bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Effect of a One-Day Drug Education Program on High School Journalists
Authors: Haskins Jack B.
Published: May 2005

A one-day drug education program, embedded in a week-long workshop for high school journalists, had no statistically significant effects on perceived dangerousness of a number of drugs, awareness of drugs as a young people's problem, nor on intentions to conduct a newspaper crusade against drugs. Nevertheless, this study with no visible effects may provide some valuable substantive and methodological lessons and hypotheses, namely: (1) a one-day program is probably insufficient to change entrenched attitudes and behavior; (2) such programs may have unintended side-effects, either counter-productive “boomerang” effects or positive general consciousness-raising effects, that should be allowed for and measured for; (3) good program evaluation research cannot be planned nor conducted as an afterthought when the program is over.
Developmental Models of Adult Life: Myth or Reality
Authors: Lacy William B. , Hendricks Jon
Published: May 2005

This study investigates the existence of age related life stages and the presumed evolution of attitudes and perceptions in accordance with passages through these successive developmental plateaus. The research utilizes data from six national samples gathered as part of the General Social Survey between 1972 and 1977 by the National Opinion Research Center (N=9120). Criteria suggested by developmental theorists and other social scientists are employed to examine respondents' life orientation and satisfaction. In most Instances age is minimally related to attitudes in these areas while social class and to a lesser extent race and sex emerge as statistically significant and substantively important predictors of these dimensions. The results suggest the difficulties in identifying age related adult life phases through national surveys of attitudes and challenges the underlying assumptions for the existence of uniform age related stages.
Drug Use, Misuse, and Abuse Incidents among Elementary School Children
Authors: Cohen Stuart J.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this research paper was to review recent drug use, misuse, and abuse incidents among elementary school children in order to emphasize the fact that the drug problem in society has spread rapidly in a downward fashion from adults to college and secondary school age students and to elementary school children. It also highlights the fact that elementary school children are constantly being exposed to the drug problem due to the use of drugs by people in their immediate environment and their subsequent carelessness. The research emphatically demonstrates that it is no longer feasible for responsible adults to deny the existence of drug problems on the elementary school level.
Resource Material for Drug Abuse Professionals: An Individualized Reading List
Authors: Balster Robert L. , Ellinwood Everett H.
Published: May 2005

The field of drug abuse treatment and prevention is a cross-disciplinary endeavor involving a number of service agencies. The Duke University Drug Abuse Reference Project (DUDARP) is a system for personalizing a list of resource materials for professionals in the area. References to books, articles, manuals, and workbooks are coded and entered into a mini-computer. Trainees can obtain an individualized bibliography by filling out a request form describing their background and interests. The computer can select one of over 2000 reading lists on the basis of this information.
Risky-Choice Behavior: A Life-Span Analysis
Authors: Holliday Stephen G.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the present study was to systematically test the hypothesis that older people adopt risk-avoiding strategies when faced with risky-choice situations. Ninety-six adults, representing four age cohorts, filled out a risk-taking questionnaire consisting of twelve situations demanding a choice between a safe and a risky option. One-half of the choices involved potential losses, the other half involved potential gains. The results indicated that older adults choose no more safe alternatives than do younger adults. Additionally, for all age cohorts, risk avoiding was more evident when choices were between risky and certain gains than when choices were between risky and certain losses. This pattern of responding suggests that older adults do not necessarily adopt a general strategy of avoiding risky options when a safe alternative is available. Instead, risk avoiding, for all age cohorts, appears to be influenced by the parameters of the choice situation.
Career Maturity and College Student Persistence
Authors: Perry Steven R. , Cabrera Alberto F. , Vogt W. Paul
Published: May 2005

The study examined the role of career maturity on the college persistence of traditional-aged college freshmen enrolled at a public four-year institution. Results indicate that the My Vocational Situation instrument (Holland et al., 1980), while reliable, is also valid. Theoretical formulations need to be revisited, since results indicate that Goal Commitment and Career Maturity are distinct constructs. Career Maturity was found to be positively associated with a number of variables important to college persistence (e.g., GPA, Academic Integration, Faculty Contact, Encouragement). This variable also contributed to explain variance in Intent to Persist. However, Career Maturity exerted no direct effects on Persistence. The results of this study have implications for theory and research.
Drug Treatment in New Jersey (and Elsewhere?): In Search of a Paradigm
Authors: Biersbach Raymond M.
Published: May 2005

