RAND Corporation

About: RAND Corporation is a nonprofit organization based out in Santa Monica, California, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Health care & Population. The organization has 9602 authors who have published 18570 publications receiving 744658 citations.

The Vemont Portfolio Assessment Program: Findings and Implications

Abstract: How effective has the Vermont program been in meeting its goals? What goals appear to be in conflict in programsof this type? Why is there a need for “caution and moderate expectations”?

Entertainment television as a healthy sex educator: the impact of condom-efficacy information in an episode of Friends.

Abstract: Context. Television is often decried as a negative influence on the sexual attitudes and behavior of America’s adolescents. However, television occasionally includes messages about the risks of having sex that may have a positive effect on youth. Objective. To assess the impact of condom-efficacy messages in an episode of Friends on teens. Design, Setting, and Participants. A national sample of 506 adolescents 12 to 17 years old who had been regular viewers of Friends the previous year were surveyed by telephone shortly after the episode aired. Outcome Measures. Viewership of the Friends episode, recall of the condom-efficacy message, beliefs about condoms, self-reported change in condom knowledge, and discussions of condom efficacy with parents. Results. At least 27% of the sample saw the episode, and 65% of these viewers recalled its depiction of condom failure resulting in pregnancy. Forty percent of the viewers watched with an adult. Ten percent of viewers talked to an adult about condom efficacy as a result of the show. Compared with other viewers, youth who talked with an adult were more likely to report learning about condoms from the episode and appeared less likely to reduce their perceptions of condom efficacy after the episode. Conclusions. Entertainment television can serve as a healthy sex educator and can work in conjunction with parents to improve adolescent sexual knowledge.

Solution of a Ranking Problem from Binary Comparisons

Abstract: (1957). Solution of a Ranking Problem from Binary Comparisons. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 64, No. 8P2, pp. 28-33.

Passing Through the Eye of the Needle: High-Achieving Chicanas.

Abstract: This article deals with a study of 17 Mexican American women between the ages of 28 and 40 years who came from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, yet succeeded in completing J. D., M. D., and Ph. D. degrees. The researcher investigated 10 areas of the women's backgrounds ranging from child-rearing practices used by the parents to peer and school variables. The objective of the study was to identify background factors and experiences held in common by the women that may have contributed to their extraordinary educational accomplishments. Among the things found to be most important for these women were the strong models their mothers provided, the emotional support of their families, and the fact that they had attended highly integrated schools.