Innovative Community Services for Rape Victims: An Application of Multiple Case Study Methodology

A qualitative multiple case study design was used to examine communities across the United States that have developed coordinated community-based programs to assist rape victims. Previous studies have suggested that coordinated community programs help victims obtain needed resources and services. This study provided a follow-up examination of how and why these programs are helpful to rape victims. In-depth interviews were conducted with rape victim advocates, rape crisis center directors, police officers, prosecutors, doctors, nurses, and rape survivors from 22 communities with coordinated programs. A comparison sample of 22 communities with fewer coordinated programs was also obtained. Results indicated that the high coordination communities had three types of programs to address sexual assault: coordinated service programs, interagency training programs, and community-level reform groups. Although not all of these programs directly address service delivery for rape victims, they help create a community culture that is more responsive to victims' needs. The research team and participants developed an explanatory model of why these program are effective in addressing rape victims' needs. This model hypothesizes that coordinated programs reflect an understanding of the multiple contexts of service delivery and embody that knowledge in services that are consistent with victims' needs. Narrative data from the interviews with service providers and rape survivors are used to develop and support this model.     

The influence of high and low cue–action association on prospective memory performance

Recent discoveries in the field of prospective memory (PM) show higher accuracy for remembering intentions in which prospective cue and action are strongly associated. In two experiments presented in this paper, participants encoded both high and low association cue–action pairs and were later tested on both prospective and retrospective PM components. Results of both studies show higher PM accuracy for the low association pairs, compared to high association ones, but only for the prospective component (across both Experiments) and only when a high association cue was presented first (Experiment 2). This finding was accompanied by longer study times for the low association pairs and study times were functionally related to later performance (across both Experiments). In the retrospective component, higher accuracy was observed for pairs with high level of association (but only in the first Experiment). Data are discussed in the context of metacognitive processes possibly related to the encoding of an intention as well as cue monitoring in case of PM tasks with high memory load and varying task difficulty.     

The crossover of job crafting between coworkers and its relationship with adaptivity

This daily diary study among 55 dyads of co-workers working within the same unit examined the crossover of expansive job crafting which, framed within the Job-Demands Resources Model, consists of two distinct behaviours: seeking challenges and seeking resources. We hypothesized that seeking resources and seeking challenges are transferred from one employee (actor) to the other (partner) on a daily basis and that there is more crossover of job crafting from actor to partner when the partner is high in empathy. Moreover, job crafting was expected to relate positively to daily adaptation to changes as measured both by self-reports and peer-reports. Multilevel analyses confirmed the crossover of seeking challenges and partly confirmed the crossover of seeking resources. Empathy of the partner acts as a moderator in this latter crossover process: there is more crossover of seeking resources from actor to partner when the partner is high in empathy. Moreover, day-level seeking resources and seeking challenges were both positively related to self-rated day-level adaptivity. Day-level seeking resources was also positively related to other-rated day-level adaptivity. These results imply that stimulating job crafting within organizations is valuable because it spreads around and can help in the adaptivity to changes.     

Identifying factors for traffic safety support in older drivers

The present study aimed at identifying factors for traffic safety support in older drivers. This was achieved by studying the co-operation between older drivers and their ordinary front seat passenger (co-driver). The knowledge emerging from such study can enhance the understanding of what kind of support an older driver needs and also help facilitate proper design of in-vehicle support systems and intervention training programs for older drivers. A within group field study was carried out, using a mixed-methods evaluation design. Four elderly couples participated in the study. The drivers included in the study requested and received on-going directional support, traffic -and driving strategic help, help with look-out and reminding of current speed limit. It was evident from comparisons between interview data and field data that how the participants themselves described their need of support differed from what support they requested (drivers) and gave (co-drivers) in real driving. Furthermore, data revealed that three out of four drivers were given a score of 2 in the Useful Field Of View test (UFOV). It was evident that there are areas in which older drivers need and request support. The results from the present study could be used in the design process, and in evaluation of, in-vehicle support systems as well as in developing intervention training programs customised for older drivers.     

The effect of relational continuity of care in maternity and child health clinics on parenting self‐efficacy of mothers and fathers with loneliness and depressive symptoms

This study explored the parenting self‐efficacy of the parents of 18‐month‐old children in the context of Finnish maternity and child health clinics. This parenting self‐efficacy was observed in relation with the relational continuity of care and parents' experienced loneliness and depressive symptoms. The relational continuity of care was provided by a public health nurse in maternity and child health clinics. The participating parents were drawn from the STEPS study that is being carried out by the Institute for Child and Youth Research at the University of Turku. The results showed that relational continuity of care provided by the same public health nurse in the maternity and child health clinics was associated with mothers' higher emotional loneliness and with lower scores on three dimensions of parents' parenting self‐efficacy. Loneliness and depressive symptoms negatively influenced parents' parenting self‐efficacy – however, in the case where the family had experienced relational continuity of care, the parents' higher levels of depressive symptoms had not weakened their parenting self‐efficacy beliefs. These results are discussed in terms of organizing maternity and child health clinic services.     

