The Roots of Linguistic Organization in a New Language

It is possible for a language to emerge with no direct linguistic history or outside linguistic influence. Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (ABSL) arose about 70 years ago in a small, insular community with a high incidence of profound prelingual neurosensory deafness. In ABSL, we have been able to identify the beginnings of phonology, morphology, syntax, and prosody. The linguistic elements we find in ABSL are not exclusively holistic, nor are they all compositional, but a combination of both. We do not, however, find in ABSL certain features that have been posited as essential even for a proto-language. ABSL has a highly regular syntax as well as word-internal compounding, also highly regular but quite distinct from syntax in its patterns. ABSL, however, has no discernable word-internal structure of the kind observed in more mature sign languages: no spatially organized morphology and no evident duality of phonological patterning.     

The Benefits of Congruence

This study examined the relation between 3 aspects of congruence (vocational, leisure, and skill utilization) and 6 well-being (or strain) measures (occupational satisfaction, work satisfaction, anxiety, burnout, somatic complaints and self-esteem). The study was conducted among 120 participants (lawyers, psychologists, and physicians). Findings were that (a) correlations among the congruence aspects ranged between .24 and .36, (b) all correlations between each of the congruence aspects and each of the well-being measures were in the expected direction, and (c) all 3 congruence aspects showed an additive effect on all well-being measures. Thus, supportive evidence for the benefits of congruence in its broader meaning was found.     

Comparing two measures of creatinine clearance: an application of errors-in-variables and bootstrap techniques

Two indices of creatinine clearance (an index of kidney function) are compared on a group of cancer patients who underwent chemotherapy with a potentially nephrotoxic drug. The standard index, measured creatinine clearance MCC, is cumbersome to use, whereas the more convenient alternative, estimated creatinine clearance ECC, has not yet been conclusively evaluated on cancer patients. We conclude that under certain clinical conditions ECC and MCC are identically calibrated for males, but not for females, and we obtain estimated true and false positive rates for assessing the use of ECC instead of MCC as a diagnostic tool. We use a model that is formally equivalent to an errors-in-variables model with (unbalanced) repeated observations and correlated measurement errors. The bootstrap is used to obtain standard errors and confidence limits.     

The sociology of compassion: A study in the sociology of morals

Abstract

This essay analyzes the theoretical foundations of collective interest in the sufferings of strangers. Concern with the suffering of others, accompanied by the urge to help, is compassion. This study develops the social and historical conditions under which public compassion emerges. Two broad interpretations of these developments are suggested. The democratization perspective suggests that with the lessening of profoundly categorical and corporate social distinctions, compassion becomes more extensive. A second perspective is linked to the emergence of market society. By defining a universal field of others with whom contracts and exchanges can be made, market perspectives extend the sphere of moral concern as well: however unintentionally. Public compassion is part of the language of modernity. This gives compassion the possibility to be also part of a newly emerging ‘Second Modernity’.     

HEURISTIC ALGORITHMS FOR CAPITAL-BUDGETING DECISIONS IN MULTIDIVISION FIRMS

This paper presents two versions of a heuristic algorithm to solve a model of the capital-budgeting problem in a decentralized multidivision firm involving no more than two exchanges of information between headquarters and divisions. Headquarters makes an allocation of funds to each division based upon its cash demand and its potential growth rate. Each division determines which projects to accept. Then, an additional iteration is performed to define the solution. More than one thousand examples were simulated resulting in an average relative error of less than one percent.     

Individual differences in referral for help for severe emotional difficulties in adolescence

Adolescents with emotional distress may find help-seeking an extremely daunting endeavor. However, different adolescent population sectors relate differently to help-seeking for severe emotional difficulties. Gender and ethnic group are among the central factors influencing attitudes towards seeking emotional help. One of the possible mechanisms explaining these cross-group differences is self-esteem. The psychological price of seeking help could be admission of incompetence and feelings of failure, emotions that can be threatening, particularly to adolescents' self-esteem. In the present study, the psychological price of seeking help was manipulated by comparing the ease with which adolescents would self-refer for a severe emotional problem as opposed to referring another for the same problem, and the influence of gender, ethnic group differences and level of self esteem in both situations. The first hypothesis predicting greater ease of referral in the other-referral condition compared to self-referral was confirmed. The second hypothesis predicting general preference of informal help agents than the formal help agents was confirmed. The third hypothesis predicting gender differences such that girls would show higher ease of referral than boys from the different help agents was confirmed. The fourth hypothesis predicting that Jewish-Israeli adolescents would show greater ease of referral than Arab-Israeli adolescents was confirmed. An additional exploratory question examined the interaction between self-esteem and self versus other-referral on ease of referral for help. A significant interaction emerged only for help from the family. Adolescents with low self-esteem showed no differences in self versus other-referral, but adolescents with high self-esteem were more willing to refer others than themselves to seek help. These findings emphasize the importance of a sensitive needs assessment approach in designing mental health service delivery for youth.     

Financial worry among older people: Who worries and why?

This study sought to clarify what drives economic worries among older people. Based upon the data from a national sample of adults aged 65 and older in Israel (N = 550), we examined associations between financial worry and economic status, lifestyle, social network, concerns about functional health, long term care needs and cognition, and population group. The main financial worry was that pension funds will not suffice for one's entire life. Multivariate analysis revealed that financial worry was negatively related to perceived income adequacy and age, and positively related to concerns about care and to apprehensions regarding one's ability to make decisions. Immigrants from the former Soviet Union were found to worry less. Understanding the different sources of financial worries among older people is essential insofar as older people are increasingly expected to take personal responsibility for their financial futures. Dealing with negative outcomes that stem from financial worries are important programming and policy goals in an era of population aging.     

Ego identity of adolescent children of alcoholics

The study examines the issue of ego identity among adolescent sons of alcoholic fathers. Forty-four adolescent sons of alcoholic fathers, age of 15-18, constituted the sample. They were drawn from public alcohol treatment center in Israel. The control group included 60 adolescents none of their parents is known as an alcoholic, sampled from integrative schools in the same neighborhood and matched by age. Ego identity was measured by Tzuriel's "Adolescent Ego Identity Scale" (AEIS). It was hypothesized that adolescent children of alcoholics will show lower scores of ego identity and of its dimensions. The hypothesis was not confirmed. To the contrary, adolescent children of alcoholics reported higher scores of "ego identity-total" and of four of the seven ego identity dimensions. One possible explanation is that children of alcoholics are maturing early in age compared to their controls. They have developed different coping strategies that facilitate creating a more "stable" ego identity compared to their peers. Another explanation is that children of alcoholics apply defense mechanisms that enhance the development of an "adaptive self."