Interviewed 279 mediation-minded individuals and 111 who rejected mediation. Results showed mediation was more attractive to individuals who scored high on traditional socioeconomic indicators. A key factor was the encouragement by private attorneys. Women chose to mediate because mediation was less impersonal than the court. (JAC)

Describes the development of a scale specifically designed to measure marital instability among intact couples. Data from a telephone survey of 2,034 married men and women showed the Marital Instability Index to be a reliable and valid indicator. An abbreviated form of the index is presented. (Author/JAC)

Examined the socioeconomic determinants of the timing of remarriage for young women (N=238). While socioeconomic and demographic variables are only moderately useful predictors of remarriage, not taking into account background factors can lead to significant misstatements of the importance of various factors for interpreting the likelihood of…

Tested a prediction model of trainees' general expectations for the supervisory process. Practicum students (N=82) completed a self-efficacy inventory and indicated their outcome expectancies for supervision. In general, trainees expected supervisors to be significantly more trustworthy than expert, more expert than attractive, and more evaluative…

Investigated the relationship between the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory paranoia subtle, neutral, and obvious subscales and criteria presumed to reflect various paranoid characteristics in a sample of male college students (N=100). Results showed that both the obvious and subtle Pa Items predicted various criteria. (Author/JAC)

Examined factors affecting attendance by elderly persons at 660 congregate meal sites. Results showed that measures of the quality of services provided (method of food preparation, type of building used, presence of other nutrition programs in the community) predicted attendance more than conventional demographic measures of need. (WAS)

The development of 100 preterm infants from various social class and ethnic backgrounds was followed from birth to 5 years. Results indicated that developmental outcome at age 5 could be predicted moderately well from a single measure (infant visual attention) administered as early as term date. (Author/RH)

Surveyed 116 mothers to ascertain their knowledge and preferences regarding parent education programs. Results showed only a third of the mothers knew what a parent education program was, but most indicated interest in attending. Mothers most interested (Blacks and noncollege-educated) preferred programs offered in schools and churches. (WAS)

Uses the Transitionally Unintegrated-Externally Open family system type to address the multiple factors that may enhance or reduce the vulnerability of adolescent marriages. Identifies facilitating and constraining factors on the development of marital system autonomy and competence at the individual, marital, familial, and extra-familial levels.…

Concludes that there are reliable relationships between altruism and perceptual, social, and moral perspective taking. Results concerning the relationship between empathy and altruism are nonsignificant overall, but it is suggested that a reliable association between empathy and altruism develops over time and is found in adults. (Author/RH)

Examined the relationship between the qualitative aspects of marital intimacy among 20 couples and a quantitative microanalysis of their self-disclosing behavior. Results suggest that, although self-disclosure and intimacy are not synonymous, self-disclosing behavior is a major determinant of various aspects of marital intimacy. (Author/JAC)

One hundred male industrial workers within five years of retirement eligibility were asked their retirement intentions. Using Fishbein and Ajzen's behavior intention model, the authors suggest that significant others may be the most important component of retirement decisions. (SK)

A broad conceptual framework is presented as a tool to guide researchers toward identification and development of variables in policy implementation studies. Concepts for developing variables to measure the "amount" of implementation and variables to identify the aspects of policy that need to be incorporated in a study are discussed.…

The contribution of family environment to variation in achievement scores of children was found to be relatively small compared to the contribution of social status. Parental aspirations and their educational orientations assessed by home interviews and the implications of this study for previous environmental research are discussed. (Author/CM)

Surveyed 575 newly married couples in 1972 and 425 divorced couples in 1975 to examine risk factors leading to divorce in Estonia, USSR. Found risk factors included an unstable parental home, unsuitable age at marriage, and duration of courtship. Incompatibility of value orientation and role expectation were other factors. (JAC)