Self-monitoring of classroom behaviors with students exhibiting emotional and behavioral challenges.

Examined the effectiveness of a self-monitoring package (SMP) on the task engagement and disruptive behaviors of 2 elementary school children (10-yr-old female and 11-yr-old male). Ss received full-time special education services for students with severe emotional disturbance. This SMP was comprised of periodic cuing, self-recording of individually-determined target behaviors, feedback, and reinforcement for accurate self-monitoring. Results indicated that SMP was highly effective in increasing task engagement while decreasing disruptive behavior. Data add to the growing testimony regarding the utility of self-monitoring and SMPs as effective and proactive components of behavioral support for students with emotional and behavioral challenges. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How many versus how much: 52 weeks of alcohol consumption in emerging adults.

In previous research using timeline follow-back methods to closely monitor drinking and related variables over the first year of college (9 months), we showed that drinking varied considerably over time in accord with academic requirements and holidays. In a new community sample (N = 576) of emerging adults (18- and 19-year-olds who reported having begun drinking prior to recruitment), we used similar methods to compare drinking patterns in college and noncollege individuals over a full calendar year (including summer). To reduce the extreme distortion in computations of average drinking over restricted time spans (i.e., 1 week) that arise because large numbers of even regular drinkers may not consume any alcohol, we analyzed data using recently developed two-part latent growth curve modeling. This modeling distinguished consumption levels from numbers of individuals drinking in a given period. Results showed that drinking levels and patterns generally did not differ between college and noncollege drinkers, and that both groups responded similarly to even those contexts that may have seemed unique to one (i.e., spring break). We also showed that computation of drinking amounts without accounting for “zero drinkers” could seriously distort estimates of mean drinking on some occasions; for example, mean consumption in the total sample appeared to increase on Thanksgiving, whereas actual average consumption for those who were drinking diminished. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

An analysis of the internalizing and externalizing behaviors of traumatized urban youth with and without PTSD.

To test the differential validity of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) classification, 3 groups of youths (PTSD, traumatized PTSD negatives, and controls) were examined. Youth with major comorbid disorders were excluded. On the basis of an analysis of parent-derived Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) ratings, significant variations in CBCL scores were associated with PTSD but not with exposure to exceptional stress in the absence of PTSD. The results also indicated that traumatic exposure without the development of PTSD was not associated with higher estimates of psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of the structure of self-report psychopathy measures and their relations with general traits and externalizing behaviors.

Self-report assessment of psychopathy is plagued by inconsistencies among the relations of the various psychopathy factors. We examined the factor structure of 3 prominent self-report measures of psychopathy—the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale–III (SRP–III; Williams, Paulhus, & Hare, 2007), the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP; Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995), and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory–R (PPI–R; Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005). A coherent 4-factor structure resulted from conducting an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the psychopathy subscales along with the domains from the five-factor model. Two of these factors were consistent with traditional conceptualizations of a 2-factor structure of psychopathy (i.e., Factor 1, which loaded negatively with Agreeableness; Factor 2, which loaded negatively with Conscientiousness), while 2 additional factors emerged, 1 of which emphasized low Neuroticism and 1 of which emphasized traits related to novelty/reward-seeking and dominance-related personality traits (high Extraversion). We also investigated the relations of these factors with a variety of externalizing behaviors (EB). The psychopathy scales indicative of interpersonal antagonism (i.e., Factor 1) were most consistently and strongly related to EB. Our findings are discussed in terms of the importance of a trait-based perspective in the assessment of psychopathy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group therapy for adult women survivors of child sexual abuse: Differentiation of completers versus dropouts.

Examined intake profiles of 54 depressed women survivors of child sexual abuse presenting for a specialized group therapy program at a community mental health center. The 32 therapy completers were compared with the 22 dropouts. Both groups possessed extensive and severe childhood and adult abuse histories. Both were extremely socially disadvantaged and clinically impaired as measured on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). Dropouts were more likely to have been battered as children and to have been sexually abused only within the family. Completers were more likely to have been multiply offended both by intrafamilial and extrafamilial perpetrators. The groups differed in terms of marital status and extent of economic dependence on spouse. Dropouts appeared to be more actively enmeshed in the abuse cycle at the time of therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Delineating the construct network of the Personnel Reaction Blank: Associations with externalizing tendencies and normal personality.

Integrity testing has long been utilized in personnel selection to screen for tendencies toward counterproductive workplace behaviors. The construct of externalizing from the psychopathology literature represents a coherent spectrum marked by disinhibitory traits and behaviors. The present study drew on a sample of male and female undergraduates to examine the construct network of the Personnel Reaction Blank (PRB; H. G. Gough, R. D. Arvey, & P. Bradley, 2004), a measure of integrity, in relation to externalizing as well as normal-range personality constructs assessed by the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; A. Tellegen & N. G. Waller, 2008). Results revealed moderate to strong associations between several PRB scales and externalizing, which were largely accounted for by MPQ traits subsumed by Negative Emotionality and Constraint. After accounting for MPQ traits in the prediction of externalizing, a modest predictive increment was achieved when adding the PRB scales, particularly biographical indicators from the Prosocial Background subscale. The findings highlight externalizing as a focal criterion for scale development in the integrity testing literature and help delineate the construct network of the PRB within the domains of personality and psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Affective bonds of adult children with living versus deceased parents.

