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The purpose of this study was to test the instructional value of adding paper-based metacognitive prompting features to a gamelike environment for learning about electrical circuits, called the Circuit Game. In Experiment 1, students who were prompted during Levels 1 through 9 to direct their attention to the most relevant features of the game and were provided with a list of its underlying prin test ciples to relate to their game actions performed better on an embedded transfer(i.e., Level 10) than those not provided with the intervention (d = 0.77). In Experiment 2, the principles were not explicitly provided; instead, students were asked to fill in the correct features of each principle on a sheet while playing Levels 1 through 9 of the game. Results indicated that this method of prompting improved transfer performance only for learners who could correctly fill in the list of the game's principles (d = 0.53). Overall, paper-based aids for directing students' attention toward the most relevant features of a game and asking them to apply provided principles to solve game-based problems result in a deeper understanding of the game's academic content. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

In two studies, students at California State University, Northridge wrote papers that were checked for plagiarism using plagiarism-detection software. In the first study, half of the students in two classes were randomly selected and told by the professor that their term papers would be scanned for plagiarism using the software. Students in the remainder of each class were not informed that the software would be used. The researcher predicted that students who were explicitly warned about the use of the software would plagiarize less than students who were not, but the warning had no effect. In a second study, students wrote two papers in a series. Their knowledge about plagiarism-detection software was inversely correlated with plagiarism rates on the first paper, but no correlation was found between knowledge and plagiarism on the second paper. Instead, participants were discovered to draw repeatedly from the same sources of plagiarized material across papers. (Contains 1 table.)

Recollection has long been thought to play a key role in associative recognition tasks. Evidence that associative recollection might be a threshold process has come from analyses of the associative recognition receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Specifically, the ROC is not as curvilinear as a signal detection theory requires. In addition, the z-ROC is usually curvilinear, as a threshold recollection model requires, not linear, as a signal detection model requires. In Experiment 1, word pairs were strengthened at study, which yielded a curvilinear ROC and a linear z-ROC (in accordance with signal detection theory). This result suggests that associative recognition performance was based on a continuous variable, one that likely consists of either unitized familiarity or continuous recollection. The remember-know procedure and an unexpected cued recall test suggested that the more curvilinear ROC in the strong condition was mainly due to increased recollection. In Experiment 2, word pairs were presented for an old-new recognition decision before being presented for an associative recognition decision. When pairs consisting of items not recognized as having been seen on the list were removed from the analysis, the ROC again became curvilinear, the z-ROC again became linear, and most associative recognition decisions were associated with remember judgments. These findings suggest that the curvilinear z-ROC often observed on associative recognition tests results from noise, as a mixture signal detection model assumes, and that recollection is a continuous process that yields a curvilinear ROC that is well characterized by signal detection theory. (Contains 5 tables and 9 figures.)

Objective: How do learning communities influence academic performance in Introductory Psychology? Method: The present research examines the relationship between participation in first-year students learning communities and academic performance across a variety of course requirements (midterms, finals, papers, and class participation) in introductory psychology and, for comparison, sociology courses. Results: Students who took Introductory Psychology as part of a first-year-student learning community outperformed their peers (who took the same course without a learning community) on the first exam of the semester and were less likely to miss assignments but otherwise showed no significant differences on the other course assignments; introductory sociology students part of these communities showed even greater differences in performance that lasted through the end of the semester. Conclusion: First-year students learning communities offers significant albeit limited benefits for student performance in introductory courses in the social sciences. Teaching Implications: Short of institutional efforts to enact programming for first-year learning communities, introductory psychology instructors can attempt to simulate the experience of such communities by promoting a sense of belonging via extra-curricular service or discipline-related activities.

Many educators view school climate and student achievement as separate considerations. For some, the idea of promoting a high quality climate can seem like a luxury in the face of the current high stakes assessment climate in which student achievement gains are the paramount consideration. However, the results of this study suggest that climate and student achievement are related. In fact, the quality of the climate appears to be the single most predictive factor in any school's capacity to promote student achievement. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between student academic achievement and various elements within the domain of school climate, and to examine the nature and potential causality of that relationship. The paper also seeks to derive implications for practice including a possible fundamental conceptual framework for climate quality and function and an operational roadmap for moving from a less functional to more functional climate. The study examined school climate and achievement at 30 urban public schools. The sample of schools was drawn from a large geographical area and reflected schools from diverse ethnic and socio-economic communities. Each school assessment team administered the Alliance for the Study of School Climate (ASSC) School Climate Assessment Instrument (SCAI). The team at each school incorporated a standard protocol and surveyed a minimum number of participants (N = 30+ students, 10+ teachers as well as 10+ staff and parents, with most sample sizes being larger). Focus group data were also collected. California State Academic Performance Index (API) and Similar School Rating (SIM) scores (published by the state), were used to measure student achievement at each school. The results of the study confirmed a strong relationship between the quality of school climate and academic achievement levels. While the direction of the causality between the two variables is not entirely indicated by the data, the substantial relationship between climate and SIM rating suggest that a conclusion can be drawn that, to a good degree, better climates led to achievement, and were not simply a byproduct.

Although digital texts are growing in popularity, few studies have systematically examined whether students can learn as well when reading a digital text, compared to reading a paperbound textbook. The present study examined several variables related to comprehension of digital versus paper textbooks, including text complexity, engagement with the text, and long-term retention. Seventy-four students, randomly assigned to read an entire chapter from either a paperbound text or its digital equivalent, completed a 20-item multiple-choice quiz immediately after reading and 1 week later. No differences in comprehension emerged across any variables except for a main effect of test time. More important, there were no interactions with text medium. Therefore, the key to student comprehension appears not to be the method of text delivery but, rather, getting students to read in the first place.

