bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher-Order Abilities Conceptualized with in Guilford's Structure-Of-Intellect (Soi) Model for a Sample of United States Coast Guard Academy Cadets: A Reanalysis of an Soi Data Base
Authors: Chen Chin-Yi , Michael William B.
Published: March 2007

This study was undertaken to provide empirical validation of the first-order and higher-order factor structures of the structure-of-intellect (SOI) model conceptualized by Guilford. Both confirmatory maximum likelihood and exploratory (varimax and promax) factor analytic methodologies were employed to reanalyze an existing correlational data base (N - 178) involving 20 SOI experimental tests, 9 Coast Guard aptitude tests, and 10 Coast Guard criterion measures originating from the University of Southern California Aptitudes Research Project Report Number 13 entitled "The Relation of Certain Thinking Factors to Training Criteria in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy" (Guilford, Kettner, and Christensen, 1955). Although nine of the originally identified 11 first-order orthogonal factors could be replicated, oblique solutions involving higher-order factors accounted for a larger proportion of covariance among the test and criterion measures than did orthogonal solutions. The presence of identifiable first-order and higher-order correlated factors as well as a general factor suggested that the SOI model could be reconceptualized as a pyramid-like hierarchical theory of intelligence.
What Criteria Define a Successful Career in Psychology? it Depends on Who you Ask
Authors: Hofer Scotit M. , Stallings Michael C. , Reynolds Chandra A. , Cliff Norman , Russell Gerald L.
Published: March 2007

Predicting which students have the ability and motivation to become successful psychologists is an endeavor that all graduate psychology departments undertake to some degree. However, before prediction of "success" in psychology can take place, it is first necessary to develop what the important criteria of success in psychology are. For this purpose, the importance of various criteria of academic success in psychology was rated during three different stages of career development. From two universities, 71 faculty and graduate students were surveyed. Results from a series of principle component analyses using orthogonal and oblique rotation methods strongly suggested that there are a relatively large number of factors that are important. A nine-factor solution seemed to provide the best fit to the data, both in terms of conceptual consistency and variance explained. This solution indicated that there is wide diversity of opinion among psychologists as to what are the most important criteria of success in psychology. Such results suggest that the predictive validity of screening devices should be investigated using broader outcome criteria than have been commonly used in the past.
Quality of School Life: A Scale to Measure Student Experience or School Climate?
Authors: Mok Magdalena M. C. , Mcdonald Roderick P.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine school (institutional) influences on the latent structure of the seven subscales of the Quality of School Life scale, a measure of school life at the student level. A total of 5,932 twelfth-year students (3,048 males and 2,884 females) enrolled in 50 Australian parochial schools were administered the instrument. Structural equation models were fit to the subscales and the subsequent variance component analysis revealed that only about 2%-3% of the variances were explained by between-school differences. As predicted, results of two-level factor analyses supported the findings that the school level has only a small effect on the factor structure of the items making up the scales.
Reduced Bias Autocorrelation Estimation:Three Jackknife Methods
Authors: Huitema Bradley E. , Mckean Joseph W.
Published: March 2007

The effectiveness of jackknife methods in reducing bias in the estimation of the lag-I autocorrelation parameter Pi was evaluated. A Monte Carlo investigation was carried out to study the empirical bias, mean-square error, and variance properties of three jackknife estimators using sample sizes that ranged from 6 through 500. The results demonstrated that these estimators are far less biased in the small sample case than are many other estimators that have been recently investigated. Results on the mean-squared error revealed that the advantage of greatly reduced bias associated with the jackknife estimators does not overcome the disadvantage of increased error variance. Three previously investigated estimators yield smaller mean-squared error than do the jackknife estimators or the conventional estimator at most sample sizes.
A Quickbasic Program for Generating Correlated Multivariate Random Normal Scores
Authors: Aguinis Herman
Published: March 2007

A QuickBASIC program for generating multivariate random normal scores with given intercorrelations is described. The program uses the Box and Muller and Choleski Factorization algorithms and runs on IBM and IBM-compatible personal computers. A diskette containing the compiled run time and source code versions of the program is available at no charge from the author.
Quick Power Estimates for Comparing Proportions
Authors: Hopkins Kenneth D. , Chappell David
Published: March 2007

