The spatial distribution of smoking violations on a no-smoking campus: Implications for prevention

ABSTRACT

Objective: The present study extends research on campus smoking bans by examining where smokers are violating the policy at a large university in the southeastern region of the United States. Participants: The data collection was conducted by one graduate student from the university in August of 2014. Methods: A global positioning system device was used to collect the geo-coordinates of littered cigarette butts as a proxy measure for smoking violations. Results: A hot spot analysis found a number of spatial concentrations on campus, largely around classroom and administrative buildings along with parking lots and garages. Conclusions: The implications of such findings can direct enforcement to target these areas in order to reduce offenses and fulfill the initial goals of policy-makers and university administrators who support smoke-free campuses.     

Factorial Invariance of the Indecision Scale of the Career Decision Scale: A Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Results of a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (N= 686) indicated factorial invariance of a 3‐factor model of the Indecision scale of the Career Decision Scale (CDS; Osipow, Carney, Winer, Yanico, & Koschier, 1976 ). Differential item function was not observed when ΔCFI (comparative fit index) was used for comparison of models, thus indicating strong measurement invariance across gender. Men had significantly greater latent means for all 3 dimensions of career indecision. Given the multidimensional structure, use of the CDS may provide an initial step to help practitioners identify possible factors that are responsible for a client's career indecision. Clients may need assistance for initiating a career search, information to help them identify career possibilities for a chosen major, or detailed information concerning several possible careers that are under consideration.     

Multimedia Biographies: A Reminiscence and Social Stimulus Tool for Persons with Cognitive Impairment

The multimedia biography tells the story of the life of an elderly person with a cognitive impairment in motion picture format. The multimedia biography combines family photographs, film clips, audio narration, and music. It is intended to be screened on an ongoing basis to provide spaces for reminiscence and communication between cognitively impaired persons and their families. Using a production process in which we collaborated with family caregivers, we created 12 multimedia biographies for persons having Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment. This article describes our production and screening processes. We also share lessons learned from the multimedia biography research to assist practitioners, families, or researchers who wish to use similar technologies and processes for eliciting and sharing life stories.     

The Family Outreach Model: Tools for Engaging and Working With Families in Distress

The purpose of this article is to present a family intervention model to family service providers that builds on previous research in areas of social support and family problem solving. The Family Outreach Model provides a set of strategies for engaging and working with families in five phases of family coping at different points in time in the family's life. The strategies reflect intentional choices by family service providers about both collaborative and directive styles of therapeutic alliance and highlights ways to determine which style best fits with what specific families want and need, depending on the manner of family coping that it is using. Implications for programs and public policy are presented.     

The Usefulness of Social Capital Theory for Understanding the Academic Improvement of Young Children in Stepfamilies Over Two Points in Time

Data from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (ECLS–K) involving more than 300 children residing in stepfamilies from kindergarten through 5th grade were used to test the usefulness of social capital theory for understanding the academic improvement of young children over 2 points in time. For change scores in reading, the model explained 34% of the variance and for math, 33% of the variance. Findings are summarized in light of implications for stepparents, researchers, and policymakers.     

WHEN YOU JUST CANNOT GET AWAY

The continuing evolution of information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as Internet-connected computers and cellular phones, provides a means for increased work/home permeability and for current work/home boundaries to be redefined as workers can potentially be accessible by employers and family/friends at all times. This transformation of work/home boundaries can open the individual to increased levels of negative spillover, wherein aspects of one role negatively impact or impede upon another. This investigation uses data from the Work-Life and Technology Use Survey to determine if ICT use plays a role in defining work/home boundaries and serves as a significant predictor of negative spillover in both the work-to-home and home-to-work directions. Results show that frequency of engaging in ICT-related activities (e.g. checking email and using Facebook) is associated with negative spillover in both directions, suggesting that ICTs may play a significant role in facilitating negative work/home spillover.     

Personality Typologies for Conservative Christians in Intensive Marital Therapy

In our study we used a two-step cluster analytic approach to identify personality typologies for conservative Christians seen in intensive marital therapy (N = 207). Sixteen Personality Factor Fifth Edition results revealed significant personality differences based on gender as well as five significantly different personality clusters: (1) abstract, deferential, trusting, and tolerates disorder; (2) reactive and deferential; (3) reserved, abstract, serious, grounded, traditional, and self-reliant; (4) grounded; and (5) socially bold, abstracted, forthright, and open to change. Conclusions are drawn related to how these results compare with other personality studies in the literature and how these differing personality types might fit together in Christian marriage dyads.     

LESSONS FOR RESEARCHERS AND FUNDING AGENCIES FROM HURRICANE KATRINA: A RESEARCH NOTE FROM MISSISSIPPI

We surveyed National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded research in Mississippi to determine the economic extent of research damage and delays due to Hurricane Katrina. While several facilities were physically damaged, we found that the largest effects were time delays and missed opportunities. While psychological factors were not part of the original economic impact study, it became clear that they played an important role. Specifically, the Principal Investigator's (PI's) attitude of “just another delay” was one cultural barrier to fully accounting for the cost of these research delays. We concluded that Principal Investigators, with the assistance of funding agencies, should be better trained to measure time and opportunity costs associated with their research, so future disaster recovery efforts can more fully address those needs.     

Extending the Lee-Carter Method to Model the Rotation of Age Patterns of Mortality Decline for Long-Term Projections

In developed countries, mortality decline is decelerating at younger ages and accelerating at old ages, a phenomenon we call “rotation.” We expect that this rotation will also occur in developing countries as they attain high life expectancies. But the rotation is subtle and has proved difficult to handle in mortality models that include all age groups. Without taking it into account, however, long-term mortality projections will produce questionable results. We simplify the problem by focusing on the relative magnitude of death rates at two ages (0 and 15–19) while making assumptions about changes in rates of decline at other ages. We extend the Lee-Carter method to incorporate this subtle rotation in projection. We suggest that the extended Lee-Carter method could provide plausible projections of the age pattern of mortality for populations, including those that currently have very high life expectancies. Detailed examples are given using data from Japan and the United States.