Showing papers by "Arizona State University published in 1983"

Development of a Tool for Measuring and Analyzing Computer User Satisfaction

Abstract: This paper reports on a technique for measuring and analyzing computer user satisfaction. Starting with the literature and using the critical incident interview technique, 39 factors affecting satisfaction were identified. Adapting the semantic differential scaling technique, a questionnaire for measuring satisfaction was then created. Finally, the instrument was pilot tested to prove its validity and reliability. The results of this effort and suggested uses of the questionnaire are reported here.

Early predictors of male delinquency: a review.

Abstract: A systematic review is presented of prediction studies on delinquency. The main aim is to identify etiological variables for delinquency that, in different studies and across different populations, show good predictive validity. To achieve this goal, a measure of predictive efficiency was chosen that could be applied to studies from the United States and from abroad. The principal predictors of delinquency were the parents' family management and techniques (supervision and discipline), the child's conduct problems, parental criminality, and the child's poor academic performance. Data are presented to show the earliest age of the child at which these predictors have been measured. Results of the prediction data are used to demonstrate utility functions in which false positive and false negative errors are minimized. Recommendations are put forward to improve prediction studies in criminality.

Sex Differences in Empathy and Related Capacities

Abstract: In this article, the literature on sex differences in empathy (denned as vicarious affective responding to the emotional state of another) and related capacities (affective role taking and decoding of nonverbal cues) was reviewed. The literature was organized and discussed according to method used to assess empathy and affective role taking. Where appropriate, meta-analyses were also computed. In general, sex differences in empathy were a function of the methods used to assess empathy. There was a large sex difference favoring women when the measure of empathy was self-report scales; moderate differences (favoring females) were found for reflexive crying and self-report measures in laboratory situations; and no sex differences were evident when the measure of empathy was either physiological or unobtrusive observations of nonverbal reactions to another's emotional state. Moreover, few sex differences were found for children's affective role taking and decoding abilities. Several possible explanations for the pattern of findings are discussed. Among the characteristics that people attribute more frequently to females than to males is the tendency to empathize. This stereotypic perception has most likely been derived from the broader belief that females are more nurturant and interpersonally oriented than are males—a stereotype that itself is a natural consequence of traditional feminine and masculine roles. Sociological and psychological theorists concerned with social behavior generally have not questioned the veracity of sex-role stereotypes related to empathic reactions. In fact, their conceptualizations are entirely consistent with the notion that females are the more empathic sex. For example, sociologists such as Parsons and Bales (1955) have attributed differences in males' and females' behaviors to variations in the traditional roles of the two sexes. According to Parsons and Bales, in the family unit men typically assume an instrumental role; that is, they serve as a liaison between the family and society and see that the tasks needed for

Effects of Stress and Social Support on Mothers and Premature and Full-Term Infants.

Abstract: This study examined the relationships of stress and social support to maternal attitudes and early mother-infant interactive behavior. 52 mother-premature infant pairs and 53 mother-full-term infant pairs were seen for structured home interviews at 1 month, and behavioral interactions at 4 months. Maternal life stress, social support, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with parenting were assessed at the 1-month home visit. Although no group differences were found, both stress and support significantly predicted maternal attitudes at 1 month and interactive behavior at 4 months when data were pooled. Mothers with greater stress were less positive in their attitudes and behavior, while mothers with greater support were significantly more positive. Intimate support proved to have the most general positive effects. Additionally, social support moderated the adverse effects of stress on mother's life satisfaction and on several behavioral variables. Maternal social support was further found to have several significant effects on infant interactive behavior. Results are discussed in terms of the ecological significance of social support to parenting and infants' early development.

Simple spinels; crystallographic parameters, cation radii, lattice energies, and cation distribution

Abstract: The size of a cation is important in determining its site preference. In oxide spinels containing 2 (super +) and 3+) ions (2-3 spinels) there is a tendency for the larger ion to prefer the tetrahedral site; the reverse holds for 2-4 spinels. A set of cation radii optimized to best fit spinel lattice parameters is presented.--Modified journal abstract.

