bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATIONS IN CUSTODY AND ACCESS DISPUTES IN THE FAMILY COURT
Authors: Brown Thea , Frederico Margarita , Hewitt Lesley , Sheehan Rosemary
Published: July 2010

Child abuse allegations in custody and access disputes are serious matters and present family courts worldwide with major problems. This article reports a large research study just completed that investigated the way the Family Court of Australia managed child abuse cases. The study showed that such cases had become a substantial part of the court's current workload, their “core business” in fact. The families involved had many difficulties, including a history of family violence, and the present system was not appropriate for their particular problems. Thus, as new specialized court lead model of intervention was devised, based on principles relevant to family violence and incorporating the most effective strategies identified in the research.
WINNING ESSAY: 1998 LAW SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST
Authors: Murray Kathleen
Published: July 2010

Courts are frequently confronted with children who, regardless of court orders, refuse to visit their noncustodial parents. This article examines the possible alternatives to holding a child, or parent, in contempt for such behavior. Furthermore, solutions and ideas that better serve the needs of children and parents in these highly volatile family situations will also be explored.
VISITATION AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Authors: McGill Joseph C. , Deutsch Robin M. , Zibbell Robert A.
Published: July 2010

with increasing frequency, courts and legislatures are focusing attention on visitation disputes in which there are allegations of domestic violence. This article explores the requirements for a careful assessment of the domestic violence issues, theparenting capacities of the adults, and the coping skilk of the children. It then proposes a decision‐tree model of access recommendations that incorporates the information gatheredfmm the evaluation procedures.
THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Authors: Goldman Maurice
Published: July 2010

Domestic abuse allegations have become a serious problem in our society. They present our court system with difficult decisions and problems. This becomes an even more difficult situation when the abused is an illegal immigrant. Many of the abused are too frightened or intimidated to go to the authorities for help. This article examines how the U.S. government is attempting to protect these immigrants.
REINVENTING THE PYRAMID
Authors: Wade John
Published: July 2010

This article describes an orthodox teaching and learning process known as the pyramid. It sets out how this basic process can be used in mediation (and other) training courses. The variations, advantages, and disadvantages of this learning procedure are described. Analogies are drawn between the pyramid method and mediation. Finally, mediators are challenged to add this process and its variations to their repertoires both as trainers and as mediators.
STRATEGIES AND NEED FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE
Authors: Kaye Judith S.
Published: July 2010

Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye of New York delivered the following address to the Millennium Conference of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in Washington, D.C., on November 15, 1999. In it, she describes the development of the philosophy of the family court in the past century. Judge Kaye describes the family court's transition from reliance on social science to the incorporation of procedural due process guarantees in the Gault decision. She suggests that a further transformation is required to meet the needs of children and families in the 21st century. Judge Kaye proposes that in the next millennium the family court abandon the “remote adjudicator” judge who evolved after Gault to a “problem‐solving model of judging… a judge who looks at the issues that are driving the caseload, who looks at the results that are being achieved, and who uses a hands‐on style to figure out how we might do better both in individual cases and on a systemic level.”

The New York Times described Chief Justice Kaye as, “A dedicated and effective reformer of the state's sprawling court system. Each of her hard won changes has had a positive impact.” Chief Judge Kaye recently received the National Center for State Courts' William H. Rhenquist Award for Judicial Excellence in November 1999. On the occasion of the award, Roger K. Warren, president of the National Center, observed about her,“There are many who are working hard to better process the many cases that come before the state courts, but there are few working an harder or more successfully to better serve the people who use the state courts.”
SAMSON AND DELILAH IN DIVORCE MEDIATION
Authors: Marlow Lenard
Published: July 2010

Does divorce mediation pose special problems for women that it does not pose for men? This article argues that the metaphor of power imbalances that has been invoked to express this concern has not only caused those in the field to see husbands and wives in political terms, but also prevented them from seeing how women, as well as men, influence the outcome of the discussions that take place between them.
USING CHILD DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH TO MAKE APPROPRIATE CUSTODY AND ACCESS DECISIONS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Authors: Kelly Joan B. , Lamb Michael E.
Published: July 2010

Decisions regarding custody and access are most often made without reference to the research on child development, although this literature can be useful in conceptualizing children's needs after separation and divorce. Research on attachment processes, separation from attachment figures, and the roles of mothers and fathers in promoting psychosocial adjustment are reviewed in this article. It concludes with a discussion of the implications for young children's parenting schedules.
CHILD PROTECTION EVALUATIONS The Forensic Stepchild
Authors: Kuehnle Kathryn , Coulter Martha , Firestone Gregory
Published: July 2010

