bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small Group Work Climates
Authors: Putnam Linda L.
Published: March 2007

This study examines procedural messages and group work habits of 20 three-person groups, 10 who preferred a tightly-structured work climate and 10 who preferred a free-associative work routine. The groups interacted for 15 minutes on a party-planning task and then prepared a written report. Group talk was coded into nine categories and analyzed with a lag-sequential procedure. Results of the study reveal that tightly structured groups followed procedural messages with abstract headings that organized group talk, while free-associative groups followed procedural statements with specific details on a content-related issue. Moreover, group members elaborated upon procedural issues, particularly at lag 1 occurrences, and embellished digressions for the entire 25 lags. These findings suggest that practitioners who aim to help groups improve their work habits should focus upon the sequences of talk in addition to the inputs or outcomes of a group.
Self-Presentational Determinants of Sex Differences in Leadership Behavior
Authors: Forsyth Donelson R. , Schlenker Barry R. , Leary Mark R. , McCown Nancy E.
Published: March 2007

Men and women placed in leadership positions communicated information about their skills and abilities to their subordinates. Although leaders' perceptions of their abilities, group members' knowledge of their leader's abilities, and the specific skills needed by the leader were all manipulated in the experimental setting, self- presentations of ability were primarily determined by sex role stereotypes rather than by situational factors. Results indicated that (1) male leaders emphasized their social influence and task abilities; (2) female leaders emphasized their interper sonal, socioemotional abilities; and (3) group members felt task ability, as com pared to interpersonal ability, was a far more important skill for a leader to possess. It was concluded that sex differences in male and female leadership behavior may be due to self-presentational conformity to sex roles, and that this conformity enhances males' leadership effectiveness while detracting from females' leadership effectiveness.
Participant Change in Sensitivity Training Groups
Authors: Beck John E.
Published: March 2007

Changes in individual construing processes, as examined in terms of two repertory grids (interpersonal and behavioral), were examined for students in British institutions of higher learning, with reference to T-group or experiential learning group outcomes. There is little support for the hypotheses that predict consistent positive change in the participants' construct systems, such as convergence to self and ideal self or self-awareness. Reasons for these negative findings are discussed. Additional analyses suggest that sensitivity training may have had the effect of enabling some participants to develop greater interpersonal discrimination, whereas others seemed to show less discrimination at the end of the program. This finding is subjected to further interpretation.
Cohesion and Productivity in Work Groups
Authors: Greene Charles N.
Published: March 2007

Causal modeling procedures are utilized to investigate the relationship between cohesion and productivity in 54 recently formed work groups within the framework of a nine-month longitudinal field study. The results provide evidence of the central role of group acceptance of organizational goals in determining both productivity and cohesion. Goal acceptance affected group productivity positively via two routes: (1) directly and (2) indirectly via its direct effects on group drive. The results also suggest that the relationship between cohesion and productivity is reciprocal but that causation in either direction occurs only in groups exhibiting high goal acceptance and high drive levels. Implications of these findings for the management of work groups are discussed.
The Oral Tradition
Authors: Polley Richard Brian
Published: March 2007

The telling of stories provides rich information about organizations, groups, and cultures as well as about the teller of the tale. Although written traditions tend to fossilize stories and legends, the oral tradition keeps these tales vital and relevant. A method for the analysis of this fantasy material is presented, and several examples relating to the organizational context are discussed. Martins, Feldman, Hatch, and Sitkin's (1983) organizational stories from their Administrative Science Quarterly article are reanalyzed via this new technique, and several versions of the Lewin story concerning the origin of T Groups are compared. Suggestions are made concerning intervention in organizations at the levels of myth, legend, and story.
Effects of Creative Problem Solving Training on Communication Behaviors in Small Groups
Authors: Firestien Roger L.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated tlhe differences in communication behaviors in small groups trained in creative problem solving (CPS) with groups not trained in CPS. Forty groups of five members each were evaluated (22 trained groups and 18 untrained groups). Communication behaviors evaluated were amount of participation, evenness of participation, verbal indications of criticism, verbal indications of support, and verbal and nonverbal indications of humor. Groups were also evaluated on the quantity of ideas generated. Results indicated that groups trained in CPS participated more, criticized ideas less, supported ideas more, exhibited more verbal and nonverbal indications of humor, and produced more ideas than did untrained groups-all at a significant level. Groups trained in CPS did not participate evenly as compared to groups not trained in CPS. This finding is examined in light of the role of the idea recorder in the groups.
Social Complexity, Threat, Ego Defenses, and Labeling the Other a Deviant
Authors: Ferrari Arthur
Published: March 2007

