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J Liang

Publications and source records attributed to J Liang.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Sex differences in the structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale.

This research examined sex differences in the factorial structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale. In particular, we view the covariance structure of the scale items as a function of several parameter matrices. We analyzed the factorial invariance by testing hypotheses involving the equivalence constraints of one or more parameter matrices in the male and female populations. Data for this research came from the 1968 National Senior Citizens Survey. Analysis of covariance structures (or LISREL) was used to assess the factorial invariance of the scale. We found some statistically significant sex differences in the first-order factor loadings and measurement error variances. Substantively, however, these differences are less important.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

A structural integration of the Affect Balance Scale and the Life Satisfaction Index A.

This study integrates two popular measures of subjective well-being: the Affect Balance Scale (ABS) and the Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA). Eight ABS items and seven LSIA items are hypothesized to measure four dimensions including congruence, happiness, positive affect, and negative affect. In addition, a second-order factor identified as subjective well-being is postulated to account for the correlations among these four dimensions. This model is examined empirically by using data from the Harris 1974 National Council on Aging survey, Myths and Realities of Aging in America. The proposed formulation is supported and consistently replicated across four randomly divided subsamples.

Affect↗
PubMed1984

Dimensions of the Life Satisfaction Index A: a structural formulation.

This research aimed to clarify the dimensionality of the Life Satisfaction Index A. A multiple indicator structural equation model that includes 11 items loading on three first-order factors and one second-order factor was proposed to delineate the structure of the Life Satisfaction Index A. This model was examined empirically by using data from the 1974 National Council on Aging/Harris survey, Myths and Realities of Aging in America. The proposed formulation was supported and consistently replicated across four randomly divided subsamples.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Urbanism and life satisfaction among the aged.

This study examines the impact of urbanism on the causal mechanisms by which life satisfaction is determined. Although the links between the type of community and life satisfaction have been the foci of many studies, the findings are by no means conclusive. Some have found that the rural elderly express greater satisfaction, others have not. Such a discrepancy may be due to (a) the neglect of other variables, (b) a lack of explicit causal specifications, and (c) the failure to distinguish main effects from interaction effects. In this study a causal model that incorporates urbanism as a polytomous variable and its interaction effects has been proposed. The model was evaluated by using four data sets with sample sizes ranging from 961 to 3,996. Urbanism was found to have indirect main effects as well as interaction effects on life satisfaction.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

The structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale scale: a reinterpretation.

This research examines the structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale. A multiple indicator structural equation model including three first-order factors and one second-order factor is proposed to account for the dimensionality of the PGC Morale Scale. Based on data from the 1968 National Senior Citizens Survey, the proposed model is consistently supported and replicated across four randomly divided subsamples. Given these results, the claim that the PGC Morale Scale is multidimensional is only appropriate for the first-order factors. On the level of the second-order, a unidimensional interpretation is more accurate.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Sex differences in life satisfaction among the elderly.

Sex differences in life satisfaction are a recurrent research issue in the field of social gerontology. However, the evidence concerning the effect of sex on morale is still inconclusive. This may be due to (a) the neglect of other relevant variables, (b) the failure to distinguish between main effects and interaction effects, and (c) the lack of formal statistical tests in making comparisons. In this study, a causal model of life satisfaction is proposed and evaluated by using four data sets with sample sizes ranging from 961 to 3,996. The proposed structural model fitted both the male and female subsamples reasonably well. The findings were also replicated across these four data sets. No systematic sex difference was found in terms of structural parameters. This indicates that the same causal mechanism is operating among the males as well as the females.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Hepatic damage in experimental and clinical paragonimiasis.