In a study of bonds with living versus deceased parents, Israeli adult children (aged 17 to 77 years) formed 3 groups with both parents alive, only mother alive, and both parents deceased. Questionnaires assessed relations with mother and father (363 participants completed bond intensity and 217 of them completed both bond intensity and bond evaluation). Whereas bond intensity (with factors of Closeness, Influence, and Commitment) refers to the strength of the relationship's manifestations, bond evaluation refers to the subjective location of this relationship on a positive-negative continuum. Contrary to the hypothesis, bond intensity was not lower for deceased than for living parents. As hypothesized, bond evaluation was higher for mother and father when both were deceased. The study suggests a developmental trajectory whereby the affective bonds of adult children toward their parents transcend parental death and normative mourning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of anxiety arousal on the consumption of alcohol by alcoholics and social drinkers.

Tested the hypothesis that the arousal of anxiety would lead to an increase in the alcoholic's consumption of alcohol. 20 male nonabstinent alcoholics and 20 male social drinkers were engaged in an alcohol taste rating task. High and low levels of state anxiety were induced by threatening Ss with either a painful or a nonpainful electric shock. Levels of trait anxiety were also assessed using the Neuroticism scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Alcoholics consumed significantly more alcohol than social drinkers in the tasting task, but the amounts consumed by both groups were unrelated either to the anxiety manipulation factor or trait anxiety scores. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for anxiety-reduction models of alcoholism. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevalence of firesetting and related behaviors among child psychiatric patients.

This study examines the prevalence, characteristics, and continuity of firesetting among psychiatrically disturbed children. A 7-item firesetting history screen was independently administered to 164 outpatients and 136 inpatients and to their parents. Based on the reports of both sources combined, the prevalence rates of firesetting and match play, respectively, were high among outpatients (19.4%, 24.4%) and even higher among inpatients (34.7%, 52.0%). Parents and children in each sample reported comparable prevalence rates and acknowledged significantly more interest in fire and match play among firesetters than nonfiresetters. Such findings highlight the prevalence of firesetting among patient populations and the need for systematic assessment of firesetting in children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health risk behaviors of adolescent and young adult siblings.

The present study tested the effects of older siblings' outcome expectancies, health risk behaviors, and consequences on the behavior and health-related expectancies of their younger adolescent siblings. Data were analyzed for 140 matched pairs of younger (n?=?147) and older (n?=?195) siblings. Younger siblings' alcohol use and expectancies were significantly associated with perceptions of their older siblings' drinking. Younger siblings' positive expectancies for other health risk behaviors (e.g., sex without a condom) were associated with their perceptions about the positive consequences their older sibling had experienced and with their older siblings' positive expectancies. These results suggest that vicarious learning from an older sibling is one mechanism through which adolescents form expectancies about health risk behaviors. Prevention strategies are discussed that focus on expectancies and older sibling influence on adolescent involvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relative effectiveness of behavioral versus nonbehavioral child psychotherapy.

Some researchers have concluded that, for children and adolescents, behavioral interventions may be more effective than nonbehavioral interventions. Other researchers, however, have proposed artifactual hypotheses for the apparent superiority of behavioral treatments. In this study, one such hypothesis was evaluated: that the apparent superiority of behavioral interventions among children is due to differences in the methodological quality of studies of behavioral and nonbehavioral treatments. Meta-analytic results reported in this article found little support for this hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brief alcohol intervention with college student drinkers: Face-to-face versus computerized feedback.

Research has demonstrated that brief interventions featuring personalized feedback can be used to decrease alcohol use among heavy-drinking college students. The current study investigated the efficacy of face-to-face and computer delivered interventions relative to an assessment-only control condition. The content of the personalized feedback was identical across the face-to-face and computerized conditions. There were 84 at-risk students assessed before, and 4 weeks after, the delivery of the interventions. The results suggest that both face-to-face and computerized interventions were equally successful in reducing the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, and that both interventions were more effective than the control condition. Participants also rated both interventions as acceptable, although the face-to-face intervention was given a more favorable rating. These initial results suggest that computerized interventions can be used to efficiently reduce alcohol use among college students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A self-awareness model of the causes and effects of alcohol consumption.

Proposed a model of alcohol consumption based on the premise that alcohol serves to decrease an individual's level of self-awareness. According to this analysis, alcohol interferes with encoding processes fundamental to a state of self-awareness, thereby decreasing the individual's sensitivity to both the self-relevance of cues regarding appropriate forms of behavior and the self-evaluative nature of feedback about past behaviors. Insofar as the latter form of information can provide a source of self-criticism and negative affect, alcohol as an inhibitor of self-aware processing is thought to provide a source of psychological relief. It is concluded that the self-awareness-based model establishes a useful framework within which a broad base of alcohol's cognitive, affective, and social behavioral effects and insight to the motivations behind drinking can be conceived. (95 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mothers' and fathers' perceptions of child deviance: Roles of parent and child behaviors and parent adjustment.