This article provides an examination of ego defense and their role in triggering people to lable another as deviant in a developing small group. Swanson's theory posits a relationship between the complexity of a social relationship and the complexity of ego defense when self and relationaship are threatened. Support was found for the purported relationship and showed that disparate levels of social interaction played a role in the decision to label(which in this study's instance was compounded by apparent racism).
The Psychodynamics of Small Group Transformation
Authors: Gemmill Gary , Wynkoop Cal
Published: March 2007

A psychodynamic theory of transformational processes surrounding focal issues in small groups is presented. The discussion focuses on describing a model of second-order changes in small groups and the underlying psychodynamics. Overt and covert intellectual and emotional issues in each of four transformational phases (hanging-on, working-through, letting-go, and moving-on) are analyzed. A researchable proposition derivable from the model is outlined.
Time, Interaction, and Performance (TIP)
Authors: Mcgrath Joseph E.
Published: March 2007

This article presents a theory of groups. The theory takes a more molarperspective on groups than has often been the case in group research. It gives special emphasis to temporal processes in group interaction and task performance. The three main sections of the article present the theory as a series of propositions about the nature of groups, temporal processes in group behavior, and temporal aspects of interaction, respectively. The final section presents brief comments on some implications and potential applications of the theory.
Simple Dilemmas, Complex Dilemmas, and Experimental Research
Authors: Schwartz-Shea Peregrine , Orbell John M.
Published: March 2007

Social dilemma logic has provided an important paradigm for the laboratory study of how people respond to choice situations in which one option advances individual welfare but detracts from social welfare, and the research agenda based on this logic has been to discover circumstances that promote "cooperation. " Yet the power of various social dilemma metaphors may have turned experimentalists' attention from other members of a more general family in which cooperation's desirability is often more ambiguous and in which, therefore, the normative and ethical issues underlying the individual's choices are more difficult. We present a typology of 12 such "complex social dilemmas, " discussing, with examples, the behavioral, ethical, and experimental-design issues the different types raise.
Group Cohesion Effects in Exercise Classes
Authors: Spink Kevin S. , Carron Albert V.
Published: March 2007

Membership in cohesive groups has a powerful influence on individual behaviors such as adherence and conformity. Although the psychological andphysiological benefits of exercise have been well documented, individual adherence has proven to be problematic. Given that exercise classes are minimal groups at best, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether measures of cohesion secured during the early stages of group development could be used to predictsubsequent drop-out behavior In Study 1, participants in universityfitness classes were administered the Group Environment Questionnaire after the third week of a 13-week session. Adherence behavior, as measured by absenteeism, was monitored for 4 weeks and used to form two extreme groups-regular attenders and drop-outs. The regular attenders (n = 20) were those individuals who attended at least 66% of the monitored classes; drop-outs (n = 17) were those individuals who were absent for all classes in the monitored period. Discriminant function analysis showed that regular attenders held significantly greater perceptions of task cohesion than the drop-outs. Study 2 was a replication with exercise participants in private fitness clubs. A protocol identical to Study 1 was used to measure cohesion, operationalize adherence and analyze the data. Perceptions of cohesion again were a reliable predictor of adherence in the private club setting. However, it was measures of social cohesion that significantly discriminated between regular attenders (n = 30) and drop-outs (n = 16). The results were discussed in terms of their implications for (a) the dynamics of minimal groups, (b) the generality of the cohesion-adherence relationship in exercise groups, (c) the importance of considering the setting, and (d) health behavior change intervention programs.
The Effects of Salient Group Memberships on Persuasion
Authors: Mcgarty Craig , Haslam S. Alexander , Hutchinson Karen J. , Turner John C.
Published: March 2007

Previous theories of both social influence and persuasion have maintained a dichotomy between influence which is seen as thoughtful, grounded in objective reality and is longlasting, and influence which is impressionistically based and involves more superficial processing. Many theorists have suggested that groups are influential by means of the latter form of influence. Itfollowsfrom such a perspective that differences in the persuasive power of ingroups and outgroups should be mediated by peripheral cues rather than the persuasive nature of the message. In two experiments (Ns = 129 and 90) it was found that outgroups were less persuasive than ingroups when group memberships were made salient by having subjects commit themselves to groups. This is inconsistent with the traditional view but consistent with self-categorization theory. There was also evidence of more accurate recall by subjects in the salient ingroup condition. These effects are evidence against the view that group-based processing involves peripheral processing of the message.
Extending Interaction Ctheory
Authors: Shelly Robert K.
Published: March 2007

