bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do Gender Role Attitudes Matter?
Authors: KAUFMAN GAYLE
Published: March 2007

The effect of gender role attitudes on family formation and dissolution is analyzed using data from the 1987/1988 and 1992/1994 waves of the National Survey of Families and House-holds. Results indicate that egalitarian women are less likely to intend to have a child and actually to have a child than traditional women. Unlike women, egalitarian men are more likely to intend to have a child and less likely to divorce than traditional men. Single men with egalitarian attitudes are more likely to cohabit than their traditional counterparts. The gap between traditional women and traditional men in divorce, fertility intentions, and fertility outcomes is significant.
Legally Extending the Family
Authors: HILL TWYLA J.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the structural forces influencing the enactment of grandparent visitation rights statutes. Cox regression is used to analyze demographic changes, social change, state litigiousness, and regional proximity as factors affecting timing of first enactment. States with higher proportions of people of grandparent age, of minor grandchild age, and higher levels of urban residence were more likely to enact than were other states. States with higher divorce rates and higher numbers of neighboring states that previously had enacted or enacted during the same year were less likely to enact than were other states. This project illustrates the need for more empirical testing of the influence of structural variables on the enactment of family policy.
Implications of Wife Abuse and Battering for Self-Esteem, Depression, and Anxiety as Revealed by the Second Palestinian National Survey on Violence Against Women
Authors: HAJ-YAHIA MUHAMMAD M.
Published: March 2007

The article focuses on the incidence of different patterns of wife abuse and battering and on some of their mental health consequences. Data are based on findings from the Second Palestinian National Survey conducted among a systematic random sample of 1,334 Palestinian women from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The results reveal that 87.2%, 54%, 40%, and 44% of the Palestinian women indicated they had experienced one or more acts of psychological abuse, physical violence, sexual abuse, and economic abuse, respectively, at least once by their husbands during the 12 months preceding the survey. Also, results indicated that significant amounts of the variances in women's low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety are significantly explained by their experiences with abuse, over and above the explained variances in these psychological consequences by women's sociodemographic characteristics. The study's limitations are discussed, and recommendations for further research and program development in Palestinian society presented.
Child Snatching
Authors: PALMER C. EDDIE , NOBLE DORINDA N.
Published: March 2007

This article, based primarily upon interview data, explores child snatching and some of the attendant motivations and mechanisms surrounding such events. Findings include the fact that motivations for snatching, while always multifaceted, can be roughly categorized as child-focused (stemming from concern for the child) or as self-focused (originating in the snatcher's desire to satisfy personal needs). Suggested also are six dimensions of child snatching that are thought to be common factors associated in some manner with each child snatching event. These dimensions are (1) motivations, ranging from self-centered to child-centered; (2) planning, ranging from professional to amateurish; (3) hostility, from mild to violent; (4) trauma, from serious to devastating; (5) familial involvement, from supportive to antagonistic; and (6) agency involvement, from minimal to extreme, by both public and private groups. These six factors are seen as affecting child snatching at all stages of the process. Suggestions for future research are offered.
Only Children as Adults
Authors: GLENN NORVAL D. , HOPPE SUE KEIR
Published: March 2007

Data from seven U. S. national surveys were used to estimate the effects of number of siblings on eight dimensions of psychological well-being among adult white males and white females. All of the statistically significant estimated effects of having siblings are negative, and most of these cannot be accounted for by the lower mean family incomes and amount of education of the persons with siblings. The evidence for negative effects is stronger for white males than for white females. The evidence from this and previous studies is generally inconsistent with the popular stereotype of the unhappy, maladjusted only child, but additional evidence is needed before the issue is considered closed.
The Military Career Is a Family Affair
Authors: KOHEN JANET A.
Published: March 2007

The military response to its families has been based on a career structure developed when service members were single males. The effect of military policy and services has been to adapt the family to this career structure, rather than develop an explicit family policy based on family dynamics. Analysis of social science and military literature indicates that recent social changes have made adaptation to the expectations of military family life increasingly difficult and stressful. Until the military investigates the intersection of the military career demands with family needs, recent attempts to help the military family may not be totally effective in winning their allegiance.
A Typology of Household Work Performance by Employment Demands
Authors: JOHNSON PHYLLIS J. , FIREBAUGH FRANCILLE M.
Published: March 2007

