Forgetting of intentions in demanding situations is rapid

Demanding work settings often require the deferral of intended actions. In 3 experiments, participants were to withhold a response until they encountered a task change (which occurred 5, 15, or 40 sec later). To approximate highly demanding settings, the experimenters sometimes divided attention during the delay period. During some of the delays the experimenters interrupted the participants with an additional task (Experiment 1). Demanding conditions as well as interruptions revealed rapid forgetting of intentions at levels that would be considered significant in applied settings. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that this rapid forgetting was not reduced by strategic rehearsal and implementation intention strategies. The results suggest that maintaining intentions over brief delays is not a trivial task for the human cognitive system.     

The role of congregations in preventive medicine

Congregations are involved in health care, but they don't know it. They have seldom examined how they do what they do to encourage healthy ways of living. A three-year action research model in the Chicago area incorporates a parish nurse on the staff of six large suburban churches. These nurses are essentially health educators and personal health counselors. A weekly intensive half-day continuing education seminar provides these six nurses with opportunities for interchange among themselves and a selected faculty. Perhaps a new specialty within nursing is being born—a minister of health to work alongside parish clergy.Granger Westberg, a Lutheran clergyman, has served for twenty-five years on the medical faculties of the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. He was the founder of Wholistic Health Centers, Inc.     

Social judgment processes in hyperactive boys: Effects of methylphenidate and comparisons with normal peers

Although there is consensus that ADHD children have serious social problems, there is little understanding of the mechanisms underlying or accompanying such problems. To examine the possibility of atypical or faulty social reasoning, we presented ADHD and normal boys with a social perception task that entailed evaluating the behaviors of unknown peers. ADHD judges participated under both methylphenidate and placebo conditions, and on each occasion they evaluated an unfamiliar ADHD target in each medication state. In contrast to placebo, methylphenidate appeared to dampen overall response rates in ADHD judges, but there was no effect on sensitivity to medication-related differences. Regardless of their own medication state, ADHD judges identified more undesirable behaviors in peers on placebo than in those taking methylphenidate. Judges with the most serious behavior problems tended to identify the greatest number of negative behaviors in peers, especially when both judge and target were unmedicated. There were no effects of target medication status on detections of positive behaviors and few differences in detection patterns of ADHD versus normal judges. Discussion focused on the need to distinguish general regulatory from specific social-cognitive processes.This study was conducted at the Fernald Child Study Center, UCLA, and we very much appreciate the many contributions of Stephen P. Hinshaw, codirector of the program. We are also grateful to the resourceful and devoted staff and the energetic children who served as judges and targets.     

Patterns of recidivism and relapse among groups of mentally disordered offenders

The management and treatment of mentally disordered offenders is significantly hindered by our lack of detailed knowledge of this population. The present investigation attempted to identify five groups of male, mentally disordered offenders that are distinctive with respect to treatment needs: career criminals, chronic schizophrenics, violent psychotics, violent middleclass individuals, and intellectually handicapped subjects. It was hypothesized that patterns of recidivism and relapse would be different for each of these groups. A sample of 181 males previously judged unfit to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity were followed for an average of 6.1 years after discharge to the community. Factors relating to recidivism but not to relapse were found to distinguish the five groups.     

Skill development and cognitive approaches to educating young children

A variety of early childhood education programs have been established in the last decade that differ markedly in their philosophical and theoretical foundations. This article illustrates how distinct foundations are reflected in all program variables in a unified program. Two unified early childhood education programs are contrasted: a skill development program based upon behaviorist theory, and a cognitive growth program based upon cognitive developmental theory. Implications of unified programs for classroom behavior and the school psychologist are discussed.     

The school psychologist as program evaluator

School psychologists are being required to evaluate educational programs. This paper discusses the role and responsibilities of a program evaluator, the programs of measurement, and the staff fear of evaluation. A model for program evaluation is then described with an illustrative example.     

A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY OF ATTITUDE CONTENT IN READING PRIMERS1

Les AA. présentent les premiers résultats d'une étude interculturelle en cours sur le contenu des abécédaires. Le contenu des abécédaires peut être étudié sous deux angles : (1) dans sa fonction pédagogique (comment il influe sur L'apprentissage de la lecture); (2) dans sa fonction sociale (comment il communique et fait comprendre les valeurs et attitudes propres à un pays). Dans cette seconde perspective, on compare les abécédaires de cinq pays (Angleterre, Allemagne de L'Ouest, Etats-Unis, Russie, Corée du Sud) en utilisant des échelles d'attitude qui ont été appliquées à la fois aux images et aux textes dans leur traduction anglaise. On constate que sur 38 types d'attitudes, 17 présentent des différences importantes quant à la fréquence d'évocation dans les livres des cinq pays étudiés. On établit pour chaque pays un profil d'attitude, ce qui permet de mettre en évidence les différences et les ressemblances d'un pays à L'autre. Les conclusions ont été comparées aux résultats d'autres recherches interculturelles. Les AA. expriment le souhait que L'étude des attitudes et valeurs sociales donne lieu, avec ce type de méthode, à une vaste coopération internationale.     

Perceptions of methylphenidate effects on hyperactive children's peer interactions

The behavioral constructs that emerge from observers' openended impressions of methylphenidate effects on the social behaviors of hyperactive children were examined. Ninety-six undergraduates observed videotapes of two different hyperactive target boys, each playing an interaction game with three peers. One target was taking methylphenidate and the other was taking placebo. The valence and content of observers' social perceptions were analyzed. Overall, more negative than positive behaviors were detected, a pattern more pronounced for the placebo than for the medication condition. Interestingly, placebo targets received negative evaluations for poorly controlled behaviors such as noncompliance, aggression, and disruption, but medicated targets received negative evaluations for social inhibition—passive and submissive behaviors. In contrast, the boys' medication state did not consistently influence observers' perceptions of positive social behaviors. Discussion focused on the extent and consequences of medicationrelated increases in social disengagement and on the ultimate impact of stimulant treatment on hyperactive children's social worlds.A preliminary report of this study was presented at the 1990 meeting of the Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, Costa Mesa, CA. We are grateful for the assistance of Pam Ajang, Keri Hom, and Scott Gutentag, and for support from the Fernald Child Study Center at UCLA.