In this article three points are made. First, a survey of drug treatment in New Jersey suggested that there was considerable conflict about how drug treatment should be conducted. Second, a case was made for developing paradigms or models of treatment as a guide for progress in treatment for addicts. Third, an example was given of a theoretical paradigm which tried to relate family therapy to the relief of self-esteem distress.
A Short- and Long-Term Evaluation of Here's Looking at You Alcohol Education Program
Authors: Kim Sehwan
Published: May 2005

This study reports short- and long-term outcome evaluation results of an alcohol education prevention program entitled “Here's Looking at You (HLAY)” as implemented by one of the largest school districts in the nation during 1982–1987. Since the adoption of this program as a demonstration project by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the program has become one of the most widely known alcohol education or prevention programs in the nation. In 1982, the program was adopted by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and has been under continuous replication. On the basis of the most recent replication of the HLAY during the spring semester 1987 and on the basis of the CMS system-wide student drug survey in 1986, the program has been evaluated using the following criterion variables: knowledge gain; three subdimensions on the general attitude about alcohol, i.e., undifferentiated-primitive attitude, reward-associated attitude, and health-related attitude; intentions about future alcohol use; and the actual drinking behavior.

On a short-term basis, 1) there has been a knowledge gain about alcohol and alcoholism on the part of the HLAY recipients between the pre and post tests of the Alcohol Education Evaluation Instrument (AEEI). However, this gain in the HLAY group was less than the knowledge gain observed among control group student; 2) in comparison to the students in the control group, there has been a positive attitudinal net gain among the HLAY recipients along the undifferentiated-primitive attitude about alcohol; 3) however, the HLAY was not able to impact upon the reward-associated attitude, health-related attitude, the intentions about future alcohol use, and the actual drinking behavior. On a long-term basis, the actual alcohol drinking pattern of the HLAY recipients was indistinguishable from those students who had not been exposed to the program.
Wisdom and Intelligence: The Nature and Function of Knowledge in the Later Years
Authors: Clayton Vivian
Published: May 2005

Intelligence can be defined as the ability to think logically, to conceptualize and abstract from reality. Wisdom can be defined as the ability to grasp human nature, which is paradoxical, contradictory, and subject to continual change. These two constructs hold potential for highlighting positive and adaptive features of development in the later years. Both are considered to increase with age, and both provide for life-long acquisition of knowledge. Despite these phenotypic similarities, this paper attempts to illustrate that the nature of wisdom and its function in the developmental process differs sufficiently from cognitive ability to warrant separate scrutiny. These two constructs are compared with respect to the domains of behavior they represent, the operational tasks used to assess them, and the relationship of logic and time in their development. The function of intelligence is characterized as focusing on questions of how to do and accomplish necessary life-supporting tasks; the function of wisdom is characterized as provoking the individual to consider the consequences of his actions both to self and their effects on others. Wisdom, therefore, evokes questions of should one pursue a particular course of action.
Appraisal of Clinical, Psychosocial, and Environmental Health of Elderly in Saudi Arabia: A Household Survey
Authors: Al-Shammari Sulaiman A. , Mazrou Yagob Al , Jarallah Jamal S. , Ansary Lubna Al , Ali M. EL Shabrawy , Bamgboye Elijah A.
Published: May 2005

This was a cross-sectional national survey of the elderly population of Saudi Arabia conducted between January 1994 and December 1995. The participants' physical, mental, social, and environmental health status were assessed in a personal interview during which a structured data form was completed by a trained research team. Data on 6,139 elderly participants have been analyzed: 64.2 percent were males mean age: 69.2 ± 7.8 years which was higher than females 68.0 ± 7.6 years ( P < 0.0001). The widowhood (46.7%) status was also higher than the widowerhood (4.1%) and 9.3 percent of the participants were never married. The proportion of female illiterates (95.8%) was higher than the males (71.4%). The proportion of participants with definite psychopathology was 33.8 percent and this increased with age and higher among females than males. Overall, 18.8 percent were dependent on others for ADL. Other clinical findings included visual impairment (46.1%) and difficulty in hearing (19.9%). However, a sizeable majority (72.2%) enjoyed good health. Only 3.7 percent lived alone. The proportion of the elderly taking part in any recreational exercise was 14.7 percent and only 4.3 percent had any experience of physical therapy. There were no special hospital wards for the elderly patients, and they were treated by general internists. There is a need for a national cost-effective program for the care of the elderly. The present widespread primary health care centers can be upgraded to coordinate the proposed services.
Health Concerns among India's Elderly
Authors: Rajan S. Irudaya , Mishra U. S. , Sarma P. S.
Published: May 2005