A typology of husbands' and wives' performance of household tasks by employment demands is proposed, and the literature on division of labor in the household is reviewed for support of the categories. The components used to create the typology are employment or nonemployment of the spouses, type of boundary between employment and family responsibilities, and gender-or skills-based division of household labor. Type of household work performance by employment demands is viewed as traditional, additive, employment-transitional, family-transitional, or reversed traditional. Thus, the typology begins with and builds on traditional roles. It is unique in that it incorporates conceptually the husband's and wife's employment demands (beyond number of hours worked) in studying household work performance. Suggestions for using the typology in future research are presented.
Sources of Marital Dissatisfaction Among Newly Separated Persons
Authors: BLOOM BERNARD L. , NILES ROBERT L. , TATCHER ANNA M.
Published: March 2007

Reported sources of marital dissatisfaction were examined in a sample of 153 newly separated persons, virtually all of whom subsequently divorced. Respondents were asked about their own marital dissatisfactions and about the dissatisfactions of their spouses in 18 different categories of behavior and attitude. Factor analysis of the responses yielded a highly coherent set of marital dissatisfaction source clusters that were relatively independent of each other. A number of these clusters were based upon similar expressions of marital dissatisfaction attributed to both respondent and spouse. Analysis of demographic and mental health characteristics revealed that many of these cluster scores were significantly associated with age, length of marriage, parent status, and with the respondent's role in the initiation of the marital separation. In addition, several marital dissatisfaction source cluster scores were significantly related to measures of psychological well-being and adaptation to the early marital disruption process.
Transitions to Parenthood
Authors: COWAN CAROLYN PAPE , COWAN PHILIP A. , HEMING GERTRUDE , GARRETT ELLEN , COYSH WILLIAM S. , CURTIS-BOLES HARRIET , BOLES ABNER J.
Published: March 2007

This study explores marital processes that may underlie the apparent decline in satisfaction with marriage in partners becoming parents for the first time. We assessed 47 couples expecting a first child and 15 couples not yet decided about having children at pretest, post 1 (6 months postpartum or 9 months after pretest) and post 2 (18 months postpartum or 21 months after pretest). Questionnaires examined (1) psychological sense of self; (2) partners' role arrangements and communication; (3) parenting ideology; (4) perceptions of the family of origin; and (5) social support and life stress, including parents' work patterns. Support was found for three hypotheses: (1) In four of the five family domains men and women having a first child showed more negative changes over time than nonparent spouses; (2) New fathers and mothers grew increasingly different from one another in most of these domains; (3) A combination of gender differentiation and change (increasing conflict) apparently contributed to lowered satisfaction with marriage for men and women.
Premarital Cohabitation and Marital Success
Authors: BOOTH ALAN , JOHNSON DAVID
Published: March 2007

Four models of the way in which premarital cohabitation may affect marital quality are examined using interview data from a national probability sample of married persons. The idea that cohabitation improves mate selection and marital training is rejected. Cohabitation is negatively related to marital interaction and positively related to marital disagreement, proneness to divorce, and the probability of divorce in nonminority populations. No evidence is found that the accelerated marriage model explains these findings. Some support is found for the explanation that some of those who cohabit are poor marriage risks before they marry. No support is found for the idea that cohabitation itself causes a decline in marital quality, but this argument cannot be rejected with confidence, given the data at hand.
Parenting and Well-Being
Authors: UMBERSON DEBRA
Published: March 2007

This article briefly reviews the history of research on parenthood and psychological well-being, provides an overview of the articles included in this special issue, and identifies important directions for future research on parenthood and parents' well-being.
Child Support and Remarriage
Authors: FOLK KAREN FOX , GRAHAM JOHN W. , BELLER ANDREA H.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the relationship between two determinants of economic well-being for divorced mothers, child support and remarriage. Using a nationally representative sample of non-Black, ever-divorced mothers eligible for child support from the 1979, 1982, 1984, and 1986 March/April match file of the Current Population Survey, we predict the probability of remarriage using four measures of child support awarded and received while controlling for other variables related to remarriage. We find that, for mothers who remarry within 5 years of divorce, child support payments appear to have no adverse impact on remarriage. However, mothers receiving child support and those with above-average amounts of child support are less likely to remarry 5 or more years after divorce. These findings confirm previous evidence for a mild negative effect of child support on remarriage.
Division of Household Work in the United States and Japan
Authors: KAMO YOSHINORI
Published: March 2007

This is one of the few cross-cultural studies of division of household work using American and Japanese samples. Tested is a theoretical model based on time availability, resource exchange, and gender stratification perspectives regarding how much household work each spouse performs. It is found that household work is shared more equally in American couples, and this difference is not accounted for by different levels in predictor variables between the two samples, suggesting structural differences in these two countries. Also found is a more rigid allocation of household work among Japanese couples and weaker explanatory power of the model for them. Although the theoretical model applies weakly to Japanese couples, the article questions the relevance of the model proposed and tested in the United States for families in other societies.
Patterns of Intergenerational Assistance Within the Mexican American Family
Authors: DIETZ TRACY L.
Published: March 2007

