Speculations About Problems in Conducting Research with Public Offenders

Problems in conducting research with public offenders are legion. These problems include the lack of a systematic body of knowledge, the lack of avenues of dissemination of information, the lack of a data base describing the situation as it is now, and the lack of communication and/or rapport between researchers and many criminal justice staff members. In addition, ethical concerns about human research are becoming more evident and need to be dealt with. While a few ways of coping with these problems are mentioned, solutions often depend almost entirely on the quality of the setting and the individuals involved in it.     

Reactions to a Motor‐Vehicle Accident in Relation to Mitigating Circumstances and the Gender and Moral Worth of the Driver1

Male and female students (N= 153) at the Flinders University of South Australia read scenarios describing a motor‐vehicle accident that varied mitigating circumstances (driving on a slippery road vs. driving at high speed), gender of driver, and the moral worth of the driver (very dependable and trustworthy vs. not dependable and a bit untrustworthy). Results showed that mitigation affected judgments about the driver's responsibility, seriousness of the offense, driver's deservingness of penalty imposed, harshness of penalty, positive affect about the penalty, and sympathy for the driver, consistent with a social cognitive process model (Feather, 1996c, 1998). Moral worth affected judgments about the driver's moral character, harshness of penalty, and liking and sympathy for the driver. Participants attributed higher moral character to the female driver and also reported more liking for the female driver. There was some limited evidence for an in‐group gender bias.     

Perfectionism and Creative Strivings

Samples of gifted children in Louisiana (N = 44) and Connecticut (N = 34) were administered the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and the Khatena‐Torrance Creative Perception Inventory (KTCPI). The KTCPI consisted of two biographical measures, the Something About Myself (SAM) and What Kind of Person Are You (WKOPAY) subtests. The results for the WKOPAY were generally consistent with predictions. Higher scores on the scales of the MPS associated with neurotic perfectionism, the Overall MPS, Doubts About Actions (D), Organization (O), and Parental Criticism (PC), were associated with lower scores on the WKOPAY. Inconsistent with predictions, the Concern over Mistakes (CM) and Personal Standards (PS) scales of the MPS were not significantly correlated with the WKOPAY. Results for the SAM were inconsistent with predictions, with the exception of the significant positive correlation between the PS scale and the SAM.     

Ten Years to Expertise,Many More to Greatness: An Investigation of Modern Writers

The “ten‐year rule” suggests that it takes about 10 years of preparation to reach “expert” status. How long does it take, however, for someone to reach a level of creative greatness? Through an analysis of 215 contemporary fiction writers, we found that these writers took an average of 10.6 years between their first publication and their best publication, although there was a high degree of variability. This tentatively suggests that at least for modern fiction writers, a second phase after the first ten years may be crucial for achieving eminence. We discuss these findings in the context of results found in other domains of creativity, along with limitations and future directions.     

Issues That Have Made a Difference

This article originally appeared as Chapter 14 in Dr. Callen's book Enriching Mind and Spirit: A History of Higher Education in the Church of God, published in 2007 by Anderson University Press. It appears here by special permission of the author. In this chapter, Dr. Callen presents a summary of several issues that have been faced by higher education institutions in the Church of God movement. In this discussion of issues confronted by these Church of God institutions, we glimpse the unique features of these institutions and the similarity of some issues faced by all Christian institutions of higher education.     

Toward a Grounded Theory of the Psychosocial Competencies and Environmental Conditions Associated with Soccer Success

The purposes of this study were to identify and examine psychosocial competencies among elite male adolescent soccer players in order to present a grounded theory of factors associated with soccer success. Participants (N = 40) were 20 Canadian international youth soccer players (M age = 16.8 years), 14 English professional youth soccer players (M age = 16.2 years), and 6 English professional coaches. Using grounded theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1998 Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. 1998. Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, Newbury Park, CA: Sage. (2nd ed.) [Google Scholar]), data analysis followed several coding procedures geared toward theory development. Four major psychosocial competencies that appear to be central to success in elite youth soccer emerged from the data. The competencies were labeled Discipline (i.e., conforming dedication to the sport and a willingness to sacrifice), Commitment (i.e., strong motives and career planning goals), Resilience (i.e., the ability to use coping strategies to overcome obstacles), and Social Support (i.e., the ability to use emotional, informational, and tangible support). These results are compared to existing sport talent development research and a grounded theory of the psychosocial competencies and environmental conditions associated with becoming a professional soccer player is presented. Research and practical implications arising from this exploratory theory are discussed.