The structure of social support: a conceptual and empirical analysis.

Abstract: The growth of research on social support has led to a comparable proliferation in the ways it is conceptualized and operationalized. The overall purpose of the present paper was to bring some clarity to this concept by critically examining how it has been presented in the literature and by proposing both rationally and empirically derived typologies for organizing social support functions. From a review of prominent discussions of support functions, a rational typology was proposed that included six categories: Material Aid, Behavioral Assistance, Intimate Interaction, Feedback, and Positive Social Interaction. To empirically examine the structure of social support, a factor analysis was conducted on items from a scale of socially supportive behaviors. The four factors that subsequently emerged were labeled Directive Guidance, Non-directive Support, Positive Social Interaction, and Tangible Assistance. Application of these findings to the assessment of support and future research on support/well-being relationships were discussed.

Adaptation of families with mentally retarded children: a model of stress, coping, and family ecology.

Abstract: Research concerned with families of mentally retarded children has often yielded inconsistent, and at times, contradictory findings. This inconsistency is partly due to methodological inadequacies and a narrow focus on unidimensional variables with unimodal measurements. In addition, no succinct model has been presented to explain family adaptation and the range of possible outcomes. In this paper a critical review focused on parents, siblings, parent-child interactions, and family systems was presented. A comprehensive conceptual model was proposed that accounts for (a) the range of possible familial adaptations, both positive and negative, involving the impact of perceived stress associated with the presence of a retarded child; and (b) the family's coping resources and ecological environments as interactive systems that serve to mediate the family's response to stress.

ALCHEMI: a new technique for locating atoms in small crystals

Abstract: SUMMARY Atom Location by Channelling Enhanced Microanalysis (ALCHEMI) is a quantitative technique for identifying the crystallographic sites, distribution and types of substitutional impurities in many crystals. The method involves no adjustable parameters, can be applied to areas as small as a few hundred Angstroms and to impurity concentrations down to about 0·1 atomic per cent. It is capable of distinguishing neighbours in the periodic table. The method uses the incident electron beam orientation dependence of characteristic X-ray emission and uses an energy dispersive X-ray microanalyser fitted to a transmission electron microscope. The method does not require the specimen thickness or precise orientation to be known, and makes few assumptions about the form of the dynamical electron wavefunction, which need not be calculated or predicted. The classical problems of cation ordering in spinels, feldspars and olivine have now been studied by this method.

Regulation of chloroplast membrane function: protein phosphorylation changes the spatial organization of membrane components.

Abstract: A chlorophyll-protein complex of chloroplast membranes, which simultaneously serves as light-harvesting antenna and membrane adhesion factor, undergoes reversible, lateral diffusion between appressed and nonappressed membrane regions under the control of a protein kinase. The phosphorylation-dependent migration process regulates the amount of light energy that is delivered to the reaction centers of photosystems I and II (PS I and PS II), and thereby regulates their rate of turnover. This regulatory mechanism provides a rationale for the finding that the two photosystems are physically separated in chloroplast membranes (PS II in appressed, grana membranes, and PS I in nonappressed, stroma membranes). The feedback system involves the following steps: a membrane-bound kinase senses the rate of PS II vs. PS I turnover via the oxidation-reduction state of the plastoquinone pool, which shuttles electrons from PS II via cytochrome f to PS I. If activated, the kinase adds negative charge (phosphate) to a grana-localized pigment-protein complex. The change in its surface charge at a site critical for promoting membrane adhesion results in increased electrostatic repulsion between the membranes, unstacking, the lateral movement of the complex to adjacent stroma membranes, which differ in their functional composition. The general significance of this type of membrane regulatory mechanism is discussed.