This article critically examines the health situation among elderly from two sets of independent sources. National Sample Survey in its 42 Round (July 1986-June 1987) canvassed a nationwide survey covering 50,000 households in 8312 villages and 4546 urban blocks in India to understand the socio-economic profile of aged persons. Secondly, an aging survey (1993) was conducted in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, and Karnataka states in India by the authors to study the elderly life in terms of general feeling, living arrangements, living support, social security, health, nutrition, their involvement in social and religious matters, views of old age homes and particularly life preparatory measures. The survey is based on interviews with about 2253 persons aged 60 years and above, of whom 1325 are males and 928 are females. In fact, this survey is a part of a larger study conducted for the Social Development Section, Economic and Social Commission for the Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations, Bangkok, along with four other South East Asian countries—China, Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. From the survey conducted by us, we report only the health aspects of the elderly in this paper. The last section examines the major cause of death among elderly as reported from the Model Registration System of the Registrar General of India and concludes with feasible policy prescriptions.
Effects of the Living Environment on Activity and Use of Time
Authors: Carp Frances M.
Published: May 2005

Exposure to an environment with increased opportunities resulted in increased activity among a group of elderly persons, compared to similar people in unenriched environments. Findings support the hypothesis that unmet need for activity existed among the group, all of whom had been matched to the enriched environment by staff and self-selection, and the hypothesis that environmental intervention is potent in influencing behavior, even in old age. Persistence of the relative elevation in activity over eight years and concomitance with other indexes of well-being suggest that appropriate environmental intervention which expands activity opportunities is beneficial. Congruity between the person's needs and the environment's resources is central. Individual differences in need for activity interacted with opportunity in accounting for outcomes.
The “No Win”: Drug Education Evaluation Problems
Authors: Swanson Jon Colby
Published: May 2005

Confusion on the goals of prevention and treatment has led some schools to define the nature of their drug abuse education program in such fashion that they cannot reasonably expect success. Drug abuse prevention goals are the domain of education. New models for evaluating such goals need to be developed.

In some areas drug education evaluation has imposed “no win” rules upon itself. An advertising agency would be delighted if its new approach netted an increase of from 10 per cent of the available market to 11 per cent of the available market. But educational efforts are expected to completely change the nature of nearly all peoples behavior.
Psychological Distress among the Community Elderly: Prevalence, Characteristics and Implications for Service
Authors: Abrahams Ruby B. , Patterson Robert D.
Published: May 2005

This paper reports the results of a survey of elderly persons living in a predominantly blue collar, New England town. Data about psychological distress and its relationship to demographic and social interaction characteristics are explored. Vulnerability to the stresses of aging increases where there is a habitual pattern of dependency, poor interpersonal skills and lack of social initiatives. Mental health services were not reaching the elderly in need and there was minimal utilization of other helping services. Some possible preventive interventions are discussed.
C.O.S.T.—An Approach to Kids
Authors: Panzica Norman
Published: May 2005

Assuming routine fact-giving within a school health program, the author has addressed, in an interactive way, some 300,000 students from Grade 6 level up. The appeal is basically to the students' ability to use logic and assess the various “costs” of experimentation and use of drugs. The author's approach is based on a conception of students as intelligent but unsophisticated and is designed to defeat the urgings of the pro-drug element in the school by offering new ways of looking at the drug question and, in part, gently ridiculing the appeal of the pusher. Follow-up enquiries are quoted to assess the effectiveness of such presentations and the use of existing community resources is outlined.
Identifying Chemical Use Problems in a Community Clinic
Authors: Lasater Lane , Hakanson Nina M. , Scott David M. , Henderson Sheila F.
Published: May 2005

Clinical staff at a community health clinic reported that chemical use problems were highly prevalent in the population served. We designed a survey to gather objective patient data concerning chemical use patterns and related family and social problems. A stratified random sample ( n = 125) was drawn from the total clinic weekly appointment book schedules (TCSS group). A comparison sample composed of 147 persons was drawn from all clients receiving mental health services (MHS group). For both groups, staff reported observations regarding chemical use patterns and associated problems, and described type and severity of family problems. Thirty percent of the total clinical services sample (TCSS) families had at least one member using drugs at the circumstantial-situational level, this compared with 39 percent of the MHS group. The survey results confirm impressions that chemical use and associated problems such as co-dependency are significant factors affecting both individuals and families.
The Initiation and Avoidance of Drugs by Adolescents in the Southwest
Authors: Winfree L. Thomas , Beasley Richard , Cary Karl R.
Published: May 2005

