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Cross-cultural variability in respondent processing of survey questions may bias results from multiethnic samples. We analyzed behavior codes, which identify difficulties in the interactions of respondents and interviewers, from a discrimination module contained within a field test of the 2007 California Health Interview Survey. In all, 553 (English) telephone interviews yielded 13,999 interactions involving 22 items. Multilevel logistic regression modeling revealed that respondent age and several item characteristics (response format, customized questions, length, and first item with new response format), but not race/ethnicity, were associated with interactional problems. These findings suggest that item function within a multi-cultural, albeit English language, survey may be largely influenced by question features, as opposed to respondent characteristics such as race/ethnicity.

Investigated whether blacks who did not drink alcohol were more culturally traditional than those who did drink. Surveys of 520 black adults from varying socioeconomic and education levels indicated that black abstainers were more immersed in black culture, more religious, and had stronger traditional family values. Black drinkers were more acculturated-assimilated and had a greater distrust of whites. (SM)

When eight black and eight white children tried to purchase cigarettes in California, where purchase by minors is illegal, black children were sold cigarettes significantly more often, especially in black neighborhoods and by nonblack clerks, and adult customers made no effort to stop them. Implications for smoking prevention are discussed. (SLD)

Explored the relationships among acculturation, distrust of Whites, and AIDS knowledge for 171 African American adults. Results suggest that African American knowledge of AIDS transmission may be affected by distrust of Whites, with those who know the least about AIDS being the most distrustful. Implications for AIDS education are discussed. (SLD)

Objectives. We examined the standard compliance protocol and its validity as a measure of youth access to tobacco. Methods. In Study 1, youth smokers reported buying cigarettes in stores where they are regular customers. In Study 2, youths attempted to purchase cigarettes by using the Standard Protocol, in which they appeared at stores once for cigarettes, and by using the Familiarity Protocol, in which they were rendered regular customers by purchasing nontobacco items 4 times and then requested cigarettes during their fifth visit. Results. Sales to youths aged 17 years in the Familiarity Protocol were significantly higher than sales to the same age group in the Standard Protocols (62.5% vs. 6%, respectively). Conclusions. The Standard Protocol does not match how youths obtain cigarettes. Access is low for stranger youths within compliance studies, but access is high for familiar youths outside of compliance studies.

A revised version of the African American Acculturation Scale (AAAS) is presented. The AAAS presents attitudes of African Americans in such areas as religious beliefs and practices, ethnic preferences, health beliefs, family values, and racial segregation.

It was hypothesized that women may have more depressive, anxious, and somatic symptoms than men because they experience a deleterious stressor that men do not: sexist treatment. A total of 255 students (180 females, 75 males) at a state university completed an anonymous questionnaire containing measures of these symptoms. Women were found to exhibit significantly greater symptoms than men on all of them. Further, women who experienced frequent sexism had significantly more symptoms than men on all symptom measures, whereas women who experienced little sexism did not differ from men on any symptom measure. These findings suggest that gender-specific stressors not only play a role in psychiatric symptoms among women but may account for well-known gender differences in those symptoms as well.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) has been likened to the bible since it has been read and used as basic reference by graduate and undergraduate psychology students. The APA has enforces the adoption of a strict writing style among its authors and articles should be written as impartially as possible, with all conclusions backed by pertinent data. However, some psychologists have argued that the Publication Manual may be too rigid, orthodox, elitist and exclusionary that many academic authors have ignored this fact.

A comparison is presented between a measure for psychiatric symptoms and a measure for frequency of racism experiences. While indications of racism were strongly related to the total number of psychiatric symptoms and to male respondents, they were not related to social class, age or education.