bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Canadian Amateur Hockey by the Year 2000: Projected Problems and Priority Goals
Authors: Nault Louis-Philippe
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the study was to develop a long-range projection of future prob lems and objectives in Canadian amateur hockey. Such a study, it was thought, could facilitate planning processes for Canadian political organizations concerned with the development and administration of amateur hockey. A modified version of the Delphi technique, a technique developed at the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, California and designed to elicit expert opinion, was utilized. A total of 21 leading authorities in Canadian amateur hockey answered the three consecutive questionnaires. Questionnaire 1, an open-ended questionnaire, was designed to elicit identification of issues likely to be important for Canadian amateur hockey over the next 25 years. Questionnaires 2 and 3 were designed to elicit participating expert's assessment of these issue statements in terms of probability, desirability and impact estimates. In general, the respondents felt that the major problems of Canadian amateur hockey would be the overemphasis on competition, the resultant neglect of hockey's recrea tional values, and possibly the tendency of the present administrative superstructures to impede efforts to remedy these conditions. The priority goals implicitly indicated by the expert's respondents through their desirability ratings indicated a general commitment to the development of amateur hockey as a widely accessible recreational resource rather than as a highly competitive professional sport confined to the gifted few. The emphasis on teaching qualities as opposed to administrative efficiency and on the player's personal development rather than on competition, rules, structures, etc., reflects such a position.
Investigation for the Objective Measurement of Cooperative Ability Among the Members of Rowing Teams
Authors: Földesi Tamasne
Published: March 2007

In his work the author reports on an investigation in which — with the aid of an instrument constructed particularly for the purpose of this study — cooperative ability of the Hungarian national male and female rowing teams was observed.

The study involves description of the instrument designed to measure cooperative ability and also includes the demonstration of the experiment completed with rowing units (four oars) and the analysis of data obtained here, too.

The author on the basis of the time taken by rowing units to solve the experimen tal tasks of metha-communicative manifestations of team members and of qualitative and quantitative analysis of their communicative structure has worked out some such cooperative indices showing the degree of the level of cooperation to be expected from the rowing teams.

The greatest advantage of the method interpretated here is that it is possible to compare cooperative ability of teams selected in different ways.
The Athlete — the Country's Representative As a Hero
Authors: Swierczewski Ryszard
Published: March 2007

In works analyzing the nature of public interest in competitors we find quite a substantial terminological variety combined with extensive and free interpre tation. Nevertheless, despite discrepancies one tendency seems to be dominant here: frequently athletes are considered to be entertainers. But more promising from the cognitive point of view seems an attempt to look at the athlete, belonging to the representative team of the country, as a hero, from a more narrow, more tradi tional point of view. Such an attempt is fully justified since, as it results from analysis, values contained in international sports competitors, are par excellence social values, connected with collective prestige and dignity.

This narrowed down category fits in with the definition of a hero as suggested by Czarnowski.

Special attention deserves an analysis of the factors which exert a special in fluence on the creation of heroes. Values of personal traits, handsomeness. fair play in competition, dramatic circumstances (contusion, defective equipment), and also the type of sports discipline (popularity) give birth to the myth of the hero- victor.

Other factors exerting a decisive influence on the growth of public interest in athletes, who are representatives of the country, is the specific configuration of the matches (a decisive fact), and also competition with a potentially stronger adversary (Wembley), which makes one recall the eternally vivid myth about David and Goliath.
A Case Study of Leadership in Women's Intercollegiate Softball
Authors: Gill Diane L. , Perry Jean L.
Published: March 2007

The relationship of selected characteristics to the relative leadership status within a women's intercollegiate softball team was investigated using a multiple iegression design. At the beginning of the season all 23 members of the team were assigned to Team A (the first team with the more highly skilled players) or Team B. Players were also classified according to their class year (juniors and seniors vs. Freshmen and sophomores), their primary playing position (catch ers and infielders vs. pitchers and outfielders), and whether or not they had previous experience playing on the intercollegiate softball team. Leadership status was assessed with a questionnaire completed by all team members three times, at the beginning, middle, and end of the season. Separate step-wise multiple regression analyses were, used to determine the relationship of the selected char acteristics (Team, class year, playing position and previous experience) to leadership status at each of the three times. The results were similar for all analyses with the combination of Team, playing position and previous experience significantly predicting leadership status. Members of Team A had greater leader ship status than members of Team B; players with previous experience had greater leadership status than players without such experience; and catchers and infielders had greater leadership status than pitchers and outfielders. Thus, Team, playing position and previous experience were related to leadership status as predicted, and that relationship was consistent thrcughout the season.
The Occupational Attainment of Former College Athletes: A Comparative Study
Authors: Dubois Paul E.
Published: March 2007