The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a descriptive study of youthful drug use in a rural southwestern community at the start of the 1980's. To this end, we focus on three major concerns. First, we examine the nature and extent of the drug problem extant in the community. The second focus of the paper is on the reasons cited for using drugs (e.g., personal problem resolution, hedonism, peer pressures). Third, we examine the characteristics of abstainers and their reasons for nonuse (e.g., illegality of drug use, physical and psychological dangers, and parental pressures), and compare this group with former drug users and the reasons they offer for their disuse. In addition, where applicable, we link our observations to current social deviance theories in general and theories of drug use in particular.
Growing More Complex: Conceptions of Sex Roles across Adulthood
Authors: Sedney Mary Anne
Published: May 2005

Conceptions of femininity and masculinity in women who were college freshmen, in their midtwenties, midthirties, and midforties were examined with open-ended questions. Responses were analyzed from the perspective of the hypothesis that these conceptions change over the adult years, becoming more complex with age. Support for this hypothesis was found as the older women revealed a more articulated view of roles, with a tendency to put a greater emphasis on the biological element of their role, and a greater tendency to reject the idea of a general relationship between gender and personality. Younger women put a greater emphasis on physical characteristics in defining the conceptions and were more likely to note chivalry as an important factor between the sexes. Possible reasons for these differences and their implications for research on sex roles are discussed.
The Retrospective Pretest: An Alternative Approach in Evaluating Drug Prevention Programs
Authors: Rhodes Jean E. , Jason Leonard A.
Published: May 2005

Two self-report techniques assessed student behaviors before and after a life-skills substance abuse prevention program, targeted at seventh graders in an inner-city elementary school. The retrospective pretest/posttest technique demonstrated no significant changes in drug usage, while a traditional pretest/posttest indicated significant increases in tobacco usage. The findings of this study support the continued use and research on the retrospective pretest, particularly as they relate to tobacco usage. Given participants' inhibitions to self-report deviance, inclusion of this technique can provide a more complete assessment of prevention programs.
The Prison of Youth: Generational Viewpoints in Works by Gabriela Mistral and Rosario Castellanos
Authors: Trueblood Felicity M.
Published: May 2005

This article addresses the mission of the poet and teacher as a bridge spanning future and past generations. The Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral and the Mexican poet Rosario Castellanos are studied. They help us remedy the ethnocentrism and lack of feminist perspective that sometimes mark studies of aging in the United States. Though separated by more than a generation in chronological age, and by the psychic distance of never having met, their work and lives exhibit commonalities of interest to us all: feminism, explicit and implicit; the quest for justice and reform; the permutations of love, whether maternal, pedagogical, or poetic; and the continuing, eternal dialogue among the generations.
Therapeutic Pretense in Reality Orientation
Authors: Buckholdt David R. , Gubrium Jaber F.
Published: May 2005

Based on a three month period of intensive observation in a nursing home, this study examines several aspects of the staffs work in the application of reality orientation (RO) to patients who are confused or disoriented. It is argued that in the application of RO and similar behavioral therapies, a clear analytic separation between the problems of patients and the work of caregivers cannot be justified. Caregivers do more than provide care; they help to constitute problems.
Aging Widows and Widowers: Are There Mental Health Differences?
Authors: Feinson Marjorie Chary
Published: May 2005

Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin resigned shortly after the death of his wife. A classic portrait of the grieving widower, his despondency did not surprise mental health professionals. One psychiatrist explained that “Women take bereavement better than men because the widow keeps her domain” while the widower tends to become disoriented. This article examines the perception that men, specifically aging men, are more emotionally distressed than aging women by their spouse's death. A literature review reveals little evidence from behavioral or psychological studies to support the perception, along with mixed evidence of higher male mortality rates in some age groups. Data from a random probability community mental health survey are presented. Prevalence rates for the bereaved are significantly greater than are married rates for only one of the five measures of mental disorders. Widows report significantly more overall distress and depression, but these differences disappear when gender is examined, along with other sociodemographic variables in regression analyses. Clearly, these findings and those from studies of elders, do not support the perception that aging widowers experience more emotional problems during bereavement than do aging widows. Perceptions and mental health policies should be revised to reflect the reality of more similarities than differences among aging widows and widowers.
Social Structure and Status of the Aged: Toward Some Valid Cross-Cultural Generalizations
Authors: Press Irwin , McKool Mike
Published: May 2005

Through an examination of social structural elements in Meso-American peasant communities, six “structural determinants” of status of the aged are derived. These are almost identical with determinants proposed independently by Cowgill, derived from a number of cross-cultural sources. It is suggested that these determinants have universal validity, and that status of the aged in all societies is dependent upon them. It is further proposed that these determinants can be economically reduced to four basic “prestige generating” components: (1) advisory, reflected in the degree to which the advice or opinion of the aged individual is actually heeded; (2) contributory, reflected in the extent to which older society members still participate actively in various spheres; (3) control, reflecting the degree of direct control which the aged have over behavior or welfare of others; (4) residual, reflecting residual prestige from previous statuses. These four components of prestige may vary independently, and one or more must be operative for aged individuals to be viewed with, and accorded, prestige.
Developing a Measure of Older Adults' Preparation for Future Care Needs
Authors: Sörensen Silvia , Pinquart Martin
Published: May 2005

