Vocal Characteristics of Older Adults and Stereotyping

Two studies extended the study of the nonverbal correlates of age stereotypes. In Study 1, 40 young listeners assessed the age of 30 elderly speakers from three age groups: 60–69, 70–79, 80 and over. As expected, perceived age increased linearly with age group, although greater variability was found in judgments of male than of female speakers. For male speakers, mean vocal volume (intensity) and standard deviations in vocal volume were positively correlated with chronological and perceived age. For female speakers, mean pitch, standard deviations in pitch, and vocal jitter were positively correlated with chronological and perceived age. In Study 2, 40 young listeners selected trait sets corresponding to 3 positive and 3 negative elderly stereotypes to describe 6 young-old and 6 old-old speakers. As predicted, listeners associated the old-old voices of females (but not males) with fewer positive stereotypes than the young-old female voices. In addition, young-old male voices were associated with significantly fewer positive stereotypes than young-old female voices. Finally, male participants chose fewer positive stereotypes for young-old male voices than did female participants. These results provide information on the ways in which vocal characteristics may serve to activate stereotypes in interaction.     

Determinants of Women's Decision-Making Authority in Nigeria: The Ethnic Dimension

Using data from a 1991 survey of five ethnic groups in Nigeria, we look at the determinants of wife's decision-making authority. Our analysis shows that ethnicity plays a very important role in shaping wife's decision-making authority and is even more important than wife's individual-level characteristics as a determinant of authority. The ethnic effect occurs both by shaping the levels of resources that women achieve and by shaping the relationships of wife's achieved characteristics to family decision-making. To the extent that characteristics other than ethnicity make a difference for authority, we find that wife's contributions to household expenditures are important. That factor significantly increases wife's authority, as does wife's formal education, age, and work for pay outside the home. The findings underscore the importance of looking at ethnic social differentiation in the African context and advancing educational and employment opportunities for women.     

The effect of different factors on the level of academic achievement in England and Wales

This paper is a study of the relative importance of four factors-ability, social class, sex, and type of school-on the performance of children in the educational system of England and Wales. It uses a dummy variable linear regression analysis of data collected by the National Survey of Health and Development, tracing the progress of all children born in one week of 1946. The conclusions suggest among other things that reorganisation of educational institutions can have considerable effect on children's performance, irrespective of their class and intelligence; and also that sex plays an increasingly important determining role as pupils progress through the system.     

Comment on Cross, Fine, Jones, and Walsh (2012): Good therapeutic services--therapeutic advocacy and forensic neutrality

Cross, Fine, Jones, and Walsh (2012 ) provided a thoughtful review and critique of a book chapter describing the interview process at Child Advocacy Centers. They observed some of the ways that concerns raised in that chapter are being addressed and described revised guidelines that further clarify issues. Ongoing research and examination of the important processes carried on by child advocacy centers and the role fulfilled by mental health professionals in the investigation of child sexual abuse contributes positively to service delivery.     

Identification of Multivariate Responders/Non-Responders Using Bayesian Growth Curve Latent Class Models

In this paper, we propose a multivariate growth curve mixture model that groups subjects based on multiple symptoms measured repeatedly over time. Our model synthesizes features of two models. First, we follow Roy and Lin (2000) in relating the multiple symptoms at each time point to a single latent variable. Second, we use the growth mixture model of Muthén and Shedden (1999) to group subjects based on distinctive longitudinal profiles of this latent variable. The mean growth curve for the latent variable in each class defines that class's features. For example, a class of "responders" would have a decline in the latent symptom summary variable over time. A Bayesian approach to estimation is employed where the methods of Elliott et al (2005) are extended to simultaneously estimate the posterior distributions of the parameters from the latent variable and growth curve mixture portions of the model. We apply our model to data from a randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in treating symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis. In contrast to conventional approaches using a single subjective Global Response Assessment, we use the multivariate symptom data to identify a class of subjects where treatment demonstrates effectiveness. Simulations are used to confirm identifiability results and evaluate the performance of our algorithm. The definitive version of this paper is available at onlinelibrary.wiley.com.     

American Indian Women Report on the Community Impact of a Tribal Casino

This qualitative study of the community impact of a Midwest American Indian casino examined semi-structured interview data (N = 20) from American Indian women. Results indicate that the opening of the tribal casino has provided opportunities for intergroup contact to occur resulting in improved relations between Indians on the reservation and those who are not Indian from surrounding communities. These improved relations are positively affecting the relationships that develop between the members of the communities. The findings highlight the need for social workers to examine the impact of intergroup contact that is naturally occurring in tribal casino communities and develop interventions that can assist in reducing stereotypes and prejudices.     

Dual tracks: part-time work in life-cycle employment for British women

Forty percent of working women in the UK work part-time; does part-time work support a woman’s labour market career or frustrate it? Cohort data on women’s labour market involvement to age 42 show highly varied pathways through full-time/part-time/non-employment. Part-time work can be part of two different pathways in women’s labour supply for persistent workers and marginal workers. A history of full-time work, even including part-time or non-employment spells, tends to lead back to full-time work, indicating that part-time work supports a career. However, part-time work combined with non-employment is a trap against the resumption of full-time work.