A continuing debate exists in the family literature about the needs of the Mexican American elderly, a rapidly growing population. Supporters of one side of the argument indicate that the Mexican American family is available to care for the needs of the aging Mexican American population whereas the other argues that this is simply a romanticized and stereotypical view. Using a large national data set, this article demonstrates, that the Mexican American family is available for affective support of its elders but does not adequately provide for their instrumental needs. Consequently, it is recommended that policymakers and service providers quickly identify the needs of the older Mexican American population in an effort to provide assistance to them as they have done for other older populations in the United States.
Examining Observational Measures of Emotional Support and Cognitive Stimulation in Black and White Mothers of Preschoolers
Authors: BERLIN LISA J. , BROOKS-GUNN JEANNE , SPIKER DONNA , ZASLOW MARTHA J.
Published: March 2007

In this study we drew on the Infant Health and Development Program to examine two sets of observational measures of parenting behavior. First, correlations between the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Warmth subscale and a Supportive Presence scale, and between the HOME Learning subscale and a Quality of Assistance scale were examined. There were moderate correlations between the two emotional support scales and between the two cognitive stimulation scales. Second, the individual and collective predictive strengths of each parenting behavior measure were examined vis-à-vis two child outcomes: children's behavior problems and children's receptive language abilities. White and Black children were examined separately in all analyses. Analyses indicated some degree of association between the parenting behavior measures and the childhood outcomes. Some unanticipated racial differences in the regression models also emerged.
Women's and Men's Constructions of Perceptions of Housework Fairness
Authors: SANCHEZ LAURA , KANE EMILY W.
Published: March 2007

Much work on the perceived fairness of the division of housework focuses on what we consider pragmatic approaches (i.e., resources, time availability, and power), but nascent research articulates a more symbolic approach, examining relational meanings of house-work. We examine both perspectives simultaneously. Using the National Survey of Families and Households, we investigate how perceptions of housework fairness for men and women in heterosexual couples are affected by gender, time availability and the division of labor, individual resources and interdependence within the couple, gender and family attitudes, perceptions of the qualities of household labor, and partners' social interactions. Three critical findings suggest revisions for fairness perception studies. First, perceived housework qualities are as important for predicting fairness perceptions as any other factors. Second, perceived housework qualities are a stronger determinant of women's fairness perceptions than men's fairness perceptions. Third, social emotional independence within the couple also predicts perceived unfairness, but only for women. Women who perceive themselves as less dependent on their relationship are more likely to view the division of labor as unfair.
Policy Innovation in a Cold Climate
Authors: ELISON SONJA KLUECK
Published: March 2007

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was the culmination of 8 years of conflict and compromise. Whether this legislation was caused by socioeconomic change, interest group pressure, or party politics is the question current research has addressed. Although socioeconomic change exerted pressures on citizens, that pressure could not be translated into policy enactment without the mobilization of interest groups and politicians in an effective issue network. By examining closely three dimensions of the FMLA—the duration, scope, and remuneration—it is possible to specify causes of successful policy enactment. The breadth of the coalition fighting for the for the FMLA, and their ideological cohesiveness, presented a powerful front to legislators who were being pressured by business and Republican leaders to fight the bill. Even within a hostile political climate, interest group cohesion and strategic alliances allowed policy attainment.
Stress in Marital Interaction and Change in Depression
Authors: SCHAFER ROBERT B. , WICKRAMA K.A. S. , KEITH PAT M.
Published: March 2007

The research undertakes a longitudinal analysis of a model of the effects of stress in marital interaction on change in depressive symptoms as mediated by unfavorable reflected appraisals, low competency, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. The participants were 98 randomly selected married couples interviewed at two separate points in time. The data supported the proposed model. Stressors in marital interaction are associated with unfavorable reflected appraisals that have a direct effect on self-efficacy and an indirect effect on self-esteem. These two self-assessments have a direct effect on depressive symptoms after controlling for lagged level of depressive symptoms. A key variable is self-efficacy, which mediates the effect of reflected appraisals on self-esteem and has a direct effect on change in depressive symptoms.
Parenting in the Workplace
Authors: SECRET MARY , SPRANG GINNY , BRADFORD JUDITH
Published: March 2007

