The Role of the Family Context in the Development of Emotion Regulation

This article reviews current literature examining associations between components of the family context and children and adolescents' emotion regulation (ER). The review is organized around a tripartite model of familial influence. Firstly, it is posited that children learn about ER through observational learning, modeling and social referencing. Secondly, parenting practices specifically related to emotion and emotion management affect ER. Thirdly, ER is affected by the emotional climate of the family via parenting style, the attachment relationship, family expressiveness and the marital relationship. The review ends with discussions regarding the ways in which child characteristics such as negative emotionality and gender affect ER, how socialization practices change as children develop into adolescents, and how parent characteristics such as mental health affect the socialization of ER.     

Social Cohesion and Living Conditions in the Canadian Arctic: From Theory to Measurement

Social cohesion has emerged as a powerfulhybrid concept used by academics and policyanalysts. Academics use the concept tounderline the social and economic failings ofmodernity, linking it to the decline ofcommunal values and civic participation. Policy analysts use it to highlight the socialand economic inequities caused byglobalization. The desired effect of usingthis concept is often to influence governmentsto implement policies that will enhance socialcohesion by reducing social and economicdisparities. Despite its widespread use,however, statistical measures of socialcohesion tend to overlook local, non-Westernstrategies of social inclusion as well as thesocial impact of non-Western economic systems,such as the mixed economy typical of manyAboriginal communities in North America. Inthis paper, we develop a model of socialcohesion that addresses these omissions throughthe use of social indicators that measure boththe behavior and perceptions of Inuit living inthe Canadian Arctic with respect to the social,cultural and economic conditions of Arcticcommunities. We explain how and why measuringsocial cohesion is optimized by combining bothculturally-specific and non-specific socialindicators.     

Tables for computing shortest confidence intervals involving the f-distribution

Tables of multipliers necessary for computing the shortest confidence interval in situations involving the F-distribution are presented. Such situations are illustrated with several examples.     

(De)Constructing the Risk Categories in the AIM Assessment Model for Children with Sexually Harmful Behaviour

This article critically analyses the AIM Assessment Model for children who have sexually harmful behaviour, exploring the underpinning knowledge and the processes involved. The model reflects current trends in the assessment of children, in child welfare and criminal justice services, producing categories of risk that lead to levels of intervention. When subjected to critical review, the knowledge base emerges as partial, contingent and obscured, and the process generates a particular construction of the subject which has consequences for practice. A social constructionist perspective is used to make visible some of the ways in which this knowledge is generated and how this may assist practitioners in considering the relations of power within such protocols.     

Social Facilitation Expectancies for Smoking: Psychometric Properties of a New Measure

Abstract

Objective: Expectancies about social outcomes for smoking are relevant to college student smokers, who frequently report “social smoking.” A new measure, the Social Facilitation Expectancies (SFE) scale, was developed to assess these beliefs. Participants: The SFE was administered to undergraduate college student smokers (N = 1,096; study completed in May 2011). Methods: Items were scored on a 5-point scale with a summed total score. The sample was randomly split and principle axis factoring and confirmatory factor analysis applied to determine scale structure. The structure was tested across sex and smoking groups and validation analyses were conducted. Results: A 9-item, 1-factor scale was replicated within each group. Higher SFE scores were observed among those with greater smoking experience and higher scores were associated with greater endorsement of other smoking-related beliefs. Conclusions: These preliminary findings provide support for the sound psychometric properties of this measure for use with young adult college students.     

Work–Family Balance Self‐Efficacy's Relationship With STEM Commitment: Unexpected Gender Moderation

The number of students, particularly the number of women, completing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate degrees is insufficient to meet the U.S. demand. Thus, research investigating key predictors of STEM commitment is of high importance. Applying the Social Cognitive Model of Career Self‐Management (SCCT‐CSM; Lent & Brown, 2013 ) as a guiding framework, this study examined the relationship between work–family balance self‐efficacy (WFSE) and STEM commitment as moderated by gender. The sample included 246 STEM students (106 women, 140 men) from a southeastern university. A 3‐step hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that WFSE accounted for incremental variance in STEM commitment beyond traditional social‐cognitive predictors, and gender moderated the relationship between WFSE and STEM commitment. Contrary to expectations, the relationship was stronger for men than for women. Findings suggest resiliency among women, showing that they are committed to STEM regardless of low WFSE. Practical implications for university and workplace contexts are discussed.     

Telling Your Story: Effective Packaging of Assessment Data,Closing Address of the 23rd Annual North Carolina Serials Conference

In the closing address of the 23rd annual North Carolina Serials Conference, Donna Tolson of the University of Virginia (UVA) and Peggy Myers of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) presented “Telling Your Story: Effective Packaging of Assessment Data.” In their address, they shared their experiences with selecting and packaging assessment data according to the intended audience and utilizing the data for internal decision making and external advocacy.     

“Nobody's Perfect”—Partial Disagreement with Herman,Faust, Bridges,and Ahern

This article takes issue with aspects of chapters in Kathryn Kuehnle and Mary Connell's 2009 book, The Evaluation of Child Abuse Allegations: A Comprehensive Guide to Assessment and Testimony.     

Health Risk Behaviors among Adolescents in the Rural South: A Comparison of Race,Gender, and Age

Risky behaviors contribute to many of the physical and mental health problems of today's adolescents. The present study surveyed more than 2,500 high school and middle school students in a rural county in southwest Georgia in an attempt to identify differences in health risk behaviors, including tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use, violence and gang-related behaviors, and student assessment of high-risk behaviors, based on three demographic characteristics: race, gender, and age. Results show that Caucasian students are more likely to use tobacco and alcohol, whereas African-American students are more likely to engage in violent activities. In addition, older students (aged 15+ years) were more likely to use tobacco, alcohol, and drugs and to participate in violent behaviors, and male students are more likely to use tobacco and drugs and to participate in violent behaviors than female students.