Measurement of adaptive behavior in prison environments.

Describes the development of a prison version of the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale. The new scale was validated using 15 male honor-block and 18 male protective-custody inmates of a large, maximum-security prison. Two corrections officers familiar with the Ss completed the scale for each S. Results indicate that the scale discriminated between groups of inmates whose adaptation to the demands and requirements of prison life were vastly different. The scale also qualitatively reflected the heterogeneity of adaptability in the protective custody sample and the homogeneity in the honor block. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

语法衔接手段与大学英语翻译教学

本文以韩礼德和哈桑的语法衔接手段为理论基础,通过大学体验英语教材课后练习中翻译句子,对英语和汉语的句子进行比较,最后为大学英语翻译教学提出可行性的建议.     

Joint use of adaptive behavior and IQ to predict achievement.

Determined the influence of IQ, adaptive behavior, SES, and race-ethnicity on reading and math achievement, using multiple linear regression analyses. Ss consisted of 345 children stratified on racial-ethnic characteristics (Anglo, Black, Mexican-American), SES (middle and low), gender, and age (CAs 7–14 yrs). Data were obtained from Ss' scores on the WISC-R, Adaptive Behavior Inventory for Children, and California Achievement Tests. The variance accounted for by the full model, consisting of the 4 previously mentioned variables, was highly significant for reading (.45) and math (.35). The amount of variance associated with race-ethnicity and SES was nonsignificant. It is concluded that adaptive behavior does not significantly predict achievement beyond that predicted by IQ. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brainstem substrates of sensory information processing and adaptive behavior

Emerging clinical and experimental data suggest that the brainstem may be an important part of the functional matrix from which normal mental development and behavior evolve. Although the brainstem has not been a focal point in considering etiologies of mental retardation nor even in analyses of adaptive behavior, information processing within both the brainstem sensory nuclei and adjacent reticular formation may indeed be one of the most critical and relevant areas for such investigations. Data are summarized from several ongoing experiments which are designed to explore the capacity of the brainstem to encode sensory, especially acoustic, stimuli and to modulate the resultant sensory information so as to produce a "learned" response. Such data indicate that in the absence of forebrain or even midbrain structures, a simple conditioned response can be supported by the brainstem. The reticular neuropil is considered particularly important to this response acquisition and is conceptualized as a structure which can receive and transmit acoustic information with retention of specific stimulus coding. It is further suggested that independent associative and reflex functions of the reticular formation may be highly significant in neonatal behavior but, with the development of descending influences from higher centers during maturation, these functions may become largely masked. In order to develop a temporal frame of reference for brainstem structures potentially involved in sensory information processing and learning phenomena "time constants of response plasticity" are being established for different levels of the brainstem system.     

Neuropsychological predictors of adaptive kitchen behavior in geriatric psychiatry inpatients

This study examined the degree to which demographic variables, psychiatric diagnosis, depression rating, and neuropsychological test performance predict adaptive kitchen behavior in geriatric psychiatry patients and normal elderly volunteers. Amixed group of 27 participants including 8 normal volunteers and 19 geriatric psychiatry inpatients underwent psychiatric evaluation, neuropsychological testing, and a kitchen skills assessment conducted in a natural setting. Both depression and dementia were prevalent among patients. The kitchen skills assessment was abnormal in 69% of patients, compared to none of the normal volunteers. Estimated premorbid IQs, psychiatric diagnosis, and neuropsychological test scores significantly predicted the pass/fail status on the kitchen skills assessment, but there was no effect for age, education, gender, or depression. The discriminant function analysis classified 92% of cases, and the canonical correlation coefficient was .84. Of the neuropsychological tests employed in the study, two tests involving visuospatial processing and attention were retained in the discriminant function analysis. The results are consistent with previous studies that suggest that visuospatial tasks are more predictive of instrumental activities of daily living than are cognitive tasks emphasizing verbal and memory abilities. In addition, we conclude that neuropsychological test data are useful and valid for the purpose of guiding clinical judgments regarding activities of daily living in geriatric psychiatry patients.     

REM sleep facilitation of adaptive waking behavior: A review of the literature.

