Reconstruction of arbitrary versus logical sequences by preschool children

The ability of preschool children to construct and reconstruct ordered sequences was examined in a series of four experiments. In Expt. 1, the task was to copy, with the model present or absent, the order of items pegged on a clothesline. In Expts. 2–4, the subjects were required to reconstruct ordered series of pictures from memory. In all experiments, the orders were either logical or arbitrary. Reconstruction of an arbitrary series of events is within the problem solving capacity of 4-yr-old children if (a) reconstruction takes place in the presence of the model or follows immediately upon the removal of the model and (b) the original sequence is presented simultaneously. If, however, the lag between viewing and reconstruction is increased and/or the original set is not viewed simultaneously, as a unit, performance declines. The provision of an inherent order to the items within a set, either by introducing a connective narrative, or a depicted logical sequence, is sufficient to maintain that order over time and to provide a unifying cohesion to the items when viewed successively.     

Sex differences in the occupational choices of second graders

A questionnaire was administered to 61 second graders. Sexual differences in occupational choices were apparent. Boys chose twice as many occupations as girls. Of 29 occupations selected as “most desirable,” only one was mentioned by both boys and girls. Of 37 occupations selected as “least desirable,” only two were mentioned by both sexes. More boys than girls knew their father's occupation. Although 76% of the girls knew their father's occupation, they did not select that occupation for themselves. A series of hypotheses based on the above data was generated.     

Holland's personality types applied to the SVIB Basic Interest Scales

The possible relationship between Holland types and the Basic Interest Scales of the SVIB was explored. The VPI and the SVIB were administered to 432 male freshmen at the University of North Dakota. Each subject was classified into one of the six types on the basis of his highest VPI T score.Scores on the twenty-two BIS were analyzed for differences among the six personality types by means of a multiple regression equivalence of the one-way analysis of variance. Twenty-one of the 22 F tests and 19 of the Scheffe multiple Comparisons among the means were significant. The results support both Holland's typology and his hexagonal model of relationships among the types and suggest their use in the interpretation of the BIS.     

Promoting career information seeking behaviors in college students

This study was concerned with the effects of group reinforcement counseling on the frequency of career information-seeking behaviors for 94 theoretically grouped college freshmen and sophomore males. Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) was used to identify consistent-inconsistent vocational patterns and Crites' Vocational Inventory (VDI) was used to identify vocational maturity-immaturity. Predictions about behavioral change were made for each theoretical conception. Three counseling sessions each 1.5 hr long were utilized. Pre-, post-, and post-post measures of cognitive and active information seeking behaviors outside of the treatment sessions were taken. Group reinforcement counseling and vocational consistency were significantly related to behavioral change over the 6 weeks of this investigation. Unanticipated results regarding the tested dimensions and behavior change are reported and discussed.     

A two year follow-up study of public vocational school graduates

A 2-year follow-up study of public vocational school graduates revealed that the graduates successfully obtained jobs. Among the factors deemed important by both graduates and employer, communication skills were mentioned as vital. Counseling and preparation in getting along with others were perceived by graduates as inferior. Except for cooperative work program graduates, adjustment to an 8 hr workday caused some problems.     

The effect of continuous, intermittent, and "placebo" reinforcement on the effectiveness of the conditioning treatment for enuresis nocturna

It has been suggested that intermittent reinforcement may be of value in reducing the rate of relapse in bedwetting conditioning therapy. An experiment was conducted with 30 enuretic boys to examine acquisition and extinction parameters of continuous (100%), intermittent (70% variable ratio), and “placebo” (0%) reinforcement schedules. Reinforced trials were administered as in the typical Mowrer conditioning procedure. Non-reinforced trials were achieved by means of a time delay with the subsequent alarm being activated in the parent's room rather than in the child's room. These procedures required the development of a new conditioning device which could be programmed to automatically administer the desired schedule of reinforcement. The results of the field investigation revealed that continuous reinforcement (CR) and intermittent reinforcement (IR) groups attained acquisition in approximately the same number of trials and with essentially the same success rate. Relapse rate was significantly greater in the CR group than in the IR group. The placebo group showed no improvement over the 6 weeks of treatment. The results of this study may be interpreted as supporting the tenet that relapse can be viewed and treated as an extinction of the acquired response.