The development of work discussion groups in educational settings

This paper describes the application and development of the work discussion method within educational settings. In the first section of the paper, I outline some key contextual factors that are important to consider when setting up work discussion groups within schools. A number of case examples are then described, illustrating a range of central issues that can emerge. By developing a deeper understanding about the meaning of behaviour and the emotional factors that impact on teaching and learning, I hope to demonstrate how work discussion groups can help teachers to develop their capacity to manage the challenges of their work, role and relationships with pupils. More broadly, I hope to illustrate how these groups can help to promote a learning environment for all, in which development and growth is promoted at a personal, professional and whole school level.     

Peer Leadership Programs in Schools

Abstract

This paper presents an outline for implementing a peer leadership program in the schools. It provides a brief overview of the historical roots of peer leadership. This paper also addresses issues relevant to implementing a peer leadership program such as selecting peer leaders, the roles peer leaders play in education, the role of educators in this process and how educators can be involved in peer leadership programs to create a more effective learning environment in the school. Peer leadership is discussed in the context of the public schools with a focus on future directions that peer leadership may pursue.     

Telephone-Administered Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Exposure with response prevention and cognitive behavior therapy are widely recognized as effective treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Unfortunately, many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder - particularly those living in rural areas - do not have access to therapists providing these treatments. Accordingly, we investigated the efficacy of telephone-administered cognitive behavior therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Two open trials are reported, for a total of 33 people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (without major depression). The first trial consisted of 12 weeks on a waiting list followed by 12 weeks of treatment (delayed treatment). The second trial consisted of 12 weeks of immediate treatment. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms did not change during the waiting period. Symptoms declined from pre- to post-treatment, with gains maintained at 12-week follow-up. For the pooled sample our pre-to-post-treatment effect size was as large or larger than those obtained in other studies of reduced contact treatment, and similar to those of face-to-face exposure with response prevention. Our proportion of treatment dropouts tended to be lower than those of other reduced contact interventions. The results suggest that telephone-administered cognitive behavior therapy is effective and well-tolerated, at least for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder without major depression. It remains to be seen whether this treatment is safe and effective when comorbid major depression is present.     

集体主义与贿赂

贿赂是指财物由行贿者向受贿者转移, 公共权力由受贿者向行贿者的暂时转移, 并涉及到为私利而滥用公共权力的过程。研究者认为集体主义是影响贿赂的文化心理根源, 而实证研究发现集体主义与贿赂的关系受到两个方面因素的影响。一方面贿赂的研究视角影响集体主义与贿赂的关系。研究一致证明集体主义促进贿赂行为意向。然而虽然大部分研究表明集体主义与贿赂感知和贿赂态度正相关, 但仍有少量不一致结果。另一方面集体主义类型也影响着集体主义和贿赂的关系。前人关于集体主义对贿赂的作用机制仍以理论探讨为主, 实证研究主要以道德卷入和计划行为理论为基础。未来可以从澄清不同贿赂研究视角的区别与联系、区分不同类型集体主义与贿赂的关系以及关注集体主义对贿赂的作用机制这三个角度进行深入探索。     

Socioeconomic status as a moderator between social cognitions and physical activity: Systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

BackgroundHealth inequalities are to a substantial degree due to socioeconomic status (SES) related differences in health behaviors such as physical activity. However, little is known about the role SES plays in the self-regulation of physical activity.PurposeThis systematic review with meta-analysis examines whether a comprehensive set of indicators of SES (income, education, occupational status) impacts on the behavioral self-regulation by moderating the relationships between social cognitions in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and physical activity.MethodsA systematic literature search identified 99 studies from 88 articles that provided information on sample SES and correlations between TPB variables and physical activity. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to pool correlations corrected for sampling and measurement error. Random-effects meta-regression was used to examine moderating effects of study-level SES on these correlations.ResultsEducation moderated the relationship between intentions and physical activity, such that studies with better educated samples reported stronger intention-physical activity relationships.ConclusionsThese results suggest that education might play a major role in the self-regulation of physical activity, with better educated samples more likely to translate intentions into behavior. This can both help to explain heterogeneity in the relation between intentions and physical activity as well as support the development of more effective interventions targeting intentions and physical activity.     

An evaluation of interdependent and independent group contingencies during the good behavior game

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) uses an interdependent group contingency to improve classroom behavior. Despite the wealth of research on the effectiveness of the GBG, some teachers may have concerns about their students’ abilities to work in teams, particularly if they have a history of poor social skills. We used an alternating treatments design to compare the relative effectiveness of the GBG with interdependent and independent group contingencies in a classroom for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Our results showed that both versions of the GBG reduced verbal disruptions, inappropriate sitting, and off‐task behaviors for all children. However, the majority of children preferred the interdependent arrangement. We discuss how these results may promote more widespread use of the GBG with children with substantial behavioral challenges.     

Responding to rule violations or rule following: A comparison of two versions of the Good Behavior Game with kindergarten students

The purpose of this study was to examine the differential effects of 2 versions of the Good Behavior Game (Barrish, Saunders, & Wolf, 1969), allocating teacher attention to rule violations (GBG-response cost) and to rule following (GBG-reinforcement), on student and teacher behavior. The participants were 6 kindergarten students who were nominated as the 3 most disruptive students in each classroom. The study was conducted using single-case A/B/A/C/B/C reversal design with each teacher randomly assigned to either GBG-response cost or GBG-reinforcement condition for implementation in the first B phase. Results indicated that both versions were effective at reducing rule violations and that GBG-reinforcement consistently resulted in either comparable or lower levels of rule violations across classrooms and students. In addition, GBG-reinforcement was preferred by the teachers as a better fit to their classrooms. The implications of the findings to teachers and school psychologists in classroom settings are discussed.     

“I'm Not Prejudiced,but . . .”: Compensatory Egalitarianism in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary

The historic 2008 Democratic presidential primary race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton posed a difficult choice for egalitarian White voters, and many commentators speculated that the election outcome would reflect pitting the effects of racism against sexism ( Steinem, 2008 ). Because self‐reported prejudices may be untrustworthy, we used the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to assess White adults’ (1) condemnation of prejudices, and (2) attitudes toward the candidates in relation to voting decisions, as part of an online survey. Results supported the proposed compensatory egalitarianism process, such that Whites’ voting choice was consistent with their implicit candidate preference, but in an effort to remain egalitarian, participants compensated for this preference by automatically condemning prejudice toward the other candidate's group. Additional findings showed that this process was moderated by participants’ ethnicity and level of prejudice, as expected. Specifically, compensatory egalitarianism occurred primarily among Whites and individuals low in explicit prejudice. Implications for candidate support, aversive racism theory, and implicit compensation processes are discussed.