Personal Background Variables Research Articles

Personal and educational background predictors of physician practice profiles: the case of Colorado

Professional practice profiles for 5767 physicians who had completed residency training were determined from a statewide survey mailed along with 1995 license renewal materials by the Colorado Board of Medical Examiners. The effects of personal and educational background variables and their interactions on 4 characteristics of physician practice relevant to access to care for the medically indigent and general populations were evaluated. Multivariate analyses focused particularly on whether certain experiences; up-bringing, medical school attendance and residency training had occurred in-state. Physicians who had spent their youth in rural Colorado were strongly inclined to establish primary care practices (61.5%) in relatively underserved non-metropolitan areas of the state (44.0%). This phenomenon was not significantly mediated by medical education variables. These results have implications for representatives of schools of medicine and residency training programs involved with admissions and education policies.

Ethnic Differences in the Workplace Environment by Employees in Two Municipal Workforces

With the Hispanic population becoming the fastest growing ethnicfaction in the civilian labor force, research findings from workforces that are predominately Hispanic are becoming greater in number This raises the possibility that findings from Hispanic research samples may not generalize to workforces that are primarily non-Hispanic, and vice versa. Evidence is presented to suggest that differences between Hispanic and non-Hipanic employees, among responses to several industrial and organizational research scales and personal background variables, are very slight. These findings are advancedfrom several hundred employees in two municipal workforces, one that was 70% Hispanic and one that was 14% Hispanic.

Prediction of Substance Use in the Workplace: Unique Contributions of Personal Background and Work Environment Variables

Relationships of personal and job factors with employee substance use in a sample of municipal workers were assessed. Logistic regression results showed that personal and job domains each significantly predicted substance use at and away from work, although the best fit was provided by a model including both domains. The profile of the employee most likely to be a substance abuser was a young male with low self-esteem and an arrest history, who came from a family with substance abuse problems, and associated with substance-using peers. The drug-using employee was also likely to be estranged from work and to work under risky job conditions.

University Students and Aids: Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavioral Adjustment

This study addresses the relations between AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior change among university students. A questionnaire covering such issues and personal background variables was administered to 750 students at the University of Zagreb. Over-all, 62.7% of the knowledge items were answered correctly, while functional, self-protective aspects of knowledge proved to be much better than general knowledge. On the average, attitudinal responses were moderately liberal. Both self-reported change in risk-reduction behavior and personal concern due to the appearance of AIDS were very small. Correlations of risk-reducing behavior with permissive (.15) and restrictive (.14) attitude orientations and with general and functional knowledge (.08) were modest. The level of personal concern correlated neither with permissive attitudes nor with functional knowledge, while it correlated negatively with restrictive attitudes (-.20) and with general knowledge (-.08). Substantial association was only established between functional knowledge and permissive (.51) and restrictive attitude orientations (-.23). It is concluded that, in addition to knowledge and attitudes, a number of factors which restrain desired behavioral adjustment should be considered in anti-AIDS campaigns, such as perceived level of exposure to HIV in a particular environment, young age-specific illusion of invulnerability, peer norms, and others.

Gender Differences in Children's and Adolescents' Career Aspirations

Career choices and their relation to personal and family background variables were studied in a sample of 148 children (68 females and 80 males) at two points in time: when the participants were between 8 and 13 years of age (Phase 1) and approximately S years later, when they were between 13 and 18 years of age (Phase 2). Male andfemale respondents during both phases chose largely nonoverlapping careers. Boys' choices were heavily gender-stereotyped during both developmental periods. In contrast over one quarter of the females during Phase 1 and close to one half during Phase 2 chose male-dominated occupations. Boys' ideal and realistic career choices did not differ in the degree to which they were gender-typed. Girls'realistic career nominations, however, included a significantly higher percentage of female incumbents in the labor force than did their ideal choices. Gender differences in career choices were not accompanied by differences in several family background and personal variables except for the desire to parent a child and pursue a full-time career.

