College Students and Binge Drinking: Exploring the Relationship between Control and Intention on Behavior

The present study draws on Ajzen\u27s (1985, 1991) theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore the relationships between students\u27 intentions to drink responsibly, students\u27 perceptions of control over their behavior, and their reported levels of drinking. We relied on a randomly selected and surveyed sample of 149 students at a Midwestern university. We hypothesized students who reported stronger intentions and greater perceived control would report reduced levels of drinking. Our findings indicated that respondents who intended to drink responsibly and scored higher on two measures of perceptions of control consumed less alcohol 10 days prior to the survey and binged less frequently in the past month. The findings further support the TPB and provide implications for prevention and control strategies

Not “That Kind of Cop”: Exploring How Officers Adapt Approaches, Attitudes, and Self-concepts in School Settings

Prior research indicates school resource officers (SROs) perform an array of nontraditional police tasks and work in settings culturally distinct from street patrols. To thrive in SRO programs, police must adapt to these new roles and settings, likely affecting how they view themselves and their work. The present study examined how SROs view and respond to their work in schools through interviews and observations of 20 participants in four states. Findings revealed participants adopted policing strategies that facilitated communication and rapport. They generally viewed citizens positively and felt being an SRO made their work meaningful. Participants further described identities at odds with authoritarian stereotypes. Findings lend support to the notion that attitudes and self-concept are dynamic and suggest positive changes in attitudes and identity are related to the ways officers approach their work. Such changes show promise for realizing the community policing goals of many SRO programs

The other side of the coin: Exploring the effects of adolescent delinquency on young adult self-control

Purpose Although there is robust support for low self-control as a predictor of delinquent behavior, the question of whether delinquent behavior impacts self-control has been largely ignored. We ask, after accounting for baseline group differences in impulsivity and self-control, can delinquency be associated with later group differences in self-control? Methods Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health we employed propensity score matching to create comparable groups (i.e., on self-control and other delinquency correlates) of youth who did and did not participate in delinquent behavior in adolescence and compared them on self-control and impulsivity in later waves. Results Despite baseline similarity, the groups identified as delinquent at Wave II differed significantly from non-delinquent groups on self-control and impulsivity at Waves III and IV. Both groups experienced improvement in self-control and impulsivity over time though improvement was more marked for the non-delinquent youth. Conclusions We have established preliminary evidence that delinquent behavior may be associated with later levels of self-control. Participation in delinquency may remove youth from normal developmental patterns in which self-control strengthens over time. Future research should attempt to replicate our findings and determine the specific mechanisms through which delinquent behavior may impact later self-control

THE EFFECT OF SURFACES ON THE KNEE BIOMECHANICS OF A 90 DEGREE CUT

Assessments following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are commonly on surfaces that do not represent the playing or training surface. This study aimed to investigate how different surfaces, specifically a running track and artificial grass, influence biomechanics during a 90-degree change of direction (COD). Seventeen participants performed a 90-degree COD on both a running track surface and an artificial grass surface. Motion capture and force plate data were collected. No significant differences were observed in kinematic variables between surfaces. However, the knee extensor moment and posterior braking force were significantly higher on the running track compared to artificial grass (

Observing and Simulating the Summertime Low-Level Jet in Central Iowa

In the U.S. state of Iowa, the increase in wind power production has motivated interest into the impacts of low-level jets on turbine performance. In this study, two commercial lidar systems were used to sample wind profiles in August 2013. Jets were systematically detected and assigned an intensity rating from 0 (weak) to 3 (strong). Many similarities were found between observed jets and the well-studied Great Plains low-level jet in summer, including average jet heights between 300 and 500 m above ground level, a preference for southerly wind directions, and a nighttime bias for stronger jets. Strong vertical wind shear and veer were observed, as well as veering over time associated with the LLJs. Speed, shear, and veer increases extended into the turbine-rotor layer during intense jets. Ramp events, in which winds rapidly increase or decrease in the rotor layer, were also commonly observed during jet formation periods. The lidar data were also used to evaluate various configurations of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. Jet occurrence exhibited a stronger dependence on the choice of initial and boundary condition data, while reproduction of the strongest jets was influenced more strongly by the choice of planetary boundary layer scheme. A decomposition of mean model winds suggested that the main forcing mechanism for observed jets was the inertial oscillation. These results have implications for wind energy forecasting and site assessment in the Midwest

School Resource Officer Contacts and Perceptions

Evidence-Based Practices Brief #4 SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS •As compared to school population demographics in each respective county, American Indian/Alaskan Native youth in Sheridan county and Hispanic youth in Howard county were disproportionately contacted. A large proportion of race/ethnicity data was missing in Dakota county. • Younger youth and youth without a previous law violation were less likely to have a punitive discharge (i.e., expulsion, citation, referral to probation) from SROs; youth from Howard county were more likely to have a punitive discharge than youth in Dakota and Sheridan. • SROs reported that most interactions with students were positive and that there was a general sense of school safety and positive school climates. Though the majority of interactions were perceived to be positive, older students and parents were more likely to express negative views of police to SROs

Striking A Balance: An Exploration of Staff-Camper Relationship Formation

Previous research highlights a range of positive developmental outcomes associated with attending summer camp. Close staff-camper relationships likely contribute to positive development, but little is known about how these bonds are formed. The current study utilized constructivist thematic analysis of interviews with campers (n = 8) and staff members (n = 7) at an overnight summer camp to examine the factors and processes that promote or inhibit close staff-camper relationship formation. The main themes identified were striking a balance, level of experience, and relationship-promoting behaviors. Staff members experience apparent paradoxes in their roles (e.g., relating to campers while also exerting authority), but navigate these tensions by using relationship-promoting behaviors and through increased experience. These findings suggest that staff training and supervision should emphasize relationship-promoting behaviors, continue throughout the summer, and be informed by campers’ perspectives. Additionally, camp administrators should capitalize on accrued experience by prioritizing staff retention