Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper examines the utility of Hazelwood’s (1987) ‘Power and Anger’ model, Canter Bennell, Alison and Reddy’s (2003) behavioral thematic evaluation and Knight, Prentky and Cerce’s, (1987) multidimensional inventory (MTC:R3) in predicting offender characteristics from offence actions. Thematic classifications were also compared to bivariate action-characteristic analysis. Logistic regression and ROC analysis indicated that the power and anger approach was most effective, followed by the MTC:R3, and then behavioral thematic evaluation in predicting age and previous convictions of 85 stranger rapists. However, individual behavioral analyses far exceeded all three thematic approaches, specifically with reference to: ‘anal penetration’, ‘cunnilingus’, ‘tearing clothing’, ‘use of a weapon’ and ‘offender sexual comment’. Results suggest that emphasis should be placed on further exploration of the individual variable level of analysis to remove from thematic classification systems those behavioral elements that are subject to inter situational variation.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The authors administered the same pre/post-test to students in the Introductory American Politics and Government sections at Sauk Valley Community College and Northern Illinois University. Students were further given a brief demographic survey. The paper uses the data to explore two factors. First, it compares pre/post-test performance of students at the community college level to those at the university level. Second, the demographic survey is used to analyze sources of student prior knowledge. The study found that students at the community college level and the university level achieved comparable pre and post-test scores. Further, students with high GPAs and male students exhibited the greatest growth from pre-test to post-test. Lastly, a student’s level of prior knowledge on government and politics was linked with their level of political interest. Students with the highest level of political interest achieved the highest pre-test scores. Other factors, such as family income, parents’ education level, church participation, age, and credit hours earned, were not significant.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper examines how the temporal context and expectations surrounding marriage affects an individual’s well-being, as measured by depression. I expect that transitions that occur at a time that is non-normative or undesired will have a deleterious effect on an individual's well-being. Additionally, I expect that the non-event of marriage, the expectation of a marriage that does not then occur, will have a negative impact on one's well-being. Data for this project comes from the two waves of the National Study of Families and Households taken from interviews in 1987-8 and 1992-4. I focus on individuals who experienced a transition into first marriage between the two waves and those who did not yet experience the event. By controlling for prior levels of depression and accounting for prior attitudes towards the timing of events, I examine whether the actual timing of marriage, or experience of a non-event, helps to explain variation in well-being. Findings indicate that those who do not experience a marriage between the waves have higher levels of depression than those who experienced an on-time marriage and that this relationship is being driven by those who expect to marry or believe that it is better to marry than remain single.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This study examines how prior attitudes toward the issues such as smoking, drinking and drug use affect the processing of TV PSAs designed to decrease those riskly behaviors. TV viewers may have strong or weak prior attitudes toward the issues when viewing these PSAs and the automatically activated these attitudes likely affect attention, memory and persuasion. Further, whether a viewer has an attitude that is congruent or incongruent with the attitude presented through the PSAs would also influence these factors. It is predicted that the PSAs viewed with strong (thus highly accessible) prior attitudes will receive more attention and will be remembered better than the PSAs viewed with weak attitudes (inaccessible). Further, when the prior attitudes match with the message attitude, the processing will be more elaborated (more attention and better memory). However, attitude change will be induced when the attitudes are weak rather than strong.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examined how emotional support and information about negative workplace trends from parents and friends influence prospective employees’ job expectations as they prepare to enter their first full time professional employment relationship. A survey of junior and senior undergraduates indicated that prospective employees value employed friends as their primary source of workplace information, but that communication with parents was more strongly related to their initial psychological contract. Emotional support from parents and friends was positively correlated with the prospective employees’ optimism toward the workplace, but discussing job insecurity, layoffs, and the poor state of the economy with friends was negatively associated with optimism. Prospective employees’ expectations for job security increased with emotional support from and positive feelings derived from interactions with parents, but not friends. Expectations for organizational support were positively associated with emotional support from and positive feelings stemming from interactions with both parents and friends. Expectations for organizational support, job security, and organizational trust were not significantly related to discussion of negative workplace trends with parents or friends. Positive feelings about the workplace based on interactions with parents and friends predicted organizational trust, but the nature of the psychological contract was the primary predictor of trust. Surprisingly, results demonstrated that prospective employees’ initial psychological contracts and organizational trust are relatively resilient against their awareness of downsizing and job insecurity, and that emotional support and positive feelings are vital to creating optimistic expectations for the workplace.