This article describes a unique, employer-based infant care program that allows parents to care for their babies in the workplace and reports on the response of the coworker employees to this arrangement. Of 35 permanent employees in a university-based research organization, 86% completed a self-report questionnaire. Results indicated that parenting babies in the workplace, in this setting, has little, if any, perceived negative effect on the work life of other employees. Additionally, these employees expressed overall positive attitudes about the program. Results did not vary by gender, education, marital status, income, job position or responsibilities, dependent care responsibilities, amount of contact with babies, or retention intention. Minority employees reported more positive effects. Implications of the findings for employers, workplace factors to consider for a viable infant care program, directions for future investigations, and new assumptions about work and family life are discussed.
Test of Family of Origin Structural Models of Male Verbal and Physical Aggression
Authors: JULIAN TERESA W. , McKENRY PATRICK C. , GAVAZZI STEPHEN M. , LAW JULIE C.
Published: March 2007

Using a convenience sample of 152 married or cohabiting couples, this study tested different theoretical models of male aggression toward a female intimate that addressed the relation between physical and verbal aggression variables and family of origin violence, psychological symptoms, and marital satisfaction. Results of covariance structural analysis procedures provided general support for the proposed models. Results indicated that physical violence witnessed in one's family of origin was predictive of greater psychological distress in adulthood for men and women. Husbands' reports of psychological symptomatology were an important path to their own display of physical and verbal aggression; this relation was not true for women's symptomatology reports and their partners' aggression displays. Marital satisfaction was found to have a significant negative relation with both wives' reports of their husbands' verbal aggression toward them and husbands' reports of verbal aggression toward their wives. The findings for the physical aggression model closely paralleled those found for the verbal models.
Consuming Compassion
Authors: King Samantha
Published: March 2007

This article explores media coverage of male figure skaters who have died of AIDS-related illnesses, and the implication of the “AIDS crisis in figure skating” in ongoing struggles over HIV/AIDS policy in Canada. Although the Canadian media and public framed their responses to the crisis in terms of tolerance and compassion, the author shows how these responses reinforced a heteronormative logic of Canadian citizenship. Moreover, the author suggests that the performances of compassion and tolerance that emerged in the figure skating story are less evidence of the superior moral nature of Canada, as public discourse frequently suggests, than illustrations of the ways in which the struggle to define a distinct Canadian identity relies on narratives that imagine Canada as more compassionate and tolerant than the United States.
Progressive Resistance To Nationalism and the 1980 Boycott of the Moscow Olym Pics
Authors: Shinnick Phillip K.
Published: March 2007

Early reformers to the Olympic movement proposed subsidies for middle- and lower- class athletes and democratization in the governance and officiating of amateur and Olym pic sport. These reforms have come about. The new reforms called for putting a financial ex pert in charge of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), William Simon, rather than a sports ex pert. With this move came the infusion of corporate money, governmental subsidies, and the subsequent change in the definition of amateurism, Likewise, came an interference with USOC governance autonomy; through threat of rescinding their Congressional charter, ac cusing the USOC of disloyalty to the President, and demanding adherence to the governmen tal boycott for national security reasons. A democratic process for sport meant one-sided pressure by the government. Nationalism became more pronounced under the new reforms. A Citizens Fact Finding Tour from the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico visited the Soviet Union in early 1980: the tour was formed to promote Olympic internationalism and answer na tionalistic sentiment. Tour members interviewed high Soviet Olympic and sport officials, private citizens, and gained their response to the Olympics/Afghanistan Boycott. Progressive organizations formed throughout the U.S. during the boycott year to protect athlete's rights, challenge the governmental position on the boycott and assure the autonomy of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
THE DREAM TEAM, COMMUNICATIVE DIRT, AND THE MARKETING OF SYNERGY: USA BASKETBALL AND CROSS-MERCHANDISING IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS
Authors: Wenner Lawrence A.
Published: March 2007

This study uses a reader-oriented approach to understand the use of sports-related communicative “dirt” in the positioning of television commercial readers into an idealized interpretive community during broadcasts of games of the USA basketball “Dream Team” during the 1992 Summer Olympics. The study identifies commercials and their workings based on three types of sports dirt: nationalistic, focusing on sport as a tool for nationalism and the metaphor of team as soldiers; youth sports dream, focusing on the idealized notion in the sports world that if one works hard enough, one's sports dreams can be realized; and sports hero, focusing on the ideal of the sports hero as a role model and the power of the “reflected glory” of identifying with the hero. The discussion focuses on how the apparent polysemic nature of open texts is an important strategy that works to contain readers to variant but nonetheless dominant readings. Particular attention is given to how apparently open constructions of multiculturalism, race, and gender work to limit roles of African Americans and women in sport as well as limit the social role of sport itself.
VALUE DIMENSIONS OF PROFESSIONAL SPORT AS VIEWED BY SPECTATORS
Authors: Zhang James J. , Pease Dale G. , Hui Sai C.
Published: March 2007