Power estimates prior to data collection are an essential part of good research planning. The procedures for estimating power when comparing proportions or percentages are more complex than they are when comparing means. Current procedures for estimating power when comparing two independent proportions are found in sources with limited availability and are confusing to many researchers. Procedures for estimating the power for detecting a difference between two independent proportions require the arcsine transformation of proportions. This transformation is intimidating to many researchers who lack confidence in their mathematical skills. These factors no doubt account, in part, for the fact that power estimates are even less common when comparing proportions than they are when comparing means. In addition, the arcsine transformation robs the "effect size" of some of its intuitive appeal because this metric is unfamiliar and does not consistently correspond to differences in percentages or proportions; it has ambiguous direct meaning. Quick power estimates for detecting a difference in two population proportions are expedient during the early phases of research planning; these estimates are tabled and graphed in this article and facilitate the determination of quick power estimates for various differences between two independent proportions. These estimates are shown to be conservative but quite accurate for most research situations (i.e., when the proportions fall in the range of .25 to .75).
Evaluation of the Setiting in which University Faculty Carry out their Teaching and Research Functions: The ASEQ
Authors: Mateo Miguel Angel , Fernandez Juan
Published: March 2007

Whereas evaluation of faculty members by means of students' opinions is a common practice in a good number of universities, evaluation of the academic setting by faculty members is almost nonexistent. The Academic Setting Evaluation Questionnaire (ASEQ) attempts to fill this gap. A total of 655 faculty members took part in this second replication study to analyze the formal properties of the questionnaire. The results, obtained by using the confirmatory factor analysis technique, support the three dimensions found in previous analyses of the questionnaire: satisfaction with university institutions, intradepartmental social climate, and relationships with students.
The GRE and the GMAT: A Comparison of their Correlations to GGPA
Authors: Nilsson Johanna E.
Published: March 2007

This study was established to investigate if there are any differences in the predictive relationships between the scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and graduate grade point average, and the scores of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and graduate grade point average. Sixty subjects were randomly sampled from the graduate body of a southern, medium-size college. The results showed that the GRE had a stronger correlation to graduate grade point average than the GMAT.
Demographic Factors Affecting Faculty Salary
Authors: Webster Allen L.
Published: March 2007

This study identifies specific demographic attributes that influence salary at institutions of higher education. Data were obtained for all business faculty at nine public universities. A log-linear model with salary as the regressand serves as the functional form of estimation. Variance inflation factors are employed to reduce any aberrations that are due to the presence of multicollinearity. Additional diagnostic tests to correct for autocorrelation and other distortions are also performed. The results suggest that experience, publication rates, and the tendency to remain at the same institution for extended periods affect salary levels in a significant manner. Possession of a tenninal degree also proved to have a positive and significant impact on salary levels. In addition, rank reported variant results, suggesting the presence of salary compression. An explanation of this phenomenon is offered. A comparison of mean salary levels across academic fields based on an analysis-of-variance design revealed significant differences among disciplines. The Tukey criterion is used to identify which fields of specialization exhibit significant differences.
Factorial Structure of a Measure of Acculturation in a Puerto Rican Population
Authors: Leon Brunilda De , Mendez Serafin
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric characteristics of the Cultural Life Style Inventory (CLSI), a measure of acculturation administered to 402 Puerto Rican college students. The data were analyzed to examine the factorial composition and internal consistency of the CLSI, and they were compared with previous findings with Mexican Americans. Results of the factor analysis revealed high factorial stability for Puerto Rican students. Consistent with previous findings, five interpretable factors emerged with Cronbach alpha estimates for each of the factors ranging from high to moderate. The reliability coefficient for the total scale was .82. The factor structure of the CLSI in this study included some similarities and differences between this sample and the Mexican American samples used in developing the scale. The factorial structure of the CLSI provided support for the multidimensionality of the scale and the construct of acculturation. The obtained results provided evidence supporting the validity of the scale for Puerto Rican college students.
The Effects of Underextraction in Factor and Component Analyses
Authors: Fava Joseph L. , Velicer Wayne F.
Published: March 2007

The consequences of underextracting factors and components within and between the methods of maximum likelihood factor analysis (MLFA) and principal components analysis (PCA) were examined. Computer-simulated data sets represented a range of pattern structures. Manipulated conditions included component (factor) structure coefficients (aij = .8, .6, and .4), sample size (N = 75, 150, 225, and 450), and variable-to-component (factor) ratio (p:m = 6:1 and 4:1). The principal components score and the Anderson and Rubin factor score estimate were calculated for both the correct patterns and the incorrect (underextracted) patterns. In Study 1, underextraction led to substantial degradation of scores within both methods, but the component score degraded less rapidly. Score degradation was related to the number of original components (factors). In Study 2, between-method comparisons indicated very high similarity for baseline score patterns, but dissimilarity occurred with underextraction.
Reliability and Validity of Scores on the Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale-Teacher Version (DBRS-T)
Authors: Erford Bradley T.
Published: March 2007

