Accuracy of the College Majors Finder for Three Majors

The Self-Directed Search was administered to 68 university seniors who were majoring in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering, Elementary Education, and Office Administration. Their resulting three-letter summary codes were compared with three-letter college major codes obtained from the College Majors Finder. A high degree of agreement between the two sets of codes was found for each of the three majors. Effective methods for matching people to jobs have held the interest and occupied much time for career counselors and vocational theorists since the inception of the trait-factor approach to career counseling. More recently, Holland (1985a) broadened and clarified matching procedures through the development of his typological theory of vocational choice. Just as personality types and occupational environments have been organized using Holland's framework to foster an understanding of occupational choice, Holland's theory can also be used to explain other types of choices, such as choice of a college major.     

A Comparison of Methods of Increasing Parental Consent Rates in Social Research

Previous research on children requiring written parental consenthas indicated that this requirement reduces samples to halfthe size they might otherwise be and results in overrepresentationof whites and underrepresentation of blacks. Within the courseof a four-year study, four methods were utilized to increaseparental consent rates, particularly for black students. Allmethods increased consent rates. Providing an incentive to theparents increased consent rates significantly more for the whitestudents than for the black students, while communication withthe children and incentives to the children resulted in consentrates which were more similar for the two racial groups. Communicationwith the parents was the most effective method for both blackand white children, but was also the most time consuming.     

Abstinence and Relapse Rates Following a College Campus-Based Quit & Win Contest

Abstract

Objective: To conduct and evaluate Quit & Win contests at 2 2-year college and 2 4-year university campuses. Participants: During Spring semester, 2006, undergraduates (N = 588) interested in quitting smoking signed up for a Quit & Win 30-day cessation contest for a chance to win a lottery prize. Methods: Participants (N = 588) completed a baseline survey, provided a urine sample to verify smoking status before joining the contest, and completed a follow-up survey at contest end to assess abstinence. Participants reporting continuous 30-day abstinence were surveyed again 2 weeks post contest to assess relapse. Results: Participants smoked an average of 9.8 ± 6.7 cigarettes/day on 26.7 ± 5.7 days/month. Among participants completing a follow-up survey (74%), 72.1% reported abstinence during the entire contest period (Intent-to-Treat Analysis = 53.2%). 55.3% of those abstinent at the end of contest had resumed smoking 2 weeks post contest. Conclusions: Campus Quit & Win contests appear feasible, acceptable, and effective at facilitating short-term abstinence. Further research is needed to identify strategies to prevent postcontest relapse.     

Isoniazid Completion Rates for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Among College Students Managed by a Community Pharmacist

Objective: The authors' objective was to document 9-month and previously recommended 6-month treatment completion rates for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in a pharmacistmanaged LTBI clinic in a community pharmacy on a college campus, and to describe patient characteristics. Participants: Participants were university students diagnosed with LTBI. Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective review of pharmacy records from 2000 to 2006. Main outcome measures included 6-month and 9-month LTBI treatment completion rates, total isoniazid (INH) tablets taken, characteristics of completers versus noncompleters, average time to treatment completion, and reported adverse drug events. Results: The 9-month completion rate was 59%, and the 6-month completion rate was 67%. Among those not completing treatment, 15.2% experienced fatigue and 2.2% experienced a rash (p = .04 and p = .03, respectively). Conclusion: LTBI clinics are a unique niche for community pharmacies and can provide individualized patient care to ensure LTBI treatment adherence, monitoring for disease progression, and safety of INH.     

