Recorded Readings: A Taped Parent-Tutoring Intervention

Parent tutoring has been successfully used to increase children’s oral reading fluency. However, commonly used procedures pose a challenge for parents who are not proficient in reading or who speak English as a second language. A taped reading program that included listening passage preview, repeated reading, and performance feedback was developed for parental implementation during home tutoring sessions. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of parent tutoring on the oral reading fluency of two elementary-aged English language learners. Data were collected on oral reading fluency using high- and low-word overlap passages. Results revealed an immediate increase in generalized oral reading fluency for one child upon intervention implementation and continued growth for both children 2 months following termination. Findings suggest recorded readings was an effective and acceptable parent tutoring intervention for increasing reading performance for language minority families.     

Increased spreading activation in depression

The dopaminergic system is implicated in depressive disorders and research has also shown that dopamine constricts lexical/semantic networks by reducing spreading activation. Hence, depression, which is linked to reductions of dopamine, may be associated with increased spreading activation. However, research has generally found no effects of depression on spreading activation, using semantic priming paradigms. We used a different paradigm to investigate the relationship between depression and spreading activation, one based on word frequencies. Our sample included 97 undergraduates who completed the BDI-II and the Controlled Oral Word Association test as well as the Animal Naming test. The results indicated that the group scoring within the depressed ranged evidenced greater spreading activation as compared to those who scored within the normal range on the BDI-II. The implications of these results as they relate to creativity in depression is discussed.     

Micro-ecological behavior and intergroup contact

Research evaluating intergroup contact has tended to rely on self-report measures. Drawing on recent micro-ecological research, the two studies reported here used a multi-method approach to examine contact in a more holistic fashion. This involved the measurement of observable behavior at the micro-level, intergroup attitudes via infrahumanization and focus groups. Participants were taking part in a community intervention program in Northern Ireland. We conclude that micro-ecological behavior is not necessarily indicative of outgroup attitudes. Although behavior and attitudes changed in line with one another in Study 1 (less aggregation and significantly less infrahumanization), there were no infrahumanization differences between those who sat beside an outgroup member and those who did not. Importantly, the work presented here illustrates a unique method that allows micro-ecological behavioral observations to be made for the first time in non-racial settings.     

Correlates of child abuse potential

Coercion theory provided the theoretical rationale for the present study. The hypothesis was that mothers' reports of child behavior problems and mothers' reports of external locus of control would be related to abuse potential. A total of 95 mother-child pairs were screened for child abuse potential during visits to a hospital-based pediatrie clinic. Following brief interviews, mothers completed three measures: Milner's Child Abuse Potential Inventory, Levenson's Locus of Control Scales, and the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist. Perceptions of control by powerful others and by chance were related to abuse potential for mothers of both sexes. Mothers' reports of their sons' anxiety-withdrawal and conduct-disorder behavior problems were related to abuse potential. There was a significant association among lie scores, internality, and abuse potential for mothers of female children. Mothers with high abuse potential reported significantly more behavior problems in their children. The findings were discussed in relation to coercion theory.Portions of this paper were presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Detroit, April 1983. This research was conducted by the first author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. at the University of Miami under the direction of Drs. Keith G. Scott and Annette M. La Greca. The first author wishes to thank the members of the committee, Drs. Herbert C. Quay, Simon B. Miranda, Daryl Greenfield, and Julia Rosenkrans, for their many contributions. Also, special thanks to the University of Miami Child Protection Team for their continuous support and guidance, and special appreciation to the mothers and children who participated in the study.     

Psychological significance in personal and supplied construct systems: A defining experiment

An implication was examined of three assumptions of Personal Construct Theory. Personal and supplied construct systems were compared for their capacity to account for 34 subjects' behaviour in an independent sorting task. It was found that either construct system tended to account for a significant amount of the variance in sorting behaviour, but that more was accounted for by personal Construct systems. Observations were made on the way in which this phenomenon varied between subjects, sub-tasks, and parts of construct systems. The assumptions examined were held to be relevant to Social perception and cognitive theories.     

Implications of aging,lexicality, and item length for the mechanisms underlying memory span

Hulme, Maughan, and Brown (1991) provided evidence that the contribution of long-term memory to memory span performance was additive to the contribution of rehearsal rate (e.g., Baddeley, 1986). The present study further explored the relationship between these two contributions in younger and older adults. Speech rates and spans for short, medium, and long words and nonwords were obtained from subjects. Older adults had slower speech rates and smaller spans than did younger adults. Both groups’ data were fit well by linear functions relating speech rates to spans. However, the slope of the function that relates speech rate to memory span was greater for words than for nonwords. This finding supports the idea that long-term memory, as well as rehearsal rate, contributes to span performance, and that this contribution is not simply additive.     

Medical Technology and Childbirth: Experiences of Expectant Mothers and Fathers

Research and theory on medical technologysuggests that, for many expectant mothers, medicalintervention in pregnancy and childbirth results infeelings of alienation from their bodies and a lack ofcontrol over the childbirth experience. Few studies,however, examine the influence of medical interventionon the expectant father's experience of this significantlife event. In this study, we compare expectant fathers' and mothers' experiences with medicaltechnology during pregnancy and childbirth. In-depthinterviews were conducted with 15 primarily White,middle-class, married couples prior to and after the birth of their first child. Our findings revealdifferences in the impact of medical technology onexpectant mothers' and fathers' perceptions ofinvolvement and control over pregnancy andchildbirth.     

Relational‐Cultural Theory: A Framework for Bridging Relational,Multicultural, and Social Justice Competencies

Relational‐cultural theory (RCT) theorists advocate expanding the multicultural/social justice counseling competencies beyond the domains of self‐awareness, cultural knowledge, and culturally responsive helping skills. This article provides an overview of RCT and discusses how creating and participating in growth‐fostering relationships are essential dimensions of human development and psychological well‐being. Implications of this theoretical model for counseling practice are also addressed.     

FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT OF MULTIPLY CONTROLLED INAPPROPRIATE MEALTIME BEHAVIOR

Functional analyses identified children whose inappropriate mealtime behavior was maintained by escape and adult attention. Function‐based extinction procedures were tested individually and in combination. Attention extinction alone did not result in decreases in inappropriate mealtime behavior or a significant increase in acceptance. By contrast, escape extinction alone resulted in a decrease in inappropriate mealtime behavior and an increase in acceptance. However, inappropriate mealtime behavior did not decrease to clinically acceptable levels. A combined extinction technique (i.e., escape and attention extinction) resulted in a decrease in inappropriate mealtime behavior to clinically acceptable levels and high and stable acceptance.     

Combining Data from Parent Ratings and Parent Interview When Assessing ADHD

This study examined different methods of combining data from a well established rating scale – the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale (DBDRS) – with data from a well established interview – the computerized self report version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children for DSM-IV (P-DISC-IV) – when examining parent report of ADHD. These measures were completed for 80 children who participated in a summer camp for children with disruptive behavior. Results showed significant overlap between the two diagnostic measures but parent report on the DBDRS was more highly associated with children’s camp behaviors than was parent report on the P-DISC-IV. In addition, combining ratings and interview data using an “either/or” rule was more highly associated with camp behavior than was combining data using a “both/and” rule. Results suggest there may be little additional value of adding data from parent self-report on the computerized version of the P-DISC-IV to behavior rating data.