In child protection cases, the mental health evaluator is required to have a broad range of expertise in family violence and child and adult psychological issues. This article reviews epidemiological as well as other quantitative data to provide an empirical foundation by which to understand the problem of family violence, the characteristics of abusers and victims, and the consequences to the child who is a witness to or victim of family violence. Forensic evaluation guidelines and recommendations for structuring child protection evaluations are addressed.
DIVORCING FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE COURT'S FAMILY SERVICES UNIT Profiles and Impact of Services
Authors: Prutt Marsha Kline , Nangle Barbara , Bailey Chelsea
Published: July 2010

Little is known about the families being served by court support services, or the effectiveness of the services provided. This study investigates 137 higher conflict, divorcing families with young children, who received services from the Family Services division. The study utilizes questionnaire data filled out by family services clinicians. The families presented with multiple mental health needs, including allegations of substance use and physical, emotional and sexual abuses of spouses and, to a lesser extent, children. Results detailed evaluation outcomes pertaining to joint legal and physical custody, showing an increase in joint legal custody, with little difference in physical custody arrangements. Evaluators did encourage less parental dropout. The data also profiled parents least likely to attend mandatory parenting education, accept evaluators' recommendations, and settle their case with mediation assistance. Identifying these families early can help family services clinicians track families into individualized service plans as needed.
LEGAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT OF CASES WITH AN ALIENATED CHILD
Authors: Sullivan Matthew J. , Kelly Joan B.
Published: July 2010

Cases entering the family court with an alienated child require intensive and coordinated case management to intervene effectively. It is critical to link the authority of the court with the delivery of mental health services to address the complex systemic factors that may entrench a chil?s unwarranted rejection of a parent. This article provides principles of legal and psychological case management for families with an alienated child, followed by various structural interventions, including sample court orders, for managing these cases as they progress through the family court process. Finally, criteria for making custody recommendations in the most severe cases of child alienation are provided.
STATUS OF COURT‐CONNECTED PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS ARE SEPARATING OR DIVORCING
Authors: Geelhoed Robyn J. , Blaisure Karen R. , Geasler Margie J.
Published: July 2010

This article reports on programs for children whose parents are divorcing or separating. Data were obtained from 67 courts and 81 program providers across the United States. Most court systems with children's programs used community providers and encouraged rather than required children's attendance. The average program consisted of one or two sessions, with a length of 4 to 5 1/2 hours. A partial list of commercially available curricula is provided in the appendix.
A STUDY OF DOMESTIC MEDIATION OUTCOMES WITH INDIGENT PARENTS
Authors: Caprez Judith V. , Armstrong Micki A.
Published: July 2010

This research is a study of domestic mediation outcomes of a group of indigent clients served by a grant awarded to Family Development Services at Fort Hays State University by the Kansas Supreme Court Dispute Resolution Council. The period studied was September 1998 through December 1999. There was a total of 29 mediation cases included in the study. The results demonstrated that domestic mediation with indigent clients is equally as effective as domestic mediation with nonindigent clients. Several dependent variables were examined in respect to positive correlations with mediation outcomes.
IN THE AFTERMATH OF TROXEL V. GRANVILLE
Authors: Ratner Michael E.
Published: July 2010

While the Court in Troxel v. Granville opines about the problems litigation creates, that of both expense and intrusion into the lives of families in the midst of grandparent visitation disputes, the Court decision falls short of posing a solution. The focus of this note is to propose a standard for mediation as a viable alternative to traditional litigation in such cases. The hope is that mediation will serve the best interests of the child.
BUILDING A BRIDGE
Authors: Coben James R.
Published: July 2010

This article examines how family mediation training was used to construct a bridge between cultural and legal norms in an attempt to help heal a community struggling with assimilation challenges.
ALLOCATING CUSTODIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AT DIVORCE
Authors: Kelly Robert F. , Ward Shawn L.
Published: July 2010

The American Law Institute's Principles of the Law of Family Dissolution: Analysis and Recommendations contains a set of detailed reform proposals for the allocation of custodial responsibility for children among parents, including the approximation rule. This article examines two bodies of social science evidence that explicitly or implicitly were used to justify the approximation rule, attachment theory and research and research on the impact on children of shared parenting arrangements subsequent to divorce. These two bodies of evidence used to justify the approximation rule are reviewed and evaluated to provide an assessment of its social‐based rationales.
A CALL UNHEEDED
Authors: Arbuthnot Jack
Published: July 2010

This article discusses the obstacles to implementing education programs for divorcing parents, the goal of which is to make parents aware of the effect divorce can have on children and provide them with skills necessary to address such problems. This article attempts to differentiate between adopter and nonadopter courts, that is, courts that have adopted mandatory education programs for divorcing parents and courts that have not. The article also provides an analysis of possible justifications of why some courts have chosen not to implement such programs.
UNIFIED FAMILY COURTS
Authors: Geraghty Anne H. , Mlyniec Wallace J.
Published: July 2010

