SEX OF CHILDREN: A COMMUNITY ANALYSIS OF PREFERENCES AND PREDETERMINATION ATTITUDES

A self-administered questionnaire concerning child sex preferences and attitudes toward the exercise of pre- and post-conception sex predetermination was distributed and retrieved from an urbanized area sample of 209 adults aged 18 to 50. A modified (i.e., truncated) version of McClelland's (1979) "stopping rule" measure method was used to assess child sex preferences. It confirmed and extended findings from earlier research in that male first children, but sex-balanced completed families, were preferred by the respondents. The use of either pre- or post-conception techniques of sex predetermination was favored by only a minority of the respondents, a very small minority when by the postconception method. Finally, it was evident that child sex preferences did not have a significant influence upon fertility intentions or upon attitudes toward the personal exercise of sex predetermination by either method.     

ADAPTING TO DEPRIVATION: AN EXAMINATION OF INFLATED EDUCATIONAL EXPECTATIONS

Many researchers argue that lower-class individuals adapt to their deprivation by lowering their aspirations for success. Data provide only limited support for this position, however, and suggest that many lower-class individuals continue to hold high aspirations. This article points to a second method of adapting to deprivation: raising expectations for success to inflated levels—levels that have a low probability of realization. The extent and determinants of inflated educational expectations are explored using data from a national, longitudinal survey of high school seniors. Results indicate that almost half of all deprived individuals with high aspirations have inflated expectations. The primary determinants of inflated expectations appear to be pressure to attend college and the overestimation of one's abilities. These data are relevant to anomie or strain theories of deviance and social structure and personality.     

Infants' Ability to Distinguish Between Intentional and Accidental Actions and Its Relation to Internal State Language

The experiment reported here investigated infants' concept of intention, as well as the relation among intention understanding, general productive vocabulary, and internal state language production during the 2nd year. Results from an imitation task indicated that 18‐month‐olds are better able to differentiate between intentional and accidental actions than 14‐month‐olds. Although there was no relation between infants' performance on the intention task and their general productive vocabulary, internal state language production at 30 months was predicted by infants' ability to differentiate between intentional and accidental actions about a year earlier. These findings shed light on the developmental progression of infants' concept of intention, as well as on the continuity between infants' understanding of intentional action and their ability to use internal state words.     

The relationship of sexual abuse to symptom levels in emotionally disturbed girls

This research study examined symptom levels and sexual abuse status of emotionally disturbed girls in residential treatment. Sexually abused girls had poorer self esteem, higher levels of anxiety, and a trend toward more depression than the nonabused girls on self-report measures. Measures completed by the residents' therapists also found sexually abused girls as being more symptomatic in a number of areas.This research was made possible by a grant awarded to both authors from the Faculty Research and Innovation Fund of the University of Southern California and a Rhoda G. Sarnat Junior Faculty Endowment to Dr. Mennen.     

The Condensed MFT Core Competencies: A Streamlined Approach for Measuring Student and Supervisee Learning Using the MFT Core Competencies

In this article, the authors present a condensed version of the Marriage and Family Therapy Core Competencies (MFT-CC), collapsing the original 128 MFT-CC to 16 using a qualitative research method. Educators, supervisors, and researchers can more easily and efficiently use the condensed MFT-CC to measure student and supervisee learning for accreditation and training. The 16 Condensed MFT-CC are mapped to the original MFT-CC, COAMFTE's Version 12 Foundational Curriculum Areas and the Association for Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards 6 domains upon which the national exam is predicated.     

Feeding behaviour of red fox and domestic cat populations in suburban areas in the south of Paris

Urban Ecosystems - Among medium-sized carnivores, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) are the most abundant species in human-dominated landscapes worldwide. Both...     

Making ideas “app”-en: the creation and evolution of a digital mobile resource to teach social work interviewing skills

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the processes involved in the design, delivery, and evolution of a mobile app.’ The initial app’ was funded by an institutional Teaching Award to update the delivery of Egan interviewing skills to social work students. The article charts the progress of development, beginning with the initial rationale for the app’ and its subsequent evolution into a Motivational Interviewing resource for social workers within a designated local authority. Arguing for the increasing importance of digital resources, within social work training and practice, the article draws from theories of digital pedagogy, as well as highlighting the work of some prominent figures within this emerging field. The article is written as a collaboration between the lead author and the app’ developers, who have contributed technical detail and emphasized the need for collaboration. Whilst the article touches briefly on the mechanics involved with app creation, its chief aim is to act as a guide to the practical, financial and relational aspects of development – in order that other social work practitioners and educators are inspired to progress their own ideas into innovative digital resources. To facilitate this, the article concludes with a practical list of suggestions for successful digital development.