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The 2001 U.S. Supreme Court Case of Falvo v. Owasso School System (Owasso Independent School District No I-011 v. Falvo) has focused national attention on the common classroom practice of peer-grading. In a unanimous decision the court reaffirmed the popular view that students grading each others' tests is valuable, saving teachers' time and augmenting student learning. Our study puts these presumed benefits to the test in 4 middle school science classrooms. We compared teacher-assigned grades to those awarded either by students to themselves or by their peers. By training students to grade with the help of a scoring rubric, a very high correlation was obtained between students and their teacher on test questions (r = 0.91 to 0.94). We found patterns of bias when students assigned grades. When grading others, students awarded lower grades to the best performing students than their teacher did. When grading themselves, lower performing students tended to inflate their own low scores. Performance on an unannounced, 2nd administration of the same test 1 week later measured the degree to which student-grading resulted in any increased understanding. Students who graded their peers' tests did not gain significantly more than a control group of students who did not correct any papers but simply took the same test again. Those students who corrected their own tests improved dramatically. Self-grading and peer-grading appear to be reasonable aids to saving teachers' time. Self-grading appears to result in increased student learning; peer-grading does not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has documented a need for the development of a sex education programme in Turkish schools in terms of adolescence readiness and the presence of misconceptions regarding critical aspects of sexual issues. Currently no school-based sex education is available for Turkish adolescents. This paper presents the development of a contemporary sex education programme for 12-year-old to 14-year-old adolescents, entitled 'The Human Development Program for 12-14 Year Old Adolescents'. A five-step programme development model was used including reviewing internationally recognised sex education programmes for this age group. Sexuality Information and Education Council of United States guidelines were chosen as an educational framework, and Turkish cultural values were integrated into the curriculum. The sex curriculum consists of an eight-session interactive programme in which parental permission and involvement is required. Five units are presented: human development, relationships, sexual behaviour, sexual health, and society/culture. The programme and a related knowledge assessment tool were reviewed by a group of Turkish professionals and the validity of the educational content was received. The programme was piloted with a group of Turkish adolescents with positive results. Future recommendations include school counsellors implementing this sex educational programme into Turkish schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the substantial literature devoted to examining the causes of US Black–White residential segregation by race, there is little evidence on the persistence of residential segregation outcomes across generations. This paper examines the following two questions: Do households reside in neighbourhoods with racial compositions that resemble the household head's childhood neighbourhood? Do residential segregation outcomes persist across generations, controlling for household-level determinants of residential location choice? The empirical work relies on household-level data from the US Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) matched to the racial composition of the household's census tract of residence to estimate regression models where the dependent variable is a measure of own-race residential segregation in 1980 and 1990 for each household head in the sample. The independent variables include various contemporaneous household characteristics, characteristics of each household head's parents in 1968 and the lagged 1968 neighbourhood racial composition of the household head's childhood residence. Results from several regression models suggest that households choose to reside in neighbourhoods with racial compositions that resemble the household head's childhood neighbourhood. Observable parental characteristics, particularly measures of parental interracial contact, explain much of the intergenerational persistence in segregation among African American households. Among Whites, the intergenerational persistence of residential segregation remains even in models with an extensive set of controls. Across both racial groups, the neighbourhood social ties of parents living in more integrated neighbourhoods are shown to reduce the propensity for children to choose segregated neighbourhoods upon reaching adulthood. These findings suggest that interracial contact may reduce the persistence of residential segregation over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze changing patterns in overdose deaths that occurred between 1990 and 1997 in 27 of the largest US cities. Drug induced deaths reported by the CDC have increased by 57% in the United States during these years -- from 9463 to 15973 (3.8/ 100,000 in 1990 to 6.0/100,000 in 1997). This trend has been observed in all regions of the United States, among both men and women, and in all ethnic and age groups. But there are important local differences in these trends that can be seen in the largest US cities: those with the lowest rates in 1990 have increased to levels equal to or greater than some of the cities that had the highest rates in 1990. And, while users >30 years