Neuropsychological correlates of domestic violence

Neuropsychological functioning was assessed in 39 males who had committed domestic violence (batterers) and compared to 63 nonviolent (both maritally discordant and satisfied) subjects recruited by advertisement. Subjects were subsequently divided into two groups (head injured, nonhead injured) and these groups were also contrasted as a function of batterer status. Tests were administered to assess for cognitive and behavioral functions, including executive dysfunction, hypothesized to be a factor contributing to propensity for violence. Questionnaires and structured clinical interviews were used to assess marital discord, emotional distress, and violent behaviors. Batterers differed from nonbatterers across several cognitive domains: executive, learning, memory, and verbal functioning. Batterers were reliably discriminated from nonbatterers based on three neuropsychological tasks: Digit Symbol, Recognition Memory Test-Words, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Neuropsychological performance was the strongest correlate of domestic violence of all clinical variables measured. However, the inclusion of two other variables, severity of emotional distress and history of head injury, together with the neuropsychological indices provided the strongest correlation with batterers status. Among batterers, neuropsychological performance did not vary as a function of head injury status, indicating that while prior head injury was correlated with batterer status, it was not the sole basis for their impairments. The findings suggest that current cognitive status, prior brain injury, childhood academic problems, as well as psychosocial influences, contribute along with coexisting emotional distress to a propensity for domestic violence.     

Perceptions of intergenerational conflict: The politics of young vs. old in Florida

Not long ago, syndicated columnist Richard Reeves pondered the portents in an aging America and found trouble. “There is a confrontation coming in the United States between the demands of old people and the needs of the whole society,” he declared (Reeves 1988). His premonition is widely shared. Many social prophets are convinced that the graying of America is the prelude to a new politics. It will be the young against the old, they suggest, a politics of age polarization characterized by political mobilization, confrontation and backlash between generations reaching from Congress to city hall. Florida, with the nation's highest proportion of aging and a steady inflow of new retirees, is where many expect such conflict to appear early and often. This article concerns whether Florida is, or soon may be, the arena for such a confrontation and, if so, how it has become manifest.     

The Two-Scale Plot: An Exploratory Display of Data with Heterogeneous Variances

The history of the analysis of unbalanced factorial designs is traced from Yates's original papers (Yates 1933, 1934) to the beginning of the computational revolution in the 1960s. Emphasis is placed on putting the methods proposed during this period in perspective in view of our present understanding.     

Differences in the locational attainment of immigrant and native-born households with children in New York City

In this paper we use a data set created especially for New York City to evaluate whether the locational attainment of households with children, as indicated by the context of the neighborhoods in which they live, varies by their immigrant status. In addition, we evaluate whether the relationship between immigrant status and neighborhood conditions varies by the householder's race/ethnicity. Overall, when compared with native-born households with children, immigrant households with children live in neighborhoods of lower quality, characterized by higher teenage fertility rates and higher percentages of students in local schools scoring below grade level in math and of persons receiving AFDC, but lower rates of juvenile detention. Further analyses, however, revealed that race/ethnicity is far more potent than immigrant status per se in predicting where households with children live.     

Transactions of the Statistical Society of London (1837)

Summary. The Transactions of the Statistical Society of London (1837) appeared before the journal of the Royal Statistical Society began publication and represents the substantial statistical work that had been undertaken in the early years of the existence of the Society. The contents of this publication are summarized here against the historical background of the time.     

Communicating the risks arising from geohazards

Summary. Construction on, or in, the ground is affected by uncertainty. This includes the inherent variability of the ground itself, the effect of natural and human processes on the ground and the difficulties that are associated with the management and implementation of any construction works. The risk is considered to be in two parts: the probability of occurrence of a geohazard and the effect that this will have on the outcome of the project. Geohazards are determined as part of the ground investigation process, the principles of which are well established. Nevertheless uncertainty remains and communication between the professions and with the public is not always effective. Barriers are created by unfamiliar terminology and a lack of a forum for education and exchange of views. It is argued that the public must be continually involved—not only as recipients, but also as contributors.     

Health care professionals' perspectives on barriers to elder abuse detection and reporting in primary care settings

The purpose of this study was to explore health care professionals' perspectives on elder abuse to achieve a better understanding of the problems of reporting and to generate ideas for improving the detection and reporting process. Through a mailed survey, nurses, physicians, and social workers were invited to participate in an interview. Nine nurses, 8 physicians, and 6 social workers were interviewed, and thematic analysis was used to identify the following core themes: preconceptions, assessment, interpretation, systems, and knowledge and education. Participants suggested a reorganization of the external reporting system. More frequent and pragmatic education is necessary to strengthen practical knowledge about elder abuse.     

The three functions of self-control behaviour: Redressive, reformative and experiential

Self-control refers to the process by which individualsconsciously decideto take charge of their own behaviour. This process in prompted by situations in which automatic and habitual responses are interrupted or are ineffective. There are three major functions of self-control behaviour. The first function is redressive and is directed at controlling responses (such as anxiety, pain, ets.) that interfere with the normalfunctioning of the person. This function is improtant for coping with stress. The second function is reformative; it facilitates the adoption of new behaviours that have a low probability of occurence. In this category are included behviours that require delay of gratification and resistance of temptations (such as dieting, quitting smoking, etc.).These two functions were mentioned earlier in theorizing of the self-control process.A third and a new function of self-control is introduced here: experiential self-control. This enables the person to fully experience pleasurable activities (such as listening to music and enjoying a party). This paper discusses phenomena such as relaxation, hypnosis, 'absorption', and 'openness to experience' as situations that call for experiential self-control. It emphasizes the importance of this function for the growth and development of the individual. Highly resourceful individuals possess a repertoire of behaviours that enables them to maintain stability in the face of stress and promote changeby opening themselves to new experiences.