Theories of social interaction focus on attributes of persons, situational expression of these attributes, and relation of personal attributes to those of others in groups. Task groups are the main topic of interest in these studies. This article briefly reviews core ideas of one theory of interaction. This theory emphasizes the relational explanation of organizing interaction. Developments within the theory based on research that is both supportive of it and challenging to it are discussed. The article concludes with a brief overview of other articles in this special issue.
Validation Studies of the Group Development Questionnaire
Authors: Wheelan Susan A. , Hochberger Judith M.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the theoretical underpiunings, construction, and validation process of an instrument designed to measure developmental processes in groups. A total of 164 employees of three health care facilities comprised the validation sample. Reliability and intemal consistency were assessed. The process of establishing content, concurrent, criterion-related, and construct validity is also reported. The results support the reliability and validity of the Group Development Questionnaire. The existence of a dependable measure of group development may stimulate more basic research of group development and may encourage the creation of more research tools in this important area of study.
Representing Interactional Judgments in Multilateral Bargaining
Authors: Ostmann Axel
Published: March 2007

In face-to-face bargaining, one usuallyfinds a large variety of actions that are not explainable and sometimes not even compatible with the usual rationality assunmptions of the actors. It is widely accepted that bounded rationality approaches are more appropriate for such settings. Most bounds to rationality refer to how the situation and the partners are perceived by the actor Two crucial components of such a perception and judgment are conceptualized as processing aspirations and the socialfield. Ostmann reported on the use of the socialfield concept and on afirst trial to explain bargaining results by aspirations and the socialfield; Another paper explored aspiration processing in a more detailed way. This article deals with questions of how nonstandard measures for the socialfield concept can be used successfully to explain or predict fundamental processes in face-to-face-bargaining.
Task Interdependence and Personal Power in Teams
Authors: Franz Randal S.
Published: March 2007

The project investigated the power dynamics in preexisting corporate research and development teams using a network-based methodology. Emerson's (1962) exchange-based power-dependence theory was used to formulate guiding hypotheses. In addition, Thompson's (1967) typology of organizational interdependence was used to differentiate between types of task interdependence. Power was operationalized as the amount of influence each member exerted about decisions regarding coworkers and/or the team. Heightened task dependence was expected to negatively affect personal power The different kinds of task interdependence were found to have very different power implications. Thompson's distinction between sequential and reciprocal task interdependence was necessary to untangle the underlying power-dependence processes. Furthermore, the findings leave much to be explained and might suggest the need to consider additional interdependence dynamics and/or alternative exchange frameworks to more accurately accountfor the personal power dynamics in the collective context offormal organizations.
Attributions of Shy and Not-Shy Group Members for Collective Group Performance
Authors: Bradshaw Scott D. , Stasson Mark F.
Published: March 2007

The current study sought to extend research on shyness from a focus on individuals and dyadic interactions to the role of shyness in small decision-making groups by examining attributions for group performance by shy and not-shy persons and the affect experienced as a result of performance feedback Seventy-four participants were randomly assigned to small groups and completed a decision-making task. When given performance feedback, not-shy participants made group-serving attributions and experienced more positive affect following group success than failure. Shy participants minimized their responsibility for both group success and failure, attributed the cause of success equally between the group and the situation, and attributed the cause of failure to the group itself. Shy participants' affect did not vary as a result of the performance feedback. Shy persons, based on their self-reports, appeared to isolate themselves within the group, attending to group interactions but withholding ideas and not fully participating.
Improving Medical Care: The Use of Simulation Technology
Authors: Streufert Siegfried , Satish Usha , Barach Paul
Published: March 2007

Simulations may be employed in medicine to enhance competency and to improve care. This article provides an overview of simulation technologies that involve human performance in complex task settings. Distinctions between simulations and related methodologies are made. The application of different simulation types to medicine are considered.
Simulation-Based Training in Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management (ACRM): A Decade of Experience
Authors: Gaba David M. , Howard Steven K. , Fish Kevin J. , Smith Brian E. , Sowb Yasser A.
Published: March 2007

Several gaps exist in the training of clinicians in health care domains, such as anesthesiology, that have the cognitive profile of complexity and dynamism. These features are shared with other industries such as commercial aviation. Training for cockpit crews on Crew Resource Management (CRM) emphasizes decision-making and teamwork principles. The authors created a simulation-based curriculum (ACRM) for anesthesiology based on principles of CRM in aviation. The training philosophy adapted to health care is one of training single-discipline crews to work in teams. The ACRM curriculum involves highly realistic simulation scenarios requiring complex decision making and interaction with multiple personnel. Scenarios are each followed by a detailed debriefing using videotapes of the simulation session. ACRM has been adopted at major health care institutions around the world. Special training for instructors is provided, especially concerning debriefing. The ACRM approach has been extended to a wide variety of other health care domains that involve complexity and dynamism, such as emergency and trauma medicine, intensive care, and cardiac arrest response teams. Simulation-based training based on CRM principles is expected to become routine in many health care settings in the coming decade.
An Empirical Investigation of Integrated Multicriteria Group Decision Models in a Simulation/Gaming Context
Authors: Affisco John F. , Chanin Michael N.
Published: March 2007

