Child and adolescent services research at the national institute of mental health: Research opportunities in an emerging field

This article describes an important new area of research on services for children and adolescents with mental disorders at the National Institute of Mental Health, the parameters of mental health services research for youth, and the opportunities that are available for grant-funded investigations in this area.     

Family preservation using multisystemic treatment: Long-term follow-up to a clinical trial with serious juvenile offenders

In a randomized clinical trial, multisystemic family preservation was shown to significantly reduce rates of criminal activity and incarceration in a sample of 84 serious juvenile offenders and their multi-need families. In the current study, archival records were searched for re-arrest an average of 2.4 years post-referral. Survival analysis showed that youths who received multisystemic family preservation were less likely to be re-arrested than were youths who had received usual services. Such results represent the first controlled demonstration that family preservation, when delivered via a clearly specified treatment model, has lasting effects with serious juvenile offenders. Implications for family preservation and juvenile justice research are discussed.     

The effects of family composition,family health,parenting behavior and environmental stress on children's divorce adjustment

The traditional family composition model of children's divorce adjustment was compared to a family competence model. Subjects included 81 children whose parents remained married, were divorced, or were divorced and subsequently remarried. Divorced families had been separated for between 24 and 48 months. Custodial parents completed questionnaires regarding family functioning, occurrence of stressful life events, and child's psychosocial adjustment. Children completed questionnaires regarding parenting behaviors and self-esteem. A trained examiner conducted a structured diagnostic interview of the child. Multivariate analysis of covariance showed that family composition had a significant effect on the occurrence of stressful events and change in income but not children's adjustment. Hierarchical multiple regression correlations indicated the most powerful predictors of child adjustment were family competence variables which accounted for 21% of the variance in child adjustment scores. In contrast, family composition accounted for only 8% of variance in child adjustment scores. Further, hierarchical multiple regression correlations indicated that higher levels of family functioning were associated with families where parental hostility was low and parents displayed few rejecting behaviors while practicing consistent and appropriate discipline.     

Matrix manipulation and interpretation of data related to AIDS transmission

This research describes how a currently available spreadsheet program can be set up to analyze sociographic data. An algorithm developed by Jamrich (1960) is presented, along with both the mathematical and the spreadsheet equations. An example of the application of the algorithm and equations to AIDS transmission data is presented.     

The representational framework in perceptual theory

The representational stance in perceptual theory is described and its proper domain of application is examined. A decision rule for invoking representation is proposed but, although the rule is principled, its implementation is problematic. Despite the widespread appeaLof therepresentational stance, detailed working out of the position within perceptual theory is still needed.     

Spatial context affects the Poggendorff illusion

The Poggendorffillusion has often been explainedas purely an interactionbetween the parallels and the transversals. The present study demonstrates that additional spatial context exerts an influence on this illusion. In Experiment 1, we examined the effects of a surrounding tilted frame (complete and degraded versions) on collinearity adjustments iatheuprightandrotatedPoggendorfffigures. The frame’s orientation was always oblique. Relative to the no-frame condition, frames decreased error in collinearity adjustments in the upright-Poggendorff figure, and increased error in the rotated Poggendorfffigure. In Experiment 2, a circumscribing circle did not cause an orientation-inhibition effect (Ebenholtz & Utrie, 1982, 1983), suggestingthat the effect ofthe frame on the Poggendorif illusion may not be closely related to the rod-and-frame effect. In Experiment 3, orientation of a central texture modulated the magnitude ofthe illusion. The results do not serve to explain the mechanisms behind the Poggendorffillusion, but they do demonstrate the importance of visual reference frames in understanding perceived misalignment.     

Additivity of loudness across critical bands: A critical test

The use of magnitude estimation as well as axiomatic measurement theory has led to the suggestion that loudness adds across critical bands. In the present paper, we challenge this postulate by applying a more sensitive methodology, based on Falmagne’s (1976) random conjoint measurement procedure. A necessary condition for additivity of loudness was investigated in tone complexes consisting of 2-kHz and 5-kHz (resp. 3-kHz) components; the results showed systematic deviations from additivity. We argue that these deviations are due to asymmetric masking of the higher component by the lower one, and we propose a tentative quantitative model to account for the data. Such a model is in line with results from tone-on-tone masking, which show masking to be effective over a range of several critical bands.     

Perceptual organization of auditory temporal patterns in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

The perception of continuously repeating auditory patterns by European starlings was explored in seven experiments. In Experiment 1, 4 starlings learned to discriminate between two continuously repeating, eight-element, auditory patterns. Each eight-element pattern was constructed from different temporal organizations of two elements differing in timbre. In Experiments 2–7, the repeating patterns were transformed in ways designed to identify the starlings’ perceptual organization of the patterns. In Experiment 2, the starlings identified patterns beginning with novel starting points. In Experiment 3, discrimination performance was adversely affected by reorganizing the elements in the patterns. In Experiments 4 and 5, the pattern elements were altered. In Experiment 4, the patterns were constructed from two novel elements. In Experiment 5, the temporal location of the two pattern elements was reversed. The transformations of the patterns in Experiments 4 and 5 affected discrimination performance for some, but not all, of the starlings. In Experiments 6 and 7, replacing either of the two elements with silent intervals had no effect on discrimination performance. The results of these experiments identify basic grouping principles that starlings use when they perceive auditory patterns.     

Linguistic Phenomena and Language Selection in the REM Dreams of German-English Bilinguals

Sixteen German-English bilinguals were studied in a sleep laboratory for four nonconsecutive nights each. Half were native English speakers living in Zürich, and half native German speakers living in Atlanta. Presleep thought samples were solicited each evening and REM dream reports each night; subjects judged the waking appropriateness of their imagined speech and language phenomena, and also identified waking sources of their dream imagery, the following mornings. Incidences of dreaming and of speech therein generally were similar to those of monolinguals. Whether sessions were conducted in German (two nights) or English (two nights) did directly influence language selection in subjects' dreams. Judged appropriateness of language selection to imagined events was very high for thought samples, and high for REM dreams. Sources for thought samples were generally consonant with the language dominant at study site; for REM dreams this relationship was considerably weaker. Judged waking appropriateness to imagined situations was more strongly related to language selection than was the language reference of the supposed sources of those situations.