Behavior modification in education: Contributions and limitations

Behavior modification has been applied widely in educational settings encompassing a wide range of student populations, ages, and areas of focus. Major contributions of behavior modification include development and evaluation of a large number of techniques with extensive classroom research. As a direct consequence of technique development, behavior modification has provided teachers with a selection of classroom practices and information regarding their use. Despite the widespread application of behavioral principles in education, several limitations can be identified including the responses that are altered, the emphasis on response consequences, the focus on child performance rather than behaviors of teachers and others, and the lack of maintenance of improvements evident in many programs. Although limitations can be identified within the field, remarkable advances have been made in identifying educational practices that can improve student and teacher behavior. A major limitation in applying behavior modification to education pertains to dissemination and extension of existing techniques to a large number of settings likely to profit their use. The present paper considers various contributions and limitations of contemporary behavior modification and suggests areas for expansion to augment the progress that has been made.     

5-HTTLPR基因多态性和早期养育压力对学前儿童问题行为的影响

本研究拟探讨5-HTTLPR基因多态性与母亲早期养育压力对中国汉族学前儿童问题行为的交互作用机制和性别差异。355名6个月婴儿及其父母参加了本研究。在婴儿6个月时，收集婴儿的口腔脱落细胞和母亲养育压力数据；在48个月时，再次邀请父母分别报告儿童的问题行为。结果发现：（1）当母亲养育压力较高时，s/s和s/l型男孩的外显问题行为显著高于l/l型男孩；但当母亲养育压力较低时，两组男孩没有显著差异；（2）当母亲养育压力较高时，l/l型女孩的内隐问题行为显著高于s/s和s/l型女孩；但当母亲养育压力较低时，两组女孩没有显著差异。研究结果表明，5-HTTLPR基因多态性与母亲养育压力在预测男孩外显问题行为和女孩内隐问题行为时的交互作用机制均支持素质-压力模型。     

Mental capacity,mental effort,and cognitive style

This study tests the relationship between two theoretical models of human attentional capacity: Pascual-Leone's mental capacity and Kahneman's mental effort. It was found that significant and positive correlations exist between the empirical measures of the above constructs, and the relationship is demonstrated via construct validation by showing that the two constructs relate in the same manner to the subject's cognitive style (i.e., field-dependence/independence).     

Work role salience as a determinant of career maturity in high school students

It has often been contended that vocational or career maturity is largely determined by socioeconomic status and sex. But these, although surely important determinants, may function as such only because they determine commitment to working careers. This latter may itself be the immediate determinant of career maturity. In this study data were collected from some 382 students of whom about 55% were girls, using a Personal Data Blank, the Salience Inventory, and the Career Development Inventory. Measures of career and home commitment were obtained from the second, while measures of career or vocational maturity were derived from the last-named instrument. Canonical correlations and variance analyses were done to examine the roles of SES and sex when combined with career commitment. Four hypotheses received full support, three were partially supported, and one was not supported.