Reliability and construct and criterion-related validity of scores on the Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale-Teacher Version were studied. Factor analysis confirmed a four-factor structure underlying the scale. Internal consistency of the Distractible, Oppositional, and Impulsive-Hyperactive factors was excellent, whereas the Antisocial Conduct factor was moderately high. Evidence of strong convergent validity also is presented.
The Effect of Adaptive Administration on the Variability of the Mantel-Haenszel Measure of Differential Item Functoning
Authors: Zwick Rebecca
Published: March 2007

The Mantel-Haenszel (MH) approach of Holland and Thayer is frequently used to assess differential item functioning (DIE). The formula for the variance of the MH DIE statistic is based on work by Phillips and Holland, and Robins, Breslow, and Greenland. Recent simulation studies showed that, for a given sample size, the MH variances tended to be larger when items were administered to "examinees" who were randomly selected from a population than when items were administered adaptively. An analytic perspective shed some light on this result. Although the general form of the MH variance is complex and does not provide an intuitive understanding of the phenomenon, application of certain Rasch model assumptions yields a simple expression that appears to explain the difference in variances for adaptive versus nonadaptive administration. The results suggest that adaptive testing may lead to more efficient application of MH DIF analyses.
The Use of Item Response Theory (IRT) to Investigate the Hierarchical Nature of a College Mathematics Curriculum
Authors: Shermis Mark D. , Chang Shu-Hui
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which an undergraduate math curriculum matched the item difficulty levels of representative mathematics problems based on that sequence. Following a systematic process outlined by Hsu and Shermis, an item bank of 120 items was developed for placement testing at the undergraduate levels. Ranks for the final 62 item values were calculated and correlated with the rank order of the math curriculum sequence. Results suggest a congruence between curricular sequence and item difficulty levels of problems based on that sequence. This finding indicates that the linear or hierarchical assumption concerning the undergraduate-level sequence appears to be reasonable. The discussion addresses items that were exceptions to this trend and summarizes implications for computerized adaptive testing.
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall: Reliability and Validity Evidence for the Self-Description Questionnaire-II with Gifted Students
Authors: Plucker Jonathan A. , Taylor V John Wesley , Callahan Carolyn M. , Tomchin Ellen M.
Published: March 2007

The use of the Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ), in its various forms, is recommended for use with gifted students, yet little psychometric data exist with respect to the use of these subscales with this population. The SDQ-II was administered to adolescents attending a summer residential program for academically gifted students (N = 459). Estimates of internal consistency for scores on the 11 subscales are large enough to warrant group interpretation and research uses (mean alpha= .89) and possibly individual uses for older gifted students. Confirmatory factor analysis provides limited evidence of construct validity using data from this sample of gifted students. The relatively poor fit of the tested models may be due to the extreme negative skewness of item score distributions.
The Development and Validation of Scores on the Mathematics Information Processing Scale (Mips)
Authors: Bessant Kenneth C.
Published: March 2007

This study reports the development and the psychometric properties of a new 87-item Mathematics Information Processing Scale (MIPS) that explores (a) learning strategies for statistics (or mathematics-related) content, (b) metacognitive problem-solving skills, and (c) attentional deployment in evaluative contexts. A total of 340 introductory statistics students (188 females and 152 males) completed the MIPS along with measures of statistics anxiety, attitudes toward statistics, and student learning approaches. Exploratory factor analysis, with oblique rotation, indicated a multidimensional interpretation of the MIPS, and the corresponding scales correlated as expected with related variables. Factor analysis identified five theoretically meaningful dimensions tentatively labeled Metacognitive Problem Solving, Deep-Associative Study, Surface-Disintegrated Study, Performance Preoccupation, and Strategic Study.
A Brief Inventory of Values
Authors: Stern Paul C. , Dietz Thomas , Guagnano Gregory A.
Published: March 2007

