Behavioral contrast: Research and areas for investigation

Behavioral contrast occurs when a change in reinforcement rate in one context results in a change in behavior in the opposite direction in an unchanged context. Despite decades of study by basic researchers, behavioral contrast has remained largely an unstudied phenomenon among applied researchers. The purpose of this paper is to occasion translational and applied research on behavioral contrast with the aim of predicting and controlling socially significant behavior in unchanged contexts. We present a brief history of contrast and related definitions, review research with human and nonhuman subjects, and suggest future directions for applied and translational researchers.     

Social Validation of the Outcome Questionnaire—45: An Assessment of Asian and Pacific Islander College Students

This study tested the appropriateness of Outcome Questionnaire‐45 norms for Asian and Pacific Islander students. Both groups scored higher, based on participants' self‐reported general functioning, than the norms and more frequently met criteria for clinical classification, a possible indication of greater distress. The authors discuss findings and therapeutic applications. Este estudio probó la conveniencia de Resultado del Cuestionario—45 normas para los estudiantes Asiáticos y Isleño Pacífico. Los dos grupos estubirieron un puntaje alto, basado en la función general de ser‐informó, que las normas, y con más frecuencia encontró los criterios para la clasificación clínica, una indicación posible de anguista más alta. Los autores discuten los hallazgos y las aplicaciones terapéuticas.     

生态女性主义哲学与深层生态学

深层生态学内部存在着两种不同的路向,一种路向以奈斯为代表,另一种路向以澳大利亚的福克斯和美国的塞欣斯及德韦尔为代表。作者认为,奈斯的深层生态学立场是能够与生态女性主义相容的,而福克斯、塞欣斯和德韦尔的立场在很大程度上则是与生态女性主义不相容的。     

Millennials and the World of Work: The Impact of Obesity on Health and Productivity

Purpose  

Thirty states now report one in three children between 10–17 years of age are either overweight or obese. This disturbing trend will have lasting implications for our children, specifically those known as the Millennial generation born between 1982 and 1993.     

Supporting IAAOC Members: Potential Localized Services

The International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC) is challenged to support its members beyond the national level. The long‐standing model of state chapters fulfilling members' needs has been unsuccessful. An updated model for service delivery is suggested to assist IAAOC members.     

A Web-Based Survey of the Relationship Between Buddhist Religious Practices,Health, and Psychological Characteristics: Research Methods and Preliminary Results

A Web-based survey was conducted to study the religious and health practices, medical history and psychological characteristics among Buddhist practitioners. This report describes the development, advertisement, administration and preliminary results of the survey. Over 1200 Buddhist practitioners responded. Electronic advertisements were the most effective means of recruiting participants. Survey participants were mostly well educated with high incomes and white. Participants engaged in Buddhist practices such as meditation, attending meetings and obtaining instruction from a monk or nun, and practiced healthful behaviors such as regular physical activity and not smoking. Buddhist meditative practice was related to psychological mindfulness and general health.     

Examining interrelationships between the Cigarette Purchase Task and delay discounting among pregnant women

Two common behavioral economic simulation tasks used to study cigarette smoking are the Cigarette Purchase Task, a measure of cigarette demand, and delay discounting, a measure of the subjective value of rewards as a function of delays to delivery. Few studies have evaluated whether combining these tasks enhances understanding of smoking beyond either alone. The current study represents an initial evaluation of the intersection between cigarette demand indices and delay discounting among pregnant smokers by examining associations between these measures and whether a woman makes antepartum quit attempts before entering prenatal care (a reliable predictor of eventual quitting). Participants were 159 pregnant women enrolled in a smoking‐cessation trial. Low O _max and shallow discounting were each associated with antepartum quit attempts. Participants were next categorized into four subgroups (low O _max, shallow discounting; low O _max, steep discounting; high O _max, shallow discounting; high O _max, steep discounting) using median splits. Those with shallow discounting and low O _max were more likely to have made quit attempts than each of the other three subgroups. That is, steep discounting appears to undermine the association of low O _max and efforts to quit smoking during pregnancy while high O _max overshadows any protective influence associated with shallow discounting.     

An overview of Bayesian reasoning in the analysis of delay‐discounting data

Statistical inference (including interval estimation and model selection) is increasingly used in the analysis of behavioral data. As with many other fields, statistical approaches for these analyses traditionally use classical (i.e., frequentist) methods. Interpreting classical intervals and p‐values correctly can be burdensome and counterintuitive. By contrast, Bayesian methods treat data, parameters, and hypotheses as random quantities and use rules of conditional probability to produce direct probabilistic statements about models and parameters given observed study data. In this work, we reanalyze two data sets using Bayesian procedures. We precede the analyses with an overview of the Bayesian paradigm. The first study reanalyzes data from a recent study of controls, heavy smokers, and individuals with alcohol and/or cocaine substance use disorder, and focuses on Bayesian hypothesis testing for covariates and interval estimation for discounting rates among various substance use disorder profiles. The second example analyzes hypothetical environmental delay‐discounting data. This example focuses on using historical data to establish prior distributions for parameters while allowing subjective expert opinion to govern the prior distribution on model preference. We review the subjective nature of specifying Bayesian prior distributions but also review established methods to standardize the generation of priors and remove subjective influence while still taking advantage of the interpretive advantages of Bayesian analyses. We present the Bayesian approach as an alternative paradigm for statistical inference and discuss its strengths and weaknesses.     

The Viability of Organizational Wellness Programs: An Examination of Promotion and Results

Wellness programs in contemporary organizations are increasing in number, but attendance is low and results often are difficult to track. We examined participant and program characteristics in 2 organizations that offered extensive wellness activities. One organization considered its program successful and had been in operation for 10 years, while the other organization's program ran for 2 years and ended because of a lack of funding. In the successful program, wellness program attendance showed a relationship to time employees took off for sick days, and improved fitness produced similar results. In the less successful operation, interviews were held with mangers and employees regarding promotion and program support. Suggestions are provided for future wellness programs.     

Evaluation of a Congressionally Mandated Wraparound Demonstration

In order to determine whether expenditures for mental health could be reduced and quality improved, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense conduct a demonstration project utilizing a wraparound mental health service system for child and adolescent military dependents. A longitudinal quasiexperimental design was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the demonstration. The results showed that children in the Wraparound Group received more wraparound services than those in the treatment as usual (TAU) Comparison Group. These services included case management, in-home treatment, and other nontraditional services. The Demonstration also provided better continuity of care. Multiple methods were used to investigate the impact of wraparound. Both groups showed some improvement on some measures but there were no differences between the groups in functioning, symptoms, life satisfaction, positive functioning, or sentinel events. Regardless of which statistical model was used to estimate costs, the Demonstration was also more expensive. The higher level of expenditures for the Wraparound group was a result of some expensive traditional care and the addition of nontraditional services. Several possible explanations of these results are provided.