The widespread belief that sports participation can serve as a stepping stone to later occupational success was investigated. The athletes studied consisted of the entire population (N = 160) of senior males from the three San Francisco Bay area state universities. A comparison group (N = 450) of senior male nonathletes were randomly selected from the same institutions. Data was gathered via mailed questionnaires. Multiple regression was used to analyze the effect of the test variable "athletic status" on the dependent variables "occupational prestige" and "earnings". Control variables included the respondents' education, age, ethnicity, academic average, years of work experience and father's occupational prestige. The analyses indicated that athletic status had no significant effect (p < .05) on the dependent variables. It was furthermore determined that there were no significant differences in terms of occupational attainment between athletes who are members of ethnic minorities and minority nonathletes, white athletes and white nonath letes. It was concluded that, for the type of athletes investigated, little support can be given the belief that sports serves as a stepping stone to later occupational success.
The Significance of Social Relations in Sport Activity
Authors: Schellenberger Brigitte
Published: March 2007

Social relations are great significance in stimulating sports activities. A question naire conducted with 312 athletes as to the subjectively experienced influence exerted by various external and internal determinants reveals the dominant role played by social relations. Starting off from the central significance of social re lations in a sports group stress was laid on four variables which exert a decisive influence on the quality of communication and cooperation in a group. They find their expression in the ability and readiness of the individual members of the team to cooperate in activities, in the norms of the group, in the structural relations between members of the group and in the integration of the teams with larger communities.
Attendances at South Australian Football Games
Authors: Drever Philip , Mcdonald John
Published: March 2007

EDA and regression methods are used to develop models explaining attendances at Australian Rules football games in South Australia. The models are evaluated by considering their post-sample forecast performance.
Athletics and Structure: On Organizational Determinants of College Football Performance
Authors: Abbott Walter , Gooch Tim
Published: March 2007

Whereas college football activity is ordinarily perceived atomistically as an encounter between teams, this paper is an exploration in explaining athletic per formance on the basis of relative university-level and past performance character istics of home and visitor teams. The university-level characteristics are under graduate enrollment, university prestige, and focus on athletics. The ratios of organizational characteristics and aggregated score differences for the previous five years (1973—1977) for home and visitor football teams are used to account for differences in scores in the 1978 season of the Southeastern Conference. There are two goals of the paper. The first is explanatory. The organizational and per formance variables accounted for 58 percent of the variation in the scores of the season. The results of any game are thus largely predetermined by organizational and past performance conditions of the game. The second part of the paper considers the implications of the prediction equation derived in the first part of the paper. The first use of the prediction equation is to derive a prognosis of the season's performance. An average of 75—80 percent of the games were predict ed accurately. However, a more important use of the prediction equation is in the assessment of performance. It is proposed that a more just assessment of performance is made if the predisposing conditions are taken into consideration in determining winners through the examination of the residuals (i.e., the dif ferences between the actual and expected score differences). The paper concludes with the proposal that handicapping appears justified in college football.
Perceived Effects of Running/Jogging: A Social Survey of Three Clubs
Authors: Jorgenson David E. , Jorgenson Christabel B.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this research was to determine the perceived effects of run ning jogging on a regular basis. A mail-out structured questionnaire was sent to 984 members of three running clubs. The 454 regular runners who responded perceived changes relative to physical, emotional, and attitudinal factors. There was the perception of an increase in physical well-being, an increase in emotional well-being, a reduction in number of illnessess, an increase in criticism of those who are non-runners and those who are physically out-of-shape. The results varied when age, education, average miles of running per week, average hours of running per week, and average number of years of running were controlled. Age was positively associated with emotional improvement. Criticism of non-runners and the physically out-of-shape was correlated positively with number of miles and number of hours of running. However, the number of years of running produced an inverse relationship with criticism. These findings support some of the popular and scientific literature and contribute to the sociological concept of "social group".
The Development of Play and Motoric Behaviour of Children Depending on the Existing Socio-Spatial Conditions in Their Environment
Authors: Klein Michael , Liesenhoff Carin
Published: March 2007

The kind and dimension of children's play and motoric behaviour is being shaped in their everyday environment. Such an everyday environment is for children primarily determined by socio-spatial factors. Motoric activity is under stood here as anthropological necessity and something constant, while the problem "how" such motoric activity, including sport, is to be approached is considered to be a cultural and social variable. Thus, the type of housing and style of life may on the one hand stimulate motoric behaviour but on the other hand this could be the reason for a deep-reaching deficit. Of utmost importance for children is in this respect the existence of and access to certain facilities and the integration of such space in their everyday environment. There arises the question to what extent efficiency stemming from sport can be included in everyday life, differen tiated, according to groups that have their specific goals. But it should be borne in mind that existing socio-spatial factors are being transferred socially, too. There are social styles of life how to deal with existing usable space. Actual utilization takes place also in accordance with ascribed and perceived socio-cultural signifi cance, differing markedly, as regards sexes, the age and social origin.