This study examined the value dimensions of professional sport to the community as perceived by the spectators. Three stages were conducted: (a) formulation of the Community Impact Scale (CIS), (b) test of measurement properties, and (c) application of the scale. The initial scale was formulated by identifying 70 value areas of professional sport through a literature review. Each was phrased into bipolar statements using a blend of semantic differential and Likert-type 5-point scales. Five professors tested the content validity. A random sample of professional sport spectators (N = 224) participated in testing and applying the scale. Construct validity was tested through a factor analysis. Eight factors with 45 items were determined. The resolved scale displayed acceptable internal consistency. An application of the CIS revealed that 5 demographic variables (age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, education, and occupation) affect the perceptions of spectators on the community value of professional sport.
GLOBALIZATION AND SPORT: SKETCHING A THEORETICAL MODEL FOR EMPIRICAL ANALYSES
Authors: Harvey Jean , Rail Geneviève , Thibault Lucie
Published: March 2007

This article outlines a theoretical model for the analysis of the impact of sport globalization on national sport systems based on an extensive review of the literature on globalization in general and of globalization of sport in particular. In the first section of the article, working definitions are provided. The second section presents each issue composing the “web of issues”; these issues are defined, and empirical data related to sport are used to support the discussion. The model is an attempt to regroup and consider all of the important factors in the tensions between the local and the global. Two central questions cut across the issues raised in the web: (a) how sport is contributing to and being transformed by globalization and (b) how the globalization of sport affects sport at the nation-state level. The article concludes that globalization transforms sport by inducing trends of homogenization as well as national diversity; sport also contributes to globalization in that it is a vehicle for global mass consumption culture.
Evaluating Social Interventions
Authors: Perkins Dennis N.T.
Published: March 2007

Although interest in evaluation research is burgeoning, there is agreement about neither the character of evaluative activities nor the technical methods used in their application. The intent of this paper is to provide a broad taxonomy of assessment activities and methodological alternatives. Based on the first-order characteristic of evaluation pur pose, six assessment categories are identifted. It is argued that the choice of method should be contingent on the objective of the evaluation, and that a typology can serve as a basis for communication and assist in the choice of an appropriate methodology.
Correcting Covariates for Unreliability
Authors: St.Pierre Robert G.
Published: March 2007

Data from the national evaluation of Project Follow Through were analyzed using analy sis of covariance with and without correcting the pretest for unreliability. Such corrections led to some changes in conclusions about the performance of various educational models funded under Follow Through. Although the results of both sets of analyses were pre sented in the Follow Through evaluators' report, conclusions were based on the analyses employing the uncorrected pretest due to the many disagreements in the literature about the appropriateness of correction for unreliability.
Explorations of the Usefulness of Case Study Evaluations
Authors: Wilson Steve
Published: March 2007

The use of qualitative case studies m the evaluation of innovative social programs is growing. Those who work within this qualitative tradition claim that case studies provide a special kind of detailed, adaptable information. This paper analyzes the claims made for the power of case studies and then analyzes and describes some of the obstacles to the use of this kind of evaluation information. This analysis is based on the experience of a federally funded project which combined the evaluation of innovative educational pro grams and the simultaneous attempts to use that information to help other schools. The paper offers suggestions for overcoming some of these obstacles.
Improving the Reliability of Retrospective Survey Measures
Authors: Finney Henry C.
Published: March 2007

Data from a panel study of the impact of a low-income cooperative on its members are employed to compare the relative advantages of three different methods of measuring change. Although analysis confirmed the often reported unreliability of retrospective compared to true panel measurements, it also showed that "pseudo panel" retrospective approximations of panel measurements are greatly superior to change assessments made by respondents themselves. Finally, the three different types of change measures are compared in actual estimations of the impact of project participation on members. Results of this comparison confirm that, although true longitudinal designs arepreferable, pseudo panel measures of change may sometimes be acceptable and should definitely be preferred to the third, more subjective assessments of change.
School District Evaluation of a Northern California Elementary School
Authors: Nicoll Paul
Published: March 2007

The article reports a case study of an evaluation of an elementary school in northern California in receipt of large amounts of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I and state Consolidated Program funds. Technical aspects of the evaluation report are described and criticized as being determined by federal and state government regulations. The official evaluation report's unfortunate effects on the school are noted. It is suggested that the case study has revealed further serious weaknesses in mandated evaluation.
Ongoing Labor Relations
Authors: Duff Karl J.
Published: March 2007

This article summarily reviews initial results of a twelve-month period oflaborrelations at a southeastern manufacturing plant. It presents the contention of the author that grievances occur with statistically predictable frequency in a normal labor relations environ ment. Once that frequency is established, very simple quantitative methods can provide management with important data relative to current and short-run future labor relations, as well as providing a useful tool in the evaluation of the efficacy of management's actions after particular interactions with a union.
Multiple Group Time-Series Design
Authors: Algina James , Olejnik Stephen F.
Published: March 2007

