Eye movements of large populations: I. Implementation and performance of an autonomous public eye tracker

This paper details the design and construction of an autonomous public eye tracker exhibit, which was installed at the National Gallery, London, in 2000/2001. For over 3 months, it functioned both as an informative exhibit and as a controlled eye movement experiment, gathering data from over 5,000 participants. The issues associated with automatic unattended recording of the eye movements of members of the public are discussed. The performance of the exhibit is examined, and its successes and problem areas are highlighted with regard to potential applications and future exhibits. The success of the project proves the viability of autonomous public eye trackers as both data-gatherers and public exhibits.     

Leverpress escape/avoidance conditioning in rats: Safety signal length and avoidance performance

Leverpress escape/avoidance is an excellent model for assessing coping in rats. Acquisition of the leverpress response is determined by the interstimulus (signal-shock) interval, as well as the type and duration of the aversive event. One factor that has received less research attention is the safety or feedback signal. The safety signal presumably negatively reinforces leverpress responding through fear reduction. Here, we present a parametric manipulation of safety signal length and avoidance performance. All rats were trained with a 60-s tone conditioned stimulus and an intermittent 1-s, 1.0-mA footshock. Training was further accomplished with a 1−, 2−, 4−, or 6-min safety signal. Acquisition of the avoidance response was comparable at all safety signal durations. Rats trained with the shortest safety signal (1 min) exhibited more leverpresses during the safe period, a measure of anxiety. Thus, acquisition of the leverpress avoidance response was efficient regardless of safety signal duration, even though shorter periods were associated with greater anxiety.     

Mental Health in the Schools

Progress is being made in the area of delivering mental health services in the schools through collaborative programs that involve combinations of schools, communities, and research-based programs. The goal of extending collaborative efforts to initiatives that prevent emotional and behavioral problems from developing or escalating is a cross-cutting theme of the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance. I discuss examples of collaborative efforts to prevent emotional behavioral problems in school children and ways by which this effort can be enhanced in schools and communities.     

A longitudinal examination of the relation between co‐offending with violent accomplices and violent crime

Although the idea that youthful offenders are affected by the company they keep is widely accepted, evidence in support of this idea is based primarily on reports provided by offenders and their peers. As an alternative to relying on reports of criminal behavior, a method that may overestimate the role that peers play in criminal behavior, the current research on co‐offending uses court records to identify and track over time individuals who are known to commit crimes together. The present investigation is the first co‐offending study to track patterns of violent criminal behavior (over an 18‐year period) among a sample of urban offenders and their accomplices. The study tests whether violence “spreads” from violent offenders to those inexperienced in violence. Results indicate that nonviolent offenders who commit their first co‐offense with violent accomplices are at increased risk for subsequent serious violent crime. Findings suggest that lessons of violence can be learned “on the street,” where knowledge is passed along through impromptu social contexts, including those in which offenders commit crimes together. Aggr. Behav. 28:97–108, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Does the covert nature of caring prohibit the development of effective services for young carers?

Almost 3 million children in the UK live in households where at least one family member is affected by chronic illness or disability. A proportion of these children will be young carers. This paper begins with a brief review of the literature relating to young carers. Particular attention is paid to the adoption of a caring role, the'hidden' nature of caring including young people'sreluctance to discuss their caring, the impact of caring on education, and the location and type of services provided.The findings of a small-scale study carried out in Scotland are presented in order to highlight some of the issues raised in the literature. Discussion focuses on the implications for the field of guidance and counselling.     

Preparation for the School-to-Work Transition: The Views of High School Students

This study sought to identify those factors that facilitate readiness for the transition from high school to work. Using an open-ended interview, the authors obtained narrative data from 17 high school juniors from two diverse school systems. A systematic, discovery-oriented, qualitative analysis strategy revealed that the availability of work-based learning, supportive adults, and an active orientation to the adult world were associated with objective aspects of readiness (work-related skills and planning). In addition, new hypotheses were generated suggesting that becoming “ready” may occur via multiple pathways. Furthermore, the use of resources, whether motivated by anxiety or interest, was associated with clearer transitional plans. Less clearly evident in these findings were those factors that might lead to psychological readiness in terms of optimism and resilience. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to theory, research, and practice.