ENHANCING THE ACCURACY OF LOW‐FREQUENCY BEHAVIOR DATA COLLECTION BY DIRECT‐CARE STAFF

Accurate data collection on low‐frequency problem behavior is imperative given the paucity of opportunities to observe, record, and assess responding. Infrequently occurring behavior also provides a challenge for staff training relative to data collection. The present study evaluated the use of task clarification and feedback to teach direct‐care staff members to take data on recorded, simulated problem behavior. Results indicated that the procedures were effective in increasing accuracy not only in the contrived scenarios but also for problem behavior in the natural environment. These data suggest that task clarification and feedback on simulated problem behavior may be an effective method to increase accurate data collection on problem behavior in the natural environment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationships of children's grade in school,sex, and social class to teachers' ratings on the behavior problem checklist

The present study investigated the relationships of children's grade in school, sex, and social class to teachers' ratings on the Behavior Problem Checklist (BPCL). The sample consisted of 1,999 white children from kindergarten through fifth grade who were in regular classes. Three conclusions may be drawn from the study. The first is that grade and the interactions of grade with sex and social class are determinants of scores on the BPCL, but that no particular trends are characteristic of the relationships between these and the dependent variables. The second is that sex and social class are also determinants of scores on the BPCL, with boys and children from the lower social classes having more problems and girls and children from the higher social classes having fewer problems. The third is that the differences between schools and between teachers are responsible for more of the variance on the BPCL than grade, sex, and social class.For permission and assistance in obtaining the sample, the authors gratefully acknowledge John Bowser, superintendent of the Alief Independent School District, Alief, Texas. The authors thank Dorothy Schreiner, secretary-to-the-superintendent, and the following school principals and their teachers for their valuable cooperation: Betty A. Bennett, Jane E. Hunt, Bertha Jamison, James Keel, and James R. Woodfin. Appreciation is also expressed to Richard M. Patterson and James J. Wilmoth who generously offered their advice concerning the data analysis.     

The use of paraprofessionals in crisis intervention

Single-session crisis services by paraprofessionals (graduate students and community volunteers) in the emergency room of a community hospital were offered to 293 clients. These clients were followed-up 6 to 12 months after their last contact and asked about: (1) the effectiveness of the service, (2) their use of referrals, (3) the major source of change in their crisis situation, and (4) their rating of improvement for their presenting problem. There were 104 clients who completed the follow-up. The results support the interpretation that timely intervention by paraprofessionals may have long-lasting results in specific problem areas. A model emphasizing the use of service deliverers as researchers is proposed.     

Effects of peripheral immune activation on social behavior and adrenocortical activity in aggressive mice: Genotype-environment interactions

To explore genetic-developmental differences in the biobehavioral effects of induced illness, males from two lines of mice selectively bred for high or low levels of aggressive behavior were injected with endotoxin (Escherichia coli, LPS: 0.25 mg/kg, 1.25 mg/kg, or 2.5 mg, i.p.) or saline. Body temperature, weight, and locomotor activity were monitored immediately before and 8 and 24 hr after injection. Twenty-four hours after injection, social behaviors were assessed in a 10-min dyadic test, and hypothalamus, spleen, and serum were collected. In both lines, endotoxin treatment increased behavioral immobility ("freezing") and decreased social exploration. Other effects showed line differences: Males from the high-aggressive line had a lower threshold to endotoxin-induced effects on body temperature, weight loss, spleen weight, and corticosterone. Social reactivity (startle response to mild social investigation) increased in the high-aggressive line and decreased in the low-aggressive line after treatment. In the high-aggressive line only, endotoxin decreased attack frequency and increased latency to attack. The interactions between selected line (genotype) and endotoxin treatment (environment) demonstrate that genetic-developmental differences in social and aggressive behavior may indicate the extent to which immune stimuli (e.g., bacteria, viruses, cytokines) function as "biobehavioral stressors." Aggr. Behav. 23:93–105, 1997.© 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Bidirectional relations between different forms of prosocial behaviors and substance use among female college student athletes

Bidirectional, longitudinal relations between alcohol and marijuana use and prosocial behaviors in women college student athletes were examined. Participants were 187 female college students (M_age = 19.87 years; 91% White) who completed questionnaires on their use of marijuana and alcohol, and six forms of prosocial behaviors across 6 years (2004–2010). The findings yield overall evidence that earlier marijuana use predicted lower levels of most specific forms of prosocial behaviors for women athletes in later young adulthood. Early expressions of altruistic behaviors predicted less marijuana use in later young adulthood. Expression of public prosocial behaviors early in young adulthood predicted higher levels of hazardous drinking in late young adulthood. These novel findings have important implications for links between prosocial development and substance use in women college athletes.     

What Contributes to College Students’ Cheating? A Study of Individual Factors

To better understand the multiple individual factors that contribute to college cheating, we undertook a multivariate analysis of a national sample of 2,503 college students. Our findings indicated that demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status, and year in college), character qualities (e.g., lack of self-control, others-oriented life purpose), college experience (e.g., academic preparation, extracurricular activities involvement, and working), and student perceptions and attitudes (e.g., attitude toward academic cheating, perception of faculty’s actions against cheating and cheating environment) are all significantly associated with academic cheating.     

Cultural influences for college student language brokers

Children from immigrant families often translate communication for parents, a process known as language brokering (LB). LB begins in childhood, but may continue through emerging adulthood, even when individuals are in college. We surveyed 1,222 university students with two immigrant parents and compared non-language brokers, infrequent language brokers, and frequent language brokers on a variety of ethnic, cultural, and identity measures. Significant differences emerged for cultural heritage value orientation, ethnic identity, and dimensions of acculturation with frequent language brokers scoring highest, infrequent language brokers scoring in the middle, and non-language brokers scoring the lowest on these measures. There were no significant differences on acculturative stress among these three groups. These results suggest that LB experiences may contribute to the development of psychological assets for ethnic minority, emerging adults from immigrant families.