs; it calls this “cause-related marketing.” The WHO has been most ahistorical in conceptualizing COMBI, as it has not learned from the failure of UNICEF's earlier venture to market child survival by employing experts in social marketing to bring about “community mobilization.” The WHO should have reviewed the large body of literature on work in the health social sciences, health education, and the many programs based on the concept of “information, education, and communication.” The pointed neglect of such key issues raises serious moral, ethical, and human rights questions. The COMBI approach amounts to be a breach of trust—a threat to human dignity.
Using Association Models in Research on Drug Use: Some Examples
Authors: Clogg Clifford C. , Shockey James W. , Harer Miles D.
Published: May 2005

This article shows how association models can be used to guide and simplify analysis of cross-classifications involving ordinal variables. To illustrate, we analyze three crosstables of high school seniors pertaining to the association between certain characteristics (e.g., attitude toward school) and drug use. These models can be used to answer several questions that arise naturally in analyses of such data: 1) Is there association between the variables? 2) If there is association, can it be summarized in terms of a single index, or must a set of indexes be used? 3) How can association be broken up into component sources? 4) Can the ordinal variables be scaled in a meaningful fashion using just the information available in the cross-classification? 5) How can association between two variables be studied in an across-group (e.g., across-time) context?
Cognitive Function and Prediction of Dementia in Old Age
Authors: La Rue Asenath , Jarvik Lissy F.
Published: May 2005

Longitudinal changes in cognitive functioning were examined for a sample of aging twins, some of whom developed dementia while others did not. Individuals who were judged to be demented at a mean age of eighty-five years had achieved lower scores on most tests twenty years prior to diagnosis, and experienced greater declines in vocabulary and forward digit span over time, than those surviving to a comparable age without dementia. These trends were observed for individuals with mild, as well as moderate-to-severe, dementia and were unrelated to physical health status or premorbid activity patterns. It is suggested that dementing illness may develop very slowly, and that the likelihood of exhibiting clinically significant dementia may vary with premorbid intellectual level.
Ethnic Differences in Analgesic Drug Related Deaths
Authors: Nelson Franklyn L. , Litman Robert E. , Diller Julie
Published: May 2005

This study investigates ethnic differences (white vs. non-white) in a sample of 121 analgesic drug related deaths. Initial data on deaths with toxicological findings of propoxyphene (Darvon) and/or codeine involvement were obtained from the files of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office. Interviews were conducted with surviving family members, friends, and attending physicians. The findings indicate greater codeine involvement for nonwhites and greater propoxyphene involvement for whites; a higher incidence of illicit drug abuse among nonwhites, with Caucasians more likely to have abused medically prescribed drugs; a higher incidence of alcohol related problems for nonwhites; and greater indications of psychological and social distress prior to death among the Caucasian subsample. Informants for the Caucasian group indicate a relatively greater awareness of the decedent's use of analgesic drugs prior to death. The use of analgesic drugs was also more likely to have been a sufficient or major cause of death within the Caucasian subsample.
Utilizing Multimedia Applications to Enhance Instruction of Performance Assessment for Pre-Service Teachers
Authors: Struyk L. Ruth , Kinder Diane , Cole Karen B. , Best Kathleen , Smith-Shank Deborah
Published: May 2005

Although performance assessment has rapidly captured the attention of educators and is widely accepted as an important component of pre-service teacher preparation, problems remain with incorporating performance assessment into typical university measurement courses. This article examines these problems and suggests that multimedia applications be utilized to resolve some of them and to enhance the instruction of performance assessment in teacher preparation measurement courses. Multimedia applications employed in measurement courses allow pre-service teachers to observe and analyze performances in art, physical eduction, vocational education, and other authentic tasks appropriate for direct assessment.
Drug Education: Why We Have So Little Impact
Authors: Sheppard Margaret A. , Goodstadt Michael S. , Williamson Beverley
Published: May 2005

Drug education continues to be part of the school curriculum; new drug education programs continue to be developed, yet drug use also continues among our youth population. Why do we appear to be having so little impact?
Life Stage and Motives for Television Use
Authors: Ostman Ronald E. , Jeffers Dennis W.
Published: May 2005

