Social network effects on academic achievement

How peer groups contribute to educational outcomes has long interested researchers. However, the possibility that peer groups dominated by either low- or high-achieving youth can have substantively different effects on achievement has been largely ignored. In this paper, we show that while being embedded in a high-achieving network of friends is not associated with increased own achievement, being embedded in a low-achieving network is associated with decreased own achievement. In additional analyses, we present evidence that these associations are at least in part due to influence, as opposed to only selection effects or shared environment. We also examine whether the structure of the network in which a student is embedded might affect their educational achievement. We show that achieving at higher levels positively predicts how centrally located a student is in their network, but being more centrally located does not predict concurrent achievement. This finding suggests that the behavior of individuals is affecting the formation of network structure and not the reverse.     

Romantic relationships,college student alcohol use,and negative consequences of drinking

This study examined whether being in a romantic relationship is associated with undergraduates’ alcohol use and negative consequences of drinking. Alcohol use was operationalized to include amount and frequency of drinking, binge drinking, and drunkenness. Negative consequences included: having a hangover, missing a class, getting behind in school work, doing something that was later regretted, forgetting where the student was or what they did, having unplanned sex, and getting hurt or injured. Data came from an online survey distributed to Midwestern undergraduate students (N = 572), with analyses conducted separately for men and women. Results indicated that being in a committed relationship generally served as a protective factor against drunkenness, but did not reduce frequency of drinking or binge drinking. Whereas romantically committed men were only less likely to report doing something that was later regretted, women in romantic relationships were less likely to experience all negative consequences of drinking considered here.     

Positive college attitudes among minority and low-income students as an indicator of academic success

Positive student attitudes among minority and low SES students toward the effectiveness of their college may be seen as a function of college success. These data suggest that students with positive attitudes toward their college experience had greater academic achievements than those who had negative attitudes.     

Attitudinal correlates associated with recent alcohol use and episodic heavy drinking among African American youth

African–American students in 7th–12th grades completed the PRIDE survey examining attitudinal correlates associated with recent alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking. Of participants, 13.6% reported using alcohol in the past 30 days and 5.1% reported frequent heavy episodic drinking. Logistic regression analyses indicate that male, in high school and employed increased the odds of engaging in recent use and frequent heavy episodic drinking. Perceived harm and parent/peer disapproval of substance use was negatively associated with use. Results may assist professionals in developing prevention programs for African-American youth.     

Appetitive and impulsive: Examining alcohol use via the motivational and self-control systems

This study examines how trait differences in the appetitive and defensive systems and how automatic, impulsive and deliberate, reflective responses to alcohol cues predict overall alcohol use. By utilizing a measure of trait motivational activation and measures of implicit and explicit attitudes toward alcohol that indicate the self-control system – impulsive vs. reflective – that determines behavior, this research demonstrates that higher trait appetitive system activity, ASA, and positive impulsive/implicit alcohol attitudes independently predict alcohol use, while trait defensive system activation, DSA, and explicit attitudes toward alcohol did not independently predict use.     

The association of smoking with drinking pattern may provide opportunities to reduce smoking among students

There is evidence that smoking and alcohol consumption are paired behaviours among university students, but we know little about how New Zealand students engage in these behaviours. We estimated prevalence of daily and occasional smoking among university students, and associations of smoking with drinking patterns, demographics and smokefree policies of the university. This research was conducted with 2822 university students, aged 17–25, from five New Zealand universities who participated in an online health survey in 2013. Fourteen percent reported they currently smoke occasionally, and 3% reported smoking on a daily basis. Increasing age, living situation, drinking more often, and drinking more alcohol during drinking occasions were all associated with greater levels of smoking. Understanding patterns of smoking in relation to alcohol consumption may help efforts to further reduce smoking prevalence. Specifically, policy makers should consider approaches that de-couple tobacco and alcohol consumption, such as expanding the smokefree perimeter of bars and disallowing the sale of tobacco at premises licensed to sell alcohol.     

