Test-retest reliability of the Profile of Mood States using visually impaired athletes

The test-retest reliabilities of the Profile of Mood States when items were read aloud on consecutive days to 15 nationally ranked visually impaired athletes ranged from .78 to .95, so the scale can be used with visually impaired athletes who cannot complete the profile in the traditional written manner.     

The comparability of verbal and nonverbal semantic differential scales in a joint semantic space

As an alternative to the verbal Semantic Differential (SD) measure of affective meaning systems, a nonverbal instrument-the Graphic Differential (GD)-has been developed for subject populations who have difficulty in verbal ratings. However, the factor structures of the pictographic scales have never been examined in a joint-verbal and nonverbal-semantic space as to whether their structures are equivalent to the affective systems defined by the verbal markers. The present study assessed this issue by reanalyzing the French (1977) data. The results indicated that when verbal SD and nonverbal GD scales were factor-analyzed separately, the three-dimensional structures of Evaluation (E), Potency (P), and Activity (A) were recaptured in both domains. However, when they were analyzed simultaneously in a joint semantic space, only the E and A dimensions were congruent. The GD P scales carried the meanings of denotative Heaviness, rather than the affective Potency. For future investigation, suggestion was made to systematically study both the affective and denotative semantic features within the contexts of nonverbal communciations.The authors made equal contributions toward the completion of the present research.     

Treatment rights of the mentally retarded: The cost of refusal

The cost of the mentally retarded client's rights to refuse treatment, in both monetary and human terms, varies under different legal/clinical circumstances. The process of placing severely retarded clients into the community with poor or no supervision, especially those who refuse or are denied treatment, can result in devastating costs for the client and others. The complexities associated with mental retardation require sophisticated treatment considerations. Moreover, these clients often need guidance in making meaningful decisions relevant to their quality of life. In order for this process to produce desirable results, for both the mentally retarded client and society, in general, a balance must be struck between the legal and clinical factors involved.     

Implementation of a token economy by peer tutors to increase on-task physical activity time of autistic children

The data generated in this study were graphed for visual inspection of the raw data and means. Of the 5 subjects, 4 improved their time on task on the balance beam in at least one of the intervention phases. The other subject did not improve during the intervention phases but, there was a positive slope in the final intervention phase which might have continued had the intervention been longer. Further study is required.     

The zone of potential development: implications for intelligence testing in the year 2000

The emphasis of this paper is the practice and interpretation of intelligence testing of educable retarded children. The current and future state of intelligence testing are in terms of three criteria: their predictive, diagnostic and remedial functions. In the first section we consider individual testing formats within a framework of Vygotsky's theory of potential development and the underlying assumptions of that theory concerning task analysis and transferring of training. In section two, we consider the social nature of the testing situation and the degree of contextual support provided for the learner. In the final section we consider Neisser's distinction between academic intelligence and everyday thinking with particular reference to the life adjustment of mildly retarded citizens     

Characteristics of doctoral and nondoctoral school psychology programs: Their implications for the entry-level doctorate

In the past 10 years the number of graduates in school psychology has doubled, and student enrollment has tripled. Rapid growth in the psychological profession has brought with it an attempt to make the doctoral degree the minimal credential for entry to independent practice. Examination of the characteristics of doctoral and nondoctoral training programs in school psychology suggests that each type of program has distinct points in its favor.     

A computer program for automated scoring of exteroceptive suppression periods

Exteroceptive suppression (ES) of temporalis muscle activity has received recent attention as a method of investigating central mechanisms in the pathogenesis of chronic headache disorders. Unfortunately, the resolution of conflicting findings has been hampered by the use of different assessment and scoring methodologies across laboratories, which has limited the direct comparison of findings across studies. A computer program was developed with the goal of providing an automated and reliable method of scoring ES responses. Processing an ES response with this software provides both visual and quantitative information relating to various response parameters. Multiple levels of smoothing the raw waveform data are available, and the software offers scoring on the basis of multiple depth-of-suppression criteria. The program also generates values for a variety of ES parameters: latency, duration, area, maximum level of suppression with its corresponding time (msec), and baseline level of muscle activity. It is likely that a reliable and standardized scoring protocol would enhance comparability of ES data generated across different settings.     

Native american alcoholism: A transcultural counseling perspective

Alcohol-related mental and physical health problems are critical problems among Native Americans. The intensity of these problems increased proportionately to the destruction of traditional/aboriginal ways. Despite centuries of attempts at physical and cultural genocide a semblance of traditionalism survived to the presence among many tribal groups. Nonetheless the vast majority of contemporary Native Americans are ‘marginal’—caught between their traditional culture and the demands of the dominant United States society. Treating Native Americans merely from the conventional clinical perspective spells of ethnocentrism while a pure traditional approach often serves to restrict both off-reservation mobility and inter-tribal interactions. Here the transcultural approach offers a needed bridge for effective Native American alcohol and mental health counseling.