The various student gains and reported satisfaction with self-management projects have been well documented. However, we found that few psychology programs explicitly teach these skills. In this paper we demonstrate how self-management projects can meet nine out of the ten undergraduate student learning goals outlined by the APA Task Force (2002). We then provide an example of how we incorporated such a project in an undergraduate psychology class and embedded the assessment of learning outcomes within evaluation of the projects. We present our rubric and results based on 68 (56 women, 12 men) student projects. Lastly, we discuss the many benefits of assigning self-management projects to justify inclusion of such assignments and encourage instruction of self-management skills in psychology classes. (Contains 1 table.)

Erin Rasmussen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Idaho State University where she teaches learning, behavioral pharmacology, senior seminar, and introductory psychology. She received her MS and PhD in experimental psychology (with a minor in behavioral pharmacology and toxicology) from Auburn University. She taught at the College of Charleston for 3 years before joining the faculty at Idaho State. Her past research involved examination of how prenatal exposure to heavy metals affects the behavior of offspring and the role of environmental enrichment in attenuating those effects. Currently, she is examining how prenatal food restriction affects food choices that lead to obesity. Michael Gazzaniga, the David T. McLaughlin Distinguished University Professor at Dartmouth College, is a pioneer in the field of cognitive neuroscience. He received his PhD from California Institute of Technology in psychobiology, where he conducted his famous work with Roger Sperry on the split-brain phenomenon. His research has provided insights on functional lateralization and how the cerebral hemispheres communicate with one another. He has written more than 20 books, many for the lay audience, and has well over 100 publications, including book chapters, interviews, and monographs. Currently, he serves as Director for the Center of Cognitive Neuroscience at Dartmouth. He was elected president of the American Psychological Society in 2004. He manages a summer school program in cognitive neuroscience and conducts many visiting professor seminars.

This essay examines the geology of an earthquake and the physical and psychological effects the Northridge, California, earthquake had on that area. (MDH)

Purpose – Housing First has been upheld as an evidence-based best practice for transitioning homeless individuals into permanent housing in a maximally cost-effective and humane manner. However, there is much variance in the implementation and structure of Housing First programming in the USA. This paper aims to focus on a collaborative, interdisciplinary Housing First effort to house and provide case management and ancillary services to chronically homeless individuals in The City of San Mateo, California. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a case study in which the philosophy, structure, and impact of San Mateo's outreach and housing team are discussed. To explore the project's impact, data concerning arrests and other criminal justice contacts, as well as health costs associated with these clients, both prior to and post housing and services, were collected and analyzed. These are corroborated with qualitative data on client outcomes. Findings – After participants received housing and wrap-around supportive services provided through the collaboration of police, local stakeholders, and non-profits, the cost of medical care and criminal justice interventions were dramatically reduced. While challenges such as the availability of housing units remain, the findings of this study strongly support the interdisciplinary outreach team as a model for Housing First programming. Research limitations/implications – This is an in-depth study, derived from a particularly innovative project; and therefore the sample size is limited by the size of the project. Originality/value – The originality of this study lies in its analysis of a Housing First model which incorporates an interdisciplinary outreach team designed to provide highly individualized care for clients. The San Mateo permanent supportive housing pilot project is itself unique in that it incorporates a Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) comprised of the police, other government entities, local stakeholders, and other non-profits engaged with homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses practice theory to explore a poorly understood phenomenon with important health implications: How and why an increasing number of young Americans regularly use multiple tobacco products. Practice theory is a promising alternative to traditional public health frameworks for understanding everyday activities related to health. It broadens the analytic focus from characteristics of individuals to viewing practices as having lives of their own in competing for, winning, and losing practitioners. We drew from in-depth interviews with 21 young adults (ages 18–29; California) who regularly use cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and/or smokeless tobacco. Participants described their everyday routines. We examined the characterizing elements of each tobacco product use practice and the roles of each within participants' routines. We found that each product comprises a distinct substance use practice with different roles to play in different situations and contexts. Notably, many participants rotated between or modulated use of different products as a strategy for reducing perceived tobacco-related harms. Cigarettes are uniquely capable of aiding in the space-time organization of everyday activities and coping with crisis, while ENDS and smokeless tobacco open up times and spaces for nicotine consumption. This kind of approach aids our understanding and anticipation of the evolution of tobacco use practices as new products and regulations are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many political practitioners believe that voters are more likely to approve propositions listed at the top than the bottom of the ballot, potentially distorting democratic decision making, and this belief influences election laws across the United States. Numerous studies have investigated ballot order effects in candidate elections, but there is little evidence for direct democracy elections, and identification of causal effects is challenging. This paper offers two strategies for identifying the effect of ballot order in proposition elections, using data from California during 1958-2014 and Texas during 1986-2015. The evidence suggests that propositions are not advantaged by being listed at the top compared to the bottom of the ballot. Approval rates are lower with more propositions on the ballot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a sample of ninety-three child welfare workers' perceptions of emotional relations in risk assessment situations.Workers from England, Norway and California (USA) are interviewed about risk factors in a vignette. Seventy-three per cent of the total workers identify the emotional issues described in the vignette as a risk factor, but a lower percentage of the American workers do so. Nearly all of these workers identify