Functional analysis and treatment of self-injury associated with transitions.

We applied functional analysis methodology to the assessment and treatment of 2 individuals' self‐injurious behavior (SIB), which was reported to be occasioned by transitions from one activity or location to another. A structural (task) analysis of activity transitions identified at least three separate components that might influence behavior either alone or in combination: (a) termination of a prechange activity, (b) initiation of a postchange activity, and (c) movement from one location to another. Results of preference and avoidance assessments were used to identify activities to which participants were exposed in varying arrangements during transitions in a functional analysis. Results of 1 participant's functional analysis indicated that his SIB was maintained by avoidance of having to change locations, regardless of the activity terminated prior to the change or the activity initiated following it. The 2nd participant's analysis revealed the same function but also an additional one: avoidance of certain task initiations. This information was used to identify transition contexts during intervention and to design treatment procedures appropriate for a given context and behavioral function. A procedure involving advance notice of an upcoming transition had no effect on SIB, and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) had limited effects in the absence of extinction. Sustained decreases in SIB were observed when DRA was combined with extinction and response blocking. Further extensions of functional analysis methodology to the assessment of problem behavior in situations characterized by multiple or protracted stimulus changes are discussed.     

中国画审美一致性的专业知识效应:一项fNIRS研究

本研究结合fNIRS技术,考察了美术训练学生和普通学生在中国画审美一致性上的差异。行为上,虽然两组被试在审美评分上没有显著差异,但在评分一致性上,美术训练学生相比普通学生在“好看”评分上更一致。脑活动上,美术训练学生右侧颞顶联合区的16通道和24通道的神经活动一致性显著高于普通学生,且美术训练学生的神经活动一致性与“好看”评分呈负相关。本研究揭示了艺术专业知识对中国画审美的重要性,且神经活动一致性可作为中国画审美判断的一项潜在神经标记。     

小鼠新颖寻求特质对酒精的运动激活效应的影响

新颖寻求(或感觉寻求)特质与许多成瘾药物的易感性密切相关。例如, 高、低新颖寻求动物对可卡因、苯丙胺和吗啡等成瘾药物的奖赏、运动激活、强化效应的反应存在差异。长期饮用酒精也容易成瘾, 但尚未发现关于新颖寻求特质影响酒精成瘾的报道。本实验采用药物成瘾研究中常用的自发活动模型, 考察了高、低新颖寻求动物在酒精急性处理、慢性处理和激发过程中的行为表现。实验过程中首先采用两种新颖寻求模型, 即新颖环境中自发活动模型和新颖客体偏爱模型, 将昆明小鼠分别区分为高、低自发活动组和高、低新颖客体偏爱组, 连续10天给予酒精(2g/kg/d, i.p.)或等量盐水处理, 戒断2天后所有小鼠接受酒精(2g/kg)激发。实验结果表明, 新颖环境低自发活动小鼠比新颖环境高自发活动小鼠对酒精急性、慢性处理导致的运动激活效应更敏感; 在酒精激发期前者的自发活动水平也高于后者。本实验结果说明新颖环境中自发活动特质影响动物对酒精导致的运动激活效应的反应。     

男性择偶策略改变的前提：自感配偶价值提高

研究分为问卷调查与实验研究两部分。首先,40名女性和33名男性完成有关自感配偶价值评价（SPMV）和择偶偏爱策略的问卷调查,问卷调查结果是实验研究中数据分析的基线。其次,第二部分实验开始后,被试会得到实验者编造的他人潜在择偶对象的积极正面评价,其目的在于提高被试的SPMV。可以假设,男性的SPMV与随意性行为的认同或追求有正相关,男性SPMV的提高将会更加偏爱短期的性策略;女性SPMV与随意性行为不存在相关,女性SPMV的提高不会改变女性的性策略。研究结果显示,SPMV高基线水平的男性更加认可随意性行为,男性SPMV的提高与短期策略选择的增加有关。另外,SPMV提高,而不是一般自尊的提高,与择偶策略的改变具有相关。本研究结果没有证实,与长期稳定的性关系相比,SPMV的基线水平或是提高与女性对随意性行为的认同或追求之间存在相关     

Bi-Directional Relationship Between Self-Regulation and Improved Eating: Temporal Associations With Exercise,Reduced Fatigue,and Weight Loss

ABSTRACT. Severely obese men and women (body mass index ≥ 35 ≤ 55 kg/m²; M_age = 44.8 years, SD = 9.3) were randomly assigned to a 6-month physical activity support treatment paired with either nutrition education (n = 83) or cognitive-behavioral nutrition (n = 82) methods for weight loss. Both groups had significant improvements in physical activity, fatigue, self-regulation for eating, and fruit and vegetable intake. Compared to those in the nutrition education group, participants in the behavioral group demonstrated greater overall increases in fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity. These group differences were associated with changes that occurred after Month 3. Increased physical activity predicted reduced fatigue, β = ?.19, p =.01. A reciprocal relationship between the mediators of that relationship, which were changes in self-regulation and fruit and vegetable intake, was identified. There was significantly greater weight loss over six months in the behavioral nutrition group when contrasted with the nutrition education group. Self-regulation for eating and fruit and vegetable intake were significant predictors of weight loss over both three and six months. Findings enabled a better understanding of psychosocial effects on temporal aspects of weight loss and may lead to more effective behavioral treatments for weight loss.     

