Editor's Note: Societal changes and expression of concern about Rekers and Lovaas' (1974) Behavioral Treatment of Deviant Sex-Role Behaviors in a Male Child

In an early study in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Rekers and Lovaas (1974) evaluated the Behavioral Treatment of Deviant Sex-role Behaviors in a Male Child. They investigated the use of reinforcement and punishment to target non-gender-conforming behaviors of a 5-year-old male child. This study was considered by some to be controversial and concerning, even near the time of publication (Nordyke et al. 1977; Winkler, 1977). The concerns focused on the ethicality of selecting non-gender-conforming behavior as a target response and the use of punishment for this type of response, particularly at the behest of parents when the young child was not seemingly distressed. The study has subsequently been used as empirical support for conversion therapy creating concerns about misinterpretation of the original article and harm to the LGBTQ+ community. This editorial reviews the concerns originally presented by Nordyke et al. (1977) and Winkler (1977) and issues an official Expression of Concern about the various harms that have been associated with this paper.     

The long-term evaluation of a behavioral treatment program for child molesters

Recidivism data derived from various sources over a follow-up period of 1–11 yr, provided the basis for appraising the effectiveness of a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment program for familial and nonfamilial child molesters. Unofficial records held by police and Children's Aid Societies proved to be the best data for estimating recidivism. These data revealed increases in recidivism with longer follow-up periods, but there were consistent advantages for the treated over the untreated patients. Men who had sexually abused the daughters of other people demonstrated the clearest treatment benefits. The younger offenders and those who had engaged in genital-genital contact with their victims were more likely to reoffend even if they were treated. Contrary to the expectations of behavior therapists, indices of deviant sexual preferences did not predict outcome.     

Conditioning of appetitive and consummatory sexual behavior in male Japanese quail.

Two different types of stimulus objects, a live female quail artificially adorned with bright orange feathers and an inanimate toy dog, served as conditioned stimuli. For subjects in experimental groups, the conditioned stimuli were presented shortly before access to a sexually receptive normal female quail. For subjects in control groups, exposure to the conditioned stimuli was unpaired with copulatory opportunity. Subjects in the experimental but not in the control groups quickly came to approach the location of the conditioned stimulus objects. When an adorned female quail served as the conditioned stimulus, the conditioned approach behavior was controlled by a combination of the presence of the orange adornments and the visual cues of the head and neck of the female bird, and the approach behavior persisted as the adorned female moved to new locations. When the toy dog served as the conditioned stimulus, the conditioned approach behavior was limited to the spatial cues that surrounded the toy dog during conditioning trials. Although both types of stimulus objects evoked conditioned approach behavior, only the adorned female stimulus supported copulatory behavior. This last finding indicates that copulatory behavior can become redirected toward novel stimuli as a result of conditioning, but only under special circumstances. The results are consistent with the suggestion that appetitive components of reproductive behavior are more susceptible to conditioning than consummatory components. Possible reasons for this are discussed, together with implications of the results for the contribution of conditioning processes to sexual selection.     

Self-control in mentally retarded adolescents: choice as a function of amount and delay of reinforcement.

Three severely mentally retarded adolescents were studied under discrete-trial procedures in which a choice was arranged between edible reinforcers that differed in magnitude and, in some conditions, delay. In the absence of delays the larger reinforcer was consistently chosen. Under conditions in which the smaller reinforcer was not delayed, increasing the delay to delivery of the larger reinforcer decreased the percentage of trials in which that reinforcer was chosen. All subjects directed the majority of choice responses to the smaller reinforcer when the larger reinforcer was sufficiently delayed, although the value at which this occurred differed across subjects. Under conditions in which the larger reinforcer initially was sufficiently delayed to result in preference for the smaller one, progressively increasing in 5-s increments the delay to both reinforcers increased percentage of trials with the larger reinforcer chosen. At sufficiently long delays, 2 of the subjects consistently chose the larger, but more delayed, reinforcer, and the 3rd subject chose that reinforcer on half of the trials. These results are consistent with the findings of prior studies in which adult humans responded to terminate noise and pigeons responded to produce food.     

A cost-benefit analysis of demand for food.

Laboratory studies of consumer demand theory require assumptions regarding the definition of price in the absence of a medium of exchange (money). In this study we test the proposition that the fundamental dimension of price is a cost-benefit ratio expressed as the effort expended per unit of food value consumed. Using rats as subjects, we tested the generality of this "unit price" concept by varying four dimensions of price: fixed-ratio schedule, number of food pellets per fixed-ratio completion, probability of reinforcement, and response lever weight or effort. Two levels of the last three factors were combined in a 2 x 2 x 2 design giving eight groups. Each group was studied under a series of six FR schedules. Using the nominal values of all factors to determine unit price, we found that grams of food consumed plotted as a function of unit price followed a single demand curve. Similarly, total work output (responses x effort) conformed to a single function when plotted in terms of unit price. These observations provided a template for interpreting the effects of biological factors, such as brain lesions or drugs, that might alter the cost-benefit ratio.     

生理心理研究中的脑生物电方法及其微机处理系统

本主讨论了生理心理研究中脑生物电方法学上的有关问题,并在此基础上,设计编制了一个实用的脑生物电信号微机处理系统PSBSB。它主要适用于生理心理或神经生理实验室的脑自发电位或诱发电位(尤其事件相关电位)的分析处理,也可以发展成常规的检查系统。它不仅纳入了该领域中的主要方法,而且,数据处理能力和数据吞吐能力都比较强,特别是,它在二次处理能力,功能的灵活性和可发展性,硬件的可扩充性,以及易普及性等方面,有更大的优越性,更能适应于生理心理实验研究中发展的需要。     

孔子教学过程的心理学思想初探

本文根据普通心理学的结构和教育心理学的内容,对孔子的教学过程进行了心理学的分析和整理。全文分认识心理学思想、情感心理学思想、意志心理学思想和个性心理学思想四大部分。试图较为系统地探究孔子教学过程中的心理学思想遗产。     

大鼠作业成绩与脑内亮氨酸脑啡肽含量变化的相关性研究

本工作采用穿梭式电击回避反应法和脑啡肽的放射免疫测定法,分析比较了大鼠作业成绩与脑内壳氨酸脑啡肽(Leu-enkephalin,LEK)含量的关系,在本实验条件下,观察到作业成绩不良组纹状体内LEK含量显著高于成绩优良组和对照组,并由实验证明,它们之间的差异不是由于在实验中接受电击的次数或电击总量不同造成的。这一结果提示,内源性亮氨酸脑啡肽可能参与记忆获得的调制。     

塞辅音和声调知觉问题

本文报告的两个实验以合成的汉语普通话CV音节作刺激,研究了塞辅音与声调之间在知觉上的相互作用问题。主要结果是:(1)塞辅音的发音方式影响声调的知觉,不送气音使听者在辨别声调时倾向于基频曲线起点高的声调反应;(2)音节的声调也影响对塞音发音方式的判断,在一、四声音节里,听者倾向于将塞辅音听成不送气音,在二、三声音节里,听成送气音。