Lin Huff-Corzine

Gender and Age Differences in Food Cognition

Results from three studies relevant to a model of food cognition based on the evaluative dimensions pleasure, health, and convenience are reported. In the first study, discriminant analyses of the evaluative ratings (n = 248) of 35 meals and snacks yielded significant gender and age differences on the pleasure and health dimensions. Separate factor analyses of the pleasure and health ratings revealed that males and females grouped foods differently on these criteria. The factor analysis of convenience ratings suggested that males and females perceive the meaning of convenience differently. In the second study, 336 college students rated 27 meals on the three evaluative dimensions and also indicated their preferences for each meal. Multiple regression analyses showed that preferences could be significantly predicted, and other results showed that as compared to males, females give higher health, pleasure and convenience ratings to healthy meals. The third study employed a modified free association technique to investigate gender and age differences in the meanings of nine familiar foods. Data from 96 males and females aged 18 to 86 revealed a substantial variety of significant age and gender differences for specific foods. It is suggested that taken together, these results indicate important cognitive and affective sources for gender and age-related food attitudes.

Reasons for eating : an exploratory cognitive analysis

Although a great deal is known about what people eat and the demographic and life style factors associated with food habits, relatively little systematic work has been done to investigate why people choose various foods. The present study describes a common‐sense approach to this question. Based on a series of free‐ranging exploratory interviews, a questionnaire that asked persons to rate 35 menu meals and snacks in terms of four scales; pleasure, health, tradition and convenience, was administered to 248 males (N = 104) and females (N = 144) ranging in age from 17 to 72 years. Series of component and discriminant analyses were performed for each scale. Results showing significant differences for age, sex and nutrition knowledge demonstrate it is possible to identify salient, common‐sense meanings of foods that combine to determine their status as items of dietary choice. Apart from providing a rigorous technique for cognitive mapping of food meanings, these results suggest new possibilities for studying ...

Return to the Scene of the Punishment: Recidivism of Adult Male Property Offenders on Felony Probation, 1986-1989

Felony probation has become a prominent alternative for overcrowded prisons in the United States. Using a national sample, the results of this felony probation study indicate a recidivism rate of 31.2 percent among male property offenders sentenced to felony probation. Extending past research, we also look at White, Black, and Hispanic male probationers separately. Recidivism among White, Black, and Hispanic felony probationers is 25, 35.8, and 39.8 percent, respectively. More importantly, following prior studies of recidivism using state-level samples, equations were designed to examine the influence of race, ethnicity, drug abuse history, age, marital status, education level, employment history, prior felony convictions, probation term, and supervision level on felony rearrests. Overall, this study indicates that supervisors of felony property offenders need to pay particularly close attention to those probationers with a drug-abuse history, who have shorter probation sentences, and, perhaps, to those who are older.

Violent Encounters A Criminal Event Analysis of Lethal and Nonlethal Outcomes

This study identifies key factors from the criminal events perspective that affect the lethality of violent encounters. Data for this research are derived from the National Incident-Based Reporting System of the FBI. Using logistic regression analysis, the effects of several contextual factors, including weapon, location, time of incident, circumstances, and victim and offender characteristics and relationships are explored. Analysis reveals that variables from each of the six categories affect the lethality of interpersonal violence, but the circumstance and type of weapon exert the strongest influence. Our investigation demonstrates the utility of the criminal events perspective for explaining the outcomes of violent encounters.

Immigration and Violent Crime Citizenship Status and Social Disorganization

With few exceptions, recent investigations have found levels of criminal involvement to be lower among immigrants than among the native born. We extend this line of research by examining arrest data for native-born citizens, citizens born outside the United States, naturalized citizens, and noncitizens in Orange County (Orlando), Florida, for homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. Arrest rates for noncitizens are generally lower than those for the native born and similar to those of naturalized and foreign-born citizens, but their sexual assault rate is the highest of the four groups. The concentration of immigrants has no significant impact on arrest rates for native- and foreign-born citizens at the census-tract level. Additional research is necessary to more fully understand the linkage between immigration and crime, but mounting evidence that the new immigrants to not contribute to elevated crime levels in urban areas should be an important component of policy discussions.

