Effects of Friendship Circles on the Social Interactions of Elementary Age Students with Mild Disabilities

This study assessed the effects of Friendship Circles on the social interactions between students with mild disabilities and their nondisabled peers. A multiple probe design was used to analyze the social interactions during lunch. Data also were collected in the form of sociograms and anecdotal records. In addition, generalization was assessed during recess observations. Results indicated that the Friendship Circle intervention produced increases in appropriate interactions at lunch for all three students and for two there were increases in friendly play at recess. Anecdotal data suggested improved social interactions for two of the students throughout the day and improved social behaviors in the general education classroom such as cooperation during group activities. Implications for future research are discussed.     

The Use of a Personal Trainer to Enhance Participation of Older Adults with Severe Disabilities in a Community Water Exercise Class

Inclusive instruction was provided for three older adults with profound mental retardation in a water exercise class at a local YMCA. The older adults were taught to exercise through the use of systematic prompting. A multiple baseline design across participants with an embedded reversal was used to evaluate the impact of a personal trainer. The three participants performed the exercise, but regressed without the assistance of the trainer, as demonstrated by the reversal. Data collected during peer prompting and maintenance conditions indicated that the participants continued to exercise at levels higher than baseline but lower than with a personal trainer.     

Experiences of Support Staff with Expanding and Strengthening Social Networks of People with Mild Intellectual Disabilities

A supportive social network is crucial for facilitating social inclusion. The social networks of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are often small and typically include very little contact with friends and acquaintances who do not have ID. Professionals can play an important role in strengthening and expanding the social networks of clients. In this study, experiences with interventions aimed at doing this were examined. Six group interviews were held with a total of 27 professionals. The results showed interventions to strengthen social networks (e.g. attention to the maintenance of contact with network members) and interventions to expand social networks (e.g. participation in leisure time activities and working with volunteers). However, a large number of impeding factors was mentioned, such as the limited size of the social networks, characteristics of the client, different perceptions and clients falling between the cracks when it comes to leisure time. The large number of impeding factors shows the strengthening and expansion of social networks to be complicated in actual practice. Recommendations are thus made to strengthen and expand the social networks of clients in an innovative manner which also takes these impeding factors into account. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Classwide Peer Tutoring: Effects on the Spelling Performance and Social Interactions of Students with Mild Disabilities and Their Typical Peers in an Integrated Instructional Setting

The effectiveness of Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) to enhance the spelling performance and social interactions of three typical students and three students with mild disabilities was investigated. The classroom ecology was measured using the New Code for Instructional Structure and Student Academic Response (NCISSAR). Social interactions were assessed using the Multiple Option Observation System for Experimental Studies (M.O.O.S.E.S.). Spelling performance was measured by weekly pre-posttests. Using an ABAB single-subject design, results indicated that CWPT resulted in: (a) gains in the spelling accuracy of all students (up to 49%), (b) increases of students' duration of positive social interactions (up to 86%), and (c) high satisfaction ratings for both the students and the teacher. Comparisons between typical students and students with mild disabilities during CWPT suggested no differences in their duration of social interactions. Furthermore, the mean spelling accuracy of the students with mild disabilities was comparable to the spelling accuracy of the typical students (91% vs. 96%, respectively). Implications of the findings for the inclusion of students with mild disabilities in general education settings are discussed.     

A Comparison of Constant Time Delay and Simultaneous Prompting Within Embedded Instruction in General Education Classes with Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities

An adapted alternating treatment design was used to measure the effectiveness of constant time delay and simultaneous prompting procedures within an embedded instruction format on the acquisition of academic skills. Four middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities and the paraprofessionals who supported these students in their general education classes participated in the study. The results of the study indicated that both procedures were effective in promoting the acquisition of the target skills. However, the constant time delay procedure was more effective for two of the students and the simultaneous prompting procedure was more effective for the remaining students. Results are discussed in terms of future research and implications for supporting the inclusion of students with moderate and severe disabilities in general education classes.     