Configurations of means denying treatment effectiveness are presented for a multiple group time-series design. The configurations imply a sequence of null hypotheses. Failure to reject all of these hypotheses means the treatment effect is not supported. Rejection of any one of the hypotheses leads to tests of more detailed hypotheses. The rejection of these hypotheses can provide support for a treatment effect. Since both univariate and multivariate test criteria can be used to test the hypotheses, the procedure can be applied to data sets that have fewer subjects than occasions of measurement.
Assessing Community Responsiveness in a Metropolitan Area
Authors: Jason Leonard A. , Liotta Richard F.
Published: March 2007

An important dimension of a community is the degree to which its agencies, broadly defined, are responsive to citizen needs While the term "responsiveness" is a multifaceted concept, at its most basic level, an individual initially has to gain entry into an organization before a particular reguest for services or information can be addressed. One rather simple way of assessing an organization's preliminary responsiveness to crtizen requests is to monitor the time elapsed for establishing telephone contact. This system was utilized with three sets of data bases, within a major metropolitan area, consisting of critical social service agenc ies as defined in a phone book, diverse transportation systems, and agencies listed by a Department of Social Services pamphlet. Concurrent validity data were subsequently collected by interviewing a random sample of individuals to assess their perceptions of agency responsiveness. Direct behavioral manifestations of agency responsiveness, as well as citizen perceptions, represent two useful ways of investigating how permeable a community's agencies are to citrzen needs
Process and Outcome Evaluation in Primary Prevention
Authors: Moskowitz Joel M. , Schaps Eric , Malvin Janet H.
Published: March 2007

The present study evaluated Magic Circle, a primary prevention strategy aimed at fostering positive self-esteem and attitudes connected with school. Process evaluation indicated that although the teachers valued the training process and content and mastered most of the skills involved, the number of Circles conducted by the teachers varied considerably. At posttest, experimental teachers were more satisfied with teaching than were controls. Analysis of class-level student data revealed higher social self-esteem but more minor discipline problems for experimental boys. No effects were found for girls. Results were unrelated to amount of Magic Circle exposure.
Objectives, Inputs, and Outputs
Authors: Coffin Donald A.
Published: March 2007

The U.S. Department of Labor provided incentives to the prime sponsors of CETA programs to improve their programs by rewarding those that generated large percentages of positive terminations and imposing penalties on others. The City of Indianapolis requested an analysis designed to improve its performance in generating positive terminations. We found sponsors can improve performances by selecting participants with particular characteristics or, more important, by altering the types of services available to participants, with on-the-job training the most effective . While these results are both temporarily and geographically limited, the techniques used to generate them may be more broadly applicable to social service programs.
An Analysis of the Sensitivity of Quasi-Experimental Net Impact Estimates of Ceta Programs
Authors: Dickinson Katherine P. , Johnson Terry R. , West Richard W.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the sensitivity of CETA net impact estimates to alternative methodological procedures to reconcile the diverse findings from various CETA studies that are based on the same basic data sets. Our results indicate that estimated net impacts are quite sensitive to whether individuals without recent labor market attachment are included in the comparison group and to how close to the date of enrollment one measures preprogram earnings. Also, impact estimates are quite sensitive to the choice of the estimation models used and to assumptions about the period in which the decision to enroll in CETA is made. However, net impact estimates are robust to the matching technique used. Our results indicate that the wide diversity of CETA net impact estimates reported in the literature can be explained by differences in the methodological procedures used.
The Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Sector Programs in Asia
Authors: Bamberger Michael
Published: March 2007

The article describes the organization of monitoring and evaluation (M/E) of public sector programs in South Asia and discusses how the information from the studies is actually used. While considerable resources are invested in monitoring the efficiency of project implementa tion, very little attention has been given to evaluating the performance and sustainability of public sector programs. The article considers why governments and international donor agencies appear to have so little concern in knowing whether their investments have produced sustainable programs which are generating the desired impacts. The information for this article is largely taken from a monitoring and evaluation seminar organized by the Economic Devel opment Institute (EDI) of the World Bank and the Pakistan Administrative Staff College (PASCOL) for evaluation researchers and senior government officials from South Asia in April 1987 in Lahore, Pakistan.
Passing the Test
Authors: Lichtman Allan J.
Published: March 2007