How Women Experience Battering: The Process of Victimization

Abstract: Wife battering has gained recognition throughout the Western world as a widespread social problem, yet little is known about what it feels like to be battered by someone you love. We talked with more than a hundred battered women in the United States, as well as the staffs in shelters where they seek support, to learn more about how women experience battering. We found that women who remain in violent relationships rationalize what is happening to them in six ways. Only when battered women reject these rationalizations and begin to view themselves as true victims of abuse does the victimization process actually begin. We discuss six catalysts that can bring about this redefinition and examine the physical and emotional toll that the experience of battering takes on a woman. On several occasions since 1850, feminists in Britain and the United States have initiated campaigns to end the battering of women by husbands and lovers, but have received little sympathy or support from the public (Dobash and Dobash, 1979). Sociologists systematically ignored the existence of violence against women until 1971, when journal articles and conferences devoted to the topic of domestic violence began to appear (Gelles, 1974; O'Brien, 1971; Steinmetz and Straus, 1974). Through the efforts of grass-roots activists and academics, battering has been recognized as a widespread social problem (Tierney, 1982). In 1975 a random survey of U.S. families found that 3.8 percent of women experienced severe violence in their marriage (Strauss et al., 1980). The National Crime Survey of 1976 found that one-fourth of all assaults against women who had ever been married were committed by their husbands or ex-husbands (Gacquin, 1978). Shelters provding services to battered women in the United States have not been able to keep pace with requests for assistance (Colorado Association for Aid to Battered Women, 1978; Ferraro, 1981a; Roberts, 1981; Women's Advocates, 1980). Although the existence of violence against women is now publicly acknowledged, the experience of being battered is poorly understood. Research aimed at discovering the incidence and related social variables has been based on an operational definition of battering which focuses on the violent act. The Conflict Tactic Scales (CTS) developed by Straus (1979), for example, is based on the techniques used to resolve family conflicts. The Violence Scale of the CTS ranks eight violent behaviors, ranging in severity from throwing something at the other person to using a knife or gun (Straus, 1979). The scale is not designed to explore the context of violent actions, or their meanings for the victim or perpetrator. With notable exceptions (Dobash and Dobash, 1979), the bulk of sociological research on battered women has focused on quantifiable variables (Gelles, 1974, 1976; O'Brien, 1971; Steinmetz, 1978; Straus, 1978). Interviews with battered women make it apparent that the experience of violence inflicted by a husband or lover is shocking and confusing. Battering is rarely perceived as an unambiguous assault demanding immediate action to ensure future safety. In fact, battered women often remain in violent relationships for years (Pagelow, 1981). Why do battered women stay in abusive relationships? Some observers answer facilely that

Natural convection along a vertical wavy surface

Abstract: Application d'une methode de transformation a l'etude de la convection naturelle le long de surfaces verticales irregulieres. Utilisation d'une surface sinusoidale comme exemple specifique afin de demontrer les avantages de la methode de transformation et afin de mieux comprendre le mecanisme de transfert de chaleur au voisinage de telles surfaces. Resultats numeriques montrant que la frequence du taux de transfert de chaleur local est double de celle de la surface ondulee

Raman spectroscopy of calcium aluminate glasses and crystals

Abstract: Solar furnace melting and fast-quench techniques have been used to prepare calcium aluminate glasses from 75 mol% CaO to 82 mol% Al2O3, which have been studied by Raman spectroscopy. The CaAl2O4 glass spectrum may be interpreted in terms of a fully-polymerized network of tetrahedral aluminate units, which is depolymerized on addition of CaO component analogous to binary silicate systems. The spectra of glasses with higher alumina content than CaAl2O4 may not be simply interpreted and a structural model is proposed which would be consistent with the glass spectra and with observed crystal structures along the CaAl2O4Al2O3 join. This model suggests formation of highly condensed aluminate tetrahedral on initial addition of alumina, with the appearance of aluminate polyhedra of higher average coordination at higher alumina content. Similar high coordination polyhedral are also suggested for a limited composition range along the CaOCaAl2O4 join. These interpretations are compared with the results of a previous study in the SiO2Al2O3 glass system.

Social interaction and developmental competence of preterm and full-term infants during the first year of life.

