Recent work on minority influence has led to a debate about whether majorities and minorities exercise different forms of influence. Nemeth (1986) has argued that consistent minorities induce different cognitive processes than do consistent majorities, with a resulting impact on the quality of the judgments rendered. Two experiments test this theory. In Experiment 1, Ss heard 3 tape-recorded lists of words and learned that either a minority or a majority differed in the category "first noticed." This feedback occurred either once or over 3 trials. When exposure was once, recall was not affected by the source; when it was consistent, Ss exposed to the minority view recalled more words than those exposed to the majority view. In Experiment 2, Ss were exposed to a minority view that was either consistent over time or inconsistent over time. Ss exposed to a consistent minority had better recall than control Ss. Exposure to an inconsistent minority did not improve recall. The results offer support for the Nemeth (1986) formulation.

The ancient ritual of female circumcision/genital mutilation is still a prevalent custom in some African countries. Because of increasing immigration of African families to Western nations, the practice has become an issue for health care providers, who may not be aware of the practice and its sequelae. Using a questionnaire administered by our Somalian research associate, we surveyed women in schools of nursing and education in Somalia, identifying the complications of circumcision, acceptable interventions for these complications, and caregivers considered appropriate by the respondents. By becoming aware of the practice and of which interventions are acceptable and unacceptable, health care providers can offer more comprehensive and culturally sensitive care.

When a pregnancy loss occurs, a woman and her family may require help to facilitate grieving. Several support strategies can be recommended. We established a volunteer, hospital-based perinatal crisis support group that provides intervention, assists clients in moving through the period of disorganization, and offers information and support. Four examples illustrate the work of the group and its collaboration with personnel in other departments and agencies. Guidelines are provided for the establishment of a support team.

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The results highlighted areas where changes were needed. This resulted in a nurse-led programme of managed change, including making all experienced D and E grade nurses primary nurses, improving information provision, and involving patients in the decision-making process.