With the help of an empirical survey of the socio-spatial environment of the child the attempt was made to discover these connections in the F.R.G. and to describe, how a general outline takes shape within such conditions regarding the play and motoric behaviour as well as social differentiations.
Force against Force: Configurations of Martial Art in European and Indonesian Cultures
Authors: Eichberg Hennig
Published: March 2007

Sociology of non-European sport cultures is faced by exceptional methodolo gical difficulties. Social sciences (above all quantifying ones) of the western type cannot cope with it, since it is a question here of complex alien structures and one cannot count on universal aspects of the basic categories.

That is why a different interdisciplinary approach is needed in the case of Indonesian art of fight "pencak silat", which would continue with an analysis of configurations of the anthropology of culture (Ruth Benedict) of the sociology of civilization (Norbert Elias) and historical structuralism (Michel Foucault). In this way one gets an idea about the art of fighting thas is typical of Indonesian peoples and which is in clear contrast to the historical development of European fencing and boxing. The different exercise patterns reveal most clearly the completely different traditions and ways of socio-cultural development.

It should not be permitted to reduce such complexity to a one-dimensional direction in historical development, in the light of which Indonesian forms may appear as "archaic" or "mediaeval". The more so since we live in times when there exists fascination with Asiatic forms of physical culture (Karate, Aikido, Taekwon, Do, Tai, Chi Chuan, Yoga), which is growing in industrial metropolises. And thus the colonial perspective of science about evolutionism becomes doubtful. There is no single modernization.

It is a fact well known to all biologists that in the individual development of an organism its phylogeny is repeated with more or less accuracy. (...) And a similar principle can be found not only in the biological, but also in the cultu ral-historical development of mankind. (...) For that reason we see conditions in the social and other cultural institutions of more primitive races of man that the European peoples have gone through during the course of their cultural de velopment and left far behind them. (...) During my journeys through East- and Central Sumatra (1967), for example, I came into areas at the shores of the two Tapungs, the sources of the river Siak, where conditions and institutions re minded me most strongly of Freytag's "Ahnen", the eagerly devoured reading of my boyhood.1
Some Patterns of Participation in Physical Activities among Elderly People
Authors: Vanreusel Bart , Ronson Roland , De Meyer Hilde
Published: March 2007

The study attempts to explore social patterns of participation in physical acti viities by elderly people. It was hypothesized that both sport involvement during earlier stages of the life cycle and actual partioipation in social life by aged persons perform a socializing role with regard to participation in physical activi ties. Continuity and activity as theoretical perspectives of a successful aging process were reflected in the hypothesis. Data was obtained by interviewing a sample of eighty people between sixty and seventy years of age. It was found that both hypotheses tend to be partially supported. A relation appears to exist between former sport involvement and current participation in physical activi ties among the elderly, but only when participation in general is considered. So cial contact with same age peers showed a relation with actual involvement in physical activities, more specifically with folk games. Recommendations for the development of physical activity programs for the elderly are formulated.
Socioeconomic Problems of Sports Clubs
Authors: Heinemann Klaus
Published: March 2007

Many particularities distinguish the economic situation of sports clubs from profit- orientated firms. They stem from the constitutive features of a sports club: voluntary membership, orientation towards the member's interest, independence of third parties, democratic decisional structure and voluntary work. The major particularities that crystallize are the structures of resources and kinds of financing, goods produced, the optimization of goods production, control mechanisms through which the various demands and expectations are keyed to one another, goals of the executive board and decision-taking according to the majority vote. These particularities are not only of consequence for the social structure of the club, but also constitute the basis for an economic theory of sports clubs.
Notes Regarding the Relationship Between the Philosophy and the Sociology of Sport
Authors: Lenk Hans
Published: March 2007

In the last decade philosphical and methodological problems of social sciences have been widely stressed again. This is also true for the Sociology of Sport. In the present contribution two theses are presented, analysed and defended: "(1) Philosophy of sport without sociology of sport is void; (2) Sociology of sport without philosophy of sport is blind." Besides that. a plea for a necessary integration of philosophical and social science approaches to the scientific analysis of sport is propounded.
"The Killing Field": Themes in Mass Media Responses to the Heysel Stadium Riot
Authors: Young Kevin
Published: March 2007

