A functional approach to understanding attitudes toward AIDS victims.

Attitudes toward victims of AIDS were conceptualized as serving three possible functions: a value-expressive function (e.g., stigmatization), an ego-defensive function (e.g., homosexual prejudice), or a knowledge function (e.g., victim derogation). These functions were evaluated by having a sample of U.S. undergraduates respond to a victim who had contracted AIDS by one of three different means: a blood transfusion, a sexual encounter of a homosexual nature, or intravenous drug use. Subjects then indicated their beliefs about the victim's responsibility for the disease, feelings toward the victim, and likely behavioral interactions with the victim. The findings provided most support for the knowledge function of attitudes toward AIDS victims.     

Brain damage,diagnosis, and substance abuse among violent offenders

Neuropsychological functioning, diagnoses, and substance abuse were compared among killers, nonhomicidal assaulters, and nonviolent offender controls. The Reitan and Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological test batteries, the WAIS-R, CT scans, and EEGs were examined with a trend to more neuropathology found in killers and assaulters than in controls. There were no group differences in ICD-9 diagnosis nor on the MMPI, although considerable personality pathology was noted in all groups. Violent offenders scored higher on the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST). The violent offenders were more likely to experience alcohol and drug-related mood dysphoria. The interaction of neuropsychological, personality, and substance abuse variables is discussed.     

Sex hormones in murderers and assaulters

A study of hormonal levels of violent and nonviolent offenders failed to establish any significant differences among murderers, assaulters, and controls. While the results do not suggest a contributory role for random blood hormone levels in facilitating aggressive behavior, further study of complex interactions is necessary to rule out endocrinological factors.     

Citizen participation in police crisis intervention activities

A naturalistic experiment tested the proposition that police time could be saved in nondangerous crisis intervention calls through the use of citizen participants. Results showed that police officers who used citizen intervention spent less time per call than officers who did not. However, police time was not saved in family disturbance calls. Family disturbance control group calls were rated by police as having a higher degree of physical danger present than other calls.     

Development and operating environments for a network of Walter/Palya experiment controllers on the Macintosh computer

A program development and an operating environment for using the Walter/Palya experiment controller with a Macintosh are discussed. The importance in maintaining the productivity and intuitive aspects of the Macintosh’s user interface is stressed. With this environment, simple choices using the mouse control most aspects of developing and debugging programs and the day-to-day conduct of research.     

REPLACING MALADAPTIVE SPEECH WITH VERBAL LABELING RESPONSES: AN ANALYSIS OF GENERALIZED RESPONDING

We taught three mentally handicapped students to answer questions with verbal labels and evaluated the generalized effects of this training on their maladaptive speech (e.g., echolalia) and correct responding to untrained questions. The students received cues-pause-point training on an initial question set followed by generalization assessments on a different set in another setting. Probes were conducted on novel questions in three other settings to determine the strength and spread of the generalization effect. A multiple baseline across subjects design revealed that maladaptive speech was replaced with correct labels (answers) to questions in the training and all generalization settings. These results replicate and extend previous research that suggested that cues-pause-point procedures may be useful in replacing maladaptive speech patterns by teaching students to use their verbal labeling repertoires.     

Longitudinal scalogram analysis: A methodology and microcomputer program for Guttman scale analysis of longitudinal data

Guttman scalogram analysis has been limited to cross-sectional analysis. Longitudinal scalogram analysis (LSA), a direct extension of cross-sectional scalogram analysis to longitudinal-data, is proposed as an alternative methodology. The benefits of LSA relative to cross-sectional methods of analysis are discussed.     

AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL SKILLS GENERALIZATION IN TWO NATURAL SETTINGS

The interactional behavior of two groups of elderly mentally retarded residents of a community facility was measured in two generalization situations before, during, and after one group received social skills training. The training group received social skills training within a game format, whereas the contrast group simply played a game with no emphasis on interactional behavior. Results suggested that generalization to natural interactional situations may be delayed following training and that it is more likely in some situations (i.e., with trained peers) than others (i.e., in the presence of untrained peers).