Alex Heckert - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Conference Presentations by Alex Heckert
Papers by Alex Heckert
Journal of Family Issues, Jun 1, 1985
This article addresses the impact age and presence/number of children have on the remarriage prob... more This article addresses the impact age and presence/number of children have on the remarriage probabilities of divorced women. Following Koo and Suchindran (1980), an interaction between these two factors is posited, with children having an effect on the remarriage chances only of younger and older women. In addition, a third factor, dissolution measurement, is considered because remarriage intervals measured from separation and from divorce can be quite different. Analyses conducted separately by race indicate that (1) dissolution measurement can make a difference in the estimated effect of both age and presence/number of children on remarriage probabilities for both blacks and whites, (2) net of numerous controls, older women and women with more children of both races tend to remarry at the slowest pace, and (3) age and presence/number of children interact for whites but not for blacks.
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, May 1, 2012
This study examined various predictor variables that were hypothesized to impact secondary trauma... more This study examined various predictor variables that were hypothesized to impact secondary traumatic stress in forensic interviewers ( n = 257) from children's advocacy centers across the United States. Data were examined to investigate the relationship between organizational satisfaction, organizational buffers, and job support with secondary traumatic stress using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. The most salient significant result was an inverse relationship between three indicators of job support and secondary traumatic stress. Also significant to secondary traumatic stress were the age of interviewer and whether the forensic interviewer had experienced at least one significant loss in the previous 12 months. Implications for future research, training, program practice, and policy are discussed.
Hispanic Health Care International, Nov 26, 2020
Introduction:This brief report recommends how the effectiveness of the juramento, a practice foun... more Introduction:This brief report recommends how the effectiveness of the juramento, a practice found in Mexican Catholicism, can be enhanced by combining it with Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment. The juramento is a grassroots intervention around a sacred pledge made to Our Lady of Guadalupe to abstain from alcohol from 6 months to 1 year.Method:The recommendations are made possible from an ongoing qualitative study on the use of the juramento among Mexican immigrant farmworkers in southeastern Pennsylvania. The subsample for this report is 15 Mexican immigrant farmworkers who made a juramento and two priests who administer the intervention.Results:Adding the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and a referral to treatment in the counseling session of the juramento keeps its religious and cultural appeal. The core of the intervention—the ritualized pledge to Our Lady of Guadalupe—remains intact.Conclusion:Approaching the juramento with an evidence-based brief intervention lens will expand the availability of culturally based interventions to include a grassroots intervention in the Mexican immigrant community. The juramento is organic, rooted in culture and religion, making it more likely that it will help in reducing alcohol use disorders, especially those with strong religiosity.
Deviant Behavior, Apr 3, 2021
Sociology Compass, Dec 8, 2020
Compassion fatigue has been primarily studied at the micro level and framed as a psychological "p... more Compassion fatigue has been primarily studied at the micro level and framed as a psychological "personal trouble" that results from one's personality traits, demographic characteristics, or life and work stressors. In addition, compassion fatigue is used to predict other psychological outcomes such as burnout, depersonalization, and stress. This literature on compassion fatigue has been reviewed, in order to illustrate areas where sociologists can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon. In this article we conceptualize compassion fatigue as a sociological concept and overview the potential ways that sociological approaches can enhance our understanding. We draw on the literatures of emotion work, social exchange theory, and macrolevel sociological theories to facilitate the use of compassion fatigue from a sociological perspective. For example, we use concepts such as social integration and anomie to stimulate thinking about rates of compassion fatigue.
Higher Education, Jul 1, 2015
Branding in higher education has become increasingly used as a mechanism of differentiation among... more Branding in higher education has become increasingly used as a mechanism of differentiation among competitors to attract prospective students. Although branding in higher education is a common phenomenon, little work has been done assessing the college selection process using a brand choice framework. This paper aims to fill the gap by investigating the college selection process using the consumer decision framework specifically addressing the notion of the consideration set. The study employs qualitative research methods and included interviews of incoming first-year students. The findings reveal that the university brands in the consideration set for a student range from one to eight and need not be of the same type of institution. Also, the findings highlight other brand-related constructs that help to move the university from consideration set to ultimately the college of choice.
