Re-evaluation of a programmed method to teach generalized identity matching to sample

Programmed training in identity matching to sample was given to six participants who had severe mental retardation, mental age-equivalent scores of 3.0 years or less, and histories of failures in prior assessments and training attempts with standard procedures. An intermediate goal of the training program was to establish one-trial discrimination learning (OTDL), where new discriminations are acquired after a single training trial, OTDL was included because an analysis of the task requirements for identity matching suggested that it could be a prerequisite skill. One participant was eliminated from the experiment when stimulus control by prompting procedures broke down relatively early in training. Only one of the remaining participants achieved OTDL. When the program was modified to eliminate OTDL as an intermediate goal, for participants completed it and passed tests for generalized identity matching with high accuracy scores. The program was partially successful with the sixth participant in that it established highly accurate and reliable identity matching when different stimuli were displayed on every trial (nonconditional-function matching), but not when the same set of comparison stimuli was displayed on every trial (conditional-function matching). The results showed that (a) one-trial discrimination learning appears to be sufficient but not necessary for identify matching, and (b) the program successfully established identity matching in a majority of difficult-to-teach students who had well-documented failures to learn by standard teaching methods.     

Src homology-2 domains: structure, mechanisms, and drug discovery

The purpose of this study was to examine the trainability of anticipation in intermediate tennis players. In particular, the study examined whether video presentations could improve on-court tennis serve returns. A series of separate A-B designs across 6 participants was implemented, with baseline and intervention scores for on-court serve-return performance being recorded. Intervention consisted of 2 phases: a training phase and an on-court testing phase. The training phase, which employed a changing criterion design, consisted of a series of tennis-serve video presentations that were replayed with gradually increasing speed. All serves were occluded on racquet/ball contact, and participants were asked to predict the type, depth, and width of the serve. Following completion of the training phase, participants were again tested on their ability to return tennis serves on the tennis court. On-court results suggested that anticipation ability and performance did improve as a result of the intervention.     

Magic-echo phase-encoding solid imaging with improved time resolution

Anesthesiology critical care medicine (ACCM) fellowship training was accredited in 1989, and a small number of graduating anesthesiology residents pursue this additional training. Considering the flexible program guidelines of the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), we hypothesized that ACCM fellowship training programs varied significantly among the 42 institutions accredited to offer this program. This study of ACCM fellowship programs used a six-part, 57-item questionnaire completed by 36 program directors to describe six aspects of the program: institution size, program director, attending staff, fellowship applicants, curriculum, and the role of the American Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (ASCCA). Ninety-four percent of ACCM fellowships are in facilities with more than 400 beds; 81% of these institutions have more than 20 intensive care unit (ICU) beds as the basis for fellowship teaching. Eighty-three percent of ACCM program directors have practiced critical care for more than 5 yr. All programs had more than one attending physician, with the majority having a multidisciplinary attending staff. During two academic years (1990-1992), 12 (33%) of 36 programs did not have a fellow, resulting in an average of less than one fellow for each program. ACCM fellow involvement in patient care was characterized as "primary" in medical and pediatric ICUs and "cooperative" in surgical ICUs. Fellowship curricula had varied requirements for research, intraoperative anesthesia, and ICU procedures performed by the fellow. In general, program directors believe that salary and on-call responsibility are not important issues for applicants. Nineteen percent of program directors train ACCM fellows longer than the 12 mo required by the ABA and believe that ACCM training should be lengthened.     

Establishing words and objects as functionally equivalent through manual sign training

This study was designed to determine if sign-object and sign-word training would lead to acquisition of word-object associations and to test the proposal that if two stimuli control the same response, training a new response to one of the stimuli would increase the probability of the second stimulus also controlling that response. The participants were six institutionalized retarded males, each having some receptive and productive speech as well as imitative motor and verbal skills. Nonsense words, signs, and objects were used as the stimuli in this study. All participants were sequentially trained to: (a) pair the objects with their identical matches, (b) imitate the manual signs, (c) pair the manual signs with the objects, (d) imitate the nonsense words, and (e) pair the manual signs with the words. Following this training, participants were given receptive and productive word-object association probes. All participants performed at an 87 percent correct level or better on the first receptive probes, and all performed at a 73 percent correct level or better on the first productive probes. These individuals demonstrated that following sign-object and sign-word training, they could correctly associate the word with the object.     