Self-Concepts of Mothers Who Show Mental Retardation

The Tennessee Self-concept Scale was orally administered to 27 mothers with mental retardation and self-administered to 95 mothers whose children attended daycare in the areas in which the former mothers lived. Analyses showed that the mothers with mental retardation scored significantly lower on all subscales. Where 72% of the comparison group scored above a recommended cut-off indicative of a positive self-concept, only 33% of the mothers with mental retardation did. Comparisons of the 27 mothers with mental retardation (18 with positive versus 9 with negative self-concepts) on personal, child, family, and other background variables suggested different relationships for the two groups. Cross-validation of the present work and studies of the actual childcare of these latter two groups of mothers are needed.

SELF-CONCEPTS OF MOTHERS WHO SHOW MENTAL RETARDATION

The Tennessee Self-concept Scale was orally administered to 27 mothers with mental retardation and self-administered to 95 mothers whose children attended daycare in the areas in which the former mothers lived. Analyses showed that the mothers with mental retardation scored significantly lower on all subscales. Where 72% of the comparison group scored above a recommended cut-off indicative of a positive self-concept, only 33% of the mothers with mental retardation did. Comparisons of the 27 mothers with mental retardation (18 with positive versus 9 with negative self-concepts) on personal, child, family, and other background variables suggested different relationships for the two groups. Cross-validation of the present work and studies of the actual childcare of these latter two groups of mothers are needed.

Top management leadership: Inside the black box

Based on leadership categorization theory from the cognitive sciences, a partial model of top management leadership is developed. The model looks inside the leadership black box and considers the personal and organizational consequences of matches and mismatches between three levels (superordinate, basic and subordinate) and two dimensions (substantive/content and symbolic/process) of leadership category prototypes and perceived leadership behaviors. The model also considers the impact of environmental, industry, organizational and personal background variables on the leadership category prototypes. The prototype/behavior match notion is explicated in considerable conceptual and empirical detail to encourage future research and the research implications of the model in general are discussed.

Education, Labour Market Distortions and Relative Earnings of Different Religion-Caste Categories in India (A Case Study of Delhi)

ABSTRACT The paper ascertains the relative earnings differential among the male adult employees belonging to different religion-caste (RETE) categories. The earnings differentials then are decomposed into a portion attributable to personal characteristics, socio-economic background and job-related variables and the residual attributable mainly to labour-market distortions. It has been found that there is significant difference among RETE categories in terms of type and level of education. Also the returns to education vary with the level and type of education as well as among RETE categories. Further, empirical findings indicate that the impact of education and other human capital variables, socio-economic bacckground and job-related variables varies among the employees of different RETE categories i.e. the sources of earnings differentials differ significantly among the RETE categories. An important public policy implication is that uniform public policies to improve the relative earnings position of the...

Family Politicization and Adolescents' Citizenship Orientations

The study examines the effect of the degree offamily politicization on several citizenship orientations of Israeli adolescents. The research population consisted of 734 respondents, ages 14-18, who were students in both academic and vocational schools in the greater Tel-Aviv area. The degree of family politicization was assessed using three subscales: parents' own involvement, discussion of politics with parents, and parental encouragement of adolescents to play an active public role in school and youth organizations. Citizenship orientations included the perception of the citizen role as active vs passive, and as restricted to the political sphere vs as a broader commitment to one's community and society. Also included were political efficacy, support of freedom of speech, and political involvement. A path model measuring the effects of social and personal background variables and offamily politicization was tested. The major findings indicate that respondents' age and socioeconomic status (SES) were related to their perception of family politicization. The older the respondents and the lower their SES the greater the tendency to report of low family politicization. Family politicization had a mixed effect upon citizenship orientations. While strengthening the respondents' sense of political efficacy and involvement, it negatively affected their support of freedom of speech. Family politicization was not significantly related to any of the dimensions of good citizenship.

