Social problem solving training: A follow-up study of cognitive and behavioral effects

The long term effects of Spivack and Shures' social problem-solving training were assessed and compared to an attention-placebo control. Thirty-seven preschool age children were involved in this year's long intervention project and six month follow-up. All subjects received 46 sessions of intervention by specially trained assistants. Support was found for the cognitive effectiveness of social problem-solving training with aberrant children at post test in that they gained significantly in their ability to generate alternative solutions to interpersonal problems. This differential effect was not sustained at follow-up. Blind teacher ratings of behavioral adjustment and independent observers' ratings of behavior (using a naturalistic observation scale developed for this study) revealed no significant behavioral training effects at post test or at follow-up. Findings are discussed with the suggestion that behavior change in young children may not be mediated through a strictly cognitive intervention, and may more logically require an integration of behavioral and cognitve techniques.     

Effects of group variance and advocated position on conformity1

A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was used to test the influence of amount of group variance, direction of advocated shift, and judgmental instruction sets on conforming responses The hypothesis predicted an interaction where conformity was maximized, with less variance under empirical validation instructions and with more variance under social validation instructions Subjects were preselected for neutral opinions on three items, which were subsequently used as experimental items Social influence was induced by making the responses of four other subjects available on each trial These responses were dispersed with either greater or lesser amounts of variance and either agreed or disagreed with the statement Instructions indicating that expert evaluation was available provided empirical validation instructions, while alternate instructions indicating lack of standardized norms provided social validation instructions Subjects changed opinions significantly more when the group advocated agreement than when it advocated disagreement on the issue The major hypothesis was partially supported by the data Responses on a postexperimental item indicated preferences for less variance under empirical instructions sets but preference for greater variance under social instructions sets The conformity results suggested that the predicted interaction may occur only if the situational context is favorable, as when the group advocates agreement on an issue     

Polarization as a function of meaning and consequences

Studied the effect of meaning and consequences on shifts toward extreme judgments (polarization) as a result of group discussion. Since it was hypothesized that high levels of both meaning and consequences would activate pressures to conform to the appropriate cultural norm, greater polarization was predicted under those conditions. Consequences were varied by asking subjects how willing they were to participate in another actual (high consequences) or hypothetical (low consequences) experiment. Meaning was varied by information that the proposed experiment would have high or low social and scientific significance. Sixty male college students discussed their preferences in three-person groups. Prediscussion, consensus, and postdiscussion scores were obtained; the critical polarization scores were computed on the basis of individual's movement away from the prediscussion mean of their group. Partial support for the hypotheses is provided by a cross-over interaction (p < .05) in changes from the prediscussion to consensus scores, which indicate greater polarization in the high-meaning, low-consequence condition, and in the low-meaning, high-consequence condition. The results are discussed with respect to their implications for research in which subjects do not expect real consequences to follow from their statements of opinion.     

Depression,restraint and eating behavior

Contrary to the belief that weight loss is a principal symptom of depression, several recent studies have suggested that certain people gain rather than lose weight when depressed. The present experiment concerned the effects of experimentally induced mood states on the eating behavior of high- and low-restraint persons. Sixty-eight female undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three groups each designed to induce a different mood state (depressed, neutral or elated), and were classified as high or low restraint based on their responses to a questionnaire. During the mood induction procedure subjects were provided with the opportunity to eat. High-restraint persons induced into a depressed mood ate significantly more than high-restraint persons induced into neutral or elated moods, and more than low-restraint persons induced into a depressed mood. This effect was most prominent among subjects who scored high on the weight-fluctuation factor of the restraint scale. There was no evidence that this effect occurred among subjects who scored high on the concern for dieting factor. The role of emotional arousal on the self-control over eating behavior of high weight-fluctuation persons, and the implications of these findings for the evaluation of depression were discussed.     

Test performance and social comparison choices of high school men and women

The present research was designed to investigate whether anticipated publicity of performance would adversely affect the performance of high school girls to a greater extent than high school boys. If ambivalence about success is intensified for girls towards the end of high school, they would be expected to do better when test results were anticipated to be private rather than public. These results were confirmed only for girls of average ability. Average-ability girls also chose same-sex comparisons and showed less interest in comparison with standard setters. Performance data and social comparison choices suggest that the pattern of achievement for average-ability girls may be well established by sixth grade. Further clarification of the period when incompatibilities arise between the female role and academic achievement is required.Portions of this article were presented as a paper at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago 1977, and formed part of the first author's research for her master's thesis, submitted to Indiana University, 1976.     

External Validity of Conduct and Oppositional Defiant Disorders Determined by the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children

We administered the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) two times to a group of youth (222 boys, 147 girls) entering residential care, once at their time of entry and once 1 year later. We then compared their DISC outcomes on Conduct Disorder (CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) against changes in independent direct observations of diagnostically relevant behavior obtained over the course of that year. Results from hierarchical linear modeling analyses showed significant discriminative relationships between results from the DISC and the independent observations. Specifically, observations of symptomatic behaviors (CD or ODD) decreased for youth who met diagnostic criteria at the first administration of the DISC but not at the second, increased for youth who did not meet criteria at the first administration but did at the second, and did not change for youth who met criteria at both administrations. These results extend the data on the validity of the DISC and support continued research efforts to determine its clinical utility.     

Mixed‐methods Evaluation of the Good Behaviour Game in English Primary Schools

Inclusivity of all children in education and within educational settings is an important value and goal. Yet, where settings and practices are not oriented for inclusivity and engagement, some children can struggle with academic tasks and are often marginalised and exhibit disruptive behaviours. The study reported here addresses the social nature of school as a community for learning through a mixed‐methods concurrent triangulation evaluation of the implementation of the Good Behaviour Game (GBG) in six primary (elementary) schools with 10 classes and 222 children in Oxfordshire, England. The Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptations ‐ Revised (TOCA‐R) was administered in individual interviews with class teachers. Additionally, individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted with teachers, coaches and head teachers (n = 22). In a pre–post design, improvements in child adaptation were observed on all TOCA‐R subscales. In an integrative analysis that brought together quantitative and qualitative findings, pupil improvement was identified in three major areas: inclusion and social participation, behaviour, and concentration. Interview results also highlighted the substantial practical challenges associated with implementing and using the GBG in schools in the UK. Overall, the results of this study support the idea that social relationships within the school community, between pupils and between pupils and teachers, provide an important context for learning and social development. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conscientiousness predicts disease progression (CD4 number and viral load) in people living with HIV.

OBJECTIVE: Psychosocial factors (e.g., depression, avoidant coping, life stress) have been related to disease progression in HIV. This study examined the relationship between the Big Five Conscientiousness factor and HIV disease progression (CD4 cell and viral load) over 1 year in 119 seropositive participants. The study also examined whether Conscientiousness effects were mediated by adherence, perceived stress, depression, or coping measures. DESIGN: In a 1-year longitudinal design, participants completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory Conscientiousness scale (P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992). Participants also completed psychosocial assessments and underwent blood draws at initial assessments and 1-year follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Multiple hierarchical regression models were used to predict change in CD4 cell numbers and viral load log 10, controlling for demographic variables, initial disease status, and antiretroviral medications. RESULTS: Conscientiousness predicted significant increases in CD4 number and significant decreases in viral load at 1 year. Conscientiousness was related positively to medication adherence and active coping and negatively to depression and perceived stress. Only perceived stress emerged as a possible mediator. CONCLUSION: The significant relationship between Conscientiousness and medication adherence, distress, and coping suggests that an assessment of Conscientiousness in patients with HIV may help specify or target behavioral interventions to promote optimal disease management.