Sex differences in occupational values

In order to examine sex differences in occupational values, college women and men rated the importance of 18 job characteristics for their career choice. In addition, they indicated which three were the most important and which three were the least important. The findings showed that, in comparison to males, females attached greater importance to a large variety of values, and these results are discussed in relation to career choice.This research was supported by a grant from the University of Connecticut Research Foundation.     

Attributions of responsibility for date and stranger rape

This study examined the effects of the victim-perpetrator relationship on college students' attributions of responsibility for rape. In addition, the rape specificity of these attributions was investigated. College females and males read one of six scenarios that depicted a rape or a proposition, and that varied according to the victim-perpetrator relationship (steady dating partners/acquaintances on a first date/strangers). Then they rated seven responsibility attributions for the rape or proposition. Results indicated that most forms of victim responsibility were stronger for the rape and proposition on a date than for the incidents between strangers, and the findings concerning the perpetrator's responsibility were mixed. The pattern of both victim- and perpetrator-responsibility attributions suggests that both a rape and proposition on a date, compared to incidents between strangers, elicit stronger sex role and sexual attributions. Moreover, male subjects, in comparison to female subjects, gave higher ratings to several responsibility attributions, and these, also, are linked to sex role and sexual considerations. Further, the data revealed that only the perpetrator-responsibility attributions were stronger for the rape than the proposition.This research was supported by the University of Connecticut Research Foundation Grant No. 1171-000-22-00215-35-760. The authors thank Laurin Hafner for his help with the data analysis.     

Associations between nonparental care experience and preschooler's emotion regulation in the presence of the mother

This study tested predictions concerning the associations between children's nonparental care experiences and emotion regulation. It involved 53 participants (21 girls and 32 boys) of preschool age and their mothers. The children's care experiences ranged from those who were raised exclusively at home to those who had nonparental care experience beginning in early infancy. The participants were observed in a laboratory playroom, and their mothers were asked to complete questionnaires regarding their children's care histories and their current care situations. The children with extensive nonparental care backgrounds were found to be more likely to use self-directed emotion regulation behaviors when faced with a mildly frustrating situation. In the same situation, the children who had experienced minimal nonparental care were found to be more likely to use other-directed emotion regulation behaviors. Additionally, the children who had experienced care settings with large numbers of children in each care group or who had experienced many caregiver changes were more likely to use self-directed emotion regulation behaviors, whereas those who had experienced settings with smaller care groups and fewer caregiver changes were more likely to use other-directed emotion regulation behaviors.     

Classes,collections, and distinctive features: Alternative strategies for solving inclusion problems

This study analyzed the strategies that children ages 5 through 8 years used on two modified versions of Inhelder and Piaget's (The early growth of logic in the child. New York: Norton, 1964) class inclusion task. In two experiments, children were tested on Wilkinson's (Cognitive Psychology, 1976, 8, 64–85) “percept” inclusion task in which distinctive features marked both supraordinate and subclasses. It was hypothesized that children who fail standard Piagetian inclusion tasks succeed on the “percept” task by counting and comparing mutually exclusive features rather than using features as markers for classes and subclasses. The hypothesis was supported by children's performances on “percept” tasks in which solutions based on feature counting conflicted with solutions based on consideration of class inclusion relations. In two other experiments, children answered part-whole and part-part comparison questions in which both terms were described as classes and/or subclasses, or in which one of the two terms was described as a collection (e.g., a bunch of grapes). These experiments contrasted Markman and Seibert's (Cognitive Psychology, 1976, 8, 561–577) “organization” hypothesis that the greater psychological integrity of collections facilitates reasoning on part-whole comparison problems with the hypothesis that the faciltative effect results from the “large number” connotation of collective nouns. Results on collection problems in which parts were described as collections supported the “large number” hypothesis. Results were discussed in terms of their implications for Piaget's theory.     

Perceptions of date and stranger rape: A difference in sex role expectations and rape-supportive beliefs

The sex role expectations and rape-supportive beliefs which are differentially applied to date and stranger rape were assessed. A sample of 62 college females and 33 males read one of three rape scenarios which varied according to the victim-perpetrator relationship (steady dating partners/acquaintances on a first date/strangers). Then participants rated the extent to which several sex role expectations and rape-supportive attitudes were applicable to the assault. MANOVAS and univariate ANOVAS showed that females' and males' perceptions of date rape, more than stranger rape, incorporated sex role expectations and that rape-supportive beliefs, primarily of males, were stronger in relation to steady date than first date or stranger rape. These findings are discussed in the context of the sex role analysis of rape.This research was supported by the University of Connecticut Research Foundation Grant #1171-000-22-00215-35-760. The author thanks Laurin Hafner for his help with the data analysis.     

Alpha brain wave production as an interpolated task in a Brown-Peterson paradigm.

Rehearsal, backward counting, and production of alpha brain-waves were used as interpolated tasks in a Brown-Peterson paradigm to determine their effect upon verbal retention. A within-subjects design was used in which trained subjects were told on a given trial either to produce alpha rhythm, mentally rehearse, or count backward following presentation of a CCC trigram. Results for the backward-counting condition duplicate, for the retention intervals used, the shape of the classic Peterson and Peterson forgetting curve but indicate little loss of memory in either the rehearsal or alpha conditions. No siginificant difference was found between the alpha production and rehearsal conditions.     

Measuring Productivity in Primary Care Behavioral Health: A Delphi Study

High productivity by behavioral health consultants (BHC) is a defining aspect of the primary care behavioral health (PCBH) model to maximize access to care and is often measured by patient volume. Studies of productivity in health care settings suggest a single productivity target may not be optimal. We used a Delphi method to obtain expert consensus on an operational definition of high productivity by BHCs in the PCBH model. Clinicians, managers, and researchers in PCBH were recruited to participate in a multi-round survey using a modified Delphi technique and develop consensus on PCBH productivity metrics. Ten participants completed all three survey rounds and rated 28 metrics. After three rounds, two direct metrics (average number of billable BHC visits each day; number of patients seen per day) received at least 80% consensus as “Essential”, two received at least 50%, and five received less than 50%. One influencer (level of integration at the practice) received at least 80% consensus as “Very Much” influential, 19 received at least 50%, and eight items received less than 50%. Several themes arose from participant comments. PCBH productivity can be interpreted as being high volume. Numerous practice factors influence how productive a BHC may be. Future studies should determine the feasibility of our metrics in clinical practice, establish productivity expectations based on patient needs and clinic resources, and identify patient-, clinician-, or practice-level moderators of productivity.