The effect of punishment and reinforcement procedures on a stutterer's factor II avoidance response

The purpose of this clinical experiment was to investigate the manipulability of a Factor II avoidance response (arm movement). The substantive hypothesis under test was that its suppression would be enhanced by repeated punishment sessions. During the first of nine therapy sessions response-contingent negative stimulation was not delivered. In the next five, after a base-rate period, “wrong” was made consequent upon the target response. In each of these sessions the suppression of arm movement was apparent. However, the magnitude of the suppression decreased from session to session. Evidently, the continued use of punishment did not enhance suppression. Because of this finding procedural changes were introduced in the next three therapy sessions. Verbal praise was added as a consequence of increasingly stringent omission criteria and three consecutive units of praise led to time-out from the reportedly fatiguing task of continuous speech. A marked reduction and then complete extinction resulted. Moreover, learning was evidenced since the frequency of arm movement lessened in the base-rate period of each session.     

Empirical sleep assessment in the home: A convenient,inexpensive approach

We have previously reported on a sleep assessment device (SAD) that addresses shortcomings inherent in self-report sleep data and polysomnography. The SAD produces a sleep record by tape recording subjects' verbal responses to auditory cues spaced at fixed intervals throughout the night. In prior studies, the SAD proved to be a reliable and valid assessment tool according to electroencephalographic comparisons. Herein, we report on the unassisted home use of the SAD by eight normal volunteers and four bedmates. Subjects and bedmates completed sleep questionnaires for 12 nights and subjects also employed the SAD the last 6 nights. Comparisons of subjects and bedmates self-report sleep data before and during SAD use indicated that the SAD did not disrupt sleep. Subjects were able to self-administer successfully the SAD in their homes. SAD data closely matched subjects' self-report data. The present study found the SAD to be an accurate, unobtrusive, and easily utilized empirical measure of sleep in the natural environment. In so doing, it extends the demonstrated reliability and validity of the SAD from the sleep laboratory to the home with normal sleepers.     

Working through a group's fantasy of the deceased leader's wish for the group's continuation

This paper reflects the working through of a group's fantasy that the deceased group leader wished the group to continue. As in any defense, the fantasy protected members from the pain of the finality of the leader's death. This article reveals the subjective experience concerning the effect of the leader's death on the group and members' intrapsychic struggle to separate and individuate from the deceased leader, while attending to and striving toward the group's continuation. The group's painful and growing individuation enabled the group to follow its own tasks without the spector of the deceased leader.     

A time-division multiplexer-demultiplexer for duplex video recording and playback

A solid state circuit is described that allows two sources of video information to be multiplexed and recorded by one videotape machine. On playback, the same circuit is used to demultiplex the recorded video signal so that each of the original video channels may be independently viewed on separate television monitors.     

Daily activities and sleep quality in young adults

Daily activity levels were investigated as related to sleep quality in young adult college students aged 18 to 30 years. 85 participants (20 men, 65 women) completed the Young Adult Daily Activity Scale (YADAS). This 37-item checklist has 34 items based on focus group discussion points of college students' typical daily activities and three blank items for students to include their daily activities if not in the listing. The tabulation of type and amount of waking daily activities represents a unique measurement of factors that may affect sleep quality. The participants also rated their typical sleep quality using a standard 5-point scale (low indicating poor sleep). Correlations of sleep ratings and activities were not significant.     

Delivery of Psychological Interventions by Clinical Neuropsychologists: Current Practice in Australia and Implications for Training

Clinical neuropsychologists are increasingly involved in delivering psychological interventions to people with neurological conditions. This is a key competency for accredited Australian postgraduate neuropsychology courses; however it is not clear how effective courses are in preparing neuropsychologists to deliver interventions. The study aims were to (a) determine the frequency and confidence with which particular types of interventions are delivered by Australian neuropsychologists, (b) examine the availability of opportunities to deliver interventions on clinical placements, (c) identify barriers to delivering interventions in current workplaces; and (d) determine which factors influence the frequency and confidence with which neuropsychologists deliver interventions. An online survey was completed by 114 participants who had graduated from a postgraduate neuropsychology program. Results indicated that respondents delivered different intervention types with varying frequency. They reported limited opportunities to practice these interventions on placements. The majority wanted to be doing more interventions, with lack of time, resources, and adequate training being the major barriers. There were several significant relationships between the frequency and confidence with which respondents delivered interventions and the perceived quality of their postgraduate training. These results highlight the need to consider appropriate postgraduate training options in delivery of interventions, including increasing opportunities to practice interventions on placements.     

Seventh-day Adventist Clergy: Understanding Stressors and Coping Mechanisms

This article examines the extent and types of clergy stress, the strategies used in coping with stressors, and the relationship between stressors and coping mechanisms in a sample of 261 Seventh-day Adventist pastors in North America. The results indicate that the most commonly reported stressors in order are: (1) lack of social support, (2) financial stress, and (3) time and workload stress. In terms of coping strategies, pastors sought relief most often through: (1) reflective growth/internal change; (2) social/emotional coping; (3) passive coping; and lastly (4) action-oriented coping. Significant correlational relationships existed between passive coping and financial stress, relocating stress, and congregational stress. In addition, we found significant inverse correlations between coping through reflective growth or internal change and relocating stress and congregational stress. There were no significant relationships with action coping or social/emotional coping and any stressor. Multi-regression analysis reveals that passive coping strategies were significantly related to financial stress. Thus, the greater the financial stress, the more likely pastors were to engage in passive coping strategies. Other coping strategies showed no significant relationships when included in multi-regression analysis. We conclude with recommendations for Church administrators to address structures and practices in place for pastors including an expansion of coping mechanisms to help pastors address their stress.     

High-magnetic-field-induced formation of aligned equiaxed grains during directional solidification

The application of a high magnetic field is capable of inducing the formation of aligned equiaxed grains in alloys during directional solidification. The alignment and refinement of the grains is enhanced as the magnetic field intensity increases. The thermoelectric power difference at the liquid/solid interface in four alloys has been measured in situ during directional solidification and it is concluded that the formation of aligned equiaxed grains in a magnetic field should be attributed to the combined action of a thermoelectric magnetic force and a magnetization force.