Accounts of sexual identity formation in heterosexual students

Very little research has focused on the ways that heterosexual people perceive their sexual identity. This paper explores heterosexual identity from the standpoint of an established identity model, that of James Marcia. Twenty-six heterosexual undergraduate students (14 men: 3 African-American, 1 Latino, and 10 White, and 12 women: 3 African-American, 1 Latina, and 8 White) wrote two-three page essays on how their sexual identities formed and how they influence their daily lives. Students could be categorized into all four of Marcia's identity statuses. Additionally, six common themes were noted in their essays: had never thought about sexual identity; society made me heterosexual; gender determines sexual identity; issues of choice versus innateness of sexuality; no alternative to heterosexuality; and the influence of religion.     

The effectiveness of early head start for 3-year-old children and their parents: lessons for policy and programs

Early Head Start, a federal program begun in 1995 for low-income pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers, was evaluated through a randomized trial of 3,001 families in 17 programs. Interviews with primary caregivers, child assessments, and observations of parent-child interactions were completed when children were 3 years old. Caregivers were diverse in race-ethnicity, language, and other characteristics. Regression-adjusted impact analyses showed that 3-year-old program children performed better than did control children in cognitive and language development, displayed higher emotional engagement of the parent and sustained attention with play objects, and were lower in aggressive behavior. Compared with controls, Early Head Start parents were more emotionally supportive, provided more language and learning stimulation, read to their children more, and spanked less. The strongest and most numerous impacts were for programs that offered a mix of home-visiting and center-based services and that fully implemented the performance standards early.     

Southeast Asian immigrants' perceptions of good adolescents and good parents

The authors examined the extent to which Southeast Asian immigrant parents and adolescents agree on what it means to be a "good" parent and a "good" adolescent. Thirty-six parents and 37 adolescents of Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese descent participated in a series of focus groups. Content analyses of their discussions showed that good adolescents were obedient, helpful around the house, and respectful to parents and elders, and good parents were those who provide for, nurture, and monitor children's activities. The findings suggest that ideas about good parents and good adolescents are influenced by both the parents' traditions and by adolescents' acculturation to American values.     

Immediate memory functions in reading disability subtypes

This study examined immediate memory processes in specific reading disability subtypes. Three subgroups (n = 15 in each subgroup) of reading disabled children were examined: (a) perceptual-motor disorder, (b) verbal disorder-general, and (c) verbal disorder-specific (memory). The three groups were matched for age and full scale IQ. All children received a memory-for-colors task (Color Span Test) designed to evaluate intra- and intermodal serial memory functioning. Comparison of memory profiles for the three reading disability subtypes revealed that patterns varied depending on mode of stimulus presentation or response. Although all three groups performed considerably below normative levels on each of the four subtests of the Color Span Test, all subjects performed significantly better on verbally presented items than on visually presented items. The findings were interpreted to suggest that these reading disabled children may not consistently utilize verbal strategies for coding or retrieval of information when stimuli are visually presented.     

The Role of Spirituality in Counseling: Four Theoretical Orientations

Pastoral care and counseling is emerging as an effective and respected practice within the theological, psychological, and counseling professions. However, a survey of contemporary literature reveals a need to demonstrate the role of spirituality in the specific theoretical orientations of psychology and counseling. This article will provide a basic overview and discuss the role of spirituality in each of the four primary psychological theories: psychodynamic, existential/phenomenological, behavioral, and cognitive.     

Re-examining Religiosity as a Protective Factor: Comparing Alcohol Use by Self-Identified Religious,Spiritual, and Secular College Students

Religiosity has been found to be associated with lower alcohol use by college students. The majority of studies on this topic, however, fail to differentiate religiosity and spirituality. This is potentially problematic due to the changing face of religion in America today. A study was conducted to explore similarities and differences between self-identified religious and spiritual college students. A modified version of the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey was administered online with a sample of 2,312 students. As hypothesized, self-identified religious and spiritual students differed significantly on key variables related to religious practices, alcohol consumption, and postmodern social values.     

Trophy Poaching: A Routine Activities Perspective

The poaching of trophy wildlife resources is a serious problem in the western United States. This study examined the trophy poaching phenomenon in Montana using a routine activities theoretical perspective. Using a qualitative approach to data collection, data on trophy poaching were obtained from state game wardens. Findings demonstrate how the convergence of motivated offenders, suitable targets, and the absence of capable guardians presents opportunities for large quantities of trophy wildlife to be poached. The role played by outfitters and taxidermists in helping poachers acquire, preserve, and conceal illegally taken trophy wildlife is also described.