Getting ready: Results of a randomized trial of a relationship‐focused intervention on the parent–infant relationship in rural early head start

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a relational intervention (the Getting Ready intervention) on parenting behaviors supporting the parent–infant relationship for families enrolled in Early Head Start home‐based programming. Two‐hundred thirty‐four parents and their children participated in the randomized study, with 42% of parents reporting education of less than a high‐school diploma. Brief, semistructured parent–child interaction tasks were videotaped every 4 months over a16‐month intervention period. Observational codes of parent–infant relationship behaviors included quality of three parental behaviors: warmth and sensitivity, support for learning, and encouragement of autonomy; two appropriateness indicators: support for learning and guidance/directives; and one amount indicator: constructive behaviors. Parents who participated in the Getting Ready intervention demonstrated higher quality interactions with their children that included enhanced quality of warmth and sensitivity, and support for their children's autonomy than did parents in the control group. They also were more likely to use appropriate directives with their children and more likely to demonstrate appropriate supports for their young children's learning. Results indicate an added value of the Getting Ready intervention for Early Head Start home‐based programming for families of infants and toddlers.     

RESPONSE REPETITION AS AN ERROR‐CORRECTION PROCEDURE FOR ACQUISITION OF MATH FACTS AND MATH COMPUTATION

We used nonconcurrent and concurrent multiple baseline designs to evaluate the extent to which error correction with response repetition (RR) produced acquisition of math facts and correct math computation for four individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. The results show that RR increased correct responding on (i) targeted math problems for three of four participants and (ii) math problems presented in alternative formats for two of two participants. The results are consistent with prior studies that used RR to increase correct sight‐word reading for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The findings are discussed in terms of how RR might be implemented in typical classroom settings. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selling and Sales Management in Action: Prospecting: A New Look at this Old Challenge

Prospecting is a fundamental step in the personal selling process. However, a wide variety of prospecting approaches exists among sales organizations and there is substantial disagreement in the terms used to describe prospecting elements and relationships. This article presents a working model that identifies and defines those elements and clearly demonstrates the strategic relationships among them. Insights and implications for managers are presented, along with suggestions for analyzing and modifying existing prospect-development programs.     

Reanalysis of Eysenck’s,Gray’s,and Zuckerman’s structural trait models based on a new measure: The Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ)

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships of the dimensions and facets of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ) with other psychobiological personality measures: the EPQ-RS (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised, shortened version), I₇ (Impulsiveness Questionnaire) and SPSRQ-20 (Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire, 20-item version). It is intended to test if findings reported with Zuckerman’s previous instrument (ZK-PQ) about the relationships between the three biologic-factorial personality models are replicated, giving evidence about the validity of the ZKA-PQ. The sample analyzed was of 584 subjects (50.3% men and 49.7% women) from the Spanish general population. Correlational and factor analysis supported the expected relationships between similar constructs assessed by the ZKA-PQ and the other questionnaires based on Eysenck’s and Gray’s personality theories. On the other hand, the inclusion of the facets from the ZKA-PQ improved the validity of the questionnaire. Findings were discussed in the framework of the biological personality models, emphasizing the contribution of the ZKA-PQ to the psychobiological personality research.     

On the Functional Role of Implicit Visual Memory for the Adaptive Deployment of Attention Across Scenes

Although very little visual information is explicitly retained across views, some continuity of processing is afforded by implicit visual memory traces of previous views. These memory traces interact with attentional mechanisms to guide eye movements, cognition, and action. Two different memory mechanisms are described here. First, the deployments of focal attention and eye movements are facilitated towards recently attended features and locations (priming of popout). Second, attention is guided by implicit memory traces of specific visual contexts experienced in the past (contextual cueing). Compared to the visual memory tapped by change blindness tasks, the implicit memory mechanisms of priming of popout and contextual cueing do not require conscious intervention and may exhibit greater memory capacity, longer durability, and higher discriminability. Thus, these implicit traces of past views guide attention and eye movements to allow for effective access (indexing) to a scene's details, hence providing context and continuity to ongoing interactions with the perceptual world.     

The Levels Hypothesis and the Study of Stimulus Value of Projective Test Items

Summary

Anagrams and semantic differential (S-D) test responses of Ss for whom words were “loaded” on a free association test were compared with those of Ss for whom the words were neutral. No differences in rate of word building or mean productivity of the two groups on the anagrams test were found. Mean S-D scale values similarly failed to differentiate between the two groups. However, when numbers of neutral (0) and extreme (+3 and ?3) responses were compared, “loaded” Ss were found on the whole to rate words more neutrally or more positively. The conclusion was that the stimulus value of the words in the associative condition could not be directly determined from responses in other conditions. The strategy of studying stimulus value of projective test items by using those items as stimuli on tests eliciting different levels of response was, therefore, questioned. Several other related experimental strategies which may mix response levels were also discussed and more appropriate techniques were suggested.     

Age as a Variable in the Connotative Perceptions of Some Animal Symbols

Using the Rorschach as one instrument in the selection of industrial- and business-personnel, the author become aware that in the testing-the-limits (tt1) phase individuals showed a strong tendency (and consistency) in either accepting or rejecting all suggested concepts. The popularity-level of the suggested concept appeared to operate at the best on a secondary level in influencing acceptance or rejection of the concepts.

Three studies described in the present paper conclusively support the existence of such a consistent tendency, at least among normal Ss of average or above-average intelligence.

This finding is interpreted as proof that the ttl measures a different dimension than the Rorschach-test proper.

The nature of the dimension is still questionable but indications are that it is a measure of a person's willingness (and ability) to look at problems, or situations, in a genuinely flexible manner upon demand from persons in authority.     

Application of Projective Tests to Psychotherapy: A Case Study

Case study of a severely disturbed patient seen in psychotherapy in a university counseling center and tested at the beginning and after the termination of therapy. It is concluded that the projective tests proved useful in estimating the extent of pathology prior to therapy and in assessing the degree and direction of change following therapy. Discussion of this patient's projective responses with him during therapy was found to be beneficial, in accord with Richman's views on the reporting of test results to patients. It is suggested that clinical psychologists doing psychotherapy may similarly find projective tests of use to them.