We developed a measure of preparation for future care needs (PFCN) which consists of three parts: a) attitudes regarding the usefulness of planning for future care needs and toward the risk of needing help or care in the future; b) processes of preparation (becoming aware of future care needs, avoidance of preparation, gathering information, developing preferences, concrete planning); and c) contents of planning for short- and long-term care needs. Validity data of the questionnaire are reported based on 590 older adults (65–92 years). Engaging in preparation processes was associated with habitual decision styles, higher satisfaction with preparation, and greater knowledge of services. Greater vulnerability to needing future care was associated with higher expectations of needing care and more preparation. Internal consistency and stability of the measure based on 96 seniors was acceptable for almost all scales.
The Pilgrimage of Joel Andrews: Aging in the Autobiography of a Yankee Farmer
Authors: Cole Thomas R. , Premo Terri
Published: May 2005

Autobiographical writing offers a vast and virtually untapped resource for the historical phenomenology of aging. This essay interprets the autobiography of Joel Andrews—an aging Yankee farmer whose life spanned the period from the American Revolution to the end of the Civil War. We attempt to recreate the poignance and integrity of this ordinary man's struggle with aging and death within the context of his own historical circumstances and religious beliefs. In particular, the essay argues that Andrews' autobiography both reflects and helps accomplish his central task in old age: the religiously sanctioned transition from physical to spiritual man. Andrews' experience provides an interesting contrast to contemporary ideas about health and vitality in old age.
Preferred Timing of Women's Life Events: A Canadian Study
Authors: Gee Ellen M.
Published: May 2005

Since Neugarten, Moore, and Lowe, in a 1965 article, reported finding widespread consensus regarding the timing of major life events, the concept of normative social timetables has become incorporated into the life course perspective and into the general stock of gerontological knowledge. However, subsequent research has been rare. This study examines the degree of adherence to age norms and mean preferred ages for five life course events among a random sample of 1,583 women (cohorts born between 1905 and 1949) surveyed in two British Columbia cities. It is found that, using a non-forced choice format, proportionately more women provide “right ages” for family events than for non-family events. Preferred timing varies by level of education and by birth cohort; place of birth has no effect. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the salience of age norms in the Canadian context and in terms of future research directions.
The Influence of Dual Credit Programs on College Students' Integration and Goal Attainment
Authors: Delicath Timothy A.
Published: May 2005

This study was designed to investigate the differences in integration and goal achievement between students entering college with and without credits from a dual credit program. Dual credit programs included in this study were Saint Louis University's Advanced College Credit 1818 Program (ACC) and Advanced Placement Testing (AP). The results of the logistic regressions indicated that ACC credits significantly influenced students' ability to persist and graduate. The results of the linear regressions indicated that ACC/AP credits did not significantly influence the students' time to graduation.
Bereavement Experience in the General Population: Incidence, Consequences, and Coping in a National Sample of Japan
Authors: Shimai Satoshi
Published: May 2005

