DISCREPANCY IN FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS RESULTS ACROSS TWO SETTINGS: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERVENTION DESIGN

Functional analyses that were conducted in two settings (playground and classroom) indicated that problem behavior was sensitive to adult attention on the playground and tangible items in the classroom. Attention‐ and tangible‐based interventions were designed based on the results from each of the assessment environments and were compared. The attention‐based intervention was more effective on the playground, and the tangible‐based intervention was more effective in the classroom. Findings are discussed in regards to the generality of functional analysis results across environments.     

Are facilitated mentoring programs beneficial? A randomized experimental field study

Results from a pretest–posttest randomized field experiment study with a control group comparing the impact of high- and low-level-facilitated mentoring programs on new employees’ performance and perceptions about their jobs and organization were reported in this paper. Results indicated increases in job satisfaction, organizational commitment, person-organization fit and performance by participants in both mentoring programs with larger gains made by the high-level-facilitated group. These results suggest that a formal mentoring program can have positive effects on employee’s work-related attitudes, cognition and behavior with significantly greater gains made by formal mentoring programs with higher levels of facilitation.     

Le protocole individuel en psychologie : tutoriel à l’usage des psychologues praticiens

Although single-case design seems to be an appropriate method for practicing psychologists as it fits perfectly with the evidence-based practice framework, their use remains quasi-anecdotal in psychology. The aim of the present article is to present the advantages of single-case protocols and to demonstrate the ease of their implementation. It provides practitioners with a tutorial of a free open-source statistical program (SCDA) to analyze single-case data. The main results from a single-case protocol are presented and illustrated through an example. Strategies for integrating these protocols in the clinical practice are discussed. This tutorial could encourage the use of the single-case design in research and practice settings.     

Effet de la thérapie des schémas sur la dépression de la personne âgée institutionnalisée : 3 études de cas uniques de type AB en lignes de bases multiples

IntroductionSchema therapy has confirmed its effectiveness in caring for depression. However, few studies have evaluated its effectiveness of an institutionalized elderly population.ObjectiveThe aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the efficiency of this therapy for the treatment of depression in 3 elderly people, with no neurocognitive disease, living in a nursing home.MethodClinician conducted a single case experimental protocol AB with multiple baseline for 3 participants who were experiencing depressive symptoms. Participants were randomized in 3 baselines and performed respectively 8, 7, and 6 intervention sessions.ResultsThe results highlight progressive effectiveness for two of the three residents. From baseline to the end of the therapeutic sessions (11 weeks), the improvement was significant and clinically observable for the activation of the schemas (–1.4 and –2 points on average) as well as for the level of depression (–8 and –9 points to the GDS).ConclusionThis pilot study indicates the effectiveness and replicability of schema therapy as therapeutic intervention for depression in elderly people.     

Is personal growth initiative associated with later life satisfaction in Chinese college students? A 15‐week prospective analysis

Personal growth initiative (PGI) is presumed to foster positive change leading to positive psychological adjustment. Accordingly, in this study we examined PGI as a predictor of life satisfaction 15 weeks later in a sample of 152 Chinese college students. Time 1 PGI was found to explain a significant amount of unique variance in Time 2 life satisfaction, even after controlling for Time 1 life satisfaction and Time 2 PGI. Specifically, (lower) intentional behavior and planfulness at baseline emerged as significant predictors of later life satisfaction. No evidence was found indicating that life satisfaction at Time 1 accounted for any significant amount of unique variance in PGI processes at Time 2, after controlling for baseline PGI processes and concurrent life satisfaction. Overall, the present findings are the first to demonstrate the importance of PGI as a prospective predictor of positive psychological adjustment in adults.     

解释性项目反应理论模型：理论与应用

解释性项目反应理论模型(Explanatory Item Response Theory Models, EIRTM)是指基于广义线性混合模型和非线性混合模型构建的项目反应理论(Item Response Theory, IRT)模型。EIRTM能在IRT模型的基础上直接加入预测变量, 从而解决各类测量问题。首先介绍EIRTM的相关概念和参数估计方法, 然后展示如何使用EIRTM处理题目位置效应、测验模式效应、题目功能差异、局部被试依赖和局部题目依赖, 接着提供实例对EIRTM的使用进行说明, 最后对EIRTM的不足之处和应用前景进行讨论。     

A comparison of blocked and mixed‐trial methods for teaching auditory–visual discriminations

Behavior analysts typically teach conditional discriminations in a mixed‐trial format but may switch to a blocked‐trial format for learners displaying limited acquisition. No known research has shown that mixed‐trial methods are more effective or efficient than blocked‐trial methods for teaching discriminations, so it is not clear why this format has been adopted as the “first‐line” intervention. We compared blocked and mixed‐trial formats for teaching novel auditory–visual discriminations to three adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Results show blocked‐trial methods resulted in faster skill acquisition in all cases, suggesting this format may be a preferable starting point for instruction.     

A Monte Carlo method for comparing generalized estimating equations to conventional statistical techniques for discounting data

Discounting is the process by which outcomes lose value. Much of discounting research has focused on differences in the degree of discounting across various groups. This research has relied heavily on conventional null hypothesis significance tests that are familiar to psychologists, such as t‐tests and ANOVAs. As discounting research questions have become more complex by simultaneously focusing on within‐subject and between‐group differences, conventional statistical testing is often not appropriate for the obtained data. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) are one type of mixed‐effects model that are designed to handle autocorrelated data, such as within‐subject repeated‐measures data, and are therefore more appropriate for discounting data. To determine if GEE provides similar results as conventional statistical tests, we compared the techniques across 2,000 simulated data sets. The data sets were created using a Monte Carlo method based on an existing data set. Across the simulated data sets, the GEE and the conventional statistical tests generally provided similar patterns of results. As the GEE and more conventional statistical tests provide the same pattern of result, we suggest researchers use the GEE because it was designed to handle data that has the structure that is typical of discounting data.