Do motives for using TV vary by viewer's age? Mass communication literature suggests that TV plays an important role in the life of younger and older persons in American society, but has not investigated how motives for viewing vary by age of the viewer or what needs are satisfied by viewing. A systematic random sample of telephone households in the Carbondale, DeSoto, and Murphysboro area of Southern Illinois provided 140 interviews with adults aged eighteen to eighty-seven. Life stage was related to five motives for using TV (to learn things, to forget, to overcome loneliness, to pass time when bored, and to find something to talk about). All but the forget/bored motive were positively correlated with age.
The Relationship of Locus of Control, Age, and Sex to Life Satisfaction and Death Anxiety in Older Persons
Authors: Hickson Joyce , Housley Warren F. , Boyle Carolyn
Published: May 2005

The present study examined Rotter's Internal-External (I-E) locus of control (LOC) concept in relation to life satisfaction and death anxiety in an aged population. Age and sex of the individual were also considered. In the case of life satisfaction, a strong sex and a strong locus of control effect were found. For death anxiety, again a strong sex effect was found, but there was also a significant interaction between locus of control and age. The article suggests the need for a life span developmental perspective in LOC research. Studies which explore the influence of life experiences, situational and environmental variables, and their effect on control orientation are also needed.
Factors Related to the Anticipated Use of Drugs by Urban Junior High School Students
Authors: Ford Denyce S.
Published: May 2005

The major objective of this study was to examine factors related to intentions to use drugs in the future by urban junior high school students. One hundred forty-eight subjects enrolled in Health Education classes were administered four questionnaires during two consecutive classroom sessions: 1) the Stanford University Drug Evaluation Questionnaire; 2) the Drug Attitude Scale of the Pennsylvania State University Drug Education Evaluation Scale; 3) the Self-Observation Scales; and 4) the School Atmosphere Questionnaire. The results indicated that: adolescents who currently report using drugs had a significantly higher mean anticipatory use score than those who reported that they did not use drugs; subjects who had friends who used drugs had a higher mean anticipatory drug use score than subjects who did not have friends who used drugs; adolescents with a pro-drug attitude had more ambiguous feelings toward future drug use when compared to adolescents who were anti-drug; subjects who were low in self-security and teacher affiliation anticipated using drugs more than subjects high in self-security and teacher affiliation. Current drug use, friend's drug use, attitude toward drugs and self-concept all play an important role in the adolescent's intentions to use drugs in the future.
Looking for Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Hodgson Lynne Gershenson , Cutler Stephen J.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the correlates of symptom-seeking behavior for Alzheimer's disease (AD) among middle-aged persons. Symptom seeking, the tendency to search for signs of disease, is one manifestation of an individual's concern about developing AD. The data were obtained from a survey of two subsamples of 40–60 year old adults: 1) 108 adult children with a living parent with a diagnosis of probable AD; and 2) 150 adults in a matched group with no parental history of AD. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify significant predictors of symptom seeking, which was measured by a composite index comprised of responses from three questions about checking for signs of AD, interpreting signs as symptoms of AD, and soliciting external validation for concerns. Four clusters of predictors were examined: memory assessment, AD experience, sociodemographics, and well-being. Within these clusters, the constellations of significant predictors varied by subsample, but the most robust predictors were aspects of subjective assessments of memory functioning and AD experience. An understanding of the correlates of symptom seeking for AD has implications for early detection of the disease as well as identifying populations under stress from excessive worry about their own future health.
Drug Usage at the Secondary and Primary School Levels
Authors: Buechler Kevin P.
Published: May 2005

This paper reviews the current literature concerning surveys of drug usage at the secondary and primary school levels. It points out an increase in the number of students who claim to have used drugs or know persons who do so and that the figures of reported usage are similar to other studies conducted in the same time period. It discusses how many elementary level students are fast becoming aware of the issue of drug usage due to personal experience or from interactions with friends or siblings. It is pointed out that how the administrations of schools respond to drug usage may seriously affect the ability of the school to continue to educate.
Scaling Adjustment in Older People
Authors: Graney Marshall J. , Graney Edith E.
Published: May 2005

