Methodological issues in the assessment of sustained performance

In both military and industrial work settings, it has become desirable, and in many instances necessary, to require sustained performance beyond the apparently optimal 8-h workday. Research in this area may be viewed historically as having been focused in three major areas: (1) determining appropriate methodologies for measuring sustained performance, (2) investigating factors that influence sustained performance, and (3) searching for ways to enhance performance during sustained operations. On the basis of discussions held in Toronto in August 1984, observations are drawn and recommendations are made concerning the directions and content of future research.     

Building Capacity Among Laity: A Faith-Based Health Ministry Initiative

A systematic review of topic-specific faith-based health programs determined that health outcomes can be improved though faith-based health interventions. A university research team, in partnership with the Kansas United Methodist Church and a United Methodist philanthropy, facilitated planning and development of a statewide initiative to increase the capacity of laity-led health ministry teams. The purpose of this paper is to describe the processes utilized to design and implement an initiative to increase capacity for laity-led comprehensive health ministry among Kansas United Methodist Church congregations and to share the key elements of the initiative.     

Is the Association of ADHD with Socio-Economic Disadvantage Explained by Child Comorbid Externalizing Problems or Parent ADHD?

It has been unclear whether an associations of child ADHD with socio-economic disadvantage (SES) could be accounted for by (a) parental ADHD explaining both low SES and child ADHD, and/or (b) the joint overlap of ODD or CD with low SES and ADHD. Study 1 used a community-recruited case-control sample with detailed evaluation of SES indicators, child ADHD, child externalizing, and parent ADHD symptoms (n = 931 children, 521 ADHD, 577 boys, 354 girls) in a path modeling analysis with latent variables. Study 2 evaluated ADHD and externalizing behavior in a regression model using a poverty index for SES, in 70,927 children (48.2% female) aged 5–17 years from the US 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). In Study 1, lower SES was related to the ADHD latent variable, β = ?.18, p < .001; 95%CI [?.25,-.12]. This effect held when parent ADHD and child ODD and CD were in the model, β = ?.11, p < .01, 95% CI [?.09,-.03], equivalent to OR = 1.50, 95% CI[1.12–2.04]). In Study 2, these results replicated. Adjusting only for age and sex, children from families who were below 200% of the federal poverty line were more likely to have moderate or severe ADHD than no ADHD, versus children above that line, OR = 2.13, 95% CI[1.79,2.54], p < .001. The effect held after adjusting for disruptive/externalizing problems, OR = 1.61, p < .01, 95%CI [1.32,1.96]. The effect size for comparable models was similar across both studies, lending higher confidence to the results. It is concluded that the SES association with child ADHD is not explained by artifact and requires a mechanistic explanation.     

Visiting the Ruins of Detroit: Exploitation or Cultural Tourism?

Are Detroit ruin tours a form of morally permissible cultural tourism, or do these tours amount to a form of exploitation? To answer this question I compare Detroit ruin tours with ‘slum tours’ – guided tours of slums in the world's major cities. I argue that exploitation of the sort we find in slum tourism also exists, to a lesser extent, in Detroit ruin tours. To show this I detail two different accounts of exploitation and argue that Ruth Sample's account best captures what is most morally problematic with slum tours and ruin tours. I then identify the similarities and differences between slum tours and ruin tours, and provide suggestions for how ruin tours could be retooled to avoid some (but not all) of the worries of exploitation. Finally, I suggest that with the proper framing Detroiters could embrace photographic tours as a new form of cultural tourism.     

Assessing Parental Readiness to Change: A Psychometric Evaluation of the READI-SF in a Community Sample

Engagement in behavioral parent training programs continues to be a barrier to service delivery. Parental readiness is an important construct for understanding parental engagement in parent training services, as these programs place a high level of action-oriented demands on caregivers. The present study examines the performance of one parental readiness measure, the Readiness, Efficacy, Attributions, Defensiveness, and Importance Scale—Short Form (READI-SF) in a community-based sample. Participants included 103 families of children ages three to seven recruited from an urban charter school. Mothers completed an abbreviated version of the READI as well as indices of child disruptive behavior and a second measure of parental readiness. The psychometric properties and factor structure of the READI-SF are explored as well as indices of reliability and validity. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor model of readiness to change, treatment readiness, and perceived importance of the problem. Analyses also supported the validity and clinical utility of the measure, as READI-SF scores were found to predict attendance at a one-time parenting group. Lastly, the study examines the relationship between parental readiness and child disruptive behavior. Limitations and future directions are discussed.