of age account for the majority of cases (and most of the overall increase), for those cities with the greatest overall increases, the OD rates have increased sharply among younger people (20-24). This coincides with an expansion of drug markets (for heroin) in a group of smaller US cities and increased heroin use by youth in those cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method to measure two types of tempos: 1) the tempo of elderly age concentration, the rate of change in the elderly proportion in a region; and 2) the tempo of elderly geographical concentration, the rate of change in a region's share of the national elderly population. The two measurements are applied to historical data for the United States. The results reveal that both tempos vary spatially and temporally. Relative tempos are also introduced to compare the indices between different age groups and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on racial status and fertility of black minority in the United States in 1970. It reviews two major theoretical approaches to the problem, and proposes to extend in part the work reported in the earlier papers. above two articles. The main purpose of the article is (1) to review 1970 Census data relevant to the theory of independent effect of minority racial status on fertility, and (2) to assess the variations in patterns of fertility within each of the black and white racial groups by age cohorts. According to one major approach referred to as convergence theory, it is argued that as members of minority groups become more nearly like whites demographically, socially, and economically, their fertility rates tend to converge and differences in birth rates are not explained in a significant manner by minority status per se. Variables such as region of residence, family income, education, urbanization, occupation, and others are cross-tabulated to pinpoint the combination of factors associated with higher fertility of minorities.

This paper describes the results obtained in administering a modified Terman intelligence test to 327 Greek children aged from 7 to 12 years. A negative correlation between intelligence and family size was obtained. The results are compared with those obtained in similar inquiries in Britain and the U.S.A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the author's perspective as a student attendee at the 20th Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs which was held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. She emphasizes that the most apparent difference between the older and younger participants was the acceptance of the elders to the state of the world. She notes that there is a need for a younger generation on idealism and commitment to change concerning science. She adds that the majority points for the alternative selection for the participants might be based on their expertise, reputation and professional qualifications.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the United States for 2016 using data from the National ALS Registry (Registry). Established in 2009, the Registry collects data on ALS patients in the U.S. to better describe the epidemiology of ALS, examine risk factors such as environmental and occupational exposures, and characterize the demographics of those living with the disease. Methods: To identify adult prevalent cases of ALS, the Registry compiles data from three national administrative databases (maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Veterans Benefits Administration). To ascertain cases not necessarily included in these databases and to better understand risk-factors associated with ALS and disease progression, the Registry also includes data collected from patients who voluntarily enroll via a web portal to complete online surveys. Results: In 2016, the Registry conservatively identified 16,424 adult persons who met the Registry definition of ALS for an age-adjusted prevalence rate of 5.2 per 100,000 U.S. population. The pattern of patient characteristics (e.g., age, sex, and race/ethnicity) has not changed from previous Registry reports. Overall, ALS was more common among whites, males, and persons aged 60–69 years. The age groups with the lowest number of ALS cases were persons aged 18–39 years. Males had a higher prevalence rate of ALS than females overall and across all data sources. Conclusions: Data collected by the National ALS Registry are being used to better describe the epidemiology and demographics of ALS in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate representation of occupancy schedules is needed to assess potential energy savings from occupancy-based controls in residential buildings. In this study the variation in US residential occupancy profiles is developed by household income level, age group, household size, and day of the week using 14 years of American Time Use Survey and Current Population Survey data. Based on cluster analysis results, the most common occupancy profiles were Day absence and Stay home where, the time of absence varies from less than 5 to 15 h per day. Low-income individuals and households spent significantly more time at home compared to higher income groups. Finally, a preliminary survey conducted to analyse the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that it has substantially impacted occupancy patterns and is likely to do so post-pandemic as well. The results of this research help improve the representation of occupancy schedules in building energy simulation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, planners have been drawing circles of a quarter-mile radius to determine easily walkable distances for neighborhood and activity center planning. However, the radius of such "planners' circles," or