Adjustment (personal or social) has often been the object of research in social gerontology. Currently this interest is expressed in the study of life satisfaction and psychological well-being. The present study explicates adjustment in terms of three referents: life satisfaction, social adjustment, and personal adjustment. Each aspect of adjustment is meaningful only when elderly people's reports are compared to explicit normative bases. A discussion of advantages and disadvantages of several proposed scaling bases is illuminated by an empirical example. Interview responses indicating personal orientation and self-reports on social activity are combined in a personal adjustment score. An empirical test demonstrates that personal adjustment and happiness are unrelated to one another in sample data.
Students Cognitive Styles and the Need of Visual Control in Animation
Authors: Chanlin Lih-Juan
Published: May 2005

Animation and visual presentation in multimedia provide the flexibility to exploit scientific knowledge and students' cognitive styles. The focus of this study is to report the use of two different visual control treatments (self-controlled vs. system-imposed) among students with different cognitive styles (Field Independent and Field Dependent). Eighth-grade students were tested to determine how they learned from different design approaches of instructional materials. The 2 (cognitive style) x 2 (treatment) ANCOVA, controlling for a covariate, prior physics scores, indicates a main significant effect with respect to visual control ( p < 0.0005), but an insignificant effect with respect to cognitive style ( p > 0.05). The effect of visual control treatment is significant among FD students ( p < 0.05) but not FD students ( p > 0.05).
Training Response Speed in Young and Elderly Women
Authors: Hoyer Frances W. , Hoyer William J. , Treat Nancy J. , Baltes Paul B.
Published: May 2005

Effectiveness of response speed training on the performance of thirty adult women was assessed. Five young and five elderly female volunteers were tested in each of three experimental conditions: (1) one training session with cognitive feedback in which participants were given response rate information (control); (2) five training sessions with cognitive feedback (practice); or (3) five training sessions with cognitive feedback in which the number of S&H green stamp units earned was directly proportional to response rate (conjugate reinforcement). Dependent variables were (a) response speed on three paper-pencil tasks, and (b) posttraining performance on twelve intelligence subtests chosen as far transfer tasks. Response speed increased significantly with training in both age groups, but contrary to expectation, young adults showed greater training effects than elderly adults. No significant far transfer effects were obtained.
Correlates of Reminiscence Activity among Elderly Individuals
Authors: Quackenbush Steven W. , Barnett Mark A.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to examine several psychological characteristics and life experiences that may be related to aspects of reminiscence activity among elderly individuals. Seventy elderly individuals completed a reminiscence questionnaire assessing 1) the extent to which reminiscence is motivated by a desire to enhance self understanding, 2) reminiscence affect, and 3) the preferred social modality of reminiscence. The respondents also completed questionnaires assessing existential vacuum, extraversion, and the recent experience of various life events. Existential vacuum was positively associated with a tendency to engage in reminiscence in an effort to enhance self understanding as well as a negative bias in reminiscence affect. Extraversion was found to be positively related to a preference for interpersonal reminiscence. Specific life experiences (e.g., death of a spouse, retirement) were also related to reminiscence activity. The present results provide support for the notion that aspects of reminiscence activity are associated with individual differences in specific psychological and situational variables.
Mannerisms of the Elderly and Approaches to Rapport
Authors: French Warren A. , Thorson James A. , Perreault William D.
Published: May 2005

Creating stereotypes in any behavioral discipline is a risky venture. There will inevitably be overlaps between stereotypes, evolution from mannerism to mannerism, as well as behavior which doesn't fit into any set classification. Yet, in counseling senior citizens it is not unusual to consciously or subconsciously distinguish and then group behavior according to stereotypes. This grouping procedure, while subject to misuse in the counseling process, is in itself defensible.

