The efficacy of noncontingent escape for decreasing children's disruptive behavior during restorative dental treatment

We evaluated the effectiveness of a dentist-implemented behavioral intervention in which brief escape from dental treatment was provided on a regular basis, independent of the child's behavior. Within a multiple baseline design across subjects, 5 children, ages 4 to 7 years, were provided with temporary escape from dental treatment on a fixed-time schedule. The intervals were signaled by an electronic timer worn by the dentist. Clinically significant reductions were observed in physically disruptive behavior across all 5 children with the introduction of noncontingent escape, and verbally disruptive behavior was markedly reduced in 4 of the 5 children. In addition, the dental staff s use of physical restraint was reduced to near zero across all 5 children. The research extends the literature in both clinical dentistry and in applied behavior analysis by demonstrating that a dentist can easily and effectively implement noncontingent reinforcement to produce clinically significant and socially important changes in children's health behavior.     

Socialized charismatic leadership, values congruence, and deviance in work groups

The authors conducted a field study to investigate the relationship between socialized charismatic leadership and deviance in work groups. Because socialized charismatic leaders are thought to play an ethical leadership role, the authors hypothesized that the socialized charismatic leadership style would be associated with reduced deviance in the leader's work group. This prediction was supported for both the interpersonal and the organizational dimensions of deviance. Next, the authors examined the mediating role of values congruence. The results were partially supportive of the values congruence mediating hypothesis. Implications for future research and for management are discussed.     

Gender-specific movement strategies using a computer-pointing task

Females typically demonstrate a movement time advantage for tasks requiring high levels of manual dexterity, whereas males are notably better at targeting activities. According to D. Kimura (2000), the hunter-gatherer hypothesis primarily accounts for those performance advantages; that dichotomy fails, however, when one makes movement outcome predictions for tasks that are not clearly fine-motor or interceptive in nature. Investigators have recently proposed that time constraints (M. Peters, 2005) and gender-specific response style differences (M. Peters & P. Campagnaro, 1996; L. E. Rohr, 2006) affect motor performance. Here, the author used a computer-pointing task measuring both movement error and movement time in 16 participants to further investigate response style differences. Kinematic and linear regression analyses between resultant error and both movement time and task difficulty reinforced the notion that gender-specific movement biases emphasize speed and accuracy, respectively, for men and women.     

A meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory

The present article presents a meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory. With 713 independent samples from 515 studies, the meta-analysis finds that intergroup contact typically reduces intergroup prejudice. Multiple tests indicate that this finding appears not to result from either participant selection or publication biases, and the more rigorous studies yield larger mean effects. These contact effects typically generalize to the entire outgroup, and they emerge across a broad range of outgroup targets and contact settings. Similar patterns also emerge for samples with racial or ethnic targets and samples with other targets. This result suggests that contact theory, devised originally for racial and ethnic encounters, can be extended to other groups. A global indicator of Allport's optimal contact conditions demonstrates that contact under these conditions typically leads to even greater reduction in prejudice. Closer examination demonstrates that these conditions are best conceptualized as an interrelated bundle rather than as independent factors. Further, the meta-analytic findings indicate that these conditions are not essential for prejudice reduction. Hence, future work should focus on negative factors that prevent intergroup contact from diminishing prejudice as well as the development of a more comprehensive theory of intergroup contact.     

Family Correlates of Comorbid Anxiety Disorders in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This study evaluated parental anxiety and parenting practices associated with comorbid Anxiety Disorders among children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Clinic-referred families (n=143) were diagnosed using DSM criteria. Parents and children completed measures of parenting practices. Comorbid anxiety in children was significantly associated with maternal anxiety, overprotectiveness, and a lack of positive parenting. The relative odds of comorbid anxiety appeared to be especially high when all three factors were present. These findings are consistent with theory linking those three family factors to the development of anxiety in all children. Implications for adjunctive treatment of anxiety that is comorbid with ADHD are discussed.