Parent and actometer measures of motor activity level in the young infant

Motor activity level is one dimension of infant temperament for which parental judgment can be validated against a truly independent criterion. Two studies were conducted, the first involving a 27-min sample of behavior in a structured, attention-getting situation, and the second involving a 24-hr sample of in-home behavior. In both studies, parent perception of the 3- or 4-month-old as measured by the Activity Level (AL) scale of the Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire was compared to the composited readings from four mechanical motion recorders (actometers) worn, one per limb, by the infant. The AL scale did not correlate with the actometer measure, r=.05 and R=.00, and the expected convergence of the 3-month version of the IBQ activity scale with its mechanical counterpart was not found. In the 24-hr study, birth order and ponderal index were significantly correlated with 24-hr actometer scores; first-borns and thin infants were most active.     

Navigating joint projects with dialogue

Dialogue has its origins in joint activities, which it serves to coordinate. Joint activities, in turn, usually emerge in hierarchically nested projects and subprojects. We propose that participants use dialogue to coordinate two kinds of transitions in these joint projects: vertical transitions, or entering and exiting joint projects; and horizontal transitions, or continuing within joint projects. The participants help signal these transitions with project markers, words such as uh‐huh, m‐hm, yeah, okay, or all right. These words have been studied mainly as signals of listener feedback (back‐channel signals) or turn‐taking devices (acknowledgment tokens). We present evidence from several types of well‐defined tasks that they are also part of a system of contrasts specialized for navigating joint projects. Uh‐huh, m‐hm and yeah are used for horizontal transitions, and okay and all right for vertical transitions.     

TRAINED,GENERALIZED, AND COLLATERAL BEHAVIOR CHANGES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN RECEIVING GROSS-MOTOR SKILLS TRAINING

Three preschool children participated in a behavioral training program to improve their gross-motor skills. Ten target behaviors were measured in the training setting to assess direct effects of the program. Generalization probes for two gross-motor behaviors, one fine-motor skill, and two social behaviors were conducted in other settings. Results indicated that the training program improved the gross-motor skills trained and that improvements sometimes generalized to other settings. Contrary to suggestions in educational literature, the gross-motor training program did not produce changes in fine-motor skills or social behaviors. Implications for educators and for the development of the technology of generalization are outlined.     

中学生科技创造力和课外科技活动关系的测查研究

运用创造性能力测验与中学生课外科技活动调查表,对初中预备班,初二及高二年级学生共２７５名作测查,结果表明：中学生的科技创造力和课外科技活动存在很显著的相关;中学生的科技创造力水平受学校、年级、性别的影响：重点中学优于非重点中学,高二优于初中预备班及初二,男优于女。     

Effects of d-amphetamine, diazepam, and pentobarbital on the schedule-controlled pecking and locomotor activity of pigeons

Pigeons were trained on a variant of the autoshaping procedure devised by Matthews and Lerer (1987) in which a keylight stimulus ramp of increasing brightness signaled the passing of a 30-s interfood interval. This procedure generates two distinct behavioral components: key pecking and locomotor activity. The effects of three psychoactive drugs on these behavior classes were measured. d-Amphetamine had negligible effects on both types of behavior, whereas diazepam and pentobartital increased key pecking and decreased activity in a dose-dependent fashion. In Experiment 2, the possibility that drug effects were suppressed by excessively strong stimulus control exerted in Experiment 1 was tested by decreasing the discriminability of the stimulus ramp. The direction of the effects of diazepam and pentobarbital was the same as in Experiment 1 but the magnitude of the effects tended to be larger. The effects of d-amphetamine, however, remained quite small, suggesting that, under these conditions, locomotor activity and key pecking are less sensitive to d-amphetamine. In Experiments 3 and 4, key pecking was eliminated by removing the keylight. Reinforcers were presented at fixed intervals in Experiment 3 and at variable intervals in Experiment 4. The drug effects on activity observed in Experiments 1 and 2 disappeared in both Experiments 3 and 4. The results suggest that diazepam and pentobarbital affect activity indirectly by increasing key-pecking behavior, which, in turn, competitively decreases activity.