Delimiting perceptual cues used for the ethnic labeling of African American and European American voices

A review of speech identification studies examining the abilities of listeners to distinguish African American and European American voices shows that Americans can recognize many African American voices with a high degree of accuracy even in the absence of stereotypical morphosyntactic and lexical features. Experiments to determine what cues listeners use to distinguish ethnicity have not yielded such consistent results, perhaps suggesting that listeners may access a wide variety of cues if necessary. An experiment involving African Americans with features of a European American vernacular demonstrated that African Americans with atypical features are difficult for listeners to identify. Analysis suggested that vowel quality and intonation could have misled respondents but did not rule out timing and voice quality as factors in identification.     

Age-specific survivorship analysis ofHeliothis spp. Populations on cotton

Summary Population dynamics ofHeliothis virescens (F.) andHeliothis zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) eggs and larvae were studied for two years in a small plot of cotton,Gossypium hirsutum (L.). Due to morphological and ecological similarities, the pooledHeliothis population was considered for most of the analyses. Two generations ofHeliothis eggs and larvae were completed during each year. Stage recruitment was estimated for the eggs and larval instars 2–6, and recruitment variances were estimated by a Monte Carlo method. A modified form of the Weibull distribution was developed and used as a model to characterize survivorship curves for each of the fourHeliothis generations. A Type I survivorship curve (mortality rate increasing with age) was inferred for both Generation 1 (early season) data sets, whereas a Type II survivorship curve (mortality rate constant and thus independent of age) was inferred for both Generation 2 (late season) data sets. The shapes of the survivorship curves for the individualH. virescens andH. zea populations were inferred to be the same as those for the pooled populations. Analysis of the contributions of various factors toHeliothis stage-specific mortality indicated that natural enemies (predators and parasites) and the availability of food for larvae were responsible for between-generation differences in survivorship patterns.     

Demographic Characteristics as Predictors of Quality of Life in a Population of Psychiatric Outpatients

Studies examining relationships between demographic variables in a general population of psychiatric outpatients and quality of life (QOL), in which QOL was assessed according to current recommendations, have not been performed yet. The aim of this study was to examine one particular aspect of this relationship: the question to what extent QOL scores can be predicted by demographic variables. In a sample of adult Dutch psychiatric outpatients (n=495), demographics were recorded and the participants completed a questionnaire for measuring QOL (WHOQOL-100). The relationships of the demographic variables with the WHOQOL-100 domains Social Relationships and Environment, were stronger than those with the domains Physical Health and Psychological Health. The latter had only significant relationships with educational level and sick leave, which explain little of the variance of the concerning QOL domain. In general, the demographic characteristics used, explained only a relatively small part of the variance in QOL scores. An exception was sick leave, which, in participants with a job, explained an extensive part (27.4%) of the variance of scores on the domain Physical Health.     

Implications of survey design for generalized regression estimation of linear functions

The paper presents a general randomization theory approach to point and interval estimation of Q linear functions T_q = Σ^N₁c_kqY_k(q = 1,…,Q), where Y₁,…,Y_N are values of a variable of interest Y in a finite population. Such linear functions include population and domain means and totals, population regression coefficients, etc. We assume that some auxiliary information can be exploited. This suggests the generalized regression technique based on the fit of a linear model, whereby is created approximately design unbiased estimators T?_q. The paper focuses on estimation of the variance-covariance matrix of the T?_q for single stage and two stage designs. Two techniques based on Taylor expansions are compared. Results of Monte-Carlo experiments (not reported here) show that the coverage properties are good of normal-theory confidence intervals flowing from one or the other variance estimate.     

The Role of Joint Attention in Later Development Among Preterm Children: Linkages Between Early and Middle Childhood

Joint attention is a hallmark of human cognition. It refers to the capacity to coordinate attention to objects and events with attention to other people. Infants display considerable individual differences in this capacity. This longitudinal study of 13‐month‐old preterms was conducted to examine the hypothesis that two different types of joint‐attention skills assessed in an infant–tester paradigm are related to verbal and nonverbal IQ measures through middle childhood. Data are reported separately for the children's tendency to initiate such skills and to respond to an experimenter's offers to share in such behaviours. The results provide support for the hypothesis that the initiation of joint attention makes a unique contribution to later nonverbal IQ apart from variance associated with biomedical risk status and infant development. The results of this study have implications for the conceptualisation of joint‐attention skills, as well as for understanding the relation between joint attention and later cognition.     

HIV-infected African families living in Stockholm/Sweden: their social network, level of disclosure and knowledge about HIV

Most HIV-infected parents in Stockholm are of African origin. Many of them have several children, but their social network is often limited. This article looks at the networks of these families in relation to different aspects of HIV in order to improve the support strategies. The theoretical basis of the study rests on network and ecological systems theory. The social networks of the families in the study were found to be generally of similar size in Sweden and in the home country. However, of 47 HIV-infected parents only 21 (45%) had disclosed their HIV status to friends and relatives in Sweden. The lack of a social network was especially prominent among single women. Contact with counsellors at the HIV clinic and the social welfare office increased the probability of disclosure about HIV infection. The lack of knowledge about HIV transmission and about whom to inform about the infection stresses the importance of improved counselling. The support strategies aimed at broadening the patient's network and breaking their isolation need to be continued and strengthened.     

The Role of Forgiveness in Divorce Adjustment and the Impact of Affect

The role of forgiveness and affect was investigated in relation to divorce adjustment. Ninety-one participants separated from their ex-spouse less than 30 months completed a background questionnaire, the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI), the Self Forgiveness Scale (SFS), the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Inventory (CES–D), the Spielberger State–Trait Anger Inventory (STAXI–2), and the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale (FDAS). There were significant relationships between depression and the capacity to forgive and between being in an angry feeling state and harboring a lack of forgiveness toward the ex-spouse. The relationship that emerged as the most powerful was that between trait anger and lack of self-forgiveness. Forgiveness intervention that occurs early in the divorce adjustment process is implicated, particularly in relation to the self.     

旅游研究中的“真实性”:纷争之后

真实性的内涵如此多义,以致莱辛格与斯坦纳提出应摒弃该概念。然而自麦坎内尔将真实性引入社会学研究的30年来,相关研究蔚为大观,学界就客观真实性、主观真实性与建构真实性展开系列辩论与研究;另一方面,实践中的真实性样态层出不穷,譬如真实的复制与真正的赝品、生命历程中的真实性或人造景观的真实性。在后真实时代,旅游客体的真实性主要由旅游体验来裁决。