Home Economics Research Journal最新文献

Several household tasks in which children are reported to participate may involve use of mechanical or automatic home appliances. To contribute to safe use, instruction manuals to which children may need to refer, especially when theyare home alone, should be understandable to them. Cloze tests for analysis of readability of instructions for use and care of 13 major and portable home appliances were administered to 477 childrenfrom ages 8 to 17 years. Scores were associated with age and/or grade level with given appliances. For most appliances, the scoresfor children were clustered in the 30% to 40% range of agreement with the original passages.

Perception of organic produce among Alaskan direct-market patrons (N = 417) was examined in a mailed survey. Response rate was 80%. Responsefrequency was tabulated, and relationships were delineated using chi-square analysis. Healthfulness of the food supply was a concern, despite a perception that quality and healthfulness of thefood supply had improved since 1987. These attributes were also important infresh produce selection. Organic produce preference was related to both environmental and personal-safety concerns. More than half of these consumers had purchased organic produce within the last year; supermarkets and direct markets were the primary sources. Although organic produce was not purchased exclusively, previous purchase increased the likelihood offuture purchase. A certification process was desired. Half preferred a government certification agent; 28% preferred public and private sector involvement. Information dissemination should address (a) pesticide usefor cosmetic purposes, (b) appearance and food safety, (c) flavor and shipping characteristics, and (d) production method and nutritive content.

This research analyzes the impact of family structure (female headed without spouse present and two parent) on individual household member expenditures for clothing. Quarterly clothing expenditure data from the 1985 Consumer Expenditure Survey were analyzed via Tobit. Each family type was analyzed separately, and within each subsample, expenditures for women's, girls', boys', and infants' clothing were estimated. For each explanatory variable in the model, significance of expenditure differences between family structures was tested. Magnitudes and significance of effects by family structure differed, and significance of the difference between the values obtained for each family type also varied between explanatory variables. Often thought of as nontraditional, female-headed households are a fast-growing segment of our society. Information as to how they differ from traditional two-parent households in the retail clothing market will contribute to our understanding of these families and help to complete the picture of their expenditure behavior.

Perceptions of the experience of “flow” as described by M. Csikszentmihalyi was examined among child-care employees. Flow was defined as the difference between raters' perceptions of the challenges presented by child-care employment and their self-reported skills for the job. Teachers (N = 189) of 4-year-olds rated their perceived skills and challenges on 10 activities that typically occur during a day at a child-care center. Multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated no significant effect on Flow due to the amount of child-care training, the number of years of preschool teaching experience, or the interaction between Education and Experience. The flow variable, which is a direct comparison of perceived skills and challenges, was significant. Post hoc analysis indicated that mean ratings on skills were significantly higher than the mean ratings on challenges on all 10 teaching activities. According to flow theory, then, these teachers would be expected to experience boredom rather than flow in work. The results suggest that teacher education programs might focus on enabling caregivers to recognize challenges inherent in routine caregiving or to create challenges to make the work experience more enjoyable.

A comprehensive model was developed to explain gender wage differentials. The model is made up of three major components—human capital variables, socioeconomic variables, and structural components of the labor market. Uniqueness is provided through availability of work history data, correction for selection bias, and control for interaction by age. Men's wages exceed women's for all age cohorts. Decomposition of the wage differential involves examining differences in endowments or characteristics by race, gender, and age cohort. Investment in human capital increases wages but explains little of the differential. Few labor market variables affect wages, yet they explain large percentages of the differential.

This study examines the validity of the mental-accounting concept. Three hierarchical mental accounts are conceptually identified, representing a continuum from most basic (ACCT1) to least basic (ACCT3) needs, and empirically formed. Families are hypothesized to have different marginal propensities to consume from different mental accounts, and two related hypotheses are developed. Using data from 1983 and 1986 Surveys of Consumer Finances, estimates of stock adjustment models indicate that all families at low-, middle-, and high-income level adjusted their savings from real stocks to desirable stocks fastest in ACCT3 and slowest in ACCT1. In the middle-income sample, results showed that savings in ACCT1 at the end of the previous period had the largest negative influence on changes in ACCT2 and ACCT3, and savings in ACCT3 had the least influence on changes in the other two accounts, over one period of time. These findings supported the hypotheses derived from the mental-accounting assumption.

This article reviews the incidence of disability within the non-institutionalized U.S. resident population, with estimates of gender differences and severe limitations. Estimates of the desire for functional independence among the elderly are presented, and theoretical frameworks related to choice, consumer efficiency, consumer decisions, and housing norms are reviewed. Accommodation of a wheelchair was chosen as the measure to be studied because it is the means of mobility for those with the most severe mobility limitations. Three states, Oregon, Nevada, and Utah collected data on wheelchair accommodation of existing housing, resulting in a sample of 1,549 homeowners. Only 1% of the respondents indicated that their homes would accommodate a wheelchair at the present. However, 77% indicated that their homes could be modified to accommodate a wheelchair, and 22% responded that costs for modifications to their present homes would be prohibitive. Home economics educators have an obligation to educate the public to the needs for accessible and/or adaptable housing and unite architects, designers, home builders, and realtors in an effort to increase the proportion of wheelchair-accessible housing, to accommodate all types of mobility impairment regardless of age.

The major purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of fashion merchandising or education students' cognitive style consisting of nine dimensions to three media choices provided through a hypermedia lesson in historic costume. High-average standard scores were identified in three of the nine dimensions of cognitive style. Further statistical analyses indicated that students' cognitive styles affected the type of media selected. Both fashion merchandising and education students scored significantly higher (p = .01) on the postassessments than the pre-assessments, but neither group achieved significantly more than the other. From these data, it appeared that students used hypermedia effectively as an educational tool to accommodate learning style. It was possible to individualize instruction regardless of the learning style when the hypermedia system was used within the same instructional package.

The objective of this study was to identify the influences that persuaded students to select home economics as their major course of study in higher education. Subjects were 574 students currently enrolled in an introductory home economics course. The study used a linear discriminant analysis design with selection of major as the dependent variable. Findings from the study indicate that the statistically significant positive influences on students' selecting home economics as their major course of study were (a) friends, (b) high school home economics teachers, (c) posters, (d) displays and exhibits, and (e) home economics college faculty members. The statistically significant negative influences were (a)family, (b) high school teachers (other than home economics teachers), (c) radio advertisements, and (d) campus recruitment days or nights. The specialty majors included in home economics were analyzed by group. Statistically significant variables for specialty majors varied for each group.