The differential effects of age and first grade schooling on the development of infralogical and logico-mathematical concrete operations

Using the “between-grade levels” regression discontinuity design, this study examined the hypothesized differential sensitivity of logico-mathematical (LM) and infralogical (IL) operational tasks to the effects of chronological age and first grade schooling in a sample of 580 1st and 2nd grade Israeli children. The results indicate that the development of logico-mathematical operational skills (classification, class inclusion and transitivity) is mainly attributable to schooling. In contrast, the effect of schooling on the development of conservation of mass, liquid quantity and number (clearly an infralogical task) is negligible; acquisition of conservation is almost exclusively due to maturation and out-of-school experiences. The results support the theoretical predictions derived from French-Swiss research of the last two decades and are inconsistent with claims regarding the specificity of schooling effects to tasks that are taught in school.     

Teaching children with autism to request help with difficult tasks

We taught three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder to request help using an interrupted chain procedure during which we manipulated task materials such that the child was either incapable or capable of independently completing a link of a behavior chain. We initially observed undesirable generalization of requests for help during capable trials when teaching was introduced during incapable trials for two participants and to a lesser extent for the third participant. However, with repeated exposure to differential prompting and reinforcement across incapable and capable trials, differential responding was observed across EO‐present and EO‐absent trials for all three participants during both teaching sets and one generalization set that was never exposed to teaching procedures. These findings suggest that it is important to consider the antecedent conditions under which the response should occur when teaching children to request help.     

The influence of contrived motivating operations on social discounting: Relative economic hardship affects choice

Thirty‐six participants were given three social discounting surveys, and each survey was preceded by one of three contrived hypothetical scenarios. In each scenario, the participant was asked to consider situations in which either the participant (SELF), a hypothetical other (OTHER), or both the participant and the hypothetical other (BOTH) were experiencing economic hardship (i.e., needed money to avoid a negative outcome). Results replicate previous research suggesting that the probability of participants foregoing the money decreased across social distance in the BOTH and OTHER conditions; however, no discounting was observed for median responses in the SELF condition. In addition, the highest area under the curve and lowest s values were associated with the OTHER condition, and the inverse results were observed for the SELF condition. Taken together, these results suggest that relative economic hardship may act as a motivating operation affecting social discounting with the potential for further translational utility.     

Further analysis of idiosyncratic antecedent influences during the assessment and treatment of problem behavior

Recent research findings suggest that idiosyncratic variables can influence the outcomes of functional analyses (E. G. Carr, Yarbrough, & Langdon, 1997). In the present study, we examined idiosyncratic environment-behavior relations more precisely after identifying stimuli (i.e., a particular toy and social interaction) associated with increased levels of problem behavior. Two children, an 8-year-old boy with moderate mental retardation and a 5-year-old boy with no developmental delays, participated. Results of functional analyses for both children indicated that idiosyncratic antecedent stimuli set the occasion for occurrences of problem behavior (hand biting or hand flapping) and that problem behavior persisted in the absence of social contingencies. Further analyses were conducted to identify specific components of the stimuli that occasioned problem behavior. Treatments based on results of the analyses successfully reduced self-injury and hand flapping.     

"Transitional objects" as establishing operations for thumb sucking: a case study

This study examines the effects of a "transitional object" (surgical cloth) on the thumb sucking of a 3-year-old boy in two conditions: while sitting in the lap of his physical therapist and while alone in his crib. Sucking occurred when the cloth was present and did not occur when it was absent, regardless of condition. These results are discussed in terms of establishing operations, object attachment, and application.     

The Basic Algebra of Game Equivalences

We give a complete axiomatization of the identities of the basic game algebra valid with respect to the abstract game board semantics. We also show that the additional conditions of termination and determinacy of game boards do not introduce new valid identities.En route we introduce a simple translation of game terms into plain modal logic and thus translate, while preserving validity both ways, game identities into modal formulae.The completeness proof is based on reduction of game terms to a certain minimal canonical form, by using only the axiomatic identities, and on showing that the equivalence of two minimal canonical terms can be established from these identities.     

Treatment of multiply controlled destructive behavior with food reinforcement

We evaluated the extent to which the positive reinforcement of communication would reduce multiply controlled destructive behavior in the absence of relevant extinction components. When edible reinforcement for appropriate communication and nonfood reinforcers for problem behavior were available simultaneously, responding was allocated almost exclusively toward the behavior that produced edible reinforcement.     

A comparison of motivational and informational contexts for improving eco-driving performance

Eco-driving, the practice of operating a vehicle with environmentally friendly objectives, has been the focus of an increasing number of driving studies over the past decade, as new forms of vehicle automation and more driver-centric feedback continually emerge. Common benefits range from reducing carbon footprints and emissions to better fuel economy. Studies have also examined the effectiveness of in-vehicle assistance devices and training or education programs for commercial and passenger vehicle operators. Eco-driving strategies in general show significantly smaller impacts in the field relative to their laboratory counterparts. This study further builds on this past work by comparing and disentangling the effects from motivational contexts, for example a competition with prizes, with the effects of informational context, such as tutorials for drivers. To investigate this comparison, laboratory experiments are conducted using a commercial vehicle simulator. The results suggest that motivational contexts are more effective at encouraging eco-driving relative to informational contexts. Furthermore, incentives within competitive contexts had similar positive impacts on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and improving fuel efficiency as experiencing a tutorial on eco-driving. One possible explanation is that drivers have gained knowledge on how to operate vehicles with an eco-driving objective through their driving experience. This result further suggests that with respect to effectively encouraging eco-driving, targeting experienced drivers through a competition is better than presenting information or a tutorial.     

Features of Coping Strategies in Overcoming Extreme Critical Situations: A Study on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Liquidators and Antiterrorist Participants

The present study investigated and compared coping strategies and self-perception of psychopathological symptoms or disorders and radiation threat at different times in 122 cleanup workers (liquidators) of the consequences of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, in 76 liquidators who were also evacuated from the contaminated area, in 81 participants in antiterrorist operations (ATO), and in 84 individuals who were not liquidators or ATO combatants. The results showed that liquidators used a variety of coping strategies, while ATO participants and control subjects mainly used problem-oriented strategies. In all groups, coping subscale scores showed positive correlations with the radiation hazard factor that in turn increased the self-perception of psychopathological symptoms or disorders. Taken together, these findings would suggest that life-threatening stressors related to IR might increase the vulnerability toward developing psychopathological disorders and symptoms.