The Islamophobia Scale: Instrument Development and Initial Validation

Opinion poll research suggests that a significant number of Westerners hold negative and fearful perceptions toward Muslims and their religion. Although evidence of Islamophobia has been documented in a number of poll studies, no psychometrically based, multifaceted measure that focuses exclusively on fear related attitudes and is not confounded with a particular group currently exists in the scientific literature. The authors of this study describe the development and psychometric properties of the Islamophobia Scale, which measures cognitive and affective-behavioral facets of fear-related attitudes toward the religion of Islam and Muslims. The results of the study demonstrate a measure of Islamophobia that yielded acceptable psychometric properties of reliability and validity.     

Evaluating Reliance on Narratives in the Psychological Study of Religious Experiences

In this article we review previous work on religious conversions, relate this work to attachment system dynamics, and present a meta-analysis of results from 11 cross-national questionnaire studies (N = 1465) that have investigated links between religious conversions and perceived childhood attachment history with parents. Two general hypotheses derived from attachment theory were tested. Based on the compensation hypothesis, it was predicted that sudden religious conversions would be associated on average with insecure, rather than secure, attachment histories. Based on the 2-level correspondence hypothesis, it was predicted that nonsudden conversions and gradual religious changes would be associated with a secure attachment history. Both predictions were supported in the meta-analyses, with small to medium effect sizes. It was concluded that attachment theory is a valuable framework for integrating previous findings and guiding future research on religious conversions, but that several methodological improvements should be made in future research.     

Pseudo-Deviance and The “New Biker” Subculture: Hogs,Blogs, Leathers,and Lattes

This article explores the pseudo-deviant world of the “new biker” subculture, comparing and contrasting it to previous research on “outlaw bikers.” Using participant observation and ethnographic interviews, the author uses a symbolic interactionist perspective to describe and analyze how and why contemporary “bikers,” many of whom are well-educated middle- and upper middle-class professionals, use the symbols of outlaw bikers and earlier motorcycle gangs to perpetuate an image of pseudo-deviance in the “new biker” subculture. Although the “new biker” subculture is markedly different than the “outlaw biker” subculture of the past, many similar characteristics persist.     

gang membership,race, and social class: a test of the group hazard and master status hypotheses

This article examines the extent to which gang membership, race, and social class affect a youth's chances of being arrested, independent of their self-reported delinquent behavior. We couple the concepts of group hazard and master status to frame our theoretical predictions. Using data from the Seattle Youth Study (Hindelang, Hirschi, and Weis 1981), we find that the odds of being arrested are roughly similar for gang and nongang members, controlling for the nature and level of self-reported delinquency. While being a gang member does not pose a group hazard to being arrested, a youth's master status based on race and social class is associated with arrest risk. Both being black and lower class increases a youth's odds of being arrested, independent of delinquency. Neither race nor class effects can be accounted for by the frequency with which youth hang out with their best friends. We propose several recommendations for reducing race and class profiling.     

Developmental Trajectories of Maternal and Paternal Attachment and Delinquency in Adolescence

The present study sought to address two research questions: (1) Are there distinct trajectories of maternal and paternal attachment among adolescents? And if so, (2) How do these trajectories of maternal and paternal attachment relate to delinquent trajectories over the ages of 12 to 16? Using a subsample (n = 383) of the longitudinal Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) data, the results from semi-parametric group-based modeling (SPGM) suggested five groups of maternal attachment, where one trajectory exhibited little to no maternal attachment; another group appeared to have an initially low rate of maternal attachment but increased rather noticeably over time; a third trajectory demonstrated high initial levels of maternal attachment but a general decline over time; and the last two groups exhibited high and rather stable rates of maternal attachment, although one of these groups showed evidence of a decline. Comparatively, the same number of trajectory groups was estimated for paternal attachment, with relatively similar patterns over time as for the maternal attachment trajectories, with the exception of one trajectory that appeared to decline initially before demonstrating a substantial increase. Finally, the results from the joint trajectory analysis indicated that as maternal and paternal attachment increased the likelihood for delinquency decreased. Implications for future research and policy are also discussed.     

Handling the stigma of handling the dead: Morticians and funeral directors

This paper analyzes the ways in which morticians and funeral directors—people who make their living by handling the dead—attempt to overcome the stigma associated with their work. It reflects over 2 years of field work involving extensive ethnographic interviews with 19 morticians and funeral directors in four different states. The qualitative analysis reveals that morticians and funeral directors are acutely aware of the stigma associated with their work, most of which comes from handling the dead and being viewed as profiting from death and grief. Within the general theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism, the author identifies and examines the symbolic and dramaturgical techniques employed by morticians and funeral directors to neutralize and diminish the stigma associated with their work. Among these are symbolically redefining their work, practicing role distance, emphasizing professionalism, cloaking themselves in the “shroud of service,” and enjoying socioeconomic status over occupational prestige. Morticians and funeral directors make special efforts to shift the emphasis of their work away from the handling of the dead to providing important and necessary services for the living.     

Music Sight-Reading Skill in Flute Players

This article reports an investigation of factors related to music sight-reading skill. Flute players (N = 30) performed six tasks: (a) sight-reading standard music, (b) sight-reading random music, (c) recall of music notation, (d) recall of letters, (e) eye-performance span, and (f) choice reaction time for playing individual notes. Sight-reading ability was significantly correlated with eye-performance span (.85), and music recall (.80), but not with letter recall (-.39), thus replicating results of previous work with pianists. Sight-reading skill was correlated with choice reaction time to notes (- .54), and there was a significant partial correlation between sight-reading skill and eye-performance span, with music-reading ability controlled. These results are consistent with the idea that increased skill involves both the speed-up of individual processing stages, and an increase in the degree to which these stages operate in parallel.     

Industrial Sales Force Selection: Current Knowledge and Needed Research

Abstract

Selection of sales force members is a critical function of sales management from both time and financial perspectives, yet little published research specific to this function exists in the marketing and sales management literature. Research in personnel selection has emphasized examination of the relative importance of a few variables in a single decision context. This approach does not consider the possible effects of the multi-decision process presently used in sales force selection. This article presents a conceptual framework of the selection process, reviews the marketing, sales management, and relevant personnel selection literature, and considers necessary future research directions.