Abstract: 37 mother-preterm and 42 mother-full-term infant pairs were assessed at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months following hospital discharge. The psychosocial functioning of the families was assessed at 1 and 8 months by interview, infants received developmental assessments at 4 and 12 months, and mother-infant interactions were observed in unstructured and semistructured situations at 4, 8, and 12 months. Significant differences were found in both mothers' and preterm infants' interactive behavior across the first year of life, extending the findings of previous research that had noted differences during early infancy. Additionally, preterms performed significantly below full-terms on measures of cognitive and language development corrected for gestational age. Results are discussed in terms of the persistence of interactive differences in mother-preterm pairs and the possible effects on their relationship and infant developmental outcome.

A generalization of ultraspherical polynomials

Abstract: Some old polynomials of L. J. Rogers are orthogonal. Their weight function is given. The connection coefficient problem, which Rogers solved by guessing the formula and proving it by induction, is derived in a natural way and some other formulas are obtained. These polynomials generalize zonal spherical harmonics on spheres and include as special cases polynomials that are spherical functions on rank one spaces over reductive p-adic groups. A limiting case contains some Jacobi polynomials studied by Hylleraas that arose in work on the Yukawa potential.

Organic Matter Budgets for Stream Ecosystems: Problems in their Evaluation

Abstract: Since the pioneering work at Hubbard Brook (Fisher and Likens, 1972, 1973; Bormann et al., 1969, 1974; Bormann and Likens, 1979), there has been ever increasing interest in watershed budgets, both for total organic matter, usually expressed as carbon (Wetzel et al., 1972), and various ions (Fisher and Likens, 1973; Johnson and Swank, 1973; Swank and Douglass, 1975; Fisher, 1977; Webster and Patten, 1979; Fahey, 1979; Mulholland and Kuenzler, 1979; Gurtz et al., 1980; Mulholand, 1981). The primary interest in stream dynamics within a budget context has been in the rate of loss of organic matter from the land as well as storage and biological conversion of organic matter in the stream. Impetus for most studies has come from the realization that energetics of small streams (generally orders 1 to 3 [Strahler, 1957]) are heavily dependent on organic nutritional resources of terrestrial origin (Ross, 1963; Hynes, 1963; Cummins, 1974; Hynes, 1975). New insights into the structure and function of running water ecosystems and terrestrial-aquatic linkages (Waring, 1980) are based on the changing terrestrial dependence with increasing channel size (Cummins, 1975, 1977; Vannote et al., 1980; Minshall et al., 1983), varying stream-side vegetation (Minshall, 1978), and the dynamics of input, storage or processing, and output of organic matter (Vannote et al., 1980; Minshall et al., 1983; Elwood et al., 1982; Newbold et al., 1982 a, b).

Infinite subharmonic bifurcation in an SEIR epidemic model

Abstract: The existence of both periodic and aperiodic behavior in recurrent epidemics is now well-documented In this paper, it is proven that for epidemic models that incur permanent immunity with seasonal variations in the contact rate, there exists an infinite number of stable subharmonic solutions Random effects in the environment could perturb the state of the dynamics from the domain of attraction from one subharmonic to another, thus producing aperiodic levels of incidence

Primary production and abiotic controls in forests, grasslands, and desert ecosystems in the united states'