This article proposes two models of group decision making that integrate mathematical and behavioral concepts. Further, the results of an empirical test of these two integrated spatial proximity multicriteria decision-making-problem-solving technology models are presented. The performance of these models is compared to the performance of a nonintegrated multicriteria model for two strategic operations decisions: plant location and process selection. The empirical test utilized free simulation methodology and was conducted in the context of the Business Management Laboratory simulation game. Results include the finding that both the integrated and nonintegrated models generally described choices more accurately than a random process did. Findings relating the performance of the integrated models to that of the nonintegrated model were mixed. For the process selection decision, one integrated model, TOPSIS-PST, outperformed the others. Additional results indicate that the number of decision criteria might be a critical factor to consider when selecting a multicriteria decision-making model Finally, the study showed free simulation to be a valuable methodology for the study of multicriteria decision making.
A Faculty Participant's Perspective
Authors: Goosen Kenneth R.
Published: March 2007

As a participant in the second annual ABSEL simulation competition for its members, the author found the experience not only enjoyable but a rewarding learning exercise while playing AIRLINE, a management simulation. The article summarizes and then elaborates on eight specific observations offered by the author that can be applied to better administration of simulations and improved readability of simulation manuals.
Simulation in Mexico: A Case Study Using CLUG
Authors: Anderson Richard A.
Published: March 2007

The article presents a brief overview of CLUG and discusses a few runs of it in the graduate planning program of the Instituto de Ingeneria y Arquitectura of the University of Juarez, Mexrico. As such it suggests ways that CLUG might be improved when operated in a developing country.
Prejudice-Reduction Simulations: Notes on their Use and Abuse a Reply to Williams and Giles
Authors: Byrnes Deborah A. , Kiger Gary
Published: March 2007

This article is a reply to a critique by Williams and Gils of a previous article on prejudice-reduction simulations. The three areas of concern include the ethics of conducting prejudice-reduction simulations, the evaluation of simulation effectiveness, and the correspondence between social psychological theory and simulation practice.
Modeling Interactive Effects in Mathematical Functions for Business Simulations: A Critique of Goosen and Kusel's Interpolation Approach
Authors: Gold Steven C.
Published: March 2007

The article by Goosen and Kusel advocates the use of an interpolation algorithm as an alternative to the use of complex mathematical equations. The advocated simplicity of the approach may be questioned when one considers the possibility of interactive effects between the dependent and independent variables in the functional relationships embodied in a business simulation. Interactive effects are not directly addressed and it is not clear how these would be systematically included in the general case.
Principles for the Design and Selection of Combat Simulations
Authors: Might Robert J.
Published: March 2007

Combat simulations have many uses and a wide diversity of users. As a result, choosing an appropriate simulation is a complex decision. Unfortunately, in the past the process has tended to be very unstructured. There are normally only two options: design and build a new simulation, or select an existing simulation and modify it as necessary. In both cases, the emphasis has been on short-term requirements, without much attention to long-term implications, such as operating and maintenance costs and how the simulation integrates with other analytical tools used by the combat modeling community. Systematic improvement in satisfying current user needs, as well as cost-effective use in the long term will occur only if some basic principles are employed in the design and use of combat models. This article first addresses the architectural principles associated with proper combat simulation design. It then focuses on user needs and the integration of combat simulations into a metasystem of analytical tools. The discussion proposes that user needs and integration cannot be properly addressed in the long term without improvements in the architecture of all combat simulations.
Aggression Replacement Training: Curriculum and Evaluation
Authors: Goldstein Arnold P. , Glick Barry
Published: March 2007

Aggression Replacement Training (ART) is a multimodal intervention design to alter the behavior of chronically aggressive youth. It consists of skillstreaming, designed to teach a broad curriculum of prosocial behavior, anger control training, a method for empowering youth to modify their own anger responsiveness, and moral reasoning training, to help motivate youth to employ the skills learned via the other components. The authors present a series of efficacy evaluations, which combine to suggest that ART is an impactful intervention. With considerable reliability, it appears to promote skills acquisition and performance, improve anger control, decrease the frequency of acting-out behaviors, and increase the frequency of constructive, prosocial behaviors. Beyond institutional walls, its effects persist. In general, its potency appears to be sufficiently adequate that its continued implementation and evaluation with chronically aggressive youngsters is clearly warranted.
Tools for Discovery: Experimenting with Simulations
Authors: Druckman Daniel
Published: March 2007