The present study was conducted to investigate the actual status of bereavement experience in the general population of Japan. Data were collected via questionnaires from a nationally representative sample of Japanese aged 12 years and older from the National Survey of Trends of Health and Welfare by the Department of Health and Welfare of Japan in 2000. The number of valid questionnaires was 32,022 (15,217 male, 16,597 female, and 208 unidentified). Among them, 1082 people (410 males and 672 females) answered that they had experienced the death of a person close to them within the last month. This means that approximately 5% of the general population had experienced bereavement within the month prior to the survey. The bereavement experience caused modest but substantial elevation in depressive symptoms. The middle-aged population most commonly experienced bereavement, and women were more likely to be affected seriously by bereavement. These results suggested that appropriate mental health strategies for bereaved people are important from a public mental health point of view.
Tobacco Prevention in North Carolina Public Schools
Authors: Smith Dennis W. , Steckler Allan B. , McLeroy Kenneth R. , Frye Robert R.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study is to report on the extent of, and organization for, tobacco prevention education in North Carolina Public Schools. Moreover, issues for the diffusion of tobacco prevention curricula are discussed. A questionnaire examining tobacco education practices and curriculum within school districts was mailed to health education representatives in each of the North Carolina public school districts. One-hundred twenty-five usable questionnaires were returned for analysis (125/140 = 89.3%). Of the school districts responding to the survey, 101 (80.8%) reported having adopted a system-wide curriculum which includes tobacco-related instruction. Additionally, a large percentage of the school districts with an adopted curriculum were using commercially published materials (85.2%). Large tobacco producing counties in North Carolina were not significantly different than other counties in the adoption or public acceptance of school programs with a tobacco prevention component. However, school systems with an adopted, general tobacco use policy for the district were more likely to have adopted a district-wide tobacco education curriculum. Individual schools were also involved with multiple tobacco prevention curriculum and learning programs. In the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, the sample reported using a total of twelve different programs. Many of these learning programs lacked necessary elements of effective programs. Key diffusion issues included the impact of multi-tobacco curricula use to the introduction of new and effective material, as well as the association between district-wide tobacco use policies and the adoption of curriculum.
An Examination of Software used with Enhancement for Preschool Discourse Skill Improvement
Authors: Schetz Katherine F.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to determine whether commercially available software used with enhancement could improve discourse skills in Head Start students over improvements obtained without enhancement, and over improvements of ordinary classroom instruction. Head Start students ( N = 93) in the software conditions received instruction over three months. Pretest/posttest scores on the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument of the seventy-eight students who completed the program were analyzed with a 3 × 2 repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). No statistically significant differences were found for treatment. A significant difference was found for time. A 3 × 2 analysis of variance with the first factor treatment group and the second factor level of functioning (high/low) was also computed. There was no significant main effect for treatment. However, a significant main effect on the PLAI I score for low functioning students was found in both computer training conditions. Suggestions for future research are provided.
Young Alcohol Abusers: The Challenge of Prevention
Authors: King Sharon E.
Published: May 2005

The prevention of alcohol abuse among youth must move beyond educational programs which provide information about the substance and its potential harmful effects. This effort involves an exploration of the underlying motivational factors which lead the young person to drink to excess. An examination of several areas of personality development points the way toward prevention strategies which respond to the social and emotional needs of the young alcohol abuser. A number of prevention programs which utilize some of these strategies have begun to operate throughout the United States. There is a critical need for more of these programs, and a particular need in the area of early parent education.
Creativity Over the Life Course—A Call for a Relational Perspective
Authors: Hendricks Jon
Published: May 2005

Research into creativity over the life course has a long history of concentrating on individual characteristics thought to be associated with shifting patterns. In large measure creativity has been explained as a consequence of intelligence, cognitive style, personality, imagery, and other endogenous factors. These human capital factors are not sufficient in themselves to explain differential creativity either by age or among diverse groups. In addition to individual-level considerations there is an array of societal and domain specific factors that must be taken into account. A number of these are discussed under the rubric of social capital. Finally a relational perspective is advocated as an interpretative framework and discussed in terms of dialectical life span approaches to the life course.
The use of Medical Manpower in a Seventh Grade Drug Education Program
Authors: Rosenblitt Donald L. , Nagey David A.
Published: May 2005

The use of medical and nursing students in an ongoing drug education program for the seventh grade is described. The results of a questionnaire given to the pupils are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of this program with respect to both information transmission and the influencing of predicted future use. With the methods used, the program is shown to be objective and effective in stimulating rational drug “use-nonuse” decisions.
Retinal Field Shrinkage, Age, Pulmonary Function, and Biochemistry
Authors: Bell Benjamin
Published: May 2005

Retinal field shrinkage was studied with Goldmann perimetry in 144 healthy Ss of the Normative Aging Study. It has been shown that manipulation of the O2 content of inspired air to the level of hypoxia resulted in shrinkage of the visual field, attributable to reduction in O2 tension below the high metabolic requirements of the retina. In the present investigation the question was raised whether this effect occurs when breathing ordinary air, on the basis of normal variability in pulmonary function tests. Significant relationships were given by total vital capacity and FEV with age held constant. In addition the effect of a number of biochemistry variables was explored. Higher serum pepsinogin had a significant effect with pulmonary and age effects controlled. This may be related to physique since tall, lean men have been shown to have higher serum pepsinogen. The failure of serum cholesterol to figure significantly suggests that retinal field shrinkage is not due to atherosclerosis.
The 4% Fallacy: A Methodological and Empirical Critique of Extended Care Facility Population Statistics
Authors: Kastenbaum Robert , Candy Sandra E.
Published: May 2005

