October 26, 2010 - Luncheon

This month’s presenter, David Henry, Ph.D., is Professor of Health Policy and Administration at University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institute for Health Research and Policy. Quoting from the institutes web site: "Dr. Henry studies contextual processes that influence individual behavior, child and adolescent development and psychopathology, and prevention.” He has published numerous articles and book chapters on these topics and has been the principal investigator/co-investigator grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others.

Abstract

Norms of social settings are typically measured by using the mean of individual reports. Investigating norms for nonviolent problem solving, this study assessed the added value of calculating two additional characteristics: the range of acceptable behaviors and the degree of consensus among individuals in each school setting. Using data from 5,386 participants in a violence prevention project (74 classes), this paper illustrates construction of measures based on the Return Potential Model of Norms. In addition, it will report the cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of the range of acceptable behavior and consensus on aggression, beliefs about aggression, self-efficacy for nonviolence, and beliefs about nonviolence. Each aspect of norms measured showed acceptable school-level reliability. Mean approval predicted beliefs about aggression, self efficacy, and beliefs about nonviolence. With school means already in the model, the range of acceptable behaviors predicted additional cross-sectional variance in all four outcomes. Consensus predicted aggression and beliefs about nonviolence beyond other characteristics. Mean approval and consensus had effects on growth in at least one outcome. Discussion focuses on the importance of setting-level measurement and implications for intervention.

Lunch is $30 for CCASA members, $35 for non-members. Non-members, join the chapter for a year for only $15 and get the discount plus all of the other benefits of membership! As usual, the LucileDerrick Fund will purchase a limited number of tickets for students who wish to attend. If you are a student and would like to take advantage of this offer, please register online below, and contact Gerald Funk, expressing your interest 773-508-3561 or gfunk@luc.edu