What Works for Whom,How and under What Circumstances? Testing Moderated Mediation of Intervention Effects on Externalizing Behavior in Children

In this study, we investigate whether changes in child social cognitive functioning and parenting are the mechanisms through which an individually delivered real‐world child intervention, Stay Cool Kids, aimed at preventing externalizing problem behavior in high‐risk elementary school children, induces changes in child behavior. Moreover, we tested whether mediation was moderated by child characteristics (gender and personality). The sample consisted of 264 fourth‐grade children displaying externalizing behavior (TRF t‐score > 60). Forty‐eight schools were randomly assigned to the intervention or no‐intervention control condition. The results of mediation analyses provided evidence for child positive self‐perception and maternal involvement as working mechanisms of the intervention. Child personality factor extraversion moderated the mediating effect of involvement whereas no moderated mediation was found for gender. Working mechanisms of the intervention differ for children with different personality characteristiscs.     

Emoticons und Personenwahrnehmung: Der Einfluss von Emoticons auf die Einschätzung unbekannter Kommunikationspartner in der Online-Kommunikation

Text-based computer-mediated communication is a daily experience in social as well as work-related communication. Enriching text messages with emoticons to convey emotions or non-verbal communication aspects can provide the recipients with important background information. However, it’s still not well understood how impression formation takes place in text-based computer-mediated communication. This study investigated how using emoticons influences the perception of communication partners in anonymous computer-mediated communication settings. In an online experiment (N?=?50) participants rated communication partners, who used emoticons in the experimental condition and did not use emoticons in the control condition, on the following dimensions: Openness, Friendliness, Warmth, Sense of Humor, and Respectability. Furthermore, they guessed the senders’ sex. Results show medium to strong effects on the dimensions “Warmth” and “Friendliness”: Senders using emoticons received higher ratings on these dimensions. Methodical limitations and implications for further research are discussed.     

“A Very Dangerous Battleground”: How Abstinent Christian Men Select and Navigate Media in the Presence of Sexual Media Content

Abstinent Christian men are frequently challenged when selecting and navigating media due to the presence of sexual content that presents images and ideas not aligned with their sexual self-concept. In this study, we explored themes that emerged from qualitative in -depth interviews of abstinent Christian men to understand their media selection, navigation, and sexual self-concept in the context of the sexual media practice model (Shafer, Bobkowski, & Brown, 2013). Participants’ media selection and navigation were influenced by faith, and participants often attempted to control or avoid situations where sexual media content were present.     

Discretizing a compound distribution with application to categorical modelling

Many probability distributions can be represented as compound distributions. Consider some parameter vector as random. The compound distribution is the expected distribution of the variable of interest given the random parameters. Our idea is to define a partition of the domain of definition of the random parameters, so that we can represent the expected density of the variable of interest as a finite mixture of conditional densities. We then model the mixture probabilities of the conditional densities using information on population categories, thus modifying the original overall model. We thus obtain specific models for sub-populations that stem from the overall model. The distribution of a sub-population of interest is thus completely specified in terms of mixing probabilities. All characteristics of interest can be derived from this distribution and the comparison between sub-populations easily proceeds from the comparison of the mixing probabilities. A real example based on EU-SILC data is given. Then the methodology is investigated through simulation.     

Adolescents' beliefs about marijuana use: a comparison of regular users, past users and never/occasional users

A questionnaire investigating adolescents' opinions and experiences regarding marijuana use was administered to 163 adolescents and young adults (96 boys and 67 girls) aged 13 to 20 (mean age = 16.8, s.d. = 1.5). Items referred to marijuana and other substances' dangerousness, representations regarding the positive and negative consequences of marijuana use. Responses were compared according to marijuana use status (classified into never/occasional use, current regular use and past regular use). Results show that adolescents' opinions differ according to their experience with marijuana use. Current regular users evaluate marijuana as less dangerous, but alcohol and heroin as more dangerous in comparison with never/occasional and past users. Current and past users are more likely to define marijuana as a medical drug and a plant used in agriculture, and less likely to define it as an illegal drug. Current and past users evaluate marijuana use as a way to cope with stress, to relax to a greater extent than do never/occasional users do. The latter attribute more negative consequences to marijuana use such as diminished driving ability and school performance and a pathway to hard drugs.     

