EXTENSIVE TRAINING IS INSUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE THE WORK‐ETHIC EFFECT IN PIGEONS

Zentall and Singer (2007a) hypothesized that our failure to replicate the work‐ethic effect in pigeons (Vasconcelos, Urcuioli, & Lionello‐DeNolf, 2007) was due to insufficient overtraining following acquisition of the high‐ and low‐effort discriminations. We tested this hypothesis using the original work‐ethic procedure (Experiment 1) and one similar to that used with starlings (Experiment 2) by providing at least 60 overtraining sessions. Despite this extensive overtraining, neither experiment revealed a significant preference for stimuli obtained after high effort. Together with other findings, these data support our contention that pigeons do not reliably show a work‐ethic effect.     

Long-term effects of a dyadic planning intervention with couples motivated to increase physical activity

ObjectiveIn dyadic planning a target person and a planning partner create plans for when, where, and how the target person will change a health-relevant behavior. Across 52 weeks, direct and indirect effects of a dyadic-planning intervention on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and physical fitness in target persons and their partners were investigated in a randomized controlled trial. Relationship quality was explored as a moderator.MethodsN = 338 couples (target persons randomized) were randomly assigned to a dyadic-planning- (DPC), an individual-planning- (IPC), or a no-planning dyadic-control condition (CC). MVPA was objectively assessed four times across 52 weeks using accelerometry. Physical fitness and proposed mediators (individual action control, received behavior-specific support and control) were repeatedly assessed. Relationship quality was measured at baseline. Latent growth curve-, multi-level-, and manifest mediation models were fit.ResultsAcross 52 weeks, MVPA of IPC and CC target persons increased. MVPA of DPC target persons remained stable, but those who reported high relationship quality increased their MVPA over time. DPC partners showed steeper increases in physical fitness when compared to IPC partners, but not CC partners. DPC partners’ increases in physical fitness were mediated by received support from target persons.ConclusionsThe dyadic planning intervention showed non-beneficial effects for target persons’ MVPA, but beneficial effects on their partners’ fitness. These findings resemble evidence from the social support literature indicating more benefits for support providers than for recipients.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01963494.     

小学生分数比较中的加工模式:基于反应时和口语报告的研究

选取北京和四川两地53名小学六年级学生分别完成同分子、同分母与异分子异分母三类分数比较任务,收集被试口语报告的策略作为直接证据,并以分数大小和分数距离对反应时的回归分析结果作为间接证据,共同探究被试在分数比较任务中的加工模式,结果发现,（1）在三类分数比较中,被试均采用成分加工模式而非整体加工模式;（2）口语报告的策略与反应时回归分析的结果并不完全吻合,从侧面证明了原有研究方法的不稳定性。     

Randomized trial of an official contact letter intended to increase proper licensure among unlicensed motorcycle owners

BackgroundApproximately one-third of all fatality-injured motorcycle operators in California from 1999 through 2008 were not properly licensed to ride a motorcycle at the time of the crash. In availing themselves of a licensing system, motorcyclists are afforded the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate the minimum knowledge and skills necessary to operate motorcycles on public roadways, and licensing allows agencies to monitor their riding performance and apply appropriate sanctions, with the overall goal being enhanced safety. To that end, a randomized trial was conducted of an intervention recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to increase proper motorcycle licensure.MethodsOfficial contact letters providing information about obtaining a motorcycle license, and the potential legal consequences of riding without one, were mailed to owners of currently-registered California motorcycles who were not licensed to ride motorcycles. Half of the 65,766 improperly licensed California motorcycle owners identified were randomly assigned to be mailed the contact letter while the remainder served as a no-letter control group. The groups were compared on 33-month post-treatment motorcycle licensure rates and 18-month post-treatment motorcycle crashes and traffic violations.ResultsWhile a modestly higher percentage of motorcycle owners who were mailed the contact letter became properly licensed (14.5%) than those who were not mailed the letter (10.4%), the majority (85.5%) remained improperly licensed to operate a motorcycle 33 months later. The effect of the contact letter was influenced by owner age, whereby the odds of licensure for those to whom the letter was sent increased significantly for owners aged 20–34 (21%), 35–54 (47%), and 55 and older (96%). No 18-month post-treatment differences in motorcycle crash involvements or traffic violations were found.ConclusionGiven the traffic-safety neutral outcomes and relatively low cost of treatment, official contact letters should be considered in other jurisdictions to increase proper motorcycle licensure as recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Future letters may be more effective if they are tailored to the demographic characteristics (e.g., age and sex) of the owners.     

