Two approaches to the prediction of group responses.

The method of measuring the ability of an individual to predict the responses of a group was examined. A comparison was made of a predictor's score when summing his correct prediction in one direction as compared to the number of responses in that direction. A relatively low correlation was obtained. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of three approaches to criterion measurement.

3 different criterion measures were used to assess comparative job competency of 1711 workers in 16 occupations. These were used in conjunction with the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) aptitude scores to establish prediction patterns of occupational success. Rating A was job oriented, Rating B was behavior oriented, and Rating C was trait oriented. The 3 scales are described and the distribution of highest r's with GATB aptitudes is given as an empirical means of determining the relative effectiveness of the 3 approaches to criterion measurement. Conclusions are: (a) Ratings A and C are generally more useful than Rating B; (b) use of Rating A may well be justified, despite the time and expense involved if the occupations under consideration are "white-collar" and predictor aptitudes are already identified; and (c) the more economical Rating C appears to be most useful for "blue-collar" occupations and for exploratory studies to identify predictor batteries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative approaches to the avian song system

The aim of this paper is to: i) review the behavioural, electrophysiological, pharmacological and biochemical evidence relating to the involvement of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the vestibular compensation process which follows unilateral peripheral vestibular deafferentation (UVD); and ii) suggest a unifying hypothesis based on this literature and recent studies of long-term depression (LTD)-like phenomena in the brainstem vestibular nucleus complex (VNC). It is suggested that NMDA receptors may induce a form of heterosynaptic LTD in the ipsilateral VNC, which is partly responsible for the extent of the hypoactivity which occurs immediately following UVD, and the severity of the associated vestibular syndrome. It is also suggested that vestibular compensation may develop as this LTD dissipates, allowing remaining synaptic inputs and the intrinsic properties of ipsilateral VNC neurons to re-establish the resting activity which is responsible for static vestibular compensation. It is argued that this hypothesis accounts for the majority of the available data on NMDA receptors in relation to vestibular compensation, and may serve as a useful working hypothesis, in order to formulate further experiments to investigate the contribution of NMDA receptors to the compensation process.     

Comparison of three major meta-analytic approaches.

Three major meta-analytic approaches have been developed and applied to integrate empirical research. A comparison of their statistical formulas suggested that they should yield different answers to the meta-analytic questions of central tendency, variability, and prediction by moderators. These frameworks were used to analyze systematically differing databases and showed that, although the techniques of L. V. Hedges and I. Olkin (1985) and of R. Rosenthal and D. Rubin (e.g., 1978, 1988; Rosenthal, 1991) tended to produce reasonable and convergent results, the results of J. E. Hunter, F. L. Schmidt, and G. B. Jackson (1982; Hunter & Schmidt, 1990) often diverged from the other 2 frameworks. For example, consistent with the law of large numbers, finding more studies with the same result is less likely to occur because of chance alone; the Hedges and Olkin and the Rosenthal and Rubin approaches confirmed this prediction, but the Hunter et al approach did not. The distinct tendency of the Hunter et al framework to produce results that violate conventional expectations suggests that it should be used with caution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Monte Carlo study of three approaches to nonorthogonal analysis of variance.

Several alternative procedures have been advocated for analyzing nonorthogonal ANOVA data. Two in particular, J. E. Overall and D. K. Spiegel's (see record 1970-01534-001) Methods 1 and 2, have been the focus of controversy. A Monte Carlo study was undertaken to explore the relative sensitivity and error rates of these 2 methods, in addition to M. I. Applebaum and E. M. Cramer's (see record 1974-28956-001) procedure. Results of 2,250 3?×?3 ANOVAs conducted with each method and involving 3 underlying groups of population effects supported 3 hypotheses raised in the study: (a) Method 2 was more powerful than Method 1 in the absence of interaction; (b) Method 2 was biased upwards in the presence of interaction; and (c) Methods 1 and 2 both had Type I error rates close to those expected in the absence of interaction. In addition, it was found that in the absence of interaction, the Appelbaum and Cramer procedure was more powerful than Method 2 but slightly increased the Type I error rate. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of two orientation approaches in hard-core unemployed turnover and absenteeism.

Compared the turnover and absenteeism rates of 49 male negro hard-core unemployed hires in 2 treatment conditions and with those of 49 normal hires. The university-sponsored, quasi-therapeutic orientation proved to be less effective than the company-sponsored orientation which, although intended to be a passive, information-giving approach, proved to have a dynamic free-discussion, personal-counseling, and intervention-with-supervision character. Overall, hard-core hires were not differentiated from normal hires in terms of turnover but were characterized by significantly higher absenteeism. It is concluded that extended company-orientation programs can be superior to supportive programs led by outside professionals, and that hard-core hires provided with such orientation can be as stable employees as those hired who meet normal hiring criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preferences for three theoretically derived counseling approaches.