The methodology of experimental simulation is illustrated with examples of discoveries made during the course of a long research career The discoveries resulted from experiments performed in such simulated settings as collective bargaining, the Inter-Nation Simulation, political decision making, ecumenical councils, international environmental negotiations, and peace conferences. Some of these discoveries have been generated through the design process: for example, the way that values and interests interact during the political decision-making process. Other discoveries were findings that served to arbitrate among competing hypotheses, for example, the relative importance of alternative approaches to resolving conflicts of interest. The insights gained through the years demonstrate the value of simulation as a tool for experimentation. Whether these insights generalize widely to similar settings and populations remains an issue. Both the findings and the issues are summarized.
The Soviet Global Model: SIMIGDP
Authors: Brecke Peter
Published: March 2007

Integrated global models are computer simulations that have been developed over the past two decades to provide a unique tool for understanding global-scale problems and their solutions. This article describes a major global modeling effort conducted in the Soviet Union that until recently has been virtually unknown in the West. The sections of this article cover the orientation and thrusts of the SIM/GDP project and brief descriptions of key submodels.
Thirty-Five Years in Gaming
Authors: Feldt Allan G.
Published: March 2007

The article recounts a few events in the evolution of urban simulation/gaming in which the author has been involved over the past 35 years.
Team Cohesion, Player Attitude, and Performance Expectations in Simulation
Authors: Wellington William J. , Faria A. J.
Published: March 2007

The present study examines the relationship of team cohesion, participant attitudes, and performance expectations to actual performance results in a simulation competition. These measures were not only taken at the beginning and end of the competition but also during each decision-making period. The rigorously controlled experiment involving 389 students found a strong relationship between beginning team cohesion and performance expectations and final game performance, but little relationship between beginning participant attitudes and performance. Further, whereas participant attitudes and performance expectations changed over time in relation to game performance, team cohesion did not.
How Consistent Are Winning Strategies? The Role of Competitor Analysis and Budgets on Performance in a Simulation
Authors: Neal Derrick J.
Published: March 2007

This article looks at the role of competitor analysis in the development of marketing strategies in a business simulation. It is, in part, a replication of an earlier study by Green and Faria that indicated that good strategic decisions are, on the whole, successful even when actions of competitors are ignored completely. The current study, based on the MARKSTRAT2 simulation, confirmed the results of Green and Faria in that the strategies continued to be successful in an environment with different competitors. However, in the rerun situation, the winning strategies did not deliver the profits necessary to earn the budget levels achieved in the original run of the simulation, and the original strategies could only be pursued by providing additional funding. In this sense, it is clear that in the reruns, the original strategies were less successful, thus supporting the notion that competitor analysis is an important step in strategy development.
Applying Clinical Trials in Social Work Practice
Authors: Cnaan Ram A.
Published: March 2007

Social work is in the midst of a trend to assess the efficacy of various modes of treatment. This article presents a research method heavily utilized in the biomedical sector and currently entering the psychosocial disciplines to achieve this goal, namely, controlled clinical trials. This method is first described, some studies which employed it are presented, its potential benefits are explored, the problems it poses for social work use are summarized, and conclusions are put forth which suggest steps necessary for its successful use in social work practice.
Choosing Weapons for the War on "Crack": An Operant Analysis
Authors: Mattaini Mark A.
Published: March 2007

Addiction to "crack" cocaine has rapidly emerged as a crucial social and political problem, particularly in major urban areas. Working as they do in child and family services, health and mental health, and other major social institutional settings, as well as in clinical and policy positions dealing directly with crack users, social workers deal increasingly with the resulting casualties. The current knowledge base is limited, but sufficient information about this substance, and addictive behavior in general, currently exists to provide tentative directions for clinical practice, pilot projects in prevention and treatment, and community-level intervention. This article considers the existing information, examining the data from an operant perspective that focuses particularly on potentially manipulable environmental factors, congruent with the ecosystemic perspective that uniquely characterizes social work practice. Probable crucial contingencies are identified, and directions for future work are suggested.
The Influence of the Graduate Student Research Project on Practice Research
Authors: Yegidis Bonnie L.
Published: March 2007

