The rescission of behaviors: Inconsistent responses in adolescent sexuality data

In longitudinal survey research, certain questions can be rescinded illogically. For instance, respondents who at Time 1 report having had sexual intercourse may at Time 2 report never having done so. This paper reports measurement techniques and analyses of these types of inconsistencies from an ongoing longitudinal adolescent sexuality project. Inconsistencies in intercourse, masturbation, and other sexual behaviors are reported and compared to rates from other studies and other less sensitive behaviors within the same study. Three conclusions are presented: (1) inconsistencies should be considered a natural part of any longitudinal survey process and should be incorporated into the response model; (2) inconsistency rates in these particular data support the contention that adolescent sexuality data of appropriate quality for analytical purposes can be obtained; and (3) inconsistency rates in fact contain substantive information concerning the processes under consideration.     

Labor force participation and family formation: A study of working mothers

Drawing upon a sample of 638 mothers aged 18 to 40, with at least some marital work experience, significant associations were found between the extent, kind, and timing of employment and a series of family formation variables. Generally lower fertility, longer first birth intervals, and earlier use of birth control were associated with the longest work durations, the highest status jobs, and work before the birth of the first child. The data failed, however, to differentiate desired family size.     

Quality care for ill children: AIDS-specialized foster family homes

Children with AIDS and related complexes present a new and serious challenge to the child welfare field's foster care system. At this stage of the world's knowledge of AIDS and treatment capacity for its victims, the children are stigmatized as plague bearers, their viability is unknown, and few, if any, will ever have a home to return to. This article describes a special foster care demonstration in behalf of AIDS infants.     

Arbitrators’ backgrounds and behavior

Evidence indicates that when choosing arbitrators biographical information about them is used by labor and management representatives. Presumably, this helps ensure selection of the “right” arbitrator, behaviorally speaking. The present study assessed the general utility of this practice by examining the relationship between biographical information and arbitrator behavior for 250 arbitrators. It was found that the biographical information accounted for only small portions of the variance in four measures of arbitrator behavior. Implications are discussed in terms of arbitrator selection practices and future research needs. This research was conducted while the first author was on leave at Ohio State University from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The authors wish to thank Cathy Collins, Reba Leiding, Rufus Milsted, and Grace Winslow for their assistance on this project. A version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Industrial Relations Research Association, New York, December 1982.