Biomedical subjects

A F Furnham

Publications and source records attributed to A F Furnham.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

The long-term stability of sociometric status classification: a longitudinal study of included pupils who have moderate learning difficulties and their mainstream peers.

This study investigated the longitudinal stability of sociometric classification in two groups of children aged 8 to 10 years over a 2-year period. Two simple, but sensitive and valid forced-choice sociometric measures were completed by 41 children with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and 375 mainstream children. On both occasions and on both measures (one using a "work with" and one a "play with" sociometric criterion) MLD pupils were significantly less likely to be classified as popular and more likely to be classified as rejected. Over the 2-year period just over half of the children, whether MLD or mainstream, were classified in the same sociometric category. However, the stability coefficients for the rejected and popular sociometric status groups were found to be higher in the included sample than in the mainstream sample. The results of this study are compared with previous longitudinal studies in the area that have focused on mainstream pupils, and implications for the use of sociometric measures in evaluating the outcomes of inclusion are discussed.

Child↗

PubMed1999

Accurate knowledge about suicide.

Accurate knowledge about suicide among 150 English students was not associated with age, sex, personality, or attitudes toward suicide.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Sociometric classification methods in school peer groups: a comparative investigation.

The categorical consequences and psychometric properties of different sociometric classification methods were evaluated. Children aged 9 to 12 years (N = 254) completed three sociometric questionnaires and a peer assessment measure on two occasions 5 weeks apart. The sociometric data were analysed using 13 different methods. Analysis of kappa values indicated relatively poor agreement across methods on subject classification. Temporal stability of the classifications was also poor. Assessment of construct validity involved analysis of the peer assessment items, using MANOVA to test hypotheses based on ideas from social exchange theory. Cross-sex rating biases and difficulties with the neglected and controversial classifications are discussed as indicating a need for the application of theoretically based approaches which consider features of the peer group social system and a need for caution in selecting methods for clinical use.

Child↗

PubMed1998

Use of sociometric techniques to assess the social status of mainstreamed children with learning difficulties.

Research on sociometric data collection and analysis methods is reviewed and implications for assessing the social status of mainstreamed children with learning difficulties are evaluated. Recommendations are made for changing existing procedures to account for factors specific to children with learning difficulties and to classrooms where mainstreaming is occurring. Variations between frequently used sociometric classification systems (which categorize children as popular, rejected, average, neglected, and controversial) are described, and information on their reliability and validity is discussed. Further reliability research with mainstreamed children is recommended, as is the application of theoretical accounts of affiliation in designing sociometric methods.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

MMPI profiles of male and female migraine sufferers.

Among a sample of 40 severe migraine sufferers, males and females displayed common personality profiles. Both sexes exhibit heightened scores on those MMPI clinical scales associated with neuroticism (hypochondriasis, depression and hysteria). Female migraine sufferers were further characterised by elevated scores on the primary scales constituting the psychotic tetrad (paranoia, psychaesthenia, schizophrenia, and hypomania). Migraine females appeared to differ from male patients with respect to a dimension associated with sex-role conformity (loaded on the L-scale and masculinity-femininity). The implication of these results are considered.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Medical students' beliefs about nine different specialties.

A total of 449 preclinical and postclinical students from three London University medical schools completed one of nine versions of a 50 item questionnaire seeking their attitudes to nine specialties: anaesthetics, general practice, gynaecology, hospital medicine, paediatrics, pathology, psychiatry, radiology, and surgery. There were three main findings. Firstly, though item by item analysis yielded interesting and predictable differences, such as the negative attitudes to psychiatry, the students' attitudes and beliefs were multidimensional: whereas any specialty might be seen as highly positive on one dimension--for example, effectiveness--it might be seen as highly negative on another--for example, relationships with patients. Secondly, the nine specialties seemed to be discriminative on two dimensions--soft versus hard; general versus specific--such that psychiatry was seen as soft and specific, general practice soft and general, and surgery hard but neither general nor specific. Thirdly, these attitudes tended to differ between preclinical and clinical students, but only modestly, in that some extreme (positive and negative) attitudes were modified by experience.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