This article reports on an empirical investigation regarding the influence of the MSW research project on subsequent practice research. The study sought to determine if the type or method of the required MSW research project influenced the conduct of research by social workers after graduation. The major independent variables were the types of research and methods of data gathering used in the MSW project. The outcome measures were the number and types of research projects that subjects had conducted since graduation. The study group comprised 98 recent MSW graduates of the University of South Florida School of Social Work. The survey instrument was a closed-ended one designed specifically for this study. The analysis of data showed that 38% had conducted some type of research project since graduation. Of these studies, 76% were program evaluations, and 24% were single-subject evaluations. The findings are discussed in terms of the research-practice gap in social work.
Counseling Update: A Flexible Monitoring Method for the Client and Practitioner
Authors: Freiband David , Jayaratne Srinika , Talsma Eugene , Tommasulo Charles
Published: March 2007

Recent years have seen a number of articles questioning both the utility and practicality of single-case designs. The authors propose a flexible monitoring method for practice evaluation. The proposed method is presented as a dynamic model, one that utilizes the existing evaluative procedures of the practitioner. This flexible method is proposed within the general outlines of developmental research. It is proposed as a method designed to lead practitioners toward an empirical model of practice. Some case examples are provided to substantiate the utility and value of the model.
Social Work Practice With Caregivers of Frail Older Adults
Authors: McCallion Philip , Toseland Ronald W. , Diehl Manfred
Published: March 2007

This article provides a review of the empirical literature on social work practice with the family caregivers of frail older adults, focusing on the evidence in support of a variety of short- and long-term interventions. Practical applications for direct practice are described, along with suggestions for future research in this area.
Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment: What are the Differences?
Authors: Coohey Carol , Marsh Jeanne C.
Published: March 2007

The authors conducted a content analysis of prevention definitions in the general prevention literature. The pros and cons of the traditional trilogy (primary, secondary, and tertiary) of prevention definitions are examined, along with a description of key concepts, such as end-states, timing, targets, and eligibility criteria. The authors propose a conceptual alternative to this prevention trilogy, in favor of one that distinguished among prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Evaluating the Effects of a Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program on Reoffense
Authors: Nugent William R. , Paddock Jeffrey B.
Published: March 2007

This article describes an investigation of the relationship between participation in a Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) and reoffense within a year of participation. Three research questions were investigated: (a) What are the characteristics of these antisocial children and adolescents ? (b) What relationships exist between these characteristics ? (c) Do the children and adolescents who participate in the VORP program have lower reoffense rates than those who go through the more traditional juvenile justice approach? Many of the results are consistent with previous research on antisocial children and adolescents. Results also suggest that VORP participants do have lower reoffense rates and that the differences in reoffense rates between the two approaches may depend on family size.
An Experimental Study of Brief Unilateral Intervention for the Partners of Heavy Drinkers
Authors: Barber James G. , Gilbertson Robyn
Published: March 2007

This article reports on a controlled field experiment into the effectiveness of a brief unilateral intervention for the partners of heavy drinkers. Forty-five women and 3 men whose partners were both dependent on alcohol and highly resistant to change were randomly allocated to 4 experimental conditions: (a) unilateral intervention on an individual basis, (b) unilateral intervention within a group, (c) a no-treatment waiting list, and (d) traditional Al-Anon groups. Results revealed that both forms of the umlateral intervention, which is referred to as Pressures to Change, were successful in promoting change in the drinker, whereas neither of the alternatives was. However, only when Pressures to Change was offered on an individual basis did the client her- or himself report reductions in personal problems. Similar reductions were also reported by Al-Anon participants. Individual Pressures to Change was also the only intervention to produce improvements in marital consensus. The need for longitudinal research into partner interventions is identified.
An Alternative to Suspension for Middle School Youths With Behavior Problems: Findings From a "School Survival" Group
Authors: Dupper David R.
Published: March 2007

A group intervention for middle school youths with behavior problems was tested. Eighty-four subjects were randomly assigned to "school survival" groups or "attention-only" groups. The Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale (N-SLCS) was used to measure shifts in subjects' lo cus of control. Subjects completed the N-SLCS at pretest, posttest, and I-month follow-up. Sub jects who participated in school survival groups reported statistically significant shifts to a more internal locus of control as compared with subjects who participated in attention-only groups. These shifts were maintained 4 weeks after treatment. Because an internal locus of control has been shown to be a correlate of school success, it appears that the school survival group holds promise as an effective alternative to suspension.
Psychopharmacological Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Walsh Joseph
Published: March 2007

More social workers are employed in mental health service settings than any other. They frequently participate in the treatment of clients with bipolar disorder, a long-term mood disorder that has a major adverse impact on social functioning. Medication is almost always a major part of the intervention for these clients. Social workers, in their counseling and case manage ment activities, often spend more time with these clients than physicians and other members of the treatment team and thus have key consultative roles in the assessment and monitoring of medication effects. The purpose of this article is to provide social workers with an overview of the pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorder so that they can carry out their roles more effectively. This overview includes information about types of appropriate medication and their dosages, short- and long-term efficacy, side effects, and other relevant considerations for social workers.
Triangulation of Qualitative Methods: Heideggerian Hermeneutics and Grounded Theory
Authors: Wilson Holly Skodol , Hutchinson Sally A.
Published: March 2007

