Experimental treatment of early stuttering: a preliminary study

This pilot study compared two treatments for stuttering in preschool-age children. Thirty children were randomly assigned to either a Lidcombe Program (LP) treatment or a Demands and Capacities Model (DCM) treatment. Stuttering frequencies and severity ratings were obtained immediately before and after treatment (12 weeks). The stuttering frequencies and severity ratings significantly decreased for both treatment groups. No differences between groups were found. Parents of children in both groups were cooperative in many respects, and there were no differences between them on scales that measured their satisfaction with the two treatments. The findings suggest that randomized controlled trials of LP versus DCM treatments are feasible, and they underline the need for experimental analyses of the two treatments. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The reader will be able to: (1) describe the principles and methods of Lidcombe treatment for early stuttering; (2) delineate principles and methods of Demands and Capacities Model treatment; and (3) summarize results of an investigation that compared these programs' relative effects in a pilot study.     

Macro and Micro Goal Setting: In Search of Coherence

In this article we discuss macro and micro goal setting approaches, focusing on the relations between goals at different organisational levels. Translating strategic goals in a top-down manner throughout the organisation is a rather complex process. In organisations, at least one intermediate level between macro (i.e. strategic) and micro (i.e. operational) goals can be distinguished: the level of meso (i.e. tactical) goal setting. The process of a strategic dialogue is introduced to arrive at organisational goal coherence, which is defined as consensus on goal priorities within single constituencies and between multiple constituencies at different organisational levels. This process is illustrated in a case study, in which the CATPCA method has been applied to empirically operationalise degrees of consensus. Effects of the strategic dialogue on organisational goal coherence are demonstrated.     

Concurrent schedules: Maximization versus reinforcement of changeover behaviour

Pigeons responded on concurrent variable-interval 180-sec variable-interval 36-sec schedules during Conditions 1 and 3 of Experiment 1. Condition 2 arranged variable-interval 60-sec schedules for both response alternatives. The schedule assigned to the alternative that was associated with the variable-interval 36-sec schedule in Conditions 1 and 3 operated only when the subject responded on that alternative. The proportion of time spent responding on the alternative with the conventional variable-interval 60-sec schedule increased during Condition 2, but exclusive choice of that alternative did not develop. This result is inconsistent with maximization of the overall reinforcement rate and with maximization of the momentary probability of reinforcement (momentary maximizing). Increasing time proportions were also found in Experiment 2, which arranged similar conditions, except that reinforcement was provided on a variable-time basis. The time proportions were close to the momentary maximizing prediction in Experiment 2. The results of both experiments can be explained if it is assumed that time allocation is controlled by delayed reinforcement of changeovers between alternatives.     

Specific Effect of Modeling Ion Young Children’s Word Productions

The Psychological Record - Effects of object-name contiguity on word production were examined in 11/2- to 2-yr-old children. Two objects and two spoken names were presented in each of three...     

Book reviews

Lea, S. E. G., Tarpy, R. M., & Webley, P. (1987). The individual in the economy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 627 + xxiv. ISBN 0-521-26872-9. £39.50 (Hardback). ISBN 0-521-317014. £13.95 (Paperback).

Davey, G. & Cullen, C. (Eds.) (1988). Human operant conditioning and behaviour modifcution. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Pp. x + 270. ISBN 0-471-91637-4. £29.50.

Commons, M. L., Mazur, J. E., Nevin, J. A. & Rachlin, H. (Eds.). (1987), Quantitative analyses of behavior. Vol. 5: The efect of delay and of intervening events on reinforcement value. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Pp. 344. ISBN 0-89859-800-1. £31.00.

Pearce, J. M. (1987). An introduction to animal cognition. Hove and London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Ltd. Pp. 328. ISBN 0-86377-0568 (hardback) 219.95; ISBN 0-86377457-6 (paperback) £9.95.

Archer, J. (1988). The behavioural biology of aggression. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. x + 257. ISBN 0-521-34790-4. £9.95 (paperback).

Greenberg, G. and Tobach, E. (Eds.) (1987). Cognition, language, and consciousness: Integrative tevels. The T. C. Schneirla Conference Series. Volume 2. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Pp. ix + 301. ISBN 0-89859-7224. £27.50.

Mook, D.G. (1987). Motivation: The organisation of action. New York: Norton. Pp. xxii + 586. ISBN 0-393-95474-9. £12.95 (hardback).

Frank, H. (Ed.) (1987). Man and wolf: Advances, issues and problems in captive wow research. Dordrecht: Dr. W. Junk. Pp. xviii + 439. ISBN 90-6193-614-4. £103.25 (hardback).     

Concurrent schedules: Effects of reinforcement rate and changeover delay on time allocation in a three-alternative procedure

Pigeons were exposed to a continuous choice procedure where three alternatives alternated in a fixed, recycling order (ABCABC, etc.). Responses were reinforced according to independent variable-interval schedules. For three birds, the reinforcement rate for responses on alternative C was varied. For three other birds, the duration of the changeover delay after the changeover to C was varied. For both groups, the reinforcement rates and changeover delay durations associated with A and B were constant throughout the experiment. The time proportion at A relative to B increased as a function of the reinforcement rate for responses on C and decreased as a function of the duration of the changeover delay during C. The results show that the proportion of time spent at a variable-interval alternative of a continuous choice procedure is not completely determined by the reinforcement rates provided by the alternatives. The results support the assumption that time allocation is governed by delayed reinforcement of changeover behaviour.