Physical Discipline and Behavior Problems in African American,European American,and Hispanic Children: Emotional Support as a Moderator

Using data collected over a 6‐year period on a sample of 1,039 European American children, 550 African American children, and 401 Hispanic children from the children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, this study assessed whether maternal emotional support of the child moderates the relation between spanking and behavior problems. Children were 4–5 years of age in the first of 4 waves of data used (1988, 1990, 1992, 1994). At each wave, mothers reported their use of spanking and rated their children's behavior problems. Maternal emotional support of the child was based on interviewer observations conducted as part of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment. For each of the 3 racial‐ethnic groups, spanking predicted an increase in the level of problem behavior over time, controlling for income‐needs ratio and maternal emotional support. Maternal emotional support moderated the link between spanking and problem behavior. Spanking was associated with an increase in behavior problems over time in the context of low levels of emotional support, but not in the context of high levels of emotional support. This pattern held for all 3 racial‐ethnic groups.     

Grenzgänge zwischen Wissenschaft und Politik. Geschlechterkonstruktionen in wissenschaftlichen Eliten

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

HIV/AIDS Knowledge Sources and Risk Behavior among Adolescent African American Males: Toward Developing HIV/AIDS Pedagogy

Black male adolescent HIV incidence and prevalence account for a disproportionate number of AIDS cases. Their cultural experiences are significantly different than other sectors of the U.S. population. Among adolescents, they constitute 37 percent of the cases, which is more than double their representation in the general adolescent population. The authors ask where do African American males receive information about HIV/ AIDS.     

The Relation of Patterns of Coping of Inner–City Youth to Psychopathology Symptoms

This study provides empirical verification that variations in patterns of coping can explain current and future functioning of youth. The study evaluated the methods and styles of coping of inner–city youth and their relation to age, gender, ethnicity, stress levels, and internalizing and externalizing symptom levels. Three hundred seventy–two 12– to 16–year–old adolescents from inner–city schools (67.0% African American, 24.4% Hispanic; 53.41% males) participated. One hundred forty–nine were also included in a follow–up evaluation of the prospective relation of coping to functioning. A seven–factor model of coping methods was identified and found to be applicable across age groups, genders, and ethnic groups. The model was robust over time. Coping methods were categorized through cluster analysis into five styles. Styles were found to relate somewhat to demographic characteristics and stress levels. Controlling for demographic characteristics and stress levels, coping style related concurrently and prospectively to internalizing and externalizing symptom levels. Except in one instance, age, ethnicity, and gender did not interact with coping in predicting symptoms. Implications for further coping research and risk and intervention design are discussed.     

Remembrances of things past: test–retest reliability of retrospective migration histories

Summary Matched retrospective life history data collected from the same individuals in two waves of the Malaysian Family Life Survey provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the quality of long-term recall data in a rapidly changing developing country. Recall quality, measured by consistency of incidence and dating of moves reported 12 years apart, is higher among the better educated. Respondents better remember more salient moves, those linked with other important life events such as marriage, childbirth or a job change and moves that lasted a long time. Migrations that dim in memory as time passes are typically shorter duration or local moves, often made while the respondent was young. The dating of moves is also significantly improved when linked with other salient events. Our findings suggest concrete and practical steps that can be followed to improve the quality of retrospective life-histories collected in field surveys.     

SOURCES OF EARNINGS INEQUALITY IN THE BLACK AND WHITE FEMALE LABOR FORCES

Earnings inequality trends and their sources from 1975 to 1986 are evaluated for two historically subordinate working groups—black and white women—using Current Population Survey data. The dual nature of women's employment, improved earnings opportunities, and continuing segregation into low-paying positions create conditions under which earnings inequality in these two groups is expected to increase. Two sources of changing inequality levels are examined to determine which better explains inequality trends: the redistribution of women across labor market positions, which should have occurred due to industrial restructuring; and changes in the rates of earnings returns to labor market positions. For both groups, changes in returns better explain positive inequality trends in the 1980s, although black women's earnings are somewhat more influenced than whites' by their redistribution across labor market positions.     

Evaluability assessment: Reflections on the process

As a formal process, evaluability assessment is 10 years old. In the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), the process is 5 years old. Since 1984, evaluability assessments have been implemented in five states with six different major programs in an effort to define the process in a practical methodological sense and to encourage its adoption in CES. Implementation proceeded iteratively and after each study, procedures were analyzed, clarified, and, wherever possible, simplified to make the process more usable and more “operator robust.” The purpose of this article is to reflect on the process as it evolved in applications in CES. Underlying philosophy and methodological considerations are discussed. To put these in perspective, background information is provided on the evaluability assessment process and on the studies conducted in CES.     

A Behavioral Examination of Mead's View of Role-Taking

According to Mead, self appears as individuals take the role of others toward their own gestures. In two investigations, the hand movements of subjects were observed as they verbalized different commands specifying hand or head movement to another person. The first investigation explored the possibility of directly observing and recording instances of role-taking. In the second, the visual accessibility between experimental subjects was varied in order to assess its effect on the frequency of overt role-taking. Results indicate that the process of role-taking is amenable to direct observation; and, furthermore, that overt role-taking decreases as visual accessibility increases.     

Bayesian analysis of contingency tables: a simulation and graphics-based approach

In this paper we present a simulation and graphics-based model checking and model comparison methodology for the Bayesian analysis of contingency tables. We illustrate the approach by testing the hypotheses of independence and symmetry on complete and incomplete simulated tables.     

A Response to Disability in 1986 and Beyond: A Report of the Royal College of Physicians

The article attempts a radical critique of the recent report published by the Royal College of Physicians, which established that there are serious shortcomings in the services provided for people with disabilities. The author disputes that the development of more medical services in medical environments would be in the interests of disabled people. He proposes instead a partnership between the medical profession and autonomous structures democratically created by people with disabilities. This would lead to the development of responsive and non-intrusive services that enable people to live independently in the community.