This article proposes the use of two qualitative research methodologies-Heideggerian hermeneutics and grounded theory-as a way to understand complex human phenomena. The hermeneutic method uses "thick description," "paradigm cases," "exemplars," and "the-matic analysis" to discover meanings and ways of being (practices) in lived experiences. The aim of grounded theory methodology is to generate an analytic schema called "a substantive grounded theory' that conceptually explains basic social processes at a higher level of abstraction. While each has its own integrity and yields different outcomes, triangulation of these two qualitative methods in one study can illuminate clinical realities that elude alternative approaches. Hermeneutics reveals the uniqueness of shared meanings and common practices that can inform the way we think about our practice; grounded theory provides a conceptual framework useful for planning interventions and further quantitative research.
The Problems of Dealing with Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly: Interviews with District Nurses
Authors: Saveman Britt-Inger , Norberg Astrid , Hallberg Ingalill R.
Published: March 2007

To discover how district nurses handled cases of elder abuse, 23 Swedish district nurses were interviewed. District nurses reported that their dealing with abusive families was like walking a fine line and that they had an overwhelming feeling of ambiguity. They experienced conflicting feelings and questions: Should they approach the families or not? did abuse really occur or not? and finally, should they intervene or not? In relation to these conflicts, the district nurses experienced powerlessness, and some of them decided to "stay with" the elderly person and comfort them instead of confronting the family. The rational idea behind this decision was described as obtaining and keeping the family's trust. Thus it seems urgent to counsel district nurses dealing with an abusive family and also to offer them the necessary education and support.
Patients' Information-Seeking Actions and Physicians' Responses in Gynecological Consultations
Authors: Weijts Wies , Widdershoven Guy , Kok Gero , Tomlow Pauline
Published: March 2007

The focus of interactional studies on patients' information-seeking behavior has almost entirely been on asking direct questions. This article offers a systematic analysis of patients' information-seeking actions and physicians' responses. Verbatim transcripts of 32 gynecological interviews audiotaped in a natural situation were analyzed. Most information-seeking actions concern the nature or procedure of treatment and are formulated in a straightforward way. However, causal aspects of complaints are often addressed through indirect requests for information. Patterns of comparable information-seeking actions and responses reveal that most information-seeking actions elicit adequate responses. Only indirect requests for information run a high risk of resulting in minimal answers. Recommendations relevant to medical practice are proposed.
A Description of Think Aloud Method and Protocol Analysis
Authors: Fonteyn Marsha E. , Kuipers Benjamin , Grobe Susan J.
Published: March 2007

Think Aloud (TA) studies provide rich verbal data about reasoning during a problem solving task. Using TA and protocol analysis, investigators can identify the information that is concentrated on during problem solving and how that information is used to facilitate problem resolution. From this, inferences can be made about the reasoning processes that were used during the problem-solving task. In the past, the validity of data obtained from TA studies has been suspect because of inconsistencies in data collection and the inability to verify findings obtained from the slow, laborious process of protocol analysis. This article describes a means of obtaining more accurate verbal data and analyzing it in a standardized step-by-step manner.
Living with Depression: Illness and Identity Turning Points
Authors: Karp David A.
Published: March 2007

This article reports on an in-depth interview investigation of 2O persons who have been diagnosed and treated for unipolar depression. The article proceeds from the observation that although a great deal of survey research has been directed at trying to understand the causes for depression, very little writing has explored the subjective experience of depression. The depression experience is conceived as a moving perspective or career through which persons try to make sense of their inherently ambiguous life condition. Analysis focuses on the major benchmarks in this career process. The key points in the career process are (a) having inchoate feelings of distress, (b) coming to feel that something is "really wrong," (c) having a crisis, (d) coming to grips with an illness identity, and sometimes (e) defining depression as a condition one can get past. Each of these stages corresponds to transformations in persons' self-conceptions.
Breast Talk in Breast Cancer Narratives
Authors: Langellier Kristin M. , Sullivan Claire F.
Published: March 2007