the mother's lack of meeting her daughter's emotional needs as a risk factor; however, the analysis shows that only approximately one-third of these workers elaborate on the possibleconsequencesandreasons for this lack of attachment. Evenfewersuggest services that can improvethe situation.Thefindings suggest thatemotional issues havea relatively low importance in a risk assessment situation but that there are differences by country. Although the sample is small, it is likely that systemic factors in the child welfare system and the risk assessment approach explain some of these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concentrates on the presentation of a California Bay Area Jungian focused study group for the 50 Anniversary of the American Dance Therapy Association Annual Conference. Examining the evolution of Jung's basic psychoanalytic perceptions over the years, this panel of presenters offered an in-depth study of related topics via lecture in the morning and its amplification via authentic movement in the service of dance/movement therapy in the afternoon. The latter included embodying and transforming remnants of participants' morning reflections, channeled via authentic movement (AM). Panelist took turns leading an AM experience related to her morning's topic and concluding by pairing or grouping participants to demonstrate and relate his/her personal journey. The final presenter initiated a process of transcendence in which the parts are amplified into choreography. Our panelists demonstrated a clinical approach to healing in which authentic movement stokes active imagination, elevating unconscious problematic issues to conscious awareness. Overtly expressed in choreographic form, such revelations can enable integrated therapeutic closure to group dance/movement therapy sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study examined perceived social support as a mediator of the longitudinal link between ambivalence over emotional expression (AEE) and quality of life among a sample of Chinese breast cancer survivors.Methods: Ninety-six Chinese breast cancer survivors recruited from Southern California completed four surveys in total: (1) a baseline survey (T1), 1-month follow-up (T2), 3-month follow-up (T3), and 6-month follow-up (T4). Participants filled out a paper-pen questionnaire containing the Ambivalence over Emotional Expression Questionnaire (AEQ), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), and the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale (MOS-SSS).Results: Higher T1 AEE was associated with lower T1 social support (B = −0.01, SE = 0.004, p < 0.01) which in turn was associated with lower quality of life at T2 (B = 2.98, SE = 0.64, p < 0.01), T3 (B = 2.14, SE = 0.54, p < 0.01), and T4 (B = 2.08, SE = 0.68, p < 0.01).Conclusions: These results suggest that the harmful effect of AEE on quality of life is explained by reduced social support. Given the detrimental effects of AEE on social support and quality of life, future research on interventions that facilitate emotional disclosure is needed. Implications for the effects of Chinese culture on AEE are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the way in which psychologists classified immigrant children as feebleminded through the use of intelligence testing and how state organisations consequently segregated them from public schools based on the scientific evidence. First, I show the way in which the psychologist Lewis Terman utilised intelligence testing to identify immigrant children deemed feebleminded. I focus closely on a survey and on his methodology and analysis. I then discuss the possibilities of education for the feebleminded and the segregation of immigrant children from regular classroom of public schools. Through his survey, Terman concluded that the exceptionally high ratio of feebleminded children in the tested region was caused by the large population of immigrant children, although the selection of the sample was often subjective, leading to “miscalculation” in his analysis. Terman’s survey was influential in terms of segregating feebleminded children by stating their incurability; possibilities of education for the feebleminded were thus denied. At his suggestion, special classes and schools, along with a home for the feebleminded, were established. Terman’s psychological survey was a cue for psychologists to enter the school system. The State Board of Education was not only attempting to discover the percentage of feebleminded children but also trying to apply psychology to school training. With the cooperation of the Board, the training of teachers for the feebleminded proceeded. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The causes of homelessness are complex and poorly understood. This paper describes the homeless population in Santa Clara County, California in terms of Adverse Childhood Events, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), and family breakdown. Respondents reported severely traumatic childhoods; 78.7% grew up in a household with a person with drug or alcohol dependence and 64.6% endured psychological abuse as a child. Seventy-six percent of subjects recalled at least one TBI, 58.4% with loss of consciousness. Nineteen percent were in foster care as children and 40.2% reported having someone other than a parent as a primary caregiver. Fifty-three percent felt they had moved too much as children, and 37.5% had experienced homelessness as children. Santa Clara County has both the highest median income and the highest rate of unsheltered homelessness in the nation. Leaders and community members should work together to improve the lives of the homeless and to prevent another generation of homeless people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyclical pattern of violence in the lives of homeless female ex-offenders may precipitate ongoing substance use and recidivism; all of which have shown to be mounting public health issues affecting successful reentry. This paper, which analyzed baseline data from a longitudinal study of 126 female ex-offenders in Los Angeles and Pomona, California, highlighted the factors found to be associated with violent crime among homeless female ex-offenders. A multiple logistic regression model for whether or not the last conviction was for a violent offense indicated that poor housing (p= .011) and self-reported anger or hostility (p< .001) were significant correlates. An ordinal regression model for the number of violent offenses also indicated that affectionate support was associated with committing fewer number of violent crimes (p= .001), while positive social interactions (p= .007), and anger/hostility (p= .015) were associated with greater number of violent crimes. Implications for developing a comprehensive array of strategies that can mitigate the pattern of violence often seen in the lives of homeless female who have recently exited jails and prisons is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mobile medical clinics have been used for decades to provide primary and preventive care to underserved populations. While several studies have examined their return on investment and impact on chronic disease management outcomes in the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast regions of the United States, little is known about the characteristics and clinical outcomes of adults who receive care aboard mobile clinics on the West Coast region. Guided by the Anderson Behavioral Model, this study describes the predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with mobile medical clinic use among mobile medical clinic patients in Southern California and examines the relationship between mobile clinic utilization and presence and control of diabetes and hypertension. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 411 adults who received care in four mobile clinic locations in Southern California from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019. Data were collected from patient charts on predisposing (e.g., sex, race, age), enabling (e.g., insurance and housing status), and need (e.g., chronic illness) factors based on Andersen's Behavioral Model. Zero-truncated negative binomial regression was used to examine the association of chronic illness (hypertension and diabetes) with number of clinic visits, accounting for potential confounding factors. Results: Over the course of the 2-year study period, 411 patients made 1790 visits to the mobile medical clinic. The majority of patients were female (68%), Hispanic (78%), married (47%), with a mean age of 50 (SD = 11). Forty-four percent had hypertension and 29% had diabetes. Frequency of mobile clinic utilization was significantly associated with chronic illness. Patients with hypertension and diabetes had 1.22 and 1.61 times the rate of mobile medical clinic visit than those without those conditions, respectively (IRR = 1.61, 95% CI, 1.36–1.92; 1.22, 95% CI, 1.02–1.45). Conclusions: Mobile clinics serve as an important system of health care delivery, especially for adults with uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate possible purposes of digital storytelling and discuss practical implementation in a community-based digital storytelling project. Design/methodology/approach – This case study investigates the function of digital storytelling for archiving local history, specifically by journaling experiences during a digital storytelling grant project at a public library in Southern California. Findings – This case study details a specific example of the impact digital storytelling can have on a community, both to foster community building and also to encourage documentation of local history. The main goal of the project was to present and archive filmed stories from local community members; however, the project also led to increased awareness of digital storytelling and the associated technology both within the library and the greater community. Practical implications – This article should provide best practice guidelines for administering a community-based digital storytelling project including suggestions for outreach to the larger community, dealing with technical issues, and tackling operational issues. Originality/value – Digital storytelling has had a profound impact on the way that society communicates and can be used effectively for purposes of outreach and activism, to educate using technology, or to document micro-histories. This case study provides an assessment of the current uses of digital storytelling and presents a successful implementation of a local history digital storytelling project at a public library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to examine the longitudinal effects of psychological sense of control and control-related coping strategies on breast cancer outcomes. Utilizing the California Cancer Registry, follow-up data on cancer recurrence and all-cause mortality were obtained for 54 of 58 women originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 to 1994. Relationships between cancer outcomes and psychological control and mood at 4 and 8 months post-diagnosis were examined. Results of the study showed that a greater sense of control at 8 months was associated with less cancer recurrence, while higher desire for control at both 4 and 8 months was associated with greater likelihood of recurrence. Utilization of an accepting mode of control appeared to mitigate the negative effects of desire for control on recurrence. No significant relationships were observed between mood and mortality or recurrence. These findings suggest the potential value of examining psychological control and control-related coping on cancer outcomes in future epidemiological and clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new bill regulating ovum donation in Israel is set to pass its second and third readings in the Israel Parliament in the upcoming months. The new law will expand the number of locally donated ova available, as previously Israeli women were prohibited from donating eggs unless they were undergoing fertility treatment. Parallel to this legislative initiative, there has been a change in rabbinical thinking over who is considered the mother in a case of surrogacy. Previously, the consensus has been that the birth mother is to be considered the mother, but over the last few years there has been a change in thinking and the genetic mother is now considered the mother. The purpose of this paper is to present the ethical and legal issues from a Jewish perspective in determining maternal identity. The dilemma also demonstrates some of the difficulties in applying Talmudic law to modern problems and the various methodologies used to overcome these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

common concern within HIV prevention is that HIV positive MSMW do not disclose their HIV status to female partners who are thus at increased risk for HIV infection. The present study uses unique data to examine whether MSMW disclose more often to male rather than female partners. Data were collected on most recent male and/or female primary partner and four most recent casual partners from 150 MSMW (50 African American, 50 Latino, 50 White). MSMW reported on 590 partners (31% female; 69% male). Disclosure was coded as disclosure before sex, disclosure after sex, or nondisclosure. A series of multinomial logistic regressions with partners clustered within respondents were conducted to evaluate effects of respondent characteristics and partner characteristics on timing of disclosure. In bivariate and multivariate analyses there were no significant differences in odds of disclosure to male and female partners before or after sex. Although MSMW were substantially less likely to disclose to HIV negative partners before sex compared to HIV positive partners regardless of sex, when we fully interacted the multivariate model by partner sex, the odds of disclosure to HIV negative male partners compared to HIV positive male partners before sex were significantly higher than the odds of disclosure to HIV negative female partners compared to HIV positive female partners. Patterns of mutual nondisclosure and nonreciprocal disclosure were observed with both primary and casual partners. The paper makes additional methodological contributions to the measurement and analysis of disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remaining at home in older age is generally considered a sign of independence and therefore an important achievement. More than five million Americans aged over 75 years live alone, a number that is destined to increase thanks to advances in longevity. Living alone can allow the expression of one's preferences, but it can also bring out hardships hardly visible to outsiders, especially in an individualistic society such as the United States of America that rewards self-sufficiency. According to the sociologist Rose, in neo-liberal societies citizens have a duty to be free, self-reliant and independent. In this paper, Rose's theory and the political economy perspective serve as frameworks by which to examine how discourses around independence are translated in the experiences of 22 older adults aged over 75 living at home alone in the Bay Area of San Francisco. Participant observation and 41 in-depth interviews from 2006 to 2010 illustrate how being independent can be an essential component of individual identities. The informants' narratives shed light on the impact of policies that facilitate or regulate the moral imperative of independence. The findings underline the need to assess how discourses around independence are translated in minority populations, to promote studies and initiatives on interdependence, and to encourage international comparisons on living alone in older age. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes Mexican American family members' descriptions of perceived discrimination by pediatric health care providers (HCPs) and the families' reactions to the HCPs' discriminatory conduct. A retrospective, grounded theory design guided the overall study. Content analysis of interviews with 13 participants from 11 families who were recruited from two children's hospitals in Northern California resulted in numerous codes and revealed that participants perceived discrimination when they were treated differently from other, usually white, families. They believed they were treated differently because they were Mexican, because they were poor, because of language barriers, or because of their physical appearance. Participants reported feeling hurt, saddened, and confused regarding the differential treatment they received from HCPs who parents perceived 'should care equally for all people.' They struggled to understand and searched for explanations. Few spoke up about unfair treatment or complained about poor quality of care. Most assumed a quiet, passive position, according to their cultural norms of respecting authority figures by being submissive and not questioning them. Participants did not perceive all HCPs as discriminatory; their stories of discrimination derived from encounters with individual nurses or physicians. However, participants were greatly affected by the encounters, which continue to be painful memories. Despite increasing efforts to provide culturally competent palliative care, there is still need for improvement. Providing opportunities for changing HCPs' beliefs and behaviors is essential to developing cultural competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a short-term longitudinal study of the relation between violent victimization in the community and peer rejection among 199 children (mean age = 9.02 years) attending two urban Los Angeles area elementary schools. We used a multi-informant approach to assess victimization by community violence, peer group victimization, peer rejection, and impairments in emotion regulation. These data were collected annually for two consecutive school years. Violent victimization in the community predicted later peer rejection after accounting for the effects of initial levels of peer rejection. Analyses indicated that this relation was mediated by deficient emotion regulation skills. In addition, we found evidence that victimization by community violence and peer rejection are reciprocally related over time. The developmental implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several conference papers on object perception, attention, and memory presented at a meeting in Long Beach, California. They include "Context Affects Figure-ground Organization Via Perceptual Grouping," by Joseph L. Brooks and Jon Driver, "Factors Governing Inhibition of Occluded Regions in Superimposed Objects," by Destinee Chambers and Kyle Cave, and "Learning to Form New Perceptual Groups," by Timothy J. Vickery, Joshua K. Hartshorne and Yuhong V. Jiang.

This paper examines the role of poverty ideology in determining whether a teacher comes to teach at a poor school (presence) and whether s/he remains at this type of school over time (persistence). A sample of 400 teachers in San Diego California was administered a questionnaire that evaluated respondents’ attitudes toward poverty. Teachers who believed poverty was rooted in social structure were more apt to be present in and to persist at poor schools. It is argued that this presence and persistence in poor schools was because these teachers had developed a “structurally mitigated sense of occupational competence”. This sense of competence made these teachers more likely to understand the problems they encountered in the classroom in structural terms, and thus they were more likely to be both satisfied with and persist at their jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study developed and tested a model of car following by human drivers.Background: Previous models of car following are based on 3-D parameters such as lead vehicle speed and distance information, which are not directly available to a driver. In the present paper we present the driving by visual angle (DVA) model, which is based on the visual information (visual angle and rate of change of visual angle) available to the driver.Method: Two experiments in a driving simulator examined car-following performance in response to speed variations of a lead vehicle defined by a sum of sine wave oscillations and ramp acceleration functions. In addition, the model was applied to six driving events using real world-driving data.Results: The model provided a good fit to car-following performance in the driving simulation studies as well as in real-world driving performance. A comparison with the advanced interactive microscopic simulator for urban and nonurban networks (AIMSUN) model, which is based on 3-D parameters, suggests that the DVA was more predictive of driver behavior in matching lead vehicle speed and distance headway.Conclusion: Car-following behavior can be modeled using only visual information to the driver and can produce performance more predictive of driver performance than models based on 3-D (speed or distance) information.Application: The DVA model has applications to several traffic safety issues, including automated driving systems and traffic flow models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two decades, the field of psychiatry has seen the once dominant psychoanalytic theories overtaken by biological explanations and approaches to severe mental illness. With this change in perspective, the significance of fantasies and delusions have been reduced to being merely symptoms of psychopathology rather than reflections of human needs and motivations. Using ethnographic evidence from a long-term research project. this paper explores one method by which mentally ill homeless individuals in the Skid Row district of Los Angeles attempted to wrest meaningful lives for themselves out of an environment that featured disaffiliation, violence, boredom, and extreme poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the transplantation of psychoanalysis from Europe to Los Angeles and the similarities and differences in followers, cultural attitudes, institutional organization, and patient symptoms. Psychoanalysis in both places attracted psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, artists, writers, and movie people, all committed to “modernism” and cultural change. But special American conditions created greater institutional rigidity, medicalization, and a more diffuse patient symptomatology centered on the maternal relationship. Such conditions also fostered bitter disputes over modifications of psychoanalytic theory and practice which have only recently become less acute as the status of psychoanalysis has declined in America. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Older adults experiencing chronic homelessness (i.e., prolonged homelessness and a disabling condition) have low rates of advance care planning (ACP) despite high rates of morbidity and mortality. Rehousing of homeless‐experienced individuals into permanent supportive housing (PSH) may present an opportunity to introduce ACP; but this is unknown. Therefore, we explored staff and resident perceptions of conducting ACP in PSH. Methods: We conducted semi‐structured interviews with PSH staff (n = 13) and tenants (PSH residents) (n = 26) in San Francisco. We used the capability (C), opportunity (O), motivation (M), behavior (COM‐B) framework within the Behavior Change Wheel model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to inform interviews, categorize themes, and guide qualitative thematic analysis. Results: The mean age of PSH residents was 67 (SD = 6.1) years and 52% were women. Of staff, 69% were women. Important COM‐B barriers included ACP complexity (C), complicated relationship dynamics (O), resource limitations (O), pessimism (M), variable staff confidence (M), and competing priorities (M). Facilitators included easy‐to‐use documents/videos, including the PREPARE for Your Care program (C), stability with housing (O), exposure to health crises (O), potential for strong relationships (O), and belief that ACP is impactful (M). Recommendations included adapting materials to the PSH setting, providing staff trainings/scripts, and using optional one‐on‐one or group sessions. Conclusions: We identified behavioral determinants related to ACP for formerly chronically homeless older adults in PSH. Future interventions should include using easy‐to‐use ACP materials and developing resources to educate PSH residents, train staff, and model ACP in groups or one‐on‐one sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the reactions of a portion of the population of San Ysidro, California, to the McDonald's massacre in 1984. Recently immigrant, poor, Mexican American women, 35–50 years of age, who were not directly involved in the accident were surveyed to determine their emotional reactions approximately 6 months following the massacre. Approximately one third of the women indicated they were seriously affected by the event. Some 12% reported had mild or severe levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology at some point in time since the massacre and some 6% still felt symptoms 6 to 9 months after the event. The women most affected were those having relatives or friends involved in the massacre and those with general social vulnerability (e.g., the widowed, separated, or divorced, unemployed and those with less income and fair to poor health). These women reported relatively little impact on their children. Onset and chronicity of PTSD and health care utilization patterns were also explored. Results of more intensive, open ended interviews with the women most affected by the event are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research has shown that people often need assistance from an established person who injects drugs (PWID) in order to initiate their own injection drug use. Yet, there is scant research on the injection initiation process from the perspective of established PWID who assists with initiation. In this paper, we examine the injection initiation process from the perspective of established PWID.Methods: From 2011 to 2013, we conducted qualitative life history interviews with 113 PWID in San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. Qualitative data were coded using an inductive analysis approach. Emergent themes are presented in a series of emblematic case studies that elucidate the injection initiation process from the point of view of the PWID who help people with their first injection.Results: Most participants (70%) said that they had never initiated another person into drug injection, citing negative health and social consequences of drug injection as their primary reasons. Among those PWID who had ever facilitated initiation (30%), most expressed moral ambivalence about the behaviour. Using case studies, we show how PWID engage in a complicated calculation that weighs the pros and cons of assisting someone with their first injection. Concerns about long term harms associated with injection drug use sometimes give way to short-term altruistic concerns related to self-initiation or instrumental needs on the part of the established PWID.Conclusions: Objections to facilitating initiation of injection naïve persons appear to be common among established PWID but are sometimes overridden by a need to reduce harms that can be associated with self-initiation and one's structural vulnerability. For established PWID, helping to initiate another person becomes a complex moral question with nuanced motivations. While further substantiation of this observation will require more research, it is worth considering how existing disinclination to initiating injection naïve persons can be integrated into new or existing approaches to preventing injection initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change impacts and rapid development in the wildland-urban interface are increasing population exposure and vulnerability to the harmful effects of wildfire and wildfire smoke. The direct and indirect effects of these hazards may impact future mobility decisions among populations at risk. To better understand how perceptions and personal experience inform wildfire- and smoke-associated migration intentions, we surveyed a representative sample of 1108 California residents following the 2020 wildfire season. We assessed the associations between threat appraisal, coping appraisal, personal experience, migration intentions, the impact of wildfire and smoke on migration intentions and place satisfaction, and the potential likelihood of future migration. Results indicate that roughly a third of our sample intended to move in the next 5 years, nearly a quarter of whom reported that wildfire and smoke impacted their migration decision at least a moderate amount. Prior negative outcomes (e.g., evacuating, losing property) were associated with intentions to migrate. Perceived susceptibility and prior negative outcomes were associated with a greater impact of wildfire and smoke on migration intentions. For those intending to remain in place, prior negative outcomes were associated with a greater impact of wildfire and smoke on place satisfaction, which was in turn associated with a greater reported likelihood of future migration. Our findings suggest that perceptions of and experiences with wildfire and smoke may impact individual mobility decisions. These insights may be leveraged to inform risk communications and outreach campaigns to encourage wildfire and smoke risk mitigation behaviors and to improve climate migration modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Smoke-free