Religious experience and public cult: The case of Mary Ann Van Hoof

This study focuses on the first year (1950) of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported by Mary Ann Van Hoof of Necedah, Wisconsin. It argues that Van Hoof's experiences met not simply the needs of the community-at-large, but also helped the seer draw meaning from an emotionally-deprived and abusive childhood. The study concludes by suggesting that public serial apparitions are complex events that should be examined for the light they shed on the interaction between the seer's personal characteristics and experiences and the public events that take shape around those experiences.Support for this article was provided by the General Research Fund of the University of Kansas.     

Theory of learning mathematics with computer-assisted instruction: Hierarchical and nonhierarchical options

The learning of arithmetic problems is assumed to be a Markov process involving conditioning of a set of k subskills, each consisting of one or more productions. An axiom set is provided, with the choice between two options for one axiom controlling which of two models results. Model 1, which assumes that every subskill is attempted on every occurrence of a given problem, is a nonhierarchical model. Model 2, which assumes that every subskill in the temporal sequence for a problem is attempted until one is failed, is a somewhat unconventional hierarchical model: It is hierarchical in the sense that conditioningor chance success at one level is prerequisite to performance of the next subskill (next level) in the problem. As the value of the guessing parameter, g, declines, Model 2 leads to less efficient learning than Model 1.     

Noncompliance: Medical and Psychological Aspects

Patient noncompliance to oral medication regimens was assessed by interview in a sample of 109 private practice patients at two pharmacies in an outer western suburb of Sydney. Patients were classified into one of the five following groups on the basis of their stated degree of noncompliance to all medications taken (perfect compliance on all medications, occasional noncompliance on all medications, frequent noncompliance on all medications, occasional noncompliance on only some of the medications taken, and frequent noncompliance on only some of the medications taken). Selected medical/phnrmacological, doctor-patient relationship, attitudinal and personality variables were measured and univariate and multivariate analyses of the data undertaken. Contrary to expectations, the total number of medications reportedly taken rind complexity of the regimen were inversely related to noncompliance. Respondents reported satisfaction with the doctor's consultations, skepticism of doctors, attitudes to medication and scores on Rotter's (1966) Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (IEC) did not distinguish the compliant group from the four noncompliant groups combined. The most noteworthy finding concerned the marked ditlerences between the noncompliant groups, especially in relation to the patient's opinion of having to take the medication and the Personal Control scores of the IEC.     

TEACHER-VERSUS PEER-MEDIATED INSTRUCTION: AN ECOBEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS OF ACHIEVEMENT OUTCOMES

In three experiments, we compared the effects of instructional arrangements that varied in: (a) teacher versus peer mediators, (b) methods used, (c) levels of student academic responding generated, and (d) content taught and tested. Instructional arrangements (i.e., tasks, structure, teacher position, teacher behavior) and students' levels of academic responding were measured by an observation system which served as an index of the independent variables. Students' accuracy on weekly spelling, arithmetic, and vocabulary tests and pre- and post-standardized achievement tests (Experiments 2 and 3 only) were the dependent variables. Results indicated that the classwide peer tutoring, compared to the teacher's procedure, produced more student academic responding and higher weekly test scores, regardless of treatment order or subject matter content (Experiment 1). The four lowest performing students in each class, in particular, benefited from peer tutoring, often performing as well as the other students. These findings were replicated in Experiments 2 and 3 wherein content taught/tested was also manipulated. Standardized test score gains were higher in those areas in which peer tutoring was used longest. Issues related to the functional analysis of instruction and achievement gain are discussed.     

Patient Suicide: A Survey of Therapists' Reactions

A substantial proportion of therapists will at some point in their professional life experience the loss of a patient to suicide. Our aims were to assess how therapists react to patient's suicide over time and which factors contribute to the reaction. One third of the therapists, mostly women, suffer from severe distress. The impact is not different for therapists in institutional settings and therapists in private practice. The item “overall distress” immediately after the suicide predicts emotional reactions and changes in behavior. Our data suggest that identifying the severely distressed subgroup could be done using a visual analogue scale for overall distress. As a consequence, more specific and intensified help could be provided to these individuals.     

The Cultural Adaptation of a Transition Program for Latino Families of Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

During the transition to adulthood, effective and culturally relevant supports are critical for families of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is a dearth of documented program development and research on supports for Spanish-speaking Latino families during this life stage. The present work describes the cultural adaptation process of an evidence-based transition program for Latino families of youth with ASD. A model of the actions necessary to meaningfully conduct a cultural adaptation in this context is described. After implementing the culturally adapted program titled Juntos en la Transición with five Spanish-speaking families, parents reported high social validity of the program through surveys and interviews. The cultural adaptation process followed in this work is important for the further development of programs that address the transition needs of Latino youth with ASD and their families. Our impressions may also be useful to those who aim to develop culturally sensitive and ecologically valid multifamily group intervention programs for families from cultural and linguistic minority groups.