The confluence of family and academic lives: Implications for assessment practices of college student learning in higher education institutions in the United States

Studies on family–work conflict among higher education faculty focus exclusively on research or promotion-related work outcomes and find significant challenges in balancing these two spheres. To extend this line of research, this study shifts the focus to classroom practices known as learnercentered assessment (LCA) and estimates the statistical association between marriage and parenthood and the use of these LCA practices in undergraduate classrooms. The hypotheses are framed around role theory and tested using data on a representative sample of U.S. faculty from the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty and hierarchical linear regression techniques. The results return quite disparate gendered patterns. For males, marriage and parenthood are associated with reduced used of LCA practices in undergraduate courses. For females, parenthood but not marriage is associated with greater use of LCA practices. All regression results remain robust after adjusting for a wide range of individual and institutional characteristics. These results align with previous research showing that the work and family lives of faculty are indeed entwined. However, this entanglement may have quite different and significant implications for male and female faculty within the institution of higher education, as this study suggests.     

The effect of teaching strategies on student achievement: An analysis using TALIS-PISA-link

The present study investigates the effects of different teaching strategies on student achievement using data from the so-called TALIS-PISA link created by the OECD. This is a recently developed instrument that allows for connecting data about teacher characteristics and practices collected in the TALIS (Teaching and Learning International Survey) survey with students’ academic performance measured in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). Our empirical strategy is based on an instrumental variable (IV) approach. Our results suggest that traditional teaching methods have a positive influence on students’ proficiency in mathematics, while the implementation of more innovative active learning strategies seem to have a negative impact on student achievement.     

Comparison on predictors of mental health service use among Asian older adults

Studies have mostly examined mental health service use of older Asian immigrant combining all Asian Americans into one group whereas immigration backgrounds and socioeconomic status of each Asian minority group are different. Therefore, this study aimed to identify predictors of mental health service use within specific ethnic groups among older Asian adults focusing on Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese in California. The Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations (BMVP) is used to guide the secondary data analysis of a sample of 3,453 older Asian immigrants from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Logistic and linear regression analyses are performed to examine predictors of mental health service use and the frequency of mental health service use, respectively. As results, mental health‐seeking patterns differ by ethnicity within the older Asian immigrant sample, not being married (Korean), higher levels of acculturation (Filipino), lower levels of neighborhood cohesion (Korean and Vietnamese), higher levels of perceived safety (Korean) and lower levels of perceived safety (Vietnamese), higher levels of mental distress (Korean and Filipino), and having perceived need (all) were related to more visits for mental health services. The study findings highlight the necessity of cultural competency services and programs for each Asian ethnicity.     

Effect of Sociocultural Context and Parenting Style on Scholastic Achievement among Iranian Adolescents

School grades, family demographics and responses to the parental authority questionnaire were assessed in 240 eighth‐grade students in the southern, central and northern parts of Tehran, Iran's capital. The result showed that poorer families with traditional values had more authoritarian attitudes toward parenting than richer families with more modern values. In contrast to the studies conducted in East Asian societies, the current study found that authoritative parenting was the style associated with the highest academic outcome. Tests of mediation and moderation effects showed that the relation between parenting style and academic outcome was independent of sociocultural context.     

The experiences of carers in using shared activities to communicate with looked‐after young people about alcohol,tobacco, and drug use

Parental conversations with their teenage children about alcohol, tobacco, and drugs are associated with lower rates of use. Looked‐after young people are at greater risk of early initiation, higher rates of use, and more problematic use. However, there is no evidence regarding whether these conversations occur in settings where the parental role is assumed by someone other than the biological parent. The aim of the study was to examine how carers communicate with looked‐after young people about alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 16 residential care staff and foster carers in Scotland. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Participants talked about “shared doing” as a way of building relationships and communicating about substance use. Shared doing encompassed particular activities that carers and young people would do together, such as driving in the car, cooking, watching TV, and going for a walk. Shared doing provided an opportunity to spend time together and to create an environment in which communication could be facilitated. These environments were shaped by space, time, and context. Carers should be encouraged to take advantage of the time‐limited occasions they are with young people to have conversations about substance use.     

