Attitude Change among College Students toward Homosexuality

Abstract

Although audio-visual materials are commonly used on college and university campuses, frequently those materials are not evaluated to determine what impact they may have on students' attitudes. The present research compared the effect of three audio-visual programs on attitudes of college students toward homosexuality. The three programs included a film that dealt with prejudice towards numerous groups but not towards homosexuals; a video-tape of a homosexual clergyman who discussed sexual variance with particular emphasis on homosexuality; and two films in which couples were explicitly engaging in homosexual behavior. A control group was used. All groups received a lecture about homosexuality.

Using a two-way analysis of covariance, significant differences were found among the groups. Subjects that watched the film on prejudice and the video-tape of a discussion of homosexuality, as well as the control group, were all significantly more tolerant toward homosexuality than subjects who watched the explicit films. The difference among groups was immediate only. Five weeks after exposure to audio-visual programs, there were no significant differences. There was no significant difference between males and females, either immediately after seeing the programs or five weeks later. Thus, attitudes of college students toward homosexuality can be altered and were not gender specific.     

College Student Behavior: A Ten-Year Look

Abstract

Lester and Perez¹ have suggested that student behavior can be usefully construed in terms of a traditional-hedonic, implicit value system. They demonstrated that drug use and sexual activity provide simple behavioral anchors for this dimension, and observed an increasingly hedonic orientation among students. Ten years after their initial study, the student population at the same institution was again sampled using an anonymous questionnaire. The 1980 sample included 208 subjects, and these were compared with 688 subjects who responded to the 1970 survey. This comparison was supplemented by an intensive week-long study of 53 students within one campus living unit.

Significant increases in pre-college sexual activity were noted for both men and women. Marijuana use in high school also increased for both men and women during this period, while alcohol use increased only among women. Previously observed differences between male and female pre-college sexual activity and marijuana use had largely disappeared by 1980. Significant increases in sexual activity while in college were found for women but not for men. For men, overall marijuana and alcohol use in college did not change during the study period, but there was an increase in the frequent use of these drugs. Increases in all categories of marijuana use were noted among women, along with overall increases in their alcohol use. The significant differences between male and female marijuana use noted in the 1970 study were absent in 1980. The intensive week-long study revealed that alcohol use was part of the daily lives of one-third to two-thirds of the students sampled, although they reported interpersonal conflicts, absences from class, accidents, and injuries among the consequences of their drinking. A significant inverse relationship between sleep and alcohol use was observed among women, but not among men.

These data suggest that student behavior has become increasingly hedonic during the past ten years, with women in particular closing the gap which previously differentiated their behavior from that of their male peers. Institutions of higher learning must take these changes into account in the planning of academic programs, residential life, and health services.     

Estimable functions in the nonlinear model

When the method of least squares is used to estimate the parameters in a general model and the generated system of normal equations is linearly dependent, the estimate of the vector of parameters which satisfies the criterion is not unique. However, there exist certain functions of the estimated vector of parameters which are invariant to the least squares solution obtained from the normal equations. We define those invariant functions to be estimable, and present a technique to determine the functions of the parameters which are estimable for the general model. The method results in solving either a linear first order partial differential equation or a system of linear first order partial differential equations corresponding, respectively, to a single or multiple dependency between columns of the Jacobian matrix of the mean of the model. The usual results concerning estimability for linear models are a special case of the general results developed.     

“五四”进步青年确立马克思主义信仰的动因分析——兼论其对当代大学生政治信仰教育的启示

马克思主义是因其独特的社会改造功能契合了近代中国救亡图存的历史主题,而在社会主义运动风起云涌之际,经过进步青年自觉主动的理性比较和实践推求后成为＂五四＂一代进步青年的政治信仰。＂五四＂进步青年确立马克思主义信仰的历史经验诠释了马克思主义理论教育的一些基本原则,它对今天的政治信仰教育依然具有借鉴意义。     

Pregaming: An Exploratory Study of Strategic Drinking by College Students in Pennsylvania

