Profiles of Interdependence: The Retirement Planning of Married, Cohabiting, and Lesbian Couples

As the traditional nuclear family gives way to diverse couple types, questions regarding planning and satisfaction within relationships can be applied to partnerships outside of traditional marriages. The levels of interdependence in retirement planning and timing were investigated across three couple types: married heterosexual couples, cohabiting heterosexual couples, and lesbian couples. Analyses suggested that although all couples were interdependent in their retirement plans, this may be particularly the case for lesbian couples’ financial planning. In addition, relationship satisfaction was significantly associated with retirement lifestyle planning, but more so for lesbian couples than for heterosexual couples. The results are discussed in terms of gender, couple dynamics, and the social structures inherent in the three different couple types.     

Accuracy of a Rationally Derived Method for Identifying Treatment Failure in Children and Adolescents

Psychotherapy outcome can be enhanced by early identification of potential treatment failures before they leave treatment. In adults, compelling data are emerging that provide evidence that an early warning system that identifies potential treatment failures can be developed and applied to enhance outcome. The present study reports an analysis of early warning algorithms to identify treatment failures among child/adolescent patients (ages 3–18). The progress of 300 patients who had completed treatment was analyzed to see if algorithms could identify those children who ultimately had a negative outcome. Results indicated that the rationally derived method had a 77% success rate for identifying child/adolescent patients who were reliably worse or had deteriorated by the time that therapy was terminated.     

Gender Differences in Social Dominance Orientation: The Role of Cognitive Complexity

The present research examined the invariance hypothesis, which predicts lower levels of social dominance orientation (SDO) for women compared to men even when accounting for other factors. Previous research shows that gender linked variables mediate the gender difference in SDO. In two studies using undergraduates in the northeastern U.S., we tested mediation by cognitive complexity, a variable linked to social status but not to gender. Study 1 (n?=?117) found that women had higher levels of attributional complexity, but not need for cognition. Study 2 (n?=?206) further found that attributional complexity mediated the relationship between gender and SDO, suggesting that higher cognitive complexity due to low social status may be involved in gender differences in SDO.     

On Community Leadership: Stories About Collaboration in Action Research

This article provides an account of a 10-year collaborative documentation of community leadership in an African American community on the South side of Chicago. The stories are oriented to several critical incidents in the life course of the collaboration. They are told from the perspectives of one university professor, four graduate students, and one community leader. Together they provide an account of how this research was shaped by the interactions of the research team with members of the community, how research questions emerged, methodologies were developed, ways of gathering data were tried and tested, and interpretations of data unfolded. Special attention is given to the ways in which the process and products of this research contributed to the community's own process of leadership development. The stories also discuss the various roles participants in this collaboration played both in the academic arena and in the community, and how they experienced gender, race, nationality, and social status.     

Selection of consultees in school mental health consultation

To further understanding regarding the selection of teacher consultees, 15 mental health consultants completed a questionnaire. Consultants ranked teachers in their school consultation placements on ability to meet academic and socioemotional needs of children, receptivity to change, and likability. Next, after indicating which teachers they would most and least like to work with, consultants rated the teachers on nine 5-point rating scales. In general, results indicate that most preferred consultees, in comparison to least preferred consultees, are perceived as less needy of assistance around issues concerning children and lessons, more responsive to consultation, and more likable. It appears that teachers most in need of assistance are not selected for consultation.     

Perceptions of Major Roles by College Students

This study concerns women's and men's perceptions of five roles and role combinations: worker, spouse, parent, worker-spouse, and worker-parent. Undergraduates wrote stories to relevant projective cues. A variation of the Thematic Apperception Test was used. Protocols were coded for degree of (a) conflict, (b) positive outcome, and (c) positive affect, with inter-rater agreement at least 77% for each category. Sex and role differences were analyzed. Results indicate minimal sex differences. The tentative nature of the results is stressed.