walksheds, is often informed more by convention than by data. Here we examine walk-trip distances based on two national household travel surveys for the United States and Germany. We describe how walk distances vary by personal and trip characteristics, with a particular focus on trip purpose and pedestrian age. We conducted both univariate and multivariate analyses to compare patterns between the United States and Germany. The multivariate analysis examines quantile regressions for 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles to understand both typical and longer walk distances. The observed distances that people walk vary significantly across age groups, trip purposes, and national contexts. Leisure trips tend to be longest, whereas shopping and errand trips tend to be shortest. There are substantial differences between the United States and Germany in the average lengths of walks (mean/median walk distance: Germany, 1,490/980 m, 0.93/0.61 miles; United States, 970/530 m, 0.60/0.33 miles) and in the effects of independent variables. A significant portion of the variation in walk-trip distances between the United States and Germany is likely due to Germany's higher quality walk environments. Rather than always resort to a quarter-mile or 400-m radius, planners can use the data here to customize the size of the planners' circle, or walkshed, they draw to take into account the primary trip purposes and demographic segments under consideration. Moreover, planners can draw circles with a shorter radius corresponding to the 50th percentile to plan for the most common walk-trip lengths while also considering larger circles corresponding to the 75th and 90th percentiles to provide more supportive and safer pedestrian environments for longer trips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: While colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality have decreased for older adults, the rates are increasing in adults younger than 50 years of age in the United States as well as globally. In response to strong epidemiologic evidence as well as sophisticated models, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has recommended screening adults for CRC starting at age 45. Understanding the factors associated with the rise of incidence in adults younger than age 50 may help to identify those adults who may be at greatest risk. Areas covered: In this review, we provide an overview of the recent literature and discuss possible explanations for the increase in CRC in young adults including obesity and other recognized CRC risk factors, delay in diagnosis of symptomatic patients (<50 years of age), and review perspectives on the current and future status of the field. Expert opinion: Currently there are little data regarding risk factors for CRC in average risk young adults who are asymptomatic. With potential endorsement of screening at 45 years of age by US Preventive Services Task Force, more data regarding clinical and molecular risk factors associated with CRC in young adults will be available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paucity of evidence and the largely unanswered public policy questions suggest that much theoretical and empirical work remains to be done. The purpose of this paper is to test empirically the behavioral-response hypothesis by focusing on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) safety regulation for walk-behind power lawn mowers. Specifically, we are interested in determining whether this design-related regulation has had any impact on accident rates associated with power lawn mower use, and if the safety standards have shifted the risk of injury among different age groups.
The second section provides the background for the safety standards, and discusses the difference between design-related and performance-related regulations. The third section describes the empirical model, and the fourth section presents the empirical results. The final section summarizes the findings of this investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to present a model of constrained utility-maximizing behavior which is able to explain several features of marriage. The model predicts that individuals meet in the marriage market and trade characteristics, in which they are relatively well endowed, to obtain characteristics in which they are less well endowed. The model implies a positive age differential in favor of the husband due to biological differences. This differential is shown to be attenuated by differences in earnings capacity and human capital investments. The model also has implications for dynamic aspects of marriage and provides an explanation for the secular increase in females' age of first marriage and the difficulty experienced by females in the post thirty-year age group in finding suitable partners. An examination of unit record data on residents of metropolitan California from the 1980 United States Census reveals systematic patterns in the data are consistent with the theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines population-weighted, sex- and age-disaggregated official COVID-19 mortality data (as of July 25, 2020) from the United States to understand gender gaps (men–women) across age. The analysis yields three key findings: (1) all age groups report about 8 percentage points more deaths among men than women; (2) non-elderly adults (<65 years) have a larger gender gap in reported mortality than elderly (≥65 years) adults; and (3) the gender gap in reported mortality varies across states, with thirteen states reporting more deaths among women than men. Women's lack of access to healthcare and a state's healthcare capacity have a significant correlation with the gender gap in reported mortality