Impact Of Background Characteristics Research Articles

Cognitive deficits in methamphetamine addiction: Independent contributions of dependence and intelligence

BackgroundMethamphetamine's effects on brain function have been associated with cognitive deficits, which have a negative impact on clinical outcomes. However, it remains unclear if cognitive deficits relate to methamphetamine dependence (potentially amenable to abstinence and retraining) or background characteristics, mental health and other drug use. We tested the association between methamphetamine dependence and cognitive performance, while factoring in the impact of background characteristics, depressive symptoms and tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use. MethodThe sample comprised 108 treatment-seeking participants who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV TR) criteria for methamphetamine dependence and 50 socio-demographically matched controls. We administered a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery (delay discounting, decision making, disinhibition, episodic and working memory) and examined cognitive deficits in methamphetamine users after taking into account socio-demographic characteristics, tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use, and depressive symptoms. ResultsHierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that methamphetamine dependence was associated with poorer performance in decision-making and disinhibition over and above other predictors, while IQ better explained performance in episodic and working memory. Although duration of methamphetamine use was linked to disinhibition, other patterns of methamphetamine use (including dose and frequency) were not consistently related to performance. ConclusionsMethamphetamine dependence impacts inhibitory control and decision-making, whereas lower IQ associates with memory/working memory deficits among methamphetamine users. Findings suggest the need to target disinhibition and impulsive decision-making as part of methamphetamine dependence treatment, while buffering the impact of IQ on memory systems.

The Impact of Background Characteristics on Graduate School Attendance: Evidence from a Developing Economy

The study analyzed the factors influencing the decision to attend graduate school in an employed group (female graduate assistants) in a setting where culture/religion plays a dominant role. Specifically, logistic regression procedures were utilized to evaluate the influence of these identified factors. The sample was composed of 208 female graduate assistants in Saudi Arabian public universities. Contrary to expectations, and of interest in this study, is the lack of significant influence of the cultural factor on the decision of female graduate assistants to attend graduate school, despite the perceived hostile (maybe negative) attitude to Western influence in the Arab world. Though marginally significant, being a married woman decreased the likelihood of deciding to attend graduate school according to this study, probably as a result of limited opportunities or roles available to this subgroup after graduation in that echelon of society. The findings generally indicate that the impact of background characteristics, even with the inclusion of the cultural factor in the model, is not very pronounced. Higher education planners and managers should place more emphasis on the institutional environment and the influence of global realities on economic and educational trends, as the end result of this aspiration is to acquire additional knowledge for one’s own benefit and is key to the successful creation of a knowledge society with a knowledge-based economy.

Progression Routes and Attainment in Occupational Therapy Education: The Impact of Background Characteristics

Introduction: United Kingdom government agendas promoting widening participation in higher education and diversification of the health and social care workforce have contributed to changing student profiles in pre-registration occupational therapy education. Sixty-seven percent of the 2005 intake was mature, and students increasingly enter with a range of ‘non-traditional’ academic backgrounds. A small body of evidence suggests that final degree marks are indistinguishable for occupational therapy students holding traditional and non-traditional entry qualifications, but none of these studies considered students unable to complete or the potential influence of socioeconomic background or gender. Method: The progression routes and academic achievements of 239 consenting occupational therapy students from a single programme were analysed using inferential statistics and binary logistic regressions to explore the influence of entry qualifications, age at entry, gender, and socioeconomic background. Findings: None of these characteristics had a statistically significant impact on graduates' final degree marks. The regressions, however, highlighted male gender and less privileged socioeconomic backgrounds as significant predictors of poorer outcomes regarding passing at Level 4, 5, and 6, and achievement of a ‘good’ (upper second or first class) honours degree. Conclusion: The findings raise important questions about how a profession that promotes social justice supports diversity amongst its own ranks.