Examined differences in potential-client preference and believed effectiveness for counseling approaches based on behavioral, client-centered, and psychoanalytic theory using 57 college students. Analyses of S responses to randomly ordered same-client, same-problem demonstration tapes of each approach indicated that the behavioral approach was significantly more highly preferred and believed more effective than either the client-centered or psychoanalytic approach. No significant differences were found between ratings of client-centered and psychoanalytic approaches. While the preference for behavioral counseling merits further theoretical and empirical investigation, more importantly, preference and believed-effectiveness differences suggest that counseling outcomes should be investigated as a function of the acceptability to the client of actual counseling behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigating behavioral antecedents of turnover at three job tenure levels.

A field study was conducted to investigate differences between hourly assembly operators who stayed and hourly assembly operators who voluntarily quit their jobs. A total of 80 stayers and 121 leavers were identified from personnel records and were classified into one of three job tenure groups, 2–5 months, 6–12 months, and more than 12 months. Job performance, attendance measures, and biographical variables were used to predict turnover for each job tenure group. Results indicated poorer performance by leavers with 6–22 months tenure compared with stayers. No differences in performance or attendance were obtained between stayers and leavers with between 2–5 months and those with more than 12-months job tenure. Leavers after 6 and before 12 months demonstrated more absenteeism compared with stayers. Implications for the role of absenteeism and constraints on the performance-retention relation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

WISC-III premorbid prediction strategies: Demographic and best performance approaches.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; D. Wechsler, 1991) standardization data were used to explore premorbid prediction strategies for use with children. First, demographic variables including parental education, occupation, and ethnicity were entered in regression analyses to determine demographic-based premorbid prediction equations. Predicted IQ scores correlated with Full Scale IQ, Verbal IQ, and Performance IQ at .53, .52, and .45, respectively. Second, demographic and current ability variables were used conjointly. The 10 standard subtests individually served as measures of present ability, and ethnicity and parental education served as demographic predictors. These equations doubled or tripled the amount of variance accounted for by demographic variables alone. Third, a WISC-III best performance approach was explored with use of the subtest/demographic equations that included either Vocabulary or Picture Completion, referred to as the BEST-2 approach. The utility of this BEST-2 approach and the pure demographic approach was investigated in a clinical sample of brain-injured children. Results support the validity of both approaches in estimating premorbid functioning in children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of three dating-specific treatment approaches for heterosexual dating anxiety.

Compared the efficacy of 2 8-session re-educative therapy packages and a single-session human relations training program in alleviating heterosexual dating anxiety. After careful screening, 84 socially anxious male undergraduates were randomly assigned to the following conditions: (a) a behavioral counseling group that involved hierarchically organized role-playing and correctional feedback exercises, (b) counseling plus group desensitization, (c) a "microlab" that emphasized structured real-life interactions with females, (d) a placebo procedure designed to increase personal awareness of nondating factors, and (e) no treatment. Both client-reported and behaviorally rated outcome criteria generally indicated the superiority of both re-educative treatments over nonspecific factors and the passage of time. The inclusion of desensitization did not reliably increase the efficacy of behavioral counseling. The short-term "microlab" produced outcomes as favorable as the longer placebo manipulation. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prejudice reduction in white students: Comparing three conceptual approaches.

Schools and businesses increasingly use prejudice-reduction interventions, which typically emphasize 1 of 3 concepts: cooperation, political tolerance, or respect. This study serves as an initial laboratory investigation of the relative effectiveness of these 3 concepts, as compared with a control concept (intelligence), for reducing prejudice. Participants read a paragraph designed to prime 1 of the 3 prejudice reduction concepts or the control. Two self-report inventories (Social Dominance Orientation Scale and the Modern Racism Scale) and 2 implicit measures (a budget survey and the Race Implicit Association Test) were used to assess levels of racism and in-group preference. Participants in the cooperation condition scored significantly lower on the Race Implicit Association Test than those in the control condition, suggesting that control participants had a relatively stronger automatic preference for Whites. A significant effect of prime was also found on the Modern Racism Scale; participants in the respect condition had the lowest scores, indicative of relatively lower levels of prejudice toward African Americans. Males emerged as more biased than females on 3 of the 4 dependent measures. Implications for designing multicultural education programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological approaches to the treatment of asthma.