Studies by Neugarten, Havighurst and Tobin [1] and Reichard, Livson and Petersen [2] among others have empirically identified distinguishable mannerisms which the elderly adopt in adjusting to old age. Assuming the existence of these mannerisms, it would be interesting to learn how gerontologists suggest addressing elderly people who exhibit such behavior. Determining successful approaches to these individuals can provide a basis for the rapport necessary to: 1) uncover causes of adjustment problems, 2) assess the seriousness of those problems, and 3) implement counseling suggestions.
Associations among Healthy Habits, Age, Gender, and Education in a Sample of Retirees
Authors: Leigh J. Paul , Fries James F.
Published: May 2005

In this exploratory and descriptive study, data are drawn from a sample of 1,864 Bank of America retirees collected in 1987 to investigate correlations among healthy habits, age, gender, and education. Findings include: 1) Health habits are strongly and positively associated with each other and negatively associated with unhealthy habits. 2) Age is statistically significant and positively associated with fiber, fat consumption, and lack of exercise, but negative associated with cigarette use. 3) Women are more likely than men to smoke, use seat belts, and eat foods high in fiber. Men are more likely than women to exercise and drink excessively. 4) Education is statistically significant and positively associated only with fiber in the diet and no other habit. 5) Fiber consumption emerges as the healthy habit most consistently associated with all other habits.
Coping with Schizophrenia: Patterns in Later Adulthood
Authors: Solano Nancy H. , Whitbourne Susan Krauss
Published: May 2005

By exploring the subjective experience of older people, this study investigated whether the coping framework developed with younger adults with schizophrenia could be applied to people with schizophrenia over the age of 50 years. Fifteen participants diagnosed with schizophrenia, over the age of 50, were recruited from clubhouses and given a semi-structured interview to identify what, if any, coping strategies were used to manage persistent symptoms. The results indicated that the coping strategies used by this older sample were similar to those reported by earlier studies with younger populations. However, it was reported that the efficacy of the coping strategies had increased as the participants had grown older and accepted their illness. Older adults with schizophrenia are capable of employing strategies to manage their illness and should be considered an important source of knowledge for younger individuals who struggle with the illness and for mental health professionals who work with the chronically mentally ill.
Time Series Design to Evaluate Effectiveness of Methadone Maintenance Intervention
Authors: Harlow Lisa L. , Anglin M. Douglas
Published: May 2005

The Box-Jenkins interrupted time series design is suggested for use in evaluating the effects of social program intervention. This paper presents an example of a specific application to methadone maintenance treatment intervention for chronic heroin addicts. Using time series analysis, the present evaluation found that entry into methadone maintenance was followed by: 1) a decrease in daily heroin use, 2) a slight increase in daily marijuana use, and 3) an increase in regular employment.
Drug Education—Better Late Than Never
Authors: Sinacore John S.
Published: May 2005

Recognizing that problems arising from human ecology do not represent medical failure so much as educational failure, and that prevention is cheaper in the long run than rehabilitation, the New York State Education Department is implementing a course of study in the Health Sciences incorporating knowledge from the disciplines of medical science and public health, aimed at prevention through education.

Curriculum materials for 4th grade through high school, developed by the State Education Department, deal initially with the nature and proper use of drugs as a basis for understanding drug abuse.

Drug education, to be effective as a drug abuse deterrent, should be taught by a well prepared health education teacher within the context of health education which touches on areas of mental health, physical health, consumer health, public health, safety and pharmacology.

Intensive teacher training programs are underway in six institutions of higher education in New York State to prepare teachers licensed in other educational areas to fulfill state certification requirements in health education. Additional teachers are being trained to teach inservice courses in their own districts; their $600 salary per 30 hour course taught is paid by the State Education Department. The goal is to reach 7500 teachers during this school year. The program participants are brought into contact with consultants from many related fields. A learn-by-doing method is utilized involving group processes and activities designed to encourage individuals to become responsible for their own learning and the learning of others.
The Relationship between Life Goals at Thirty and Perceptions of Goal Attainment and Life Satisfaction at Seventy for Gifted Men and Women
Authors: Holahan Carole K.
Published: May 2005

This article examines the relationship between life goals at thirty and perceptions of goal attainment, happiness, and life satisfaction at seventy for gifted men and women. Respondents were members of the Terman Study of the Gifted. Men and women differed in life goals at age thirty, with men predominantly oriented toward occupational pursuit, and women predominantly oriented toward home and family life. Results showed a significant sex difference in feelings of goal attainment at age seventy, with men reporting greater attainment. Women with occupational goals at age thirty reported lower feelings of goal attainment at age seventy than women without such goals. For men, a positive relationship was found between satisfaction and happiness at age seventy and feelings of goal attainment. For women, these relationships varied according to life goals at age thirty. The implications of these results are discussed.
Generations of Gerontology: Aging, Continuity, and Change
Authors: Seltzer Mildred M. , Hickey Tom
Published: May 2005