Alcohol-Related Vehicular Death Rates for College Students in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Abstract

Objective: Determine rate of college student alcohol-related vehicular traffic fatalities in Virginia during 2007. Participants: Undergraduates at colleges and universities in Virginia. Methods: Institutions with membership in the American College Health Association were invited to participate in a survey. Data collected from institutional reports of student deaths due to vehicular accidents. Results: Twenty-four institutions were invited to participate. Sixteen responded (response rate = 67%), comprising total enrollment of 117,100 for 17- to 24-year-olds (56% of total college population in state). Five traffic deaths were reported, representing 4.3 deaths per 100,000 students. Based on statewide statistics that estimate alcohol contributes to 38.9% of traffic deaths, rate of alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths is 1.7 deaths per 100,000 college students in Virginia, which is 89% lower than leading national estimates. Conclusions: These findings suggest that past estimates of alcohol-related vehicular deaths among college students are overstated.     

Testing a Sociological Explanation for Rising Rates of White Mortality

This article is a response to Young's (2016) essay on high white death rates in Kansas. I argue that a focus on external causes would further help researchers theorize about how and why certain behavioral factors link declining white populations to various mortality changes. Additional work that examines changing mortality patterns by sex and race and that extends analyses to the entire nation will provide further tests of Young's thesis. In this context, I encourage researchers to consider how intergenerational comparisons and cohort effects may produce some of the observed patterns.     

Teen Childbearing and Educational Attainment: A Comparison of Methods

This research examines the impact of teenage childbearing on secondary school completion, while focusing on the problem of causal ambiguity in the relationships among self-determined behaviours. Techniques for dealing with the teenage childbearing problem are discussed, and results from these methods are compared. Data from the High School and Beyond Study on young women (n = 5257) who were enrolled as sophomores in sample schools in February 1980 and who had not given birth before November 1980 are used. Results indicate that teen childbearing reduces the probability of completing high school by 8% to 10%. Some evidence suggests that programs that target reduction of teen childbearing in improving young women's education and subsequent economic and labor force outcomes.     

The Influence of Proactive Personality and Coping on Commitment to STEM Majors

Despite increasing demand for workers in fields that are grounded in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), retention rates are low among relevant college majors. Using Web‐based survey data from 290 STEM majors, the authors investigated links among personality, coping strategies, and STEM major commitment. Proactive personality was positively related to STEM major commitment and to the active planning coping strategy and negatively related to behavioral disengagement. Active planning was positively related to commitment to STEM majors and behavioral disengagement was negatively related to the outcome. Coping strategies fully mediated the relationship between proactive personality and commitment to STEM majors.     

安利到底还能走多远？

长久以来，安利一直是直销的一个“符号”。但现在，人们更多是把安利视为一种“现象”而这种现象，正是中国直销市场开放前夜浮躁和喧嚣的一个缩影。     

Table or Circles: A Comparison of Two Methods for Choosing Among Career Alternatives

A sample of 182 young adults about to choose their college major were randomly assigned to 2 guidance methods aimed at facilitating choosing among promising career alternatives: Table‐for‐Choice and Circles‐for‐Choice. Table‐for‐Choice was perceived as more effective, but individuals' confidence in their choice was higher in the Circles‐for‐Choice condition. More factors that serve to compare and evaluate the options were listed by participants in the Circles‐for‐Choice condition. No interaction emerged between the participant's decision‐making style and the usefulness of the two methods. Both methods were perceived as more useful for participants who were already at the choice stage than for those who were only at the prescreening or the in‐depth explorations stage.     

Psychology as a Profession: An Effective Career Exploration and Orientation Course for Undergraduate Psychology Majors

The authors describe an undergraduate psychology course that covers academic advising and career planning. Lectures included choosing a major, job opportunities with a bachelor's degree, applying to graduate school, and guest lectures from professionals in psychology‐related careers. Students completed a plan of study, a résumé, and a career exploration paper. Students evaluated the course and assignments as being moderately high in value and recommended that the course continue to be required for psychology majors. Nearly all students (93%) either changed their career plans or felt more confident about their plans after taking the course. Recommendations for implementing a similar course are provided.     