Introducing audio-vision into evidence: the impact of audio recordings and their technical limitations in police use of force cases

ABSTRACT

This article explores the technical limitations of audio recordings and how those limitations impact the reliability of sound evidence in police use of force cases. In audiovisual recordings, audio is often assumed neutral, redundant or to have the same limitations as its visual counterpart. Bringing together film theorist Michel Chion’s concept of audio-vision and the technical specifications of mobile audio recording, this article highlights how design priorities and compression processes can influence the way sound evidence is perceived. By failing to acknowledge audio recordings as distinct from their visual counterparts, they are rendered invisible and are therefore under scrutinized throughout legal processes. This neglect becomes notably problematic in cases of police use of force where audio/visual recordings often work to bolster the already privileged officer testimony.     

Childhood origins and adult destinations: The impact of childhood living conditions on coexisting disadvantages in adulthood

The aim of this study was to analyse linkages between childhood living conditions and coexisting disadvantages in adulthood. Analyses were based on the Stockholm Birth Cohort, consisting of more than 14,000 individuals born in 1953, followed up until 2007. Based on education, labour market outcomes, economic poverty and health, four outcome profiles with varying levels of disadvantage were identified by means of latent class analysis. Coexisting disadvantages were present in approximately one‐fifth of the individuals. Low educational attainment, social welfare recipiency and mental health problems simultaneously occurred in two of the profiles, suggesting that these dimensions are highly interconnected. Results from multinomial regression analysis showed that individuals who had experienced disadvantaged childhood conditions had particularly high risks of ending up in these two outcome profiles, with or without the presence of unemployment. Key Practitioner Message: ● Four outcome profiles with varying combinations of adult disadvantage are identified; ● Coexisting disadvantages are present in approximately one‐fifth of the individuals; ● Those experiencing adverse childhood conditions have higher risks of coexisting disadvantages, with or without the presence of unemployment.     

Risk and resilience factors for substance use among street adolescents: Assessment and development of an integrative model

In this study, risk and protective factors for substance use were explored to develop an intervention program and test its efficacy among male street‐based adolescents. Twenty expert interviews and key informant interviews were conducted. In addition, 30 street adolescents (15 substance‐users and 15 non‐users) participated in four focus group discussions for needs assessment, wherein risk and protective factors were discussed. Based on the identified needs, an intervention package was developed and validated by experts. The package was implemented in a natural environment of 50 street adolescents. After the intervention, about 60% of the respondents quit or cut down on their substance use substantially, and approximately 40% of the respondents agreed to reunite with their respective families, while 20% did not change their substance use habits. The results showed that if several protective factors were present, there was a lower risk of substance use. Many factors contribute to substance use and protective factors need to be strengthened in order to make interventions effective.     

Assessing the impact of an asset-based intervention on educational outcomes of orphaned children and adolescents: findings from a randomised experiment in Uganda

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the effect of an asset-based intervention on academic performance and school transition among orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control arm or two treatment arms receiving an asset-based intervention. Participants in the treatment arms scored better grades; and had higher odds of transitioning to post-primary education relative to the control arm. Programmes which target financial insecurity may have a positive impact on the educational achievement and progression of orphaned children. There is a need to consider incorporating asset-based interventions within the development of educational policy, especially in low-income countries.     