Abstract: This paper, a synthesis based on data generated by the International Biological Pro- gram, deals with the relationships among biotic and abiotic factors at the ecosystem level. Emphasis is placed on aboveground net primary production (ANPP), a major component of energy that drives ecosystem processes, and on potential evapotranspiration (PET), the abiotic variable most often used to explain variation in ANPP. The question addressed is: can ANPP be related to combinations of biotic and abiotic factors such that the relationships are independent of ecosystem type, whether it be forest, grassland, or desert'? ANPP as a function of peak foliar standing crop (FSC) was best explained by models which showed a reduction in ANPP/FSC as FSC increased. Thus, deserts had a higher ANPP per unit of FSC than did other systems. As expected, photosynthetic efficiency (PE) was highest for forests, -ZOO times greater than for deserts. However, when PE was evaluated per unit of foliage, the differences in PE of ecosystems were much less. In fact, a hot-desert site had the highest PE/FSC. In terms of a theoretical maximum, the PE of forests was only 6-25% of the maximum value. Systems with nearly steady-state aboveground standing crop (ASC) showed an exponential decrease with decreased water availability (potential evapotranspiration minus precipitation). For these same systems, the ratio of ANPP to ASC increased with decreased water availability, suggesting that water-stressed systems need more energy from ANPP to drive internal processes. A model predicting ANPP of desert-shortgrass steppes was structured in terms of FSC, water availability, and temperature. The predictive power was found to be very highs and the model was successfully validated in two of three cases with an independent data set. A model predicting ANPP of forests was structured in terms of FSC, radiation, ASC, and temperature. The deviation of the observed ANPP relative to that calculated was 17%. Deviations from predicted values were highest for deciduous stands with high ANPP and low FSC. Most relationships exhibited good correlations between ANPP and the various independent vari- ables including both biotic, abiotic, and combinations of the two. However, in many instances the data tended to be grouped by ecosystem type, suggesting that variation in ANPP can be reduced if ecosystem type is an added independent variable. It was surprising to find that, with the limits of our data, differences in ANPP at the ecosystem level are not glaring, especially considering that soil factors were not included in our analyses. When considering the broad range of genotypes in each ecosystem, and the much broader genotypic range representing all ecosystems, the control that native ecosystems have over abiotic factors in producing ANPP is evident but not large.

Life events and perceptions of life quality: Developments in a two‐factor approach

Abstract: This paper reviews research on how a two-factor model explains relationships between life events and perceptions of life quality. Positive life events were found to have different effects than negative life events. People rated their distress higher after experiencing negative events, but they did not always rate the quality of their daily lives lower. Positive events increased ratings of positive affect but were usually unrelated to psychological distress. While these data fit a two-factor model of psychological well-being best, such a model left some important exceptions to that model unexplained. To address such issues, the review focused on those occasions when the effects of events crossed affective domains. This fuller assessment promises to provide an integrative approach to understanding some of the affective and congnitive processes linking life events to quality of life.

Structure and emplacement of a rhyolitic obsidian flow: Little Glass Mountain, Medicine Lake Highland, northern California

Abstract: Many rhyolitic obsidian flows show consistent stratigraphic relations among textural units exposed in the flow fronts of undissected flows and in cross sections of older flows. The stratigraphy of the Holocene Little Glass Mountain rhyolitic obsidian flow consists of (from bottom to top): air-fall tephra deposits, basal breccia, coarsely vesicular pumice, obsidian, finely vesicular pumice, and surface breccia. Slightly crystalline rhyolite occurs near the vent areas. A model of obsidian-flow emplacement based on these textural relations is presented. This stratigraphy may reflect the distribution of volatiles within the magma source region, with the interlayered contact between coarsely vesicular pumice and overlying obsidian indicating stratification of volatiles in the magma body. The distribution of pumiceous and glassy zones along with the orientations of flow banding can be used to map the surface structure of rhyolitic obsidian flows. This complex structure, as mapped on the Little Glass Mountain flow, reflects both the initial flow stratigraphy and subsequent deformational processes. During emplacement of the lava, three processes disrupt the initial flow configuration: the rise of coarse pumice diapirs from the base of the flow, the inward propagation of fractures in areas of extension, and surface folding in sites of flow-parallel compression. Subvertical flow banding in vent areas indicates that fracturing accompanies the emergence of lava; most of the observed upper surface of a dome originates as a fracture plane. The structure of domes that form over vent areas may reflect the orientation of dike-like conduits as well as the local state of stress during extrusion.

Computer display menus

Abstract: Whereas menu selection remains as one of the most popular forms of computer-initiated dialogue, very little is known about the effects of menu structure on selection performance. Menu hierarchies can be arranged with many items on a menu and a minimum number of menus (breadth) or with few options on a menu and several levels (depth). In the present study, subjects searched through one of four verbal hierarchies developed by Miller (1981), each with 64 words at the lowest level. The deepest hierarchy consisted of binary choices at six levels (26) while in the broadest array (641) all target words were presented in a single menu. Intermediate levels of breadth and depth were eight choices at two levels (82) and four choices at three levels (43). Two arrays were used in the 641 condition, one in which categorical relationships between words were maintained by presenting all members of a category in the same area of the display (CAT64), and one in which location of words was randomly determined (RAN64). Trend...

