An R package for testing goodness of fit: goft

This R package implements three types of goodness-of-fit tests for some widely used probability distributions where there are unknown parameters, namely tests based on data transformations, on the ratio of two estimators of a dispersion parameter, and correlation tests. Most of the considered tests have been proved to be powerful against a wide range of alternatives and some new ones are proposed here. The package's functionality is illustrated with several examples by using some data sets from the areas of environmental studies, biology and finance, among others.     

Finding gender advantage and disadvantage: Systematic research integration is the solution

In this article, we respond to Vecchio's [Leadersh. Q., 14 (2003)] critique of Eagly and Carli's [Leadersh. Q., 14 (2003)] arguments concerning female leaders' relative advantage and disadvantage. We support Eagly, Johannesen-Schmidt, and van Engen's [Psychol. Bull., 95 (2003) 569] conclusions about leadership style and show that the areas of leadership style in which women exceed men are associated with gains in leader effectiveness, whereas the areas in which men exceed women have negative or null relations to effectiveness. We point out flaws in Vecchio's understanding of the methodology by which researchers integrate research findings across studies and elucidate several essential principles of valid research integration. Our analysis strengthens Eagly and Carli's conclusion that female leaders, relative to male leaders, are correctly described as possessing both advantage and disadvantage.     

Young women’s transition to marriage

This paper examines determinants of timing of marriage for young women by modeling the transition from the single to the married state by age. This approach, combined with a large longitudinal data set, allows us to disaggregate the analysis into fine age groupings and to include situational and attitudinal factors in our model. We find that those characteristics of a young woman’s parental family that reflect the availability of parental resources tend to decrease the chances of a marriage during the early teens. Chances of marrying appear to decrease with increases in the availability and attractiveness of alternatives to the wife role and in the costs of assuming it. We discuss these results from the perspective of the societal and parental normative pressures which affect timing of marriage for young women.     

Bonding to Youth Clubs and Delinquency

Youth clubs and their relationship to delinquency has received surprisingly little attention in the literature. The applicability of social bonding theory, a prominent sociological theory of delinquency, to the experiences of youth in their clubs is the primary focus of this research. The reliability and validity analysis of indices specifically created to assess club bonding suggest the legitimacy of this approach. Belief in the rules and the regulations of the club is found to be negatively correlated with delinquency. Surprisingly, weekly involvement in the club is found to be positively associated with delinquency. Implications for practice and/or intervention are discussed.     

Drug abuse treatment training in Peru. A social policy experiment

A social policy experiment is presented that was conducted from 1997 to 2000 in a setting with a high level of readiness for implementing a randomized experiment of therapeutic community (TC) drug treatment training in Peru. Seventy-six drug abuse treatment organizations were randomly assigned into three groups, and data were collected at multiple assessment periods. Staff and directors in organizations assigned to the training groups participated in either 6-week basic training or 8-week basic plus booster training sessions, which were theoretically grounded. Small- to medium-size positive effects were found on increased staff empowerment to use actual tools and principles from the training; medium and large positive effects were found on the implementation of TC methods with fidelity after the training. A follow-up with the funding and training organizations 1 year later showed use of the evaluation results in decision making in both organizations.     

Relationships between maternal adult attachment security, child perceptions of maternal support, and maternal perceptions of child responses to sexual abuse

This study assessed the relationships between maternal adult attachment style, children's perceptions of maternal support following disclosure of sexual abuse, and maternal perceptions of children's behavioral and emotional responses to sexual abuse among African-American child sexual abuse victims aged 4 to 12 (n=96) and a comparison group of non-abused subjects (n=100). Mothers with insecure attachment styles reported significantly higher rates of internalizing behaviors in their sexually abused children than did securely attached mothers. Among mothers of non-abused children, those with insecure adult attachment styles reported significantly higher rates of externalizing behaviors shown by their children in comparison with mothers with a secure adult attachment style. Mothers with insecure adult attachment styles also reported higher rates of overall behavior problems in their non-abused children that approached statistical significance. Sexually abused children's perceptions of maternal support were not related to maternal attachment style nor to child functioning. Contrary to our prediction, mothers of sexually abused children did not show lower rates of secure attachments when compared to mothers of non-sexually abused children. Our findings indicate that fostering parent- child attachment is important in order to decrease the risk for behavior problems and symptomatology in sexually abused children.     

Empowered Learners: The New Paradigm for 2000 and Beyond

In the fast-growing new technology-based industrial landscape in the UnitedStates, companies have had to face a major problem. Many job applicants havehad such a poor educational preparation that many companies are required tooffer remedial courses in the basic subjects to ensure employee readiness forsuch positions. Many times, however, the educational approach taken bycompanies is very similar to that which was taken by the schools which havefailed these employees – the typical `chalk and talk' approach. Thisarticle suggests an alternative approach to employee education. Thisresearch-based theory states each individual learns in a unique way which canbe diagnosed and utilized to ensure maximum educational effectiveness. Thisapproach has already been employed in a high school setting, and the resultssupport this approach. The theory is not predicated on school-age studentsalone, hence a transition to the workforce is entirely credible, to thebenefit of companies and individuals alike.