“Clean up and go straight”: Effects of drug treatment on recidivism among felony probationers

The central question we address in this article is whether participation in court-ordered drug treatment programs reduces future criminal involvement among convicted property offenders who have a history of drug abuse. Using a national sample of male property offenders sentenced to felony probation, we analyze drug treatment experience on probationers’ recidivism rates by employing proportional hazards techniques. Results indicate that how successful white men are in completing courtordered drug treatment programs has no significant effect on their recidivism rates. However, AfricanAmerican and Hispanic men who satisfy the expectations of their drug treatment programs are significantly less likely to be rearrested. Overall, our findings support the contention that drug treatment reduces further criminal behavior among men on probation for felony property offenses. Thus, we recommend that court service personnel strive to provide drug treatment programs for property offenders with a history of drug abuse and that supervisors closely monitor probationers’ activities while in treatment to assure lower rates of recidivism.

Shooting for Accuracy: Comparing Data Sources on Mass Murder

Although researchers have questioned their coverage and accuracy, the media routinely are used as sources of data on mass murder in the United States. Databases compiled from media sources such as newspaper and network news programs include the New York Police Department’s Active Shooters file, the Brady Campaign Mass Casualty Shootings data set, and the Mother Jones database. Conversely, official crime data have been underutilized by researchers who study mass murder (for exceptions, see Duwe, 2007; Fox & Levin, 1998). In this study, we compare similarities and differences for mass murder cases in the United States as portrayed by selected mass media sources. Then, we turn our focus to a comparison of the Uniform Crime Reports’ (UCR) Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) and the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Our primary focus is on mass murders involving four or more fatalities—not including the perpetrator—that have occurred between 2001 and 2010. Implications for enhancing the comprehensiveness and quality of mass murder data with the goal of increasing their usefulness for guiding prevention and risk mitigation efforts also are discussed.

Conceptual differences between meals

Abstract This study follows up prior research findings indicating that people employed evaluative and social-emotional criteria in significantly different ways when asked to conceptualize their recent morning, midday and evening meals. A convenience sample ( N =157) of males and females ranging in age from 18 to 87 rated their most recent and their “ideal” morning, midday and evening meals on a series of evaluative and social–emotional scales. Analysis of the combined recent and ideal meal ratings showed that regardless of the variable meal contents, morning meals were generally seen as significantly less expensive, more casual, convenient and lighter than other meals, whereas evening meals were seen as more unusual, elderly, masculine and happy than other meals. Comparisons between recent and ideal meals revealed that the latter are seen as significantly better liked, less convenient, happier, heavier, and more unusual than the former. Moreover, older women stood out as rating both their recent and ideal meals as healthier than all other respondents. Additional factor analytic results showed substantial structural differences between the patterns of evaluative and social–emotional ratings applied to recent morning, midday and evening meals. Pending further research with a larger, more representative sample, it is concluded that there are important conceptual and social–emotional differences between morning, midday and evening meals.

American Indian Homicide: A County-Level Analysis Utilizing Social Disorganization Theory

Research on lethal violence has generally been directed at White and African American populations, with few studies addressing this issue among American Indians. Interestingly, national data indicate that American Indians have one of the highest homicide rates among racial groups. In an effort to identify the etiological underpinnings of this violence, the current study examines whether variation in county-level American Indian homicide rates can be explained by social disorganization theory. Specifically, the authors investigate the impact of economic deprivation, ethnic heterogeneity, mobility, and family disruption on homicide levels among American Indian populations.

Food preferences in daily life: Cognitive, affective and social predictors

Based on prior research showing that a food cognition model employing the evaluative dimensions of pleasure/taste, health and convenience could significantly predict preferences for a representative list of hypothetical meals, the present study demonstrates that the model can effectively predict preferences for recent meals actually consumed. A total of 269 males (N = 122) and females (N = 147), ranging in age from 14 to 83 years, each evaluated three of their recent meals. Regression analysis yielded significant results very similar to those obtained for the hypothetical meals. Substantial differences were also found between the evaluations of morning, midday and evening meals: the health and convenience criteria are most heavily weighted for morning meals, whereas general “liking” is most heavily weighted for midday and evening meals. Additional results showed that the predictive ability of the model can be marginally improved by including a cost factor. Newly designed measures of the idiosyncratic mean...