Ecological regression analysis has successfully estimated minority and White voting behavior in jurisdictions throughout the United States. Critics have imposed assumptions on the technique that are far too restrictive and have misinterpreted relevant data from Los Angeles County. Ecological regression is more reliable than the "neighborhood model, " devised by defendants' experts for the Los Angeles litigation. Unlike ecological regression, the neighborhood model generates results that are an arbitrary function of how individuals are grouped into precincts: the classic form of the "ecological fallacy. " Ecological regression, not the neighborhood model, accounts for the actual results of elections in Los Angeles County.
High Intercommunity Variation in Adolescent Cigarette Smoking in a 10-Community Field Experiment
Authors: L John , Bauman Karl E. , Koch Gary G.
Published: March 2007

The authors report levels of intercommunity variation in rates of cigarette smoking observed during the course of an evaluation of the influence of three mass media campaigns on the initi ation of adolescent cigarette smoking. Despite careful design and statistical adjustment for a set of 10 known sociodemographic and personality correlates of adolescent cigarette smoking, high intercommunity variation precluded the detection of media campaign effects in this study. The authors discuss the general implications of high intercommunity variation for studies using the individual as the unit of analysis when the unit of randomization is the community.
Establishing Reliability for Coding Implementation Concerns of School-Based Teams from Audiotapes
Authors: Gravois Todd , Rosenfield Sylvia , Greenberg Bonnie
Published: March 2007

A useful methodology for coding themes directly from audiotape is described, and issues and methods by which reliability can be established are presented. Attention is given to both the importance of audiotape use in qualitative research and the ways in which audiotape use can be expanded. Comparison is made between reliability estimates from coding themes directly from audiotape and coding themes from transcripts. A study is presented in which the reliability of direct coding from audiotapes, to develop conceptual categories and code concerns of professionals being trained on school-based support teams, was evaluated The results of this study suggest that the direct coding of audiotapes provides the qualitative researcher with another reliable option in the collection and analysis of data. Research implications are discussed
Can Evaluation Help an Organization to Learn?
Authors: Forss Kim , Cracknell Basil , Samset Knut
Published: March 2007

One of the main objectives of evaluation is to promote organizational learning. However, even a well-used evaluation system does not generate learning automatically. This article discusses learning with reference to experiences in the Norwegian aid administration. It shows that evaluations generate learning in two modes: via involvement and via communication. If an organization wants to maximize its learning, it should pursue strategies to let the two modes supplement each other. Learning must be related to what people know—their knowledge structures—and what they need to know to do their job well. Evaluation systems may be only marginally effective when there is a need to change knowledge structures rapidly, particularly if the organization lacks dominating knowledge structures.
Gauss or Bernoulli?
Authors: Hannan Peter J. , Murray David M.
Published: March 2007

This Monte Carlo study compares performance of the linear and the logistic mixed-model analyses of simulated community trials having event rates of 37%, 13%, or 5%, intraclass correlations between 0.01 and 0.05, and 17 or 5 denominator degrees of freedom. Type I or Type II error rates showed no essential difference between the two analysis methods. They showed depressed error rates when the event rate or the denominator degrees of freedom were small. The authors conclude that in studies with adequate denominator degrees of freedom, the researcher may use either method of analysis but should accept negative estimates of components of variance to avoid depression of error rates.
Active Parental Consent in School-Based Research
Authors: Esbensen Finn-Aage , Piper Deschenes Elizabeth , Vogel Ronald E. , West Jennifer , Arboit Karen , Harris Lesley
Published: March 2007

To date, most school-based research has used passive parental consent. However, the Family Privacy Protection Act of 1995 aims to change these requirements The proposed legislation requires written parental consent if minors are to be asked "sensitive" guestions as part of any program or activity funded in whole or in part by the federal government. This act is representative of a growing trend toward restricting research involving minors Whether or not this act is passed by Congress, two lines of concern are highlighted by this legislation The first deals with ethical issues surrounding consent procedures. For instance, are parental rights compromised when active consent is not mandated? A second line of inquiry pertains to the effect of active consent procedures on response rates and sample bias. In this article, the authors discuss ethical issues surrounding passive and active consent procedures and then report response rates from two projects in which active consent procedures were implemented
100 Years of "Just Say No" Versus "Just Say Know"
Authors: Beck Jerome
Published: March 2007

