SELF-RECORDING OF ATTENTION VERSUS PRODUCTIVITY

We investigated the relative effects of self-recording of attentive behavior and self-recording of academic productivity with 5 upper elementary-aged special education students in their special education classroom. Following baseline, both self-recording treatments were introduced according to a multielement design. After the multielement phase, we assessed the pupils' performance under a choice condition, faded the overt aspects of the treatment program according to a withdrawal design, and probed maintenance over 5 weeks. Results revealed that both treatments produced clear improvements in arithmetic productivity and attention to task, neither treatment was clearly and consistently superior to the other, pupils preferred the self-recording of attention treatment, the effects were maintained for all pupils, achievement test scores improved, and pupils generally recorded accurately.     

Effects of taste quality and intensity on oral perception of viscosity

Oral assessments of viscosity were obtained with the method of magnitude estimation. Subjects judged the viscosity of a series of aqueous solutions thickened to one of six viscosity levels (1–2025 centistokes) with a food-grade gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose. The solutions contained one of several concentrations of caffeine, citric acid, sodium chloride, or sucrose. The presence of taste substances significantly altered the perception of solution viscosity for only the thickest solutions. Increasing concentrations of citric acid and sodium chloride produced progressive decreases in perceived viscosity, and increasing sucrose concentrations produced small increases in perceived viscosity. Caffeine did not affect judgments of solution viscosity. The most likely explanation for these findings is that subjects detected differences in the Newtonian behavior of the thickened solutions, differences that were produced by the addition of taste substances.     

A comparison of the effects of child management and planned activities training in five parenting environments

This study compared the effects of two procedures designd to enhance the extratraining effects of behavioral parents training. Twenty parents of oppositianal children were randomly assign to either a child manangment training condition or a combined child management plus planned activity condition. A further 10 nonproblem children and their parents serve as a social validation group. Observation of both parents and children behavior were conducted in each of five home observation setting (breakfirst time, kindy (kindergarten) or school exit, a structured playtime, bathtime, and bedtime). Both training procedures result in change in both child oppositional and parents oversive behaviosr in all observation settings. In addition, desire positive parents behaviour also improve in all setting. Treatment effect were maintained in all setting at 3-month follow up. Composition between oppositional children following treatment and children in the social validation group showed that they each displayed similarly low lavels of oppositional behaviour in all settings. The inplecation of the results for faciliating generalised changes in behavioral parent training are discusssd.This study was supported by a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC324 82 579049). We wish to thank all families, therapists, and observers who participated in the project.     

Predicting young women's role preference for parenting and work

Young women's motivations for two sex-role options were predicted with scores describing perceived rewards/costs of parenting. Using a sequence of multiple regression analyses it was found that the reward-cost perceptions of parenting and work were predictors of the two motivational options. Individual rewards/costs of parenting and work items were better predictors than summed items. It was found that a preference for the career choice was produced by not viewing parenting as rewarding. The preference for parenting choice was influenced most by perceiving parenting as rewarding. The perceived cost and rewards of work were not predictors of a career choice. The items found to be the best predictors for either the parenting or career choice all dealt with perceptions of parenting. It was concluded that these parenting perceptions are the key elements for young women's role motivations.     

The role of police dogs as companions and working partners

Written responses to a questionnaire by 255 officers who used canines in police work were assessed. Almost all officers frequently played with, talked to, petted, and brushed their dogs and believed the dogs benefitted their health and well-being. Officers whose dogs slept indoors, often in the same bedroom, generally said they loved their dogs and they described their dogs as calm rather than active, as indicated by a multiple correspondence analysis. These 96 officers more than the 154 officers whose dogs slept outdoors or in kennels also planned to remain in canine work. Although departments often assumed responsibility for purchasing the dogs, the more experienced officers usually were involved in the final selection of dogs (logistic regression: p < .0001). Compared with 94 officers not involved in selecting their dogs, 106 officers with a specific role in selecting their dogs planned to stay in canine work, as shown by a multiple correspondence analysis. They believed the dogs had saved their lives (p < .01). Over-all, officers reported spending 4.1 hr. on-duty and 2.9 hr. off-duty per week training their dogs, and also played with them for 6.5 hr. per week, assuring a regular pattern of exercise for the officers. Virtually all officers valued canine service and believed the dogs enhanced the department's effectiveness. This study showed that both close companionship with the dog and involvement in selecting the dog were associated both with satisfaction with the dog and with working as a canine officer.     

Sex differences in feelings attributed to a woman in situations involving coercion and sexual advances.

This study investigated sex differences of feelings attributed to a woman in situations involving varying degrees of coercion and sexual advances. Sixteen vignettes (12 dealing with sex and coercion, 4 dealing with coercion only) were rated on 17 semantic differential scales by 59 undergraduates (44 females, 15 males) and 45 graduate students (18 females, 27 males). The 16 vignettes yielded factors of Sexual Flattery/Overtures, Sexual Aggressiveness, and Violence. Factor analyses of the 17 semantic differential scales yielded factors of Helplessness, Aversiveness, and Threat. High agreement was found between males and females in both the graduate and undergraduate samples on the relative intensity of feelings attributed to the woman across the sex/coercion vignettes for the three dimensions of Helplessness, Aversiveness, and Threat. Even more importantly, systematic differences between males and females on intensity of attributed feelings across the semantic differential factors were independently replicated using the graduate and undergraduate samples. Analyses of variance revealed that males showed significantly greater attributions on the factors Helplessness and Threat on scenes mainly dealing with sexual flattery/overtures, whereas they showed significantly less attributions on the factor Aversiveness on scenes dealing with sexual aggressiveness and rape. In short, while there was strong agreement between men and women, there were also replicated significant systematic differences with men overestimating the psychological impact of less intense incidents and underestimating the psychological impact on women of more intense incidents.