Books received

THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS VS. PUBLIC ACCESS. By Benno C. Schmidt, Jr. New York: Praeger, 1976. 296 pp. $17.50 &; $6.95.

THE GOOD GUYS, THE BAD GUYS AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT: FREE SPEECH VS. FAIRNESS IN BROADCASTING. By Fred W. Friendly. New York: Random House, 1976. 268 pp. $10.00.

TUBE OF PLENTY: THE EVOLUTION OF AMERICAN TELEVISION. By Erik Barnouw. New York: Oxford University Press, 1975. 518 pp. $14.95.

CLIVE: INSIDE THE RECORD BUSINESS. By Clive Davis with James Willwerth. New York: Ballantine Books, 1976. 346 pp. $1.95 (paper).

CONTROL OF THE DIRECT BROADCAST SATELLITE: VALUES IN CONFLICT. By The Aspen Institute. Palo Alto, CA.: Aspen Institute, 1974. 156 pp. $3.00 (paper).

GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE POLICY: INTELSAT, POLITICS AND FUNCTIONALISM. By Joseph N. Pelton. Mt. Airy, MD.: Lomond Books, 1974. 183 pp. $14.50.

REGULATION AND CONTROL OF DIRECT BROADCASTING FROM SATELLITES: THE UN INVOLVEMENT. By Benno Signitzer. New York: Praeger, 1976. 112 pp. $12.50.

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS: ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ISSUES OF THE FIRST DECADE OF INTELSAT. By Marcellus S. Snow. New York: Praeger, 1976. 170 pp. $16.50.     

Agriculture and the TV newscast

Agricultural information staffs at land‐grant universities are charged with disseminating information to the general public in order to arouse interest in and understanding of agricultural research and extension programs. The following study indicates that the television newscast is a good outlet for at least some of this information; one that economically can be used by agricultural information staffs. Joseph J. Marks is Director of Agricultural Information for Michigan State University. This article is based upon his M.A. thesis in the Department of Television and Radio at MSU, which was completed under the direction of Dr. Thorns F. Baldwin.     

A Note on Structural Equation Modeling Estimates of Reliability

Reliability can be estimated using structural equation modeling (SEM). Two potential problems with this approach are that estimates may be unstable with small sample sizes and biased with misspecified models. A Monte Carlo study was conducted to investigate the quality of SEM estimates of reliability by themselves and relative to coefficient alpha. The SEM approach showed minimal bias when the model was correctly specified if items were relatively well defined by their underlying factor(s). They tended to demonstrate somewhat greater bias when the model was misspecified, particularly underspecified. Overall, SEM estimates were more stable than anticipated. Researchers are more likely to obtain accurate estimates of reliability using SEM by conducting large-sample studies with well-constructed scales and critically assessing model fit.     

Texas Community College Funding: Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Ad Valorem Tax Rates and Revenue

This article examines ad valorem tax rates per $100 valuation and the resultant tax revenues per in-district contact hour for Texas nonmetropolitan and metropolitan public community colleges. The results of the analyses indicate no difference in ad valorem tax rates between these institutions but demonstrate differences in the resultant tax revenues. Recommendations for further research are provided.     

A FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATING COMMUNITY COLLEGE COUNSELING PROGRAMS AND FUNCTIONS: SHOWING CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH STUDENT SUCCESS

This article describes a framework for the comprehensive evaluation of counseling programs and functions within the community college, using Astin's student success conceptualization. Some evaluative results using this framework are included. With such a framework, counselors can clearly show their contributions to the community college and the students they serve. The topic of counselors as sources of pertinent information about campus students in general is also discussed.     

Survey of attitudes toward statistics: Factor structure and factorial invariance for women and men

White undergraduate students enrolled in introductory statistics courses completed the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS). Student responses were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis to determine the validity of several alternative models of the structure of attitudes toward statistics. A four‐factor structure composed of Affect, Cognitive Competence, Value, and Difficulty provided the best model fit. Responses of women and men to the SATS were then examined to explore scale invariance across gender. Invariance tests of factor structure, factor‐variable correlations, factor correlations, and variable uniquenesses showed that the four‐factor model fit well for both female and male responses. Only two significant differences in model fit were found: the Value variance was greater for women and the correlation between Affect and Value was greater for men. Generally, the study provided evidence for the appropriateness of a four‐factor structure of the SATS.     

Racism and Sexism in Cyberspace: Engaging Stereotypes of Asian American Women and Men to Facilitate Student Learning and Development

Samuel D. Museus and Kimberly A. Truong report on the negative consequences of the ubiquitous racialized and sexualized stereotypes of Asian American college students that appear online.     

Treatment Utilization on College Campuses: Who Seeks Help for What?

The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of why college students seek psychological treatment by examining indicators of psychological distress. A secondary goal was to assess the utility of screening for treatment need via a brief self‐report measure of distress. Two samples (1 clinical, 1 nonclinical; N= 8,380) were examined via logistic regression analyses to identify meaningful predictors of treatment‐seeking behavior. Clinical applications are discussed.     

THESE THINGS I REMEMBER

This article investigates the use of the contextual orientation to the Bible—which seeks to understand the Bible as a product of its time, and in the context of historical-critical biblical scholarship—as a deliberate, significant aspect of a teacher's overall approach to reaching Jewish adults in their 20s and 30s. Through classroom observation and qualitative interviews, the authors (one of whom is the teacher in the article) explore how this approach affects student learning and engagement and facilitates a meaningful attachment to and understanding of the Bible. This article also reflects one teacher's examination of his own teaching orientation and its expressions, serving as a possible model for other such investigations.