psychiatric hospitalisation provides opportunity for initiating tobacco cessation treatment. The current study reports on psychiatric patients' interest in continuing nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) posthospitalisation and examines patient predictors of NRT requests, quit attempts and abstinence at 1-week follow-up. Methods Daily smokers were recruited and interviewed on locked psychiatric units at three smoke-free San Francisco Bay Area hospitals. Intent to quit smoking was not required to participate and 73% of eligible smokers enrolled. Analyses focused on 816 participants (49% female) randomised to interventions providing counselling tailored to readiness to quit with availability of NRT posthospitalisation. Logistic regressions tested demographic, smoking and psychiatric factors predictive of NRT requests, quit attempts and abstinence 1-week postdischarge. Results Participants averaged 17 (SD=10) cigarettes/ day for an average of 19 (SD=14) years. Most (88%) requested study-provided NRT (74% right at discharge). Participants preparing to quit and those with more severe psychiatric symptoms were more likely to request NRT at discharge (p<0.01). Those with more severe psychiatric symptoms also were more likely to request NRT refill, as were older participants (p<0.05). Participants who requested NRT at discharge were more likely to make a 24 h quit attempt and self-report abstinence at the 1-week follow-up (54% quit attempt, 14% abstinent) than participants who did not (25% quit attempt, 4% abstinent) (p<0.05). Conclusions The great demand for NRT and the association between NRT use with quit attempts and abstinence at 1-week posthospitalisation supports adoption of tobacco treatment in acute psychiatric settings. Trial registration number # NCT00968513. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cities are encouraging bicycling as mode of transportation as a way to improve air quality and health. Evidence suggests a strong influence of attitudes on bicycling, but few studies have examined the formation of attitudes toward bicycling. This paper explores the potential effect of crashes and other incidents on attitudes towards bicycling. Several themes emerge from 54 in-depth interviews on experiences with bicycling over the life course for a sample of adults living in Davis, California. The greater the severity of injuries associated with a crash, the greater the likelihood of declines in comfort with and desire for bicycling. Crashes in youth had very little effect on desire for or comfort with bicycling, but the opposite was true of crashes in adulthood. Incidents involving motorists particularly exacerbated discomfort with bicycling, while solo crashes were commonly perceived as unlucky or careless mishaps. Crashes experienced by others, as opposed to those experienced personally, were especially damaging to attitude, particularly for those who did not bicycle regularly. These findings have important implications for the design of bicycle facilities and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have theorized and empirically shown that compared with low rape myth acceptance (RMA) individuals, those high in RMA are more likely to discount rape prevention messages. These researchers have urged the development of approaches to counteract the defensiveness and related processes that are presumed to cause such discounting. In the present research we empirically tested the effectiveness of a self-affirmation approach designed to reduce defensiveness to and increase engagement with important but potentially self-threatening information about sexual assault. Female participants classified as low or high in RMA were randomly assigned to either a self-affirmation or no-affirmation control condition and then read about a controversial case of campus sexual assault. We found support for the effectiveness of such a self-affirmation intervention for high-RMA women. Specifically, on a questionnaire administered after the exposure, affirmed high-RMA women relative to the control group reported greater endorsement of the realistic use of the "yes means yes" standard of consent, higher self-standards in defining consensual sexual behavior, increases in perceived knowledge of available resources for sexual assault victims, lower support of rape myths, and greater support for punishing someone convicted of sexual assault. As expected, for women low in RMA there were no significant differences in reporting on these measures between the affirmation condition and the no-affirmation condition. From an agentic perspective these results are encouraging. This approach may merit further development as part of an intervention for reducing biased processing and increasing the effectiveness of consent campaigns and other sexual violence prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High expectations for new technologies coexist with wide variability in the actual adoption and impact of information technology (IT) projects in clinical settings, and the frequent failure to incorporate otherwise “successful” projects into routine practice. This paper draws on actor–network theory to present an in-depth, sociotechnical analysis of one such project – a computer kiosk designed to diagnose and expedite treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI) in adult women. Research at a hospital urgent care clinic demonstrated the kiosk program''s effectiveness at diagnosing UTI and reducing patient wait times, and the kiosk was subsequently adopted by the clinic for routine patient care. However, a study promoting the adoption of the device at emergency departments (ED) was characterized by persistent staff resistance and lower-than-expected patient eligibility for kiosk-assisted care. The device was ultimately abandoned at all but one of the new sites. Observations and interviews with ED staff and the design/research team were conducted at four California EDs between April and July 2011 and point to conflicting understandings of evidence for the device''s usefulness and reasons for its (non)adoption. The kiosk program''s designers had attempted to “rationalize” medical work by embedding a formal representation of triage practices in the kiosk''s software. However, the kiosk''s “network” failed to stabilize as it encountered different patient populations, institutional politics, and the complex, pragmatic aspects of ED work at each site. The results of this evaluation challenge the persistent myth that a priori qualities and meanings inhere in technology regardless of context. The design and deployment of new IT projects in complex medical settings would benefit from empirically informed understandings of, and responses to, the contingent properties of human–technology relations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The environmental movement may provide a vehicle by which community psychologists can contribute to large-scale ecological change. This paper uses one outgrowth of the environmental movement--the environmental impact assessment process--to illustrate the procedures for input by community psychologists can participate in the environmental impact assessment process to (1) predict the effects of any new project on the demand for treatment services and (2) suggest ways in which a project may be designed to prevent psychological problems and enhance community well-being.

