Stability of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children for a sample of Mexican-American children

Test-retest stability of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) was investigated over a 5$\text{1}\text{2}$-month interval for 42 Mexican-American preschool/kindergarten children. The results indicated that the stability coefficients for K-ABC Global scales and subtests were generally of adequate magnitudes (e.g., .70s and .80s), providing some evidence that the K-ABC is a relatively stable instrument for the sample. The results are discussed in the context of a test-retest study reported in the K-ABC Manual. Global scale stability coefficients were found to range from .76 to .90, and for the subtests the coefficients ranged from .26 to .89. The patterns of gain scores were very similar to the patterns reported in the stability investigation in the K-ABC Manual.     

Ethical considerations in the use of computers in psychological testing and assessment

Ethical considerations in the use of computers in psychological testing and assessment are discussed. Particular attention is given to existing ethics and standards that provide guidance to users of computerized test interpretation and report-writing programs. Issues covering professional accountability and confidentiality are also discussed as they relate to computer-assisted assessment. Areas of appropriate use of computers in testing and assessment are suggested, including test scoring, the analysis of scores, and generating remedial recommendations. Findings are summarized and several guidelines are suggested for users of computers in testing and assessment.     

Resolving discrepant results of the Wheatstone Experiment

Summary Soon after Wheatstone published his results obtained with the twelve earliest stereograms. Brewster disputed the result obtained with one of them. This stereogram consisted of a thick vertical line presented to one eye and a thin vertical and thick inclined line to the other. Wheatstone reported seeing depth with this figure but Brewster did not. We conducted three experiments to explore the possible reason for the disagreement. Experiment 1 indicated that the stereogram produces a variety of perceptions including the depth as reported by Wheatstone and the rivalry as reported by Brewster. Experiment 2 showed that Brewster's procedure of keeping the eyes fixed while viewing the stereogram reduces the proportion of subjects reporting depth. In Experiment 3, the top half and the bottom half of the stereogram were presented in different trials. The top of the stereogram that contains no conflicting cues produced reliable depth, but the bottom that does, did not. It is concluded that the difference in the procedures they used and the nature of the stimulus were responsible for the conflicting results.     

Masculinity,femininity, self-esteem,and subclinical depression

A study involving 197 university undergraduates (83 males, 114 females) tested the hypothesis that depressive symptoms assessed by the short form of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) would be negatively related to masculinity (M) scores from the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) but unrelated to femininity scores (F). It was also hypothesized that the negative relationship between masculinity and self-reports of depressive symptoms may be due to shared variance in self-esteem. The results supported predictions. In particular, the negative relationship linking masculinity to depressive symptoms disappeared when the effects of self-esteem were partialed out. Results are discussed in terms of the thesis that self-esteem may reflect in part the dominant masculine values of Western-type cultures and that manifestations of psychological ill health may occur when there is reduced opportunity to engage in behaviors that reflect these values.     

Aggression in toddlers: Responses to the assertive acts of boys and girls

Sex Roles - Forty-eight toddler boys and girls, 18 to 36 months of age, were observed in play groups. The assertive acts of each child and the responses of peers and teachers were recorded. The...     

Doctoral training in behavior analysis: Training generalized problem-solving skills

This essay provides guidelines for designing a doctoral program in behavior analysis. First, we propose a general accomplishment for all behavior analytic doctoral students: that they be able to solve problems concerning individual behavior within a range of environments. Second, in order to achieve this goal, we propose that students be trained in conceptual and experimental analysis of behavior, the application of behavioral principles and the administration of behavioral programs. This training should include class work, but it should emphasize the immersion of students in a variety of environments in which they are required to use behavior analytic strategies. Third, we provide an example of a hypothetical graduate program that involves the proposed training. Finally, an evaluation plan is suggested for determining whether a training program is in fact producing students who are generalized problem-solvers. At each step, we justify our point of view from a perspective that combines principles from behavior analysis and educational systems design.     

Unresolved grief

This paper has reviewed the literature on bereavement and, with particular emphasis on the authors' own work, describes three syndromes which seem to be related to the nonresolution of distinct phases of the grief process. The possibility of unresolved grief should receive a high index of suspicion for the patient with otherwise unexplainable depression, chronic illness behavior, or symptoms similar to those of a deceased relative or friend. When any of these syndromes are identified, it is useful to ask the patient who he has lost, how he has lost them, how he felt about the loss, whether he felt that he grieved, whether he still cries or feels the need to cry, and whether he has adjusted. The answer to these questions--both verbal and nonverbal--will help identify unresolved grief, when present, and may be a guide to specific interventions. On the other hand, our studies have suggested that unresolved grief is a somewhat overly simplistic concept. Most, if not all, people never totally resolve their grief; significant aspects of the bereavement process go on for years after the loss, even in otherwise normal patients. For some, identification syndromes continue. Others may continue to feel the presence of the deceased or have daily visions of him or her. Still others may feel pain, anger, and guilt for years after the death. It is still unclear at what point and to what degree these behaviors and symptoms become medical or psychiatric concerns and become pathological or predispose to serious medical, psychological, or social complications. Investigations into these unreported areas have been initiated and, we trust, will lead to clinically useful answers.     

A modification in scoring the ABC Scale

The scoring procedures for the Articulation of the Body-Concept (ABC) Scale to use with three-, four- and five-year-old children were modified to determine their degree of field-dependence-independence. A total of 300 children, who obtained a score of one or better on the ABC Scale, were administered the Preschool Embedded Figures Test (PEFT) and the ABC Scale. The ABC Scale was scored using its scoring procedures and the scoring procedures for the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHDT). Scores on the PEFT, ABC Scale and GHDT were correlated with each other. Correlations among all cognitive measures ranged from .88 to .99, which were high and statistically significant (p < .0001). Therefore, the scoring procedures for the GHDT can be substituted in scoring the ABC Scale in assessing young children's field-dependence-independence.