Teaching Social Work Research: A Comparison of Web-Based and In-Class Lecture Methods

ABSTRACT

Like many other disciplines, Social Work education programs are increasingly including on-line classes in course offerings. Despite the rapid and widespread proliferation of web-based courses there is little data in the social work literature to inform educators about this teaching methodology. Using a quasi-experimental design this study examines the performance of 73 MSW students on objective measures of learning in a social work research course. Findings reveal that performance of students in lecture only and lecture with Blackboard supplement sections of the course was significantly better than performance of students in the on-line course.     

Emerging Adolescent Sexuality: A Comparison of American and Dutch College Women's Experiences

ABSTRACT

The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy, births, and abortions of all industrialized countries. On the contrary, The Netherlands has the lowest rates. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, this retrospective study investigated American and Dutch college women's sexual behavior, attitudes, and comfort to better understand the factors that lead to the disparity between these two countries. Survey results revealed that the American sample experienced sexual behaviors at a younger age and with more partners, whereas the Dutch sample showed a better use of contraceptives during high school, more talk with their parents, and greater sexuality education. Several distinctly different themes emerged between the U.S. and Dutch women from the in-depth interviews. Themes about U.S. girls included: driven by hormones and peers; unprepared; satisfying him; and uncomfortable and silent parents. Some themes about Dutch girls were: motivated by love; control of my own body; parents as supporters and educators; and books at young ages. Implications for what the United States could be doing to promote sexual health are discussed.     

The First Hit: a case study of the physical abuse of people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours in a residential service

This paper describes the circumstances surrounding the physical abuse of persons with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours in a residential service and the general findings of a related inquiry. Evidence is interpreted in relation to wider policy and practice intelligence on the abuse of people with learning disabilities, with lessons for the recognition, reporting and management of abuse identified. The discussion is designed to help those charged with responsibility for the support and protection of people with learning disabilities understand the complex circumstances and conditions which may be associated with an abusive service culture, with the culture of abuse itself examined at four levels. Suggestions for reviewing the development and implementation of adult protection policies and procedures are offered, along with priorities for action and implementation for purchasers and providers.     

Development of a Testicular Self-Examination Program for College Men

Abstract

“When to Perform Biopsies of Enlarged Peripheral Lymph Nodes in Young Patients,” GAIL B. SLAP, et al. Identification of young patients with peripheral lymphadenopathy who will benefit from lymph node biopsy often is difficult. A model was developed to differentiate patients whose biopsy results do not lead to treatment (normal, hyperplastic, or benign inflammatory lymph nodes) from those whose biopsy results do lead to treatment (granulomatous or malignant nodes). The medical records and histopathology slides of 123 nine- to 25-year-old patients who underwent biopsies of enlarged peripheral lymph nodes were reviewed for pathological diagnosis and 22 clinical findings. Seventy-two (58%) patients had biopsy results that did not lead to treatment, and 51 (42%) had results that did lead to treatment. Using stepwise discriminant analysis, a predictive model was developed that assigned 95% of the cases to the correct biopsy group based on lymph node size; history of recent ear, nose, and throat symptoms; and chest roentgenogram. When tested prospectively on new patients, the model correctly classified 32 (97%) of 33. We conclude that this simple model can help select adolescents and young adults with peripheral lymphadenopathy for biopsy. (Journal of the American Medical Association 1984;252:1321-1326.)

“The Clinical Information Value of the Glycosylated Hemoglobin Assay,” David M. Nathan, et al. We evaluated the clinical information value of the glycosylated hemoglobin assay by comparing it with practitioners' estimates of glucose control over the preceding 10 weeks in 216 patients with diabetes. Twenty-four percent of the practitioners' estimates, which were based on historical and laboratory data collected during a routine office visit, differed by more than ± 75 mg per deciliter from the actual mean blood glucose levels calculated with the glycosylated hemoglobin assay. One third of the mean blood glucose concentration fell outside the confidence intervals physicians used to bound their estimates. When examined individually or in the aggregate, historical information, such as polyuria, nocturia, or home urine testing for glucose, and laboratory information, such as fasting or random blood glucose levels, were weak predictors of the actual mean concentration of blood glucose.