Breast cancer often involves uniquely mutilating treatments and is frequently assumed to produce problems specifically associated with feminine identity: body image and sexuality. But empirical research to support this assumption is sometimes mixed and nearly always quantitative in method. This study examines breast talk—specific references to breasts and breast cancer in women's illness narratives—collected in 20 open-ended, in-depth interviews with 17 White, middle-class survivors in Maine. Participants varied in age, marital status, motherhood sexual orientation, family history of breast cancer, medical diagnoses, and treatments. Phenomenological analysis of the breast talk resulted in four interrelated clusters of meanings: the medicalized breast, the functional breast, the gendered breast, and the sexualized breast. The analysis suggests both greater and fewer problems with femininity, sexuality, and body image than presumed by much research, and it urges researchers not to reproduce the objectifications and stereotyping of sexist culture.
Developing Reciprocal Trust in the Caregiving Relationship
Authors: Wilson Sharon , Morse Janice M. , Penrod Janice
Published: March 2007

A summer camp for ventilator-dependent children provided a natural laboratory in which to explore the development of a caregiver-child relationship. The campers' routine treatments were "downplayed" to create a more "normal" camp experience while ensuring that the children had a safe environment and maintained a stable medical condition. Campers who normally had consistent home caregivers were observed as they were cared for by new caregivers. Using grounded theory methods, a model describing four types of relationships-tentative,familiar, mutually protective, and connected-was developed. Strategies used by caregiver-camper dyads to sustain a relationship or to progress to a more intense relationship were identified. Developing reciprocal trust was the basic social process that enabled the caregiver and child to reach the goal of becoming connected. Previous camp experience and caregiver contact had an impact on the initial degree of trust between camper and caregiver, and subsequently, it influenced the development of the relationship. This study provides important information about the role of trust in establishing effective caregiving relationships.
The In-Basket: Real-World Teaching for a Real-World Task
Authors: Spinrad Phoebe S.
Published: March 2007

If the in-basket assignment is to be the "real- world" training that we claim it to be, the entire in-basket environment must be not just assigned, but taught. In- basket items do not appear in a vacuum; they are part of office routine. Fur thermore, there is a method of determining priorities for the items that must be answered—a method based on deadlines, degrees of complexity and im portance, and even one's own working habits—while other items simply can be discarded, or noted and filed. Only when the background and method have been taught can we expect students to approach the actual exercise as a real- world in-basket instead of as discrete additional assignments.
Patent Writing as a Heuristic for Teaching Technical Description
Authors: Norman Rose
Published: March 2007

Patent specifications have heuristic benefits as structural models for teaching technical description. Once taught how to read patents, students can use the specification's four main sections for writing assignments, structurally adapt ing a single topic-an invention-to different rhetorical contexts: (1) Back ground of the Invention describes the context into which the invention fits; (2) Summary of the Invention explains what makes the invention special; (3) Brief Description of the Drawings focuses on pictorial description; (4) Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention explains how to make the invention work. Parts 1 and 2 correspond to Aristotelian definition, while part 3 can work as physical description and part 4 as functional description or even performance instructions.
The Classroom as a Service Encounter: Suggestions for Value Creation
Authors: Chung Ed , McLarney Carolan
Published: March 2007

Drawing on marketing concepts and language, the authors propose that the classroom is a service encounter between a marketer (instructor) who provides a service (the instruction) and a group of stakeholders (students). A marketing framework is informative in that it suggests that stakeholder satisfaction is important if the instructor is invested in meeting his or her pedagogical goals (the learning experience and outcomes). In this essay, the authors discuss the concepts of service encounters and value disciplines as a means for faculty members to reevaluate their teaching and design new strategies for creating value in the management classroom.
Learning through Paradox: A Pedagogical Strategy for Exploring Contradictions and Complexity
Authors: Lewis Marianne W. , Dehler Gordon E.
Published: March 2007

Over the past decade, the notion of paradox has become increasingly of interest in organization studies. This article seeks to extend the topic to the arena of management education. Specifically, we present paradox as one means of raising the complexity of students’ understandings of what it means to manage in an increasingly turbulent world. Invoking a “pedagogy of paradox” intentionally introduces contradictions that exist simultaneously to discussion, thereby initially prompting a degree of confusion and feelings of anxiety to stimulate creative thinking that moves beyond either—or toward both—and understandings. We begin by discussing the key components of paradox, then introduce three pedagogical strategies—conceptual polarities, personal contradictions, and paradoxical predicaments—and elaborate accompanying classroom exercises for each.
Space at Work: Exercises in the Art of Understanding Physical Indicators of Culture
Authors: Barclay Lizabeth A. , York Kenneth M.
Published: March 2007

Few organizational behavior textbooks discuss the impact of physical space on employee behavior at work. Three out-of-class exercises that encourage students to actively investigate how work space is used are described. These exercises can be used to supplement lectures on organizational culture, job design, power, and politics. In addition, in-class discussion points for instructors to link space to behavior at work are provided.