for both non-elderly and elderly adults. The findings underscore the possible presence of an underreporting bias against women in the officially reported COVID-19 death tolls in the US. HIGHLIGHTS The COVID-19 gender mortality gap in the US is similar to that of other developed nations. While men are more likely than women to die from COVID-19 infections, the reverse is true in thirteen states. The gap is high in states with low hospital capacity and women's low healthcare access. COVID-19 fatalities among women are more likely to be underreported than those among men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students in the United States are at an increased risk for meningococcal serogroup B disease or MenB, which causes the majority of invasive meningococcal disease in the country among adolescents and young adults (62%) and also across all age groups (36%) as of 2018. Approximately one-third of MenB cases among college students occur during campus outbreaks, which trigger substantial public health concern and costs associated with conducting rapid mass vaccination campaigns in an emergency setting. Eleven US college outbreaks of MenB disease have occurred since the initial licensure and recommendation of two MenB vaccines in 2014/2015; both vaccines have been used as part of outbreak responses on campuses, but vaccine coverage and multidose series completion among the general adolescent population are very low (approximately 17% of 17-year-olds in the United States received ≥1 dose in 2018). This review recounts shifts in US meningococcal outbreak epidemiology, lessons from immunogenicity evaluations of MenB vaccines with outbreak strains, and recent college outbreak experiences and mass vaccination responses. The challenges of reactive MenB outbreak containment and potential benefits of preventive immunization of US adolescents are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the substances used, outcomes, temporal and demographics associated with suicide attempts by self-poisoning in children and young adults aged 10–25 years old from 2000 to 2018. Methods: This is a retrospective review of suspected-suicide self-poisoning cases reported to the National Poison Data System (NPDS) from US Poison Centers from 2000 to 2018 for patients 10–25 years old. For comparison of annual rates, we obtained population data by year of age from the US Census Bureau. We evaluated changes in: monthly and annual incidence/rate per 100,000 population, substances used and outcome by patient age and demographics. Results: There were 1,677,435 cases of suicide attempt by self-poisoning among individuals 10–25 years old reported to US PCCs from 2000 to 2018. There were 410,940 self-poisoning cases (24.5%) with a serious medical outcome, and the proportion of exposures that resulted in a serious medical outcome increased with increasing age group. For the age groups of 10–12, 13–15 and 16–18 years of age, there was a significant increase after 2011, which was influenced primarily by females. The substance groups with the greatest number of serious medical outcomes were OTC analgesics, antidepressants, antihistamines and antipsychotics. ADHD medications were common in the younger age groups of 10–15 years, while the sedative/hypnotics occurred more commonly in the older age groups. The groups with the greatest increase in serious medical outcomes after 2011 were antidepressants, OTC analgesics, antihistamines and ADHD medications. Opiates were less commonly involved (7.4%) in cases with serious medical outcomes and decreased significantly in the 19–25 year-old age groups after 2012. States with a lower population per square mile had a greater number of reported cases with serious medical outcomes. There was a significant decrease in the number of cases in the age groups of 10–18 years during the traditional non-school months of June–August compared with September–May. This seasonal trend occurred among cases with all outcomes and among cases with serious medical outcomes. This decrease did not occur in the age group of 19–21 years, and there was an increase during summer months in the age group 22–25 years. Conclusions: The substances used during self-poisoning varies by age group but appears to include substances available to that age group, with a significant increase after 2011, increased rates in more rural states, and a seasonal variation of increased rates during school months among adolescents but not among young adults. Two of the top substances, OTC analgesics and antihistamines, in all age groups, comprising more than a third of all substances used, are widely available over-the-counter with no restrictions regarding access. Of additional concern, ADHD medications had the highest risk of a serious medical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deviant sexual fantasy is identified as a risk factor for sexual offending, yet no study has examined deviant sexual fantasy across the lifespan in nonoffending adult males. To bridge this gap, this study examined the frequencies of normative and deviant sexual fantasies among 318 nonoffending adult males in the United States. Participants were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk™. Participants took two inventories that assessed demographics and types of sexual fantasies. Normality tests, means tests, Kruskal–Wallis 1-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs), binary logistic regressions, and odds ratio post hoc analyses were conducted. Deviant sexual fantasies progressively declined across all three age groups, while normative sexual fantasy did not. Results suggest that deviant sexual fantasy changes across the lifespan. Applicability of the findings to applied settings, such as sexually violent predator