A preliminary analysis of instructional control in the maintenance of appropriate behavior

This bridge study evaluated the effects of contingency-specifying instructions (CSIs) and incomplete instructions (IIs) in terms of establishing instructional control of appropriate behavior. Results suggested that instructional control and maintenance were achieved with CSIs but not with IIs. Results are discussed in terms of the potential use of instructional control in the maintenance of appropriate behavior for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.     

Intelligence, sex and psychomotor performance

This experiment investigated the effect of intelligence and sex on two simple psychomotor performance tests—Backward Figure Writing (BFW) and Backward Alphabet Writing (BAW) in 180 high-school students (90 boys and 90 girls). Three levels of intelligence, high, medium and low were taken. Ss being first matched on Extraversion and Neuroticism. Each S worked for 5 min in pre-test period, rested for 1 min and again worked for 2 min in post-rest period. Results indicated that in pre- and post-rest BFW, increase in speed of response was a direct function of increase in intelligence. Similar results were obtained in pre-rest BAW. In post-rest BAW, however, highest performance scores were obtained by the group, average in intelligence, followed by high and low intelligence groups. Sex did not emerge as a significant determiner of performance in BFW. In BAW, means favoured boys in both pre- and post-rest conditions and the F-ratio for sex emerged significant in post-rest BAW only. None of the interactions emerged as significant. The comparison of effects in two independent variables indicated the task-specific nature of various psychomotor tasks.     

A pragmatic trial evaluating the effectiveness of web versus live training in functional behavior assessment and interventions among special educators

This study adopted a pragmatic trial with randomization to investigate the relative effectiveness of web versus live training on special educators' competence and perceived skills in functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior interventions. Pragmatic trials seek to determine the effectiveness of an intervention in a real-world setting to ensure better application and generalizability in routine practice conditions. The live training group received an in-person workshop delivered in a lecture format via powerpoint slides. The web training group received asynchronous online instruction via a secure website. The same training content was delivered to both groups. Participants were randomly assigned across both instructional modalities and completed two pre- and post-test measures. Results indicated that participants (N = 104) in both groups showed a significant increase in theoretical competence of FBA and behavior interventions post training. Only participants in the live workshop group reported a significant increase in perceived skill scores. When comparing outcomes across groups, the live training group gained significantly more theoretical competence in FBA and behavior interventions than that in the web training group. These results shed light on the practical implications of online platforms for professional development among in-service teachers in behavior management for schools with children having disabilities and challenging behavior.     

Correlations begin at home: drivers of co-occurrence patterns in personality and cognitive ability in wild populations of zebrafish

Animal Cognition - Aquatic habitats are extremely dynamic, with constantly changing ecological factors, which has now been exacerbated due to human-induced rapid environmental change. In such...     

The emergence of a South Asian business elite in the United Kingdom

This article explores the emergence of a South Asian business elite in Britain based on primary research. It suggests that today's South Asian business elites possess the initial socioeconomic resources that are advantageous for business expansion. In addition, they have broken out of the confines of their local ethnic community to expand their business operations. They no longer rely heavily on co-ethnic labour or exclusively serve their own community's needs. Even those who started out in small-scale retailing have now diversified into more profitable businesses. These findings suggest that British Asian business elites lose some of their “ethnic” features when they own big businesses. Many strive to be regarded as British rather than Asian or ethnic entrepreneurs because they believe that integration is necessary for business success in Britain. Nevertheless, they have forged international business links and use their knowledge of different countries and cultures as leverage.     

Prompt Density,Rate of Reinforcement,and the Persistence of Manding

The Psychological Record - Previous research has documented the effects of prompting mands at a relatively high rate (i.e., rich schedule) or low rate (i.e., lean schedule). These previous studies...