In this article we address the issue of applying operant psychology to derive plausible and useful interpretations of complex firm behavior in natural settings. The objective is to discuss an appropriate methodology based on case study design, developed specifically in Vella and Foxall (2011), to produce an operant interpretation of secondary…

Despite the recent technical and theoretical advances in the investigation of children's social relations, the inherent complexity of these methods may prevent their easy integration into the classroom. A simple and effective tool can be valuable for teachers who wish to investigate students' social realities in the classroom. Therefore, the…

Previous research on dual-tasks has shown that, under some circumstances, actions impair the perception of action-consistent stimuli, whereas, under other conditions, actions facilitate the perception of action-consistent stimuli. We propose a new model to reconcile these contrasting findings. The planning and control model (PCM) of motorvisual…

Gathering time-series data of behaviors and psychological variables is important to understand, guide, and evaluate behavior-change campaigns and other change processes. However, repeated measurement can affect the phenomena investigated, particularly frequent face-to-face interviews, which are often the only option in developing countries. This…

Second-generation immigrants are typically analyzed under the assumption that, having been born in the United States, they grew up in the United States. We challenge this assumption by investigating the prevalence and patterns of second-generation Mexican-American children's migration to and return from Mexico during childhood, and consider the…

A typology of incentives and the general effects of incentives for family planning are discussed in "Incentives in the Diffusion of Family Planning Innovations," the first of three studies in this monthly publication of The Population Council. A brief review of the history of incentives and their present status in the fields is given, together…

"Kerala's Pioneering Experiment in Massive Vasectomy Camps," the principal article in this monthly publication of the Population Council, is a detailed research report on the success of a massive vasectomy camp conducted at Cochin, the capital city of the Ernakulam District of Kerala State, India. The second article, "The Gujarat…

In the principal article, "A Comparison of Two Large-Scale Studies of the Use-Effectiveness of IUDs," the results of evaluation of loop D use in 11 public health and hospital clinics (California Cooperative Statistical Program for Evaluation of Intrauterine Devices) are compared with results from the Cooperative Statistical Program for Evaluation…

A new design for government family planning programs is proposed in "Family Planning Programs: An Economic Approach," the principal article in this monthly publication of The Population Council. The design is intended primarily for low-income countries that seek large and rapid reductions in fertility. Thirteen elements of the proposed system of…

Changes in abortion legislation in Romania, together with the effects of restrictive legislation, are summarized in "Abortion Legislation: The Romanian Experience," the first of two articles in this monthly publication of The Population Council. Romania legalized abortion on request in September, 1957. Nine years later, October, 1966,…

Assesses mental health knowledge of 1850 Chinese secondary school students. Finds a significant number of students lack knowledge about mental health and illness. Discusses implications of the data for mental health education within the school context. Includes the Chinese Mental Health Knowledge Scale (CMHKS). (NL)

The major objectives of a project initiated by the Canada Council in 1976 were to develop measures of subjective social indicators and to examine factors responsible for variation in those indicators across Canada and over time. Subjective social indicators are interpreted as measures of personal perceptions, preferences, attitudes, and values.…