Effects of group- versus home-based exercise in the treatment of obesity.

This study examined the effects of 2 aerobic exercise regimens on exercise participation, fitness, eating patterns, treatment adherence, and weight changes in 49 obese women undergoing a year-long behavioral weight loss program. Participants were assigned randomly to weight loss treatment plus either group- or home-based exercise. All participants were instructed to complete a moderate-intensity walking program (30 min/day, 5 days/week). Group exercise participants were provided with 3 supervised group exercise sessions per week for the 1st 26 weeks and with 2 sessions per week thereafter. Home exercise participants were instructed to complete all exercise in their home environment. After 6 months, both conditions displayed significant improvements in exercise participation, fitness, eating patterns, and weight loss. At 12 months, the home-based program showed superior performance to the group condition in exercise participation and treatment adherence; at 15 months, participants in the home program demonstrated significantly greater weight losses than those in the group program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relocation of institutionalized elderly.

20 low- and 20 high-functioning nursing home residents (aged 37–88 yrs) were assessed prior to, immediately after, and 3 mo following relocation. Measures included the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, and Face Hand Test. Half of the low-functioning Ss participated in a behavioral skills program, which consisted of graduated exposure to postmove stimuli and behavioral response training. Half of the high-functioning Ss participated in a cognitive skills program, which consisted of coping skills and problem-solving skills training. The influence of relocation proved to be less dramatic than indicated by several earlier investigations. As hypothesized, low-functioning Ss exhibited an increase in passive-withdrawn behaviors following relocation. High-functioning Ss, however, unexpectedly tended to exhibit an increase in active-outgoing behavior following relocation. Although the behavioral skills program overall led to favorable postrelocation changes, the cognitive skills program did not. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A competency-based parent training program for child abusers.

Evaluated an intervention program for child abusers using multiple outcome criteria and extended follow-up. 16 families were given the Parent–Child Interaction Form and the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory and were assigned to either treatment or control groups. All families were supervised by protective services, and none had requested help voluntarily. A treatment program involving group parent training in the clinic and competency-based training and rehearsal in the home was provided. Findings indicate that training abusive Ss in child-management and self-control techniques resulted in improvements in parenting skills as measured by home observations, parental reports of child-behavior problems, and caseworker reports of family problems. A 1-yr follow-up indicated that no incidences of child abuse among treatment families had been reported to or suspected by caseworkers. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Large group community-based parenting programs for families of preschoolers at risk for disruptive behaviour disorders: utilization, cost effectiveness, and outcome

A significant percentage of children with disruptive behavior disorders do not receive mental health assistance. Utilization is lowest among groups whose children are at greatest risk. To increase the availability, accessibility, and cost efficacy of parent training programs, this prospective randomized trial compared a large group community-based parent training program to a clinic-based individual parent training (PT) programs. All families of junior kindergartners in the Hamilton public and separate school boards were sent a checklist regarding problems at home. Those returning questionnaires above the 90th percentile were block randomly assigned to: (1) a 12-week clinic-based individual parent training (Clinic/Individual), (2) a 12-week community-based large group parent training (Community/Group), or (3) a waiting list control condition. Immigrant families, those using English as a second language, and parents of children with severe behaviour problems were significantly more likely to enroll in Community/Groups than Clinic/Individual PT. Parents in Community/Groups reported greater improvements in behaviour problems at home and better maintenance of these gains at 6-month follow-up. A cost analysis showed that, with groups of 18 families, Community/Groups are more than six times as cost effective as Clinic/Individual programs.     

Training hospital pharmacy technicians: joint effort by departments of education and pharmacy

The cooperative development and initiation of a one-year pharmacy technician training program is described. The hospital's pharmacy and education departments formulated goals and objectives for the didactic and clinical areas of the program and developed methods to evaluate student competency and the program itself. The training for first class of students consisted of three months of didactic instruction, one month of laboratory experience, and eight months of on-the-job training. The program includes an observation of medication administration which is designed to increase the student's awareness of the entire medication process.     

Self-recording training to teach retarded adults to reinforce work behaviors of retarded clients.

