Utility of the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior for predicting physician behavior: A prospective analysis.

The utility of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for prospectively predicting physicians' delivery of preventive services was compared. Primary care physicians (N?=?765) completed 2 mail surveys at periods 6 months apart. The addition of perceived behavioral control to the TRA model significantly increased the variance accounted for in behavioral intention and subsequent behavior (p R?=?.52, p R?=?.63, p     

The gamesmanship of sex: a model based on African American adolescent accounts

This article examines adolescent understanding of the social context of sexual behavior. Using grounded theory to interpret interviews with 39 African American male and female adolescents, the article builds a model of sex-related behavior as a set of interrelated games. A courtship game involves communication of sexual or romantic interest and, over time, formation of a romantic relationship. A duplicity game draws on conventions of a courtship game to trick a partner into having sex. A disclosure game spreads stories about one's own and other's sex-related activities to peers in a gossip network. Finally, a prestige game builds social reputation in the eyes of peers, typically based on gender-specific standards. The article concludes by examining the meanings that sex-related behavior may have for adolescents and the potential use of social knowledge for facilitating adolescent health.     

Initiation of substance use in early adolescence: The roles of pubertal timing and emotional distress.

Tested 2 hypotheses regarding the effects of pubertal timing on substance use in a prospective study of 221 young adolescents (aged 10.67–14.67 yrs at 1st assessment). A maturational-deviance hypothesis predicted that early-maturing girls and late-maturing boys would experience heightened emotional distress, which in turn would influence initiation and use of substances. Alternatively, an early-maturation hypothesis predicted that early-maturing girls would engage in more substance use than all other groups, independent of emotional distress. Early-maturing Ss reported more substance use within 1 yr. Ss experiencing elevated levels of negative affect also reported greater substance use within the next year. However, pubertal timing was not related to emotional distress. Results support the early-maturation hypothesis for girls and suggest its extension to boys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does Participatory Planning Promise Too Much? Global Discourses and the Glass Ceiling of Participation in Urban Malawi

This article discusses how global ideas on co-production and citizenship built from below are translated into community mobilization and participatory planning practices in urban Malawi. It shows how limited national and local resources, disconnections from national and urban policies of redistribution, and a local politics shaped by both clientelism and democratic reforms create a glass ceiling for what global models of community mobilization and participation are able to achieve. It calls for a more systematic and empirically diverse research agenda to better understand how participatory discourses and practices embedded in grassroots organizing are transferred and mediated in place.     

Differential accuracy of elastomeric recording materials and associated weight change

Six interocclusal recording materials: COE Bite Creme, Blu-Mousse, Correct Bite, Blue Velvet, Memosil C.D. and Ramitec brands, were studied for evaluation of their dimensional stability and associated weight change. The materials were divided into six groups of 10 samples and tested between metal dental casts on the hydroptic test and measurement system. Dimensional changes among the materials were not significantly different. Weight changes among materials were significantly different but did not exceed 0.1%. All 6 brands were highly accurate and dimensionally stable.     

Beyond invulnerability: The importance of benefits in adolescents' decision to drink alcohol.

Some investigators propose that adolescents engage in risky behaviors mainly because they perceive themselves to be invulnerable to risk. However, studies have typically not included perceived benefits. In the current study, 5th, 7th, and 9th graders were surveyed about their perceptions of and experience with alcohol and tobacco. Results indicated that perceptions of the benefits were significantly related to drinking and smoking 6 months later, over and above perceptions of the risks, age of the respondent, and experience level. Further, the importance of benefits was replicated across 3 separate analyses. Experience with alcohol alone, especially positive experience, was also related to perception and behavior. These findings are discussed in terms of how to improve messages and influence adolescents' decisions regarding risk-taking behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Takt Time Grouping: implementing kanban-flow manufacturing in an unbalanced,high variation cycle-time process with moving constraints

