Sex differences in student dominance behavior in female and male professors' classrooms

Measures of verbal participation and interaction among graduate students provided a comparison of male and female dominance behavior in the classroom, and measures of the contextual effect of sex of professor provided further data on the interrelatedness of sex, status, and dominance behavior. Male students were found to exhibit significantly more aggressiveness (interruptive behavior) than female students in both male and female professors' classes, although significantly more male aggressiveness occurred in female professors' classes than in male professors classes. Male students were significantly more assertive (frequency and duration of speech) in female professors' classes only. In student-to-student interaction, aggressiveness was predominantly exchanged between sexes rather than among same-sex members.The author would like to thank Julie Parks and Joanie Rubin for their help with this research.     

The functional properties of a time out from an avoidance schedule

Investigations are reported of some of the discriminative (cue) and reinforcing properties of stimuli (TO_av) correlated with the discontinuation of a free-operant avoidance schedule. After several unsuccessful initial attempts to demonstrate the positively reinforcing effect of TO_av, a special technique was developed. The subjects were trained by means of a free-operant avoidance procedure to press a lever and postpone electric shock; by pressing a second lever, they could produce a cue correlated with the TO_av period. The importance of a distinct cue correlated with TO_av was demonstrated in experiments in which this signal was eliminated from the procedure. The reinforcing function of the TO_av period was explored by showing its effectiveness under various schedules of reinforcement.

Other observations were made concerning the course of extinction of both TO_av-producing responses and avoidance behavior.

In further experiments in which TO_av was used as a reinforcer, the TO_av behavior was also brought under separate stimulus control. The development of the various discriminations involved in the resulting performance were described.

     

Profiles of mod revivalists: a case study of a reemerging adolescent group

This exploratory study examined the characteristics and interpersonal relations of a relatively small group of adolescents who identified themselves as members of a revived "mod movement." In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 members (45%) of this peer group in order to: identify the main features of the members, determine their similarity to earlier British mods, and assess gains from group affiliation. Results suggested that adolescents who joined this unique and somewhat extreme group were more similar than dissimilar to their contemporaries in their efforts to establish an identity and be accepted as individuals. Implications for interacting with members of such adolescent groups, and suggestions for future research are presented.     

The fate of psychiatry at the time of the fascist dictatorship. On the 40th anniversary of liberation and in memory of the victims of a science that became destructive

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of Germany from the fascist dictatorship, a survey is presented on the hitherto existing investigations into the various forms of the abuse of psychiatry for the purposes of the fascist system. The paper deals with forced sterilization, the murders of children and of adult mental patients and with the attempted legalization of so-called "active euthanasie". The causes of this development are discussed and the ethical consequences for the present.     

Personal and Professional Development for Judges: The Institute for Faculty Excellence

This interview study describes the role that participation in the Institute for Faculty Excellence in Judicial Education (IFEJE) played in the personal and professional development of four judges. Judicial education is a relatively new field of adult and continuing professional education. There is limited literature devoted to this area of study outside of the arena of substantive legal or judging topics. Interviews served as the primary data source for this study along with program evaluations, photographs, and e-mail correspondence from Institute participants. The findings revealed that the combined safe environment, challenges, and support participants experienced at the Institute and learning about adult learning helped them: feel less isolated in their work; stretch their normal work boundaries resulting in the completion of projects for which they had great passion; and benefited them as judges, supervisors, teachers, and in other social relationships.     

Reference-frame misalignment and cardinal direction judgments: group differences and strategies

In 3 experiments, the authors examined how misalignment of egocentric and exocentric reference frames affects cardinal direction judgments. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated large differences in the accuracy and speed with which 104 less experienced and 7 experienced navigators made cardinal direction judgments. Reference-frame misalignment was associated with large performance decrements. The extent of these decrements diminished as ability and experience increased: however, even experienced navigators showed decrements when reference frames were misaligned. In Experiment 3, the authors used 55 college students to examine the individual subtasks of a common strategy for cardinal direction judgments and to isolate the effects of reference-frame misalignment to a particular subtask of this strategy. The tasks and strategies studied in this article can be applied in the development of navigational training and interfaces.     

Relation of Age of Onset to the Type and Severity of Child and Adolescent Conduct Problems

In a cross-sectional household sample of 9-through 17-year-old youths from 4 U.S. communities, youths with earlier ages of onset of conduct problems engaged in more conduct problems than youths with later ages of onset when current age and gender were controlled. Specifically, youths with earlier ages of onset were more likely to engage in several types of physical aggression, frequent lying, theft, and vandalism and were less likely to engage in only truancy. There also was an inverse relation between age of onset and level of functional impairment, mental health service use, and meeting diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. Within the limits of cross-sectional data, these results support the hypothesis that key aspects of the heterogeneity of conduct problems among youths are related to the age of onset of conduct problems.     

Child abuse and neglect reporting laws: Understanding interests,understanding policy

This article focuses on the interests of the persons involved in the child abuse and neglect reporting process—(1) the child, the accused, and the family members of the child and of the accused; (2) physicians, psychologists, therapists, private agency and hospital social workers, educators, and other professionals; (3) law enforcement officers, state social service workers, lawyers, and judges; and (4) legislators. With this focus, the article illuminates the rationales and explicit and implicit policy choices reflected in the legislation's reporting requirements and processes. Such insight is necessary to a critical review of existing legislation and future improvements in the practical operation of reporting law legislation. This article demonstrates that the interaction of these interests is complex and often creates competing concerns and goals. This article concludes that efforts should be made to better harmonize these interests in future legislation.     

Critical comments on the theory and practice of behavior therapy from the viewpoint of Marxist-Leninist philosophy

By analyzing previous critical studies of the theoretical and methodological positions of behavioral therapy, which were conducted on Marxist-Leninist principles, the authors discuss the complex relationship of one-sided philosophical assumptions, simplifying elements of psychological theories, and radional moments of successful practical application in certain fields. Both critical delimitation from untenable theoretical interpretations and the inclusion of rational forms of therapy in a complex system of psychotherapy are considered essential.