Much has been written about the potential success of unified family courts. Unified family court proponents share great optimism and enthusiasm for what they see as a solution to several of the problems facing court systems today. This enthusiasm should be applauded. As with any reform, however, unified family court advocates must stop to consider the possible drawbacks to the system that they propose; otherwise, they might end up with a system that is the same or worse than the one that they were attempting to fix. This article highlights several of the potential problems with unified family courts. It is not a condemnation of unified family courts per se; it is simply a suggestion that reformers proceed with their eyes open, taking time to consider the potential drawbacks of the unified family court system before using valuable resources for its implementation.
FAMILY/CHILD JUDICIAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION (JDR)
Authors: Flatters Nancy A.
Published: July 2010

This article outlines the Pilot Project in Pre‐trial Judicial Settlement Conferencing in Family and Child Welfare/Protection Matters, which was designed and implemented by the authors, The Honourable Judge Nancy A. Flatters of the Provincial Court of Alberta, Family and Youth Court, at Calgary. The article also outlines the basis, rationale, and development underlying this emerging nontraditional judicial approach to the resolution of these disputes and the resulting settlement outcomes.
EARLY NEUTRAL EVALUATION IN DIVORCE CASES
Authors: Santeramo Jordan Leigh
Published: July 2010

Parties in a divorce case are faced with the challenge of dealing with highly charged emotional and financial issues simulataneously. Early Neutral Evaluation is a beneficial weapon in the dispute resolution arsenal that can help decrease the level of conflict between parties. This Note discusses the development of Early Neutral Evaluation as a form of dispute resolution and proposes the establishment of court‐organized mandatory Early Neutral Evaluation programs to settle financial matters in a divorce case.
ASSESSING MUTUAL PARTNER‐ABUSE CLAIMS IN CHILD CUSTODY AND ACCESS CASES
Authors: Neilson Linda C.
Published: July 2010

This article explores issues associated with mutual claims of domestic violence in the context of research on gender and violence, and in the context of litigation tactics commonly employed by perpetrators in child custody and access cases. Quotations from parents involved in such cases illustrate why accurate assessment of mutual cliams requires complete information about social context and the analysis of patterns of domination, power and control in the relationship over time. Recent developments in Canadian law ought to enhance the ability of judges to take such evidence into account. The article aims to provide a lens through which to understand and assess such cases.
EMPOWERING CHILDREN IN MEDIATION
Authors: Sanchez Ernest A. , Kibler‐Sanchez Sherrie
Published: July 2010

The available research in the mediation arena regarding child custody disputes indicates a lack of and growing need for effective intervention techniques. The authors present practicing mediators with a specific intervention model for interviewing, safeguarding, and empowering children in the process of mediating custody disputes. The mediation model utilizes a structured, strategic, and process‐oriented approach with a family systems theoretical orientation and may be used in private or court‐connected settings. The model presented here goes beyond the child‐centered interview norm to the inclusion of the child in the process to assist parents in decision making. The model supports the current California statute under Family Code Section 3023, which states that “if a child is of sufficient age and capacity to reason so as to form an intelligent preference as to custody, the court shall consider and give due weight to the wishes of the child in making an award of custody or modification.” The model does, however, maintain the position that the final decision continues to lie with the parents or the courts and not the child.
Effects of trichostatin A on in vitro development and transgene function in somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos derived from transgenic Clawn miniature pig cells
Authors: HIMAKI Takehiro , YOKOMINE Taka‐aki , SATO Masahiro , TAKAO Sonshin , MIYOSHI Kazuchika , YOSHIDA Mitsutoshi
Published: July 2010

The present study was carried out to examine the effects of post‐activation treatment of trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, on in vitro development and transgene function of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos derived from Clawn miniature pig embryonic fibroblast (PEF) transfected with a bacterial endo‐β‐galactosidase C gene (removal of the α‐galactosyl (Gal) epitope). SCNT embryos were incubated with or without TSA (50 or 100 nmol/L) after activation, cultured in vitro and assessed for cleavage, blastocyst formation and transgene function. The rate of blastocyst formation was significantly higher in SCNT embryos treated with 50 nmol/L TSA than that in control (P < 0.05), whereas the rate of cleavage and cell number of blastocyst did not differ. Following labelling with fluorescein isothiocyanate‐labelled BS‐I‐B4 isolectin, the intensity of fluorescence observed on cell‐surface was dramatically reduced in transgenic SCNT blastocyst in comparison with non‐transgenic SCNT blastocyst. However, the reduction of α‐Gal epitope expression in transgenic SCNT blastocyst was not affected by TSA treatment. The results of this study showed that post‐activation treatment with 50 nmol/L TSA is effective to improve in vitro developmental capacity of transgenic SCNT miniature pig embryos without the modification of transgene function.
Effects of muscle type on beef taste‐traits assessed by an electric sensing system
Authors: CHIKUNI Koichi , OE Mika , SASAKI Keisuke , SHIBATA Masahiro , NAKAJIMA Ikuyo , OJIMA Koichi , MUROYA Susumu
Published: July 2010