The mothers (n?=?120) and fathers (n?=?85) of children with conduct problems (ages?=?3–8 years) completed two measures of child adjustment (Child Behavior Checklist, Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory), three personal adjustment measures (Beck Depression Inventory, Marital Adjustment Test, Parenting Stress Index), and a Life Experience Survey and were observed at home interacting with their children. In addition, teachers (n?=?107) completed the Behar Preschool Questionnaire. Fathers' perceptions of their children's behaviors were significantly correlated with teachers' ratings, but mothers' ratings were not. Correlations showed that mothers who were depressed or stressed due to marital problems perceived more child deviant behaviors and interacted with their children with more commands and criticisms. Fathers' perceptions and behaviors were relatively unaffected by personal adjustment measures. Differences in these perceptions and behaviors between mothers and fathers are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parent, teacher, and child ratings of problem behaviors of youngsters with serious emotional disturbances.

Method effects as a source of construct invalidity were evaluated for parent, teacher, and child ratings of problem behaviors among children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances. A multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) matrix consisting of 4 types of problems (i.e., internalizing, thought, attention, and externalizing), rated by 3 sources, was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. Ss were 489 youngsters, aged 8–18 yrs, who were classified as having serious emotional disturbances. Results indicated large method effects for each rater. These effects may represent either measurement artifact, true situational differences, or a combination of both. Modeling method effects is necessary to obtain unbiased estimates of the relationships between children's multiple problems and other variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Levels of alcohol dependence in cocaine addicts: Some clinical implications.

Examined the severity of alcohol dependence in 268 primarily White male adult clients presenting themselves for residential treatment of cocaine addiction. Although previous research (e.g., M. Gold, 1984) has suggested that a majority of cocaine abusers also abuse alcohol, only a minority of these Ss (7%) could be classified in the substantial or severe categories of alcohol dependence. Results are discussed in light of previous findings (e.g., D. Smith; see record 1987-26330-001) which suggest that Ss in the low or moderate levels of alcohol dependence are most likely to reject abstinence-oriented treatment strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family life-styles and child behaviors: A study of direction of effects.

Examined the direction of effects between slow-learning children and their families in 3 family types: learning-oriented (LO), high residential quality; achievement-oriented (AO), low residential quality; and outer-directed (OD), with little achievement orientation. Child variables examined were measures of adjustment and adaptive behavior. Family variables (assessed on measures including the Family Environment Scale) included levels of community and recreational participation, expressiveness, achievement orientation, provision of learning materials, harmony, quality of the residential environment, and openness with the interviewer. There were 56 LO children (mean age 12.6 yrs [mean IQ 69.6]), 37 AO children (mean age 12.2 yrs [mean IQ 68.5]), and 32 OD children (mean age 12.7 yrs [mean IQ 69.5]). Cross-lagged panel analysis revealed different directions of effect in the 3 family types. In LO families, the child influenced the family for all variables except for expressiveness; in AO families, parents influenced the child; and in OD families, there were bidirectional effects whereby the child's self-help skills influenced parents, but parents influenced the child in higher-level skills such as social adjustment, motivation, and competency in community living. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Time-out with children. Effects of an explanation and brief parent training on child and parent behaviors

The purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to determine the effect of an explanation prior to or after time-out on child compliance and on child disruptive behavior during time-out and (b) to determine the effect of brief parent training in time-out on child and parent behaviors. Thirty-two mother-child pairs served as subjects and were assigned to one of the following four groups: control, time-out only, explanation prior to time-out, or explanation following time-out. Each mother-child pair was observed for one session under pretraining, training, and posttraining conditions. The results indicated that time-out significantly increased compliance but the addition of an explanation did not further alter the effectiveness of time-out. Training in the use of time-out decreased the incidence of maternal interruptions but did affect maternal responses that were not trained. Finally, following brief time-out training for noncompliance, the mothers used the procedure only 50% of the time following noncompliance.     

A comparison of alcohol typologies using HIV risk behaviors among alcoholic inpatients.

Evaluated the strength of associations for HIV risk behavior and 5 typologies of alcoholism (gender, comorbid psychopathology, gamma–delta, family history, and drug abuse) among 802 inpatients (481 men and 321 women; mean age 34.4 yrs) at alcohol treatment centers. Findings suggest that some of the alcohol typologies describe subtypes with significant differences on rates and levels of HIV risk behaviors. Specifically, gender, depression, and anxiety subtypes were not consistently associated with HIV risk; however, the antisocial personality disorder and drug abuse subtypes had the strongest average effect size across a number of indicators of HIV risk behaviors (e.g., condom nonuse, multiple sex partners, and injection drug use). The gamma–delta and family history subtypes also resulted in elevated HIV risk behaviors, although with smaller effect sizes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)