Using TV as a Guide: Associations Between Television Viewing and Adolescents' Sexual Attitudes and Behavior

Using both correlational and experimental methodology, this study examined contributions of TV viewing to adolescents' sexual attitudes and behavior. A sample of 244 high school students was assigned to view clips depicting either one of three sexual stereotypes or neutral content. Participants then completed measures assessing their attitudes about sexual roles and relationships, their regular TV viewing habits, and their sexual experiences. Results indicated that more frequent viewing of talk shows and of “sexy” prime‐time programs, and viewing TV more intently for companionship, were each associated with greater endorsement of sexual stereotypes. Additionally, more frequent viewing and stronger identification with popular TV characters were associated with greater levels of sexual experience. Laboratory exposure to specific stereotypical content lead to greater acceptance of gender and sexual stereotypes, as well. Implications for television's role as a sexual educator are discussed.     

Consommation des mass media: biculturalisme des mass media ou bilinguisme des consommateurs?*

The frame of reference of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Bicul-turalism postulates that both French-speaking and English-speaking Canadians have within their reach mass media that allow for their cultural development. This study examines the validity of this assertion by comparing it with observations related to mass media consumption among Montrealers. Diffusion techniques, even though unilingual, could be bicultural in their content and thus serve as instruments for reciprocal knowledge for anglophones and francophones. This does not seem to be the case. The objective of knowing one another could also rest upon the bilingualism of individuals and the consumption of media in both languages. A unilingualism-bilingualism scale was constructed to evaluate this possibility. Among all linguistic groups, even the equilingual ones, there are very few who watch TV programmes and read newspapers in both languages. Unilin-guals and bilinguals other than equilinguals mostly consume mass media products in the language they know best. The linguistic factor alone is incapable of explaining the attraction of the francophones for the English-speaking media, nor does it offer satisfactory explanations for the behaviour of the equilinguals. Le cadre de référence de la Commission d'enquête sur le bilinguisme et le biculturalisme prétend que les Canadiens anglophones et francophones disposent des mass media qui leur permettent de se développer culturellement. La présente étude essaie d'en mesurer l'adéquation avec certains faits relatifs à la consommation des mass media chez les Montréalais. Les techniques de diffusion, tout en étant unilingues, pourraient être biculturelles dans leur contenu et ainsi servir d'instruments de connaissance réciproque pour les Canadiens anglophones et francophones. Telle ne semble pas être la situation. L'objectif de connaissance réciproque pourrait aussi reposer sur le bilinguisme des individus et la consommation des media dans les deux langues. Une échelle d'unilinguisme-bilinguisme a été constituée. Chez tous les groupes linguistiques, même les équilingues, il y a peu de consommateurs de la télévision et des journaux dans les deux langues. Les unilingues et les bilingues autres que les équilingues consomment surtout dans les langues qu'ils comprennent le mieux, mais le f acteur linguistique reste inadéquat pour expliquer l'attrait des médiums de langue anglaise sur les francophones de même que le comportement des équilingues.     

High-risk health and credit behavior among 18- to 25-year-old college students

The number of students accumulating credit card debt--and the amount of debt itself--on college campuses is increasing. If high-risk credit and health behavior are associated, health behavior interventions might apply to high-risk credit behavior. OBJECTIVE: The authors' purpose was to examine these possible associations. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: They used a retrospective design with existing data from a sample of 45,213 US college students and several ordinal regression models, which corresponded with high priority college health issues. RESULTS: Students with high-risk credit behavior were more likely to have driven after drinking, used amphetamines in the previous 30 days, felt functionally impaired by depression in the previous 12 months, had a higher body mass index (BMI), or had a lower grade-point average (GPA). They were less likely to have participated in vigorous physical activity, used condoms for oral or vaginal sex in the prior 30 days, or used marijuana. The findings support the notion that high-risk health and credit behaviors are associated. CONCLUSIONS: Further research could clarify the nature of this relation.