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, Feb 15, 2007
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Sep 1, 2004
Recent experimental evaluations have suggested little or no effect of batterer programs on reassa... more Recent experimental evaluations have suggested little or no effect of batterer programs on reassault but are compromised by methodological and analytical issues. This study assesses program effect using propensity score analysis with a quasi-experimental sample in an attempt to address these issues. The sample consisted of 633 batterers and their partners from three geographically dispersed batterer programs and a 15-month follow-up with their female partners. Subclassification on propensity scores was used to balance program completers and program dropouts. The propensity score was estimated as the probability of completing the batterer program conditional on observable characteristics. Direct adjustment indicates that program completion reduced the probability of reassault during the 15-month follow-up by 33% for the full sample, and by nearly 50% for the court-ordered men.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Jul 1, 2004
This study partially replicates and expands on a previous study that showed women’s perceptions o... more This study partially replicates and expands on a previous study that showed women’s perceptions of risk to be a strong predictor of reassault among batterers. The current study employed a larger and multisite sample, a longer follow-up period of 15 months, and multiple outcomes including “repeated reassault” (n = 499). According to the multinomial logistic regressions, women’s perceptions of risk improved prediction with risk factors (ROC area under the curve improved by .04 and sensitivity of repeated reassault increased 12 percentage points). In comparison to simulated risk instruments, women’s perceptions by themselves were better predictors than the K-SID, similar in predictive ability to the SARA, and almost as strong as the DAS. The best prediction of repeated reassault was obtained using risk markers, including women’s perceptions (ROC AUC = .83; 70% sensitivity) or by using the DAS and women’s perceptions together (ROC AUC = .73; 64% sensitivity).
PubMed, 1991
The medical malpractice problem is not new. It can be traced through history from provisions in t... more The medical malpractice problem is not new. It can be traced through history from provisions in the Code of Hammurabi to acknowledgement by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, to doctrinal development in fourteenth century England.' The first reported English case occurred in 1375, and within fifty years, health care providers took out quasi-insurance policies on particular patients.' The first officially reported American case occurred in 1794, and the reporting of twenty-seven more cases in the next fifty years stimulated an early version of medical review panels, as well as the first physician exodus from practice in 1845.' The "crisis" of the 1970's came and went, only to revive in the mid-1980's. Indeed, definitions for the "crises" seem to depend on one's perspective. 4
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Nov 1, 2000
A persistent theme in intervening with male batterers is the deterrent effect of certain and seve... more A persistent theme in intervening with male batterers is the deterrent effect of certain and severe sanctions. However, no studies address the effect of “specific” deterrence on batterer program outcomes. Fifteen-month follow-up data from a multisite evaluation of batterer programs was used to test the effect of batterer perceptions of the likelihood of jailing on dropout and reassault. Approximately half of the batterers perceived jailing as likely to result from program dropout or reassault. Batterers from programs with a court review process for program compliance and/or higher arrest rates for reassault were more likely to perceive jail as likely. The results also support the “experiential effect” of prior contact with the criminal justice system and alcohol treatment. However, neither perceived certainty of sanctions (jailing likely) nor perceived severity of sanctions was predictive of dropout and reassault. Increasing perceptions of criminal justice sanctions alone may not prevent batterers from reassault.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. eBooks, Jul 24, 2015
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, Jul 27, 2017
In a study exploring how organizational identification impacted college retention and performance... more In a study exploring how organizational identification impacted college retention and performance outcomes at a university in the United States, we found the mere act of taking the survey emerged as an unexpectedly strong result. Using propensity score matching, we found that those who took the voluntary survey during the first week of school were 6%, 9%, and 11% more likely to retain by the second, third, and fourth semesters, respectively. Participation in a short survey had notable retention predictive power 18 months later. These results provoke a series of questions on retention much more broadly considered and invite us to recalibrate our understanding of mechanisms for improving retention.
The Journal of Men's Studies, Aug 24, 2015
Based on a yearlong observational study of participants in a "Live Action Role Playing" group cal... more Based on a yearlong observational study of participants in a "Live Action Role Playing" group called "Dagorhir," using the manhood acts perspective, we focus on how masculinity is constructed among low-status, subordinate men who selfdefine as "nerds." We demonstrate that through fantasy role-playing, men are given opportunities to increase their group status, while women are typically relegated to subordinate positions. Increasing status in Dagorhir involved a type of selfenhancement strategy that we termed "epic glory," which positioned men as social dominants. Epic glory was earned through training activities, at Dagorhir events, and through simulating dramatic death scenes. Such actions served as a performance of masculinity that was not possible for these men outside the role-playing experience. Importantly, women were excluded from many of the opportunities to enact epic glory, which helped reproduce inequalities both among males and between males and females participating in the events.
Sociological Methods & Research, Jul 30, 2010
Journal of Marriage and Family, May 1, 1985
Family Relations, 1988
This study investigated conjugal role organization in retired rural couples. Three major aspects ... more This study investigated conjugal role organization in retired rural couples. Three major aspects of the conjugal relationship were examined: division of household tasks, decision-making patterns, and leisure activities shared by the couple. Interviews were conducted ...
