Facial display of environmental policy uncertainty

Although much attention has been given to research reflecting the issue of human perception, a limited number of studies have utilized the human face as a mechanism for displaying perceptual data. This article illustrates the use of computer-generated cartoon faces as a method of portraying that data. It also demonstrates the use of this method in detecting perceptions among market drivers toward environmental protection policies. Guided by the Chernoff Faces, data from market drivers are mapped into cartoon faces which reflect perceptual expressions of the policies.The author is grateful to Dr. Morris Wilhelm, Dr. James Bowden, and Dr. James Clevenger for their constructive criticism and support and to the anonymous reviewers of theJournal of Business and Psychology for their very incisive comments.     

Covariance structure analysis of ordinal ipsative data

Data are ipsative if they are subject to a constant-sum constraint for each individual. In the present study, ordinal ipsative data (OID) are defined as the ordinal rankings across a vector of variables. It is assumed that OID are the manifestations of their underlying nonipsative vector y, which are difficult to observe directly. A two-stage estimation procedure is suggested for the analysis of structural equation models with OID. In the first stage, the partition maximum likelihood (PML) method and the generalized least squares (GLS) method are proposed for estimating the means and the covariance matrix of A_cy, where A_c is a known contrast matrix. Based on the joint asymptotic distribution of the first stage estimator and an appropriate weight matrix, the generalized least squares method is used to estimate the structural parameters in the second stage. A goodness-of-fit statistic is given for testing the hypothesized covariance structure. Simulation results show that the proposed method works properly when a sufficiently large sample is available.This research was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse Grants DA01070 and DA10017. The authors are indebted to Dr. Lee Cooper, Dr. Eric Holman, Dr. Thomas Wickens for their valuable suggestions on this study, and Dr. Fanny Cheung for allowing us to use her CPAI data set in this article. The authors would also like to acknowledge the helpful comments from the editor and the two anonymous reviewers.     

Retraction of "construing collective concerns: increasing cooperation by broadening construals in social dilemmas"

The following article has been retracted by the Editor and publishers of Psychological Science at the request of the lead author, Lawrence J. Sanna: Sanna, L. J., Chang, E. C., Parks, C. D., & Kennedy, L. A. (2009). Construing collective concerns: Increasing cooperation by broadening construals in social dilemmas. Psychological Science, 20, 1319-1321. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02458.x In a letter to the Editor (Eric Eich), Dr. Sanna wrote: The data reported in this article are invalid and should not be considered part of the scientific literature. The responsibility for this problem rests solely with the first author, Lawrence J. Sanna. Coauthors Edward C. Chang, Craig D. Parks, and Lindsay A. Kennedy are in no way responsible for this problem. In response, the Editor noted that Psychological Science follows the retraction guidelines developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Dr. Sanna was urged to follow these guidelines carefully in drafting a retraction notice, particularly with respect to stating the reasons for the retraction, to distinguish misconduct from honest error. To assist Dr. Sanna with this task, the Editor provided Dr. Sanna with a copy of the COPE guidelines (http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines) and a link to a retraction notice that was published in Psychological Science last year. This notice was considered a "model" by Retraction Watch, and Dr. Sanna was advised that, in keeping with this notice, he "must specify clearly the reasons for the retraction in such language that all of your coauthors agree to it." While awaiting Dr. Sanna's reply, the Editor sought to contact Dr. Sanna's three coauthors. Although one coauthor was aware of Dr. Sanna's request to retract the 2009 Psychological Science article, the other two were not. All of the coauthors have agreed to retraction of the article, and each has received a copy of this notice. Dr. Sanna replied by noting with regret that "research errors" have made it necessary for him to request retraction. The letter concluded with the following: "At the direction of legal counsel, I am unable to say anything further than that contained in my previous letter at this time." Because it is unclear when, if ever, details on these research errors will be forthcoming, the Editor owes it to the journal's readership to retract the article now, even though this notice does not reflect COPE guidelines or journal policy.     

Creating political websites: Balancing complexity &; usability

By integrating what is known about how people navigate the overwhelming tide of political information with research on usability, the experiments reported in this article aim to provide information about how to create political websites that are usable, engaging, and educational. This article reports on a series of four different experiments (n=478) comparing a simpler and more easily navigable website to a more complex and interactive website. The types of websites tested include: adwatches, issue grids, candidate biographies, and campaign finance sites. The results suggest that simpler, more navigable websites are preferred to more interactive websites with web tools. Results also suggest that more political information is not always preferable, as in most cases, participants rated sites with more political information lower. Brett A. Mueller received a master’s degree from the Annenberg School for Communication in 2002. This research is supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts; Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Primary Investigator. The authors than Joyce Garczynski, Jon Stromer-Galley, Svjetlana Tepavcevic, and Dannagal Goldthwaite Young for their work on the project.     