The authors present a brief inventory derived from Schwartz's 56-item instrument measuring the structure and content of human values. The inventory's four 3-item scales, measuring the major clusters called Self-Transcendence, Self-Enhancement, Openness to Change, and Conservation (or Traditional) values, all produce scores with acceptable reliability in two studies of pro-environmental attitudes and actions, and the brief inventory predicts those indicators nearly as well as much longer ones. The authors also present subscales of biospheric and altruistic values that can be used to assess whether Self-Transcendence values are differentiated in this way in special samples such as environmental activists. The brief inventory is suitable for use in survey research and other settings in which the longer instrument might be impractical.
The Construction of the Utrecht Early Mathematical Competence Scales
Authors: van de Rijt B.A.M. , van Luit J.E.H. , Pennings A. H.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the research presented was to construct the Utrecht Early Mathematical Competence Scales to assess the developmental level of early mathematical competence in children ages 4 to 7 years. Eight mathematically different domains were distinguished, and an initial pool of 120 items was developed. The items were administered to 823 boys and girls in the 4-to 7-year age groups. Results demonstrate that the generalized one-parameter logistic model could explain the responses to 80 items. Two scales (A and B) were derived, each consisting of 40 items. In this article, Form A is emphasized. To test for group differences, a 6 (half-year age groups) ´ 2 (gender) factorial analysis of variance was used. A one-way analysis of variance with grade as the independent variable was used to test for grade differences. Participants within each age and grade group differed considerably in developmental level of early mathematical competence.
Correlates of Environmental Behaviors
Authors: Olli Eero , Grendstad Gunnar , Wollebaek Dag
Published: March 2007

Surveys are an efficient and convenient means of collecting data on individuals’ environmental concerns and environmental behaviors, two domains between which a tenuous relationship is often observed. One aspect of tenuousness is addressed by identifying distinct subdimensions of self-reported private environmental behaviors. Survey methods more often than not fail to account for the social context within which individuals are environmentally concerned and behave in an environmentally friendly way. The problem of social context is addressed by developing a measure of social networks that includes participation, volunteering, and face-to-face contact with friends in environmental organizations. Evidence is taken from surveys among organized environmentalists and the general population in Norway in 1995 ( N = 3,111). Social context is the only variable that significantly augments environmental behaviors across all subdimensions. Its effect is comparable to sociodemography, political attitudes, and environmental knowledge and concern combined.
The Search Process in Residential Relocation
Authors: Barrett Frank
Published: March 2007

The paper examines the search behavior of 380 movers who were interviewed within four months of moving to a new location. An indices of search behavior are established consisting of measurements of intensity of search, a search cluster and an index on the concentration of the search. A feature of the study is that data on all houses searched are included; as well as the actual house selected. The results indicate that the residential search behavior is a minimizing process. Only two to four houses were examined and the search time was less than a month. The search cluster data indicate that there was limited search in a spatial sense with inner city searchers which include the poor and some ethnic groups, as having the smallest search. From a locational point of view the inner areas portrayed intensive and clustered behavioral patterns while the suburban searchers were more casual and dispersed in their investigations.
Applications of Information-Processing Theory to the Analysis of Urban Travel Demand
Authors: Louviere Jordan J. , Norman Kent L.
Published: March 2007

A brief introduction to Anderson's information integration theory is provided and its application to transportation mode choice is outlined. A similar discussion is provided for the "policy capturing" approach to information processing in judgment. The two approaches are compared and contrasted. Their application to transportation problems is illustrated in a series of four laboratory experiments in which student subjects evaluated different bus systems according to their likelihood of using them. In the first experiment, subjects judged bus systems described by different fares, headways, and walking distances arranged in a factorial design. In the second experiment, subjects judged systems described by different fares, headways, reliabilities, parking costs, and travel time differences arrayed in a fractional factorial design. In the third experiment, subjects judged bus systems with different fares, gasoline prices, reliabilities, and headways. In the last experiment, subjects judged bus systems with different values of fare, walking distance, length of service, stops along the route, and travel purposes. In all experiments, subjects were found to act "as if" they processed the bus system information by means of a multiplicative strategy. Implications of the multiplicative strategy are discussed for system design.
Expressway Noise and Apartment Tenant Response
Authors: Hitchcock John , Waterhouse Alan
Published: March 2007

A questionnaire was distributed to tenants living in apartments within 1,200 feet of an expressway in metropolitan Toronto in order to determine what aspects of the expressway affected them, positively or negatively, and how important these aspects were, relative to other factors affecting their residential satisfaction. Tenants indicated that travel convenience was the main advantage of the expressway whereas disturbance from noise was the main disadvantage. Analysis of moving intentions indicates that the disadvantage of noise outweighs the advantage of travel convenience for those tenants whose apartments have direct exposure to the expressway. Consistent with other research findings, there is no single demographic group which is particularly sensitive to expressway noise, and analysis of moving intentions by rent level indicates that rent reductions do not seem to compensate for noise disturbance. Rental level and occupancy policy thus are not seen as mechanisms for reducing the environmental impact of expressway noise. Minimum setback distances from the expressway and use of apartments with single loaded corridors so that living units face away from the expressway are suggested as appropriate means of protection from the hazard of expressway noise.
An Information Storage Model for Distance Cognition
Authors: Sadalla Edward K. , Staplin Lorin J.
Published: March 2007

