Shoplifting prevention: providing information through signs

Shoplifting is one of the most frequent crimes in the United States, yet there is no agreement about effective prevention procedures. Since most prevention strategies are aimed at either increasing public awareness of the severity of the consequences or increasing the threat of detection, procedures that contain these elements were evaluated. Posting signs around a department of a department store pointing out that shoplifting is a crime, etc., partially reduced shoplifting rates. When merchandise that was frequently taken was identified by signs and stars, shoplifting decreased to near zero. Publicity campaigns to inform the public of consequences for shoplifting may produce desirable results, but identifying likely shoplifting targets, which may increase the likelihood of detection, effectively reduces shoplifting rates.     

STIMULUS SELECTION AND TRACKING DURING URINATION: AUTOSHAPING DIRECTED BEHAVIOR WITH TOILET TARGETS1

A simple procedure is described for investigating stimuli selected as targets during urination in the commode. Ten normal males preferred a floating target that could be tracked to a series of stationary targets. This technique was used to bring misdirected urinations in a severely retarded male under rapid stimulus control of a floating target in the commode. The float stimulus was also evaluated with nine institutionalized, moderately retarded males and results indicated rapid autoshaping of directed urination without the use of verbal instructions or conventional toilet training. The technique can be applied in training children to control misdirected urinations in institutions for the retarded, in psychiatric wards with regressed populations, and in certain male school dormitories.     

Detached Mindfulness In Cognitive Therapy: A Metacognitive Analysis And Ten Techniques

This paper describes the nature and information processing requirements of detached mindfulness. The construct emerged from the self-regulatory information processing theory of emotional disorder (Wells & Matthews, 1994), and is viewed as a metacognitive state that facilitates change in core underlying pathological processes. Detached mindfulness has multiple components, requiring the activation of metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive monitoring and control, suspension of conceptual processing, attentional flexibility, and a de-centered relationship with thoughts. A model of the cognitive structures and processes supporting the state is presented. Implications of the model for the scientific development and effective use of mindfulness techniques are discussed. Ten techniques for rapidly achieving detached mindfulness in the course of metacognitive therapy are described.Address correspondence to Professor Adrian Wells, Academic Division of Clinical Psychology, The University of Manchester, Rawnsley Building, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, UK; e-mail: Adrian.Wells@manchester.ac.uk.     

Listener perceptions of stuttering and stuttering modification techniques

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to analyse naïve listener perceptions of speech containing unmodified stuttering, use of the pull-out technique, and use of preparatory-sets.MethodParticipants (N = 62) were randomly assigned to listen to one audio sample (unmodified stuttered speech, speech with pull-outs, or speech with preparatory-sets) and completed a survey assessing perceptions of the speaker’s speech and personality and the listener’s comfort level and willingness to social interact with the speaker.ResultsSurvey results revealed low perceptual ratings in all experimental conditions. Unmodified stuttered speech received significantly more positive ratings than the stuttering modification conditions in all measurements except for speech naturalness. Listeners reported being less willing to socially interact with those who use preparatory-sets than unmodified stuttered speech.ConclusionThe use of stuttering modification techniques did not improve listeners’ perceptions or willingness to interact with persons who stutter. Clinicians and those who stutter should be aware that the use of speech techniques will not decrease negative social interactions or stereotypes.     

Application of The Assimilation Model in The Context of Family Therapy: A Case Study

In this case study the aim was to apply the APES (Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Scale) model to the analysis of the family therapeutic treatment process. This was done as a qualitative methodological triangulation in a case of the family of a 10-year old psychotic boy. The study suggests that assimilation model is suitable for many kinds of data in analyzing family therapeutic treatment processes, makes the change more comprehensible, and yields information about the effectiveness of experiential family therapy techniques.     

Dynamic Bayesian Network Modeling of Game-Based Diagnostic Assessments

Abstract

Digital games offer an appealing environment for assessing student proficiencies, including skills and misconceptions in a diagnostic setting. This paper proposes a dynamic Bayesian network modeling approach for observations of student performance from an educational video game. Drawing from and advancing methods in dynamic Bayesian networks, cognitive diagnostic modeling, and analysis of process data, a Bayesian approach to model construction, calibration, and use in facilitating inferences about students on the fly is described, and implemented in the context of an educational video game.     

认知诊断模型的标准误与置信区间估计：并行自助法

认知诊断模型的标准误(Standard Error, SE; 或方差—协方差矩阵)与置信区间(Confidence Interval, CI)在模型参数估计不确定性的度量、项目功能差异检验、项目水平上的模型比较、Q矩阵检验以及探索属性层级关系等领域有重要的理论与实践价值。本研究提出了两种新的SE和CI计算方法：并行参数化自助法和并行非参数化自助法。模拟研究发现：模型完全正确设定时, 在高质量及中等质量项目条件下, 这两种方法在计算模型参数的SE和CI时均有好的表现; 模型参数存在冗余时, 在高质量及中等质量项目条件下, 对于大部分允许存在的模型参数而言, 其SE和CI有好的表现。通过实证数据展示了新方法的价值及计算效率提升效果。     

自闭症谱系障碍的早期筛查工具

基于35项实证研究, 遵循诊断准确性研究的质量评估(QUADAS-2)的循证程序对自闭症谱系早期预警特征筛查工具开展质量评估, 包括婴儿阶段(10个筛查工具, 159388人)、幼儿阶段(14项筛查工具, 11712人), 旨在为自闭症谱系风险的早期识别提供全面的理解。结果表明：幼儿阶段的筛查工具的分类准确性要高于婴儿阶段, 在婴儿阶段达到良好水平的筛查工具有M-CHAT-R/F、PDQ-1; 在幼儿阶段达到优秀水平的筛查工具有OERA、TIDOS。其中, “改良的幼儿自闭症检查表-有修订的后续随访” (M-CHAT-R/F)是目前最具潜力的自闭症谱系风险筛查工具之一。最后, 我们探讨了应用QUADAS-2评估研究质量的局限性, 强调需要规范工具的质量评估标准与进一步验证研究的必要性。     

晚期癌症患者家属的病情告知态度探究

本文采用自行设计的调查问卷,对200例晚期癌症患者家属进行问卷调查,以探讨晚期癌症患者家属对病情告知的态度。结果显示,认为病情应绝对保密者55例（27．5％）;暂时保密者107例（53．5%）;而不保密者38例（19．0％）。晚期癌症患者家属普遍采取“慈悲原则”,对患者病情持保密态度;癌症患者家属普遍缺乏病情告知策略。临床医生在执行知情同意时应该依据患者不同的家庭情况,有针对性地进行告知。     

An Illustration of Diagnostic Classification Modeling in Student Learning Outcomes Assessment

The assessment of higher-education student learning outcomes is an important component in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of academic and general education programs. This study illustrates the application of diagnostic classification models, a burgeoning set of statistical models, in assessing student learning outcomes. To facilitate understanding and future applications of diagnostic modeling, the log-linear cognitive diagnosis model used in this study is presented in a didactic manner. The model is applied in a context where undergraduate students were assessed along four learning outcomes related to psychosocial research across two time points. Results focus on implications and methods to aid stakeholders’ interpretation of the analyses. Contrasts to traditional measurement models and potential future applications are also discussed.