The various student gains and reported satisfaction with self-management projects have been well documented. However, we found that few psychology programs explicitly teach these skills. In this paper we demonstrate how self-management projects can meet nine out of the ten undergraduate student learning goals outlined by the APA Task Force (2002). We then provide an example of how we incorporated such a project in an undergraduate psychology class and embedded the assessment of learning outcomes within evaluation of the projects. We present our rubric and results based on 68 (56 women, 12 men) student projects. Lastly, we discuss the many benefits of assigning self-management projects to justify inclusion of such assignments and encourage instruction of self-management skills in psychology classes. Keywords: self-management, self-improvement, student learning outcomes, self-modification, self-directed, self-change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined associations between substance use, family functioning, and self-image among four ethnic adolescent groups. Three thousand three hundred and fifteen 8th and 9th grade students were recruited from 10 schools in Los Angeles County. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil survey regarding their alcohol and marijuana use, along with their perceived family functioning and self-image and other demographic variables. Ordinal logistic regression was performed to examine associations. Results indicated that both family functioning and self-image were significantly associated with alcohol and marijuana use. Those who scored lower on family functioning and self-image were at increased risk for substance use. Furthermore, students who scored low in both family functioning and self-image were about twice as likely to report using alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper explores contested memories of place in the historical recovery and community revitalization of Salinas, California's old Chinatown. For over a century, Chinatown has been home to Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, and Mexicans. Today, it is occupied by the homeless, drug dealers, and addicts. Chinatown is variously remembered as the site of the best Chinese food in town, a place of gambling and prostitution, and “home.” Oral histories reveal multiple and contested significations of place: from intensely nostalgic recollections that mythify the past to distanced accounts that reveal little attachment to place. Narratives shed light on the tensions involved in cultural recovery and negotiating spatial claims across ethnic and cultural groups, generations, and social classes. Accounts also reveal how the restoration of lost community history can generate new coalitional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines how Latinas' sexual constructions of themselves and of men influence their decisions to use condoms and the role of pap smears in monitoring their health and their partner's sexual behavior. When and under what circumstances Latinas use condoms or obtain a pap smear is particularly relevant given that they are diagnosed with cervical cancer at a later stage and have poorer clinical outcomes contributing to mortality rates that are twice that of Anglo women. I focus on the lives of four women who are representative of the findings from an ethnographic study of forty-three Latinas, twenty-four predominantly Spanish-speaking and twenty-one predominantly English-speaking, living in Los Angeles. Findings reveal that prioritizing sexual health, whether Latinas are born in the United States or not, is not an easy task due to gendered perceptions of love and motherhood, and unequal access to economic opportunities. Their narratives illustrate that trust implies risk-taking and that routine pap smears for some Latinas serve as a strategy not only to protect their health, but also their hearts. Moreover, the anxiety of having and attempting to resolve conflicting values and beliefs becomes apparent in the everyday behavior and health decisions of Latinas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providers in prenatal care settings are well-positioned to help pregnant women with substance abuse problems take the first steps toward recovery. This study reports the results of the ANGELS Program, a program of enhanced prenatal care designed to reduce substance use among pregnant women. In a suburban office serving a broad range of pregnant women, certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and on-site addictions counselors addressed substance abuse during prenatal care. This paper describes a cohort of 77 pregnant women who were identified as abusers of alcohol and/or other drugs at the start of pregnancy. According to a level of change rating assigned by the CNM at delivery, 51% of women were able to be largely abstinent during their pregnancy, 35% had reduced their use somewhat, and 14% had shown no change in use. Discriminant analysis techniques were used to learn what characteristics differentiated women in these three level of change groups. Baseline variables that differentiated the groups included severity of cocaine and cannabis use, psychosocial stressors, and initiation of prenatal care. Significant process variables included number of prenatal visits and contact with the addictions counselors. Clinical vignettes illustrate the differences among women in the three level of change groups. Implications of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents news on various issues related to behavioral sciences in 2001. Appointment of Joel T. Braslow at the Neuroscience History Archives in University of California at Los Angeles's Brain Research Institute; Information on the Fullbright Scholar Program; List of meetings and programs to be conducted in U.S.

This study examines the occurrence of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song in the northeast Pacific from three years of continuous recordings off central California (36.713°N, 122.186°W). Song is prevalent in this feeding and migratory habitat, spanning nine months of the year (September–May), peaking in winter (November–January), and reaching a maximum of 86% temporal coverage (during November 2017). From the rise of song in fall through the end of peak occurrence in winter, song length increases significantly from month to month. The seasonal peak in song coincides with the seasonal trough in day length and sighting-based evidence of whales leaving Monterey Bay, consistent with seasonal migration. During the seasonal song peak, diel variation shows maximum occurrence at night (69% of the time), decreasing during dawn and dusk (52%), and further decreasing with increasing solar elevation during the day, reaching a minimum near solar noon (30%). Song occurrence increased 44% and 55% between successive years. Sighting data within the acoustic detection range of the hydrophone indicate that variation in local population density was an unlikely cause of this large interannual variation. Hydrographic data and modeling of acoustic transmission indicate that changes in neither habitat occupancy nor acoustic transmission were probable causes. Conversely, the positive interannual trend in song paralleled major ecosystem variations, including similarly large positive trends in wind-driven upwelling, primary productivity, and krill abundance. Further, the lowest song occurrence during the first year coincided with anomalously warm ocean temperatures and an extremely toxic harmful algal bloom that affected whales and other marine mammals in the region. These major ecosystem variations may have influenced the health and behavior of humpback whales during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a study on foundings of Silicon Valley law firms, I propose and test an organizational theory on the genealogical persistence of gender inequality that emphasizes the routines (or blueprints) and experiences that founders transfer from their parent firms to their new firms. This transfer links the parent firm's gender hierarchy to women's advancement opportunities in the new firm. Founders from parent firms that historically had women in leadership positions, such that female leadership is institutionalized, are more likely to found firms that promote women into prominent positions. Conversely, founders from firms that historically had women in subordinate positions, such that female subordination is institutionalized, are less likely to promote women into prominent positions. Findings are consistent with the theory and also show that the persistence effect is stronger for founders who were previously lower-ranked employees and for founders who institute an organization of work similar to their parent firm. The study suggests that future research should investigate routines and structures that not only generate gender inequality unintentionally but are in turn replicated across generations of organization through the mobility of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]