evaluations, is discussed. Limitations and future considerations are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young consumers are major targets for necessary interventions to change consumption habits to address environmental sustainability challenges. The current study provides a comparison of a Western and an Asian culture, examining several key psychological and social influences to determine which can be most closely linked to the recycling behaviors of U.S. and Chinese young consumers. The results suggest both Chinese and U.S. students may be responsive to grassroots efforts to motivate recycling behaviors through peer groups. Opportunities for consumer socialization of green behaviors through family ties may also exist. This study provides valuable insight into key drivers of young consumers' recycling behavior for two important market segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing economic importance of the older age segment of society dictates a closer look at its media use and attitudes and how it differs from younger segments. The current study indicates that both the use of mass media and attitudes towards mass media differ between young, middle-aged, and older persons. Also, attitudes toward mass media have changed since the early 1960's. In a direct comparison with data reported in 1963, the current study shows that persons of all ages, and particularly senior citizens, are placing much more reliance on television for news and information. Newspapers appear to be losing influence while mixed trends are observed for radio and magazines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leadership styles are an important issue for a range of areas, including business and management. One aspect of this is the influence of the age of people on their receptivity to leadership styles. Yet, research on this area using Asian contexts is limited. Consequently, our research looks at the generational effect in the reception of leadership styles – performance-oriented and participative. In particular, we examine the different value orientations of age cohorts and their reception to different leadership styles in Vietnam. First, we outline three strands of literature, namely culture and leadership, generation as a subculture and Vietnam as a context for the transfer of leadership styles. Second, our research methodology is detailed. Third, our empirical research using case study methods is presented. Our results cover the characteristics of three main age cohorts: the resilience of the pre-1975 born, the adaptability of 1975–1986 born and the arrival of the post-1986 born. Following the discussion and implications, we provide some brief conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Amid the concerns about high unemployment rates for all age groups, there is always an assumption that workers will ultimately get jobs back when the economy recovers. But the number of workers who have permanently lost their jobs is high. The authors add up the enormous losses to the workers and the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares foreign-born adolescents' psychological well-being with that of their native-born peers, and explores whether supports from family and school can contribute to the psychological well-being of this unique age group. Using the California Health Interview Survey's Adolescent Questionnaire 2003, this study finds that the additional risk factors stemming from the stresses of migration, resettlement, and assimilation do not necessarily lessen foreign-born adolescents' sense of psychological well-being. Foreign-born adolescents' unique family environment, life experiences, and/or cultural norms have a protective effect on them and support their development. Social services and interventions therefore should focus on strengthening immigrant families, building strong ties between families and schools, and developing cultural programs geared to the various immigrant groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Bites from reptiles cause thousands of injuries but fortunately few deaths in the U.S. each year. This article reviews deaths from reptile bites over the last 25 years. Methods. Mortality data was obtained using CDC WONDER to evaluate deaths that occurred from 1979 to 2004 due to reptile bites. Information on race, gender, ages, and state where death occurred is reported. Results. There were 134 deaths reported over this 25-year time period. Whites were 93.3% of the victims, and males were 79.1% of the victims. The age group reporting the most deaths was the 25 to 34 year old category. There were 17 (12.7%) victims less than 15 years of age, and 25 (18.7%) victims older than 65 years of age. Seventy-five of the fatalities (55.9%) occurred in five states. Conclusions. An average of five deaths occurs from reptile bites each year in the U.S. White males living in the Southern part of the United States are more likely to be the victim of a fatal reptile envenomation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1940s, Lewis Terman (1954a, 1954b) studied "life success" of 730 gifted men at the midpoint of their careers and found that success is associated with stability and absence of disturbing conflicts. In this article, we use retrospective data (N = 624) from the academic Olympians in 3 countries (USA, Germany, and Finland) to study factors that are responsible for actualizing the Olympian's talent. The results, analyzed in 3 age cohorts, support the findings of the original Terman study. In the youngest age cohort (16 - 22 years), we found that most of the females were in the A group. For the second (23 - 29 years) and third (30 - 54 years) age cohorts, the findings show that the Olympians in the A group have higher motivation