Union commitment: Replication and extension.

The union commitment measure developed by M. E. Gordon et al (1980) was administered to 426 nonprofessional and 334 professional members of a white-collar union. Four orthogonal factors were extracted: Union Loyalty, Responsibility to the Union, Willingness to Work for the Union, and Belief in Unionism. Factor comparisons both between the union of the present study and the union of the original study, and between professional and nonprofessional members within the same union, suggest that the factors developed by Gordon et al are consistent and generalizable across these populations. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Fear-of-Intimacy Scale: Replication and extension.

Investigated the validity of the Fear-of-Intimacy Scale (FIS) with a middle-aged sample, using many of the same measures that C. J. Descutner and M. H. Thelen (1991) used previously with college students, and explored the dimensions of adult attachment as potential correlates of fear of intimacy. Data were obtained from 171 Ss (83 men, 88 women; aged 35–55 yrs) who had completed a battery of questionnaires containing the FIS and other measures of personality, behavior, and background data. The FIS showed high internal consistency, and evidence supporting its construct validity was replicated with several measures (e.g., significant correlations were found between the FIS and measures of self-disclosure, loneliness, and relationship satisfaction). Associations were obtained between fear of intimacy and the dimensions of attachment. After statistically controlling for trait anxiety, several significant associations between the FIS and other measures were upheld, and a few unpredicted associations became nonsignificant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analogue assessment of child behavior problems.

The psychometric properties of analogue assessment measures of child behavior problems are reviewed. Analogue assessment refers to an observational measure of targeted behaviors that are elicited by simulated experimental conditions, which, in turn, are devised to approximate natural circumstances. For the most part, this assessment approach has been used sporadically in the clinical setting with children who are behaviorally disturbed. Lack of standardization of measures and inconsistent findings of ecological validity are among several concerns noted. The paucity of available data limits conclusions that can be drawn at this time about the role of analogue assessment in the evaluation and treatment of child behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interparental agreement on child behavior problems.

Interparental agreement (IA) on child behavior problems was studied by having parents in 137 families complete the Child Behavior Checklist (CBC) for their children (aged 3–13 yrs). IA on specific behavior problems was low. Mothers consistently reported more problem behavior than fathers, but parents did not show different levels of agreement for boys and girls. Discrepancies between parental reports of problem behavior, but not kappa scores, increased as the distress level of the family increased. CBC items rated high for objectivity, observability, molecularity, disturbance, and social undesirability generally obtained higher levels of parental agreement than items rated low for these qualities. Some evidence indicated that items on the externalizing scale of the checklist achieve higher agreement and are more objective, observable, and socially undesirable than items on the internalizing scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological impairment in female alcoholics: Replication and extension.

In 2 separate studies, female alcoholics (N?=?50) performed significantly poorer on 12 neuropsychological tests (e.g., the WAIS and the Bender-Gestalt Test) than female nonalcoholic controls (N?=?50). The pattern of deficit was consistent across studies and similar to that reported for male alcoholics: intact verbal skills but impaired nonverbal abstracting, visual-spatial, and problem-solving abilities. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preemployment predictors of union attitudes: Replication and extension.

Replicates and extends the J. Barling et al (see record 1992-07316-001) model of family socialization of union attitudes on the basis of data from 87 students and their parents. Students' union attitudes were predicted by students' Marxist work beliefs and their perceptions of parental union attitudes. Students' perceptions of parental union attitudes and participation were predicted from parents' self-reported attitudes and participation. Students' Marxist work beliefs were not related to parents' work beliefs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Screening of child behavior problems for prevention programs at school entry.

Targeted programs designed to prevent conduct problems in childhood and adolescence rely on screening systems to identify high-risk individuals. This study examines the proximal usefulness of a multiple-gating approach to screening, using teacher and parent ratings in a 2-step procedure with a sample of 382 kindergarten children. The study explored differences in the accuracy of the 2 steps of screening information and whether parents' reports of parenting practices augments the prediction of negative outcomes. The 2-step screening system was found to effectively predict negative behavior outcomes over 1 year later, although some false-positive and false-negative predictions were evident. The Parenting Practices Screen did not substantially add to prediction accuracy. The discussion emphasizes the potential contributions and problems of using screening measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Operant eyelid conditioning in Trisomy 18: Replication and extension.

A profoundly retarded 6-yr-old child with extra No. 18 chromosomes (Trisomy 18) and a normal 7-mo-old infant were conditioned to emit operant eyeblinks and to maintain a head position in conformity with a variety of complex schedules of reinforcement. The experimental conditions included reinforcement for every eyeblink, reinforcement if the eyeblink did not occur, reinforcement after every 4 eyeblinks, reinforcement only after both eyeblinks and a certain head position occurred, and, finally, reinforcement for blinks or head position alone. The sessions were held at S's regular mealtimes, and spoonfuls of food were used as reinforcers. Both responses of both Ss increased or decreased in frequency depending upon the reinforcement contingencies. The response repertoire of the Trisomy 18 could be modified, and an application to the hospital ward was possible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Knives, guns, and interparent violence: Relations with child behavior problems.

