Sensorimotor development in cocaine-exposed infants

This study investigated the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on infant sensorimotor development. One hundred and sixty-seven12-month-olds (74 cocaine-exposed and 93 unexposed) were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID). Ninety-seven had previously been evaluated on the Movement Assessment of Infants and the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants at age 4 months. On the BSID, the cocaine-exposed infants performed less well on the Mental portion and were more frequently rated as behaviorally suspect. Cocaine-exposed infants also performed less well at four months on the motor and sensory measures. Early motor performance predicted 12 month BSID mental, motor and behavioral outcomes. Cocaine exposure had an effect independent from confounders on general cognitive and specific motor and behavioral outcomes.     

EFFECTS OF CONTINGENT REWARD AND INSTRUCTION ON ORAL READING PERFORMANCE AT DIFFERING LEVELS OF PASSAGE DIFFICULTY

This study examined the effects of reinforcement contingencies designed to increase the performance of existing reading skills as well as the effects of instruction—modeling and practice—designed to increase skill level for oral reading fluency across three levels of reading materials. Results showed that a combination of contingencies, modeling, and practice was effective in producing substantial increases in reading fluency for all participants at their assigned grade levels. These results demonstrate one strategy for experimentally determining those instructional components that are required to increase oral reading rate.     

Pseudomemory in hypnotized and task-motivated subjects.

Highly hypnotizable hypnotized (H; n = 16) and task-motivated (TM; n = 13) subjects received pseudomemory suggestions (see Orne, 1979). TM subjects reported being more awake and motivated than did H subjects and were more likely to pass the target noise suggestion. However, 69% of subjects in both conditions who passed the noise suggestion reported pseudomemories. Pseudomemory rate (for H subjects, 69% and for TM subjects, 46%) was not reduced by informing subjects that they could distinguish reality and fantasy in a state of deep concentration. At final inquiry, after deep concentration, pseudomemories remained stable (for H subjects, 75% and for TM subjects, 54%). As predicted, H subjects reported more unsuggested noises and more pseudomemories of novel noises than did TM subjects. Subjects who reported pseudomemories were more confident in the accuracy of their memories than were subjects who reported that the suggested noises were imagined.     

IMPROVING SOCIAL SKILLS AND DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM THROUGH SELF-MANAGEMENT

The literature suggests that children with autism typically are unresponsive to verbal initiations from others in community settings, and that such unresponsiveness can lead to problematic social interactions and severely disruptive behavior. The present study assessed whether self-management could be used as a technique to produce extended improvements in responsiveness to verbal initiations from others in community, home, and school settings without the presence of a treatment provider. The results showed that children with autism who displayed severe deficits in social skills could learn to self-manage responsivity to others in multiple community settings, and that such improvements were associated with concomitant reductions in disruptive behavior without the need for special intervention. The results are discussed in terms of their significance for improved development of social skills in children with autism.     

A COMPARISON OF TWO APPROACHES FOR IDENTIFYING REINFORCERS FOR PERSONS WITH SEVERE AND PROFOUND DISABILITIES

The development of effective training programs for persons with profound mental retardation remains one of the greatest challenges for behavior analysts working in the field of developmental disabilities. One significant advancement for this population has been the reinforcer assessment procedure developed by Pace, Ivancic, Edwards, Iwata, and Page (1985), which involves repeatedly presenting a variety of stimuli to the client and then measuring approach behaviors to differentiate preferred from nonpreferred stimuli. One potential limitation of this procedure is that some clients consistently approach most or all of the stimuli on each presentation, making it difficult to differentiate among these stimuli. In this study, we used a concurrent operants paradigm to compare the Pace et al. (1985) procedure with a modified procedure wherein clients were presented with two stimuli simultaneously and were given access only to the first stimulus approached. The results revealed that this forced-choice stimulus preference assessment resulted in greater differentiation among stimuli and better predicted which stimuli would result in higher levels of responding when presented contingently in a concurrent operants paradigm.     

An outcomes model of medical decision making

In the traditional fix-it model of medical decision making, the identified problem is typically characterized by a diagnosis that indicates a deviation from normalcy. When a medical problem is multifaceted and the available interventions are only partially effective, a broader vision of the health care endeavor is needed. What matters to the patient, and what should matter to the practitioner, is the patient's future possibilities. More specifically, what is important is the character of the alternative futures that the patient could have and choosing among them so as to achieve the best future possible, with the ranking of outcomes determined by the patient's preferences. This paper describes the fix-it model, presents and defends the outcomes-based model, and demonstrates that the latter is useful in developing normative conceptions of informed consent and decision making and in establishing a basis for societal involvement in the decision making process. Finally, several shortcomings of the model will be acknowledged.     

Development of an institutional policy on artificial hydration and nutrition

The issues involved in deciding whether to use artificial methods of delivering hydration and nutrition are often very difficult for patients, families, and health care providers. Once private and personal matters, these decisions now frequently involve the judicial system. Five years ago, Hospice of Washington recognized the need for a written policy and wrote the one published here. Its goal is to respect individual preferences and family concerns while addressing the nutrition and hydration needs of dying patients. The policy sets parameters on the issue, provides basic information, and encourages crafting the most fitting resolution to each situation.     

BRAIN, SYMBOL, & EXPERIENCE: A PSYCHIATRIC AND THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE

Abstract. Brain, Symbol & Experience attempts to solidify the authors' work in the fields of neurophenomenology and consciousness. The interdisciplinary nature of the work dictates less than extensive discussions of individual academic topics, but it does facilitate the identification of mutual points of interest for future pluralistic dialogues. This paper explores the implications of Laughlin, McManus, and d'Aquili for the neurosciences, psycho-pathology, psychotherapy, contemporary literature, theology, and faith development theory. Suggestions for specific interdisciplinary conversations are offered.     

Reaction Times and Intelligence in Japanese Children

The hypothesis that reaction times are positively associated with intelligence was tested on 444 nine-year-old Japanese children. Intelligence was measured by the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, and 12 reaction time parameters were obtained to give measures of movement times, reaction times proper (decision times), differentiated into simple and complex reaction times, and variabilities. Factor analysis of the reaction time tasks indicated the presence of a general factor and three primary factors identifiable as movement times, simple reaction times, and complex reaction times. Of these, only complex reaction times showed significant associations with intelligence.