Two male adults (31- and 23-yrs-old), one mildly and one moderately retarded, (WAIS IQs of 43 and 69), were trained to give attention contingent upon on-task behaviors of retarded individuals in a sheltered workshop. Data were collected on the Ss' interactions with the residents during 3 production tasks. The training program consisted of instructions, a self-recording system, and verbal praise in which Ss were taught to record on a wrist counter each interaction with the resident following on-task behavior. As demonstrated in a multiple-baseline design across tasks and Ss, the frequency of Ss' interactions with the clients engaged in on-task behaviors increased sharply as a function of the training program, while the frequency of interactions following off-task behavior of clients was unchanged. The potential value of this type of training as an additional component to program packages for increasing work rates of retarded clients in rehabilitation settings is discussed. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of a sexual enhancement and a communication training program on sexual and marital satisfaction.

A total of 30 volunteer couples were randomly assigned to a sexual enrichment, a communication training, or a wait-list control condition. The sexual enrichment and communication training groups met for 3-hr sessions, 1 day per week for 4 consecutive weeks. All three conditions were assessed immediately before, immediately after, and again 3 months after completion of the programs. Analyses of covariance revealed that wives who participated in the sexual enhancement program derived more pleasure from their sexual relationships than did wives in the other two groups. In addition, participants in the sexual enhancement program felt there was a greater amount of affectional expression, and rated their overall marital satisfaction as significantly improved. Couples participating in the communication training program also evinced limited changes in their sexual and marital relationships, whereas couples in the wait-list control condition reported no changes. We conclude that communication training is an important component in sexual enrichment programs and that more evaluative research is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Responding to an identified need: A joint department of defense/department of veterans affairs training program in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for clinicians providing trauma services.

An earlier study of federal Department of Defense mental health professionals found relatively few trained in the psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder previously identified as effective by both this department and the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. In response to that need, a training program for one of the psychotherapies, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), was implemented utilizing personnel from these federal departments with assistance from a nonprofit agency. This article presents an evaluation of that program with rating data gathered from participants as well as treatment outcome data from the application of the training to patients. The program was highly rated by the participants and the impact of EMDR treatment was significant. Suggestions for similar programs and for further research are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cold water immersion modulates the reinforcing effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a contextual variable manipulation, water temperature of a bath in which a forearm was immersed, would modulate the reinforcing effects of nitrous oxide (N?O) in healthy volunteers (N?=?12). Each of 2 separate choice experiments consisted of a lukewarm water session and a cold water session. Each session consisted of 3 trials: The 1st 2 were sampling trials in which participants inhaled either 100% oxygen or 40% N?0 for 25 min, and the last trial was a 25-min choice trial, in which participants chose between the 2 agents. In each of the 3 trials, participants immersed their forearm in either ice-cold or lukewarm water for 3 min. A variant of the McNemar test revealed that participants were more likely to choose N?O on cold water sessions than on warm water sessions. The authors conclude that N?O was more reinforcing when participants forearms were immersed in ice-cold water than when immersed in lukewarm water. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Worksite stress management training: Moderated effects and clinical significance.

Psychologically healthy participants may dilute the observed effects of worksite stress management training (SMT) programs, therefore hiding the true effectiveness of these interventions for more distressed workers. To examine this issue, 311 local government employees were randomly assigned to SMT based on acceptance and commitment therapy (SMT, n = 177) or to a waitlist control group (n = 134). The SMT program consisted of three half-day training sessions, and imparted a mixture of mindfulness and values-based action skills. Across a 6-month assessment period, SMT resulted in a significant reduction in employee distress. As predicted, the impact of SMT was significantly moderated by baseline distress, such that meaningful effects were found only among a subgroup of initially distressed workers. Furthermore, a majority (69%) of these initially distressed SMT participants improved to a clinically significant degree. The study highlights the importance of accounting for sample heterogeneity when evaluating and classifying worksite SMT programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Formal mentoring: Lessons learned from past practice.