Behavior problems were examined across 3 groups of children (8–12 years of age), living in families characterized by recent physical spousal violence. The groups were (a) 47 children who reported observing marital violence that included the threat or use of knives or guns (observed); (b) 57 children who did not report witnessing marital violence involving knives or guns but whose mothers reported that violence involving knives or guns had occurred in a recent marital dispute (occurred); and (c) 51 children who did not report witnessing marital violence involving knives or guns and whose mothers also reported no violence involving knives or guns (neither). Children in the observed group displayed higher levels of behavior problems than did children in the neither group, but they did not differ from children in the occurred group. Children in the occurred group also displayed higher levels of behavior problems than did children in the neither group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mild closed-head injury in children and adolescents: behavior problems and academic outcomes

The issue of whether mild head injuries (HIs) in children cause behavior problems and poor scholastic performance is controversial. This study included 119 children (range = 8-16 years old) with HI, 114 with other injuries, and 106 with no injury (NI). Behavioral functioning was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist; academic functioning, with school grades and standardized testing. Higher T scores were found for both injury groups versus NI participants on preinjury behavioral status. All 3 groups' behavioral scores decreased relative to baseline at 1 year. HI and NI groups did not differ in school grades or achievement testing either pre- or postinjury. These results are consistent with the conclusion that head injury of the mildest type does not increase the probability of new overt behavioral or academic problems.     

Externalizing behavior problems and academic underachievement in childhood and adolescence: Causal relationships and underlying mechanisms.

Reviews conceptual and measurement issues surrounding externalizing behavior problems and academic underachievement, the strength and specificity of the covariation between these domains, and the viability of explanatory models that link these areas. In childhood, inattention and hyperactivity are stronger correlates of academic problems than is aggression; by adolescence, however, antisocial behavior and delinquency are clearly associated with underachievement. Whereas investigations with designs that allow accurate causal inference are scarce, unidirectional paths from one domain to the other have received little support. The overlap of externalizing problems with cognitive and readiness deficits early in development suggests the influence of antecedent variables. Low socioeconomic status (SES), family adversity, subaverage IQ, language deficits, and neurodevelopmental delay are explored as possible underlying factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are younger classroom children disproportionately referred for childhood academic and behavior problems?

To examine the hypothesis that younger children in a classroom are disproportionately referred for school academic and behavior problems, we investigated subjects' months of birth in relation to referrals across gender and grade from kindergarten through the fourth grade. Results from a sample of 172 pediatric psychology referrals indicated that younger children in the class and boys were more likely to be referred. Results were replicated in a cross-validation analysis of 210 child psychology referrals. This pattern remained constant across all grades examined. Findings are discussed in terms of developmental differences, developmental psychopathology, and possible teacher referral bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parent reports of child behavior problems: bias in participation

None of the current surgical alternatives for the short bowel syndrome is sufficiently safe and effective to be used routinely. Surgical therapy should be considered only in selected patients to achieve specific results. Patients with dilated intestinal segments and stasis may benefit from intestinal tapering and lengthening. The results of intestinal transplantation in animals have improved and justify clinical attempts, but recent experience in humans has been disappointing. Growing neomucosa has not been shown to increase absorption, but the patching technique may be useful in preserving intestinal length. Patients with sufficient absorptive area but rapid transit may benefit from colon interposition or intestinal valves. Thus, the surgical emphasis should continue to be prevention of intestinal resection and conservation of intestinal length when resection is required.     

Active–alert hypnosis: Replication and extension of previous research.

Compared levels of hypnotic responsiveness resulting from 4 induction procedures: (a) verbal active-alert induction alone, (b) bicycle pedaling alone, (c) verbal active-alert induction plus bicycle pedaling, and (d) traditional relaxation induction. Ss were 48 undergraduates. Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale scores indicated that the verbal induction plus pedaling procedure was significantly more effective than either the verbal- or pedaling-alone procedures. There were no significant differences in scores produced by the verbal plus pedaling and traditional relaxation inductions. Findings are consistent with A. M. Ludwig's (1966) proposal that there exists a range of stimulation necessary for the maintenance of normal waking consciousness and that levels of stimulation above or below that range are conducive to the production of altered states of consciousness. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hyperactivity and learning disabilities as independent dimensions of child behavior problems.

