Book Reviews

Books Reviewed:
Daniel Chirot and Martin E. P. Seligman (eds.), Ethnopolitical Warfare: Causes, Consequences, and Possible Solutions
David Patrick Houghton, U.S. Foreign Policy and the Iran Hostage Crisis
Yoram Peri (ed.), The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin
Peter Suedfeld (ed.), Light from the Ashes: Social Science Careers of Young Holocaust Refugees and Survivors     

A comparison of general and specific instructions to promote task engagement and completion by a young man with Asperger syndrome

Previous research has suggested that the topography of instructions (general vs. specific) may influence the likelihood that young children comply with instructions. The purpose of the current study was to compare the rates of task completion of a young man diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when provided with general and specific instructions pertaining to the task. The results showed that specific instructions occasioned higher levels of task completion, even when no differential reinforcement contingencies were in place.     

The Effects of Coaching on Mathematics Homework Completion and Accuracy of High School Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

As many as 30% of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) do not achieve academically at the level predicted by their age or IQ. One of the variables that may contribute to their poor academic performance is homework completion. Unfortunately, a paucity of research has investigated interventions that address homework problems, particularly at the secondary level. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a coaching intervention that incorporated self-monitoring, goal-setting, and systematic fading on the homework completion and accuracy of three high-school students diagnosed with AD/HD. Results suggest that coaching led to improvements across all three students. Performance was maintained during fading and post-treatment for the two students for whom it was examined.     

An analysis of autobiographical tools in written reflection: implications for teaching critical thinking and goal-setting

This paper analyzes the results of an 18 month study of a variety of participants involved in written reflection on their learning, both in classes at two universities in the Southern US or in voluntary focus groups. The purpose of the study was to analyze the effects of including autobiographical tools in written reflection. Participants used three tools from the genre of autobiography as they reflected on their learning inside either course content, internship experiences, experiential learning, or goal-setting. Over 500 samples were gathered, offering a large data set for analysis of what kinds of best practice produce quality reflective writing. Through analysis of the data and student surveys and interviews, results show increased attention to critical thinking and metacognition; expressed flexibility, adaptability, and ability to handle ambiguity; and value in connection to others/empathy-building as a result of incorporating autobiographical tools in reflective prompts. The study indicated that reflections using the same autobiographical tool over the course of several sessions seemed to produce deeper levels of reflection and more engagement with the autobiographical tool. Of the three autobiographical tools used in the study, the tool that seemed most helpful to participants was reflection as storytelling that revealed aspects of the self.     

Impact of a comprehensive safety program on bicycle helmet use among middle-school children

A bicycle helmet program was evaluated in three middle schools using a multiple baseline across schools design. Two of the three schools had histories of enforcement of helmet use. During baseline many students riding their bikes to and from school did not wear their helmets or wore them incorrectly. A program that consisted of peer data collection of correct helmet use, education on how to wear a bicycle helmet correctly, peer goal setting, public posting of the percentage of correct helmet use, and shared reinforcers, all of which were implemented by the school resource officer, increased afternoon helmet use and afternoon correct helmet use in all three schools. Probe data collected a distance from all three schools indicated that students did not remove their helmets once they were no longer in close proximity to the school, and probe data collected in the morning at two of the schools showed that the behavior change transferred to the morning.     

Effects of posting self-set goals on collegiate football players' skill execution during practice and games

The effects of self-set goals and public posting on athletic performance of 5 collegiate football players was studied. All players were linebackers on a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II football team. The dependent variables were the percentage of correct occasions when the linebacker (a) positioned himself to cover a specified area on the field during a pass or from the line of scrimmage during a run; (b) moved to the correct position in response to the positioning of the offense; and (c) tackled and stopped the progress of the ball carrier. A multiple baseline design across behaviors showed an immediate increase in the practice performance of the players and a corresponding increase in game performance following introduction of the independent variable. This study extends research using public posting in sport by demonstrating the effects of player-determined goals and public posting of goal attainment.     

The Test–Retest Reliability and Predictive Validity of a Battery of Newly Developed Occupational Performance Assessments

The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure was used as a tool to compare goals for intervention identified by seven clients living in a long-term residential program and diagnosed with schizophrenia, with their goals as identified by the occupational therapist. In-depth interviews were conducted in conjunction with the use of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Data analysis revealed an overarching theme that described the clients' concerns as, “I want to accomplish goals outside of the residence program.” During the analysis, however, the data revealed that the occupational therapist primarily focused her attention on goals to be achieved within the residence program, emphasizing programming and symptom management as each client's priorities for intervention, rather than community involvement. The findings reveal how data from the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure was used to reveal client/therapist disconnect in goal setting and the need to continue to examine client-centered practices in mental health settings.     

Theoretical underpinnings of a need-supportive intervention to address sustained healthy lifestyle changes in overweight and obese adolescents

ObjectivesRecent figures indicate that nearly a quarter of Australian adolescents are overweight or obese. Despite the well-established role of physical activity and healthy eating in reducing prevalence of obesity, there remains a lack of effective interventions that promote sustained behavior engagement. This paper aims to describe the theory-based integration and implementation of self-determination theory and goal setting theory in a family-based lifestyle intervention. Although these theories have been shown to independently predict motivation for behavior, a limited number of studies have described behavior-change techniques at a level to allow for effective evaluation and replication, and no studies have combined the theories in a healthy lifestyle behavior intervention.MethodsBehavior change techniques and the associated change mediators are described in relation to need-supportive environments provided by instructors and extended to parents in the home environment. Methods for motivating and promoting sustained engagement in adolescent physical activity and healthy eating and parent behaviors to support these lifestyle changes are discussed within the context of need-satisfaction and goal setting.ConclusionsThis study will contribute to understanding processes for developing and implementing behavior-change techniques based on the integration of two theories of motivation. Future interventions aimed at promoting maintenance of physical activity and healthy eating behaviors in overweight and obese adolescents will benefit by being informed of which techniques are effective at enhancing motivation within the intervention context and home environment.     

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Severe Mood Disorders in an Acute Psychiatric Naturalistic Setting: A Benchmarking Study

The current study examined the effectiveness of brief cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for severe mood disorders in an acute naturalistic setting. The sample included 951 individuals with either major depressive disorder (n = 857) or bipolar disorder with depressed mood (n = 94). Participants completed a battery of self-report measures assessing depression, overall well-being, and a range of secondary outcomes both before and after treatment. We found significant reductions in depressive symptoms, worry, self-harm, emotional lability, and substance abuse, as well as significant improvements in well-being and interpersonal relationships, post-treatment. Comparable to outpatient studies, 30% of the sample evidenced recovery from depression. Comparison of findings to benchmark studies indicated that, although the current sample started treatment with severe depressive symptoms and were in treatment for average of only 10 days, the overall magnitude of symptom improvement was similar to that of randomized controlled trials. Limitations of the study include a lack of control group, a limitation of most naturalistic studies. These findings indicate that interventions developed in controlled research settings on the efficacy of CBT can be transported to naturalistic, “real world” settings, and that brief CBT delivered in a partial hospital program is effective for many patients with severe depressive symptoms.     

Case history of Farida: A year of psychotherapy with a girl who said she was sexually abused

This paper discusses how thinking about a playroom involves our thinking about the setting in psychoanalytical work with children in general - the physical as well as the human aspects - and how this encourages us to rethink some of the basic aims in psychoanalytic work. The paper describes the importance of the setting being such as to help the therapist to have the freedom to think and to feel what is going on in the child and himself. Links are then made with aspects of transference and counter-transference, and brief examples given.