To assess the role of muscle fiber type in beef taste‐traits, we analyzed cooked meats from bovine masseter, diaphragm, psoas major, longissimus thoracis, and semitendinosus muscles with an electric taste sensing system (INSENT SA402B). The system is composed of five taste sensors of polymer membranes fixing different lipids. The sensors, CT0, CA0, AAE, C00 and AE1 are designed to respond to the individual tastes of salty, sour, umami, bitter and astringent, respectively. The system found significant differences in the converted outputs of CA0 (cvCA0), C00 (cvC00) and AE1 (cvAE1) among the bovine muscles. The slow‐type muscles (masseter and diaphragm) showed lower cvCA0, higher cvC00, and higher cvAE1 than did the fast‐type muscles (psoas major, longissimus thoracis, and semitendinosus). Lactic acid content was different among muscle types and was highly related to the cvCA0 output and pH. carbonyl compounds and free fatty acids were higher in the slow‐type muscles. Free fatty acids were major components causing the difference in the C00 output among the muscle types. Iron content was also different among the muscle types and related to the cvC00 and cvAE1 outputs. These results suggested that the muscle fiber type affects the beef taste characteristics.
Relationships between milk characteristics and somatic cell score in milk from primiparous browsing goats
Authors: VACCA Giuseppe M. , DETTORI Maria L. , CARCANGIU Vincenzo , ROCCHIGIANI Angela M. , PAZZOLA Michele
Published: July 2010

To determine milk yield and composition, total microbic count (TMC) and somatic cell count (SCC) of browsing goats throughout the first lactation, 100 goats of Sarda breed, equally distributed in four flocks (F1, F2, F3 and F4), were selected. They were exclusively fed pasture and hand‐milked once daily. Individual milk samples and daily milk yield were taken from each goat at monthly intervals, from March to July. Milk samples were analyzed for: total protein, fat, lactose, urea, freezing point (FP), pH, TMC and SCC. The data was subjected to analysis of variance and to correlation matrix. On the whole, in all the flocks, milk yield showed the highest production in April and May. Fat content increased (P < 0.01) throughout the lactation. Protein content showed the lowest value (P < 0.01) in June (4.15%). Urea and pH values were fluctuating. FP was lower (P < 0.01) at the start of lactation (−0.562 Hortvet degrees). TMC log10 values were low, considering the hand milking and inadequacy of facilities on the farms. SCC increased (P < 0.01) throughout the lactation and, on the whole, SCC and TMC were not correlated.
Community Perceptions of Theft Seriousness: A Challenge to Model Penal Code and English Theft Act Consolidation
Authors: Green Stuart P. , Kugler Matthew B.
Published: July 2010

In the middle of the 20th century, criminal law reformers helped pass laws that consolidated previously distinct common‐law offenses such as larceny, embezzlement, false pretenses, extortion, blackmail, and receiving stolen property into a unified offense of theft, imposing uniform punishments for a diversity of methods of stealing and a diversity of types of property that could be stolen. The result was a “consolidated” scheme of theft, with a single, broad definition of property (typically, “anything of value”) and a single scheme of grading (based, roughly, on the value of the thing stolen). In this study, participants were given two sets of scenarios—one involving variations in the means by which a theft was committed, the other involving variations in the type of property stolen—and asked to rate these thefts in terms of blameworthiness and punishment deserved. They drew sharp distinctions across both means of theft and type of property, not adopting a consolidated view. Under the principle of fair labeling—the idea that criminal law offenses should be divided and labeled so as to represent widely felt views about the nature and magnitude of law breaking—such data provide the basis for a significant challenge to modern theft law.
Complementary and alternative medicine practices among Asian radiotherapy patients
Authors: WONG Lea Choung , CHAN Edwin , TAY Sharon , LEE Khai Mun , BACK Michael
Published: July 2010

Aim:  To describe the prevalence, expectations and factors associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Asian radiotherapy patients.

Methods:  Overall 65 consecutive patients in an Asian oncology department were surveyed from December 2004 to January 2005, using a modified and translated instrument capturing information on patients' characteristics, CAM use, treatment refusal and satisfaction.

Results:  Some basic characteristics were: 86% Chinese; median age 56 years (range: 31–87 years); 57% women; cancer types – breast 42%, lung 20%, nasopharyngeal 11%. All had received prior radiotherapy (54%), chemotherapy (51%) or surgery (45%). The median diagnosis‐to‐survey time was 7.1 months (range 1–168 months). Fifty‐six patients (86%) used CAM for cancer treatment. The two commonest categories were spiritual practices (48%) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (37%). Significant factors in TCM use were being male (P = 0.007) and having advanced disease (P = 0.045). Overall 60% of patients using herbal treatment and 97% of patients using spiritual practices expected a cure, a longer life, symptomatic relief, improved immunity or a better quality of life. Satisfaction with western treatment correlated positively with satisfaction with CAM (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = 0.4). Forty‐six patients (71%) did not discuss their CAM use with their oncologists and 64% obtained advice from their friends or families. Fourteen patients refused previous western treatments (11 feared its side effects (79%), five preferred CAM (36%)).

