Prerequisite vs. in vivo acquisition of self-feeding skill

Separating the acquisition of prerequisite skills from the learning of skills in vivo may be a more efficacious procedure for self-help training of low functioning developmentally delayed children. Two procedures for training independent use of a fork at meals were compared using two equivalent groups of three subjects each, in multiple baseline design. Using previously accepted procedures, one group was trained during meals while the experimental group received prerequisite training making use of simulated food (styrofoam pieces). Data during training, generalization-to-meal, and follow-up were collected. For 6 months following training, the efficacy of prerequisite training was upheld. The complexity of individual responses to the singular or conjunctive use of social and edible reinforcement for the purpose of self-feeding skill generalization and maintenance, is discussed.     

Social Support in Seventh-Day Adventists and Their Neighbors

Certain structural and functional aspects of social networks and support were compared among 157 middle-aged male Seventh-day Adventists and male neighbors of the same age range. The Adventist men were 11.2% more likely to be married (p<0.05), had 15% more trusted friends (p<0.10) and 31% more trusted relatives (p<0.005) than their neighbors. Of the Adventists and neighbors, 74% and 52% respectively reported feeling frequently cared for by others (p<0.001). At least weekly church attendance was practiced by 84% of the Adventists and 30% of the neighbors (p<0.001). It is speculated that some of the favorable mortality experience of Adventists may be causally related to these increased levels of social support.     

Leader Member Exchange in Leaders’ Support for Voice: Good Relationships Matter in Situations of Power Threat

While previous research underscores the role of leaders in stimulating employee voice behaviour, comparatively little is known about what affects leaders’ support for such constructive but potentially threatening employee behaviours. We introduce leader member exchange quality (LMX) as a central predictor of leaders’ support for employees’ ideas for constructive change. Apart from a general benefit of high LMX for leaders’ idea support, we propose that high LMX is particularly critical to leaders’ idea support if the idea voiced by an employee constitutes a power threat to the leader. We investigate leaders’ attribution of prosocial and egoistic employee intentions as mediators of these effects. Hypotheses were tested in a quasi-experimental vignette study (N = 160), in which leaders evaluated a simulated employee idea, and a field study (N = 133), in which leaders evaluated an idea that had been voiced to them at work. Results show an indirect effect of LMX on leaders’ idea support via attributed prosocial intentions but not via attributed egoistic intentions, and a buffering effect of high LMX on the negative effect of power threat on leaders’ idea support. Results differed across studies with regard to the main effect of LMX on idea support.     

Fear expression and return of fear following threat instruction with or without direct contingency experience

Prior research showed that mere instructions about the contingency between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) can generate fear reactions to the CS. Little is known, however, about the extent to which actual CS–US contingency experience adds anything beyond the effect of contingency instructions. Our results extend previous studies on this topic in that it included fear potentiated startle as an additional dependent variable and examined return of fear (ROF) following reinstatement. We observed that CS–US pairings can enhance fear reactions beyond the effect of contingency instructions. Moreover, for all measures of fear, instructions elicited immediate fear reactions that could not be completely overridden by subsequent situational safety information. Finally, ROF following reinstatement for instructed CS+s was unaffected by actual experience. In summary, our results demonstrate the power of contingency instructions and reveal the additional impact of actual experience of CS–US pairings.     

Sleep Problems and Separation Anxiety in Preschool-Aged Children: A Path Analysis

Sleep problems occur frequently in young children, possibly causing detrimental effects on their development. Parental marital difficulties are known to put a burden on children’s sleep and adjustment. However, research concerning the relation between the parental relationship quality and children’s sleep difficulties is rare for preschool-aged children. This study aims to fill in the gap. Initially, caregivers of 94 preschoolers (41 girls and 53 boys, aged 2–6 years) filled in questionnaires providing information on their children’s sleep and anxiety as well as on their own sleep and relationship quality. A path model approach was used to examine two competing theoretical models linking these factors. The conducted path analysis indicated that children’s separation anxiety, β = ?.134, p = .017, as well as their anxiety in general, β = ?.177, p = .024, partially mediated the relation between the parental relationship quality and children’s sleep problems. Parental sleep problems correlated with the relationship quality, r = ?.371, p = .030, but had no significant influence on children’s sleep. The results of our study suggest that children growing up with parents who state a low relationship quality might thus be concerned about the stability of their family system. As a result children’s sleep quality might be compromised due to irritation and feelings of insecurity. The study highlights the importance of the parental relationship as an influence factor in children’s sleep quality.     

Synergistic Paths to Happiness: Findings from Seven Countries

Four individual profiles of ways toward happiness were found on a Slovene sample: Full, Empty, Pleasurable, and Meaningful life types. The present study aimed to validate these four types in samples from seven different countries (N = 3690) utilising four different languages. Participants completed the Orientation towards Happiness Scale and measures of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, and ill-being. A two-step cluster analysis was performed with each of the seven country samples. A highly congruent, highly internally replicable four-cluster solution was found in all seven samples. Full and Empty life individuals have high and low scores on all three orientations to happiness, respectively. Pleasurable and Meaningful types reflect two traditional philosophic orientations: Pleasurable life individuals scored high on pleasure, average on engagement and low on meaning orientation, while Meaningful life individuals had high scores on meaning, average on engagement, and low scores on pleasure orientation. The four types differed in subjective happiness and psychological well-being with full life type characterized by the highest scores on subjective happiness and psychological well-being, and Empty life by the lowest scores. On the other hand, depressive symptoms were likely to be the lowest in the Full life type and the highest in the Empty life type. Meaningful and Pleasurable life types were characterized by moderate well- and ill-being, but the two types tended not to differ from each other on the measures used.     

Functional analysis and habit‐reversal treatment of tics

Although there is empirical support for a biological etiology of Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders, researchers have recently begun examining the role of reinforcement in tic maintenance. Using experimental functional analyses, researchers have identified both social and nonsocial functions for the tics of a variety of individuals. However, there are at least two problems with this developing literature. First, all but one of the studies employed a single participant and many of them were referred for clinical treatment. These factors leave open the possibility that the selection or referral process may have contributed to the reported outcomes. Second, five of the seven participants had a developmental disability or delay. Thus, the majority of participants in this literature are unrepresentative of most individuals with tic disorders. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the operant functions of the tics of multiple children who were recruited for the study. We evaluated the tics of three typically developing children using functional analysis. Results indicated nonsocial functions for all tics. Two of the participants were then treated using habit reversal; both of them experienced tic reductions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of infant irritability on maternal sensitivity in a sample of very premature infants

The relationship between maternal sensitivity and infant irritability was investigated in a short‐term longitudinal study of 29 very preterm infants. Infant irritability was assessed at term with the Brazelton NBAS, the Mother and Baby Scales (MABS) and the Crying Pattern Questionnaire (CPQ). Maternal sensitivity was assessed by nurses' ratings in the neonatal care unit and at three months during mother–infant interaction observation. Cross‐lagged panel analysis indicated that neonatal irritability did not influence sensitivity at 3 months nor did maternal sensitivity in the newborn period lead to reduced irritability at 3 months. Both irritability and maternal sensitivity showed moderate stability over time (r = 0.55 and r = 0.60, respectively). It is concluded that in early infancy maternal sensitivity shows little influence on infant irritability in very preterm infants. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.