BEHAVIORAL TECHNOLOGY FOR REDUCING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES TO STYRENE

We conducted a test of the usefulness of behavioral methods to control occupational health problems by reducing workers' exposures to toxic chemicals. Four plastics workers were trained in nine behaviors selected for potential to reduce their exposures to styrene, a common chemical with multiple toxic effects. Behavioral measures indicated that the workers quickly came to emit most of the behaviors. Measures of air samples indicated that large decreases in exposures to styrene accompanied the changes in behaviors for the three workers who had been selected because they most needed relief from their exposures and because they had opportunities to control their exposures by the ways they behaved.     

THE EFFECTS OF SEQUENTIAL PICTORIAL CUES,SELF-RECORDING,AND PRAISE ON THE JOB TASK SEQUENCING OF RETARDED ADULTS

The present study investigated the effects of a self-recording procedure using sequentially organized picture cues on independent task changes of four mentally retarded adults. Independent task changes were identified as the beginning of new tasks without directives or instruction. In addition to investigating treatment effects, the long-term maintenance of the task-change behavior was measured. During self-recording and picture-cue training, the subjects completed an increased proportion of independent task changes, and this behavior was maintained for more than 10 wk following removal of the training procedures. Self-recording using picture cues was shown to be an effective procedure for teaching mentally retarded adults to function more independently in a job setting.     

The desire to be remembered: A review and analysis of legacy motivations and behaviors

The psychological motivations and mechanisms underlying a desire to be remembered after death is an understudied area in the social sciences. While previous research has indirectly investigated the pursuit of legacy as a means of coping with death anxiety, little attention has been paid to other potential factors involved in the appeal of leaving an individualistic (usually positive) mark in society that will outlive the self. In the present paper, we broaden the theoretical examination of the human drive for legacy, considering proximate motivations (e.g., alleviating death anxiety, concluding one's “life story” well, etc.) and ultimate causes (i.e., the direct or indirect reproductive effects that post-mortem reputations confer to surviving relatives). Additionally, we consider cognitive factors related to afterlife beliefs and perceptions of post-mortem consciousness, and their potential role in legacy-related desires. We conclude by discussing areas for further empirical investigations of the legacy drive.     

The engineer’s moral right to reputational fairness

This essay explores the issue of the moral rights of engineers. An historical case study is presented in which an accomplished, loyal, senior engineer was apparently wronged as a result of actions taken by his employer in pursuit of legitimate business interests. Belief that the engineer was wronged is justified by showing that what happened to him violated what can validly be termed one of his moral rights as an engineer: the right to reputational fairness. It is then argued that, this right notwithstanding, under certain circumstances it is morally permissible for employers to override it. The paper concludes by identifying two complementary facets of this right, discussing its scope, and indicating what is required of employers obliged to respect it in two types of action contexts. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the History of Technology in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1993. I am indebted to Stephanie J. Bird, Taft Broome, Deborah Johnson, Carl Mitcham, Walter Vincenti, Vivian Weil, and Caroline Whitbeck for helpful critical comments. Professor of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management and, by courtesy, of Civil Engineering, and in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA, 94305-2120.     

LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF A BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT FOR STUTTERING IN CHILDREN

We report 3.5-year follow-up data from children who participated in a study that evaluated a behavioral treatment for stuttering. Six of 7 subjects continued to be at or below the criterion of 3% stuttered words. Stuttering increased for 1 subject, but remained far below his baseline level. Social validity data are also reported.     

ACQUISITION AND MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH-CARE ROUTINES AS A FUNCTION OF FEEDBACK DENSITY

Two schedules of feedback were examined to determine their relative effects on the acquisition and maintenance of three health-care routines: feeding, positioning, and transferring physically disabled patients. Four direct service providers' performances in the natural environment were measured weekly. Concurrent schedules and multiple baselines across subjects and response classes were used to evaluate the effects of written instructions combined with either continuous, intermittent, or no-feedback schedules. Results showed that instructions alone led to slight and usually brief changes. Marked improvements were noted after feedback was introduced, with the continuous schedule producing more rapid acquisition. Follow-up measures indicated performance maintenance for both schedules. Subjects rated the feedback programs favorably and recommended provision of this service to co-workers. Cost estimates indicated that, although considerable time was spent developing the observational system, the feedback procedure was relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and did not interfere with patient care.     

TEACHING SELECTED MICROCOMPUTER SKILLS TO RETARDED STUDENTS VIA PICTURE PROMPTS

Five retarded students were taught to use picture prompts to help them access and terminate a microcomputer program. Training was provided within a multiple baseline format. Posttesting (picture prompts without feedback), and a return to baseline were later conducted for boththe training program and an untrained (generalization) program. The results indicate thatthe program was successful in teachingthe microcomputer skills tothe students. In addition, all students were able to maintain their skills over a 7-day interval in which they did not have access tothe microcomputer.     

Reputation Management of Adolescents in Relation to Antisocial Behavior

Recent studies have emphasized the need to consider psychosocial and motivational variables in the study of antisocial behavior in adolescents. Thus, several studies have highlighted the importance of reputation management as a possible explanatory factor. This process of reputation management enables young people to form an image of themselves that they may use in their social interactions. In this study the authors carried out an investigation with data from a sample of 493 adolescents and analyzed (a) the relationships between adolescent reputation management and antisocial behavior and (b) the role of gender in this relationship. The results revealed that a perceived social identity as nonconforming was the best predictor of adolescent antisocial behavior, especially for girls. The data support previous findings on the importance of considering the establishment and management of reputation in the analysis of adolescent antisocial behavior.     

Competence in Language at 24 Months: Relations with Attachment Security and Home Stimulation

This study explored the interrelations among attachment, home stimulation, and language development in 58 toddlers (36 medically high risk and 22 low risk) at 24 months of age. The results indicated that there were additive effects of attachment and home stimulation on language competence, especially on receptive abilities. Mothers who had established secure relationships and provided stimulating home environments had children with the highest language scores.