An experiment was performed to evaluate the utility of an information storage model of distance cognition. Subjects walked matched routes segmented with either easily memorable or difficult-to-remember proper names. In accord with the information storage model, the route with more remembered attributes was consistently estimated as longer than an equivalent route with difficult-to-remember attributes.
The Suprapersonal Neighborhood Context of Older People
Authors: Lawton M. Powell , Moss Miriam , Moles Elizabeth
Published: March 2007

Age mix as an aspect of the suprapersonal environment is examined in terms of its effects on the lifestyles and well-being of older people. A large national data set is analyzed, indicating small but highly stable relationships between high perceived neighborhood age concentration and activity participation, activity satisfaction, friends, interaction, friends' satisfaction, and morale. Preference for high age density was seen to be associated with low socioeconomic status in two large data sets. While under most conditions, a minority of older people prefer associating or living only with those of a similar age, a number of positive functions of age homogeneity are evident for those who choose or prefer this style of living. The findings contribute to theory in person-environment relations by showing the salience of the aggregate person characteristics of the environment. Two instances of an interaction effect between age mix and age-mix preference in determining well-being affirm the importance of person-environment congruence. Lawton's environmental docility hypothesis receives some mild support in the association between preference for age homogeneity and several deprived statuses.
Cross-Cultural Rules for the Optimization of the Living Room
Authors: Bonnes Mirilia , Giuliani Maria Vittoria , Amoni Flora , Bernard Yvonne
Published: March 2007

This article starts from the hypothesis that the arrangement of a specific domestic environment such as the living room has an internally coherent and organized character and that the different modes of implementing it can be interpreted as implicit, culture-specific rules that people apply to satisfy a set of environmental needs. In particular, differences and similarities between two different national contexts (France and Italy) are discussed in relation to the need to ensure, by means of living room arrangement, a certain degree of aesthetic enjoyment by the inhabitants and a suitable setting for interpersonal relationships.
The Effect of a New City Traffic Route on the Cognitive Maps of Its Residents
Authors: Antes James R. , Mcbride Rosanne B. , Collins John D.
Published: March 2007

This study addressed the question of how changes In travel paths through a city occasioned by the construction of a new connecting street, Influenced the cognitive maps of the city's residents. Grand Forks, North Dakota recently constructed an overpass over a railroad switching yard that bisects much of the city. Residents were asked to judge the distances between selected points In the city on two occasions, once before the overpass was completed and again six months later. Female residents showed Improved performance, especially In the areas of the city connected by the overpass, while male distance estimates did not change. It was suggested that the females made their judgments based upon Inferences from travel paths while males approached the task In a more spatlal manner, using a mental representation of the city.
Exploring Connections between Women's Changing Roles and House Forms
Authors: Hasell Mary Joyce , Peatross Frieda D.
Published: March 2007

During the past 40 years, demographic trends have indicated extraordinary changes in women's roles, as well as gradual increases in the size of new single-family houses. Whereas current literature suggests that the form of most built environments has not changed significantly and still reflects traditional gender ideology, a content analysis of prototypical house plans featured in a popular shelter magazine between 1945 and 1985 indicates that statistically significant changes in spatial allocation and functional emphasis are occurring. This article focuses on the spatial configuration of new single-family houses and raises the hypothesis that certain environmental changes may be supportive of shifting gender patterns.
A Preliminary Study of Skylight Preferences
Authors: Butler Darrell L. , Biner Paul M.
Published: March 2007

Previous research on environmental fenestration has generally neglected the study of people's preferences for skylights. In an attempt to fill this void, three studies were conducted to assess skylight preferences and to explore the theoretical bases of these preferences. In Experiment 1, preferences for skylights varying in size and degree of clarity were made for 14 spaces. Analyses indicated that skylights preferences vary widely across spaces, but they are generally less desirable than windows. Skylights were judged to be particularly desirable in family rooms, living rooms, and kitchens. In Experiment 2, skylight preferences were obtained for 17 spaces. For these spaces, commonness of skylights and reasons for wanting skylights were evaluated by different subjects. One finding was that subjects believed skylights were less common than they would like them to be. Results also indicated that mean skylight preferences are reasonably reliable as well as predictable by both commonness and reasons. Experiment 3 was similar to Experiment 2 except that a within-subjects design was used. The results confirmed the findings of Experiment 2. In addition, they provided more detailed information about the relative importance of commonness and reasons for each space studied. Implications for future research and theory are discussed.
Effects of Signage and Floor Plan Configuration on Wayfinding Accuracy
Authors: O'Neill Michael J.
Published: March 2007