Transitioning from rich to lean reinforcement as a form of error correction

Discrete trial instruction (DTI) is a ubiquitous tool used by practitioners in early intervention programs. A common approach to correcting errors during DTI involves providing a single prompt of the target response when a mistake is made (i.e., single-response repetition). Modifications to the single-response repetition approach have been developed to improve acquisition; however, these modifications are often aversive techniques (e.g., increased effort, response cost) and may not be preferred by the children or considered socially acceptable by caregivers. We conducted this study to evaluate the use of a transition from rich to lean reinforcement as a form of error correction. We compared the rich–lean condition to the single-response repetition approach during DTI for 4 boys diagnosed with autism. The rich–lean condition was (a) more efficient in improving accuracy in 6 out of 9 tasks, (b) more preferred by all participants, and (c) socially validated by caregivers.     

Testing a new cognitive behavioural treatment for obesity: A randomized controlled trial with three-year follow-up

It is remarkably difficult for people with obesity to maintain a new lower weight following weight loss. The aim of the present study was to examine the immediate and longer-term effects of a new cognitive behavioural treatment that was explicitly designed to minimise this post-treatment weight regain. One hundred and fifty female participants with obesity were randomized to the new treatment, behaviour therapy (the leading alternative psychological treatment) or guided self-help (a minimal intervention). Both of the main treatments resulted in an average weight loss of about ten percent of initial weight whereas weight loss was more modest with guided self-help. The participants were subsequently followed-up for three years post-treatment. The great majority regained almost all the weight that they had lost with the new treatment being no better than the behavioural treatment in preventing weight regain. These findings lend further support to the notion that obesity is resistant to psychological methods of treatment, if anything other than a short-term perspective is taken. It is suggested that it is ethically questionable to claim that psychological treatments for obesity “work” in the absence of data on their longer-term effects.     

循证医学在ICU中的应用

循证医学(Evidence-Based Medicine,EBM)是指慎重、准确而明智地应用当前所能获得的最佳的研究证据,同时结合医生个人的专业技能和临床经验,并考虑患者的价值和愿望,将三者完美地结合起来制定出对患者最有利的临床决策。然而,ICU中的各项治疗措施常缺乏大规模随机对照试验(RCT)的证据;对于已经实施的RCT同样存在着概念方面的错误,尤其是很多被认为已经RCT验证过的措施实际上并无RCT的证据。尽管如此,但近年来我们终于在临床试验结果方面有了更多积极的进步,一些干预措施已被证明可改善患者的预后。     

Evaluating complex interventions: Perspectives and issues for health behaviour change interventions

Objective: Health behaviour change interventions (HBCIs), used in health education, health promotion, patient education and psychotherapy areas, are considered complex interventions. The objective of this article is to discuss the value and limitations of using randomised clinical trials (RCTs) to asses HBCIs.

Methods: A scoping review of the literature was conducted to identify the main challenges of using RCTs for evaluating HBCIs. The issues were illustrated by case studies selected from research conducted by our multidisciplinary team.

Results: In complex interventions, effects are produced not only by the intervention, but are strongly linked to context. Issues relating to transferability of results are therefore critical, and require adjustments to the RCT model. Sampling bias, biases related to the experimental conditions and biases due to the absence of double-blindness were examined and illustrated by case studies.

Conclusion: The results underline the importance of a multidisciplinary approach. They call for adapted or alternative evaluation models that overcome the limitations of RCTs.     

A THERAPEUTIC PLAYGROUP FOR DEPRESSED MOTHERS AND THEIR INFANTS: FEASIBILITY STUDY AND PILOT RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF COMMUNITY HUGS

Symptoms of depression negatively impact on mother?infant relationships and child outcomes. We evaluated a novel, 10‐session mother?infant therapeutic playgroup—Community HUGS (CHUGS)—which combines cognitive and experiential components through psychoeducation, play, music, and movement. Participants were mothers experiencing a range of postnatal mental health difficulties, including depression, with infants ≤12 months of age. However, the aim was not to treat maternal depression but to ameliorate associated problems in the mother?infant interaction. In the feasibility study, all participants received CHUGS. In the pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), participants were randomized between intervention and a wait‐list. Outcomes were the Parenting Stress Index (PSI; R.R. Abidin, 1995), Parenting Sense of Competency Scale (Self‐Efficacy subscale; J. Gibaud‐Wallston & L.P. Wandersman, 1978), and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales (P.F. Lovibond & S.H. Lovibond, 1995). In the feasibility study (n = 74), PSI scores dropped on all subscales, all ps < .01. Depression, p < .001, anxiety, p = .01, stress, p = .01, and self‐efficacy, p < .001, all showed improvements, as did observer‐rated mother?infant interactions, p < .001. In the RCT, depression, p < .001, anxiety, p = .005, and stress, p < .001, symptoms were significantly reduced for intervention participants (n = 16), as compared to wait‐list participants (n = 15). The CHUGS program had high participant satisfaction and produced improvements in self‐efficacy, depression, anxiety, stress, and mother?infant interactions that supported the program's acceptability and the utility of further rollout.