Conclusion:  This study highlights the prevalence of CAM practices among Asian radiotherapy patients, their high expectations of the outcome and the need for better doctor–patient communication.
An Exploratory Behavioral and Socio‐Economic Profile of Consumer Action About Dissatisfaction with Selected Household Appliances
Authors: MASON JOSEPH BARRY , HIMES SAMUEL H.
Published: July 2010

Dissatisfactions of consumers with household appliances and consumers' attempts to get action to overcome their dissatisfaction are frequently discussed and reported. However, only limited empirical research that permits generalization is available. This study provides additional insight into characteristics of consumers experiencing dissatisfaction with some household appliances as well as a profile of those consumers who express their dissatisfactions and those who don't and the places turned to by those consumers who do complain.
The Differing Nature of Consumerism in the Ghetto
Authors: ANDREASEN ALAN R.
Published: July 2010

Does a consumer movement that is white and middle class benefit those who are not white and not middle class? This paper argues that the movement is not likely, and perhaps ought not, to have major impact on ghetto consumer problems since those problems too often are qualitatively, not just quantitatively, different from those of the white middle class. Middle class misunderstanding of disadvantaged consumers' problems offers the strong suggestion that middle class involvement in problem solutions may make the situation worse not better.
Home Warranties: An Analysis of an Emerging Development in Consumer Protection
Authors: MEEKS CAROL B. , OUDEKERK ELEANOR H.
Published: July 2010

Although warranty coverage on consumer products is a universally accepted form of protection, the extension of similar coverage to buyers of new and used homes is a developing practice. Home warranties serve a dual purpose: they reduce a homebuyer's risk of substantial financial loss, and protect the builder, seller or real estate vendor from legal liability should undisclosed material defects occur after a sale.

In an effort to examine consumer reactions to home warranties, a mail survey was conducted of recent purchasers residing in four central counties of New York State. It was found that two‐thirds of the 571 single‐family homeowners who responded were aware of warranties on new housing and 97 percent were in favor of such coverage. Only 22 percent were aware of warranties for resale homes and 56 percent favored such coverage. Unexpected defects costing more than $100 were experienced by 55 percent of the sample. However, only 27 percent of the sample had defects which were warrantable under most current warranty programs.
Disadvantaged Hispanic Consumers: A Research Perspective and Agenda
Authors: ANDREASEN ALAN R.
Published: July 2010

Within the limits of sparsely available data, this paper outlines the major barriers to effective consumption for Hispanic‐Americans. These barriers are (a) the consumers' own circumstances, attitudes, values and goals; (b) deficiencies in the structure of the markets they typically patronize; and (c) exploitative practices of merchants with whom they come in contact. A research agenda is proposed to provide a basis for overcoming these barriers.
The Impact of Comparative Food Price Information on Consumers and Grocery Retailers: Some Preliminary Findings of a Field Experiment
Authors: McCRACKEN VICKI A. , BOYNTON ROBERT D. , BLAKE BRIAN F.
Published: July 2010

There is reason to believe that consumers face a difficult task in securing adequate and accurate information upon which to judge relative price levels of competing foodstores. The objective of the research reported here was to investigate the potential of retail food price reporting for correcting this information problem. Both consumer and grocery retailer responses to this comparative food price information were analyzed. A pretest‐post‐test design with four pairs of experimental‐control cities (with replications at two levels of concentration) was employed to collect price data. A modified Solomon‐four group design was used for surveys of food consumers in experimental and control cities. The results of analysis of variance models lend support to the hypothesis that price reporting can lower the relative level of food prices, both for items individually identified in a price report and items not identified in the report. The magnitude of this effect varied among the cities. It appears that consumers' role in this experiment was a passive one: consumer behavior and patronage patterns did not change in a manner that would consistently reinforce the competitive effects of the price reports.
Acquisition of Consumption Stereotypes by Children
Authors: MAYER ROBERT N. , BELK RUSSELL
Published: July 2010

While the consumer socialization of children includes securing an understanding of economic rationality, it also includes learning the symbolic meanings attached by society to consumer goods. Using photographs of cars and houses, this research examined the developing recognition of consumption stereotypes by children varying in age, gender and social class. Both the strength and content of consumption stereotypes were considered. Highly consistent age differences were found, but the data revealed few gender and social class differences.
The Welfare Loss of the Voluntary Export Restraint For Japanese Automobiles
Authors: DARDIS RACHEL , DECKER SUSAN
Published: July 2010