The relationship of computer self-efficacy expectations to computer interest and course enrollment in college

Gender differences in perceived self-efficacy for computer use may help account for differential computer interest and course enrollment at the college level. Three hundred sixty-eight students completed a two-page questionnaire assessing perceived computer self-efficacy, plans to take a computer science course, perceived importance of computing skills, and interest in learning about computers. Men rated themselves higher than did women for perceived self-efficacy. They were also more positive on the cognitive outcome measures, but with computer self-efficacy held constant, the magnitude of these differences was decreased, suggesting that perceived self-efficacy may be an important consideration when examining gender differences in computer interest and use.The author wishes to thank Dr. Martin Ford and Dr. Albert Bandura for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this article. This research was supported by a grant from the San Jose State University Foundation. Portions of this research were reported at the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association in San Francisco, April 1986.     

Perpetuation of gender inequality: A content analysis of comic strips

One vehicle for the perpetuation of gender inequality is mass media. The form of mass media addressed in this article is comic strips. The underlying ideology is that gender inequality is detrimental. The article examines findings from two studies: an over-all comic-strip page study and an indepth study of three comic strips. Results from both analyses reveal that comic strips do perpetuate gender inequality. Findings show that men are represented far out of proportion to their true ratio in the population while women are represented far under their true proportion. It is shown that comic strips are reflective of American society in some ways but also give a distortion of reality — one detrimental to men and women. Guidelines are suggested for the correction of this situation.The author gratefully acknowledges the editorial assistance of Dr. Butler, Dr. Mirande, and Dr. Sagatun on this project.     

Harmonizing competing rationalities in evaluating governance

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) investigate the regularity (conformity to legislation) and performance (economy, efficiency, and effectiveness) of central government policies and administration through the instrument of accountability. Both types of audit have their own research process and set of standards. This article deals with the question of whether this distinction inhibits a proper appraisal of policy and administration and investigates the possibilities for SAIs to attain more integrated assessment procedures. This question is of vital importance, not only to SAIs but to any controlling and inspecting body, whether political or administrative. The authors would like to thank Dr. P.-J. Klok and Dr. M.R. Rutgers for their comments upon an earlier version of this article.     

“The Turkish minority in Bulgaria”: A clarification

These short notes are not meant to justify the recent repression of the Muslims in Bulgaria; rather, they try to explain them objectively and in all their aspects, including external conditions and factors. Dr. Michel, the author of the article here examined, has worked on a rich data base in the form of history and chronicle of events. And yet he gives the impression of floating on the surface of things and here and there presents somewhat one‐sided and subjective evaluations. Using and quoting as evidence material mainly from the Turkish side he deprives the article in question of the objectivity and impartiality that are obligatory for scholarly research. I am very grateful for the opportunity of having access to Dr. Michel's article in advance of its publication and for being invited to present and interpret the interrelations of Muslims and Christians of Bulgaria in recent times from my point of view.     

A model for police officer burnout

This article presents an empirically derived model of police officer burnout based on 199 male police officers. A brief review of research on police officer stress is also provided.This chapter is a summary of research conducted by Dr. Alan M. Goodman for his doctoral dissertation entitledA Model for Police Officer Burnout, June 1983, California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego.Alan M. Goodman, Ph.D. obtained his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, California. In addition, Dr. Goodman is a School Psychologist and is a consultant to several school districts in Southern California. Dr. Goodman has been employed in both inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. Most recently, Dr. Goodman has been a Registered Psychologist at Catholic Community Services in San Diego where he conducted individual, conjoint and family therapy sessions for a varied socioeconomic population, including city service personnel.Dr. Goodman has conducted extensive observations of police officers on the job through the Ride-A-Long program in which non-police personnel may accompany police officers on a particular shift of duty. In addition, he has consulted with numerous police chiefs regarding the various high-risk factors for those police officers who may be experiencing burnout and stress. In addition, intervention strategies in order to alleviate these feelings were discussed with these officials.     