Signage is commonly employed to enhance wayfinding efficiency, especially in buildings with complex floor plan configurations. This study examines the influence of floor plan complexity and several types of signage on wayfinding within a series of buildings on a university campus. The study used a 5 x 3 factorial experimental design. The first factor, complexity of floor plan configuration, is defined through five alternatives. The second factor, signage, has three conditions: no signage, textual signage, or graphic signage. The results show that as floor plan complexity increases, wayfinding performance decreases. Graphic signage produced the greatest rate of travel in all settings, but textual signage was the most effective in reducing wayfinding errors, such as wrong turns and backtracking. Overall, the addition of signage resulted in a 13% increase in rate of travel, a 50% decrease in wrong turns, and a 62% decrease in backtracking across the five settings. However, plan configuration was found to exert a significant influence regardless of signage, because the wayfinding performance of participants with access to signage in the most complex settings remained equivalent to, or significantly poorer than, those in the simplest settings with no signage.
Very Hot and Really Crowded
Authors: Ruback R. Barry , Dey Janak Pan
Published: March 2007

Two studies investigated how temperature and crowding affect attitudes and behavior. In the first study, passengers in three-wheeled autorickshaws were interviewed under one of three levels of crowding and at one of three temperature ranges during February (M = 80.3°F), April (M = 88.3°F), and May (M = 99.2°F). Analyses revealed a main effect for crowding on most dependent measures, a main effect for temperature on a few measures, and interactions of these variables on measures of crowding and general affect. In the second study, passengers riding under crowded or noncrowded conditions were told of the sensory/emotional effects of either crowding or heat, or they were not told anything. Results indicated that crowding produced negative effects and that telling people about the effects of heat gave participants the feeling of greater perceived control as compared to telling them about the effects of crowding.
Direct and Interactive Effects of the Physical Work Environment on Attitudes
Authors: Carlopio James R. , Gardner Dianne
Published: March 2007

This study examined the direct and interactive relationships among several elements of the physical work environment (i.e., type of office, personal computer [PC] use, and ergonomic furniture), types of work (i.e., clerical, professional, and managerial, and supervisory versus nonsupervisory), and employee attitudes (i.e., satisfaction and environmental perceptions). Two-hundred and twenty-eight employees of a large bank completed questionnaires. Analyses of variance revealed both direct and interactive effects. Differences were found across those with and without PCs and ergonomic furniture on various attitudes and perceptions. Differences were also found across office types, as were interactive effects among work types and office types. These results support the hypothesis that relationships among these variables are complex and interactive, and illustrate that perceptions of the physical environment are moderated by the job level and the type of work people perform.
The Spatial Arrangements of Ordinary English Houses
Authors: Shoul Michael
Published: March 2007

The 45 apartments of the PSSHAK housing estate in London are analyzed using Hillier and Hanson's syntactic method to discover the range of spatial arrangements arising from a participatory design process stimulated by ideas proposed in John Habraken's Supports. There is a compelling family likeness to all the tenant-planned units; this far outweighs any expression of personal individuality through plan organization. The regularities discovered are described as the morphology of ordinary English domestic space. It is suggested that this particular morphological type could form part of a brief for mass housing in the UK. A conclusion is made that `planning your own accommodation" within housing projects that call for tenant participation in the design process (such as those labeled community architecture) is of relatively minor importance and far less significant than had been supposed. The results of this brand of community architecture may be satisfaction through a Hawthorne effect rather than through personalization of living space. The research also suggests that the purported virtues of user participation in design may, paradoxically, be predicated on an agenda that is determined by the profession's need to maintain its control of design.
Satisfaction with Public Housing in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Kaitilla Sababu
Published: March 2007

Almost everywhere, the need to increase the supply of conventional public housing especially for the low-income urban households at affordable cost has undoubtedly sacrificed indoor space living standards. This study reports the findings of an investigation of urban households' satisfaction with public housing in West Taraka, one of the low-income housing suburbs in the city of Lae. The results of the study suggest that informants were significantly dissatisfied with their houses. Aspects of dissatisfaction referred to the size of houses, number of rooms and living/dining areas, lack of storage space, and poorly laid out and badly designed kitchen, toilet, and bathroom facilities. Finally, the study proposes the need to urgently review current architectural housing design criteria by closely examining and systematically recording cultural domiciliary patterns of Papua New Guineans.
Paradigms of Postmodernity and Implications for Planning and Design Review Processes
Authors: Sancar Fahriye Hazer
Published: March 2007

