Conceptual behavior in psychotic and normal adolescents.

This study has investigated conceptual behavior in 16 psychotic adolescents matched with 16 adjusted adolescents on age, IQ, and socioeconomic status. A picture sorting test was administered to both groups. Psychotic adolescents categorize and verbalize less adequately than matched controls. Psychotic adolescents use narrower categories than control Ss, perhaps reflecting an inability to reduce effectively the complexity of a stimulus array. In the qualitative analyses of verbalizations, it was found that psychotics use more idiosyncratic verbalizations, possibly indicating the greater privacy and autism of their thinking processes. The conceptual level of the verbalizations offered by the psychotics was less "abstract." Social and emotional content seems to have no effect on categorization and verbalization variables in psychotics. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An automated patient behavior checklist.

Describes the development of an automated, 47-item patient behavioral observation checklist. A factor analysis of 689 sets of ratings on 103 patients yielded 4 factors: Acting Out, Depression-Withdrawal, Degree of Disturbance, and Adaptation to the Ward. A sample of a patient's behavioral record is presented, and the applications and implications of the automated procedure are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Refinements in the assessment of dementia-related behaviors: Factor structure of the memory and behavior problem checklist.

This study explored the factor structure of the Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (MBPC) of S. H. Zarit et al (1980), a 29-item inventory that samples negative behavior changes associated with dementia (e.g., incontinence and destroying property). Family caregivers for 185 progressive-dementia patients provided information on their affected relatives. A principal-components factor analysis with an oblique (nonorthogonal) rotation produced an 8-factor solution that accounted for 62.9% of the variance. A second-order factor analysis of the first 5 factors produced a 3-factor solution that accounted for 74.7% of the variance. The 3 factors were (a) self-care and self-maintenance functions, (b) memory problems and psychiatric symptoms associated with dementia, and (c) communication problems and agitation. Correlations between MBPC frequency scores and measures of adaptive ability and level of dementia were high and positive. Potential clinical and research applications of the scale in other related populations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counseling adolescents with problem pregnancies.

According to current estimates, 40% of young women will get pregnant while they are teenagers. Most teenage pregnancies are unintended, and thus, they often precipitate a personal crisis. This article discusses the psychosocial context of such pregnancies, including emotional and cognitive development during adolescence, family and peer relations, and norms for gender-appropriate sexual expression. In counseling teenagers with problem pregnancies, the main goal is to help clients reach and implement an informed and fully integrated decision about the pregnancy. Ethical conflicts arise when counselors impose their religious or moral beliefs on their clients, or when the confidentiality and privacy of the counseling relationship is limited by an external authority. In addition, it may sometimes be difficult to reconcile clients' right to self-determination with the responsibility to promote their best interests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some relationships between the MMPI and a problem checklist.

Problem Checklist responses and MMPI T-scores were obtained for 335 male and 125 female student counselees. The most frequently checked problems dealt with educational and vocational difficulties, and males were nearly twice as variable as females in number of problems checked. "In general, there seems to be some logical correspondence between several of the Checklist problems and personality characteristics as assessed by the MMPI… [but]… Since the number of individuals in most of the high scale groups was so small… valid inference from the… results is impossible." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An experimental procedure for the modification of psychotic behavior.

Subjected a 47-yr-old hospitalized female exhibiting hallucinatory behavior to a self-monitoring procedure with and without social reinforcement. After 16 days of treatment, hallucinations were extinguished with no remissions reported for approximately 6 mo. Other aspects of her behavior also showed improvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of behavioral therapy in the reinstatement of verbal behavior in a mute psychotic with chronic brain syndrome: A case study.

Employed a behavioral therapy program in order to reinstate verbal behavior in a 58-yr-old psychotic with chronic brain syndrome who had been mute for 5 yr. The program proceeded from the control of simple, nonverbal behaviors to the control of simple, verbal behaviors. The methods employed were those of reinforcement, behavior shaping, and modeling. Completion of the program resulted in the partial reinstatement of verbal behavior. Within 10 hr. of therapy, S verbalized 307 words, 56 different words, and several simple sentences. The verbal behavior reinstated in the therapeutic situation generalized to behavior on the ward. The S began to respond verbally, but not always appropriately, to individuals on the ward who spoke to him. The reinstated verbal behavior had not extinguished 1 yr. later. Results suggest the possibility of developing comprehensive language programs for use with mute psychotics of varying diagnostic categories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of acute pain and anxiety in children and adolescents by self-reports, observer reports, and a behavior checklist.

Compared responses on a checklist of distress behaviors to ratings of medical-procedure-related pain and anxiety by 29 male and 21 female 6–17 yr old cancer patients and 1 adult observer. Results show that children showed greater behavioral distress than adolescents only during the actual medical procedure; however, additional behaviors were observed that suggested that the checklist was age-biased and that the 2 age groups experienced an equal amount of stress. This assumption was supported by a measure of intensity, observer reports, and patient self-reports, which showed no differences between the 2 age groups. None of the measures showed any significant differences for sex or ethnic origin. Data show that children had less physical control and more emotional outbursts than adolescents during a stressful procedure. It is concluded that clinical research on pain and anxiety should incorporate both self-report and observer data. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Risk taking by adolescents with maladaptive behavior histories.

