Missingness Amount and Mechanisms in Family Economic Stress Research: Mapping (Non)answers to Economic-Related Variables of Fathers,Mothers, and Emerging Adult Children

The percentage of missing data among economic-related items is likely to be particularly high. This study aimed at examining the amount, mechanisms, and variables associated with missingness of different family members participating in a family economic stress study. Portuguese emerging adults (N?=?418) and their parents (N?=?748) were required to answer objective and subjective economic items and complete measures assessing individual and family psychological functioning. Results showed that, for all participants, non-response was more likely to occur among objective economic items than among subjective ones. Children presented higher percentages of item/construct-level missingness than parents, which could reflect a reduced financial awareness on the part of these family members. Although the identification of mechanisms explaining missing data proved to be complex, family members’ missingness was associated with sociodemographic and psychological indicators, suggesting that non-answers do not occur purely by chance. Implications of these findings for further family economic stress research are discussed.

     

Integrating the Data Envelopment Analysis and the Balanced Scorecard approaches for enhanced performance assessment

This article presents the development of a conceptual framework which aims to assess Decision Making Units (DMUs) from multiple perspectives. The proposed conceptual framework combines the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) method with the non-parametric technique known as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) by using various interconnected models which try to encapsulate four perspectives of performance (financial, customers, internal processes, learning and growth).The practical relevance of the conceptual model has been tested by using it to assess the performance of DMUs in a multinational company which operates in two business areas. Various models were developed with the collaboration of the directors of the company in order to conceive an appropriate and consensual framework, which may provide useful information for the company. The application of the conceptual framework provides structured information regarding the performance of each DMU (from multiple perspectives) and ways to improve it. By integrating the BSC and the DEA approaches this research helps to identify where there is room for improving organisational performance and points out opportunities for reciprocal learning between DMUs. In doing so, this article provides a set of recommendations relating to the successful application of DEA and its integration with the BSC, in order to promote a continuous learning process and to bring about improvements in performance.     

Deprivation analysis based on Bayesian latent class models

This article seeks to measure deprivation among Portuguese households, taking into account four well-being dimensions – housing, durable goods, economic strain and social relationships – with survey data from the European Community Household Panel. We propose a multi-stage approach to a cross-sectional analysis, side-stepping the sparse nature of the contingency tables caused by the large number of variables considered and bringing together partial and overall analyses of deprivation that are based on Bayesian latent class models via Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. The outcomes demonstrate that there was a substantial improvement on household overall well-being between 1995 and 2001. The dimensions that most contributed to the risk of household deprivation were found to be economic strain and social relationships.     

Police Endorse Color-Blind Racial Beliefs More Than Laypersons

Racial disparities in the US criminal justice system (CJS) have been extensively documented in scholarly work. Critical race scholars have suggested that color-blind racial attitudes inform the set of beliefs that CJS practitioners use in decision making. If this is the case, factors that are related to color-blind racial attitude trends in CJS practitioners must be better understood. We focus on a single CJS practitioner—the police—to assess their color-blind racial beliefs and compare these to the broader US public. Using the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS), we identified sociodemographic variables associated with high CoBRAS scores in a multiracial lay sample (N = 1401; males and females, mean age = 33.4 years). Police (N = 112) and police recruits (N = 52) CoBRAS scores were compared to CoBRAS scores of lay participants with similar sociodemographics as the police and recruit samples, (respectively, N = 451; N = 291). Police scored significantly higher on the CoBRAS than laypersons even when controlling for sociodemographic variables. Police recruits also have higher CoBRAS scores than laypersons, again controlling for sociodemographic variables. These findings suggest that police work attracts people who endorse color-blind racial beliefs. These findings make understanding the relationship between color-blind racial beliefs and discriminatory behavior of CJS practitioners imperative.     

The environmental value of buildings: a proposal for performance assessment with reference to the case of the tall office building

Buildings consume approximately 33% of the world's energy, equivalent to 21% of global CO₂ emissions (IEA 2009, World energy outlook 2009, http://www.iea.org/weo/electricity.asp). Given the current scenario of energy consumption in buildings, the objective of this paper is to present some of the key issues related to assessment of the environmental performance of buildings, supported by the proposal of strategic indicators (with reference to the tall office building), followed by a critical review of the value of environmental design. Fieldwork has shown that a group of European case-studies show signs of change beginning to emerge considering value ahead of first cost, challenging the conventional commercial model. Energy savings and environmental quality in the operation of buildings bring marketability benefits to tenants, whilst future-proofing investments are of benefit to investors. In addition, buildings need to go beyond governmental targets to be able to remain competitive, adding value to environmentally considerate design.     

Expanded learning the LA's BEST way

LA's BEST reflects on how its values-based program-delivery design positively affects youth development.     

Factor Structure and Convergent Validity of the Long and Abbreviated Versions of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale in an Italian Sample

We examined the psychometric characteristics of the long and abbreviated versions of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) in the Italian contexts. In study 1 we assessed the factorial validity and reliability of the long and abbreviated versions of the MSLSS among Italian adolescents, while in study 2 we assessed the convergent validity of the abbreviated Italian version of the MSLSS by examining the associations between life satisfaction and well-established measures of adjustment. Furthermore, we explored the effect of adolescent gender and age on life satisfaction. Participants in the study 1 were 996 adolescents (48 % males) from 14 to 18 years of age (M = 16.06; SD = 1.51). Participants in study 2 were 380 adolescents (52 % males) from 14 to 19 years of age (M = 15.76; SD = 1.65). Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized five-factor solution of the MSLSS, with a better goodness of fit for the abbreviated version of MSLSS. Moreover, indices of internal consistency revealed acceptable reliability coefficients across the five domains. Convergent validity was confirmed by the expected associations between the domains of the MSLSS and indexes of adjustment. Finally, results evidenced age differences, with oldest adolescents showing the highest levels of satisfaction on most of the domains.     

Predictors of attitudes towards physician-assisted suicide

Psychological factors may influence an individual's acceptance of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS). The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate predictors of attitudes towards PAS. Data were collected from 136 college students at a private Midwestern university. In addition to demographic and family history information, respondents completed measures of attitudes toward seeking mental health services, depression, hopelessness, and PAS attitudes. Respondent age, race, and hopelessness scores emerged as the only significant predictors (R2=.20) in a multiple regression model used to identify potential predictors of PAS attitudes. Younger, non-minority respondents, and those enduring more hopelessness reported more accepting attitudes towards PAS. Data from a three month follow-up assessment supported the stability of this pattern. The findings highlight the important role that mental health professionals should play in PAS decision making. Implications for the evaluation of medically ill considering PAS and their caregivers are discussed.     

Māori Cultural Efficacy and Subjective Wellbeing: A Psychological Model and Research Agenda

Māori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, experience a range of negative outcomes. Psychological models and interventions aiming to improve outcomes for Māori tend to be founded on a ‘culture-as-cure’ model. This view promotes cultural efficacy as a critical resilience factor that should improve outcomes for Māori. This is a founding premise of initiatives for Indigenous peoples in many nations. However, research modeling the outcomes of increased cultural efficacy for Indigenous peoples, such as Māori, remains limited. We present cross-sectional data modeling the links, and possible causal direction, between Māori cultural efficacy and active identity engagement and levels of (1) satisfaction with personal circumstances and life versus (2) satisfaction with government and the state of the nation more generally (N = 93 Māori). Our data support an opposing outcomes model in which Māori cultural efficacy predicts satisfaction with personal aspects of life, but may simultaneously decrease satisfaction with the nation and methods of governance for Māori peoples. Possible mechanisms governing these opposing effects are discussed.