Regulation of low-threshold afferent activity may contribute to short-term habituation in Aplysia californica

The goal of this study was to characterize the contribution of a population of low-threshold mechanoreceptors to short-term habituation of siphon-elicited reflex responses in Aplysia californica. Since the location of their somata is unknown, we refer to them as the Unidentified Low-Threshold mechanoreceptors (ULTs). The ULTs operate in parallel to the higher-threshold and well-characterized LE sensory neurons, yet little is known regarding their contribution to behavioral plasticity. Using extracellular recordings from the siphon nerve, we found that habituation training that favors ULT activation resulted in a significant decrease in afferent activity at training intervals up to 1 min per stimulus (1 min ISI). To determine how this reduction impacts responses at other sites of the reflex network, we used intracellular recordings to measure training-induced changes in either L29 excitatory interneurons or LFS siphon motor neurons. With a 30s ISI, changes at both locations were training site-specific and matched the rate of change of afferent activity, implicating regulated sensory activity as a primary mechanism. With a shorter training interval (1s ISI), site-specificity of training was not observed in the L29s, but was still preserved in the motor neurons. For both, the rate of change during training was faster than the rate of change of afferent activity. Taken together, we conclude that regulation of low-threshold sensory neuron activity can play a significant role in short-term habituation, but other network processes may be recruited at more rapid training intervals.     

Positive behavior support and applied behavior analysis

This article reviews the origins and characteristics of the positive behavior support (PBS) movement and examines those features in the context of the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA). We raise a number of concerns about PBS as an approach to delivery of behavioral services and its impact on how ABA is viewed by those in human services. We also consider the features of PBS that have facilitated its broad dissemination and how ABA might benefit from emulating certain practices of the PBS movement.     

My Perspective on Psychotherapy Integration: An Outsider Who's Out of It

My rejoinder is a response to two commentaries on my SEPI keynote in 1997: commentaries written by Goldfried and Cullari. Instead of grappling with the ideas I presented, both respondents were distracted by my satirical beginning. In my talk I proposed a method for studying psychotherapy integration. I am not pessimistic about the potential for integration, nor am I pessimistic about psychotherapy. But I am a skeptic, and science is driven—and indeed advance—by skepticism. In fact, psychotherapy integration requires that its advocates be skeptics. I still do not know what psychotherapy integration is, and remain confused. I can only conclude that I am not only an outsider, but out of it.     

Replication of a high-probability request sequence with varied interprompt times in a preschool setting

An intervention for noncompliance consisting of a series of requests promoting a high probability of compliance followed either 5 s or 20 s later by a request with a low probability of compliance was implemented with a preschool child with autism. Results indicated that applications of the request sequence with a shorter interprompt time resulted in higher rates of compliance, and longer interprompt times resulted in near-baseline rates of compliance.     

Evidence of observer reliability for the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII)

To obtain estimates of observer reliability, the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII) apparatus was modified to allow the infants' performance to be videotaped. Based upon results of 25 infants scored once during time of testing and again 2 years later using the videotape version, interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities obtained for percent novelty preference (test rounds), total number of looks (familiarization and test rounds), and mean fixation (familiarization and test rounds) were mostly very high for each round (M r = .92, SD = .04). The videotaped infants' scores did not differ significantly from those of a comparable sample of infants who were tested using an unmodified apparatus.     

Traumatization of group leaders in their work with displaced persons

Displaced persons are a special, threatened group of people, participants in this war, who were suddenly forced to abandon their homes. The majority of them were, overnight, left without anything they had, some even without their closest family. They all have one thing in common: they have all lost so much. Work with such people is directed toward overcoming their feelings of loss and abandonment and preventing psychical decompensation. Groups of displaced persons temporarily sheltered in the Rijeka region have been observed to be markedly regressed, with increased sensitivity, a low degree of tolerance, great demands on society and strongly expressed projective tendencies. Therapists suffer personal traumatization in working with displaced persons. This paper describes the reactions and feelings of group leaders caused by manifestations of group dynamics in different phases of exile.     

Comparison of Body Mass Index by self-reported versus measured height and weight

This study compared differences between self-reported and measured height and weight and subsequent Body Mass Index. College students (N=62) were asked to complete a health questionnaire as accurately as possible. Height and weight were self-reported without the knowledge that these variables would be subsequently measured. Self-reported and measured heights, weights, and calculated Body Mass Indexes were statistically compared. Analysis indicated that measured height was significantly less than self-reported height for men, but weight was not significantly different. Calculated Body Mass Index for men was not significantly different, however, self-reported Body Mass Index resulted in placement in the Normal range (18.5 to 24.9) category and measured Body Mass Index placement in the Overweight category (25.0 to 29.9). Women's self-reported and measured heights were not significantly different; however, self-reported weight was significantly less than measured. Further, significantly different Body Mass Indexes were found for women. It was concluded that self-reported height and weight might be viewed with caution in Body Mass Index assessment for convenience samples of college-age subjects.     

Chronic and temporarily activated causal uncertainty beliefs and stereotype usage

In 3 studies, we examined the hypothesis that the effects of stereotype usage on target judgments are moderated by causal uncertainty beliefs and related accuracy goal structures. In Study 1, we focused on the role of chronically accessible causal uncertainty beliefs as predictors of a target's level of guilt for an alleged academic misconduct offense. In Study 2, we examined the role of chronic causal uncertainty reduction goals and a manipulated accuracy goal; in Study 3, we investigated the role of primed causal uncertainty beliefs on guilt judgments. In all 3 studies, we found that activation of causal uncertainty beliefs and accuracy concerns was related to a reduced usage of stereotypes. Moreover, this reduction was not associated with participants' levels of perceived control, depression, state affect, need for cognition, or personal need for structure. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the model of causal uncertainty and, more generally, in terms of the motivational processes underlying stereotype usage.