Formal mentoring programs are often implemented to help early career professionals; however, research on these programs has found mixed support. The general literature on formal mentoring programs has shifted from early studies comparing informal and formal mentoring to studies of the program characteristics related to success. A pilot program for formal mentoring of early career psychologists is presented for case study. Although the program was small and matching mentors and mentees proved difficult, reactions from some participants indicated successful mentoring. Drawing on lessons learned from the program and the general literature on formal mentoring, the author focuses on the matching process, training and program resources, and program administration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Description and evaluation of the Iowa Depression Awareness, Recognition, and Treatment Program

OBJECTIVE: The National Institute of Mental Health developed the Depression Awareness, Recognition, and Treatment Program to provide up-to-date information and training to health, mental health, and social service professionals regarding the identification and treatment of depression. This study was undertaken to evaluate a series of these programs for professionals who provide services to rural residents in the Midwest. METHOD: The 18 2-day training programs were attended by a total of 1,221 participants, physicians, psychologists, social workers, and nurses. Participants' knowledge regarding depression was assessed both before and after each program. Practice characteristics and perceived ability to assess and treat depression were assessed. Finally, 6-month follow-up evaluations of the usefulness of the training to the participants were undertaken. RESULTS: Following the programs, participants evidenced significant increases in levels of knowledge of depression and a high degree of satisfaction with most elements of the program. Six-month follow-up evaluations indicated a continued positive evaluation of the program. CONCLUSIONS: These outcomes suggest that the goals of the Depression Awareness, Recognition, and Treatment Program were met and provide support for the wider dissemination of these training programs.     

The effects of a stress-management training program in individuals at risk in the community at large

In this study we examine the effects of a stress-management training program on individuals without serious (mental) health complaints but with an increased chance of developing them as a consequence of stress. Potential subjects were randomly selected from the community at large and, then screened for participation in the training program if some of several (mental) health risk factors could be attributed to them: past life-events, neuroticism, inassertiveness, avoidant coping style and lack of social support. The control group, which did not take part in the training program, consisted of individuals with a similar risk profile as those in the training group. The training program consisted of several stress-management techniques: changing unhealthy life-style, relaxation training, problem-solving training and social skills-training. Multivariate analyses of variance showed that the training group, as compared to the control group, reported significantly less distress, less trait anxiety, less daily hassles, more assertiveness and more satisfaction with social support at follow-up. There were, however, no significant changes found in the coping skills of either group.     

Supervised exercise training improves cardiopulmonary fitness in HIV-infected persons

We attempted to measure cardiopulmonary effects, CD4 counts, and perceived sense of well-being in 25 individuals moderately to severely immunocompromised from HIV infection (mean entry CD4 count = 144.microliters-1) before and after a 24-wk program of exercise training. Only six subjects completed the 24-wk program. All six showed evidence of a training effect. Statistically significant improvements were seen in maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), oxygen pulse, and minute ventilation. Submaximal exercise performance improved significantly by 12 wk in the 10 individuals available for testing: decreases were seen in heart rate, rate pressure product, and rate of perceived exertion. White blood cell counts and T-lymphocyte subsets were stable at 12 and 24 wk in the subjects available for testing. High depression/anxiety scores on a mental health inventory (General Health Questionnaire) correlated with low CD4 counts. Scores did not correlate with compliance with the exercise program. There was a trend (P < 0.10) for scores to improve over time among those individuals who attended > or = 80% of scheduled exercise sessions. We conclude that exercise training is feasible and beneficial for some HIV-infected individuals.     

Home exercise and compliance in inflammatory rheumatic diseases--a prospective clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: To survey and to compare the one year effects of dynamic muscle training and progressive muscle relaxation as home exercise for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases; and to identify predictors for compliance with a longterm home exercise regimen. METHODS: Fifty-four patients (mean age 54 yrs, mean symptom duration 14 yrs) were assessed for health related quality of life, exercise motivation, joint tenderness, and physical capacities. After randomization into 2 groups, every patient was instructed on one occasion in a 30 min program of either dynamic training or muscle relaxation to carry out at home, 5 times a week during 3 months, and then 2-3 times a week for another 9 months. RESULTS: Seventeen patients in each group completed the one year exercise protocol, while 10 from each group did not. Compliance with the one year exercise regimen seemed to be predicted by high self-efficacy for exercise, regular range-of-motion exercises before the intervention, and being unmarried. After one year, minor improvements in physical effect (p < or = 0.05) and work effect (p < or = 0.05) were found in the dynamic training group, while minor improvements in pain effect (p < or = 0.05), emotional reactions (p < or = 0.05), and arm endurance (p < or = 0.01) were found in the muscle relaxation group. No differences between the groups regarding changes in health status, joint tenderness, or physical capacities during the intervention period were found. CONCLUSION: These results may improve the selection of patients for home exercise, and form a basis for improved administration of home exercise programs.