VARIABLE SELECTION ALONG CANONICAL VECTORS

When describing and displaying inter-group relationships using canonical variate analysis, the question often arises: which variables contribute most to the group separation along particular canonical vectors? This problem is discussed in the context of an example which uses remotely sensed data to discriminate between cover classes. The appropriate between-groups matrix to be input into subset selection procedures is identified. When combined with subsequent simplification of the vectors, the approach leads to a simpler interpretation of the canonical variate display.     

A longitudinal study of newcomer role adjustment in US organizations

Abstract

This paper examines the socialization and adjustment experiences of newcomers to organizations from a role stress perspective. A longitudinal field study is reported which tested a three-stage socialization model using physiological and psychological distress symptoms, general satisfaction, and intention to leave the organization as indicators of newcomer adjustment. Data were collected from newcomers (the focal role) (N = 91) at three times during me study and also from their supervisors (the role senders) (N = 41). While the data confirmed the general utility of the model, it also suggested some revisions by way of new and altered pathways between some of the variables.     

MISSED CALL? A REEXAMINATION OF SPORT FANS' AND NONFANS' ALCOHOL USAGE AND ALCOHOL-RELATED EXPERIENCES

The current investigation attempted to replicate and extend Nelson and Weschler's (2003 Nelson , T. F. and H. Wechsler . 2003 . “School Spirits: Alcohol and Collegiate Sport Fans.” Addictive Behaviors 28 : 1 – 11 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) research that indicated that college student sport fans were more likely to report problematic alcohol usage and more negative alcohol-related experiences in comparison to nonfans. In addition to utilizing the original study's operational definition of fan (spectator-based), 323 college students were categorized according to more traditional measures of fandom, specifically levels of fan and team identification. Contrary to the previous research, the results indicated that fans' and nonfans' alcohol usage and experiences of negative alcohol-related events were not significantly different. Additionally, both forms of identification (fan and team) failed to predict problematic alcohol usage and negative alcohol-related experiences. Although the results were unaffected by the operational definitions of fan, distinguishing certain subgroups of fans may be important in regards to clarifying and advancing our understanding of the potential relationship between sport and alcohol usage. These distinctions could guide efforts to reduce problematic alcohol usage.     

Effectiveness of the Brief Alcohol and Screening Intervention for College Students (BASICS) Program With a Mandated Population

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a large-scale intervention designed to reduce alcohol abuse among adjudicated college students. Participants: Participants were college students mandated to attend a Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) program and a randomly selected comparison group of high-risk drinkers. Methods: Data were collected from January 2006 through December 2008. A total of 1,390 (67%) students in the intervention group and 508 (61%) students in the comparison group completed baseline and 6-month follow-up surveys. Results: Male students in the intervention group significantly decreased their drinking at follow-up, whereas those in the comparison group increased their drinking. Women in both the intervention and comparison groups decreased their drinking at 6 months. Conclusions: When implemented with fidelity, BASICS is a generally effective intervention, especially for male adjudicated college students. The intervention was most effective for moderate- and high-risk drinkers.     

Validity of the AUDIT-C screen for at-risk drinking among students utilizing university primary care

ABSTRACT

Objective: Research is needed to establish the psychometric properties of brief screens in university primary care settings. This study aimed to assess the construct validity of one such screen, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C), for detecting at-risk drinking among students who have utilized on-campus primary care.

Participants: 389 students recently seen in university primary care completed a confidential online survey in December 2014.

Methods: Bivariate correlations between the AUDIT-C and measures of alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences provided concurrent evidence for construct validity. Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analyses determined optimal cut-off scores for at-risk drinking.

Results: The AUDIT-C significantly correlated with measures of alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences (p < .001). Analyses support optimal AUDIT-C cut-off scores of 5 for females and 7 for males.

Conclusions: The AUDIT-C is a valid screen for at-risk drinking among students who utilize university primary care.     

A Teaching Model to Unite Classroom and Field

Abstract

Integration of theory and practice is always an objective of professional education. In reality, social work students frequently experience a discontinuity when they move from the classroom into the practicum. Many concepts learned in the classroom seem difficult to apply in practice and appear irrelevant to learning practice skills. A teaching model that can be presented both in the classroom and field is described in this article. Students can apply this model, which is relevant to both micro and macro settings, in diverse practice situations.     

Social Density of Gambling and Its Association with Gambling Problems: An Initial Investigation

The role of social factors in pathological gambling has received relatively little systematic research. The goal of the current study was to examine the relationship between a target individual’s gambling behavior and the gambling behavior among that individual’s parents, siblings and five closest friends. The specific aims were, first, to apply a novel brief assessment to study the social density of factors relating to pathological gambling; second, to replicate previously observed findings involving the social aggregation of alcohol and tobacco use; and third, to examine social density findings among the three domains. Participants were 128 frequent gamblers from the Athens, Georgia area, 79.7 % male with a mean age of 34.2 (SD = 11.7). Participants were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview for Gambling Severity for gambling severity, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test for alcohol abuse, the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence for tobacco use, and the novel Brief Social Density of Gambling, Alcohol, and Tobacco Assessment. Significant relationships were observed between participants’ and friends’ activity within all domains: gambling (ps = .001), alcohol use (p < .001) and tobacco use (p < .001). Relationships with friends’ activity across domains were less strong. Distinct patterns of associations with parents and siblings were not observed. Thus, social aggregation was observed across the three domains of potentially addictive behaviors, generally with specificity within domains and with friends, not biological relatives. Methodological considerations and potential applications of these findings are discussed.     

Teen Mothers: Marriage,Cohabitation, and Educational Achievement

This study examines the proportions of ethnically diverse low-income teen mothers who are cohabitating and/or married to the father of their child(ren) at approximately 14, 24, and 36 months after birth of their child. In addition, the relationship between marital status and education among teen mothers is explored. At 36 months after giving birth, 60% of mothers were not living with or married to the fathers of their children. Hispanic mothers were the most likely, and African-American mothers the least likely, to be married to the father at each of the three time points. For Hispanic teen mothers, being married at 14 months was related to lower educational achievement.     

College Students' Positivity Toward Teen Mothers

Although teen pregnancy and parenthood are more visible in society than in the past, teen mothers are often stereotyped and stigmatized. The study examined positivity toward teen mothers among college students (N = 316) at a midwestern university. Although students responded positively to some items regarding teen mothers, other statements showed endorsements of stereotypes. Positivity toward teen mothers was positively related to empathy and classification (freshman, sophomore, etc.). Those who did not report having a teen mother in their family had higher levels of positivity than those who reported having a teen mother in their family. Research should examine perceptions of teen mothers among social workers and interventionists as a moderator of intervention effectiveness.