Mathematics anxiety among talented students

In order to test the assumption that mathematically talented students show little mathematics anxiety, students participating in an early entrance to college program for talented students were asked to complete the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. Results indicated that these talented students were less math anxious than most unselected college students. However, they were more math anxious than a group of college students majoring in physics. Females in the study showed a tendency to be more math anxious than males (d=–.32), although this finding was not significant. No relationship between level of mathematics anxiety and grades or math anxiety and Scholastic Aptitude Test — Mathematics scores was found for the group of subjects. However, when those relationships were examined for males alone, higher verbal scores and higher grades were associated with lower levels of mathematics anxiety. These relationships were not evident for females.Received Ph.D. in educational psychology from Texas A&M University, and was Postdoctoral Fellow with the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth at Johns Hopkins University. Research interests include studying characteristics of mathematically talented students and developing appropriate programs for them.Ph.D. in educational psychology from Southern Illinois University. Research interests include measurement and evaluation.     

Where do NGOs fit in?

The contribution of NGOs to the health sector has changed over recent years. Their profile and sector size have increased, and their activities are often different from those previously carried out. In some quarters NGOs are viewed as the best means of developing the health sector: regarded, among other things, as being more efficient and accountable than many developing-country governments. This article explores these developments and examines in particular one aspect that has been relatively ignored: the relationship between governments and the NGO sector within the health field. It concludes by looking at practical steps that can be taken to improve such relationships.     

Women's views on affirmative action: A new look at preferential treatment

The first part of this paper sketches a profile of women who endorse affirmative action, showing that women who approve of affirmative action identify with a nontraditional image of women and experience discontent when perceiving discrimination on the basis of sex. We also examine the impact of the implementing procedure. Studies conducted with French-Canadian women show that those who fit the above profile readily endorse equal opportunity policies. What about policies that advocate preferential treatment? Early studies indicated that women did not endorse these policies. Recent studies, however, revealed a dramatic change in the pattern of responses. Women who were dissatisfied with their collective situation and identified with a nontraditional image of their group predominantly approved of preferential treatment. What factors triggered this change in attitudes? Are the merit principle and preferential treatment policies truly incompatible? We address these questions in the second part of this paper as well as the implications of this shift in attitudes.     

Building Houses on Rocks: The Role of the Ethical Infrastructure in Organizations

We present and discuss a theoretical model of an organization's ethical infrastructure, defined as the organizational elements that contribute to an organization's ethical effectiveness. We propose that the infrastructure is composed of both formal and informal elements—including communication, surveillance, and sanctioning systems—as well as organizational climates for ethics, respect, and justice. We discuss the nature of the relationship between these elements and ethical behavior, the relative strength of each of these elements, and their impact on each other. Theoretical and practical implications of this model are presented.     

An exploration of incest in the childhood development of serial rapists

This paper explores the phenomenon of male incest in a sample of 41 incarcerated serial rapists. Of 31 men who reported childhood sexual abuse (penetration, exploitation, and/or witnessing), just over half were victims of incest. All incestuous experiences occurred before puberty, and the majority of the experiences were protracted in nature. When compared to nonincest victims of sexual abuse, incest victims were more likely to report parental physical abuse and to describe their childhood family structure at 16 years of age as reconstituted (step-parent present). In all cases in which the step-father was implicated in the abuse, the abuse was of the witnessing variety (i.e., the boy witnessed sexual activity that he found disturbing). Incest victims were significantly more likely than non-incest victims to re-enact sexually abusive behavior within the family. This finding suggests that clinical discoveries of sibling sexual activity should alert clinicians that other incestuous activities may be occurring or have taken place.     

Correction to: Bystander Intervention Efficacy to Reduce Teen Dating Violence Among High School Youth Who Did and Did Not Witness Parental Partner Violence: A Path Analysis of A Cluster RCT

Journal of Family Violence -     

The 1922 Anglo-Iraq Treaty: A Moment of Crisis and the Role of Britain’s Man on the Ground

The article offers a fresh perspective on the critical significance of ratifying the Treaty of Alliance between Great Britain and Irak (the 1922 Anglo-Iraq Treaty) for British policy on Iraq, and for that country’s evolution from mandated territory to independent state. In contrast with existing accounts, it considers the treaty primarily in the context of domestic tensions over Britain’s future role. The strength of the ‘Quit Mesopotamia (subsequently Iraq)’ movement in Britain meant that Iraqi failure to ratify could have led to British withdrawal from Iraq, with far-reaching implications for the region. The article also reveals for the first time the considerable contribution to securing ratification made by the British representative on the ground, the High Commissioner, Sir Henry Dobbs. He took full advantage of distance to make decisions and act in line with his own, not London’s approach. The source for these new perspectives is Sir Henry Dobbs’ recently discovered letters and private papers—never previously available to historians.