A parametric analysis of errors of commission during discrete-trial training

We investigated the effects of systematic changes in levels of treatment integrity by altering errors of commission during error-correction procedures as part of discrete-trial training. We taught 3 students with autism receptive nonsense shapes under 3 treatment integrity conditions (0%, 50%, or 100% errors of commission). Participants exhibited higher levels of performance during perfect implementation (0% errors). For 2 of the 3 participants, performance was low and showed no differentiation in the remaining conditions. Findings suggest that 50% commission errors may be as detrimental as 100% commission errors on teaching outcomes.     

Very pre‐term infants' behaviour at 1 and 2 years of age and parental stress following basic developmental care

This study explored the effects of basic developmental care on the behaviour of very pre‐term infants and parental stress at 1 and 2 years of corrected age. A randomized controlled trial was done to compare basic Developmental Care (standardized nests and incubator covers) and controls (standard care). Parents of infants born <32 weeks of gestation completed questionnaires measuring child behaviour and parental stress at 1 year (N = 139) and 2 years (N = 133) of the child's age. Parental stress was measured using the Nijmegen Parenting Stress Index and child behaviour was measured using the Infant–Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and the Child Behaviour Checklist 2–3. At 1 year of age, children in the basic developmental care group had significantly higher behaviour scores on the total competence domain (p = .009) and the competence subscale mastery motivation (p = .002) of the ITSEA questionnaire, meaning that the infants showed more curiosity, persistence, obedience and enjoyment with small accomplishments. No significant effects were found on problem behaviour or parenting stress. We conclude that introducing a basic form of developmental care in the neonatal intensive care unit has a positive influence on the child's competence behaviour at 1 year of age.     

The Menstrual Joy Questionnaire Items Alone Can Positively Prime Reporting of Menstrual Attitudes and Symptoms

Chrisler, Johnston, Champagne, and Preston (1994) reported that the title of the Menstrual Joy Questionnaire (MJQ) could prime participants to report positive changes on the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) and greater endorsement of "menstruation as a natural event" on the Menstrual Attitudes Questionnaire (MAQ). This study is a partial replication in which the questionnaire titles were removed in order to see if the MJQ items alone could replicate these priming effects. One hundred women participated: half completed the MJQ and the MAQ in the first week followed by the MDQ and the MAQ the second. The other half completed the MDQ and MAQ first followed by the MJQ and MAQ. Those who completed the MJQ first scored significantly higher on the "menstruation as a natural event" subscale of the MAQ. They also scored higher on the arousal subscale of the MDQ, although this trend did not quite reach significance. These findings suggest that the MJQ items alone are sufficient to produce positive priming of menstrual symptom reporting.