This prelude to the subsequent articles sets the stage for a discussion of the topic, “Generations of Gerontology: Aging, Continuity, and Change.” The authors define gerontology as a social system through which generations of gerontologists flow. As people move through this system, gerontology evidences both continuity and change in themes, theories, and methods. The broad sociocultural context within which gerontology exists reinforces, influences, and shapes the persistence of some aspects of gerontology while changing others. The subsequent articles deal with themes, theories, and methods. A fourth article provides a description of gerontology's sociocultural context, and encourages the development and use of our gerontological imagination. The concluding article attempts to synthesize the four other articles, and presents responses to the issues and challenges raised in those articles.
The Elderly Sick Role: An Experimental Analysis
Authors: Fisher William , Arluke Arnold , Levin Jack
Published: May 2005

This experiment sought to determine whether young people ascribe different sick-role expectations to the elderly than to the middle-aged. The study also examined whether such expectations are a function of age per se or of work status. The experiment was a two × two factorial design employing two levels of age and two levels of work status. Sick-role expectations were elicited by the use of vignettes in which illness characteristics and background information were identical, but age and work status were varied. Results partially support the contention that the young ascribe an elderly sick role. Respondents were more likely to expect an old, rather than a middle-aged man, not to recover. However, respondents were also more likely to expect reduction in role obligations when the man was retired than when he was employed, regardless of age.
Networks in Later Life: An Examination of Race Differences in Social Support Networks
Authors: Peek M. Kristen , O'Neill Gregory S.
Published: May 2005

Although there has been considerable interest in the effects of social support networks on various health outcomes for older adults, there has been little research directed toward the predictors of networks. In this study, we examine race differences in the determinants of social support network characteristics (size, frequency of interaction with network members, proportion of kin, and amount of support received and given to network members) using data from an older community sample drawn from the North Carolina site of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) focusing on adults sixty-five and older ( n = 4124). This research focuses on the extent to which race differences in network dimensions are present and whether these variations can be attributed to varying social structural positions held by African Americans and Whites. The results indicate that several race differences persist even when controlling for social structural variables. The structural argument and future implications are discussed.
Outcomes of Equity/Inequity among Older Spouses
Authors: Keith Pat M. , Schafer Robert B. , Wacker Robbyn
Published: May 2005

The extent to which perceptions of global and specific equity/inequity were associated with dissatisfaction, disagreement between spouses, partners' regard for one another, and gender-role attitudes was investigated for eighty-two couples over age sixty. The differential influence of equity/inequity for the well-being of women and men was studied.
Using Hypertext for Studying and Information Search
Authors: Beishuizen Jos , Jesdijk Evelien Stout , Zanting Anneke
Published: May 2005

A text in hypertext format is a database of text units without any pre-defined order. Concepts maps, text links, and other navigation tools enable the user to explore the database. This study explored the conditions for making hypertext a better study environment than a traditional linear text. Two tasks were investigated: an open exam preparation task and a closed search task. Within the context of the latter task the influence of the student's learning style was traced. For open study tasks, like preparing for an examination, hypertext does not provide clear advantages over a linear text with a table of contents and an index. The first experiment showed that in the hypertext condition more time was spent on actually studying text units explaining important topics. However, there was no increase in text comprehension as compared with a linear text condition. The potential advantages of hypertext may be better utilized in closed search tasks, in which an answer to a particular question has to be found. Because hypertext puts heavier cognitive demands on the student, the quality of the learning style of the student is crucial to success. In the second experiment, we found that both deep processing students and surface processing students were able to find a requested text unit in a hypertext unit in a hypertext database, provided that their regulation style matches their processing style. That is, deep processing students should act on the basis of internal control, whereas surface processing should seek external guidance. The availability of local navigation facilities (like text links or facilities for full text search) contributes to the usability of hypertext, in particular for those users who prefer a surface processing style. However, because surface processing students are vulnerable to losing track, they need external guidance to support their search attempts.