Outcome literature on psychological treatment for asthma covers psychoeducational self-management programs, relaxation therapy, biofeedback, and family therapy. Psychoeducational approaches now being standardized in a national program are cost-effective. They produce improved adjustment, increased medication compliance, greater perceived self-competence in managing symptoms, and decreased use of medical services. Significant effects have been found for relaxation therapy, although it is not clear whether the effectiveness depends on whole-body relaxation or specifically facial- or respiratory-muscle relaxation. Family therapy is helpful to some asthmatics. Active components in these methods remain to be identified as do the populations whom they can best serve. Biofeedback for respiratory resistance, trachea sounds, and vagal tone shows promise but has not been given adequate clinical testing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alternative approaches to deindividuation.

Reviews two approaches to deindividuation research and theory. One approach has been to view deindividuation as a loss of restraints, afforded by anonymity and other forms of depersonalization. Theorists adopting this perspective, which has its origins in crowd theory, view the experience of deindividuation as a positively affective event. Theorists adopting the other view predict that deindividuation arouses negative affect and serves as a stimulus for behavior that establishes the uniqueness and continuity of a person's self-conceptions. Research testing each approach is reviewed, and areas for possible integration are posited. (104 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of "joint moderators" in three prediction techniques.

Examined the existence of 2 potential "joint moderator" variables (anxiety and study habits), and compared their operation according to 3 different prediction techniques: (a) subgroup analysis, (b) differential prediction of predictability, and (c) moderated regression. Results with 393 undergraduates indicate that anxiety moderated the relationship between GPA and American College Test scores using subgroup analysis and differential predictability techniques. A comparison of moderated regression with linear regression indicated that study habits operated as an independent predictor. None of the techniques identified joint moderators in this situation. Results are discussed in the light of problems and assumptions of each technique. The need for systematic identification of moderators from a large mass of data is indicated. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigation of the effectiveness of a school-based suicide education program using three methodological approaches.

The study demonstrates how to conduct nonexperimental yet rigorous evaluation of suicide education programs when random assignment with control group design is not feasible under practical or ethical constraints. To achieve this goal, the authors show how rigorous evaluation of a school-based suicide education program (Raising Awareness of Personal Power [RAPP]) is conducted by means of three methodological approaches: the rolling group design, the internal referencing strategy, and the minimum competency approach. A total of 779 high school students in seven public high schools in Northern Colorado participated in the current study. Results based on the three approaches provide converging evidence that the RAPP program was effective not only in producing positive change in participants' knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy about suicide and suicide prevention, but also in reaching predetermined levels of knowledge and positive reactions to the program. Furthermore, the three approaches demonstrate practicality, usefulness, and rigorousness for future field evaluations if the formal experimental design could not be conducted in practice. Implications for program evaluation are further discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Carcinosarcoma of the esophagus: three cases with immunohistological examination

Carcinosarcoma of the esophagus is a rare malignant tumor with both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. We present 3 cases of carcinosarcoma of the esophagus and discuss the histogenesis of the tumors. We performed immunohistochemical studies using various antibodies: anti-cytokeratin, anti-vimentin, anti-smooth muscle actin, anti-p53, and MIB 1 reacting with Ki-67 nuclear antigen.     

Biobehavioral approaches to the treatment of essential hypertension.

Despite recent advances in the medical management of hypertension, chronically elevated blood pressure remains a major health problem in the United States, affecting almost 50 million Americans. It is widely recognized that lifestyle factors contribute to the development and maintenance of elevated blood pressure. This article critically reviews current approaches to the nonpharmacological treatment of high blood pressure and highlights outcome studies of exercise, weight loss and dietary modification, and stress management and relaxation therapies. Methodological issues in the assessment and treatment of hypertension are discussed, along with possible mechanisms by which lifestyle modification may reduce elevated blood pressure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral approaches to neuropsychological rehabilitation.

Behavioral approaches have been applied to a wide variety of behavioral and cognitive disturbances resulting from brain damage or disease. This article provides a comprehensive and critical review of the literature concerned with behavioral interventions in neuropsychological rehabilitation. The article examines 6 categories of target behavior: inappropriate social behavior, attention and motivation, unawareness of deficits, memory, language and speech, and motor disturbance. The efficacy of behavioral approaches for treatment of the neurologically impaired and implications for the future role of behavioral approaches in neuropsychological rehabilitation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological approaches to productivity improvement.

A review of 207 recent (1971–1981) American experiments using 1 or more of 11 psychological approaches to improving employee productivity found that 87% reported improvement in at least 1 concrete measure of productivity. The kinds of programs that were most often successful were training, goal setting, financial compensation, participative supervision, and sociotechnical systems design. It was also found that more favorable attitudes toward work often resulted from the productivity programs, showing that productivity and quality of work life can be improved together. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)