The impact of religiousness, spirituality, and social support on psychological well-being among older adults in rural areas

This paper presents the results of a study on the impact of spirituality, religiousness, and social support on the psychological well-being among rural elderly. With a rural community sample of 215 older adults, hierarchical regression analyses found significant associations between dimensions of spirituality/religiousness, social support, and psychological well-being, with spirituality/religiousness inversely related to depression and social support, positively related to life satisfaction. Findings of this study suggest that practitioners need to develop programs or services that are congruent with religious/spiritual beliefs and practices in order to better enhance the psychosocial well-being and improve the quality of life among older persons in rural areas.     

Substance use and decision‐making in adolescent best friendship dyads: The role of popularity

In adolescent best friendship dyads, we examined: (a) similarity in substance use and decision‐making; (b) associations between participants' decision‐making and their own and best friend's substance use, (c) the influence of relative popularity within the dyad on these associations. Participants (n = 172; 12–18 years) named their best friend, completed popularity ratings, and a substance use questionnaire. Computer tasks were administered to assess risk‐taking and immediate reward preferences. Reciprocated same‐sex best friendship dyads (n = 49) were distinguished on their popularity, and we controlled for age differences between dyads in the analyses. Best friends were similar in substance use and risk‐taking preferences. More popular friends' risk‐taking preferences were positively associated with alcohol use of less popular friends. These findings underscore best friendship similarity in risky behaviors, and the influence of popular friends.     

Child maltreatment types and adolescent substance use: The role of deviant peer affiliation

This is the first study to examine the mediating effects of deviant peer affiliation on the association between different types of child maltreatment and adolescent substance use that includes alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Peer deviance is a well‐established correlate of adolescent substance use, but most studies exploring the relationship between child maltreatment and adolescent substance use have failed to include peer deviance. Structural equation modelling was conducted to examine the direct effects of each type of child maltreatment (i.e., physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and neglect) on adolescent substance use, as well as indirect effects via deviant peer affiliation, using Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. The results indicated that deviant peer affiliation fully mediated the individuals who had been emotionally abused showed increased deviant peer affiliation, which in turn was associated with higher levels of adolescent substance use. None of the four types of child maltreatment was directly associated with adolescent substance use. The study's findings underscore the importance of early assessment and intervention for the peer relationships of youth who have been emotionally abused.     

The impact of tourism and finance on women empowerment

The Goal-5 of United Nations Development Agenda for gender equality and women empowerment through equalizing the ratio of girls and boys enrolment in primary education remains suffered in almost every part of the globalized world, which does not even violate the basic human rights while it is the mandatory foundation for global peace and prosperity. The contribution of international tourism development to empower women is the key initiative of the developed world to provide an equal opportunity to the women to sustain their livelihoods. This study focused on the role of international tourism development on women empowerment through mediating a number of financial factors in a panel of 24 selected European countries, over a period of 1990–2015. The results show that financial intermediaries act as a catalyst to empower women through international tourism. More specifically, tourism and financial factors promote (i) gender parity in tertiary enrollment, (ii) gender parity in primary and secondary school enrollment, (iii) female employment, and (iv) women’s share in non-agriculture wage employment, while the results further support the (i) growth-led tourism, (ii) finance-led growth, (iii) growth stimulate women empowerment, and (iv) tourism-induced women’s empowerment hypothesis across countries.     

The impact of the use of the social welfare services or social security benefits on attitudes to social welfare policies

Muuri A. The impact of the use of the social welfare services or social security benefits on attitudes to social welfare policies
Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 182–193 © 2009 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. This article investigates the attitudes of citizens and clients to social welfare services and social security benefits. The data come from a Finnish national survey conducted at the end of 2006. First, the article overviews the previous welfare‐state studies relating especially to the theoretical perspectives of self‐interest and legitimacy. The empirical analysis indicates (i) that a different operation of self‐interest can only weakly explain the differences in attitudes between services and benefits; (ii) that there is general support for Finnish social welfare services and social security benefits, which, however, is mixed with growing criticism among women and pensioners who are supposed to benefit most from the welfare policies; and (iii) that such determinants of attitude as gender, use and, to some extent, lifecycle have become as important as class‐related factors such as income and education.