Social discourse regarding design issues evolves in the contexts of the scholarly arena, the city hall, the courts, the public media, and the use/action realm or everyday life. Design review, narrowly conceived, is one of the formal mechanisms within the broader context of this social discourse. In this conception, the impact of design review on the physical environment is direct and immediate but specific and limited in scope. Altematively, it can also be considered as a generic process encompassing any or all instances of collective and critical reflection on design issues. These diverse processes may appear to lack coherence, but they have a much more fundamental and lasting effect because they shape the tacit assumptions and beliefs underlying our more direct actions. Here the broader context of design review will be considered. Following a discussion of the spatial scene, the evolution of three constructs during the past three decades-place, sustainability, and participation-into full-blown paradigms is summarized. It is shown that the three together are converging into a worldview that is taking hold globally. This emerging worldview, then, provides the grounds and the backing for substantive and procedural discussion of planning and design review.
Factors Influencing Community Residents' Participation in Commingled Curbside Recycling Programs
Authors: Gamba Raymond J. , Oskamp Stuart
Published: March 2007

Commingled curbside recycling, a system where household residents put all recyclable materials in one container, is a new form of recycling that has been initiated to decrease the amount of household waste sent to landfills. In a suburb with a new commingled program, a mail survey of environmental and recycling attitudes was sent to 603 households with a 76% response rate. Observations of actual recycling behavior showed a 68% average participation rate on five successive collection days, with a total participation rate of 91% over that period. Based on these observations, the level of self-reported participation was slightly overstated. Relevant recycling knowledge was the most significant predictor of observed recycling behavior, and content-specific motivations for or against recycling discriminated between frequent and infrequent recyclers. Relevant recycling knowledge and a few specific attitudinal measures were significant predictors of self-reported recycling behavior.
The Effects of Public Commitment and Group Feedback on Curbside Recycling
Authors: De Leon Iser G. , Fuqua R. Wayne
Published: March 2007

This study examined the effects of three community interventions that rely on socially mediated consequences, rather than financial incentives, to promote consumer recycling. Households in the commitment-only group signed a letter making a public commitment to recycle and giving permission to publish their names in a local newspaper. The feedback-only group received weekly feedback on pounds of recyclable paper generated by their group. A combined-intervention group received a combination of the two previous interventions. Relative to baseline, the feedback-only and the combined-intervention groups increased the weight of recyclable paper by 25.47% and 40.00%, respectively. In contrast, neither the commitment-only group nor a no-intervention control group showed substantial changes over the same period. The implications of these interventions for developing community-wide recycling programs are discussed.
Gender and Environmental Risk Concerns
Authors: Davidson Debra J. , Freudenburg Wiluam R.
Published: March 2007

Accumulated research findings show that women tend to express higher levels of concern toward technology and the environment than do men, but that the tendency is not universal. The findings are particularly clear-cut for local facilities and/or nuclear and other technologies that are often seen as posing nisks of contamination; findings appear to be more mixed for broader patterns of environmental concern. Although the differing patterns have been reported with enough consistency to be considered relatively robust, less progress has been made to date in explaining the underlying dynamics. Five main hypotheses can be identified. One hypothesis, the expectation that increased knowledge will lead to decreased concern, has received so little support, despite repeated examination, that it can be discarded. Another, that women tend to express greater concern than do men about the health and safety implications of any given level of technological risk, has received consistent support. The remaining 3 hypotheses require additional empincal examination.
Mediated Culture in the Middle East: Diffusion, Democracy, Difficulties
Authors: Sreberny Annabelle
Published: March 2007

This overview attempts to place the region in wider historical and cultural contexts. The recent and rapid developments in media are discussed, while particular attention is paid to the dynamics of democratization, gender participation and Internet access in the Middle East.
The Iranian Press and the Continuing Struggle Over Civil Society 1998-2000
Authors: Khiabany Gholam , Sreberny Annabelle
Published: March 2007

This article maps the manner in which the press has become a key site in the ongoing struggle between conservatives and reformers inside the Islamic Republic of Iran. A more moderate president has encouraged renewed debate about civil society, often evident in new titles and newspaper content, while the forces of conservatism continue to fear and censor such debate. A new struggle around an old medium is very live in Iran.
The Zapatistas Online
Authors: Russell Adrienne
Published: March 2007

This study examines the complex and contradictory dynamic of localization and globalization as they are manifest in online postings created by Zapatista supporters in Mexico. The aim is to develop an understanding of the dimensions of the Internet that contribute to its efficacy as a tool in grassroots globalization. Online newsgroup postings and websites created by Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) supporters are examined here in terms of the technological dimensions particular to computer-mediated communication. These dimensions include a relative lack of centralized control, the decentered author, interactivity and an alliance-building capacity. Combined, these technological dimensions facilitate a particular type of communication and contribute to a broadening of the discourse regarding the Mexican government as well as dominant conceptions of the Mexican nation.
Value Representations in Foreign News
Authors: Beaudoin Christopher E. , Thorson Esther
Published: March 2007

