A Multivariate Analysis of the Revised Conners' Teacher Rating Scale with Low-Income, Urban Preschool Children

The present investigation addressed the utility of the revised Conners' Teachers Rating Scale (CTRS-28) with low-income urban preschool children. CTRS-28 ratings for a large sample of preschool children from an urban Head Start program were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Analyses yielded a 3-factor structure: Conduct problems, Hyperactivity, and Passivity. Further analyses cross-validated this structure for males and females and supported its integrity. Multimethod, multisource validity analyses substantiated the CTRS-28 dimensions. The Play Disruption factor of the parent and teacher Penn Interactive Peer Play Scales (PIPPS) provided convergent validity for the Conduct and Hyperactivity factors of the CTRS-28, whereas the Play Interaction factor revealed divergent validity. The Play Disconnection factor of the PIPPS validated the CTRS-28 Passivity factor. The Q-Sort Emotional Regulation scale provided divergent validity for the Conduct and Hyperactivity factors and likewise the Q-Sort Autonomy scale provided divergent validity for the Passivity factor. Age and sex differences were assessed across the 3 factors of the derived preschool structure. A main effect was found for sex and age indicating that boys displayed higher levels of Hyperactivity and Passivity problems than girls did. Similarly, 4-year-old children demonstrated higher levels of Passivity problems than did 5-year-old children.     

Are consonant intervals music to their ears? Spontaneous acoustic preferences in a nonhuman primate

Humans find some sounds more pleasing than others; such preferences may underlie our enjoyment of music. To gain insight into the evolutionary origins of these preferences, we explored whether they are present in other animals. We designed a novel method to measure the spontaneous sound preferences of cotton-top tamarins, a species that has been extensively tested for other perceptual abilities. Animals were placed in a V-shaped maze, and their position within the maze controlled their auditory environment. One sound was played when they were in one branch of the maze, and a different sound for the opposite branch; no food was delivered during testing. We used the proportion of time spent in each branch as a measure of preference. The first two experiments were designed as tests of our method. In Experiment 1, we used loud and soft white noise as stimuli; all animals spent most of their time on the side with soft noise. In Experiment 2, tamarins spent more time on the side playing species-specific feeding chirps than on the side playing species-specific distress calls. Together, these two experiments suggest that the method is effective, providing a spontaneous measure of preference. In Experiment 3, however, subjects showed no preference for consonant over dissonant intervals. Finally, tamarins showed no preference in Experiment 4 for a screeching sound (comparable to fingernails on a blackboard) over amplitude-matched white noise. In contrast, humans showed clear preferences for the consonant intervals of Experiment 3 and the white noise of Experiment 4 using the same stimuli and a similar method. We conclude that tamarins' preferences differ qualitatively from those of humans. The preferences that support our capacity for music may, therefore, be unique among the primates, and could be music-specific adaptations.     

Comparison of embedded and isolated administrations of the California Psychological Inventory's Socialization subscale

Alternate administration methods were tested for the Socialization (So) subscale of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI; H. G. Gough, 1994; H. G. Gough & P. Bradley, 1996) in 437 young adult men. One method administered the 46 CPI-So items in isolation from the CPI, whereas the 2nd method administered the 46 items embedded in the CPI. External validity measures of antisociality were also administered over the 2 sessions. Isolated administration produced somewhat higher internal consistency and significantly better concurrent validity and demonstrated construct validity as a measure of antisociality. Additional factor analytic studies of the CPI-So and CPI revealed that the 2 CPI-So versions had different factorial structures and that the embedded CPI-So subscale did not retain factorial integrity or an appreciable amount of reliable and uniquely interpretable variance.     

Law, liability, and the school psychologist: Malpractice and liability

A variety of court decisions and laws relevant to malpractice and liability of school psychologists are presented. Terms are defined and examples of faulty psychological testing, defamation, withholding information, and inferred incompetence are provided. Suggestions regarding litigation and legal defenses are made and issues related to professional liability insurance are discussed.     

Attention training normalises combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder effects on emotional Stroop performance using lexically matched word lists

We examined two groups of combat veterans, one with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (n?=?27) and another without PTSD (n?=?16), using an emotional Stroop task (EST) with word lists matched across a series of lexical variables (e.g. length, frequency, neighbourhood size, etc.). Participants with PTSD exhibited a strong EST effect (longer colour-naming latencies for combat-relevant words as compared to neutral words). Veterans without PTSD produced no such effect, t?p?>?.37. Participants with PTSD then completed eight sessions of attention training (Attention Control Training or Attention Bias Modification Training) with a dot-probe task utilising threatening and neutral faces. After training, participants—especially those undergoing Attention Control Training—no longer produced longer colour-naming latencies for combat-related words as compared to other words, indicating normalised attention allocation processes after treatment.     

From directive expert to non-directive partner: A study of facilitating change in the occupational self-perceptions of health visitors and school nurses

A group of health professionals participated in a ten-week course in counselling skills for working with families whose children have special needs. A comparison group received no such training. Occupational self-perceptions were measured during training and at one-month follow-up. Significant shifts were found in perceptions of self as 'expert' to self as therapeutic 'partner'. In particular, training produced positive changes in self-perceived counselling skills, internal locus of control, and self-esteem. It was concluded that training conceived along interdisciplinary lines can promote a belief amongst health-care professionals in the efficacy of working in partnership with families; that such an effect provides further support for working in such a way; and that appropriate provision of similar courses therefore should be incorporated into strategic health-care planning.     

False recall and false recognition induced by presentation of associated words: Effects of retention interval and level of processing

The effects of retention interval and level of processing on false recall and false recognition of associates were examined. False recall and false recognition were induced by presenting subjects with words closely associated with a non-studied word. Both level of processing and retention interval affected false recall (Experiment 1) and false recognition (Experiment 2) in the same direction with which they affected accurate recall and accurate recognition. That is, semantically processed lists exhibited higher levels of later false recall and false recognition than did superficially processed lists. Furthermore, a decline in false recall and false recognition occurred across retention intervals of 0, 2, and 7 days. However, the decline in false recall and false recognition was less pronounced than the decline in accurate recall and accurate recognition. Results are consistent with source monitoring and fuzzy trace explanations of false recall and false recognition.