Effects of Cross-Age Peer Tutoring Networks Among Students with Autism and General Education Students

In this investigation peer networks were formed consisting of students with autism and fourth grade peers. They were trained to tutor first grade students in sight word recognition. The purpose of the study was to determine if the target students could be trained effectively as tutors, to determine outcomes for the first graders, and to determine effects on social integration of network students. Effects were measured for implementation of tutoring steps, increases in sight words learned on a weekly basis for the tutees, and social interactions among network students during free time activities. Using a reversal design, with a multiple baseline component, results demonstrated higher gains on weekly pre- and posttests for first graders than control students who received classroom instruction only, successful implementation of peer tutoring steps by the network participants, and increased duration of social interaction time for the target students with autism and network companions. These findings were replicated in the following year. The peer network system for students with autism, thus not only increased their time and social engagement with typical peers but also provided a productive, socially acceptable activity for increasing academic performance for first graders exhibiting delays.     

The Influence of Posttreatment Mutual Help Group Participation on the Friendship Networks of Substance Abuse Patients

The effect of 12-step mutual help groups (e.g., Narcotics Anonymous) on members' friendship networks has received little attention. This 1-year longitudinal study examined such effects in a sample of 2,337 male substance abuse inpatients, 57.7% of whom became significantly involved in 12-step activities (e.g., reading program literature, attending meetings) after treatment. An a priori model of the interplay of 12-step involvement and friendship networks was tested using structural equation modeling, and found to have excellent fit to the data. Twelve-step group involvement after treatment predicted better general friendship characteristics (e.g., number of close friends) and substance abuse-specific friendship characteristics (e.g., proportion of friends who abstain from drugs and alcohol) at follow-up. Results are discussed in terms of how mutual help group involvement benefits patients and how the self-help group evaluation paradigm should be broadened.     

听力障碍初中生自我决定能力的基本特点及社会支持的作用

以125名聋校听力障碍初中生为被试,采用问卷法探讨该群体自我决定能力的基本特点及社会支持对其自我决定能力的作用。结果发现：（1）听力障碍初中生的自我决定能力整体水平不高;（2）不同性别、障碍程度的听力障碍初中生的自我决定能力间差异不显著,而不同年龄段、年级、父母受教育水平的听力障碍初中生的自我决定能力间存在显著差异;（3）年级、教师工具性支持、母亲价值增进支持是听力障碍初中生自我决定能力的显著正向预测指标。     

Evaluating Assistive Technology in the Education of Persons with Severe Disabilities

This commentary includes a brief discussion of issues raised by the articles and systematic review contained in this special issue addressing technology applications for persons with severe developmental disabilities. Topical areas include a discussion of; (1) a need to compare “high tech” with “low tech” applications, (2) procedural fidelity, (3) collateral effects associated with intervention, (4) the conditional use of newly established behavior, (5) response efficiency and contextual fit, and (6) treatment intensity.     

社会性发展迟滞大学生对社交信息的内隐态度

本研究目的在于探索社会性发展迟滞大学生对社交信息的内隐认知特点,三个实验分别通过GNAT、IRAP、IAT范式探讨社会性发展迟滞大学生对社交活动、社交关系的内隐态度和内隐社交自我评价的内隐加工特点。结果发现:①社会性发展迟滞组对群体活动的反应时更短;②社会性发展迟滞组对师生关系持消极的内隐态度,对同学关系持积极的内隐态度;③社会性发展迟滞组存在社交自我评价积极偏向,但对积极评价他人/消极评价自我的反应时更短,对评价的整体反应时更短。结论:迟滞个体对社交活动较敏感,对师生关系持消极态度和对同学关系持积极态度,对社交自我评价存在积极偏向。     

Perceived Disagreement and Heterogeneity in Social Networks: Distinct Effects on Political Participation

ABSTRACT

Although the coexistence of conflicting opinions in society is the very core of democracy, people’s tendency to avoid conflict could keep them away from political discussion and participation. On the other hand, being exposed to diverse political views could motivate citizens to participate. We conducted secondary analyses on two 2013 ITANES (Italian National Election Studies) probability samples in order to test the hypotheses that perceived network disagreement (between an individual and her/his discussion partners) and heterogeneity (among discussants holding different political opinions) exert independent and opposite effects on political participation through motivation and knowledge. Results converged in showing that disagreement dampened, while heterogeneity encouraged, political participation (voting, propensity to abstain in future, offline and online activism, and timing of vote decision) by decreasing or increasing, respectively, political interest and, in turn, knowledge.     

