Establishing equivalence–equivalence analogical relations via tact and listener training

We investigated the role of verbal behavior on the emergence of analogy-type responding as measured via equivalence–equivalence relations. In Experiment 1, 8 college students learned to label arbitrary stimuli as, “vek,” “zog,” and “paf”, and in Experiment 2, 8 additional participants learned to select these stimuli when hearing their names in an auditory–visual matching-to-sample (MTS) task. Experimenters tested for the emergence of relational tacts (i.e., “same” and “different”) and equivalence–equivalence relations (analogy tests) via visual–visual MTS. Half of the participants were exposed to a think-aloud procedure. Even though they all passed analogy tests while tacting stimuli relationally, only participants exposed to tact training (Experiment 1) did so without the need for remediation. The results of these experiments confirm that individual discriminative and relational control of stimuli established through verbal behavior training is sufficient to produce equivalence–equivalence analogical responding, advancing the analysis of complex cognitive (problem-solving) phenomena.     

General intelligence,temperament, and the Matching Familiar Figures Test

To investigate the relationship between general intelligence g and temperament, highly intelligent 10-year-old children (N = 151) were compared with classmates of the same gender and socio-economic status but of average intelligence (N = 134). The two ability groups were administered the Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT) during home visits. The parents and teachers rated the temperament of the children. The results showed a consistent pattern: highly intelligent children are more task-oriented, e.g. less distractible and more controlled than their average counterparts. In the MFFT, gifted children not only gave a higher percentage of correct answers, but also showed longer (!) reaction times.     

The Role of Families in Adolescent HIV Prevention: A Review

Recent research has highlighted the significant contribution families make in the prevention of HIV risk behaviors among adolescents. As the most proximal and fundamental social system influencing child development, families provide many of the factors that protect adolescents from engaging in sexual risk behaviors. Among these are positive family relations, effective communication about sexuality and safer sexual behaviors, enhancement and support of academic functioning, and monitoring of peer activities. HIV risk behaviors occur in a social context, and it is becoming clear that the earliest and most effective way to intervene is in the context where one initially learns about relationships and behavior—the family. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Mental Health have taken steps to support and emphasize research that will further elucidate our understanding of the role of families in HIV prevention. This article uses Ecodevelopmental Theory to guide and organize the findings of this promising research area. Within this context, and with special attention to the comorbidity of adolescent problem behaviors, this article reviews empirical research on the role of families in HIV prevention, discusses current intervention efforts that involve families and ecosystems, and addresses prospects and implications for future research and interventions.     

Medical practitioners' competence and confidentiality decisions with a minor: An anorexia nervosa case study

Minors (i.e., those under 18 years of age) hold a tenuous legal position in medical settings. While recent legal authority in numerous jurisdictions affords competent minors the right to consent to medical treatment, the guidelines for assessing competence are often vague or non-existent. In addition, these changes have not adequately addressed the issue of confidentiality, and it is unclear whether general practitioners (GPs) owe a duty of confidentiality to competent minors. As medical practitioners are the first point of contact in medical settings, the present study explored GPs' competence and confidentiality determinations regarding a 16-year-old female patient who presented with symptoms of an eating disorder. Questionnaires and hypothetical scenarios were sent to a sample of 1000 GPs, of which 305 responded. Results indicated that 62% of respondents would have found the patient competent, while 82% would have maintained her confidentiality. However, analysis of the rationales provided for these decisions revealed a wide discrepancy in GPs' understanding and implementation of current legal principles. This research highlights the necessity of providing GPs with clear guidelines regarding competence and confidentiality determinations when dealing with minors.