A social comparison perspective of treatment seeking by the homeless

The homeless will readily list ailments they claim to have, yet they will also claim that such ailments are not a problem and do not warrant treatment. In an attempt to understand this apparentparadox, data from a sample of homeless individuals were re-analyzed from a social comparison perspective. It was hypothesized that increased entrenchment in homelessness (increased isolation from nonhomeless environments and further involvement in the homeless environment)—operationalized by longer time spent on the street and a greater number of street friends—would lead homeless individuals to alter their perceptions of what constitutes a problem worthy of treatment. Results supported this hypothesis, in direction, and in almost all tests conducted. The involvement of adaptation level theory in such a social comparison process and the implications for intervention and treatment are discussed.     

Paid maternal leave is associated with better language and socioemotional outcomes during toddlerhood

The United States is the only high-income country that does not have a national policy mandating paid leave to working women who give birth. Increased rates of maternal employment post-birth call for greater understanding of the effects of family leave on infant development. This study examined the links between paid leave and toddler language, cognitive, and socioemotional outcomes (24–36 months; N = 328). Results indicate that paid leave was associated with better language outcomes, regardless of socioeconomic status. Additionally, paid leave was correlated with fewer infant behavior problems for mothers with lower levels of educational attainment. Expanding access to policies that support families in need, like paid family leave, may aid in reducing socioeconomic disparities in infant development.     

Co‐occurrence of and cross‐informant agreement on shyness,unsociability, and social avoidance during early adolescence

We investigated the co‐occurrence of and cross‐informant agreement on early adolescents’ shyness, unsociability, and avoidance measured by self‐ and peer reports for fifth to eighth graders (N = 383; 51% male) in the United States. Avoidance was significantly and positively associated with shyness and unsociability based on peer reports and self‐reports. Furthermore, 45% and 30% of peer‐ and self‐reported withdrawn adolescents had multiple motivations for withdrawal, suggesting prevalent co‐occurrence of withdrawal subtypes. Cross‐informant agreement was moderate for shyness and weak for unsociability and avoidance. We draw attention to the complexity of motivations underlying withdrawal, theorize about subtype co‐occurrence, and discuss challenges and opportunities related to peer‐reported unsociability and avoidance.     

Playdates: A Win‐Win‐Win Strategy for Recruitment of Infant Participants

High‐quality developmental science requires a reliable and representative stream of participants, yet recruiting infants at a satisfactory rate can be challenging. We recently developed a new recruitment technique: we invite parents to sign up for no‐strings‐attached playdates in our laboratory, where we provide toys, free coffee, and students to help entertain the children. We have consistently hosted 2–3 new parents per week via playdates. Approximately 88% of attending parents agreed to be contacted later about research, and 81% of those contacted returned for research appointments. This method has doubled the number of participants we run per week, improved our rapport with the local community, and provided an enhanced educational opportunity for students in our laboratory. We hope others find it similarly transformative.     

Lad for Multiway Tables

It is shown that transformations based on differencing can be helpful in simplifying the problem of fitting to multiway tables. This is illustrated for LAD fitting, and the computational problems surveyed briefly.     

Estimation of an indicator of the representativeness of survey response

Nonresponse is a major source of estimation error in sample surveys. The response rate is widely used to measure survey quality associated with nonresponse, but is inadequate as an indicator because of its limited relation with nonresponse bias. Schouten et al. (2009) proposed an alternative indicator, which they refer to as an indicator of representativeness or R-indicator. This indicator measures the variability of the probabilities of response for units in the population. This paper develops methods for the estimation of this R-indicator assuming that values of a set of auxiliary variables are observed for both respondents and nonrespondents. We propose bias adjustments to the point estimator proposed by Schouten et al. (2009) and demonstrate the effectiveness of this adjustment in a simulation study where it is shown that the method is valid, especially for smaller sample sizes. We also propose linearization variance estimators which avoid the need for computer-intensive replication methods and show good coverage in the simulation study even when models are not fully specified. The use of the proposed procedures is also illustrated in an application to two business surveys at Statistics Netherlands.     

For love and money: Navigating values at the antiques roadshow event

Antiques Roadshow Events are held in historic locations across the United Kingdom. On site, experts evaluate objects brought in by attendees, who are often cast as passive recipients, while edited highlights make up the long-running BBC TV program. Through Collaborative Event Ethnography at one Roadshow Event we show how object stories are navigated through “value talk” between attendees and experts in front of live audiences. Value is not a measurement but a dimension of the thing and its context. Stories and money are both integral in understanding worth, and final valuations are only partially shaped by given expertise.     

Residential Relocation in Later Life: A Comparison of Proactive and Reactive Moves

Proactive coping involves anticipating future events or stressors and preparing for them in advance. Housing is an important consideration in preparing for later life. This study examines residential relocation among older adults, comparing those who moved proactively with those who moved reactively. Data from the Longitudinal Study of Aging included a final sample of individuals who had relocated at Wave 2 (n = 736) and Wave 3 (n = 713). The proactive group of movers was younger, more educated, and had higher incomes. Results provide support for proactive coping theory and its application to residential relocation in later life.