Editorial

This introductory article provides an overview and theoretical anchor for the following contributions in this special issue. The article discusses, first, the necessity for introducing a new research paradigm – ‘visual competence’ – in the social sciences (anthropology, communication science, media and social psychology, political science, sociology), arguing that the actual transformations of reality triggered by processes of globalisation and digitisation require a closer scrutiny of the visual. In a second step, the new paradigm ‘visual competence’ is introduced, focusing on four dimensions: visual production, perception, interpretation and reception competencies. A new model, the visual competence cycle, is suggested. The article concludes with a specific application example for studying visual interpretation competence in a case study of the humanising and de‐humanising effects of portraiture.     

Reconsidering the impact of behavior prediction questions on illegal drug use: The importance of using proper analytic methods

Social scientists often habitually employ ANOVA methods when analyzing data from experiments when other analytic approaches are required instead. This paper illustrates how traditional analytic approaches can lead to incorrect research conclusions by reanalyzing data from a recent study by Williams, Block, and Fitzsimons (2006a Williams, P., Block, L. G. and Fitzsimons, G. J. 2006a. Simply asking questions about health behaviors increases both healthy and unhealthy behaviors.. Social Influence, 1(2): 117–127. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Because the non‐negative dependent variable (illegal drug use) was super skewed and had a large majority of zero values, the use of improper statistical tests and the presence of just a few extreme, outlying observations produced the illusion that asking people to predict their likelihood of drug use increased that behavior significantly, when in fact it did not. The effect of behavior prediction questions on frequency of exercise also turns out to be non‐significant when analyzed properly. As this example illustrates, experimental researchers should choose and implement appropriate analytic approaches carefully.     

Whose ‘family’? A note on ‘The changing sociological construct of the family’

It is encouraging to read ethnographic research that addresses the way actors understand their own ‘family lives’ which also includes some debate about the way sociologists use the term ‘the family’     

An objective measure of fatigue derived from a set of brief tasks

Seventy-three soldiers who had lost three nights sleep and 45 unfatigued soldiers completed a 25-minute computerized set of tasks derived from the pencil-and-paper kit of factor referenced ability tests. The fatigued soldiers produced more long-reaction times than die unfatigued group, but their accuracy was unaffected, in accordance with the 'lapse hypothesis' of sleep-loss effects. Two scores were derived from the data, one representing accuracy, and the other fatigue. A second study using 21 unfatigued students showed that differences in ability affected both of these scores, but that practice effects from repeated administration of the tasks improved only the fatigue score, not the accuracy score. The set of tasks could, with refinements, be used to obtain an objective measure of fatigue if used with experimental and control groups drawn from the same population.     

Evaluating the oversight of scientific misconduct

The Office of Research Integrity has proposed a new definition of scientific misconduct that will substantively reduce the federal government's role of oversight of scientific practices. The standard is being changed despite the lack of evidence about the effects of current policies or understanding of why research misconduct occurs, how it can be detected and prevented, and the nature and effectiveness of sanctions. Given this lack of knowledge and the perception that the integrity of science is falling, we believe it would be unwise for the academic and scientific community to adopt this new standard.     

The peculiar pattern of mortality of Jews in Moscow, 1993-95

Russian Jews, particularly men, have a large mortality advantage compared with the general Russian population. We consider possible explanations for this advantage using data on 445,000 deaths in Moscow, 1993-95. Log-linear analysis of the distribution of deaths by sex, age, ethnic group, and cause of death reveals a relatively high concentration of endogenous causes and a relatively low concentration of exogenous and behaviourally induced causes among Jews. There is also a significant concentration of deaths from breast cancer among Jewish women. Mortality estimates using the 1994 micro-census population as the denominator reveal an 11-year Russian-Jewish gap in the life expectancy of males at age 20, but only a 2-year life-expectancy gap for women. Only 40 per cent of the Russian-Jewish difference for men, but the entire difference for women, can be eliminated by adjustment for educational differences between the two ethnic groups. Similarities with other Jewish populations and possible explanations are discussed.     

CASAWORKS for Families. A new treatment model for substance-abusing parenting women on welfare

This article provides a brief overview of CASAWORKS for Families (CWF), an innovative intervention designed to help substance-abusing parenting women on welfare. CWF was developed in response to the passage of welfare reform legislation in 1996. Factors that provided a background and context for the development of CWF are considered. The rationale, key elements, and the conduct of a pilot demonstration of CWF are described. Evaluation findings that serve to guide the next steps to improve the intervention are reviewed. Finally, new welfare policy priorities emerging around the importance of addressing behavioral health problems among welfare recipients are highlighted.