Development and validation of a scale measuring modern prejudice toward gay men and lesbian women

This paper describes the psychometric properties of the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS), which measures contemporary negative attitudes toward gay men and lesbians (i.e., attitudes not based on traditional or moral objections to homosexuality). In Study 1 (N = 353), a preliminary version of the MHS was developed, and its psychometric properties were examined. Participants in Studies 2 and 3 (Ns = 308 and 233, respectively) completed the MHS and other attitudinal measures. The relationships among these variables were investigated to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the scale's construct validity. In Study 4 (N = 36), a behavioural expression of modern homonegativity was examined using the attributional ambiguity paradigm. The results of these studies indicate that the MHS is unidimensional, possesses a high degree of internal consistency, and is factorially distinct from a measure of old-fashioned homonegativity. As hypothesized, scores on the MHS correlated positively with political conservatism, religious behaviour, religious self-schema and modern sexism, but did not correlate significantly with social desirability bias. In addition, the MHS appears to be less susceptible to floor effects than a commonly used measure of old-fashioned homonegativity. Finally, the experimental study revealed that participants obtaining high scores on the MHS were less likely to sit beside individuals wearing T-shirts with pro-gay or pro-lesbian slogans when they could justify their seating choice on nonprejudicial grounds.     

Racetalk and sport: the color consciousness of contemporary discourse on basketball

This article explores how a sample of college students discursively negotiated perceptions of race and ability in the context of mediated sport. A majority of respondents expressed acceptance of a link between racial identity and sport-specific skills. However, rather than articulate this notion overtly and directly, rhetorical strategies, such as disclaimers and coded language, were used. We analyze these responses as a form of “racetalk” (Bonilla-Silva and Forman 2000) to more specifically unpack the significance of discourse within the post-Civil Rights Movement era. Although the language used to discuss race in this sample, like the contemporary era more generally, appears colorblind and progressive on the surface, it is undergirded by a distinct form of color consciousness.     

Early savings for children's higher education: A comparison between savers and non-savers in a Child Development Account program

This study examined economic pressure, parenting stress, and personal mastery factors among N = 235 lower income parents who had the opportunity to save for their children's future higher education in a children's development account program. Bivariate analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to test the differences between early savers and non-savers. There were some sociodemographic differences between the groups; however, the overall SEM was invariant between the groups. Data suggest that specific case management services may be critical to help lower-income parents save for their children. Further research needs to identify institutional aspects and household characteristics that explain saving among this poorer households.     

A characterization of power method transformations through the method of percentiles

This article derives closed-form solutions for fifth-ordered power method polynomial transformations based on the Method of Percentiles (MOP). A proposed MOP univariate procedure is compared with the Method of Moments (MOM) in the context of distribution fitting and estimating the shape functions. The MOP is also extended from univariate to multivariate data generation. The MOP procedure has an advantage because it does not require numerical integration to compute intermediate correlations and can be applied to distributions, where conventional moments do not exist. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed MOP procedure is superior in terms of estimation, bias, and error.     

ON OPTIMIZING MULTI-LEVEL DESIGNS: POWER UNDER BUDGET CONSTRAINTS

This paper derives a procedure for efficiently allocating the number of units in multi‐level designs given prespecified power levels. The derivation of the procedure is based on a constrained optimization problem that maximizes a general form of a ratio of expected mean squares subject to a budget constraint. The procedure makes use of variance component estimates to optimize designs during the budget formulating stages. The method provides more general closed form solutions than other currently available formulae. As such, the proposed procedure allows for the determination of the optimal numbers of units for studies that involve more complex designs. A method is also described for optimizing designs when variance component estimates are not available. Case studies are provided to demonstrate the method.     

Life Course Diversity Among Older Lesbians and Gay Men: A Study in Chicago

How much can we assume about the shared life experiences of older lesbians and gays? This article is broadly concerned with rethinking the significance of this question as it pertains to cultural images and stereotypes of “older gay and lesbian” identities in a large and diverse American city. In 1996, the authors completed a 10-month needs assessment study regarding the lives and needs (social and psychological), which must be addressed for older lesbians and gays in the city of Chicago. The authors take the approach that simply being of the same or similar age is insufficient to understand the meaning of people's sexual identities. They entered into this study aware of some stereotypes about older lesbians and gays, but like previous investigators, they were surprised at the range of diversity that they uncovered. They discovered not only the common denominators in their participants' experiences and their lives, but as some commentators have already suggested, they also discovered a great deal of variation. To address the issues, the authors describe conceptual problems that emerged in a recent needs assessment of older lesbians and gay men in Chicago.     

Gay Men in the Workplace: Issues for Mental Health Counselors

The author looks at major issues that affect gay men who are deciding on, competing for, and working in the jobs and careers available in today’s changing job market, and the implications for mental health counselors who may serve them. Included is an in-depth review of the current academic counseling literature on gay men in the workplace, highlighted by reports from the national gay press.