Information literacy roles of library media specialists in high schools:

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish the relations between two important roles of school library media (SLM) specialists: cooperation with teachers and provision of information literacy programs to students. Methodology: One-hundred thirty eight library media specialists employed in Israeli high schools replied to several questionnaires developed specifically for this study. Factor analysis extracted three factors for collaboration with teachers (provision of learning resources, expertise in digital information and curriculum planning) and three factors for librarians’ educational role in the provision of information literacy to students (teaching information literacy skills, fostering independent learning skills and conveying ethical standards for information use). Additional statistical tests were used to determine the extent of SLM specialists’ involvement in the different roles and the correlations between the various factors. The study examined also the impact of background characteristics on librarians’ educational roles. Findings: The results indicate that an ongoing relation with teachers, particularly in the provision of information resources, is highly correlated with the teaching of information literacy programs to students. Advanced technology in the school library media centre facilitates higher-level cooperation with teachers as well as higher involvement in information literacy educational programmes. Practical Implications: The study shows that information literacy programs benefit from the collaboration between librarians and teachers. The statistical analyses indicate which aspects of librarians’ roles should be expanded in order to facilitate cooperation with teachers and elevate librarians’ involvement in information literacy programmes. Originality: Unlike previous studies, this paper addresses directly the relationship between collaboration with teachers and provision of information literacy programmes, and its conclusions contribute to the generalization of previous findings. This is the first study of Israeli school librarians’ practice of educational roles.

The Impact of the Parental Illness Representation on Disease Management in Childhood Asthma

Despite significant advances in treatment modalities, morbidity due to childhood asthma has continued to increase, particularly for poor and minority children. To describe the parental illness representation of asthma in juxtaposition to the professional model of asthma and to evaluate the impact of that illness representation on the adequacy of the child's medication regimen. Parents (n = 228) of children with asthma were interviewed regarding illness beliefs using a semistructured interview. The impact of background characteristics, parental beliefs, the child's symptom interpretation, and the parent-healthcare provider (HCP) relationship on the adequacy of the child's medication regimen were evaluated. The parental and professional models of asthma differ markedly. Demographic risk factors (p = .005), low parental education (p < .0001), inaccurate symptom evaluation by the child (p = .02), and a poor parent-HCP relationship (p < .0001) had a negative effect on the parental illness representation. A parental illness representation concordant with the professional model of asthma (p = .05) and more formal asthma education (p = .02) had a direct positive effect on the medication regimen. Demographic risk factors (p = .006) and informal advice-seeking (p = .0003) had a negative impact on the regimen. The parental illness representation mediated the impact of demographic risk factors (p = .10), parental education (p =.07), and the parent-HCP relationship (p = .06) on the regimen. Parents and HCPs may come to the clinical encounter with markedly different illness representations. Establishing a partnership with parents by eliciting and acknowledging parental beliefs is an important component of improving disease management.

Impact of background characteristics and gender–role attitudes on Chinese perceptions of selection criteria in employment

A random sample of 699 (327 men and 372 women) currently employed Chinese subjects participated in a study that examined their perceptions of common selection criteria in employment. Results of factor analysis showed that various selection criteria could be grouped under four underlying factors. In general, participants rated the Psychological Attribute factor as the most important criterion, followed closely by the Experience and Skill factor, and viewed the Physical Attribute and Demographic factors as the least important. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that participants’gender–role attitudes, especially those towards men’s and women’s roles in education, marriage and social interactions, were the most salient predictors of their perceptions towards the selection criteria. This remained true even after controlling for participants’ background characteristics. Participants’ gender, age and educational attainment were also predictive of their appraisal of various selection criteria in employment.

Retention, Academic Success, and Progress Among Adult, Returning Students: A Comparison of the Effects of Institutional and External Factors

This article reports the findings of a study of the retention, academic success, and progress of 97 adult, primarily part-time students at a large Midwestern urban commuter state university. The impact of background characteristics, goals and commitments, interaction within the institution, and external factors is assessed. Drawing on the work of Tinto (1987) and Bean and Metzner (1985), the relative impact of institutional and external, environmental factors is examined. Although environmental factors had a combinrd, significant impact on academic success, interaction within the institution in the form of academic advising had the most important impact, on I-elenlion of these students.

Sources of judicial attitudes toward criminal sanctioning

Through a 1979 survey of 89 Illinois judges, the present study attempts to assess how various social, political, and occupational factors influence judicial attitudes toward criminal sanctioning. Specifically, our analysis examined the relative impact of background characteristics (e.g. age, community context) versus occupational variables (e.g., years on the bench, former prosecutor and/or defense attorney) on five sanctioning scales: rehabilitation, punishment, capital punishment, punishing white-collar offenders, and the treatment of juvenile delinquents. The analysis revealed that political orientation was the most important variable examined. Political ideology was found to be related to all but one of the sanctioning scales (punishing white-collar offenders). In contrast, the social and occupational variables generally were not significantly related to judicial attitudes on the purposes of sentencing.