The welfare loss from the voluntary export restraint (VER) on Japanese automobiles was estimated for the first year of the VER (April 1, 1981 to March 31, 1982). The impact of quantity reductions on the price of Japanese and domestic automobiles was used to estimate the welfare loss. Losses were estimated separately for the domestic small car market and the Japanese market in view of the existence of product differentiation. Welfare losses ranged from $446 million to $1,386 million depending on the price elasticity of demand assumed for Japanese automobiles. The welfare loss for domestic automobiles accounted for only a small proportion of this loss. The VER had a minor impact on the domestic automobile industry where sales remained low due to general economic conditions and limited substitutability between domestic and Japanese cars. However, the limited assistance provided by the VER to the domestic automobile industry entailed considerable costs as demonstrated by the magnitude of the welfare loss. A considerable part of this loss could have been avoided if other forms of trade protection such as tariffs had been used instead of the VER.
Seller‐Financing of Homes: A Consumer Economic Perspective
Authors: SCHWARTZ ARTHUR L.
Published: July 2010

In recent years, the proportion of home purchases financed by lending institutions has declined and the use of alternative financing methods has increased. This paper examines the costs, risks and benefits associated with seller‐financing, a popular alternative financing method. The topic is discussed from the perspectives of the buyer and the seller. An empirical analysis is also conducted of condominium sales in Hawaii to gauge the impact of seller‐financing upon the housing market as well as its economic effects upon buyers and sellers. Overall, it is concluded that buyers are the primary beneficiaries of seller‐financing.
Solicitation and the Legal Profession: A New Issue for Consumer Affairs Professionals
Authors: MURDOCK GENE W. , PATTISON PATRICIA
Published: July 2010

While issues relating to the advertising of legal services have received much attention in the scholarly literature, this has not been the case for solicitation by lawyers, even though it appears that lawyers are more interested in being able to solicit than to advertise. In this article the legal issues surrounding solicitation are identified and tied to a basic communications model; then research propositions are presented along with the results of a survey of attitudes held toward solicitation by 125 lawyers practicing in two Rocky Mountain states. The survey results suggest that solicitation is not going to be easily accepted and that many lawyers may have trouble evaluating differences among solicitation, direct mail and advertising. The survey results also suggest that attitudes toward solicitation may be changing in that younger, less experienced respondents expressed more liberal attitudes toward solicitation than their older and more experienced colleagues.

Taken together the findings of this article strongly suggest that solicitation is likely to offer a complex and challenging development for consumer affairs professionals in the years ahead.
Quantity Surcharges: Are They Important in Choosing a Shopping Strategy?
Authors: CUDE BRENDA , WALKER ROSEMARY
Published: July 2010

Instead of making value‐price comparisons for all members of a product set, consumers may decide to adopt simple purchase decision rules such as larger sizes are better buys. When the unit price of a larger size is greater than the unit price of a smaller size, a quantity surcharge exists. Previous research has established that consumers do frequently encounter quantity surcharges in purchasing grocery products. However, estimates of the amount of the surcharge, the goal of this research, have not previously been reported. In this study the expected return from using the larger‐size rule was estimated. The estimation procedure made use of price and size information gathered for all available packages of 23 products sold in 15 grocery stores in one rural Illinois community in October 1981.

Nineteen of the 23 grocery products were found to have surcharges, with the mean amount ranging from less than one cent to 65 cents. Tuna fish was the only product for which the expected value of the return from buying a larger size rather than a smaller size was negative. Implications for consumers' choice of shopping strategies are discussed.
Taxing Purchases of Home Tape Recorders and Supplies to Compensate for Copyright Infringements: An Econometric Analysis of the Role of Economic and Demographic Factors
Authors: WIDDOWS RICHARD , MCHUGH RICHARD J.
Published: July 2010

Faced with a sharp decline in sales in the early 1980's, the music industry looked for an explanation which could be converted into windfall gains for itself. The explanation proposed by the industry was increased home taping of prerecorded music. Through the introduction of federal legislation, the industry hoped to realize gains at the expense of the consumer of home taping equipment and media. The analysis presented here indicates that the independent effect of taping on prerecorded music sales may not have been as high as the recording industry has claimed, so that consumers may end up paying more than their fair share toward the windfall.
The Effect of Marginal Tax Rates on the Advantage of Tax‐Sheltered Savings Plans
Authors: LERMAN PAUL
Published: July 2010

Tax‐sheltered savings plans such as the Individual Retirement Account are increasingly popular as a means of saving for future needs. The notion that these plans favor the highest tax bracket individual is investigated. The results demonstrate that in the early years of a single investment the advantage is to the higher tax bracket individual in terms of additional income generated by the tax deferral over that which would have been generated without such a deferral. However, the advantage shifts to lower tax bracket investors as the number of years invested increases, and further, the highest bracket investors generate no more additional income due to the tax shelter than investors in much lower tax brackets.
Orientations Toward Consumerism: A Test of a Two‐Dimensional Theory
Authors: KROLL ROBERT J. , STAMPFL RONALD W.
Published: July 2010