‘BORN AGAIN’ JEWS IN ISRAEL: THE DYNAMICS OF AN IDENTITY CHANGE*

Fifty‐nine Israeli men who had switched to Orthodox Judaism and fifty‐nine Israeli men who remained secular were the experimental and control groups of this study. The two groups, matched for several personal background variables, were interviewed and then filled out a biographical inventory and two questionnaires. Thirty measures were extracted and the two groups were compared on them. Significant differences were found in 14 of the measures. Those who had turned Orthodox showed higher scores on the F scale, and less identification with their parents. They were also lower in self‐esteem and level of aspirations, and higher in their readiness to seek help. The findings are mostly consistent with results of research in other times and places, as reported by other authors.

Neuropsychological assessment substance abusers: Review and recommendations

Neuropsychological assessment of substance abusers frequently proves useful for the evaluation of those aspects of cognitive functioning that may be relevant for optimal therapeutic management and treatment planning. Research has demonstrated the presence of neuropsychological impairment in chronic abusers of CNS depressants, including alcohol, as well as opiates and possibly cocaine, especially when such substances are combined in a polydrug pattern of abuse. Clinical neuropsychological evaluation of individual substance abusers should take into account the various personal, demographic and neuromedical background variables that can affect cognitive functioning. Efforts should be made to distinguish between acute drug effects and more long-term stable deficits that may not become apparent for some time. Neuropsychological referrals should be made, and measures selected to answer particular questions about neurocognitive functioning that are relevant to treatment and eventual overall adjustment. A neuropsychological review of systems is likely to show a pattern of impairment in substance abusers that involves the integration of different cognitive functions for effective problem solving. Strongly focal or lateralized deficit patterns are less likely to be the result of drug abuse alone, and should prompt the appropriate neuromedical follow-up.

Influence of family and religion on long-term outcomes among opioid addicts.

This study investigated whether family, religion, and personal background variables were related to long-term follow-up outcomes after treatment for drug abuse. The sample consisted of 1,174 opioid addicts admitted to community treatment agencies during 1972-1973 and who were relocated and interviewed in 1978-1979. The results indicated that family and personal background variables made unique contributions to the prediction of a follow-up composite outcome (representing drug use, employment, and criminality) and a general well-being measure. Religion variables accounted for significant and unique variance only in the general well-being variable. The results favor the inclusion of family and religion variables in the scientific explanation of long-term follow-up outcomes among opioid addicts.

Some antecedents of work-nonwork conflict

This study examined the relationships of three aspects of work schedules—shiftwork, length of workday, and work during weekends and holidays—with the perceived interrole conflict between work and nonwork. Personal background variables and characteristics of the work role itself were hypothesized to be directly related to the level of conflict and, in addition, to moderate the work schedules-conflict relationships. Subjects were 286 hotel employees. As expected all three aspects of work schedules were related to the level of felt work-nonwork conflict. Personal background variables were not related in any way to the level of conflict. Job satisfaction and organizational role conflict were found to be directly related to the level of interrole conflict and, in addition, to moderate the work schedules-conflict relationships. Together, job-related variables and the interactions among them accounted for over 50% of the variance in work-nonwork conflict.

Components of the response to pain and variables influencing the response in three groups of facial pain patients

