Territorial invasion and aggression in young children

Forty black first- and second-grade children were given instructions intended to induce possessiveness for both a designated toy and a play area, along with an opportunity to play with the toy in the area. Each subject then surreptitiously observed an experimental confederate dressed in a clown costume play with either the designated toy or another toy, while either within or outside the child's play area. While observing the invasion, the child had 10 opportunities (trials) to deliver shock to the confederate. Girls who observed the confederate playing with the designated toy delivered more shocks and waited fewer trials to deliver the first shock than did the other girls. Similar effects were produced by the confederate's use of the subject's play area. The manipulations produced no significant effects upon the boys' aggression.     

Obesity, disease, and functional limitation in later life

Little is known about the effects of obesity late in life. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Aging and the Assets and Health Dynamics of the Oldest Old Survey, this study finds an increased prevalence of obesity, over time, among those 70 and older. Obesity is related most strongly to limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) for women and to activities related to mobility. One ADL, eating, has a negative association to obesity. Obesity is associated with an increased prevalence of arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension. These results are cross-sectional and are based on self-reports of height and weight; they must be interpreted cautiously.     

Transitions related to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Discovery of one's human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, or receiving a diagnosis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), sets in motion a variety of transitions for individuals. Transitions may be characterized by changes in identity or role, changes in physical capacity and functioning, changes in outlook, changes in relationships, changes in routine, etc. Workplaces also face transitions to deal with increasing numbers of workers who are infected with HIV. A model for vocational rehabilitation counselors to assist individuals living with HIV infection in adjusting to their transitions is presented, and resources for providing informational support of individuals and organizations are described.     

Psychotropic medication management for youth in state care: consent, oversight, and policy considerations

The use of psychotropic medications in youth with emotional disturbances in state custody is increasing and presents unique challenges concerning consent and oversight. We examine various means that state child welfare agencies use to provide consent for and oversight of psychotropic medications for children in state custody and describe benefits of a consent process that provides for expert consultation to the child welfare agency and prescribing clinicians, case-specific and systemic oversight of psychotropic medication use, and education for stakeholders.     

The Subjective Well-being Construct: A Test of its Convergent,Discriminant, and Factorial Validity

Using structural equation modeling, we found empirical support for the prevailing theory that subjective well-being consists of three domains: (1) cognitive evaluations of one’s life (i.e., life satisfaction or happiness); (2) positive affect; and (3) negative affect. Multiple indicators of satisfaction/happiness were shown to have strong convergent validity as well as discriminant validity from positive and negative affect. Positive and negative affect likewise exhibited discriminant validity from one another. At both the item and scale levels of analysis, we obtained an intercorrelated three-factor solution corresponding to the three proposed subjective well-being domains.     

Application of a nonlinear mathematical model to data on a successful theraputic intervention

A mathematical model is applied to happiness and mood data from a successful group therapy intervention with elderly nursing home residents (Rattenbury and Stones, 1989). The model permits estimations of acute environmental change within and across therapy sessions, and the comparison of such estimates with the changes in happiness from before to after the total intervention. The findings show intervention success (i.e., the change in happiness) to correlate with across session changes, and particularly those in the basal (presession) acute environment, but with no correlation between therapeutic success and within session changes. These findings suggest a positive facilitation to the chronic environment during the progression of therapy.     

Neighbourhood Life,Social Capital and Perceptions of Safety in the Western Suburbs of Adelaide

In this paper we report on a South Australian study of perceptions of safety and aspects of neighbourhood life including social capital which involved the analysis of 2400 self‐completed questionnaires. A path analysis found that perceptions of safety were directly associated with gender, age, perceptions of neighbourhood pollution and neighbourhood trust, and indirectly associated with age, neighbourhood pollution and neighbourhood connections. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of the findings for public policy.