Validating curriculum-based measurement: Essential concerns from a behavioral perspective.

Comments on an article by T. F. Derr-Minneci and E. S. Shapiro (see record 1993-07458-001) on behavioral validation of a curriculum-based measurement in reading. It is argued that Derr-Minneci and Shapiro misconstrue the concept of accuracy, which nevertheless is a questionable technical adequacy metric for curriculum-based measurement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Agoraphobia outcome measurement: A review and meta-analysis.

A review of outcome measures used in 106 studies, along with a meta-analysis of instruments used in 42 studies investigating the effectiveness of treatments for agoraphobia during the 1980s, is presented. Articles reporting case studies, preliminary reports, and duplicate results are excluded. Content areas covered, source of instrument ratings, and methods of data collection for each instrument are considered. Nine distinct instruments or categories of instruments are meta-analyzed. The size of treatment effects and judgments of improvement are highly dependent on which outcome measures are used in a given study. Intercorrelations of effect sizes suggest commonalities and specific contributions of instruments. Promising instruments are named. Applications for agoraphobia research and outcome measurement in general are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social and behavioral consequences of alcohol consumption and expectancy: A meta-analysis.

Conducted a meta-analysis on 34 studies that investigated the effects of alcohol consumption and expectancy within the balanced-placebo design. Preliminary results indicated that both alcohol and expectancy had significant but heterogeneous effects on behavior. Subsequent analyses were conducted to determine the factors responsible for the heterogeneity of effects. At the highest level of analysis, alcohol expectancy had strong effects on relatively deviant social behaviors and minimal effects on nonsocial behaviors. Alcohol consumption showed the opposite pattern of effects. The principal effects associated with alcohol expectancy involved increased alcohol consumption and increased sexual arousal in response to erotic stimuli. On the other hand, alcohol consumption led to significant impairment of information processing and motor performance, induced a specific set of physical sensations, resulted in general improvements of mood, and tended to increase aggression. Across all studies it was observed that alcohol consumption and expectancy interacted no more frequently than would be expected by chance. A list of the studies used in the meta-analysis is appended. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributions from behavioral theories of choice to an analysis of alcohol abuse.

Behavioral theories of choice are applied to an analysis of the conditions under which alcohol consumption emerges as a highly preferred activity from among a set of available activities. The approach highlights two classes of variables as important determinants of alcohol preference: (a) direct constraints on access to alcohol and (b) availability of other reinforcers and constraints on access to them. A selective review of studies of human and animal alcohol and drug self-administration indicates that preference for alcohol and drug consumption (a) varies inversely with direct constraints on consumption and (b) varies inversely with the availability of alternative reinforcers and directly with constraints on access to them. Environmental conditions under which alcohol consumption emerges as a highly preferred activity may thus involve minimal constraints on access to alcohol and sparse alternative reinforcers and/or heightened constraints on access to them. The latter variables may be more important in determining alcohol consumption in natural environments. A research application to alcoholic relapse is described, and general implications for clinical research in natural environments are explored. Limitations of the approach and its complementary relation to other approaches to studying alcohol abuse are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intoxicated behavioral disinhibition and the heart rate response to alcohol.

This study examined the association between the heart rate (HR) response to alcohol intoxication, which is thought to reflect sensitivity to alcohol-induced reward and alcohol-induced behavioral disinhibition. High- and low-HR responders to alcohol participated in a go/no-go task, under sober and intoxicated conditions. Errors of commission on this task have previously been related to behavioral disinhibition. High-HR responders made more intoxicated commission errors as compared with low-HR responders. High-HR responders also reported increased alcohol consumption, and controlling for the latter did not alter the significant association between high-HR responders and increased intoxicated errors of commission. These results are consistent with previous findings of an increased risk for addictive and disinhibited behavioral propensities in individuals with a high-HR response to alcohol intoxication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Goals and methods of alcohol assessment.

Given the prevalence of alcohol disorders among psychiatric patients, all mental health professionals must pay greater attention to the assessment of alcohol use and related problems. The primary goals of alcohol assessment relevant to mental health settings are (a) identification, (b) diagnosis, and (c) treatment planning and outcome assessment. In this article, the authors describe each goal and provide examples of assessment tools used to address each goal. The structure, length, validation evidence, and limitations of each assessment method are considered. This scheme is proposed as a guide to psychologists in their task of assessing alcohol use and its related problems in their clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variability in outcome and clinical significance of behavioral marital therapy: A reanalysis of outcome data.

