P. A. News & Notes

A case study of a Vietnam combat veteran with episodic rage attacks is discussed with emphasis on Rorschach formal scoring and content analysis. Rorschach data suggest a near neurotic level of ego organization with massive repression in the form of dissociated violent outbursts. Vietnam combat trauma appears to be a precipitant. Developmental differences between preoedipal splitting and higher level dissociation are discussed. Dissociative states are posited to represent a developmental level of ego organization midway between borderline and neurotic levels and are not easily encompassed by either borderline or neurotic classifications.     

from the common thug to the local businessman: an exploration into an urban african american barbershop

This ethnographic study investigates the social interactions that transpire in an urban African American barbershop, called Peanut's, located in a Southern city. The results of this study indicate that the urban African American barbershop has the potential to be a place where any number of activities can and do take place. Specifically, this study discovered three levels of the underground economy (i.e., legal, quasi-legal, and illegal) with each level reflecting a different degree of criminal potential.     

An Utility Based Framework for Evaluating the Financial Impact of Sales Force Training Programs

Limited attention has been devoted to the financial evaluation of sales training programs. In response to this shortcoming, this research proposes a sales training evaluation framework that integrates economic utility theory with Kirkpatrick's (1959a, 1959b, 1960a, 1960b) four-level training evaluation model. The proposed utility theory framework is tested using data derived from a sales training program conducted in Egypt. After performing the economic evaluation, sensitivity analysis is employed to demonstrate the financial trends of varying key training program variables. The paper concludes with discussions of theoretical and managerial implications, research limitations, and recommendations for future research.     

Essential Elements for Community Engagement in Evidence-Based Youth Violence Prevention

In the field of youth violence prevention, there has been increasing emphasis on “evidence based” programs and principles shown through scientific research as reaching their intended outcomes. Community mobilization and engagement play a critical role in many evidence‐based programs and strategies, as it takes a concerted effort among a wide range of people within a community to alter behavior and maintain behavioral change. How do concerned individuals and groups within a community engage others within and outside of that community to effectively plan, develop and implement appropriate EB programs as well as evaluate the outcomes and impacts of locally developed programs yet to be proven? The authors discuss five elements essential for community engagement in evidence‐based youth violence prevention based on their work in a university‐community partnership through the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center (API Center), a National Academic Center for Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention Center supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They include: (a) aligning EBPs with a community's shared vision and values; (b) establishing an inclusive environment for the planning, implementation and evaluation of EBPs; (c) nurturing collaboration for increased effectiveness and efficacy of EBPs; (d) building adequate leadership and community capacity to develop and sustain EBPs; and (e) building a learning community for evaluation and self‐reflection. The authors propose placing greater emphasis on “evaluative thinking” and organizational capacity for evaluation as we pursue evidence‐based practices for youth violence prevention. This is especially important for ethnic groups for which an evidence base is not well established.