Journal of Family Issues, Jun 1, 1985
This article addresses the impact age and presence/number of children have on the remarriage prob... more This article addresses the impact age and presence/number of children have on the remarriage probabilities of divorced women. Following Koo and Suchindran (1980), an interaction between these two factors is posited, with children having an effect on the remarriage chances only of younger and older women. In addition, a third factor, dissolution measurement, is considered because remarriage intervals measured from separation and from divorce can be quite different. Analyses conducted separately by race indicate that (1) dissolution measurement can make a difference in the estimated effect of both age and presence/number of children on remarriage probabilities for both blacks and whites, (2) net of numerous controls, older women and women with more children of both races tend to remarry at the slowest pace, and (3) age and presence/number of children interact for whites but not for blacks.
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, May 1, 2012
This study examined various predictor variables that were hypothesized to impact secondary trauma... more This study examined various predictor variables that were hypothesized to impact secondary traumatic stress in forensic interviewers ( n = 257) from children's advocacy centers across the United States. Data were examined to investigate the relationship between organizational satisfaction, organizational buffers, and job support with secondary traumatic stress using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. The most salient significant result was an inverse relationship between three indicators of job support and secondary traumatic stress. Also significant to secondary traumatic stress were the age of interviewer and whether the forensic interviewer had experienced at least one significant loss in the previous 12 months. Implications for future research, training, program practice, and policy are discussed.
Hispanic Health Care International, Nov 26, 2020
Introduction:This brief report recommends how the effectiveness of the juramento, a practice foun... more Introduction:This brief report recommends how the effectiveness of the juramento, a practice found in Mexican Catholicism, can be enhanced by combining it with Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment. The juramento is a grassroots intervention around a sacred pledge made to Our Lady of Guadalupe to abstain from alcohol from 6 months to 1 year.Method:The recommendations are made possible from an ongoing qualitative study on the use of the juramento among Mexican immigrant farmworkers in southeastern Pennsylvania. The subsample for this report is 15 Mexican immigrant farmworkers who made a juramento and two priests who administer the intervention.Results:Adding the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and a referral to treatment in the counseling session of the juramento keeps its religious and cultural appeal. The core of the intervention—the ritualized pledge to Our Lady of Guadalupe—remains intact.Conclusion:Approaching the juramento with an evidence-based brief intervention lens will expand the availability of culturally based interventions to include a grassroots intervention in the Mexican immigrant community. The juramento is organic, rooted in culture and religion, making it more likely that it will help in reducing alcohol use disorders, especially those with strong religiosity.
Deviant Behavior, Apr 3, 2021
Sociology Compass, Dec 8, 2020
Compassion fatigue has been primarily studied at the micro level and framed as a psychological "p... more Compassion fatigue has been primarily studied at the micro level and framed as a psychological "personal trouble" that results from one's personality traits, demographic characteristics, or life and work stressors. In addition, compassion fatigue is used to predict other psychological outcomes such as burnout, depersonalization, and stress. This literature on compassion fatigue has been reviewed, in order to illustrate areas where sociologists can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon. In this article we conceptualize compassion fatigue as a sociological concept and overview the potential ways that sociological approaches can enhance our understanding. We draw on the literatures of emotion work, social exchange theory, and macrolevel sociological theories to facilitate the use of compassion fatigue from a sociological perspective. For example, we use concepts such as social integration and anomie to stimulate thinking about rates of compassion fatigue.
Higher Education, Jul 1, 2015
Branding in higher education has become increasingly used as a mechanism of differentiation among... more Branding in higher education has become increasingly used as a mechanism of differentiation among competitors to attract prospective students. Although branding in higher education is a common phenomenon, little work has been done assessing the college selection process using a brand choice framework. This paper aims to fill the gap by investigating the college selection process using the consumer decision framework specifically addressing the notion of the consideration set. The study employs qualitative research methods and included interviews of incoming first-year students. The findings reveal that the university brands in the consideration set for a student range from one to eight and need not be of the same type of institution. Also, the findings highlight other brand-related constructs that help to move the university from consideration set to ultimately the college of choice.
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, Feb 15, 2007
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Sep 1, 2004
Recent experimental evaluations have suggested little or no effect of batterer programs on reassa... more Recent experimental evaluations have suggested little or no effect of batterer programs on reassault but are compromised by methodological and analytical issues. This study assesses program effect using propensity score analysis with a quasi-experimental sample in an attempt to address these issues. The sample consisted of 633 batterers and their partners from three geographically dispersed batterer programs and a 15-month follow-up with their female partners. Subclassification on propensity scores was used to balance program completers and program dropouts. The propensity score was estimated as the probability of completing the batterer program conditional on observable characteristics. Direct adjustment indicates that program completion reduced the probability of reassault during the 15-month follow-up by 33% for the full sample, and by nearly 50% for the court-ordered men.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Jul 1, 2004
This study partially replicates and expands on a previous study that showed women’s perceptions o... more This study partially replicates and expands on a previous study that showed women’s perceptions of risk to be a strong predictor of reassault among batterers. The current study employed a larger and multisite sample, a longer follow-up period of 15 months, and multiple outcomes including “repeated reassault” (n = 499). According to the multinomial logistic regressions, women’s perceptions of risk improved prediction with risk factors (ROC area under the curve improved by .04 and sensitivity of repeated reassault increased 12 percentage points). In comparison to simulated risk instruments, women’s perceptions by themselves were better predictors than the K-SID, similar in predictive ability to the SARA, and almost as strong as the DAS. The best prediction of repeated reassault was obtained using risk markers, including women’s perceptions (ROC AUC = .83; 70% sensitivity) or by using the DAS and women’s perceptions together (ROC AUC = .73; 64% sensitivity).