Although this paper is specifically concerned with themes in (largely British and North American) mass media responses to an isolated sports event, the Heysel stadium riot of May, 1985, its more general purpose is to discuss the process of 'social reaction' as structured in and through the mass media. A content analysis of the Heysel riot demonstrates how the construction of imagery and definition, and the labelling of deviant behaviour on the part of the mass media can assist in establishing the 'reality' around which the problem of spectator violence is generally understood and discussed. Common themes and techniques characterizing the 'violent spectator' report are brought out and categorized into a model of reporting styles. In order to explain these processes, arguments are made using the sociological concepts of 'deviancy amplification' and 'moral panic'.
Sport-Identity as Side Bet — Towards Explaining Commitment from an Interactionist Perspective
Authors: Leonard Wilbert M. , Schmitt Raymond L.
Published: March 2007

The symbolic interactionist perspective is used to demonstrate that the substantive area of sport can be conceptually elevated to a more formal level. Becker's formulation of identity as a commitment mechanism is: ( I ) conceptually extended to include more active, diverse, and complex lines of activity, and (2) applied to sport behavior. Sport commitment appears to be an effective tool for the recasting of sport. Directives for future investigations of: (1) sport as side bet and (2) identity as a commitment process are delineated.
The Dialectics of the International Olympic Committee
Authors: Alexandrakis Ambrose , Krotee March L.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the paper is to present a dialectical and materialist analysis of the nation- class struggle taking place in the Olympic Movement and the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) in particular. Benson's model of organizational and institutional change has been employed. The dialectical study of the ideology and structure of the I.O.C. elucidates possible limitations imposed upon the further development of the process of democratization in the Olympic Movement. Relations of power and control in the I.O.C. are examined in connection with the current selection system for the membership of the I.O.C. The conclusion is reached that it may be necessary to reform the I.O.C. ideology and structure in order to accommodate evolutionary progress. New criteria and standards are suggested for the selection of I.O.C. members.
Sociology of Sport in Poland
Authors: Krawczyk Barbara , Krawczyk Zbigniew
Published: March 2007

Theoretical reflections on physical education, competitive sport and recreation in Poland began in the late 19th century, developing as an integral part of the social science of sport, dealing with complex problems of the genesis, structure and functions of physical culture in the face of national and structural transformation. But the social elements of sport did not achieve full autonomy until the 1960s, when sociological and historical studies as well as theoretical analysis were initiated. Empirical research developed on rural sport and its social transformation, sport in urbanized areas, and sociological problems of top-class sport. In the 1970s the sociology of sport in Poland entered a new, much more advanced stage of development and dealt with social engineering, professionalism, the sociology of education through and for sport, the sociology of organization, and the role of sport in culture. The present needs and objective possibilities of Polish sociology of sport can be satisfied if it develops quantitatively as well as qualitatively, especially in the search for new paradigms and bold individual and collective research ventures and integration with related social sciences.
An Evaluation Study of the Goals for Participation in Sports Among Selected Nigerian University Athletes
Authors: Ojeme E.O.
Published: March 2007

At the 11th Nigerian University Games in 1986, 173 athletes from 12 of the 24 Nigerian universities were interviewed to determine their goals for participation in sports. This investigation discovered that out of three goal-subsets, the athletes rated the athletic performance goal subset as least important for participation in sports. It was recommended that coaches and sports administrators always monitor the goals of their athletes, as the pattern of the athletes' goals may also influence their athletic behaviour in terms of level of performance and serious attitude to athletics.
Sport and Speed
Authors: Penz Otto
Published: March 2007

Physical exercises, like social life in general, have changed remarkably during the last two centuries. Violent games have become "civilized", spacial patterns have been replaced by a temporal structuration of sports. Time, and in particular, speed, seem to be the dominant principles which shape the modern form of sport. "Sport and Speed" analyses this recent transformational period in the history of body techniques, employing a theoretical framework provided by cultural history and genealogical sociology respectively.
Power and Play: Gender and Sexuality Issues in Sport and Physical Activity
Authors: Lenskyj Helen
Published: March 2007

This exploration of gender and sexuality issues in sport identifies barriers to female participation that still remain despite the widely legislated equality of access to sport and physical activity. Various forms of sexual harassment, homophobia and abuse experienced by girls and women in sport and recreational contexts pose formidable barriers both to full female participation and to women's potential to develop and define sport in woman-centered terms.
Sociology of Sport in Austria
Authors: Norden Gilbert , Weiss Otmar
Published: March 2007

Illustrating the development, relationships, situation and problems of the sociology of sport in Austria, a chronology is provided of the varied history of the subject from the first steps of Karl Gaulhofer during the 1920s and 1930s to the anthropological foundation and empirical work of the emerging field of sociology of sport 50 years later. In the 1980s there has been a considerable increase in publications on this topic, and we are witnessing the beginning of a "heterogenising phase" of Austrian sociology of sport.
Ethos and Olympism The Ethic Principles of Olympism
Authors: Takács Ferenc
Published: March 2007