Some past studies concerning attitudes toward consumer public policy issues have attempted to distinguish characteristics of consumerism supporters from those of nonsupporters. Results to date have been largely inconsistent. This study incorporates a solution preference dimension into the supporter/nonsupporter analysis in order to help resolve past identification anomalies and to suggest a theoretical explanation for diverse orientations. More specifically, a two‐dimensional theory of consumerism orientations is developed and tested as a special case of Rokeach's broader Two‐Value Theory of Political Orientations. The survey data presented tend to general support the hypothesized theoretical structure.
The IRA and the Withdrawal Penalty
Authors: G‐YOHANNES AREFAINE
Published: July 2010

Because the IRA is meant to be a vehicle for building a retirement fund, premature withdrawal is discouraged by a 10 percent penalty. The penalty makes the IRA illiquid. The purpose of this manuscript is to reinforce Collins' argument that the IRA can, depending on the yield of the investment and the marginal tax rate of the taxpayer, outperform a taxable investment, earning the same interest rate within a relatively short period of time. For example, if a taxpayer in the 30 percent tax bracket earns 10 percent on the IRA and on a taxable investment, the cross‐over point occurs in approximately five years, assuming a one time investment is made.
On the Implications of Reporting Retail Food Prices over Extended Periods
Authors: FAMINOW MERLE D. , BENSON BRUCE L.
Published: July 2010

This paper reports the results of economic experiments designed to determine the implications of a changed information flow to sellers in spatial markets. The experimental design used duopoly posted‐price markets. Apparently, price and firm profit levels increase as a result of instituting a price reporting system when consumers are fully informed. In light of these findings, it appears that a retail food price reporting system may have adverse impacts on consumers, especially when instituted for longer time periods.
Consumer Curriculum Materials: The First Content Analysis
Authors: RUDD JOEL , BUTTOLPH VICKI L.
Published: July 2010

Teachers in public schools have ready access to free consumer curriculum materials from a variety of sources, including, increasingly, the business community. Critics claim that materials from business sources are commercial in nature. The research reported in this paper evaluates the extent to which this criticism is justified. A systematic content analysis was conducted on materials from business (corporate and trade association) and nonbusiness (government and nonprofit) sources. Findings indicate that business‐sponsored consumer curriculum materials contain significantly more commercial and advertising content than non‐business materials.
Consumer Welfare Implications of Changes in Interstate Telephone Pricing
Authors: REECE WILLIAM S.
Published: July 2010

Past practice in regulating telephone prices has encouraged telephone companies to incur excessive costs. The Federal Communications Commission has recently changed some of these practices. In this paper the consumer welfare implications of some of these changes are examined, primarily the institution of interstate subscriber line charges and changes in the procedures for allocating costs among jurisdictions. The conclusion is that these changes serve consumer interests.
A Market Efficiency Study of Used Car Reliability and Prices
Authors: GINTER JAMES L. , YOUNG MURRAY A. , DICKSON PETER R.
Published: July 2010

This study explores the relationship between price and reliability in the used car market. Some of the measurement concerns, expressed by others in price‐quality studies of new products, are absent because of the choice of the secondary data sources from which the relationships were derived. The finding that depreciation is independent of reliability performance raises a number of public policy issues regarding the information efficiency of the used car market.
Why Unit Prices of Supermarket Products Vary
Authors: WALDEN MICHAEL L.
Published: July 2010

A variation in unit price among different sizes of the same product has been observed in many studies of supermarkets. Quantity price premiums have also been observed. This study reviews theoretical explanations for variation in unit prices and tests the explanations using data from a southeastern supermarket chain. The empirical results indicate that packaging characteristics and storage characteristics of a product are significantly related to unit price variation and to the probability of quantity price premiums.
Mortgage Refinancing
Authors: G‐YOHANNES AREFAINE
Published: July 2010

A step‐by‐step procedure for evaluating mortgage refinancing is illustrated. The method is also used to show the effects of changes in marginal tax rates, opportunity discount rates, mortgage rates, and the age of the mortgage on the decision to refinance.
Individual Consumption Within the Household: A Study of Expenditures on Clothing
Authors: NELSON JULIE A.
Published: July 2010

This paper studies expenditures on clothing for children and their parents using the individual consumer as the basic unit of analysis. The effects on clothing expenditure of the age, sex, and race of the household member, the composition, location, and total expenditures of the household, and the education and occupation of the parents are analyzed using multivariate Tobit analysis. Data are taken from the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1984–1985.
Determining the Consumer Information Content of Newspapers: A Proposed Analytical Framework and Illustrative Application
Authors: HAYES RADAR
Published: July 2010