Reanalyzed the data from the following studies evaluating the effectiveness of behavioral marital therapy to see what proportion of couples improved and how many join the ranks of happily married couples: D. H. Baucom (see record 1982-21665-001), K. Hahlweg et al (see record 1983-26163-001), N. S. Jacobson (see record 1984-21130-001), and G. Margolin and R. L. Wiess (see record 1979-26577-001). Data on 148 couples showed that slightly more than half improved and deterioration was rare. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy expectancy, outcome expectancy, and outcome value: Relative effects on behavioral intentions.

Used a persuasive communications paradigm to examine the relative contributions of self-efficacy expectancy, outcome expectancy, and outcome value (importance) in influencing and predicting behavioral intentions. 88 college students were asked to react to a promotional brochure presented as a discussion of the broken-record technique. Outcome expectancy was manipulated independent of self-efficacy expectancy and had a main effect on behavioral intentions, but self-efficacy expectancy failed to produce a main effect on intentions. The outcome-value manipulation also had a main effect on intentions, although problems with the manipulation check made interpretations of this effect problematic. Correlational data reveal that assessments of self-efficacy expectancy, outcome expectancy, and outcome value were all significant and roughly equivalent predictors of intentions. Each component significantly contributed to the other 2 components combined in the prediction of behavioral intentions. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Location and utilization of available behavioral measurement instruments.

Contends that the continuing production and use of quickly devised and unproven behavioral measurement instruments introduces undesirable ambiguity into the measurement process, which makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies and to test theoretical propositions fairly. This problem could be alleviated by greater use and refinement of available instruments. The location and evaluation of available measures are discussed, and a 10-page annotated bibliography of compendia is presented to aid in the process. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Paternal exposures: impact on reproductive and developmental outcome. An overview

Corticosteroid 11 beta-hydroxylation is catalysed by 11 beta-hydroxylase and aldosterone synthase. Using plasma steroid ratios, the level of this process in patients with glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism (GSH) was compared with that in unaffected control subjects and in patients with Conn's syndrome. Based on both 11-deoxycortisol:cortisol (S:F) and 11-deoxycorticosterone:corticosterone (DOC:B) ratios, patients with GSH showed impaired resting 11 beta-hydroxylase activity. In GSH, but not in the other groups, the S:F ratio was significantly correlated with basal plasma aldosterone concentration. ACTH infusion increased the S:F ratio in all these patient groups, suggesting a common partial deficiency. The results also indicate that 11 beta-hydroxylation may be rate-limiting in normal subjects. In control subjects and patients with Conn's syndrome, the DOC:B ratio was not affected by ACTH. However, in GSH patients, this ratio fell markedly, indicating an increased efficiency of 11 beta-hydroxylation of DOC (but not S). This may be due to the activation by ACTH of the zona fasciculata chimaeric aldosterone synthase characteristic of this disease. Plasma aldosterone, corticosterone and DOC concentrations, appeared to be more sensitive to ACTH in GSH than the other groups. The defect in 11 beta-hydroxylation in GSH accounts for the increased levels of DOC reported in the condition, and may contribute to the phenotypic variability.     

Analysis of developmental data: Comparison among alternative methods.

Examined statistical issues in the analysis of repeated measures data in developmental research. The danger of bias in conventional analysis of variance has been emphasized by R. B. McCall and M. I. Appelbaum (see record 1975-00106-001), but their simulated example was markedly deviant from actual developmental data. Further, a Monte Carlo study by R. O. Collier et al (see record 1967-16063-001) has shown that the potential bias in the F tests may be accurately compensated by use of the correction factor epsilon. For illustration, a conventional analysis of variance (adjusted by epsilon) and a multivariate analysis of variance were performed on a set of actual developmental scores recorded over 6 ages. Results are comparable from both analyses, leading to the same decision about the null hypothesis at essentially the same confidence level. It is concluded that the univariate analysis qualifies as a powerful and fully protected design when used with epsilon, and the choice of procedures can be guided by the E's preference plus certain properties of the data to be analyzed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychophysiological outcome of behavioral and pharmacological treatments of agoraphobia.