This study investigates the manifestations of ethos in the theory and practice of modern Olympic Games. The ethos of ancient Olympic Games can be organized around the principle of 'kalokagathia', therefore this area of problems is discussed by the author in the first place. The ethos of modern Olympic Games can be explained first of all on the basis of the Coubertin's philosophy. In the Coubertin's basic principles of modern Olympism is hidden the ethical principle of order which can give an answer to the questions concerning ethos of modern Olympic Games. The study investigates two basic pillars of the Olympism: the well-known slogan of "citius, altius, fortius" containing the 20th Century's performance- oriented human ideal - on the one hand, and the phrase of "the participation is the main thing" insisting on the expansion and "democratization" of sport - on the other. Essentially the author explains how these two principles were and are descended from this ethical discrepancy.
The Narrative, The Situational, The Biographical. Scandinavian Sociology of Body Culture Traying a Third Way
Authors: Eichberg Henning
Published: March 2007

New narrative discourse patterns from Finland and Denmark raise epistemological questions about what the sociology of sport is able or unable to say. They leave the field of positivist "it"-language (about the object) and often turn towards experience and memory in "1" language (about and from out the subject). This is continuing some earlier approaches from psychological introspection, psycho-analysis and phenomenology, but the established dualism of subjectivism versus objectivism is not sufficient to describe the innovative process. Is there a third way or could there be third ways - social biographical, autobiographical, situational, scenical, social ecological... - to express the dialogical dimension of human existence, the "thou"? This epistemological self-questioning is of special importance for social studies of sport and movement culture treating the bodily dialogue between social beings.
The Semiotics of Sport Heroism
Authors: Duret Pascal , Wolff Marion
Published: March 2007

Semiological analysis helps to construct a theory of mechanisms by which sports champions are celebrated. The study of correlations between "heroism" and "performance" in marks of 21 champions given by "L'Equipe" readers, shows for narrative organisation: - the champion facing adversity - the champion unfairness - the account of the hero's quest - the champion who shed his blood to become greater
Scoring away from Home: A Statistical Study of Scotland Football Fans at International Matches in Romania and Sweden
Authors: Giulianotti Richard
Published: March 2007

This paper explores the logistic, social structural and affective properties of Scotland football supporters attending two types of international fixture abroad: a high prestige tournament in Sweden and a low prestige qualifier in Romania. Representative samples of supporters were canvassed on both occasions, and the accruing data subjected to univariate and bivariate analysis. The findings indicate that the comparatively positive fan identity of Scottish fans, as boisterous and internationalist, is premised on socio-cultural rather than social structural factors. Principal changes in the Scottish support relate to the growing number of white-collar fans, and the proportion of fans affiliated instrumentally to the official Scotland Travel Club. The major continuity with the past concerns the fans' preference for autonomous methods of organizing travel and accommodation requirements.
Collapsing Gender in Competitive Bodybuilding
Authors: Obel Camilla
Published: March 2007

This paper discusses conceptualisations of gender, sexuality and the body in the sport of bodybuilding. The paper debates the way the pursuit of bodybuilding produces complex social practices of body discipline. Identity work in the sport of bodybuilding is presented as complex and ambiguous because it rejects traditional categorisations of gender. One reading of gender representations in competitive bodybuilding which is discussed in this paper suggests that female bodybuilders present a threat to a traditional understanding of gender. This reading is critiqued on the basis of ethnographic research covering bodybuilding by both women and men. The paper concludes that aspects of ambivalence and contradiction in sport need to be seen as potentials for the developments of social practices and new identities.
What Experienced Collaborators Say About Collaborative Writing
Authors: Allen Nancy , Atkinson Dianne , Morgan Meg , Moore Teresa , Snow Craig
Published: March 2007

As currently used, collaboration refers to a variety of interactive writing expe riences, making it difficult or impossible to assess research projects accurately or to use their findings effectively. This paper presents a definition of one vari ety of interactive writing based on intensive interviews with twenty collaborative writers. Shared-document collaboration involves collaborators producing a shared document, engaging in substantive interaction about that document, and sharing decision-making power and responsibility for it. The paper also describes a typology of shared-document collaborative groups: labor intensive, specialization, and synthesis. Throughout, conclusions are supported with examples drawn from the experiences of the writers inter viewed.
Cerebrum Consultants
Authors: Fearing Bertie E.
Published: March 2007

