Factors associated with depressed mood among adolescents in Northern Ireland

This paper presents data on the pattern of self‐reported depressed mood among a sample of 887 11–15 year‐old secondary school students living in Northern Ireland. In addition, the paper examines the association between depressed mood and stressful life events, family support and perceived control. Analysis of variance of mean depression scores did not reveal main or interaction effects for age (school year) or sex. However, a school year×sex interaction effect was found when the variation in depression scores due to family cohesiveness (or support) was partialled out in an ANCOVA. In years 1 and 2, males reported higher mean depression scores than females, whereas the pattern was reversed in years 3 and 4. The co‐variates of stressful life events and perceived control did not significantly affect the pattern of mean depression scores. This would tend to suggest that the sex difference in depression found consistently with adults may begin to emerge in middle adolescence; and that the nature and level of family relationships may influence the prevalence and pattern of adolescent depression. The study found a higher mean depression score and a larger proportion of ‘cases’ (27%) than has been recorded in studies of young adolescents living outside Northern Ireland. However, the extent to which higher levels of symptomatology may be related to the politically unsettled nature of Northern Irish society is unclear. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On boxing: Notes on the past, present and future of a sport in transition

Boxing is a sport in transition and has been under increasing attack for about 30 years. This article examines the current status of boxing, questions the basis for criticism of the sport and draws parallels between boxing and nineteenth century prize fighting (bare-knuckle boxing). Finally, it speculates briefly about the future of the sport in light of attempts to enact legislation that would ban boxing. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 8th Annual Meeting of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport, Edmonton, Canada, November 4–7, 1987.     

Overt and covert verbalization in normal and learning disabled children's problem solving

The problem-solving ability of 18 learning-disabled high school students was increased by instructions to verbalize overtly, but not by instructions to verbalize their actions covertly. This suggests that Vygotsky's 1962 "internalization-of-speech" perspective may be as useful in understanding the limitations of disabled learners as it has been in understanding the limitations of young learners.     

Diabetes-specific social learning variables and self-care behaviors among persons with type II diabetes

This study assessed the relationship between diabetes-specific social learning factors and diabetes self-care. Predictor variables were collected within the categories of knowledge (e.g., behavioral demonstrations, pencil-and-paper tests), beliefs/expectations (e.g., self-efficacy, self-motivation), skills (e.g., problem-solving and refusal skills), and environmental support (e.g., barriers to adherence, family support). Different results emerged across the three areas of the regimen assessed: diet, exercise, and glucose testing. Multiple-regression analyses revealed that the social learning variables consistently improved the prediction of self-care beyond that attributable to demographic variables but that the categories of social learning variables most closely related to self-care varied across regimen areas. These findings suggest that programs to enhance diabetes self-care could beneficially focus on life-style behaviors and employ strategies to increase regimen-related expectations and diabetes-specific social and problem-solving skills.     

Developing algorithms to enhance the sensitivity of cancellation tests of visuospatial neglect

We describe a set of algorithms that enhance the sensitivity of cancellation tests used in assessing visuospatial neglect. The algorithms can be readily implemented on a computer and can provide temporal and nontemporal data on strategies used during cancellation. We also present preliminary results from a group of 68 right-hemisphere brain-damaged patients and 12 age-matched control participants, which demonstrate the clinical significance of the measures we have defined.     

Career behavior in the knowledge economy: Experiences and perceptions of career mobility among management and IT consultants in the UK and the USA

The traditional lifelong organizational career model no longer remains relevant for many workers, particularly those active in the knowledge economy. Instead these workers are claimed to pursue boundaryless and protean careers. This paper explores management and IT consultants’ experiences and perceptions of career mobility in the UK and the USA. The findings from this multi-level study reveal that the permeation of organizational boundaries among these workers is characterized by a somewhat segmented spectrum of boundary-crossing behavior. The exploration of this form of career mobility demonstrates that inter-organizational mobility should not be dislocated from other types of career mobility when analyzing career behavior among these workers. In addition, the findings also highlight the role that inter-organizational relations and/or national institutional context play in shaping career patterns in these contemporary forms of work.