Housing design and people with severe mental illness: An observational approach to the investigation of supported housing facilities

An observational approach was employed to investigate the role played by architectural characteristics of supported housing facilities (SHF) in sustaining interactional behavior among people with severe mental illness (SMI) (N = 29) and staff (N = 27). The observations were carried out in dining areas, corridors and outdoor environments of SHF (N = 4). In order to test differences in the observed behaviors two SHFs with high physical‐environment quality (HQ) and two with low physical‐environment quality (LQ) according to the perception of people with SMI were chosen. Results showed that the dining areas of HQ better support social interactions between SHF users. No differences between the housing facilities were found concerning corridors areas, while housing facilities that provided proximity and accessibility to outdoor environments, such as those with HQ, were significantly more supportive for social interactional behavior than LQ housing. These results corroborate previous findings from this project and suggest that the characteristics of the housing design have a significant impact on the use of the environment and on the behavior patterns in the setting.     

Analyzing Complex Treatment Effects in Nonrandomized Observational Studies: The Case of Retention of Students in Grade

Should low-achieving students be promoted to the next grade or be retained (held back) in the prior grade? This special section presents a discussion of the application of marginal structural models to the challenging problem of estimating the effect of promotion versus retention in grade on math scores in elementary school. Vandecandelaere, De Fraine, Van Damme, and Vansteelandt provide a didactic presentation of the marginal structural modeling approach, noting retention is a time-varying treatment because promoted low-achieving students may be retained in a subsequent grade. Steiner, Park, and Kim's commentary presents a detailed analysis of the treatment effects being estimated in same-age versus same-grade comparisons from the perspective of the potential outcomes model. Reshetnyak, Cham, and Kim's commentary clarifies the conditions under which same-age versus same-grade comparisons might be preferred; they also identify methods of further improving the estimation of retention effects. In their rejoinder, Vandecandelaere and Vansteelandt discuss tradeoffs in comparing the promoted and retained groups and highlight sensitivity analysis as a method of probing the robustness of treatment effect estimates. Our hope is that this combined didactic presentation and critical evaluation will encourage researchers to add marginal structural models to their methodological toolkits.     

A two wave cross‐lagged study of work‐role conflict,work‐family conflict and emotional exhaustion

By using a two‐wave panel design, the present study aimed to study causal, reversed, and reciprocal relations among work‐role conflict, work‐family conflict, and emotional exhaustion. The Conservation of Resources theory was applied as a theoretical framework. The study was conducted in a large Norwegian oil and gas company (n = 1703). The results demonstrated positive cross‐lagged effects of work‐role conflict and work‐family conflict on emotional exhaustion. In addition, emotional exhaustion predicted work‐family conflict over time, and work‐family conflict predicted work‐role conflict over time, indicating the presence of reciprocal effects. The current study adds new knowledge to the positioning of work‐family conflict in relation to perceived conflict in the workplace and emotional exhaustion.     

Identification of biological and environmental risk factors for language delay: The Let's Talk STEPS study

The aim of this population-based study was to identify demographic factors for language delays at an early age. The risk analysis covered 11 biological and 8 environmental factors. The mothers’ concerns regarding language development were also examined. A total of 226 children from a Finnish cohort study were invited to participate in language assessments at 36 months. The test results for word finding and language comprehension were compared with parental questionnaires about children's vocabulary at 13 and 24 months.Regression analysis revealed that the father's social class (t = −2.79, p = 0.006) and working full time (t = −2.86, p = 0.005) significantly predicted children's language delay. In addition, language comprehension was significantly predicted by the mother's social class (t = −2.06, p = 0.041) and by gender, with an advantage to girls (t = −2.71, p = 0.008). Vocabulary at 24 months was a powerful predictor for lexical development (t = 4.58, p < 0.0001) and language comprehension (t = 4.85, p < 0.0001) at 36 months. Mothers’ concerns were correlated with children's limited lexicons as early as 24 months (r = 0.31, p < 0.0001) and poor language comprehension (r = −0.35, p < 0.0001) at 36 months. Mothers were especially concerned if the parents needed special education during school years.At the population-level, gender was the most powerful biological factor in predicting language delays. Similarly, both parents’ social status had predictive value for the child's language development. In addition, it was found that the mother's concern about her child's slow language acquisition should be taken into account when making decisions regarding special support.