Through comparative socio-historical analysis of American school-based drug education, this review critically examines past perspectives and practices and how they shaped current pro grams. Among the key findings emerging from this analysis: Contrary to the popular belief that drug education began in the 1960s, its roots actually go back at least 115 years to the advent of compulsory temperance tnstruction. Although the particular substances targeted by such ap proaches have changed, the underlying approaches and dominant "no-substance-use" injunc tion has not. Despite the existence of "informed choice" approaches, throughout much of this period, evaluation efforts continue to be constrained by the limited dictates of "no-use" perspectives. A pragmatic alternative to contemporary "Just Say No" education is offered that strives to minimize potential harm resulting from the uninformed misuse of licit and illicit substances. A unique evaluative strategy designed to assess the effectiveness of thts form of "informed choice" or "harm reduction" drug education is discussed.
Model-Based Evaluation of Hiv Prevention Interventions
Authors: Pinkerton Steven D. , Holtgrave David R. , Leviton Laura C. , Wagstaff David A. , Abramson Paul R.
Published: March 2007

The ultimate goal of HIV prevention interventions is to reduce the spread of HIV; however, the effectiveness of these programs is seldom assessed directly. Although direct measurement of an intervention's impact via HIV seroincidence monitoring is usually unfeasible, mathematical models can be used to estimate the number of infections averted by the intervention. This article describes three model-based summary measures of sexually transmitted HIV risk and discusses their relevance to HIV program evaluation m general and economic efficiency analyses in particular. The calculation of these measures is demonstrated with an illustrative application to previously published data from an HIV prevention intervention for gay men.
A Differential Assessment of the Cumulative Versus Stabilizing Effect of Methadone Maintenance Treatment
Authors: Powers Keiko I. , Anglin M. Douglas
Published: March 2007

Differential response effectiveness is examined for patients during multiple episodes of metha done maintenance (MM) treatment. Subjects were 251 narcotics addicts who were divided into three groups based on their daily narcotics use pattern during their first two MM treatment penods: (I) a "stabilizing group"—showing no daily use for both periods, (2) a "cumulative group "—showing a lower level of daily use during the second period compared to the first, and (3) a "deteriorating group"—showing higher daily use during the second period. Behavioral measures for various narcotics-related variables were plotted over 4 time penods (pre-MM, during first MM, between first and second episodes, and during second MM) were compared. Results indicated several individual differences related to patients'response to multiple episodes of MM. Clinical, research, and policy implications are discussed.
Measuring Community Mobilization in the Seattle Minority Youth Health Project
Authors: Cheadle Allen , Wagner Edward , Anderman Carolyn , Walls Mary , McBride Colleen , Bell Michelle A. , Catalano Richard F. , Pettigrew Eric
Published: March 2007

This article assesses the validity and reliability of the approach used to measure community mo bilization in the Seattle Minority Youth Health Project (MYHealth), a neighborhood-based pro gram to prevent drug use, violence, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Two constructs were measured: neighborhood cooperation in solving problems, and sense of pride and identification with the neighborhood. The convergent validity of the measurement ap proach was assessed by comparing several independent measures of community mobilization generatedfrom surveys of key neighborhood leaders, youth, and parents. For the neighborhood cooperation construct, correlations were uniformly positive across measuresfrom different sur veys and statistically significant about a quarter of the time. The correlations for the neighbor hood pride construct were weaker and generally not statistically significant. Interrater reliabil ity was low for all of the surveys, possibly reflecting varying ideas about what community mobili zation meant among survey respondents.
Deadbeat Dads or Inept States?
Authors: Garfinkel Irwin , Miller Cynthia , McLanahan Sara S. , Hanson Thomas L.
Published: March 2007

This article provides information on the effectiveness of state child support enforcement systems. We use individual level datafrom the Child Support Supplements of the Current Population Sur veys (1978-1992) to create an index of state effectiveness that captures success at securing child support awards, setting award levels, and collecting obligations. We identify states that were performing above or below the national average in the late 1980s to early 1990s and states that showed substantial improvement or decline in child support effectiveness during the 1980s. Identifying successful states will help researchers to determine what policies and practices are associated with successful enforcement. These variations in state effectiveness also suggest that low levels of child support are not due to deadbeat dads alone but also to inept states.
Assessing Data for Precursors of Co2 and Methane in King County, Washington, 1990
Authors: Newcomb Theodore M.
Published: March 2007

Evaluation of policies designed to reduce emissions of global warming gases will require valid data about in-use quantities of these gases'precursors. This article assesses the quality of avail able data for many significant precursors of CO2 and methane in King County, Washington, which is an area with minimal variations in climate as well as rapid population growth and de velopment. Available data support an estimate of 21,000,000 metric tons of CO2- equivalent gases emitted in 1990 from selected precursors. There is also evidence that electricity conserva tion programs and recycling both reduce CO2 emissions. Requirements for adequate baseline data include constant and valid data definitions as well as monthly time series. To evaluate poli cies over periods of years, databases must be designed to withstand frequent and rapid changes in national economies; they must also permit analysis of consumer choices affecting fossil fuels and other precursors of warming gases. In almost every case, current data do not satisfy these requirements.