Unlike undergraduate students in an introductory business- or technical- writing course, graduate students in an advanced professional-writing course seldom need to be motivated to study language, style, and genres. After de scribing the students in her advanced course, the author outlines the assign ments for her course, then focuses on one assignment that some students consider irrelevant. Rather than trying to justify the value of the assignment herself, the author posits a rhetorical case that requires students to justify the assignment themselves. Although the rhetorical case focuses on the book- review assignment, the case can be adapted to any assignment that encounters student resistance.
Reinforcement Learning Applied to a Differential Game
Authors: Harmon Mance E. , Baird Leemon C. , Klopf A. Harry
Published: March 2007

An application of reinforcement learning to a linear-quadratic, differential game is presented. The reinforcement learning system uses a recently developed algorithm, the residual-gradient form of advantage updating. The game is a Markov decision process with continuous time, states, and actions, linear dynamics, and a quadratic cost function. The game consists of two players, a missile and a plane; the missile pursues the plane and the plane evades the missile. Although a missile and plane scenario was the chosen test bed, the reinforcement learning approach presented here is equally applicable to biologically based systems, such as a predator pursuing prey. The reinforcement learning algorithm for optimal control is modified for differential games to find the minimax point rather than the maximum. Simulation results are compared to the analytical solution, demonstrating that the simulated reinforcement learning system converges to the optimal answer. The performance of both the residual-gradient and non-residual-gradient forms of advantage updating and Q-learning are compared, demonstrating that advantage updating converges faster than Q-learning in all simulations. Advantage updating also is demonstrated to converge regardless of the time step duration; Q-learning is unable to converge as the time step duration grows small.
Maturation and the Evolution of Imitative Learning in Artificial Organisms
Authors: Cecconi Federico , Menczer Filippo , Belew Richard K.
Published: March 2007

The traditional explanation of delayed maturation age, as part of an evolved life history, focuses on the increased costs of juvenile mortality due to early maturation. Prior quantitative models of these trade-offs, however, have addressed only morphological phenotypic traits, such as body size. We argue that the development of behavioral skills prior to reproductive maturity also constitutes an advantage of delayed maturation and thus should be included among the factors determining the trade-off for optimal age at maturity. Empirical support for this hypothesis from animal field studies is abundant. This article provides further evidence drawn from simulation experiments. Latent energy environments (LEE) are a class of tightly controlled environments in which learning organisms are modeled by neural networks and evolve according to a type of genetic algorithm. An advantage of this artificial world is that it becomes possible to discount all nonbehavioral costs of early maturity in order to focus exclusively on behavioral consequences. Despite large selective costs imposed on parental fitness due to prolonged immaturity, the optimal age at maturity is shown to be significantly delayed when offspring learn from their parents' behavior via imitation.
Towards a Cognitive Robotics
Authors: Clark Andy , Grush Rick
Published: March 2007

There is a definite challenge in the air regarding the pivotal notion of internal representation. This challenge is explicit in, e.g., van Gelder, 1995; Beer, 1995; Thelen & Smith, 1994; Wheeler, 1994; and elsewhere. We think it is a challenge that can be met and that (importantly) can be met by arguing from within a general framework that accepts many of the basic premises of the work (in new robotics and in dynamical systems theory) that motivates such scepticism in the first place. Our strategy will be as follows. We begin (Section 1) by offering an account (an example and something close to a definition) of what we shall term Minimal Robust Representationalism (MRR). Sections 2 & 3 address some likely worries and questions about this notion. We end (Section 4) by making explicit the conditions under which, on our account, a science (e.g., robot ics) may claim to be addressing cognitive phenomena.
The Outline of Cultural Materials: Contemporary Problems
Authors: Moore Frank W.
Published: March 2007

An account of some current problems encountered in applying the Out line of Cultural Materials to the classification of social science data.
Sampling Methods, Functional Associations, and Galton's Problem: A Replicative Assessament 1
Authors: Schaefer James M. , Antoine Michel , Carroll Harvey , Devitt James , Haberman Thomas , Herda Bonnie , Moyer Michael , Rechlin Robert , Ward Linda
Published: March 2007

Sixteen independent tests of the relationship between technological adap tation and settlement patterns provided material for testing sample methods and the interdependence of cases or Galton's problem. Our hypothesis that societies dependent upon agriculture tend to have fixed settlement patterns was strongly confirmed. Linked pair tests for Galton's problem indicated that sample neighbor scores were frequently similar, and we con cluded that these traits were hyperdiffusionally associated. A test for differences between sampling methods showed no significance, suggesting that sampling strategies (simple or stratified) do not significantly alter correlations. An attempt was made to test Galton's problem. Correlation magnitude differences between linked pair alignment strips of different widths were used. No significant differences were noted. Finally, an ap pendix provides sixteen samples arranged in linked pair alignments for future research(ers).
Factors of Human Aggression: A Cross-Cultural Factor Analysis of. Characteristics Related to Warfare and Crime
Authors: Russell Elbert W.
Published: March 2007