Sensorimotor skills and language comprehension in autistic children

The objectives of this study were to examine the level of sensorimotor concepts of young autistic children and to relate these concepts to language comprehension. A sample of 16 autistic children with a mean mental age of 24.8 months was administered a standardized scale of sensorimotor intelligence and of receptive language. The autistic children demonstrated surprisingly sophisticated sensorimotor skills, particularly object permanence. While their initial performance was inferior to that of normal controls matched on mental age, particularly in their use of objects in combination, the difference between groups diminished on the second test administration. On the receptive language measure, the autistic children were less able to identify words correctly. The sensorimotor behavior of autistic children who demonstrated language comprehension did not differ from those who showed no language comprehension, except that the former group tended to use an object as an instrument somewhat more frequently. The fact that the autistic children were so impaired in language even with fairly good sensorimotor skills suggests that these skills, particularly object permanence, play a minor role in their language acquisition.Support for this research was provided by Biobehavioral Research Support Grant 516, Grant 12–41 from the March of Dimes, NIMH Postdoctoral Fellowship No. 1 F32 MH07550-01 (Ungerer), and NIMH Grant MH 33815-01. Subjects were recruited from the UCLA Research Center for the Study of Childhood Psychosis, funded by NIMH Grant MH 30897. We would like to thank members of the CRC, particularly Dr. Peter Tanguay, Dr. Barbara Fish, and Dr. B. J. Freeman, for their support of our research efforts.     

Sex-role orientation and fear of success: Clarifying an unclear relationship

Inconsistencies in research concerning the relationship between fear of success (FOS) and sex-role orientation may be due to the use of sex-role inventories considering masculinity and femininity as endpoints of a bipolar continuum. The Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974), which treats masculinity and femininity as separate dimensions, was administered to 218 female undergraduates in addition to measures of FOS, achievement motivation, and performance. It was predicted that women who were androgynous (high feminine and high masculine) would evidence less FOS than women who were high masculine or high feminine. It was also predicted that women who embraced masculine characteristics (androgynous or sex-reversed) would be higher in both achievement motivation and performance than low masculine women. Both predictions were confirmed. Sex-reversed women were highest in FOS.This research was conducted with the support of a David Ross Grant from the Purdue Research Foundation to Dr. Kay Deaux and the author. Thanks are extended to William A. Fisher, Dr. Kay Deaux, and Dr. Elizabeth Farris for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article. All correspondence should be addressed to Brenda Major, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 4230 Ridge Lea Road, Buffalo, New York 14226.     

Commentary: “A Fundamental Polarity in Psychoanalysis: Implications for Personality Development,Psychopathology, and the Therapeutic Process” by Sidney J. Blatt

A commentary on Dr. Sidney J. Blatt's article, “A Fundamental Polarity in Psychoanalysis: Implications for Personality Development, Psycho-pathology, and the Therapeutic Process” is presented by articulating Dr. Blatt's significant contribution to psychoanalysis, developmental and attachment theory, and therapeutic process research. According to Blatt's theory, normal maturation involves a complex reciprocal transaction between two developmental lines throughout the life cycle: (a) the establishment of stable, enduring, mutually satisfying interpersonal relationships and (b) the achievement of a differentiated, stable, and cohesive identity. He has applied this theory to understand both normal and pathological psychological phenomena, the latter resulting from disruptions in these developmental lines, resulting in an overemphasis on relational (anaclitic) or self-definitional (introjective) issues. Further, Dr. Blatt has evaluated his theoretical model through empirical study and demonstrated that relationally oriented and self-definitionally oriented persons have differential responses to psychotherapy. Finally, areas of question and potential for future research are outlined. Specifically, it is argued that although anaclitic and introjective configurations are easy to discuss as distinct types, relevant evidence from attachment theory raises the issue of whether these types may be better conceptualized as dimensions, with different configurations located within two-dimensional space. Further, findings of a group evidencing mixed anaclitic and introjective features raise additional questions about how these configurations relate to one another, and evidence from the attachment literature is used to shed light on this issue.     

Rediscovering the first clear purpose honesty test

Honesty testing for personnel selection is a growing area of research for industrial psychologists. This research note describes the first clear purpose honesty test used for personnel decisions.The authors gratefully acknowledge the review and approval of this article by Dr. Russell Cassel.     

An historical commentary on the physiological effects of music: Tomatis, Mozart and neuropsychology

This article provides an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of the Tomatis Method, along with a commentary on other forms of sound/music training and the need for research. A public debate was sparked over the “Mozart Effect.” This debate has turned out to be unfortunate because the real story is being missed. The real story starts with Alfred Tomatis, M.D., scientist and innovator. Dr. Tomatis was the first to develop a technique using modified music to stimulate the rich interconnections between the ear and the nervous system to integrate aspects of human development and behavior. The originating theories behind the Tomatis Method are reviewed to describe the ear’s clear connection to the brain and the nervous system. The “neuropsychology of sound training” describes how and what the Tomatis Method effects. Since Dr. Tomatis opened this field in the mid 20th century, no fewer than a dozen offshoot and related systems of training have been developed. Though each new system of treatment makes clains of effectiveness, no research exists to substantiate their claims. Rather, each simplified system bases its “right to exist and advertise” on the claimed relationship to Tomatis and his complex Method. Research is desperately needed in this area. The 50 years of clinical experience and anecdotal evidence amassed by Tomatis show that sound stimulation can provide a valuable remediation and developmental training tool for people of all ages. Offshoot systems have watered down the Tomatis Method without research to guide the decisions of simplifying the techniques and equipment.     

