Analysis of five acoustic correlates of laughter

Five acoustic characteristics of five operationally defined laugh responses and the habitual speech fundamental frequency (F₀) from each of 11 male college students are described in this study. Findings revealed a positive correlation between the means of laugh duration and number of intensity peaks. Analysis of variance performed between each of the three F₀ measures of laughter as well as the F₀ of habitual speech indicated differences in means were not statistically significant. A significant difference was found between the means of the habitual speech F₀ and the peak laugh F₀. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

The impact of parental death on school outcomes: Longitudinal evidence from South Africa

We analyze longitudinal data from a demographic surveillance area (DSA) in KwaZulu-Natal to examine the impact of parental death on children's outcomes. The results show significant differences in the impact of mothers' and fathers' deaths. The loss of a child's mother is a strong predictor of poor schooling outcomes. Maternal orphans are significantly less likely to be enrolled in school and have completed significantly fewer years of schooling, conditional on age, than children whose mothers are alive. Less money is spent on maternal orphans' educations, on average, conditional on enrollment. Moreover, children whose mothers have died appear to be at an educational disadvantage when compared with non-orphaned children with whom they live. We use the timing of mothers' deaths relative to children's educational shortfalls to argue that mothers' deaths have a causal effect on children's educations. The loss of a child's father is a significant correlate of poor household socioeconomic status. However, the death of a father between waves of the survey has no significant effect on subsequent asset ownership. Evidence from the South African 2001 Census suggests that the estimated effects of maternal deaths on children's outcomes in the Africa Centre DSA reflect the reality for orphans throughout South Africa.     

How the Social Environment Gets Under the Skin

The impact of the social environment on human health and development is a common theme among demographers and population dynamics researchers. Less clear are the paths and mechanisms through which the social environment ‘gets under the skin.’ This special issue of Population Research and Policy Review presents five papers that address current scientific thinking on these paths and mechanisms.     

规范美德伦理学

人们通常认为美德伦理学并不能告诉我们应该做什么。任何认为美德伦理学可以替代道义论和功利主义伦理学的人都会发现自己面对这样一个人们普遍接受的诘难 :“美德伦理学并没有告诉我们应该做什么 ,因为它无法告诉应该怎么做。因此 ,它无法成为替代道义论和功利主义的规范性理论。”文章的目的就是要反驳这一诘难 ,为美德伦理学辩护     

Personality correlates of ex-swingers

Thirty ex-swinger couples were questioned concerning relationships with parents, autonomy, attitudes toward the establishment, attitudes toward friends versus relatives, and personal adequacy. Their responses were compared with those from a current swinger's group (N = 100) and from a control group (N = 100) of couples drawn from earler work by Gilmartin. It was hypothesized that there would be few differences between ex-swinger men and swinging men but many between ex-swinger men and control men. It also was predicted that ex-swinger men compared to control men would report poorer relationships with parents, more autonomy, more anti-establishment attitudes, and more interest in friends than relatives. All groups were predicted to show few differences in personal adequacy. Ex-swinger women were predicted to be between swinging and control women concerning the above personality variables. Hypotheses were generally supported.Address reprint requests to: Bernard I. Murstein, Box 1581, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320.     

Developmental Foundations and Clinical Applications of Social Information Processing: A Review

Social information processing has emerged as an important construct in understanding children's interpersonal functioning. This article reviews (1) the theoretical models guiding research, (2) the development of normative and atypical social problem solving, and (3) the connection between social information processing and individual differences in functioning. Finally, this review ends with a summary of efficacy of programs aimed at preventing social information processing biases or intervening with youth who display dysfunctional social information processing skills.     

Gendered institutional research cultures in science: the post-doc transition for women scientists

This study examines perceptions of post-doctoral women bench scientists working across fourteen major US research universities, and how both individual and institutional experiences influenced their desired futures. Findings reveal three distinct career paths (research, teaching, and industry). This study provides insight into individual career decision processes involving as to how gender is experienced in male-centric cultures, how experiences of barriers are reframed, and how obstacles influence choices. These women emphasized strong desires to contribute to their respective fields and to collaborate with others, a key relational aspect missing in their current work. All participants indicated aspirations to have both a career and a full life beyond the lab. Findings further suggest a post-doctoral environment laden with gender and family biases including subtle discrimination and challenges specific to women working in male-centric cultures. A strong relationship between experiences of gender and family biases suggests that additional burdens are placed on women's career paths and their evolving identity. This study identifies the postdoctoral journey as a unique transition zone marked by a period of adaptation and selection as they make sense of their experience and decide on how best to achieve success and fulfillment as women and as scientists.