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Distraction has been a behavior evaluated among drivers and more recently pedestrians but remains understudied among bicyclists. Demographic variables have often been used to differentiate those who are likely to be distracted. However, there are differing conclusions about demographic influences of distracted bicycling and even distraction's relationship itself to bicycle safety. This study observed bicyclist distraction and safety behaviors, along with possible demographic factors that could predict these behaviors. The authors observed cyclists on the Elizabeth River Trail, a bicyclist/pedestrian shared trail that covers 10.5 miles of an urban area. During data collection, observers collected data about the direction the cyclist was traveling, if they were with children, if they were wearing a helmet, if a distraction was present, and the type of distraction, if applicable (e.g., hand-held use of mobile phones, wearing headphones, eating, drinking). Observers also recorded participants' perceived sex and estimated age. Frequency analyses revealed that 55.4% of 426 cyclists were not helmeted and 30.0% were distracted. The most common distraction was wearing headphones (19.5% of total cyclists observed). No significant relationship was found between helmet use and distraction. Younger cyclists were more likely than older cyclists to not wear a helmet and be distracted. These findings show a high prevalence of behaviors that may impact safety on designated cycling paths. The significant number of cyclists without a helmet and being distracted should create concern for potential injury risks to bicyclists on trails being built within urban areas if those bicyclists were to crash. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this article, the authors investigated the effectiveness of a behavior modification program using global positioning system (GPS) vehicle tracking devices with contingency incentives and disincentives to reduce the speeding behavior of drivers with ADHD. Method: Using an AB multiple-baseline design, six participants drove a 5-mile stable driving route weekly while GPS devices recorded speeds. The dependent variable was percentage of feet speeding. Following an initial baseline period, five participants received treatment. One participant remained at baseline. Results: Visual inspection of individual participant graphs, reductions in mean percentages of speeding from baseline to treatment across participants ("M" = 82%), "C"-statistic analyses, and visual graphs with applied binomial formula supported a treatment effect. The between-participant analysis using R[subscript "n"] Test of Ranks was significant, R[subscript "n"] = 6, p less than 0.01, and complemented a clean multiple-baseline result. Conclusion: Results indicated that this treatment program was effective in reducing speeding by drivers with ADHD and warrants replication. (Contains 5 figures and 1 table.)

No self-report measure of cultural competence currently exists in program evaluation. Adapting items from cultural competence measures in fields such as counseling and nursing, the researchers developed the Cultural Competence of Program Evaluators (CCPE) self-report scale. The goals of this study were to validate the CCPE and to assess differences in level of cultural competence among program evaluators based on various demographic variables. The sample consisted of 174 evaluators. Principal components analyses revealed three factors of the CCPE: cultural knowledge, cultural skills, and cultural awareness. The overall alpha of the CCPE was 0.88, and convergent validity was established via significant positive correlations between the CCPE and the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI). Additionally, individuals who had received cultural competence training scored significantly higher on the CCPE, and receipt of cultural competence training was a significant predictor of scores on the CCPE. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

A discussion of program cosponsorship by two or more college student organizations looks at considerations in making agreements between groups, types of cosponsorship, their advantages and disadvantages, and formation of policy for the relationship. The policy established by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is used as an example. (MSE)

Twenty-four top-rated primetime television shows were observed weekly during 1997 and 1998 (242 episodes). The study examined behaviors of vehicle occupants; violence and risky sex; and use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Findings were compared to studies conducted in the mid-1980s and 1994. Characters in vehicles were unrestrained 74% of the time in 1998, compared to 73% and 78% in 1994 and 1986, respectively. Violence, risky sex, and substance use were shown in 47%, 29%, and 55%, respectively, of 30-min intervals observed in 1998. Similar data were recorded in 1994, with some negligible improvements. Results indicated that risky behaviors were rarely followed by punishing consequences, and irresponsible behaviors were modeled on primetime television. The relevance to social modeling and public health is discussed.

This review integrates and evaluates the environmental-preservation research published during the 1980s. The focus is environmental behavior change as targeted by behavior analysts and others designing interventions to encourage environmental-preservation behavior. A modified taxonomy of behavioral interventions, based on a taxonomy presented by Geller et al., categorizes these reported interventions by antecedent and consequence conditions. Fifty-four studies were categorized and evaluated according to which of these taxonomic interventions were reported. The conclusions were that (a) antecedent conditions using commitment, demonstration, and goal-setting strategies were generally most effective in encouraging environmentally responsible behavior, and (b) consequence conditions were effective in producing behavior change during the experiment's duration. However, some other important findings were that (a) much of the research in this field during the 1980s did not directly compare interventions, (b) few meaningful follow-up measures were reported, and those evaluations that included follow-up assessment showed little maintenance of the behavior changes, and (c) many potentially effective intervention strategies have been ignored (i.e., group interventions and penalties). Suggestions for future directions of research to produce and maintain environmental-preservation behaviors are offered.

Researchers explored 48 fast-food restaurant and coffee shop restrooms for factors that influence hand hygiene and the spread of disease. Using a naturalistic-observation approach, a catalogue of restroom design features requiring a hand touch were tabulated. Restroom data provided the basis for a conceptual framework for modeling pathogen risk, as defined by the number of hand touches to operate a restroom facility. The touch-path model tested whether men’s and women’s “perceptions of risk” and “intent to hand wash” were influenced by restroom use of commodes, urinals, design innovations, and other design configurations. Results showed that men’s and women’s perceptions of risk and intent to hand wash decreased as a function of design innovations. Women, as compared with men, reported greater perceptions of risk and intent to hand wash. In addition to the social-norm and self-awareness theory, this research supported the approach of understanding design-behavior interactions with respect to hand hygiene. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]