Comparing psychological and pharmacological treatments for hyperkinetic boys and their classmates

This study compares the short-term effects of methylphenidate and of teacher consultation on the on task behavior of diagnosed hyperkinetic outpatient boys and selected classmates. Statistically significant treatment effects were found for both drug treated and behaviorally treated hyperkinetic boys; the size of these effects did not differ between the two types of treatment. Within the behavioral group, the treatment effect spilled over, so that there was also a significant treatment effect on overactive classmates of the behaviorally treated hyperkinetic children and a trend toward a significant treatment effect on their average classmates. Some implications of the findings are discussed.This study was supported by grant number MH-22659 from the National Institute of Mental Health.     

The importance of behavioral and cognitive factors in heterosexual-social anxiety1

Subject groups were classified on the basis of behavioral ratings for degree of anxiety exhibited and level of social skill displayed during a simulated dating interaction. Subjects were then asked to view and evaluate their own skill performance and the performance of bogus subjects during the same interaction when presented on videotapes. All subject groups were accurate in rating the performance of the bogus subjects but the high anxious/high skill subjects underestimated (in comparison to judge's ratings) their own skill while high anxious/low skill subjects accurately assessed their poor performance. Implications of the establishment of two types of heterosexual-socially anxious subjects were drawn for both clinical practice and research.     

PERFORMANCE ON MEASUREMENT AND PSEUDOMEASUREMENT TASKS BY FIVE- TO SEVEN-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

Subjects trained by a non-verbal reinforcement method to select the longer one of a pair of sticks were given two genuine measurement (G) and two pseudomeasurement (P) tests. The first P-test involved the use of two measuring sticks, clearly different in length, and the second test addition or subtraction of a piece of the measuring stick between measurements. A single factor seemed to generate much of the performance in all four tests, suggesting that, since the P-tasks had to be solved by means of non-transitive inferences, the G-tasks were solved in the same way. It is concluded that non-verbal reinforcement methods may not yield a valid diagnosis of transitivity.     

Individual response patterns and the effects of different behavioral methods in the treatment of social phobia

The importance of individual response patterns in the treatment of phobic patients was examined in the present study. Forty psychiatric outpatients with social phobia were assessed with a social interaction test which was videotaped. Heart rate was continuously monitored during the test. On the basis of their reactions in the test situation, the patients were divided into two groups showing different response patterns; behavioral and physiological reactors. Within each group half of the patients were randomly assigned to a behaviorally focused method (social skills training) while the other half received a physiologically focused method (applied relaxation). The patients were treated individually in 10 sessions. The within-group comparisons showed that both treatments yielded significant improvements on most measures. The between-group comparisons showed that for the behavioral reactors, social skills training was significantly better than applied relaxation on six out of ten measures, and for the physiological reactors applied relaxation was significantly better than social skills training on three of the measures. The results support the hypothesis that greater effects are achieved when the method used fits the patient's response pattern.     

A generalization of Takane's algorithm for dedicom

An algorithm is described for fitting the DEDICOM model for the analysis of asymmetric data matrices. This algorithm generalizes an algorithm suggested by Takane in that it uses a damping parameter in the iterative process. Takane's algorithm does not always converge monotonically. Based on the generalized algorithm, a modification of Takane's algorithm is suggested such that this modified algorithm converges monotonically. It is suggested to choose as starting configurations for the algorithm those configurations that yield closed-form solutions in some special cases. Finally, a sufficient condition is described for monotonic convergence of Takane's original algorithm.Financial Support by the Netherlands organization for scientific research (NWO) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are obliged to Richard Harshman.     

Attentional capture and inhibition (of return): the effect on perceptual sensitivity

The present study was designed to determine the spatial distribution of attention in displays in which an irrelevant color singleton was present. The results show that at the location of an irrelevant singleton, there is, first, an increased sensitivity (d'), followed later by a reduced sensitivity. The increased sensitivity implies that, first, the irrelevant singleton captured spatial attention, producing an increased sensory gain for input at the irrelevant distractor location. The later-occurring, reduced sensitivity implies the operation of inhibitory processes, possibly related to inhibition of return.     

Use of behavioral techniques by paraprofessional staff: A review and proposal

Paraprofessionals are increasingly being employed to provide direct care to children and adults who have behavioral deficits and excesses, such as those labeled developmentally disabled, mentally ill, or delinquent. Behavioral techniques, if effectively taught to paraprofessionals, offer ways of both teaching new skills to clients and reducing their undesirable behaviors. This article describes the methods that have been used to teach paraprofessionals to use behavioral techniques, how these skills can be maintained on the job, and the effects upon client behavior that result from this teaching of paraprofessionals. In addition, a system for teaching staff to implement and continue to use behavioral techniques is proposed.