Much use has been made of population statistics which indicate that only 4% of those over 65 are in nursing homes and other extended care facilities (ECF). These data are misleading, however, for they are cross-sectional and seriously underestimate the probability of a person coming to an ECF sooner or later. Two small empirical studies are reported using, respectively, published obituary notices and death certificates for the metropolitan Detroit area during 1971. It was found that a minimum of 20% of all men and women over 65 who died in the study year were residents of a nursing home, and 24% were residents of one or another kind of ECF. Clearly, more people died in ECFs than are usually thought to be there in the first place. Discussion focuses upon the magnitude of the terminal care problem and the need to recognize the full scope of ECF difficulties which have often been underestimated because of careless use of the population data.
The Concept of a Drug in First and Third Grade Children
Authors: Korn James H.
Published: May 2005

Short interviews were conducted with forty-eight first grade and thirty-seven third grade children in a public and a private school. All third grade children vs. 54 per cent of those in first grade had some concept of a drug. Of those having a concept, third graders tended to be aware of a wider range of drug effects and types. Boys reported more drug names than did girls in first grade. No other significant sex differences were found. Parents were most frequently mentioned as the source of drug knowledge with television next.
The Knowledge about Drugs, Attitudes towards Them and Drug Use Rates of High School Students
Authors: Fejer Dianne , Smart Reginald G.
Published: May 2005

A survey of attitudes towards drugs, knowledge about them and the use of alcohol, tobacco, illicit and psychoactive drugs was conducted among 4,693 high school students in Metropolitan Toronto. Males knew slightly more about drugs than females and had more permissive attitudes towards them. Knowledge level and permissive attitudes tended to increase with grade level. Knowledge scores also increased, but attitudes became less permissive with increasing academic standing. However, differences between drug users and nonusers in knowledge and attitude were larger than differences related to social and demographic characteristics. Users, especially of illicit drugs, had higher knowledge scores and more permissive attitudes than nonusers. Knowledge and attitude scores were closely related. Students with high knowledge scores had more permissive attitudes than those with low knowledge scores. Questions were raised concerning the value of providing factual information as a method of deterring drug use.
Procedural and Methodological Parameters in Behavioral-Gerontological Research: A Review
Authors: Mosher-Ashley Pearl M.
Published: May 2005

This article analyzes the behavioral-gerontological research published before 1984. The 151 studies located were classified into three main categories: observation, assessment, and intervention. Each study and each category were examined for variations in the behavioral procedures employed, and in the scientific research methods used to collect and analyze data. The survey indicated several serious problems in the research. Much of the behavioral-gerontological research focuses on institutionalized elderly, and tends to perpetuate a passive, helpless role on the part of the elderly in the treatment process. Less than 20 percent of the studies focused on observation or assessment, and most of these were found to be flawed. The intervention studies were also problematic; the majority of them were of short duration and had only one treatment phase which did not vary substantially during the study period. Most also failed to provide for interobserver agreement, generalization, maintenance, and follow-up assessments. Finally, the implications of these findings for future psychological research with the elderly are discussed.
Recent Literature on Drug Abuse Prevention and Mass Media: Focusing on Youth, Parents, Women and the Elderly
Authors: Bandy Patricia , President Patricia Alford
Published: May 2005

This article reviews the recent literature on mass media campaigns and communication approaches promoting drug abuse prevention aimed at four target audiences: youth, parents, women, and the elderly. Media effectiveness, including advantages and disadvantages of each medium according to target audience, is discussed. Of the four target groups, the youth audience is the one most heavily studied by researchers and communicators. Parents, a relatively new advocacy group, can be viewed as targets and as intermediaries, although little research on either role has been documented. Women have been the targets of awareness campaigns, generally on the effects of tranquilizing drugs, while the elderly have been addressed on the topic of appropriate licit drug use. The importance of audience analysis, of segmenting audiences into subgroups, and of designing customized presentations has been cited as critical across all target populations.
Individual Differences in Stimulus Intensity Modulation in the Elderly
Authors: Mishara Brian L. , Baker A. Harvey
Published: May 2005

The validity of the postulated perceptual style-personality dimension of modulation (augmenting vs. reducing) of stimulus intensity previously studied with young adults was examined in two elderly samples. It was hypothesized that in the elderly Stimulus Intensity Modulation (SIM) relates to degree of social engagement (assessed both behaviorally and by self-report), perceived life difficulty, attitudes toward death, and three previously validated behaviors (desired and obtained amount of sleep, future planning, and smoking). The Kinesthetic Aftereffect (KAE) task was used as the measure of SIM. Results from multivariate analyses of variance indicated a significant relationship between KAE and the validity variables. Additional correlational analyses indicate that there is a linear relationship between KAE and each of the domains, except attitudes toward death. Results from both studies are consistent with the views that KAE indexes the postulated SIM dimension and that the SIM approach can be applied fruitfully to the study of individual differences in the elderly.
Informal Support Resources for Vulnerable Elderly Persons: Can They Be Counted on, Why Do They Work?
Authors: Morris John N. , Sherwood Sylvia
Published: May 2005

