Rebecca J. Glover

Combating Ageism: Change in Student Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Aging

This study examined the ability of a lifespan course to create positive change in both knowledge of, and attitudes toward, aging of undergraduate students. Additionally, we questioned whether students define the point at which one is considered to be old in similar ways. Findings indicated positive change in both knowledge and attitudes, but perceptions of old age were best predicted by attitudes alone. Knowledge and attitudes were not associated at Time 1 or Time 2, implying ageism may continue to exist within student populations. Suggestions for educators to combat ageism are provided.

Relationships in Moral Reasoning and Religion Among Members of Conservative, Moderate, and Liberal Religious Groups

Abstract Relationships between moral reasoning and religiosity, religious orientation, age, and education were explored among 210 northwest and central Arkansas participants categorized into conservative, moderate, and liberal religious groups. Correlational analyses for the entire sample yielded evidence of relationships among the variables, although those relationships were not consistent when examined separately within the three groups. In addition, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) generated evidence of significantly (p < .01) less principled moral reasoning among members of the conservative religious groups. Data analyses provided evidence that with regard to concerns of social justice, aspects of religion may interact with reasoning to enable some individuals to separate religiousness from moral reasoning.

Racial Attitudes of Preschoolers: Age, Race of Examiner, and Child-Care Setting

Racial attitudes of 60 preschool children (28 boys, 32 girls) from either a monoracial Euro-American child-care program (n = 16), a monoracial African-American program (n = 12), or a multiracial program (25 Euro-Americans, 7 African-Americans) were assessed using the Preschool Racial Attitudes Measure II. Despite the over-all neutral attitudes reflected by these children, evidence of a Euro-American bias among older children was found. If replicated with a large randomly selected sample recognizing and understanding early racial attitudes may be a key factor in fostering positive racial identity and preventing the formation of prejudice.

Discriminators of Moral Orientation: Gender Role or Personality?

Gender role (i.e., masculinity and femininity), personality traits, age, and level of education were used as discriminators of moral orientation in an examination of their role in the process of moral decision making. Responses of adult participants indicated the justice orientation to be most strongly associated with personality characteristics of judging and intuition; the care orientation was most strongly associated with perceiving and sensing. Masculinity and femininity, however, contributed very little to the analysis. Results indicate moral orientation may be less differentiated by gender role patterns and more by characteristics of the personality, involving perception of information and type of judgment.

Teaching Human Development: A Case for Blended Learning.

This article makes a case for the use of blended learning in teaching human development as a means to encourage higher-order student learning outcomes. The authors review literature regarding the use and effectiveness of blended learning, discuss an illustrative example of a redesign of a human development course, present outcomes from a quasi-experimental comparison of delivery methods (e.g., blended vs. face-to-face lecture), and consider the strengths and weaknesses of the blended approach.

Media’s moral messages: assessing perceptions of moral content in television programming

This study extends the examination of moral content in the media by exploring moral messages in television programming and viewer characteristics predictive of the ability to perceive such messages. Generalisability analyses confirmed the reliability of the Media’s Moral Messages (MMM) rating form for analysing programme content and the existence of 10 moral themes prevalent in television media. Standard regression analyses yielded evidence indicating viewers’ moral expertise, as measured by the Defining Issues Test (DIT), familiarity with the programme and level of education predicted their ability to perceive moral messages in a television drama popular in the USA at the time of data collection. Identification of patterns in moral content represented in television programming, as well as knowledge of how viewer characteristics relate to their ability to perceive such content, can provide parents and educators with a means for better comprehending messages regarding human interaction to which they or their children are exposed.

Perspectives on Aging: Issues Affecting the Latter Part of the Life Cycle.

As more and more individuals continue to live longer lives and the percentage of the population in late adulthood continues to increase, the need to better understand issues regarding aging and older adults becomes of greater concern. Erikson has argued that the crisis of late adulthood is one of achieving a sense of ego integrity as opposed to one of despair. This article reviews perspectives on aging as well as strategies for successful aging. In addition, problems unique to individuals during the latter part of the life cycle are also discussed.

Moral Reasoning and Moral Orientation of U.S. and Turkish University Students

Participants from an individualistic society (USA) were compared with participants from a collectivistic society (Turkey) in terms of moral reasoning and orientation (justice and care). A total of 396 undergraduates (203 U.S. students, 193 Turkish students) between the ages of 18 and 46 years were administered the original version of the Defining Issues Test and the Measure of Moral Orientation. Turkish participants received higher mean principled scores than did the U.S. participants, and female participants received higher mean principled scores than did male participants. Turkish participants also scored significantly higher on the justice and care orientations than U.S. participants, and female participants scored significantly higher on the justice and care orientations than male participants.

Coming of Age: Developmental Norms of the Adolescent Years.

For years the period of adolescence has been widely believed to be one of inherent “storm and stress,” greatly unpredictable and something to be endured. More recently, however, research has failed to bear this out, finding this view to be representative of only a minority of youth. For most, adolescence represents a period of transitions that guide the search for self and prepare the adolescent for his or her role in the adult world.

Religiosity in Adolescence and Young Adulthood: Implications for Identity Formation

Based on previous correlations between religiosity and descriptions of character traits related to meaning and purpose in life described by Gladding, et al. in 1981, this study hypothesized significant differences in religiosity scores as a function of age. Variables of religious group and gender were also included. Subjects included 147 adolescents and young adults, 70 males and 77 females, largely Caucasian, attending fundamental, moderate, and liberal churches in Central and Northwest Arkansas. A 3 × 3 × 2 analysis of variance yielded significant main effects for age group and religious group but not gender. No interactions were found. Findings suggest relationships between religiosity and identity formation during adolescence.