PubMed, 1991
The medical malpractice problem is not new. It can be traced through history from provisions in t... more The medical malpractice problem is not new. It can be traced through history from provisions in the Code of Hammurabi to acknowledgement by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, to doctrinal development in fourteenth century England.' The first reported English case occurred in 1375, and within fifty years, health care providers took out quasi-insurance policies on particular patients.' The first officially reported American case occurred in 1794, and the reporting of twenty-seven more cases in the next fifty years stimulated an early version of medical review panels, as well as the first physician exodus from practice in 1845.' The "crisis" of the 1970's came and went, only to revive in the mid-1980's. Indeed, definitions for the "crises" seem to depend on one's perspective. 4
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Nov 1, 2000
A persistent theme in intervening with male batterers is the deterrent effect of certain and seve... more A persistent theme in intervening with male batterers is the deterrent effect of certain and severe sanctions. However, no studies address the effect of “specific” deterrence on batterer program outcomes. Fifteen-month follow-up data from a multisite evaluation of batterer programs was used to test the effect of batterer perceptions of the likelihood of jailing on dropout and reassault. Approximately half of the batterers perceived jailing as likely to result from program dropout or reassault. Batterers from programs with a court review process for program compliance and/or higher arrest rates for reassault were more likely to perceive jail as likely. The results also support the “experiential effect” of prior contact with the criminal justice system and alcohol treatment. However, neither perceived certainty of sanctions (jailing likely) nor perceived severity of sanctions was predictive of dropout and reassault. Increasing perceptions of criminal justice sanctions alone may not prevent batterers from reassault.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. eBooks, Jul 24, 2015
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, Jul 27, 2017
In a study exploring how organizational identification impacted college retention and performance... more In a study exploring how organizational identification impacted college retention and performance outcomes at a university in the United States, we found the mere act of taking the survey emerged as an unexpectedly strong result. Using propensity score matching, we found that those who took the voluntary survey during the first week of school were 6%, 9%, and 11% more likely to retain by the second, third, and fourth semesters, respectively. Participation in a short survey had notable retention predictive power 18 months later. These results provoke a series of questions on retention much more broadly considered and invite us to recalibrate our understanding of mechanisms for improving retention.
The Journal of Men's Studies, Aug 24, 2015
Based on a yearlong observational study of participants in a "Live Action Role Playing" group cal... more Based on a yearlong observational study of participants in a "Live Action Role Playing" group called "Dagorhir," using the manhood acts perspective, we focus on how masculinity is constructed among low-status, subordinate men who selfdefine as "nerds." We demonstrate that through fantasy role-playing, men are given opportunities to increase their group status, while women are typically relegated to subordinate positions. Increasing status in Dagorhir involved a type of selfenhancement strategy that we termed "epic glory," which positioned men as social dominants. Epic glory was earned through training activities, at Dagorhir events, and through simulating dramatic death scenes. Such actions served as a performance of masculinity that was not possible for these men outside the role-playing experience. Importantly, women were excluded from many of the opportunities to enact epic glory, which helped reproduce inequalities both among males and between males and females participating in the events.
Sociological Methods & Research, Jul 30, 2010
Journal of Marriage and Family, May 1, 1985
Family Relations, 1988
This study investigated conjugal role organization in retired rural couples. Three major aspects ... more This study investigated conjugal role organization in retired rural couples. Three major aspects of the conjugal relationship were examined: division of household tasks, decision-making patterns, and leisure activities shared by the couple. Interviews were conducted ...
Deviant Behavior, Sep 1, 2002
The concept of positive deviance is marginalized in deviance literature by the focus on negative ... more The concept of positive deviance is marginalized in deviance literature by the focus on negative deviance and the absence of comprehensive conceptions of deviance. Current conceptions of positive deviance simply parallel de®nitions of negative deviance, namely normative and reactivist conceptions. Normative de®nitions posit positive deviance as behaviors and attributes that exceed normative expectations (e.g., overconformity), such as overachieving students. Reactivist de®nitions view positive deviance as positively evaluated behaviors and attributes, such as athletic talent. We propose a