An orthogonal factor analysis was applied to a phi coefficient matrix composed of 78 cultural characteristics related to warfare. The first un- rotated, the first two and the first six rotated factors were examined. A clear bipolar warfare factor emerged in all three of these groups of factors, which was also related to both crime and theft. Other characteristics re lated to warfare were nonindulgent child-raising practices, emphasis on achievement, narcissism (sensitivity to insult, boastfulness, display of wealth), social anxiety, and punishment of pre- and extramarital sexuality. Techno logical development, social complexity, and lineage were only minimally related to warfare. Consequently, psychocultural dynamics evidently are the primary factors related to aggression in cultures. Warlike cultures are more restrictive and more punitive toward children and adults, and their members are evidently less well adjusted than those in peaceful cultures.
A Preliminary Study of Cross-Sexual Joking Relationships in Primitive Society
Authors: Brant Charles S.
Published: March 2007

This paper is an attempt to apply the methods of cross-cultural research and statistical correlation in the investigation of an anthropological-psy chological phenomenon, the joking relationship. Stated briefly in question form, our problem is: Given the same social conditions, an institutionalized potential marriage relationship, will individuals standing to each other in this relationship, tend universally to manifest joking behavior patterns? In other words, is the joking behavior a function of the potentiality of marriage between the individuals concerned?

Four categories of relationship fulfilling these conditions were studied from this point of view: the sororate, the levirate, and the two cross-cousin relationships. A sample of 220 societies was examined, and correlations were established between the marriage rules and behavior patterns for each of these categories. The results show a definite tendency, despite exceptions, for a relationship between these factors to occur.
Ethnographer Bias in Cross-Cultural Research: An Empirical Study
Authors: Rohner Ronald P. , DeWalt Billie R. , Ness Robert C.
Published: March 2007

We direct attention in this paper to the problem of ethnographer bias (i.e. systematic errors occurring in the ethnographic reporting process) in cross-cultural research, and therefore in ethnographic fieldwork itself. Using multiple regression and other multivariate statistics, we assess the influence of ethnographer bias on the correlation between traits in the cross-cultural survey component of Rohner's Rejection-Acceptance Project (RAP). These procedures suggest a systematic ethnographer error, "the bias of romanticism," in anthropological research. Overall, however, the relationships among substantive variables in this research cannot be ex plained by this bias or by other forms of systematic error plaguing cross- cultural research. Thus in the absence of a successful competing theory, we conclude that all but one of the universal causal-functional relation ships postulated in Rohner's theory are validated.
Reliability of Coding of Ethnographer Field Work Techniques
Authors: Steffens Joan
Published: March 2007

The first test of HABS coding reliability was made in April 1973, using four analysts, who independently replicated the coding of forty sources. Nine codes on Field Work Techniques were tested, producing a coding reliability of over 90 percent for five variables and 82 percent for one other. The coding of the three remaining variables showed a lower percentage (54 to 66 percent), and these codes may have to be revised.
Statistical Groups of Ethnic Units Using Murdock's 1967 World Sample
Authors: Kenny James A.
Published: March 2007

A world sample of 243 ethnic units is broken down into groups or clusters in accord with the similarity of their inventories. Jorgensen's (1969) clustering technique is applied to Murdock's (1967) data, using 284 dicho tomous traits.

The statistically-derived groups are enumerated and mapped. Trait lists for each continental area as well as the world sample are also provided. Finally, the statistically-derived groups are correlated with area, language, and subsistence groups.
The Shetland Islands: A Bibliographic Survey of Printed Material on Ethnography, Folk Life, Folklore and Local History
Authors: Theodoratus Robert J.
Published: March 2007

A critical and analytical bibliography of printed materials on the eth nography, folk life, folklore, and local socio-cultural history of the Shet land Islands to the north of Scotland. The primary emphasis has been placed upon the relevant local Shetlandic publications which are rarely seen in libraries beyond the Shetlands, the Orkney Islands and Scotland. Ethnographically speaking many of these local publications are of a sur prisingly high quality.
The Nature of Exogamy in Relation to Cross-Allegiance/Alliance of Social Units
Authors: Kang Gay Elizabeth
Published: March 2007

This article tests a common fundamental assumption in Survival Value, Conflicting Loyalties, and Alliance Theory: that exogamy creates cross-alle giance/alliance between social units. The study finds little support for the theoretical statement on a worldwide, cross-cultural basis. Additional ex tensive investigation of sample societies reveals that high cross-allegiance / alliance appears moderately related to absence of primary cousin marriage. Suggestion is made for refinement of exogamic theory.
Social Class Differences in Perceived Parental Acceptance-Rejection and Self-Evaluation among Korean-American Children
Authors: Rohner Ronald P. , Hahn Byungchai C. , Rohner Evelyn C.
Published: March 2007