than those in the C group. Results showed that a conducive home atmosphere promoted best Olympians' long-term academic productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our purpose in this article was to examine the influences of age group, timing of immigration, and race/ethnicity on self-reported health, self-esteem, and serious mental disorders among Black Caribbean immigrants to the United States. Analyses of the recently collected National Survey of American Life (Jackson et al., 2004) revealed that immigrants have better self-reported physical health and mental health than nonimmigrant ancestry group members. Age group, however, moderates and complicates this relationship. Black Caribbeans who immigrated more recently tend to have better self-reported health; older, more recent immigrants have lower self reported health than those who are older and have lived longer in the United States. Similar results were found for the prevalence rates of reported any lifetime or 12 month Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in memory processes suggests implicit memory is more resistant to the effects of aging than explicit memory. Two experiments examined how variations in level of processing affect memory for novel word-pair associations across age groups. The results indicate that new learning may rely on some degree of elàborate and even explicit processing and that older adults show deficits in any form of new learning. Explicit associative memory benefited from elaborative processing for both age groups and age differences appeared to relate to overall working-memory capacity rather than effective use of elaborative processes. These results support a model of associative memory that distinguishes automatic unconscious processes versus conscious controlled processes in which older adults exhibit deficits in associative memory tasks that actually rely on consciously controlled processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difference between low unemployment in the USA and high unemployment in continental Europe is frequently attributed to differences in labor market flexibility. European workforces are protected against job and income losses by welfare state programs and protective legislation, which are taken to be responsible for labor market rigidities and, therefore, higher unemployment. The logic of this argument and the evidence supporting it are examined. While US unemployment in general and long-term unemployment in particular have recently been considerably lower than in the large European economies, this is not the case for smaller European economies with extensive welfare states. They provide evidence for the possibility of using social protection not as an obstacle to, but as a means to enhance, flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have been interested in personal experience narratives as political activity (M. H. Goodwin, 1990a, 1990b) and as a medium of gender socialization (Ely, Gleason, & McCabe, 1996). To investigate whether American middle-class preschoolers utilize narratives to accomplish hierarchical forms of social organization in friendship groups and whether there are gender differences in this deployment, an ethnographic study of 4-year-olds in a nursery school classroom was undertaken. Same-sex friendship groups were identified. Personal experience narratives were extracted from spontaneous conversations audiotaped during free play. The girls' narratives concerned past and anticipated stay-overs at one anothers' houses, differentially allowed participation of high- and low-status group members, and contained troubles talk and other emotion displays. The boys' narratives referenced forbidden activities and socialized apparently valued emotion displays in boys' peer culture. Both girls and boys used personal experience narratives to en-gage others and accomplish hierarchical social organization but in different ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the nature and sophistication of collaborative scientific reasoning of peer groups with and without teacher guidance in New York. Effects of novice-expert interaction on management of ideas; Patterns of verbal interaction within peer and teacher-student discussions. Relationship between discourse patterns within the discussions.

This article studies the prevalence of male-to-male sexual contact in the United States, using probability surveys conducted between 1970 and 1990. In this study estimated minimums of 5 to 7 percent of men in the US report some same-gender sexual contact during adulthood. Because of the likelihood of underreporting, these estimates might be considered lower bounds on the actual prevalence of such contact. Also, estimates show relatively little variation across social and demographic subgroups with the major exception that higher prevalence is reported among never-married men, particularly those 35 and older. Some lesser variations are also found by service in the military current residence, and current religious affiliation . Evidence from these surveys suggests that some men may have episodic male-male contact in adulthood while other men may have a relatively consistent and exclusive pattern of same-gender contacts. Only one-quarter to one-half of the U.S. men who report male-male contacts in adulthood also report having had such contacts during the preceding 12 months. In addition, the majority of men reporting same-gender contacts in adulthood also report some male-female contacts. Among men reporting same- gender contacts in the preceding 12 months, however, the majority report exclusively male sexual contacts throughout adulthood. Furthermore, potential implications of these findings for HIV prevention and research are discussed.

