Victoria Weisz

Why were millions of people not obeying the law? Motivational influences on non-compliance with the law in the case of music piracy

Abstract Despite highly publicized efforts by the music industry to curb music piracy, millions of Americans continued to illegally download and share music. This study obtained college student responses to scenarios that measured perceptions of three types of music theft: shoplifting a CD, illegally downloading, and illegally downloading plus file sharing. The students also reported their own recent downloading behavior, completed a demographics questionnaire, and responded to a series of statements that assessed their attitudes regarding factors associated with legal compliance in other domains. The data indicated that students viewed downloading and file sharing very differently than they viewed shoplifting in terms of endorsement of reasons to comply with laws prohibiting those behaviors. Further, concerns regarding punishment (i.e. deterrence), morality beliefs, and generalized obligation to obey the rule of law had the strongest relationships to self-reported downloading behavior. Respect for the music industry had the weakest relationship to legal compliance with both responses to the scenarios and students’ self-report of their own downloading behavior.

Risks and benefits of pediatric bone marrow donation: a critical need for research.

Healthcare providers assume that there are minimal risks and potential psychosocial benefits for children who undergo a bone marrow harvest for the benefit of their critically ill siblings. Ethical justifications for the use of children as donors rely on there being minimal risks since donors receive no direct medical benefits from the intervention. There is little empirical research regarding psychosocial consequences. This article review relevant research in three contexts: a) psychosocial outcomes for adults and children who donate tissue and organs; b) psychosocial impacts on a sibling of a pediatric cancer patient; and c) childrens decision-making regarding medical decisions. The relevant research literature supports the belief that the psychosocial impact on a child bone marrow donor will be influenced by the survival of the recipient, the age of the donor, and the donors participation in the decision to donate. In order to empirically validate the actual psychosocial risks (and benefits) for donors, it is argued that direct research is needed so that a donors well-being can be protected.

The Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program: Bringing Information to Child Abuse & Neglect Cases

The Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program has been rapidly expanding in its 25-year history, although there has been little sound, empirical data assessing its value. The present study compared 21 judicial hearings regarding children who had a CASA with 20 hearings for children who were on a waiting list for a CASA. Judges, CASAs, and guardians ad litem provided the data for the study. The findings indicated that CASA involvement improves the breadth and quality of information provided to the courts. Unfortunately, CASA involvement also appears to decrease the involvement of the guardian ad litem. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Father Involvement in Dependency Review Hearings

Understanding the impact of fathers in child maltreatment cases has been a neglected area of research. This study evaluated differences in child welfare hearings and childrens perceptions of their situation where fathers were and were not present. Father attendance at hearings appeared to positively impact information-gathering. When fathers attended hearings, they lasted longer and covered case topics more thoroughly. Children reported more negative affect immediately after hearings where fathers were present; however, these differences were attenuated at subsequent interviews. Overall, the findings suggest that father involvement positively impacts case management, though more research must be conducted to support this finding.

Dependency Courts and Science

The stakes in dependency courts are very high and concern the welfare of highly vulnerable children and the fundamental rights of both children and parents. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of social and behavioral science research that can inform judges, attorneys, and policy makers in their efforts to achieve the goals of child safety, permanency, and well-being while ensuring due process for children and parents. This chapter discusses two earlier chapters of this volume about the work of dependency courts that illustrate the ways through which dependency courts are beginning to use social/behavioral science. Researchers are beginning to assist courts in empirically testing the effectiveness of various consensus developed “best practices” court practices and procedures. Similarly, judges are beginning to question the validity of assessments and the effectiveness of services that they utilize to inform their decisions and mandates regarding the families under their jurisdiction. The chapter discusses challenges and recommendations for courts and social-behavioral scientists working together to build a fair, effective, and efficient dependency. court system with court referred services that have a sound scientific basis.