Concurrent operant preference assessment to identify social consequences to decrease task latency for adolescents with dual diagnosis

Identifying effective reinforcers to use to increase desired behaviors is essential to the success of an intervention. Conducting preference assessments is a proven method for identification of effective reinforcers. In the current study, reinforcers were identified to decrease the latency of initiation of daily living skills such as laundry, showering, and chores in five individuals with dual diagnoses. A Concurrent Operant Preference Assessment measuring response allocation to social stimuli was completed with each individual to determine preferred consequence to increase task compliance. Results showed that all five participants decreased latency to initiate daily tasks once treatment was implemented compared with that during the baseline phase. These results were perceived as socially acceptable by staff, and the improvement was maintained 2 weeks beyond the completion of treatment.     

Visual associations to retrieve episodic memory across healthy elderly,mild cognitive impairment,and patients with Alzheimer’s disease

Episodic memory tests need to determine the degree to which patients with moderate to severe memory deficits can still benefit from retrieval support. Especially in the case of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), this may support health care to be more closely aligned with patients’ memory capacities. We investigated whether the different measures of episodic memory of the Visual Association Test-Extended (VAT-E) can provide a more detailed and informative assessment on memory disturbances across a broad range of cognitive decline, from normal to severe impairment as seen in AD, by examining differences in floor effects. The VAT-E consists of 24 pairs of black-and-white line drawings. In a within-group design, we compared score distributions of VAT-E subtests in healthy elderly controls, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD (n = 144), as well as in relation to global cognitive impairment. Paired associate recall showed a floor effect in 41% of MCI patients and 62% of AD patients. Free recall showed a floor effect in 73% of MCI patients and 84% of AD patients. Multiple-choice cued recognition did not show a floor effect in either of the patient groups. We conclude that the VAT-E covers a broad range of episodic memory decline in patients. As expected, paired associate recall was of intermediate difficulty, free recall was most difficult, and multiple-choice cued recognition was least difficult for patients. These varying levels of difficulty enable a more accurate determination of the level of retrieval support that can still benefit patients across a broad range of cognitive decline.     

Favoriser le développement professionnel avec le feedback : les engagements affectif et calculé envers l’objectif comme modérateurs de la relation intention–comportement

The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating role of affective and continuance goal commitment in the relationship between motivational intention to act on feedback and behavioural integration of feedback. In an individual psychological assessment context, 74 candidates who received feedback were recruited. Moderation analyses using hierarchical multiple regressions showed that affective and continuance goal commitments moderate the relationship between motivational intention to act on feedback and behavioural changes, three months later. This relationship is significant and positive only when the level of affective or continuance goal commitment is low. The relationship between motivational intention to change and engagement in developmental activities is not moderated by goal commitment.     

A comparison of different investigative interviewing techniques in generating differential recall enhancement and detecting deception

This study compared the Stepwise Interview, Cognitive Interview, and Reality Interview in detecting deception with inmates. The dependent measures were the amount of unique details provided during the free narrative and mnemonics and the number of words provided during the free narrative and mnemonics of each interview. The Stepwise Interview generated 58.3% accuracy, the Cognitive Interview generated 70.0% accuracy, and the Reality Interview generated 93.3% accuracy. The different tasks of these interviews increased the differences between honest and deceptive statements and therefore, increased the accuracy in detection of deception. Differential recall enhancement is used to explain the findings.     

An evaluation of a punisher assessment for decreasing automatically reinforced problem behavior

We extended research on the identification and evaluation of potential punishers for decreasing automatically reinforced problem behavior in four individuals with autism spectrum disorder. A punisher selection interview was conducted with lead clinicians to identify socially acceptable punishers. During the treatment evaluation, treatment phases were introduced sequentially and included noncontingent reinforcement (NCR), NCR and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), and NCR‐and‐DRA with punishment. During the NCR‐and‐DRA with punishment phase, four to five potential punishers were evaluated using a multielement design. Dependent measures included the target problem behavior, appropriate item engagement, and emotional responding. For all participants, NCR‐and‐DRA was not effective and punishment was necessary. However, the most effective punisher identified in the context of NCR‐and‐DRA differed across participants.     

Le TASC200, une épreuve d’attention et de saillance visuelle : fidélité, validité et normes préliminaires

In the clinical setting, attention is classically assessed by tasks that do not take into account theoretically important aspects, such as the salience-based guidance of visual search. The aim of this study was to develop a paced paper-and-pencil task for clinical use based on strong theoretical accounts that would assess salience-based visual search and that would meet the psychometric requirements for the assessment of attention. Participants were required to search and cancel targets of varying visual saliences as quickly and as accurately as possible during a predefined short period of time. The targets were intermixed with distractors. In agreement with theories of salience-based visual search, the results showed that the most salient targets were detected more easily than less salient targets. The task exhibited a quite acceptable test-retest reliability, and two construct validity studies showed that different scores involve different processes. This new task fully complies with the major theories of salience-based guidance of attention during visual search. It also meets the requirements of a plausible clinical task since its psychometric qualities are quite good. Preliminary normative data (n = 863) are presented for clinical use.     

Assessment of Panic Frequency: Reliability and Validity of a Time-Line Follow-Back Method

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of a Panic Attack Frequency Calendar (PAFC), modeled after a time-line follow-back (TLFB) procedure (e.g., Sobell & Sobell, 1979). The latter has been used for years to reliably and validly assess daily alcohol use through self-report over extended periods of time. Seventy-four adult individuals (ages 18–57) who had experienced a panic attack within the past 2 weeks completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, including retrospective frequency measures, and were administered an 8-week PAFC initially and a 10-week PAFC 2 weeks later. Half the participants self-monitored their panic attacks in a diary. The PAFC showed high stability over 2 weeks across several panic behavior variables. The PAFC was also shown to be a valid instrument in assessing panic frequency when compared with panic data obtained from the diary and the retrospective frequency measure.