Measuring the Dynamics of Interactional Synchrony

Past research has revealed that natural social interactions contain interactional synchrony. The present study describes new methods for measuring interactional synchrony in natural interactions and evaluates whether the behavioral synchronization involved in social interactions is similar to dynamical synchronization found generically in nature. Two methodologies, a rater-coding method and a computational video image method, were used to provide time series representations of the movements of the co-actors as they enacted a series of jokes (i.e., knock?Cknock jokes). Cross-spectral and relative phase analyses of these time series revealed that speakers?? and listeners?? movements contained rhythms that were not only correlated in time but also exhibited phase synchronization. These results suggest that computational advances in video and time series analysis have greatly enhanced our ability to measure interactional synchrony in natural interactions. Moreover, the dynamical synchronization in these natural interactions is commensurate with that found in more stereotyped tasks, suggesting that similar organizational processes constrain bodily activity in natural social interactions and, hence, have implications for the understanding of joint action generally.     

Involving carers from minority ethnic backgrounds in carer-led research

This qualitative pilot study investigated the interest of minority ethnic informal carers, with no previous experience of research, in engaging in carer-led research. Individual face-to-face interviews and focus groups were conducted to explore the understanding and attitudes carers hold to research alongside the motivators and de-motivators to their involvement in carer-led projects. The findings reveal that carers are interested in initiatives with a practical beneficial outcome for carers or those they look after. Black and minority ethnic carers identified interpreter and translation resources, gender sensitivity and flexibility around their involvement as major considerations. Carers’ perceptions of their transferable skills from personal or professional experiences to research were also closely linked to their willingness to engage in carer-led studies.     

Deserving Victims?: Sexual Status and the Social Construction of Violence

Theoretical understanding of the meaning of the term violence is underdeveloped. This paper examines the question of how violence to the person is socially defined, and in particular how understandings of violence are both gendered and sexualised. It highlights how victim characteristics, as well as the social and interactional contexts in which violence occurs, influence interpretative frameworks, with specific reference to the binary distinction between the public and private and to notions of culpability and victimisation. This entails a consideration of the social meanings which constitute notions of a 'person' with a 'right to life' and occupation of 'public space'. The importance of the victim/perpetrator dichotomy in theorising violence is also considered. These themes and issues are examined in relation to a relatively new area of study; the case example of public violence towards lesbians and gay men.     

Adoption of children with developmental disabilities.

United Methodist Family Services of Virginia placed 41 developmentally disabled children in adoptive homes between August 1985 and June 1988, representing a range of chronic emotional, intellectual, and physical disabilities. This article describes the need for specialized adoption programs for children with developmental disabilities and the methods used in placing these children. The obstacles to adoption of children with developmental disabilities are also discussed.     

Defensive barriers to communication

To be an effective communicator, the manager must understand the obstructions that exist in sending and receiving messages. These barriers to communication are infinite in number and include language, education, experience, understanding, perception, semantics, faulty transmission, environment, personal interests, and physical, physiological, and psychological factors. One of the most serious barriers to communication is defensiveness, which creates negative feelings and counterproductive results.     

Steps toward dismantling poverty for working, poor women

The majority of the world's poor people are women and many of them spend long hours doing paid and unpaid work. Pay inequities between men and women persist and income inequalities between the rich and poor are deepening. Working poor females, especially working poor mothers, struggle against considerable odds. This situation, and some steps that healthcare professionals can take toward dismantling poverty are addressed.     

Life events and peer substance use and their relation to substance use problems in college students

Substance use disorders among college students are not well understood, and the present study examined the relationship of two environmental factors to alcohol and drug use problems in 616 (316 women) college students. Participants completed measures assessing substance use problems, life events, and substance use among peers. Alcohol use problems were significantly associated with higher drug use problems and regular use of illicit drugs among friends. Drug use problems were significantly associated with male gender, higher alcohol use problems, regular use of alcohol and drugs among friends, illicit drug use among romantic partners, and higher numbers of negative life events. Results extend previous research and suggest that college students who experience multiple negative life events and/or affiliate with substance using friends and romantic partners may be at risk for developing a substance use problem.     

Understanding parental leave experiences: connecting the dots with a multiple-methods approach

ABSTRACT

This research note draws selected findings from a multiple-methods study conducted in partnership with a large public-sector employer in Portland, OR to describe the added value of this approach for research translation. We focus on how our study of a newly implemented paid parental leave policy can translate to actionable steps for two important end-users: employers and policymakers. Using administrative records (N?=?579), a countywide employee survey (N?=?137 leave-takers) and focus groups (N?=?35), we describe how each data source contributes important and unique information about how the policy’s implementation affected diverse employees. We find gender differences in how employees changed leave-taking in response to the policy, and describe the critical but nuanced role that supervisors play. Working with employers and policymakers to develop and implement thoughtful policies will help to ensure equitable distribution of the benefits of paid leave policies.