Effectiveness of a consultation intervention to promote tobacco control policies in Northwest Indian tribes: Integrating experimental evaluation and service delivery

A quasi-experimental replication of an intervention for promoting tobacco control policies in Northwest Indian tribes is described and the process of intervention including issues of collaboration among research institutions and Indian organizations is discussed. The policy intervention was evaluated using a pretest-posttest design wherein 20 tribes that had served as wait-list controls now received the intervention. The intervention comprised a tribal representative attending a kickoff orientation; follow-up visits to the tribes; distribution of tobacco policy workbooks; and phone call consultations. Policy status and stringency were assessed by means of telephone interviews with two key contacts per tribe, and by a count of enacted policies. There were significant pre-post changes in the primary outcome measure, a composite summary score of tobacco policy stringency, and changes were also reflected in enacted policies. The intervention effects observed were similar to those found in the prior randomized trial and suggest a robust, disseminable intervention. Much of the success achieved was attributed to the role of an Indian organization in planning the project and implementing the intervention and evaluation protocols.     

Prevalence of smokeless tobacco consumption at a southwestern university

265 students attending a southwestern university were surveyed about their use of smokeless tobacco products. 27% of 84 male respondents indicated they consumed smokeless tobacco. The women did not report routine use of smokeless tobacco.     

Incentive learning following reinforcer devaluation is not conditional upon the motivational state during re-exposure

Three experiments analysed the effect of re-exposure to the reinforcer following aversion conditioning on instrumental performance. In the first experiment, groups of hungry and thirsty rats were trained to press a lever for sucrose, which was then followed by a single injection of lithium chloride (LiCl). On the following day, half the animals in each motivational condition received re-exposure to the sucrose solution; the remaining animals were not re-exposed. In a subsequent extinction test animals that had received re-exposure to the sucrose pressed less than animals that were not re-exposed. Moreover, the effect of re-exposure to the sucrose solution was similar following training under hunger and thirst. In the remaining studies, animals were trained to lever-press for sucrose while either hungry or thirsty. They were then injected with LiCl and re-exposed to the sucrose while either hungry or thirsty, i.e. in the same or different motivational state employed during training, or they were not re-exposed. Lever pressing was then tested in extinction in the training motivational state. As in the first experiment, re-exposure to the reinforcer after aversion conditioning enhanced the magnitude of the reinforcer devaluation effect. More importantly, re-exposure to the sucrose produced a comparable effect on instrumental performance, whether re-exposure was given under the same or different motivational state to that employed during training. These results suggest that the instrumental reinforcer devaluation effect depends upon a process of incentive learning, but that this process is not conditional upon the current motivational state of the animal.     

Infant transfer behavior in humans: A note on the exploitation of young

Human infant transfers filmed in West New Guinea and stored in the archives of Max-Planck Geselschaft are formally described and analyzed relative to reports of similar behavior from nonhuman primates in laboratory and field studies. Motor patterns directed from one individual to another were discriminated and grouped into five categories of behavior ordered according to their relative likelihoods of “damaging aggression” [Fagen, American Naturalist, 115:858–869, 1980]. Transfers generally occurred between two females of different reproductive conditions. Most interactions were directed from the holder of the infant to the infant, demonstrating that the infant is the recipient of most nondamaging as well as potentially damaging behavior. While transfers are characterized by “aggressive restraint,” the least damaging behavior is most likely to precede a transfer and may function to prolong the relative duration of infant holding. Behavior with a relatively high likelihood of damage to the infant by the infant holder is as likely to occur before as after transfer, suggesting that infant transfer behavior in this human society reflects competitive interactions among adult females.     

Counselors’ Mandated Responsibility to Report Child Maltreatment: A Review of U.S. Laws

Although counselors in 44 states are mandatory reporters of child maltreatment, they may lack an understanding of their legally designated role. This article presents the results of a systematic review of child maltreatment reporting laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The authors apply relevant legislation to real‐life contexts for counselors.     

Psychological Treatments for Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Review of the Evidence of Leading International Organizations

In recent decades, the evidence on psychological treatments for children and adolescents has increased considerably. Several organizations have proposed different criteria to evaluate the evidence of psychological treatment in this age group. The aim of this study was to analyze evidence-based treatments drawn from RCTs, reviews, meta-analyses, guides and lists provided by four leading international organizations. The institutions reviewed were the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53) of the American Psychological Association, Cochrane Collaboration and the Australian Psychological Society in relation to mental disorders in children and adolescents. A total of 137 treatments were analyzed for 17 mental disorders and compared to determine the level of agreement among the organizations. The results indicate that, in most cases, there is little agreement among organizations and that there are several discrepancies within certain disorders. These results require reflection on the meaning attributed to evidence-based treatments with regard to psychological treatments in children and adolescents. The possible reasons for these differences could be explained by a combination of different issues: the procedures or committees may be biased, different studies were reviewed, different criteria are used by the organizations or the reviews of existing evidence were conducted in different time periods.