Halo Effects in Ratings of ADHD and ODD: Identification of Susceptible Symptoms

Halo effects in the assessment of ADHD and ODD were examined. Participants were 159 undergraduate college students who rated children described as showing disruptive behaviors. Bidirectional halo effects were found. Specifically, the presence of oppositionality artificially inflated ratings of inattention and hyperactivity, and the combined presence of inattention and hyperactivity artificially inflated ratings of oppositionality. Several specific items were found to be particularly susceptible to halo effects. Due to these halo effects caution should be exercised when diagnosing multiple behavior disorders, especially with items found to be particularly susceptible. Clinical interviews conducted by mental health professionals may help distinguish between the true presence of multiple disorders and halo effects based on ratings. Future research should determine whether structured interviews conducted by mental health professionals are less susceptible to halo effects than rating scales.     

Framing alters risk-taking behavior on a modified Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) in a sex-specific manner

Framing uncertain scenarios to emphasize potential positive or negative elements influences decision making and behavior. The current experiment investigated sex differences in framing effects on risk-taking propensity in a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Male and female undergraduates completed questionnaires on sensation seeking, impulsiveness, and risk and benefit perception prior to viewing one of three framing conditions for the BART: (1) positively-framed instructions emphasizing the ability to earn money if balloons were inflated to large size; (2) negatively framed instructions emphasizing the possibility that money could be lost if balloons were inflated to bursting; and (3) completely framed instructions noting both possible outcomes. Results revealed correlations between BART performance and impulsiveness for both sexes. Compared to positive and complete framing, negatively framed instructions decreased balloon inflation time in women but not men, indicating sex differences in response to treatments designed to alter risk-taking behavior.     

Spatial and feature-based memory representation in free-flying homing pigeons

The memory-based recognition of a goal is a capacity well demonstrated in birds, and understanding this ability often involves determining the relative importance of spatial and feature information in representing the properties of a goal. However, surprisingly little avian research has examined goal recognition in a field setting. Here, we demonstrate that homing pigeons can be successfully trained outdoors to fly to and land on a goal platform located in an array of other platforms at a distance on the order of 100 m. They can do so under conditions when the properties of the goal are stable in time as well as when the properties of the goal periodically change; the latter condition indicating that homing pigeons can rapidly adapt their memory representations to take into account changing environmental conditions. When probed for preferential use of either spatial (location) or feature-based (color) information, the pigeons demonstrated an indifferent capacity to use both independent of task demands. The homing pigeon memory systems that support goal recognition appear to be opportunistic with respect to the information exploited, using spatial and feature information equally to guide their behavior. Therefore, and despite strong natural and artificial selection for navigational ability, spatial information is no more important than feature cues in representing a goal location for homing pigeons flying outdoors.     

The Good Behavior Game in preschool classrooms: An evaluation of feedback

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a popular group contingency implemented to decrease disruptive behavior in classrooms. However, despite numerous replications of the GBG, there are few direct comparisons evaluating the effectiveness of specific components of the GBG. In the present study, we directly compared the type of feedback delivered during the GBG on the effectiveness of the GBG to reduce disruptive behavior in two preschool classrooms. Results showed that delivering vocal feedback (e.g., “raise your hand”) alone or in combination with visual feedback (i.e., hatch marks) was superior to no feedback or visual feedback alone during the GBG. These results suggest that different variations of the GBG are not equally effective and that a collection of effective procedural variations from which teachers can choose would be beneficial.     

Spousal understanding and marital satisfaction in pain patients and their spouses

The current study tested the hypotheses that knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients and spouses who report more spousal understanding of patient's pain would report greater marital satisfaction. A total of 124 couples completed interviews at three time points across 18 months. Results from dyadic analyses showed that patients who felt more understood by their spouse report, and have spouses who report, higher marital satisfaction concurrently. In addition, patients who felt more understood by their spouse reported higher marital satisfaction over time. Spouses' reports of understanding also had a significant influence on the patients' and their own marital satisfaction concurrently. Results highlight the importance of spouses understanding knee OA patients' pain for both dyad members' marital satisfaction.