Mark G. Rivardo

Body Modifications, Sexual Activity, and Religious Practices

Relations among body modifications (i.e., tattoos and piercings), sexual activity, and religious practices and beliefs were examined. In previous studies, Koch and colleagues found the type of body modification seemed to interact with sex to predict sexual activity; but only weak, negative correlations were found between tattoos and religious beliefs and practices. In a sample of 236 students (M age = 20.1 yr.) from a small Catholic liberal arts college, numbers of tattoos and sexual partners were correlated statistically significantly. Other results differed by t sex: men with piercings were more likely to have had premarital intercourse, and women who had had premarital intercourse had more piercings than women who had not. There were no statistically significant correlations among body modifications and religious variables.

The acquisition and retention of Job-specific Spanish vocabulary by English-speaking law enforcement officers

In the United States, law enforcement officers may need to communicate with suspects or witnesses who are not native speakers of English. We assessed the effectiveness of the Officer Safety and Communication Spanish, Level I course (Alentado, 1995), a three-day workshop designed specifically for law enforcement personnel. Both role-play performance and perceived ability of the officers to use Spanish at work increased as a result of participation, and effectiveness did not decrease significantly six months after the course. Assessment of the effectiveness of study aids was inconclusive. Job-specific short courses in a second language can be effective for teaching limited language skills.