The issue of informal support system resiliency is analyzed for approximately 700 vulnerable elderly persons in a variety of communities (e.g., urban age-segregated housing, ethnic urban age-integrated community, rural age-integrated, etc.). These samples, while geographically specific, are diverse, and a case can be made for generalizing the conclusions originating in this study to the larger population of vulnerable elderly persons in this country. There is a reexamination of the following questions: 1) Do informal support systems generally exist for vulnerable elderly persons; 2) Are significant levels of help being given by these helpers? An examination is also made of the following questions: 1) Can we depend upon these informal systems to continue to provide care now being given, and to respond to new needs that may arise in the future; 2) How is this helping behavior initiated? Within this study, the vulnerable elderly persons were generally found to have informal support systems characterized by active communication. The central role of the informal system is the transmittal of knowledge. Network members pick up information about the individual in regular ongoing communication of a noninstrumental character, interpret this information, act in ways that are responsive to the individual's needs, and are generally prepared to continue to act as new needs arise.
Alcohol and Soap Operas: Drinking in the Light of Day
Authors: Wallack Lawrence , Breed Warren , De Foe James R.
Published: May 2005

Television programming serves as an important source of information about health in general and alcohol issues in particular. This article reports on a study of drinking portrayals on the day time soap opera, “All My Children.” Major drinking themes over the past four and one-half years are reviewed. In addition, a study of thirty consecutive episodes in summer 1984 is reported and findings are compared to other research on soap opera drinking. Overall, “All My Children” was found to be doing a good job of accurately portraying drinking problems. Several good role models for social drinking and abstinence were presented and negative reinforcement for heavier or high risk drinking was frequent. Several recommendations are presented regarding ways that soap operas can take greater advantage of a unique opportunity for health education.
Alcohol—Related Attitudes and Stereotypes: Teenagers in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the United States
Authors: Wilks Jeffrey , Callan Victor J.
Published: May 2005

Little is known of the drinking habits and attitudes to alcohol of young people in the developing nations. This research compared the alcohol-related attitudes and stereotypes of 677 Papua New Guinea high school youth to those held by 315 Australian and 166 American school students. While the overwhelming majority of Australian and American students had drunk alcohol, the majority of Papua New Guinean young people had not drunk alcoholic beverages. Papua New Guinean students gave higher ratings on reasons for drinking, and especially emphasized more than other students that alcohol was related to feelings of being important and friendships. These alcohol-related benefits were more salient to Papua New Guinean males than females. A measure of stereotypes revealed that Papua New Guinean students had more definite stereotypes about heavy drinkers than other students, while the strength of stereotypes was more similar across countries on impressions of non-drinkers. The personality traits attributed to drinkers and non-drinkers also differed across cultures. Finally, almost all Papua New Guinean male and female teenagers thought that women should not drink alcohol.
Attributional Error and Attitudes toward Aging: A View of the NCOA National Attitude Survey
Authors: Shaver Kelly G.
Published: May 2005

Attitudes toward aging obtained in the National Council on Aging national attitude survey are examined in light of recent developments in attributional theory. A specific principle drawn from each of the three major attribution theories is applied to findings from the survey. It is argued that (a) mandatory retirement policies may be attributionally preferable to retirement based on demonstrated incompetence, (b) opinions of older people are shaped by attributions made to the role, and (c) the attributional focus of the helping professions may perpetuate the negative view of aging. Suggestions are made for research on aging.
A Study of the Mental Ability of Methadone Maintenance Patients with the Wonderlic Personnel Test
Authors: Pugliese Anthony C.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated the Wonderlic Personnel test scores of 65 methadone maintenance patients, comparing them to scores of job applicants as tested by E. F. Wonderlic and Associates. Results showed a significant difference between the scores of the methadone patients compared to Wonderlic's sample. When the subjects were matched according to their level of education, there was no significant difference. This puts them at a disadvantage, as employers do not take this into consideration when they are looking for potential employees.
Continuing Education in Chemical Dependency Focuses on Adult Learners
Authors: Devens Don L.
Published: May 2005

In 1974, a private Junior College devoted to the preparation of Health and Human Service workers, initiated a continuing education program in chemical dependency (alcohol and drug abuse). The program is based on the concept that adult learners are responsible to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate their own learning activities in consultation with the instructor. This method assures that most learners will attain their educational goals and maximize their involvement in the training.