One-piece flow and kanban/pull methods have been used to reduce work-in-process (WIP) and flowtime in manufacturing flow processes; however, these methods have limitations. For example, one-piece flow does not work well when there are relatively large set-up times required between different components. One-piece flow also requires operations to be well balanced with a minimum of variability in processing times at each operation. Unfortunately, these conditions often do not exist. The theory of constraints drum-buffer-rope (DBR) method is designed for unbalanced processes, and it has been shown to be effective for products with large operation time variation. However, DBR does not generally optimise flowtime and cannot handle a process with moving constraints (bottlenecks). We have developed a method called Takt Time Grouping (TTG) for implementing kanban-flow manufacturing, when one-piece flow or DBR do not provide good results. TTG combines one-piece flow manufacturing, transfer-batch sizing and DBR concepts through the use of a constraints-based transfer-batch sizing formula. Using a discrete event simulation model, it is shown that TTG increases throughput rate as compared to one-piece flow, CONWIP and DBR approaches, with much lower WIP inventory and faster flowtime than CONWIP and DBR.     

Autonomy, relatedness, and the initiation of health risk behaviors in early adolescence.

Examined the relationships among sociodemographic characteristics, family processes, and the initiation of health risk behaviors in early adolescence. Ss were 189 6th and 7th graders from a public middle school. A path-analytic model was used to analyze data. Results showed that students who received autonomy support from parents were less likely to initiate sexual intercourse. Students who were emotionally detached from their parents were more likely to fight and use substances. Those who were emotionally detached tended to come from families with low levels of cohesion and acceptance. Sociodemographic variables, such as family structure, gender, and ethnicity, had both direct and indirect effects on health risk behaviors, but the indirect effects were quite small. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Child health psychology": Erratum.

Reports an error in "Child health psychology" by Dennis Drotar, Suzanne Bennett Johnson, Ron Iannotti, Norman Krasnegor, Karen A. Matthews, Barbara G. Melamed, Sharon Millstein, Rolf A. Peterson, Debbie Popiel and Donald K. Routh (Health Psychology, 1989, Vol 8[6], 781-784). The name of the author, Sharon Millstein, should be Susan Millstein. It appears correctly in this record. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-09118-001.) The term child health psychology refers to the field of research on the behavioral aspects of children's health and illness. At this time we need to continue the work of the child health psychology special interest group and to draw into the Division of Health Psychology a much larger number of developmental psychologists, who need to be informed about the relevance of their scientific training to child health issues. We call the Division's attention and that of granting agencies such as the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to the following high-priority child health research issues: adherence to pediatric medical regimens; child health promotion; family influences on child and adolescent health and disease; and stress and coping in childhood illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The coming of age of the Delta Dental Plan of Massachusetts, 1966-1996

The finding by Straub et al. (1995) on 6p22-24 is one of the strongest reports so far in psychiatric genetics. It appears to be substantially replicated by Schwab and collaborators (1995; 1997), and to a lesser extent by Moises et al. (1995). Still, this data does not fulfill the criteria of Lander and Kruglyak (1995) for a confirmed finding in complex disease. There are a number of data sets that do not appear to show linkage. Further genotyping work needs to be done in this area and additional markers in the area would be helpful in the available data sets. It should be noted that the Straub and Kendler dataset (Straub et al., 1995, 1997; Kendler et al., 1996), with 754 affecteds, is substantially larger than any other, and should be weighted concomitant with this. Still, additional data will be necessary before the finding may be firmly accepted. Candidate gene studies have started in this area. The SCA locus is promising on theoretical grounds, but has been only weakly positive in two studies so far. The HLA locus is interesting in relation to autoimmune theories of schizophrenia. There is a long history of HLA studies in schizophrenia with mixed results. HLA is located centromeric to the major positive region identified by Straub, but perhaps not too far to be considered a candidate region. Family-based association studies will be necessary to clarify whether there is a true association in this area. The location identified by Cao et al. (1997) on 6q is promising. Straub and Kendler's data set has been partially tested in this region with negative results. Gejman and co-workers (1997) have recently reported additional positive data in this region from Levinson and Mowry. Additional studies in this area are indicated.