Definitional problems surrounding the terms "hyperactivity" and "learning disabilities" cannot be fully resolved unless dimensions of behavior (intercorrelated core characteristics) can be independently identified that correspond in some way with these terms. Previous factor-analytic studies, however, argue against the existence of such dimensions of behavior. Methodological differences, particularly in the nature of the item pool subjected to factor analysis, between the few studies that extracted hyperactivity or learning disabilities factors and those that failed to identify such factors may account for the difference in results. The present study utilized a broad item pool containing many items putatively related to learning disabilities and hyperactivity and extracted independent factors that might be given these labels. 19 teachers generated 404 ratings of 4th–8th graders from 2 schools that included both regular and special education classes. Results of a principal-components analysis and a variance-maximizing rotation procedure suggest that independent dimensions of problem behavior that correspond to the terms "hyperactivity" and "learning disabilities" may be identifiable. If so, the identification of such factors may allow more meaningful selection of Ss and dependent variables in studies of etiology and treatment methods. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consequences of socioeconomic disadvantage across three generations: Parenting behavior and child externalizing problems.

This study considers the intergenerational consequences of experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage within the family of origin. Specifically, the influence of socioeconomic disadvantage experienced during adolescence on the timing of parenthood and the association between early parenthood and risk for harsh parenting and emerging child problem behavior was evaluated. Participants included 154 3-generation families, followed prospectively over a 12-year period. Results indicated that exposure to poverty during adolescence, not parents' (first generation, or G1) education, predicted an earlier age of parenthood in G2. Younger G2 parents were observed to be harsher during interactions with their own 2-year-old child (G3), and harsh parenting predicted increases in G3 children's externalizing problems from age 2 to age 3. Finally, G3 children's externalizing behavior measured at age 3 predicted increases in harsh parenting from ages 3 to 4, suggesting that G3 children's behavior may exacerbate the longitudinal effects of socioeconomic disadvantage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early intervention in the path to alcohol problems through conduct problems: Treatment involvement and child behavior change.

A program for the prevention of conduct problems among preschool-age sons of alcoholic fathers was implemented to interrupt what is likely to be a major mediating factor in the development of alcoholism in later years. A population-based sample of 42 families participated in a 10-month intervention involving parent training and marital problem solving. Differences in treatment outcome were examined, with the expectation that level of treatment involvement—entailing both level of participation and level of investment—would account for variability in child outcome at termination. Significant changes in positive and negative child behaviors were observed only within the group of families who completed the program and where the mothers demonstrated a higher level of treatment investment. When pretreatment child, parent, and family predictors of child behavior change were accounted for, subsequent analyses identified maternal treatment investment as a significant predictor of child outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Employee and customer perceptions of service in banks: Replication and extension.

Replicated the 1st author and J. J. Parkington's (1979) research on the relationships between employees and customers in service organizations by analyzing survey data from 142 employees and 968 customers from 28 branches of a bank. Moderate support was found for the 1st author and Parkington's work on correlates of stress for boundary role employees. Support was also found for relationships between branch employees' and branch customers' service perceptions and attitudes as reported by the present 1st author et al (1980). Significant relationships were reported between branch employees' perceptions of organizational human resources practices and branch customers' attitudes about service. Employee attitudes and customer attitudes were related to their own and one another's turnover intentions. Results are discussed from the perspective of promoting an integration of consumer and organizational behavior in the service sector. (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Replication and extension of the Teacher Self-Control Rating Scale.

Relations among teacher ratings of self-control and adjustment were examined in this study and involved (a) a replication and extension of investigations of Humphrey's Teacher Self-Control Rating Scale (TSCRS) and (b) an analysis of the relation between teacher ratings of self-control and school adjustment across elementary school grades for urban and suburban children. Ratings were obtained from a stratified random sample of 407 urban and suburban children in first through fifth grades and from 108 classroom teachers. Findings include (a) replication and extension of previous TSCRS research findings and (b) consistent, significant patterns of relations between self-control and adjustment across elementary grades. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Moderators of the body dissatisfaction-eating disorder symptomatology relationship: Replication and extension.

In this study, research conducted by T. L. Tylka (2004) was replicated and extended by examining perfectionism (self-oriented and socially prescribed), ego goal orientation, body surveillance, and neuroticism as moderators of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and bulimic and anorexic symptomatology among female undergraduates (N = 398). Hierarchical moderated regression was used to test the main and interactive effects of the models and to control for physical size and social desirability. As expected, body dissatisfaction was strongly related to the measures of disordered eating, accounting for 16% to 26% of the variance. Two variables (neuroticism and body surveillance) received support as moderators of the relationships between body dissatisfaction and bulimic and anorexic symptoms. Ego goal orientation and socially prescribed perfectionism moderated the effects of body dissatisfaction on bulimic symptoms, whereas self-oriented perfectionism served as a moderator only for anorexic symptoms. In all instances, higher levels of body dissatisfaction paired with higher levels of the moderator were associated with more disturbed eating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)