62 severe and chronic agoraphobics (aged 18–65 yrs) participated in a 2?×?2 factorial investigation of the relative and combined effectiveness of behavior therapy (prolonged in vivo exposure) and pharmacotherapy (imipramine). Treatment was conducted in 12 weekly sessions. Imipramine or placebo was administered in 25-mg tablets at bed time, with 25-mg increases every 2nd day until the maximum tolerable amount was achieved. Tripartite assessments were conducted at pretreatment and at 4 wks, 8 wks, 12 wks, and 1-mo posttreatment. Differential temporal response and treatment patterns were identified across the psychophysiological domains. Ss receiving medication showed equivocal patterns of positive and negative responses. Decreases in arousal were noted with Ss who received prolonged exposure. Synchrony/desynchrony phenomena yielded significant findings with regard to both process and clinical outcome status. Exploratory analyses were performed to identify potential mediating factors in physiological outcome, and a psychophysiological comparison was also undertaken contrasting agoraphobics prior to and following treatment with normative (nonphobic) cohorts. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is alcohol a cofactor of HIV and AIDS? Evidence from immunological and behavioral studies.

The authors aim to critically examine empirical research on the effects of alcohol on HIV and AIDS from the immunological and behavioral fields. In vitro immunological studies demonstrate that social drinking increases the susceptibility of human cells to HIV infection. Animal studies show that acute and chronic alcohol ingestion increases rate of progression from retrovirus to clinical illness. In humans with HIV, no experimental evidence shows that alcohol is a cofactor of AIDS. Findings from behavioral studies show that a link between social drinking and risk of HIV is weak. No experimental evidence demonstrates that chronic drinking influences rate and course of disease progression to AIDS in humans who are HIV+. It is premature to promote the role of alcohol as a cofactor in HIV and AIDS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interactive effects of alcohol outcome expectancies and alcohol cues on nonconsumptive behavior.

Experimental research and popular belief suggest that, among its many effects, alcohol consumption reduces tension and facilitates aggression. Such observations could result from direct, pharmacological effects of alcohol on neural control of behavior but also may be accounted for by positing that drinking behavior activates mental representations of relaxation-related or aggression-related alcohol expectancies in long-term memory. Building on this latter view, in 2 experiments, the authors investigated whether rudimentary drinking-related cues, which presumably activate encoded alcohol expectancies, facilitate tension reduction and hostility in the complete absence of actual or placebo alcohol consumption. In Experiment 1, following contextual exposure to alcohol-related words, individuals with stronger expectancies that drinking reduces tension showed an increased willingness to meet with an opposite-gender stranger under relatively anxiety-provoking circumstances, suggesting that they experienced less apprehension regarding the meeting. Analogously, in Experiment 2, following near-subliminal exposure to alcohol-related words, individuals with stronger expectancies that drinking fosters aggression showed greater hostility toward a target person following an experimentally engineered provocation. Neither of the latter effects was obtained following exposure to nonalcoholic beverage words, which presumably did not activate alcohol outcome expectancy representations in long-term memory. Moreover, the strength of relevant, content-specific expectancies (i.e., for tension reduction or aggression, respectively) moderated alcohol cue exposure effects, but the strength of other expectancies (e.g., for sociability or sexual arousal) did not. Together, these findings demonstrate that exposure to rudimentary alcohol cues independently engenders expectancy-consistent behavior, thereby attesting to the remarkable breadth and subtlety of the behavioral impact of alcohol expectancy activation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Severity of perinatal cerebral injury and developmental outcome: A dose-response relationship.

The purpose of this study was to establish a dose–response relationship between extent of perinatal cerebral injury and quality of developmental outcome in childhood. To attain this goal, 54 school and preschool-age children who had incurred perinatal intracranial hemorrhage were recruited. The main index of hemorrhage severity—the degree of acute ventriculomegaly observed on the cranial ultrasonogram during the neonatal period—was significantly associated with outcome in all measured domains. These included verbal and nonverbal intelligence, motor skills, and behavioral problems associated with the externalizing and internalizing syndromal groupings. The putative neurobiological mechanisms underlying the observed dose–response relationship between perinatal lesion severity and developmental outcome are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deleterious effects of alcohol intoxication: Diminished cognitive control and its behavioral consequences.

