The effects of component duration on multiple-schedule performance in closed and open economies.

Pigeons responded on multiple variable-interval variable-interval schedules of reinforcement in an open and a closed economy. Equal duration components were increased in duration while the component rates of reinforcement were held constant, the component schedules were reversed, and component duration was decreased. In the open economy, daily sessions were limited to 1 hr, and subjects were maintained at 80% of their free-feeding weights through supplemental feeding when necessary in their home cages. In the closed economy, subjects were housed in their experimental chambers and no deprivation regimen was enforced. Relative response rate decreased as components were lengthened in the open economy, whereas in the closed economy relative rate increased as components were lengthened. Response proportions overmatched reinforcer proportions to a greater extent at long component durations in the closed economy, but there was no systematic effect of component duration on responding in the open economy.     

Effect of mouth opening on bite-force discrimination

The purpose of this study was to determine whether different extents of mouth opening affect normal subjects' (N = 24; 12 women, 12 men) ability to discriminate differences in their interincisor bite force. Three mouth openings were selected including 50, 70, and 90 percent of maximum opening for each subject. Bite force was measured using a specially designed strain gauge scale which permitted subjects to monitor visually when their biting force equalled a preset resistance. Resistance forces of 500 and 1000 gm. were selected as standards. The procedure involved the use of a modified method of constant stimuli in which each subject was presented with a series of paired resistance settings, one at a time--the first resistance setting being the standard and the second resistance was the comparator. This paired-comparisons procedure was continued until the subjects' difference limen (DL) value (the threshold of discrimination between two forces) could be established. An analysis of variance yielded no significant differences in subjects' ability to discriminate bite force as a function of mouth opening.     

Mixed-Design Training Outcomes for Fellows Serving At-Risk Youth Within Integrated Care Settings

We used an exploratory mixed-methods design with single-case comparative analysis and analysis of covariance to evaluate the potential effectiveness of an interprofessional clinical training in a mental health counseling program. Initial findings indicate those engaging in specialized learning experiences that attended to critical aspects of youth behavioral health care experienced benefits with regard to their professional development, interprofessional socialization and valuing, and counseling self-efficacy. Implications for the usefulness of trainings focused on interprofessional experiences are framed in relation to professional trends concerning integrated health care.     

Short Form of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents among community and institutionalized Portuguese youths

Background/Objective: Social anxiety is a common issue arising in adolescence that can cause significant impairment and have detrimental consequences for development in the absence of treatment. In this study we examined the factor structure and the psychometric properties of a 12-item short form of the Portuguese-Language Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A-SF). Method: A community adolescent sample (N = 835) and a young offender sample (N = 244) completed the SAS-A, the Basic Empathy Scale and the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, cross gender and cross sample invariance, convergent and discriminant validity of the SAS-A-SF were analyzed. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 3-factor second-order model obtained the best fit.The results provided evidence that the SAS-A-SF is a psychometrically sound instrument that shows measurement invariance across genders and across samples, good reliability and positive correlations with empathy. Conclusions: The Portuguese version of SAS-A-SF is a useful, time-efficient tool for both researchers and practitioners who need to assess social anxiety, a relevant construct in adolescent psychopathology.     

Ambulante manualisierte Verhaltenstherapie bei Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a serious illness leading to high morbidity and mortality. Its treatment poses a particular challenge to psychotherapists offering outpatient treatment. Often therapists follow or work according to a treatment manual. Supervision in the treatment of anorexia nervosa patients intends to promote quality assurance as well as to foster therapists’ mental hygiene. It offers the opportunity to collect plenty of practical experiences. Some of these will be presented here to provide suggestions and support to therapists working with anorexia nervosa patients. Certain treatment modules of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) such as motivation, eating behavior, case formulation and relapse prevention will be considered. Regarding the therapist-patient relationship ambivalent relation shaping and motivational interviewing will be targeted.     

Association between burnout and anger in oncology versus ophthalmology health care professionals

The prevalence of burnout in oncology staff was compared with that of the ophthalmology staff, who normally present a low prevalence of burnout as described in this literature. The correlation of burnout with the emotion of anger was also investigated. Thirty-six subjects working in an oncology department and 32 working in an ophthalmology department were examined using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. The oncology group showed higher mean scores on the MBI Emotive Exhaustion and Depersonalization scales with respect to ophthalmology staff. Correlation analysis showed that increasing burnout was associated with higher anger expressed towards the environment and loss of anger control. Anger, as a response to frustration, appears to be a feature constantly associated with the clinical expression of burnout and it should not be underestimated in theoretical and preventive contexts.     

Testing antecedents to sales performance in postapartheid era: a field study

The predictors of objectively measured sales performance were assessed with 245 sales representatives from a large South African life insurance company. Sales representatives completed measures of their locus of control, entrepreneurial attitudes, biographical history, and performance was assessed from company records of sales, net commissions earned, and lapse ratios. The nature of employment contract, job status, and race explained significant differences in performance outcomes. The predictive nature of locus of control and entrepreneurial attitudes for performance outcomes was tested using structural equation modeling procedures, with limited validity. The implications for research and practice are also discussed.     

The gender-congruency effect in picture-word tasks

In Dutch noun phrases like “het boek” (the book) or “de kat” (the cat), the definite article (het or de) depends on the noun's grammatical gender (neuter or non-neuter). Schriefers reported that the production of a noun phrase like “het rode bed” (“the red bed”) in response to a colored picture takes less time when the picture is accompanied by a distractor word of congruent gender (e.g., “huis,” a het-word) than when it is accompanied by a word of incongruent gender (e.g., “hand,” a de-word). In three experiments we explored the characteristics of this gender-congruency effect. The following conclusions were reached. First, the gender-congruency effect is a rather robust phenomenon. Second, with the exception of a small effect in Exp. 2, no evidence was obtained for a gender-congruency effect when subjects were required to produce a single noun in response to a picture (e.g., “bed”). Third, the gender-congruency effect decreases with a decreasing familiarity of the distractor word. Implications for models of word production are discussed. Received: 20 May 1997 / Accepted: 25 September 1997     

Social Anxiety Among Adolescents: Linkages with Peer Relations and Friendships

This study examined the utility of modifying the Social Anxiety Scale for Children—Revised (SASC-R) for use with adolescents, and examined associations between adolescents' social anxiety (SA) and their peer relations, friendships, and social functioning. Boys (n = 101) and girls (n = 149) in the 10th through 12th grades completed the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) and measures of social support, perceived competence, and number and quality of their best friendships. Factor analysis of the SAS-A confirmed a three-factor structure: Fear of Negative Evaluation, Social Avoidance and Distress in General, and Social Avoidance Specific to New Situations or Unfamiliar Peers. Girls reported more SA than boys, and SA was more strongly linked to girls' social functioning than boys'. Specifically, adolescents with higher levels of SA reported poorer social functioning (less support from classmates, less social acceptance), and girls with higher levels of SA reported fewer friendships, and less intimacy, companionship, and support in their close friendships. These findings extend work on the SASC-R to adolescents, and suggest the importance of SA for understanding the social functioning and close friendships of adolescents, especially girls.