A categorical framework and methods to estimate the attention devoted to delineated categories of consumer news are developed. The framework's empirical application is illustrated in an exploratory examination of 53 issues of USA Today published in late 1985. Content analysis is used as a “communicator analysis’ to investigate content as direct evidence about news producers rather than news receivers. The news organization's perceptions of the newsworthiness of consumer news categories are analyzed. Applications of the categorical framework for consumer research are discussed.
Measuring the Ability to Repay: The Residual Income Ratio
Authors: LANGREHR VIRGINIA B. , LANGREHR FREDERICK W.
Published: July 2010

What is the most accurate measure of a consumer's ability to repay? In this paper, analyses of each of the popular measures of ability to repay are presented, and the results suggest that the ratio of monthly debt/lease payments to monthly residual income plus debt/lease payments, the residual income ratio, is the preferred measure.
School Lunch Program Participation
Authors: ZUCCHINO LORI , RANNEY CHRISTINE K.
Published: July 2010

Participation in the school lunch program declined nationwide and in New York State between 1979 and 1981. A two‐stage model of county‐level program participation in New York is developed and implemented to isolate the legislative effects of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Acts of 1980 and 1981 (OBRA) from demographic and economic effects. Simulation results suggest that OBRA increased program participation; declining enrollments were the major factor in the reduction of overall participation.
American Consumption Patterns and the Price of Time: A Time‐Series Analysis
Authors: BRYANT W. KEITH , WANG YAN
Published: July 2010

National aggregate time series data on the components of Personal Consumption Expenditures from 1955 to 1984 were used to analyze the roles played by male and female wage rates in altering American consumption patterns. Male nonmarket time was found to be a substitute for all goods and services categories except Automobiles and Parts. Female nonmarket time was found to be a net complement of Automobiles and Parts, Furniture and Household Equipment, Other Durables, Gasoline and Oil, Electricity and Natural Gas, Other Household Operations, and Transportation Services and a net substitute for all other goods and services.
Consumer and Welfare Losses from Milk Marketing Orders
Authors: DARDIS RACHEL , BEDORE BONNIE
Published: July 2010

Consumer and welfare losses from milk marketing orders in 1985 including their impact on the sale of reconstituted milk are estimated. Results indicate that consumers pay higher prices for fluid milk and lower prices for manufactured milk products than they would under a competitive system. The net loss in consumer surplus ranges from $621 million to $851 million while the absolute welfare loss ranges from $343 million to $608 million. In addition, existing provisions of milk marketing orders effectively prohibit the use of reconstituted milk, an innovation that could ensure adequate and low cost supplies of fluid milk through the year and have many of the same effects as eliminating milk marketing orders.
Impact of Married Women's Employment on Individual Household Member Expenditures for Clothing
Authors: De WEESE GAIL , NORTON MARJORIE J. T.
Published: July 2010

Family member and per capita clothing expenditures are estimated via tobit, using 1980–1981 Consumer Expenditure Survey data. Occupation categories are developed and implicit wage rates imputed for each wife in the sample. Employed‐wife households have higher expenditures for clothing than do nonemployed‐wife households and wife's occupation differentially affects family member expenditures. Wife's implicit wage is not significant, while wife's unearned income has a positive impact on all categories of expenditures except for infants. These results indicate that it is not possible to generalize across family members about the influence of income and socio‐demographic variables on clothing expenditures.
Consumer Information and Education Effects on Knowledge and Choice of Fire Resistant Upholstery
Authors: CHANDLER K. M. M. , CROWN E. M. , BROWN S. A.
Published: July 2010

The effects of consumer education and information treatments on choice of alternative products are described. Knowledge of upholstery serviceability and flammability before and after these treatments is measured as well as simulated purchase behavior of 448 Canadian consumers. Subjects show an increase in knowledge between pre‐ and posttests. The choice of fire resistant upholstery differs among consumer information treatments but not among education treatments. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Protecting Consumers From Uninsured Motorists: An Alternative Financing Mechanism
Authors: HOFFER GEORGE E. , MILLER ELBERT G.
Published: July 2010

For over 65 years, state legislators have debated how consumers who have been injured by financially irresponsible motorists will be compensated. While uninsured motorists insurance has become the modal choice among several states, responsible motorists in most states must completely pay for this coverage themselves. Motorists who drive without liability insurance contribute virtually nothing to meeting the costs of accidents they cause. This paper proposes that premiums for basic limits of uninsured motorists coverage be collected by a small universal motor fuel surcharge. These state‐collected premiums then would be distributed to insurers on the basis of the number of vehicles that they insure within the jurisdiction. It is proffered that this mechanism is both more equitable and significantly lower in cost for the average motorist than the various present mechanisms of financing uninsured motorists coverage.
Misperceptions of Grocery Advertising
Authors: ZAICHKOWSKY JUDITH LYNNE , SADLOWSKY DEBORAH PATRICIA
Published: July 2010

A survey of food shoppers showed that consumers underestimate the number of advertised grocery store items reduced in price and the average amount these products are marked down. Newspaper advertisements appear to be relied upon more by consumers who believe that advertised brands are of better quality than those not advertised.