Abstract

Objectives: This exploratory study examined pre-event drinking, or pregaming, by US college students. Participants: 112 undergraduates from 10 Pennsylvania colleges participated. Method: A focus group, including a written questionnaire, was conducted at each institution. Results: Only 35.7% of the participants had not pregamed during the last 2 weeks. Pregamers consumed an average of 4.9 (SD = 3.1) drinks during their most recent session. Gender, class year, and other demographic variables did not predict pregaming. Heavier drinkers, and those stating that the average student pregamed 3+ times in the last 2 weeks, were more likely to report pregaming in the last 2 weeks. How much students drink when pregaming is influenced by how much they expect to drink later on. Conclusion: Pregaming presents a growing challenge for campus officials. Additional research is needed on the nature of the problem and which combination of prevention strategies might best address this behavior.     

A Systematic Analysis of College Substance Use Policies

College substance use policies provide guidelines for student behavior and influence campus culture. Although they are the primary environmental strategy to address campus substance use, policies have not been systematically compared and studied. We constructed a systematic review method to examine the accessibility, comprehensiveness, enforcement procedures, and clarity of college substance use policies. We developed an objective evaluation scheme for each of these 4 dimensions and then applied it to documented substance use policies from a sample of colleges and universities (N = 24). Policies were found to vary considerably but tended to specify compliance with local laws and emphasize student health and well-being. The next stage of campus policy review should examine actual implementation, evaluate potential differentiating factors among institutions, and assess the influence of policy on campus climate and student outcomes.     

Prevalence of Sufficient Physical Activity Among Parents Attending a University

Objective: The benefits of regular physical activity are well documented. However, approximately half of all university students are insufficiently active, and no research to date exists on the activity behavior of university students who are also parents. Participants and Methods: Using an adapted version of the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (ie, the Physical Activity Prevalence Questionnaire), the authors examined the prevalence of sufficient physical activity among 245 parent students from 6 faculties and 12 programs. Results: Half (49.5%) of the students who were not parents (n = 90) were sufficiently physically active, compared with 16% of students who were parents (n = 3, p < .002). The authors found that 33.3% of parents and 13% of nonparents limited their activity level as a result of illness or injury (p < .05). Conclusions: Most parent students in this study were insufficiently active and at potential risk for the negative health consequences of inactivity. This is a grossly understudied population, and researchers must conduct further studies to understand what can be done to facilitate physical activity among this potentially vulnerable group of students.     

“双线辅导”模式与学生职业生涯规划

本文分析了大三阶段学生发展的特点和问题,提出以＂双线辅导＂的模式破解大三年级在面临人生选择时出现的困惑与心理压力。     

TAPs:学生译者交际翻译能力研究

翻译教学旨在培养具备双语转换和翻译能力的翻译专业人才,既关注译者个体的内在因素,也离不开译者所处的外在社会因素,因此,探讨如何在翻译教学中从认知、交际方面培养译者的翻译能力,尤其是交际翻译能力,有其现实意义。     

论大学生村官在新农村建设中的"鲶鱼效应"

＂鲶鱼效应＂强调的是鲶鱼的调动作用及其在平静和安稳状态下的激活、激发作用,强化生存和竞争意识。由于城乡二元结构的存在,农村依然存在着封建传统习惯、习俗,农民的法治意识、维权意识、民主意识、科技意识等比较薄弱,农业发展模式依然落后。随着城市化的快速推进,农村有知识、有文化、会经营的青壮年大量流失,这都严重影响新农村建设的进程。当前的农村犹如一潭死水,急需一种动力使其＂微波荡漾＂来呈现新农村的活力,而当前这种动力将会来自大学生村官。大学生村官入村将给农村带来新知识和新理念,他们的行为方式和思想也将会发挥＂鲶鱼效应＂,给封闭的乡村带来新的气息,对当前的新农村建设来讲无疑是一剂＂强心剂＂和新鲜血液,必将给新农村建设带来生机和活力。