The study articulates `a values approach' to understanding foreign news coverage in a prestige American newspaper. A system of 13 values - including altruism and freedom, materialism and peace - is articulated, with values examined in terms of how foreign nations, groups and individuals were represented in news coverage. The study finds that values are clustered along two dimensions: (1) conflict; and (2) positive. In addition, values were distributed differently according to story type, story domain and focal nation. Specifically, Asia was depicted as materialistic, Western Europe as beautiful, Africa as consumed with power issues and the Eastern bloc and former Soviet states as concerned with security. The findings rise from a content analysis of 338 news stories.
Media/Cultural Product Exchanges between China and Taiwan
Authors: Hong Junhao
Published: March 2007

For four decades there were virtually no exchanges of media/cultural products between China and Taiwan. This situation began to change around the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Now, media/cultural exchanges between the two have reached an unprecedented level. Changes in their media/cultural relations have been closely related to changes in their economic and political relations. The cultural interaction is both a reflection and a result of their ongoing political integration. This article examines the media/cultural exchanges between China and Taiwan in the last 15 years or so, and their main characteristics and implications. The study discusses the motivations for the changes, the various factors contributing to the changes, and the impact of the changes. The research is primarily based on the author's recent research trips to China and Taiwan and conducted essentially with an analytic approach and first-hand data.
`China Daily' Coverage of Rural Development
Authors: Culbertson Hugh M.
Published: March 2007

This study is a content analysis of 214 articles and columns about mainland Chinese rural development which appeared in China Daily in 1992-5. Basic findings were as follows: (1) the paper reported on varied objects of coverage, apparently reflecting the Chinese government's opening to the West on economic matters; (2) quoted news sources were dominated by government-controlled institutions, presumably reflecting Deng Xiaoping's lack of `opening' in the political sphere; (3) coverage focused heavily on government-approved solutions in rural development, not on causal factors, advantages or disadvantages of existing circumstances. Data were analyzed in line with information-processing theory and were interpreted in light of Aggarwala's and Altschull's concepts about the press's role in development.
Indonesian Television News-Making Before and After Suharto
Authors: d'Haenens Leen , Gazali Effendi , Verelst Chantal
Published: March 2007

The first part of the article sketches the fast-changing Indonesian television landscape: until a few years ago Indonesian audiences were used to watching the state-owned TVRI channel only. Nowadays they can choose among five additional commercial stations. The second part of the article looks at the extent to which the national context allows for `quality' in television news or if, on the contrary, it constitutes an impediment to it. In-dept interviews with local news-makers and policy-makers in both state television and commercial television stations highlight two major problem areas for news-making: an omnipresent political control and a lack of professionalism. Finally, the article examines the roles played by Indonesian television news departments during the current period of political upheaval and reform.
What Goes Around, Comes Around
Authors: Sewell Graham
Published: March 2007

This article examines the ideological and philosophical antecedents of current popular management approaches that advocate empowerment through teamwork. These approaches frequently assume that a predisposition toward teamwork is an uncontested historical fact. The author argues that this invokes largely an invented tradition of teamwork, one based on romanticized and mythical depictions of preindustrial work. This invention serves useful ideological and practical purposes for advocates of teamwork, as it depicts extensive organizational change as a return to a more natural form of organization. Accepting, without question, the myth that we have always worked in teams can even give rise to the view that any other way of organizing must be anomalous. In its most extreme form, this involves the assertion that teamwork is an expression of our biologically determined human nature. By revealing the mythical roots of this tradition, this article contributes to a developing critique of the relationship between teamwork and empowerment.
An Ethnographic Study of Culture in the Context of Organizational Change
Authors: Heracleous Loizos
Published: March 2007

The author employed an ethnographic research approach, combined with a clinical element, to explore the nature and role of culture in the context of organizational change. The study took place at the U. K. operations of a global human resources consulting firm, People Associates. Using Schein’s levels of culture model, the author identified cultural assumptions and values and explored how these relate to behaviors, using the author’s relationship with the organization as a rich data source. This study contributes in two main ways: first, it shows how an organizational culture develops historically, is internally coherent, and has potent effects on behaviors that should be studied and understood by managers and clinicians undertaking organizational change programs. Second, it highlights and illustrates how researcher reflexivity and subject reactivity can be useful sources of data for understanding an organization.