Population projections arc widely used in both the public and private sectors for planning, budgeting, and analysis. For these purposes, projections are often needed for small areas such as census tracts, zip code areas or traffic analysis zones. Population size, growth constraints, shifting boundaries, and data availability create special problems for small-area projections, however, and very little is known about their forecasting performance. In this article we evaluate the accuracy and bias of projections of total population and population by age group for census tracts in three counties in Florida. We use data from 1970 and 1980 and several simple extrapolation techniques to produce projections for 1990; we then compare these projections with 1990 census counts and evaluate the differences. For the total sample, we find mean absolute errors of 17%-20% for the three most accurate techniques for projecting total population and find no indication of overall bias. For individual age groups, mean absolute errors range from 20%-29%. We believe that this analysis provides valuable information for demographers, planners, marketers, and others who make extensive use of small-area projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional population projections use "high," "medium,' and "low" scenarios to indicate uncertainty, but probability interpretations are rarely given, and in any event the resulting ranges for vital rates, births, deaths, age groups sizes, age ratios, and population size cannot possibly be probabilistically consistent with one another. This article presents and implements a new method for making stochastic population forecasts that provide consistent probability intervals. We blend mathematical demography and statistical time series methods to estimate stochastic models of fertility and mortality based on U.S. data back to 1900 and then use the theory of random-matrix products to forecast various demographic measures and then associated probability intervals to the year 2065. Our expected total population sizes agree quite closely with the Census medium projections, and our 95 percent probability intervals are close to the Census high and low scenarios. But Census intervals in 2065 for ages 65+ are nearly three times as broad as ours, and for 85+ are nearly twice as broad. In contrast, our intervals for the total dependency and youth dependency ratios are more than twice as broad as theirs, and our ratio for the elderly dependency ratio is 12 times as great as theirs. These items have major implications for policy, and these contrasting indications of uncertainty clearly show the limitations of the conventional scenario-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to assess whether the experience of passionate love would change as a consequence of development throughout adulthood and whether highly anxious people would be especially motivated to seek passionate love relationships. The Passionate Love Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to a cross-generational sample (total N = 255) of adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and elderly in the United States. Status of past and present relationships was also determined. Contrary to expectations, no age-related differences were found for overall PLS scores. Moreover, the anticipated correlation between anxiety and passionate love was found only in the adolescent sample. A regression analysis revealed that for all age groups, whether or not a person was currently experiencing a passionate love relationship was the best predictor of scores on the PLS. These findings suggest a reconceptualization of passionate love as a life-span construct, rather than as a phenomenon largely confined to the period of adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes fertility trends among Soviet women during the past 40 years as compared to American women during the same period of time. Period-specific fertility rates were arrived at by relating the annual total of live births to a pattern of age-specific fertility rates estimated for each year and also to the number of women for each single year of age. These rates were then appropriately re-arranged and compressed into five-year age groups to form a series of cohort-specific fertility rates. The findings rest on somewhat conjectural estimates of live births and numbers of women in the Soviet Union, some of which were originally prepared before the 1959 Soviet census. The tentative evidence shows that changes in the period-specific fertility of Soviet women were far more irregular and dramatic in the past, than among American women. According to the author, this experimental investigation of fertility in the Soviet Union makes no claim to high standards of accuracy and validity. Its intended purpose is to stress the desirability of shifting emphasis from the temporal and prognostic type of study, characteristic of present-day demographic research about the Soviet Union, to the generational and historical approach.