Utilization of social sciences in public discourse: Labeling problems

This article reports the main results of an empirical research project on the utilization of social sciences in the field of labor market and educational policy in West Germany since the 1960s. The research interest focused upon utilization of social science knowledge in public discourse paralleling policy decisions. The analysis shows that the social sciences are used extensively for labeling social problems. The use made of social science knowledge can be described as a certain combination of instrumental and conceptual utilization. In the concluding section of the article, the innovation problem of social science utilization is considered. Dr. Matthias Wingens is senior research associate with the Sociological Research Center “Social Problems” at the University of Bremen. His main research interests include the utilization of social science knowledge, the sociology of knowledge, and educational research. Dr. Ansgar Weymann is chair of the Department of Sociology and head of the Sociological Research Center “Social Problems” at the University of Bremen. His main research interests include sociological theory, utilization of social research, research on education, labor market, and employment, and research on socialization and life-course.     

Sexual counseling and therapy

Abstract

This article is an edited version of four interviews conducted with Dr. Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy in the Spring of 1980. The interviews ranged in content from Dr. Nagy's early training and influences to the theoretical and clinical foundations of contextual family therapy. This article focuses on the major constructs of contextual family therapy. Since this approach is often viewed as highly theoretical and conceptual in nature, it may be helpful to the practitioner to see how Dr. Nagy uses these constructs in a clinical situation. As a practitioner, I have found his theory extremely useful in conceptualizing the family system, and also in developing a treatment strategy. Hopefully, the questions asked of Dr. Nagy in these interviews will be of interest to other family therapists who are concerned with the clinical aspects of family therapy theories.     

COMPARING TYPES OF COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS FOUND IN FOURTH GRADE READERS

Abstract

This article examines the implications of Dr. Dolores Durkin's recent research on Reading comprehension. The author takes the seminal findings of Dr. Durkin's study and applies these to improving classroom reading instruction.     

A framework for assessing program institutionalization

This article presents a framework for assessing the institutionalization of programmatic innovations in nonprofit community agencies and in schools. Institutionalization is the attainment of long-term viability and integration of innovations in organizations. Institutionalization is often characterized as the final stage in an innovation diffusion process. The framework was derived from a qualitative study of ten health promotion programs that were innovations in their host organizations. The framework is a two dimensional matrix: one dimension consists of organizational subsystems; the other consists of levels of institutionalization termed passages, routines, and niche saturation. The cells of the matrix are the basis for assessing program institutionalization. Robert M. Goodman is a research assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of North Carolina's School of Public Health. Currently, Dr. Goodman directs a four-year intervention study on the dissemination of tobacco prevention curricular funded by the National Cancer Institute. Allan Steckler is an associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of North Carolina's School of Public Health. Dr. Steckler is also the principal investigator of the National Cancer Institute tobacco prevention study.     

The Integral Place of Religion in the Lives of Rural African–American Women Who Use Cocaine

To understand the culture of rural African–American women who use cocaine, ethnographic research was conducted in rural North Central Florida using in-depth interviews and participant observations with 30 respondents. Fourteen major themes emerged from the data; however, this paper focuses on one theme, that of religion. Nine sub-themes about religion and spirituality emerged. Religion was viewed as a personal relationship with God, which is not dependent on socializing with other church members, but was helpful in sustaining the respondents. While religiosity was a stable and consistent place in the respondents’ lives and some relied on their faith in God to replace their addiction, faith was not uniformly utilized by all respondents in this manner. Religiosity among African–American women who use cocaine cannot solely overcome the lack of drug treatment or treatment options and the stigma associated with drug use although it maybe a resiliency factor, which warrant promoting.Dr. Emma J. Brown, Ph.D., A.P.R.N., B.C., F.A.A.N., is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida in the School of Nursing. Dr. Brown’s primary area of research is STD/HIV prevention intervention among rural adolescents, women of color, and individuals who ab(use) illegal drugs. Dr. Brown’s secondary area of research is drug ab(use) prevention interventions among rural populations.