Usefulness and Reliability of Tanner Pubertal Self‐Rating to Urban Black Adolescents in South Africa

Self‐rating of pubertal development is the recommended method to assess puberty in large community‐based surveys of adolescent development and behavior. The aim of this study was to validate for the first time pubertal self‐assessment using the sexual maturation scale developed by Tanner among Black South African adolescents (n=182) aged between 10 and 18 years who were recruited and assessed at public schools in Soweto—Johannesburg. There was significant concordance between adolescents' and same sex health professional's assessment of pubic hair growth and breast development in females (κ coefficients .71 and .76, respectively; p<.0005), and pubic hair growth and genital development in males (κ coefficients .63 and .60, respectively; p<.0005). We conclude that the Tanner pubertal self‐rating appears to be a reasonably valid instrument to use among black South African youth. The tool can be administered in school or other community‐based settings with moderate confidence provided the procedure is thoroughly explained to the participant through the developed tutorial in the language of choice, and privacy and confidentiality are assured.     

Family Process and Child Development in Unlabeled (Normal) Families*

Preliminary data are reported from an ongoing project devoted to the study of normal families. The research emphasizes the effects of system-level variables and the micro patterns of conversational interaction on the development of children within the family. Our theoretical model focuses on the individuation process, and the way in which accuracy of interpersonal perception and mutual validation among family members contribute to and are affected by the personal development and functioning of individual family members. The data derive from two-hour interviews with 99 families in their homes, plus psychological, sociometric and achievement data on an adolescent girl in each family. We have found both structural factors and patterns of conversational interaction among parents that distinguish families of the adolescent girls who score high on the individual functioning measures from families of adolescent girls who score low on these same measures.     

Child protection: a survey of psychiatrists' knowledge and attitudes

The aim of the study was to examine psychiatrists' knowledge of the child protection process and their attitudes toward child protection training. An anonymous questionnaire survey was sent out to all psychiatric staff in a large psychiatric hospital. The response rate was 72 per cent. Fifty‐seven per cent of respondents had never attended child protection training and 16 per cent thought that it was of no relevance to their position. Significant differences in self‐rated knowledge were identified between those who had attended training and those who had not. Variations in the availability and quality of child protection training may result in psychiatrists not attaining the core knowledge required in order to work effectively as part of the child protection process. Hospital management should work towards prioritising and disseminating local child protection policies and procedures more effectively and consider routine child protection training as part of any new staff induction. The Royal College of Psychiatrists should consider inclusion of child protection in junior staff education programmes and as part of the MRCPsych examination curriculum. Likewise, consideration should be given to enhancing the status of child protection training in continuing professional development programmes for career‐grade psychiatric staff. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quality of marriage: a comparison between golden wedding couples and couples married less than fifty years

The quality of marriage is investigated for a sample of 79 couples living in a midwestern comprehensive retirement community. These 158 older, middle-class men and women are healthy and average 74.8 years of age. Marital length averages 41 years, and 34.8 percent have celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Marital quality, morale, and sexual behavior are not significantly different for golden wedding couples than for couples married less than 50 years. Couples married less than 50 years spend more time socializing with other couples each week than do those who have passed the 50 year mark; they also have higher levels of sexual interest, and are more likely to have been previously married. All of these couples are happily married, have high morale, and most are still sexually active (62.8 percent).     

Computer Science Majors: Sex Role Orientation,Academic Achievement,and Social Cognitive Factors

This study examined the sex role orientations endorsed by 188 male and female students majoring in computer science, a male‐dominated college degree program. The relations among sex role orientation and academic achievement and social cognitive factors influential in career decision‐making self‐efficacy were explored. Findings revealed that androgynous‐ and feminine‐oriented students scored significantly higher on career decision‐making self‐efficacy as compared with undifferentiated students. No significant sex role orientation differences were found for academic achievement and general and career locus of control.