The authors tested the hypothesis that impaired behavioral performance during intoxication results partly from alcohol's deleterious effects on cognitive control. The impact of alcohol on perseverative behavior was examined with an n-back working memory task that included manipulations of task complexity and prepotency of inclinations to respond or withhold responding. Thirty-two social drinkers (16 men) participated in either an alcohol (.075g/100ml) or a no-alcohol condition. Alcohol increased perseveration of prepotent, task-inappropriate response patterns only under cognitively demanding (heavy memory load) conditions. This effect was evident for both commission errors (response persistence despite contingencies altered to require restraint) and omission errors (failure to respond when contingencies were revised to encourage action). Findings suggested that alcohol-induced perseveration arises from impairments in cognitive control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sequential analyses and developmental research methods: Descriptions of cyclical phenomena.

Examines K. W. Schaie's (see record 1965-14611-001) general model for the study of developmental problems and assumptions concerning the independence of phenomena related to cohorts, ages, and time-of-measurement. Scrutiny of available data from this perspective suggests the existence of behavioral phenomena which are cyclical and operate over a short term, as opposed to the longer-term behavioral change associated with generational (cohort) and secular change (time-of-measurement) factors. It is suggested that such cyclical phenomena may result from adaptation to cultural and physical environmental conditions, or biological or psychological states, which are unique to (i.e., dependent on) particular times of birth, times of measurement, or ages. Examples of such phenomena and the methodological implications which result from their existence are presented. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The measurement of self-esteem: Refining our methods.

Studied measurement problems in assessing self-esteem and the employment of more than 1 type of self-esteem instrument by administering 8 measures of self-esteem involving self-reports, ratings by others, and a projective instrument to 9th and 10th graders. A total of 55 Ss were involved, but each S was not administered every instrument. Intercorrelation of scores were examined to provide preliminary validational evidence; then, confirmatory factor analysis was used to construct measurement models and further assess the validity of the measures. Results suggest that 2 traditional questionnaires (the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale) and a personal interview were valid in measuring experienced self-esteem, and 3 measures involving ratings by others were valid in measuring presented self-esteem. Findings are consistent with previous multidimensional conceptualizations of self-esteem, indicating that a variety of methods is necessary to adequately measure self-concept. (52 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cardiovascular psychophysiology: Some contemporary methods of measurement.

Presents an overview of technological developments in the study of 3 parameters of cardiovascular activity: sympathetic influences on left ventricular performance or contractile force, cardiac output and regional blood flow, and blood oxygen content. The significance of each of these parameters to psychophysiological issues is also noted, and implications for solving 3 interrelated methodological problems (the role of behavioral processes in the etiology and treatment of cardiovascular pathology, the question of whether cardiovascular processes can serve as valid yardsticks of behavioral states, and how information from a chronic preparation may provide a perspective on basic cardiovascular physiology that cannot be obtained from nonintact, anesthetized, surgical preparations) are examined. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reasons for depression and the process and outcome of cognitive–behavioral psychotherapies.

This study examined the relationships between clients' reasons for depression and the process and outcome of a cognitive therapy (CT) and a behavioral activation (BA) treatment for major depression. Reason giving was conceptualized as the tendency to offer multiple explanations for a problem. Different reasons for depression were also thought to match or mismatch the theoretical model underlying each treatment. Reasons for depression were assessed pretreatment with a previously developed questionnaire. Process variables including homework compliance and perceived treatment helpfulness were measured early in treatment. Results demonstrated that perceived helpfulness of the treatment was associated with positive outcomes in BA. Reason giving was associated with worse outcomes in BA. Specific reasons also predicted differential outcome in the 2 treatments. Clients who endorsed existential reasons for depression had better outcomes in CT and worse outcomes in BA. Relationship-oriented reasons were consistently associated with negative process and outcome in CT. Results are discussed in terms of the function of reason giving and the role of specific explanations for depression in treatment process and outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)