“A Widespread Loss of Confidence:” TARP,Presidential Rhetoric,and the Crisis of Neoliberalism

This article analyzes the circulation of the term “confidence” as a prominent signifier for neoliberal logics, taking George W. Bush’s response to the economic crisis in Fall 2008 as a case study. It traces the public circulation of confidence in previous presidential administrations and notes that much like previous administrations, Bush’s response to the crisis was rooted in confidence. Bush identified a loss of confidence as the underlying cause of the economic crisis, and his focus on the need to restore lost confidence allowed him to violate his traditionally conservative principles in order to save the free market. Additionally, Bush’s reliance on the term in the context of the economic crisis articulated the nation-state to the national economy through neoliberalism as a prevailing economic logic.     

From Surgeon General's bookshelf to National Library of Medicine: a brief history

The National Library of Medicine originated as a few books in the office of the army's surgeon general, Joseph Lovell, between 1818 and 1836. It became the nation's largest medical library after the Civil War under the direction of John Shaw Billings and began publishing the Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office and preparing the Index Medicus. After Billings retired in 1895, the library marked time as army medical officers were rotated through as directors until modernization began under Harold Wellington Jones during World War II. during the directorship of Frank B. Rogers (1949-1963), who introduced MEDLARS, guided the move to a new building in Bethesda, and revitalized other operations, the institution received statutory authority as the National Library of Medicine within the Public Health Service (1956). By 1965, which was marked by the passage of the Medical Library Assistance Act, the library had again regained a position of world leadership.     

When off-line seeks information online: The effect of modality switching and time on attributional confidence and social attraction

This study’s goal was to learn how adding the extractive information-seeking behavior of Facebook profile viewing following face-to-face information-seeking behavior in initial interactions affected attributional confidence (AC) and social attraction (SA). Additionally, the present study was a quasi-replication of research exploring how changes in time spent on information seeking impacted AC and SA testing two uncertainty reduction theory axioms. Two modalities, face-to-face (FtF) only versus FtF and profile viewing, across three time conditions of 4, 6, and 8 minutes yielded six experimental conditions. AC for the two modalities were similar when time was held constant. Comparing the two modalities for 8 minutes resulted in higher social attraction for the FtF-only condition. Also, the data report a significant interaction with modality and time. Time impacts AC and SA even with relatively small changes.     

Increasing Positive Playground Interaction for Kindergarten Students at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Students who experience social withdrawal and anxiety (internalizing difficulties) are often overlooked in schools due to the covert nature of their symptoms. The literature lacks empirically supported preventive approaches for kindergarten students who are socially withdrawn and behind their peers in developing social skills. Furthermore, research suggests that parents often are not adequately involved in interventions during this critical period of social development. In response to this need, a school-based intervention was implemented to increase the positive social interaction of three kindergarten students on the playground. Treatment consisted of (a) social skills training, (b) adult mediation, (c) self-evaluation and reinforcement, and (d) parent involvement through home notes. The effects of this intervention were assessed on the playground during recess using partial interval recording of target students’ positive interactions. During implementation of the intervention, all target students demonstrated improvements in social interaction. Future studies should investigate whether addressing the limitations of this study would yield stronger results with this underserved population.     

Geschlechterrollenorientierungen und ihre Beziehungen zu Maßen der Ich-Stärke bei Jugendlichen aus Ost-und Westberlin

Zusammenfassung In einer Stichprobe von 2630 Jugendlichen achter Klassen aus Gymnasien, Real-, Gesamt-und Hauptschulen in Ost-und Westberlin wurde im Jahr 2001 die Akzeptanz von Geschlechterrollenorientierungen (traditionell vs. partnerschaftlich) erfasst und ihr Zusammenhang mit Ma?en der Ich-St?rke (positives Bild von sich selbst, psychische Stabilit?t, produktiver Umgang mit Erfolg und Misserfolg) untersucht. Dem partnerschaftlichen Konzept wurde in h?herem Ma?e zugestimmt als dem traditionellen. Dabei ergaben sich Geschlechts-, Ost/West-sowie Schulartunterschiede in der partnerschaftlichen sowie traditionellen Orientierung. Weibliche Jugendliche waren weniger traditionell eingestellt als m?nnliche. Ostberliner Schüler/innen waren weniger traditionell orientiert als Westberliner und Gymnasiast/inn/en hatten eine niedrigere traditionelle Orientierung als Gesamt-, Real-und Hauptschüler/innen. Je h?her der Bildungsstand (gemessen an der Schulform und dem Bildungsniveau der Mutter), desto h?her war die Akzeptanz der Gleichberechtigung der Geschlechter. Die Jugendlichen wurden nach dem Grad ihrer traditionellen Orientierung in drei Cluster eingeteilt und hinsichtlich der Auspr?gung von Ma?en der Ich-St?rke miteinander verglichen. Dabei zeigte sich, dass Jugendliche mit hoher traditioneller Orientierung ein niedrigeres Selbstwertgefühl, sowie eine h?here Leistungsangst, mehr Furcht vor Misserfolg und in h?herem Ma?e selbstwertmindernde Attributionen ?u?erten als Jugendliche mittlerer und niedriger traditioneller Orientierung. Jugendliche, die in h?herem Ausma? über die pers?nliche Ressource der Ich-St?rke verfügen, traten h?ufiger für die Gleichberechtigung der Geschlechter ein. Summary Sex-role-orientation and its Relationship to Egostrength in Adolescents from East and West Berlin A sample of 2630 adolescents from grade 8 attending different types of secondary school in East and West Berlin was assessed in 2001. The aim was twofold: to ascertain their acceptance of gender-role orientation (i.e. traditional norms vs. equality in gender relations) and to link it to degrees of ego-strength (high self-concept, psychological stability, ability to deal with success or failure in a constructive manner). The concept of equality in gender relations was found to be more prevalent among females, pupils in East Berlin and those pupils attending grammar schools. The higher the education level of the pupils (measured according to the school attended and the education level of their mothers), the greater the acceptance of gender equality. The adolescents were classified in three clusters according to the degree of traditional orientation and then compared. Results showed that adolescents with a high traditional orientation displayed lower self-concept, a higher level of test anxiety, greater fear of failure and higher attribution of failure to lack of ability than those adolescents with moderate and low traditional orientation. Those displaying a greater range of characteristics related to ego-strength supported gender equality more frequently.