The hepatic damage induced by Paragonimus skrjabini, and the migration route of this species and that of P. westermani, were investigated in a series of animal experiments and in 34 clinical and four autopsy cases of paragonimiasis. The major symptoms and signs of an unique case reported from Sichuan Province included hepatic tenderness, disturbance of hepatic functions, remittent fever, and cough with bloody sputum. Laparotomy revealed marked adhesions surrounding the liver, spleen and duodenum. Diagnosis was made by finding P. skrjabini in a bulla on the abdominal wall about 5 months after the onset of illness. After specific treatment with bithional, body temperature and liver functions returned to normal. Twenty-three of 33 cases independently studied from Fujian Province also showed similar hepatic function disturbance. Autopsy cases showed hepatic chronic eosinophilic abscesses with Charcot-Leyden crystals. Experimentally, P. skrjabini infection caused hepatic damage in all laboratory animals used. The main pathologic changes were initially acute eosinophilic abscesses in the liver, worms being found sometimes in the necrotic cavities of the abscesses; hepatomagaly also occurred. Some cysts containing mature worms were found in the liver of dogs 3-9 months after infection. Numerous eggs were deposited in the cyst walls. The migration route of P. skrjabini was studied in young dogs. Worms appeared in the liver initially on day 3 and reached their highest level on day 14. P. westermani also migrated into liver, but their numbers were less than those of P. skrjabini.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1981

The risk of personal victimization among the aged.

This study examines the likelihood of personal victimization among the aged as a function of a multitude of factors such as characteristics of the victim and environmental conditions. Although the effects of a number of variables (e.g., age, sex, race, and income) on victimization have been studied, they are generally restricted to descriptive or bivariate analyses. Attempts to examine the impact of all relevant factors simultaneously have been rare. This is probably due to the small proportion of crime victims included in most victimization surveys and the fact that statistical techniques dealing with discrete dependent variables are not yet widely used by researchers. In this study, a maximum likelihood logistic probability model was applied to delineate the effects of individual and environmental attributes on victimization. Data for this analysis came from the National Crime Survey conducted between 1973 and 1976 by the Census Bureau for the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration. Logit analysis revealed that characteristics of both the victim and the environment have fairly consistent effects on the likelihood of personal victimization.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

Financial well-being among the aged: a further elaboration.

This study represents a further elaboration of the relative deprivation model proposed and tested by Liang and Fairchild (1979). A central assumption underlying this inquiry is that the link between economic status and perceived financial adequacy is mediated by subjective interpretations of the situation such as relative deprivation (Stouffer et al., 1948) and distributive justice (Homans, 1961). In addition, the effects of ascribed status variables such as age, sex, race, and religion on the social comparison process are assessed. Data for this investigation came from a survey of 252 older people in the Detroit area. Findings indicate that financial satisfaction is directly influenced by relative deprivation and distributive justice, while it is only indirectly affected by social status, labor force participation, and income. Race and age are the two ascribed statuses which have a significant impact on social comparison and perceived income adequacy. Implications of these results in terms of theory building and the design of income maintenance policies are also suggested.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

Alternative models of person-environment fit: prediction of morale in three homes for the aged.

The notion of congruence or P-E fit has been suggested as a fruitful theoretical scheme for the understanding of the impact of environments on the well-being of older people (French et al., 1974; Kahana, 1975). Alternative models have been proposed for understanding the type of congruence which results in the most positive outcomes. Such models have differential implications for intervention to enhance well-being of the aged. This paper represents an initial effort to put these alternative theoretical models to an empirical test. Data for this study came from 124 interviews at three homes for the aged. In order to overcome methodological problems posed by conventional approaches, a procedure which measures incongruence in terms of non-linear transformations of difference scores was used. Congruence models examined included non-directional, one-directional, and two-directional models. The findings point to the importance of P-E fit in the arenas of congregation, impulse control, and segregation. In contrast, personal and/or environmental characteristics rather than fit were found to be more important along the dimensions of affective expression and institutional control in explaning morale.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1980

Social integration and morale: a re-examination.

The concern for social integration among the aged lies in its implications for well-being in old age. Evidence about the link between social integration and morale is still inconclusive. This appears to be due to poor conceptionalization and lack of specification concerning the relationships between social integration and other correlates of morale. In this study, social integration is viewed in terms of both its subjective and objective aspects. The central hypothesis is that the relationship between objective aspects of social integration and morale is mediated by the subjective sense of integration. This hypothesis was examined through the use of a structural equation model. Four data sets were used for this inquiry which included surveys conducted in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Detroit. Findings indicate that objective social integration only has an indirect impact on morale, with subjective sense of integration being the intervening variable. This relationship remains significant even when other factors such as socioeconomic status, financial satisfaction, and health status were controlled.

Aged↗