Testing the validity of social capital measures in the study of information and communication technologies

Social capital has been considered a cause and consequence of various uses of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). However, there is a growing divergence between how social capital is commonly measured in the study of ICTs and how it is measured in other fields. This departure raises questions about the validity of some of the most widely cited studies of social capital and ICTs. We compare the Internet Social Capital Scales (ISCS) developed by Williams [2006. On and off the ’net: scales for social capital in an online era. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(2), 593–628. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00029.x] – a series of psychometric scales commonly used to measure ‘social capital’ – to established, structural measures of social capital: name, position, and resource generators. Based on a survey of 880 undergraduate students (the population to which the ISCS has been most frequently administered), we find that, unlike structural measures, the ISCS does not distinguish between the distinct constructs of bonding and bridging social capital. The ISCS does not have convergent validity with structural measures of bonding or bridging social capital; it does not measure the same concept as structural measures. The ISCS conflates social capital with the related constructs of social support and attachment. The ISCS does not measure perceived or actual social capital. These findings raise concerns about the interpretations of existing studies of ‘social capital’ and ICTs that are based on the ISCS. Given the absence of measurement validity, we urge those studying social capital to abandon the ISCS in favor of alternative approaches.     

In a Nervous Voice: Acoustic Analysis and Perception of Anxiety in Social Phobics’ Speech

This study investigated the effects of anxiety on nonverbal aspects of speech using data collected in the framework of a large study of social phobia treatment. The speech of social phobics (N = 71) was recorded during an anxiogenic public speaking task both before and after treatment. The speech samples were analyzed with respect to various acoustic parameters related to pitch, loudness, voice quality, and temporal aspects of speech. The samples were further content-masked by low-pass filtering (which obscures the linguistic content of the speech but preserves nonverbal affective cues) and subjected to listening tests. Results showed that a decrease in experienced state anxiety after treatment was accompanied by corresponding decreases in (a) several acoustic parameters (i.e., mean and maximum voice pitch, high-frequency components in the energy spectrum, and proportion of silent pauses), and (b) listeners’ perceived level of nervousness. Both speakers’ self-ratings of state anxiety and listeners’ ratings of perceived nervousness were further correlated with similar acoustic parameters. The results complement earlier studies on vocal affect expression which have been conducted on posed, rather than authentic, emotional speech.     

Elder Abuse Coverage in Newspapers: Regional Differences and its Comparison to Child-Abuse Coverage

ABSTRACT

Dozens of studies have examined how the press portrays crime. Most of these studies focus on some aspect of the criminal or the response to the event. Few have considered the portrayal of victims and even fewer have examined the way the media portrays older victims. To fill this void, this study examines (1) whether elder abuse coverage varies across newspapers and (2) how the extent of elder abuse coverage compares to child-abuse coverage. Results indicate that regional differences appear to exist and child abuse receives far more coverage than elder abuse. Implications are provided.     

Elder abuse coverage in newspapers: regional differences and its comparison to child-abuse coverage

Dozens of studies have examined how the press portrays crime. Most of these studies focus on some aspect of the criminal or the response to the event. Few have considered the portrayal of victims and even fewer have examined the way the media portrays older victims. To fill this void, this study examines (1) whether elder abuse coverage varies across newspapers and (2) how the extent of elder abuse coverage compares to child-abuse coverage. Results indicate that regional differences appear to exist and child abuse receives far more coverage than elder abuse. Implications are provided.     

Impact of a vocational counselor on employment-related outcomes among methadone patients

A vocational rehabilitation counselor (VRC) was placed in a methadone maintenance (MM) clinic (Clinic 1; N=333) to increase vocational–educational (v–e) services and improve v–e outcomes. Data on individual service delivery and monthly patient v–e status provided project implementation and outcome data, respectively, in Clinic 1; v–e status data for patients in a comparison clinic (Clinic 2; N=358) allowed assessment of the VRC's impact. V–e services increased significantly in Clinic 1; net v–e involvement increased from 53 to 56% in Clinic 1 and declined in Clinic 2, 45–43%. Logistic regression showed that pre-treatment/at admission employment heavily influenced positive v–e change and that VRC services contributed significantly to v–e change among patients not working at admission. It was concluded that placing a VRC in an MM clinic is a cost-effective v–e intervention.     

Coping and Post-traumatic Stress after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Racial Disparities in Social Work Student-Practitioners

ABSTRACT

Recent hurricanes have focused on lives and properties lost, however, additional mental health concerns may emerge in these post-disaster settings. Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are particularly problematic for minorities due to pre-disaster disparities. Scholars must thus examine the antecedents of PTSS to support these and other vulnerable individuals and communities. This study examined racial disparities regarding active and avoidant coping, prayer, and subsequent relative contribution of each to PTSS following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita among social work student-practitioners. Using secondary data, results revealed that minority students (n = 233) used coping via prayer more often than their non-minority peers (n = 124; t = 7.18, p < .000; d = 0.76). Moderate, positive relationships emerged between avoidant coping and PTSS for both groups (r = .58–.63, p<.01), though prayer did not emerge as inversely related to PTSS as anticipated. Avoidant coping accounted for the largest variation in PTSS for both groups (β = .35–.51, p<.001). Sampling, survey methods, and PTSS measures limit generalizability and temper findings. Directions for future research include use of PTSS measures that account for severity and cultural context and examination of coping measure psychometrics. Practice implications include enhanced publicity regarding social services available to student-practitioners on college campuses and within the community.     

Patient assessment of engagement with students in an interprofessional student-run free clinic for individuals experiencing homelessness

The development and validation of a patient exit interview tool, the Interprofessional Clinic Homeless Satisfaction with Student Engagement Survey (ICHSES), and its incorporation in the administration of an interprofessional, co-curricular program, the Community Homeless Interprofessional Program (CHIP) is described. Incorporation of patient satisfaction with student engagement during interprofessional training experiences serving individuals who are homeless has not been previously published. At CHIP, medical, pharmacy and social work students engage with individuals experiencing homelessness in a church and faculty-supervised environment. The students provide basic health assessment, education, and referrals to community resources. Once the interaction with the students is complete, patients are asked to participate in an exit-interview using the ICHSES. Questions in the ICHSES focus on engagement with the students and the patient’s perception of the assistance they received. Based on survey responses by 220 patients, the 5 question ICHSES showed high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha?=?0.77). The ICHSES survey could be utilized in similar clinics engaged in serving the homeless.     

Within-Animal Variation as an Indication of the Minimal Magnitude of the Critical Effect Size for Continuous Toxicological Parameters Applicable in the Benchmark Dose Approach

In this study, the within-animal variation in routinely studied continuous toxicological parameters was estimated from temporal fluctuations in individual healthy nonexposed animals. Assuming that these fluctuations are nonadverse, this within-animal variation may be indicative of the minimal magnitude of the critical effect size (CES). The CES is defined as the breaking point between adverse and nonadverse changes in a continuous toxicological parameter, at the level of the individual organism. The total variation in the data from individual nonexposed animals was divided in variation parts due to known factors (differences in sex, animal, and day) and a residual variation, by means of analysis of variance. Using the residual variation and the estimated analytical measurement error of a toxicological parameter, the within-animal variation can be estimated. The data showed within-animal variations ranging between 0.6% and 34% for different clinical chemistry and hematological parameters in 90-day rat studies. This indicates that different (minimal) CES values may be applicable for different parameters.