Reviews the literature on REM sleep in regard to whether REM sleep prepares the S for subsequent learning or facilitates the retention of learning and/or the adaptation to prior stimulation. It is concluded that when studies are classified paradigmatically, E. M. Dewan's (1969) REM sleep metaprogramming hypothesis provides a useful conceptual scheme for interpreting the relevant literature. Suggested modifications to this hypothesis and anticipated future ones are discussed. (90 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of adaptive behavior on achievement: Path analysis of a national sample.

Examined the extent of the influence of adaptive behavior on academic achievement in 801 children (aged 2.5–12.5 yrs). Ss were administered both the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales—Interview Edition, Survey Form. Path analysis was used to determine the effect of adaptive behavior on achievement while controlling for other important background influences (e.g., ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), intellectual ability). Results suggest that adaptive behavior has a significant and important effect on achievement, thus strengthening support for its inclusion in psychoeducational assessments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensions of adaptive behavior in institutionalized mentally retarded children and adults: developmental perspective

Factor analyses were performed utilizing the subscale scores of the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, Part One, for 3,354 institutionalized mentally retarded children and adults. Eight different age groups were studied to determine (a) the underlying dimensions of adaptive behavior measured by the scale, (b) similarity of factor structure across ages, (c) whether there were developmental changes revealed by factor scores, and (d) the extent to which the above findings would be related to level of retardation. Three salient factorial dimensions--Personal Self-Sufficiency, Community Self-Sufficiency, and Personal-Social Responsibility--appeared across a wide span of age ranges from childhood through senility. The implication of these factors was discussed in terms of the critical period of development, rate of growth, and maximum level of growth of subjects grouped by level of retardation.     

An adaptive approach to family intervention: Linking engagement in family-centered intervention to reductions in adolescent problem behavior.

This study used Complier Average Causal Effect analysis (CACE; see G. Imbens & D. Rubin, 1997) to examine the impact of an adaptive approach to family intervention in the public schools on rates of substance use and antisocial behavior among students ages 11-17. Students were randomly assigned to a family-centered intervention (N = 998) in 6th grade and offered a multilevel intervention that included (a) a universal classroom-based intervention, (b) the Family Check-Up (selected; T. J. Dishion & K. Kavanagh, 2003), and (c) family management treatment (indicated). All services were voluntary, and approximately 25% of the families engaged in the selected and indicated levels. Participation in the Family Check-Up was predicted by 6th-grade teacher ratings of risk, youth reports of family conflict, and the absence of biological fathers from the youths' primary home. Relative to randomized matched controls, adolescents whose parents engaged in the Family Check-Up exhibited less growth in alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use and problem behavior during ages 11 through 17, along with decreased risk for substance use diagnoses and police records of arrests by age 18. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Component and pattern information in adaptive networks.

M. A. Gluck and G. H. Bower (see record 1989-00340-001) presented an adaptive network model of human classification in which associative weights are modified according to R. A. Rescorla and A. R. Wagner (1972) conditioning theory, a special case of the Widrow-Hoff/LMS learning rule. Presenting empirical data from a series of artificial medical classification tasks, we argued that the network model predicts results that were unanticipated, given prevailing alternative theories of category learning. We consider here some alternative interpretations of this data suggested by D. R. Shanks (see record 1990-27514-001) and argue that they are not sufficiently compelling when compared to the network model's treatment of the data from all the experiments presented in our earlier study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anxiety and behavior scientists' behavior.

Percentages of entries under "anxiety," "drive," and "emotion" in Psychological Abstracts and the Child Development Abstracts were determined for years 1945 through 1958. From 1952 onward, the post-Taylor Manifest Anxiety scale era, "only in the case of anxiety does output increase and remain consistently higher than that prior to the appearance of the MAS" for Psychological Abstracts entries. For Child Development Abstracts, marked rise in output follows the introduction of the Children's Manifest Anxiety scale in 1956. "The results of the present study clearly confirm our suspicions concerning the docility of the behavior scientist and suggest that no new principles of behavior are necessary in accounting for his behavior as compared with that of other species." From Psyc Abstracts 36:02:2HK66L. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The developmental status and adaptive behavior of homeless and low-income housed infants and toddlers

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the development status of 127 homeless and 91 low-income housed infants and toddlers. METHODS: The Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Vineland Screener were used to gather data. RESULTS: There were no differences between homeless and low-income housed children. However, younger children in both groups performed better than the older children on most summary scores. CONCLUSIONS: Homeless and low-income housed children did not differ in their cognitive and motor skills. However, older children scored lower than younger children on most measures of development status, suggesting that the cumulative effects of poverty may increase with time.     