Drawing on a sample of sixteen middle class and nine working class Korean-American families, this study confirms two hypotheses: children in middle class Korean-American families perceive their mothers as being, overall, significantly less rejecting than do children in working class fami lies; and children in middle class Korean-American families show more positive feelings of self-esteem and self-adequacy than do children in working class Korean-American families. Parental acceptance-rejection and children's self-evaluation are measured by the Parental Acceptance-Rejec tion Questionnaire and by the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Re sults of this study are consistent with the universalist postulates of parental acceptance-rejection theory.
Intensity of Cultivation and Kin Group Discreteness among Tropical Shifting Cultivators
Authors: Frechione John , Scaglion Richard
Published: March 2007

We hypothesized that in kinship-based agricultural societies, as the intensity of use of arable land increases, the kinship groups as sociated with this use become more discrete. We used two variables: intensity of cultivation was measured by the ratio of cropping to fallowing period; kin group discreteness was measured by a Guttman scale of kin group attributes. We tested these two variables on a sample of nineteen tropical-horticultural societies to control for con founding variables. Results indicated a strong relationship between independent and dependent variables (Tau C = .61, p < .01; Gamma = 0.85).
The Relationship between Political Role of the Police and Their Prestige: A Cross-National Study
Authors: Lester David
Published: March 2007

I hypothesized that the citizens of countries whose police played a significant political role would view their police forces negatively. However, contrary to expectations, the prestige accorded to police officers in various nations of the world was found to be unrelated to their role in the political processes of the countries.
A Cross-National Survey of Mental Illness and Treatment
Authors: Baskin David
Published: March 2007

I surveyed 28 countries (including seven territories in Australia and nine provinces in Canada), comparing their most common category of mental illness and the differ ent treatment approaches to these major categories. There were differences between respondents but these differences were not necessarily attributable to the level of socioeconomic development. Methodological issues and programmatic suggestions are explored with recommendations for future research.
The Trickster-Father Feigns Death and Commits Incest: Some Methodological Contributions to the Study of Myth
Authors: Carroll Michael P.
Published: March 2007

When studying myth, psychoanalytic investigators have generally started with a single text of the myth that is being analyzed and developed an interpretation of that single text. Such an approach, while useful, ignores the fact that a given myth usually "exists" in the form of several different versions. Structuralists, while professing a concern with the multiple versions of individual myths, rarely incorporate that concern into their work. This article demonstrates that interpretations of the same myth can be evaluated by paying attention to how the versions of that myth differ from society to society. The particular myth considered is a North American Indian myth, in which a Trickster-Father feigns death and then reappears as someone else in order to have intercourse with his own daughter. Three interpretations (two psychoanalytic, one structuralist) of this myth are offered. Thefirst suggests that the myth reflects a projection, onto the father himself, of a daughter's incestuous desires for her father. The second suggests that the myth reflects afather's unconscious desirefor his daughter. The third suggests that the myth is really concerned with making some statement about exogamy. Hypotheses derived from each interpretation are operationalized and tested, using information from the Ethnographic Atlas (Murdock 1967). The data suggest that only the second interpretation cannot be rejected. Thefinal section of the article discusses some of the more general questions about mythic thought that might be investigated by using the methodological procedure described here.
Cultural Differences in Moral Judgment Competence? A Study of West and East European University Students
Authors: Lind Georg
Published: March 2007

The Moralisches Urteil Test (MUT) has been developed to measure simultaneously people's preferences for moral arguments and their competence to apply self-accepted moral reasons in a consistent and differentiated manner to moral dilemmas. In two studies, large samples of (1) university students from West Germany, and (2) university students from Austria, West Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Yugoslavia were exposed to the MUT. East European and West European students exhibited the same preference order for Kohlberg's six moral stages. These results strongly support Kohlberg's claims for the universality of moral principles. While gender and field of study did not systematically influence moral judgment competence, students from the five countries differed markedly in their ability to consistently apply moral principles to an euthanasia dilemma. Future research will investigate some of the possible origins of these cross- cultural differences.
Female Aggression in Cross-Cultural Perspective
Authors: Burbank Victoria K.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents findings from a preliminary cross-cultural survey of adult human female aggression. Cases of female-initiated aggres sion, ranging from verbal abuse to murder, are found in all regions of the world. Female aggression is largely directed against other females and generally involves little injury. Co-wives and other rivals in sex and marriage are the most common victims. Husbands are the most common male targets. Female aggression is often a means of competing for men or subsistence products, but it may also be a means of defense.