The present investigation sought to: (I) determine the attitudes and behaviors in response to facial pain, and (II) identify possible variables which influenced the pain response in 170 patients who sought care at a facial pain clinic. A questionnaire was administered to all patients on their first clinic visit that elicited information about personal background, sociocultural attitudes, sociomedical orientation, level of psychological distress, symptom and treatment history, and previous attitudes and behavioral responses to their pain. Clinical and radiographie examinations were then performed on all individuals. Factor analysis of patients' replies to the 35-item questionnaire about pain attitudes and behaviors revealed two underlying components of their response to facial pain. The first concerned the degree of emotional expressiveness and careseeking activity that characterized the pain response. According to the items which loaded heavily on this factor, a highly emotional response was composed of crying, moaning, complaining, describing the pain sensation as ‘burning,’ being unable to precisely locate the pain, being concerned about the pain's origin, having difficulty eating, and seeking care soon after first feeling the pain and frequently thereafter. The second component of the pain response was a disturbed ability to function and perform usual activities. When in pain, patients could not work properly, could not enjoy themselves and preferred to be alone. The total patient population was then divided on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms into 3 diagnostic groups: myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPDS) (N = 68), ‘organic’ (patients with organic deficits of the temporomandibular joints, such as arthritis, or with typical facial neuralgias (N = 61), and an intermediate group, ‘MPDS-organic’ (patients with signs and symptoms of both MPDS and synovitis of the temporomandibular joints (N = 41). No patients were found with combined symptoms of MPDS and primary neuralgia. Using multiple regression, the patients' perceived severity or intensity of their pain and level of psychological distress were found to be the most important variables influencing both pain response components, emotional expressiveness and interference in functioning caused by pain. This was true regardless of diagnostic group. The more severe the pain and the more distressed the patient, the more emotional were the patients' responses to it and the greater was its impact on the ability to function. These relationships existed when controlling for personal background, sociocultural attitudes, sociomedical orientation, symptom and treatment history variables, and the clinical findings measured in this study. Our results support the findings of other studies of the response to pain, suggesting that patients' reported responses to pain symptoms: (1) reflect the psychological state of the presenter; and (2) are useful measures of severity or intensity of discomfort caused by pain.

Resistance by college students to peer pressure to drink.

In two college samples, resistance to peer pressure to drink and desire to refrain from drinking correlated with variables in the college environment but not with personal background variables.

An analysis of the effects of personal background and work setting variables upon selected job characteristics of physician assistants.

This study describes the effects of personal background and work setting variables upon the job characteristics of a national sample of 939 physician assistants. These data were obtained from a 1974 survey of members of the physician assistant profession and were assessed by means of path analysis. The analysis yielded the following major findings: (1) job characteristics became more favorable with increasing experience as a physician assistant, (2) employment in primary care fields resulted in job characteristics at least as favorable as those found in employment in other specialties, (3) military physician assistants reported greater patient care responsibility but lower levels of occupational prestige and career opportunities, and (4) women physician assistants earned less (even after controlling for number of hours worked) and knew of fewer available alternative job opportunities than their male colleagues.

Attitudinal Militancy Among Teachers

Recent research on teacher militancy report associations between various personal background and organizational variables and attitudinal militancy. These relationships are frequently interpreted by the post hoc application of social psychological concepts. A causal model is developed that incorporates relevant personal and organizational variables and the social psychological variables that presumably mediate the relationship between these and attitudinal militancy. Research designed to test the model shows the model is supported.

The job satisfaction of physician assistants: A causal analysis

Abstract The general level of job satisfaction and the influences upon satisfaction have been determined for a nationwide sample of physician assistants. Physician assistants express an overall level of job satisfaction which compares favorably to that reported for other professionals. Indirect measures of job satisfaction (career satisfaction and anticipated job turnover) are quite favorable as well. The major determinants of job satisfaction appear to be the professional and personal support provided by one's supervising physician, amount of responsibility for patient care, opportunities for career advancement, and location in smaller communities. In addition, we find that job characteristics mediate a number of effects of personal background and work environment variables upon job satisfaction. These findings have been obtained by means of path analysis of a multivariate causal model of job satisfaction.

Differences in Background and Drug Use History among Three Types of Drug Users Entering Drug Therapy Programs

The 26,316 patients who entered drug therapy programs participating in the DARP from June, 1971, to March, 1973, and who had used drugs for at least two years were grouped into three drug use categories: daily users of opioids, less-than-daily users of opioids, and non-users of opioids. Differences were observed among these three groups regarding the first drug used daily and the age at first drug use. A multiple discriminant analysis including demographic, drug history, and personal background variables indicated that the major differences among these types of drug users revolved around ethnic and age-related variables.