Species-specific behavior and acquisition of avoidance behavior in rats.

Studied thigmotaxis (i.e., the tendency to run in contact with objects) in 3 experiments with a total of 54 female Long-Evans rats. Exp. I indicated that Ss became more thigmotactic and immobile following shock compared with no-shock conditions. Exp. II demonstrated that when 2 groups were required to make comparable, but different, avoidance responses, the group whose avoidance response was more closely related to the S's species-specific defensive behavior was acquired at a faster rate. The 3rd experiment indicated that the differences in the acquisition of the avoidance responses in Exp. II were not due to differences in operant rates for the 2 responses per se, since acquisition of these same 2 responses was similar under appetitive motivation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Grandmothers' responsibility in raising two-year olds facilitates their grandchildren's adaptive behavior: A preliminary intrafamilial investigation of mothers' and maternal grandmothers' effects.

To investigate the extent to which the presence of their maternal grandmother might facilitate independent and adaptive responding, 2-year-old children were observed in a novel environment. Although the two-year-olds' extent of exploration and amount of time spent in a playroom were significantly greater when their mother was present than when an unfamiliar person was present, the grandmother's functional characteristics were on an intermediate level between those of the mother and those of the unfamiliar person. However, the more responsibilities that grandmothers reported customarily assuming for their grandchildren, the more similarly the children in the playroom reacted to their mothers and grandmothers. Extended involvement by a sensitive grandmother may enhance her grandchild's relationship with her. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nutrition and behavior.

This article focuses on three nutritional problems that are associated with developmental problems in infancy and childhood. Major points are that (a) nutritional problems are often linked to environmental disadvantage, (b) the possibility exists for long-term developmental effects, (c) treatment for undernutrition does not appear to reverse all negative effects, and (d) prevention of nutritional disorders rather than treatment holds the greatest promise for eradicating behavioral and developmental problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Microwaves and behavior.

Discusses the study of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields, especially microwaves, in psychology, noting the involvement of Soviet scientists in this area. Some fundamental principles of wave theory and historical developments in the field are summarized, and methodological and instrumentation issues are examined. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychiatric and psychological morbidity as a function of adaptive disability in preschool children with aggressive and hyperactive-impulsive-inattentive behavior

Children with high levels of aggressive-hyperactive-impulsive-inattentive behavior (AHII; n = 154) were subdivided into those with (n = 38) and without (n = 116) adaptive disability (+AD/-AD) defined as a discrepancy between expected versus actual adaptive functioning. They were compared to each other and a control group of 47 normal children. Both AHII groups were more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder than control children; more symptoms of general psychopathology; greater social skills deficits; more parental problems; and lower levels of academic achievement skills. Compared to AHII - AD children, AHII + AD children had (1) more conduct disorder; (2) greater inattention and aggression symptoms; (3) more social problems, less academic competence, and poorer self-control at school; (4) more severe and pervasive behavior problems across multiple home and school settings; and (5) parents with poorer child management practices. Thus, adaptive disability has utility as a marker for more severe and pervasive impairments in AHII children.     

Complex adaptive systems in the behavioral and social sciences.

This article examines applications of complexity theory within the behavioral and social sciences. Specific attention is given to the fundamental characteristics of complex adaptive systems (CAS)—such as individuals, groups, and societies—including the underlying structure of CAS, the internal dynamics of evolving CAS, and how CAS respond to their environment. Examples drawn from psychology, sociology, economics, and political science include attitude formation, majority-minority relations, social networks, family systems, psychotherapy, norm formation, organizational development, coalition formation, economic instabilities, urban development, the electoral process, political transitions, international relations, social movements, drug policy, and criminal behavior. The discussion also addresses the obstacles to implementing the CAS perspective in the behavioral and social sciences and implications for research methodology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)