Effect of Food and Density on Development of Typical and Cannibalistic Salamander Larvae in Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum

Abstract: Two subspecies of the tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum, have a distinctive polymorphic life history that can include four adult morphs as well as typical and cannibalistic larval morphs. We evaluated the effect of environment on development of larval morphology in two laboratory experiments. In Experiment I, 180 larvae were raised in individual 3-liter containers and fed one of three food levels. Larvae in Experiment II received one of two levels of food, and were raised at three densities: one larva per 3 liters of water (50 containers), three larvae per 22 liters of water (18 containers), or seven larvae per 22 liters of water (18 containers). Cannibalistic morphs developed only in nine containers at the highest density, and their occurrence was independent of the two food levels. Our results suggest the typical and cannibalistic larvae which occur in some populations of Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum is an environmentally induced developmental polymorphism that results from some individuals responding to the environment differently than others. This difference in response may or may not be associated with genetic differences between these morphs. Based on our results we cannot discriminate between two models that differ in their assumptions about the genetic background of individual larvae.

SYNGRAPH: A graphical user interface generator

Abstract: The SYNGRAPH system automatically generates graphical user interfaces. It generates interactive Pascal programs from a description of the input language's grammar. From the grammar it deduces information about how to manage both physical and simulated devices, and how prompting and echoing are performed. Input errors are detected, and can be corrected using automatically provided rubout and cancel features. The natural integration of application specific semantics into the system is also shown including appropriate semantic recovery from input errors.

Beginning and end of lunar mare volcanism

Abstract: The distribution and characteristics of the early phases of mare vulcanism on the moon are discussed. Breccias have been observed that indicate the presence of magma flows before 3900 Myr BP. A mafic feature has been identified in more than 100 craters at least 1 km across. The absence of buried mare surfaces on the nearside and western hemispheres is attributed to ejecta deposits, and farside basins with no mare fill are suggested to have experienced early mare flooding. Photographs of the bright-rayed Lichtenberg crater have revealed that mare volcanism occurred within the time frame 1700-2000 Myr BP. It is concluded that the moon featured two periods of igneous activity, the last happening at 1000 Myr BP, and beginning 4300 BP.

Predicting science achievement: The role of developmental level, disembedding ability, mental capacity, prior knowledge, and beliefs

Abstract: Controversy in the literature exists concerning the relative importance of cognitive characteristics such as general developmental level and specific prior knowledge for science achievement. Thus the relative ability of developmental level and prior knowledge to predict achievement of concepts of evolution and natural selection was assessed by means by three commonly used types of examination items: multiple choice items, a computational item, and an essay item. The effects of students' disembedding ability, mental capacity, and belief in evolution were also assessed. Disembedding ability, prior knowledge, and belief in evolution were found to be significantly related to overall achievement, while developmental level and mental capacity were not. However, developmental level was found to be the best predictor of performance on the computational item while belief in evolution and prior knowledge were found to be the best predictors of performance on the multiple-choice items. Mental capacity was found to be a predictor of performance on the essay item. It is argued that the cognitive variables influence different aspects of science achievement. Implications are discussed.

Succession in Streams

Abstract: Succession is one of the oldest, most persistent, least resolved concepts in ecology. Throughout its history, the concept has been largely botanical. Early phytosociologists such as Cowles (1901), Clements (1916), and Gleason (1926) viewed succession exclusively as temporal change in terrestrial plant communities. Drury and Nisbet (1973) recently emphasized that successional ideas have been derived from and tests should be restricted to temperate forests. Given the parochial nature of the field, any attempt to apply successional concepts to running waters is, to say the least perilous. On the other hand, cross-fertilization by two disparate scientific fields is often fruitful to both in generating, if not always answering, interesting questions.