试析学校体育对青少年社会性格的影响

社会性格是指在一定社会结构中的大多数人为了适应社会条件的需要而共同具有的稳定的心理特征倾向及其行为习惯方式。学校体育运动可以为人们提供多种活动情景,对参与者或观看者产生一定的影响,为培养良好的社会性格创造有利的条件。     

Mindfulness,General Trust,and Social Support Among Trauma-Exposed College Students

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether mindfulness predicts general trust and social support among trauma-exposed college students, as well as to examine the potential moderating effect of posttraumatic stress on these relationships. Participants consisted of 536 trauma-exposed college students attending a public university in the southeast United States. After controlling for PTSD symptoms and type of trauma, mindfulness was positively associated with general trust and social support at low and mean levels of PTSD symptomatology; however, the relationships between mindfulness and these variables were nonsignificant at high levels of PTSD symptomatology.     

学习不良儿童研究的社会认知取向

用认知范式研究学习不良,可以从基本心理过程障碍和社会信息加工过程障碍这“两种认知过程障碍”来理解其学业和社会性困难的深层心理机制。根据该观点以及对学习不良的理解,提出用社会认知的范式推进学习不良儿童社会性研究的思路,以超越当前研究面临的困境。具体是从比较研究的视角探讨学习不良儿童与一般儿童在社会认知过程上的差异以及社会认知中主客体各因素之间的相互作用。     

Social Participation of German Students with and without a Migration Background

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Social participation is an important factor for students’ socio-emotional/academic development. The literature on the topic discusses four domains in...     

Rejecting Evolution: The Role of Religion,Education, and Social Networks

Large segments of the American public are skeptical of human evolution. Surveys consistently find that sizable minorities of the population, frequently near half, deny that an evolutionary process describes how human life developed. Using data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, I examine the role of religion and education in predicting who changes their beliefs about evolution between late adolescence and early emerging adulthood. I conclude that religion is far more important than educational attainment in predicting changing beliefs about evolution. Perhaps more importantly, I find that social networks play an important moderating role in this process. High personal religiousness is only associated with the maintenance of creationist beliefs over time when the respondent is embedded in a social network of co‐religionists. This finding suggests that researchers should pay far more attention to the social context of belief formation and change.     

我国高等教育中健康社会工作教育现状及发展路径

从躯体健康、心理健康、社会适应和道德健康方面分析健康社会工作的内涵与必要性。从开设健康社会工作方向的院校情况、健康社会工作的课程开设情况、健康社会工作的师资情况、健康社会工作方向学生的就业情况方面分析我国高等教育中健康社会工作教育的现状。以此为基础,从加强健康社会工作办学力量、完善健康社会工作课程体系、加强健康社会工作师资队伍、助推健康社会工作学生就业方面提出未来高等教育中健康社会工作教育的发展路径。

     

The Effects of Partner Learning During Spelling for Students with Severe Disabilities and Their Peers

A multiple baseline across subjects design was used to examine the effects of partner learning on the spelling performance, academic responding, and competing behavior of three students with severe disabilities and three of their classmates without disabilities. The students were enrolled in different general elementary classes. All students in these classes were assigned to partner learning triads by the general education teacher. One triad in each class included the student with severe disabilities and two classmates without disabilities. All students in the class received two, 20 min partner learning sessions each week. During partner learning, each member of the triad was asked to spell words, present words to be spelled, provide feedback to the speller, and check the spelling accuracy. These roles were rotated among the members of the triad after each trial. These roles were adapted as necessary to accommodate the academic and communication skills of the students with severe disabilities. The effects of partner learning on spelling accuracy were assessed through weekly spelling tests. The effects of partner learning on academic responding and competing behavior were assessed using the MS-CISSAR (Carta, Greenwood, Schulte, Arreaga-Mayer, Terry, 1988). Results of weekly spelling indicated that partner learning led to improved spelling accuracy for students with severe disabilities and did not negatively affect the spelling accuracy of their peers. Partner learning also led to improved rates of academic responding and reduced rates of competing behavior for 5 of 6 students. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for practice and future research.     

Social Networks and Homelessness Among Women Heads of Household

To examine possible bidirectional relationships between homelessness and deficient social networks, we compared the networks of 251 mothers before, and approximately 5 years after, their families entered shelters with networks of 291 consistently housed poor mothers. At Time 1, more women on the verge of homelessness than housed women reported that they had mothers, grandmothers, friends, and relatives but fewer believed these network members were housing resources. At Time 2, after homeless women were rehoused, these network differences between consistently housed and formerly homeless women had largely disappeared. Contrary to prior research findings, formerly homeless mothers did not report smaller networks, more children or fewer partners. However, formerly homeless women did report fewer positive functions. Because of city policies, homeless mothers were frequently rehoused far from network members.