What was I thinking? A theoretical framework for analysing panel conditioning in attitudes and (response) behaviour

Though panel data are increasingly used in the social sciences, the question whether repeatedly participating in a panel survey affects respondents’ attitudes and (response) behaviour is still largely unsolved. Drawing on a model of associative networks that is extended by assumptions on survey satisficing, we present a theoretical framework that emphasizes the role of strength-related attributes of attitudes (accessibility, internal consistency, extremity) and motivation in respondents’ information processing. In particular, we argue that – depending on respondents’ predispositions – occupation with survey questions enhances attitude strength, which results in increasing attitude stability and influence on thoughts and behaviours. Against this background, we bring together hitherto unconnected results from previous research and thus contribute to a more thorough understanding of both the mechanisms and the multifaceted outcomes of panel conditioning.     

Relationship of Religiosity and Spirituality to Hazardous Drinking,Drug Use,and Depression Among Sexual Minority Women

Using data from Wave 3 of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study (N = 699), we explored whether religiosity and spirituality were associated with risk of hazardous drinking, drug use, and depression among sexual minority women (SMW; i.e., lesbian, bisexual) and possible differences by race/ethnicity. Participants were more likely to endorse spirituality than religiosity, and endorsement of each was highest among African American SMW. We found no protective effect of religiosity or spirituality for hazardous drinking or drug use. An association initially found between identifying as very spiritual and past-year depression disappeared when controlling for help-seeking. Among SMW with high religiosity, African American SMW were more likely than White SMW to report hazardous drinking. Latina SMW with higher spirituality were more likely than White SMW to report drug use. Results suggest that religiosity and spirituality affect subgroups differently, which should be considered in future research on resiliency among SMW.     

Lean in Swedish agriculture: strategic and operational perspectives

The purpose of this article is to present and test a framework for lean implementation in the agricultural sector, addressing challenges from an operational and strategical perspective. The article builds on the previous literature on the use of Lean and reports empirical data from a lean implementation project in the south-western Sweden, including interviews, observations, diaries and questionnaires. A framework is developed to examine strategic and operational perspectives on Lean Thinking. Using this framework, a number of challenges encountered in Lean implementation are presented. This article is limited to the study of Lean among a group of Swedish farms although its findings may have implications for the wider agricultural sectors. Many societal challenges are linked with agricultural sustainability, stressing the need for productive, resource-efficient, resilient and less wasteful food production. This article is the first to develop and test a Lean implementation framework in the agriculture sector.     

Mortality and Attrition Processes in Longitudinal Studies in Africa: An Appraisal of the Iford Surveys

This paper considers the impact of sample-attrition through dropouts on mortality analyses, using the pioneering IFORD survey of Yaounde (Cameroon). The essential issue in the IFORD surveys is the possibility that mortality of members of the cohort may differentially select some children, with specific underlying characteristics. The paper implements a method to assess the following three distinct concerns that may arise in the analysis of the IFORD data: (a) the estimation of the relationship between the covariates and the rate of occurrence of mortality or attrition over time; (b) the study of the interrelation between processes under a specific set of conditions during intervals between rounds for those children still alive and in the survey at the beginning of each interval; and (c) the issue of whether mortality and mortality differentials are affected when attrition is ignored. This approach accounts for sample-selection bias that may have resulted in the attrition process. The analyses provide insights into the debate, which has been ongoing since the late 1970s among students of African demography, regarding the selection problem in the IFORD surveys. Based on a multinomial survival modelling and bivariate probit with sample-selection framework, the results substantiate the belief that average levels and differentials of mortality would not have been different for children who dropped out from the survey than for those who remained in the survey. This is evidence that mortality estimates are virtually unaffected if attrition is ignored.     

The intersection of home study assessments and child specific recruitment: the performance of home studies in practice

Child specific recruitment efforts are designed to facilitate permanent placements for children in foster care by finding them potential adoptive families among people already known to the child. This process relies heavily on gathering thorough and accurate information about prospective families, and much of this information is often contained in families’ home study assessments. Yet, little is known in the research literature about the way that home studies operate in conjunction with the recruitment of adoptive families. The purpose of this study is to explore how home studies are perceived and used in the context of child specific recruitment. Findings suggest that home studies perform best in gathering general family information, but poorly in capturing sensitive information, which may be one of the most critical dimensions to capture. These findings highlight important practice changes needed in current adoption practice.     

Learning the hard way: a pilot permanency planning program

California's Family Protection Act (FPA) is a forerunner of Public Law 96-272 and of the state's permanency planning efforts. The mechanisms for implementing judicial and administrative review and delivering new contract and in-agency services are discussed, as well as the criteria for receipt of services and the changing use of preventive services and foster care. The original implications of the chosen mechanisms and their evolution across seven years of permanency planning are reviewed.