High-risk adolescents with maladaptive behavior histories and control adolescents (15–17 years of age) participated in a laboratory experiment that measured aspects of risk-taking behavior. High-risk adolescents had behavioral profiles entailing combinations of past substance use disorder, early onset substance use, conduct disorder, criminal history, and dropping out of school. A risk-taking task presented participants with risky and nonrisky response options. The risky response option offered a low probability of a large monetary reward or a high probability of a smaller monetary loss and resulted in a net loss of monetary earnings. The nonrisky option protected current earnings. High-risk adolescents chose the risky option more often, had lower overall earnings, and were more likely to persist in making (losing) risky responses following a single gain on the risky option. The data replicate previous findings with high-risk adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Problem-solving behavior in suicidal adolescents.

Attempted to evaluate the assumption that suicidal behavior in adolescents is linked to diminished problem-solving capacity. The wais arithmetic subtest and rokeach's map reading problems test were administered to 13 suicidal, 13 psychiatric but nonsuicidal, and 13 normal adolescents. It was found that the suicidal group made significantly lower arithmetic subtest scores and failed the map test problems more often than the psychiatric and normal ss. It is concluded that the assumption of diminished problem-solving capacity in suicidal adolescents is correct. (24 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patterns of sedentary behavior among adolescents.

Objective: Reducing certain sedentary behaviors (e.g., watching television, using a computer) can be an effective weight loss strategy for youth. Knowledge about whether behaviors cluster together could inform interventions. Study Design: Estimates of time spent in 6 sedentary behaviors (watching television, talking on the telephone, using a computer, listening to music, doing homework, reading) were cluster analyzed for a sample of 878 adolescents (52% girls, mean age = 12.7 years, 58% Caucasian). Main Outcome Measures: The clusters were based on the sedentary behaviors listed above and compared on environmental variables (e.g., household rules), psychosocial variables (e.g., self-efficacy, enjoyment), and health behaviors (e.g., physical activity, diet). Results: Four clusters emerged: low sedentary, medium sedentary, selective high sedentary, and high sedentary. Analyses revealed significant cluster differences for gender (p     

Social problem solving in suicidal adolescents.

Whether adolescent suicide attempters would have deficits in interpersonal problem solving and the relation between social problem solving, suicide intent, and medical lethality were evaluated. Compared with psychiatric and normal controls, adolescents who attempted suicide exhibited poorer social problem-solving abilities, particularly in terms of problem orientation. Specifically, suicide attempters brought more maladaptive cognitive-emotional-behavioral response sets to problematic situations than did psychiatric and normal controls. Both suicide attempters and psychiatric controls had similar deficits in problem-solving skills (e.g., generation of alternatives, decision making, and solution implementation) compared with nonhospitalized peers. Social problem solving was not found to be correlated with suicide lethality or intent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gesture behavior in unmedicated schizotypal adolescents.

Schizotypal personality disorder is characterized by interpersonal and verbal communication deficits. Despite the important role of gesture in social communication, no published reports examine the use of gesture by individuals with SPD. In this study, raters code gesture from videotaped interviews of unmedicated adolescents with SPD, other personality disorders, or no Axis II disorder. Results indicate that SPD adolescents show significantly fewer gestures but do not differ from the other groups in overall rate of movement. The findings are discussed in light of brain regions involved in dysfunction, parallels to schizophrenia, and treatment implications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Movement abnormalities and the progression of prodromal symptomatology in adolescents at risk for psychotic disorders.

The link between movement abnormalities and psychotic disorders is presumed to reflect common neural mechanisms that influence both motor functions and vulnerability to psychosis. The prodromal period leading to psychotic disorders represents both a viable point for intervention and a developmental period that, if studied, could shed light on etiology; however, no published studies have examined the temporal progression of this link. A group with high levels of prodromal symptomatology (i.e., adolescents with schizotypal personality disorder [SPD]; n = 42) and both psychiatric controls (with other personality disorders or conduct disorder [OD]; n = 30) and nonpsychiatric controls ([NC]; n = 49) were recruited. Videotapes of structured psychiatric interviews were coded for movement abnormalities by raters blind to participants' diagnostic status, and follow-up assessments were conducted 1 year later. Controlling for psychotropic medications, the authors found that adolescents with SPD exhibited significantly more motor abnormalities in the face and upper body than did OD and NC controls. At baseline, movement abnormalities were positively correlated with the severity of positive, negative, and total prodromal symptoms. Within the SPD group, baseline movement abnormalities predicted symptom severity 1 year later. Movement abnormalities represent an early risk indicator that may be predictive of later symptom severity and potentially of psychosis onset. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Case study: Use of covert self-instruction for the elimination of psychotic speech.

Reports the systematic application of a self-instructional treatment program for the elimination of psychotic speech in a hospitalized 47-yr-old single male schizophrenic. Marked improvement of verbal behavior resulted in the patient's being discharged, and at 6-mo follow-up he was employed part-time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensions of problem behavior in the early grades.

Administered a 62-variable behavior problem checklist to the teachers of 362 6-8 yr. Olds. 8 factors were extracted and rotated to the promax criterion at the 1st order: (a) hyperactivity, (b) disciplinary problems, (c) sluggishness, (d) paranoiac tendencies, (e) social withdrawal, (f) acting out, (g) speech problems, and (h) antisocial tendencies. 3 2nd-order factors emerged, 2 of which resembled those found in earlier studies: neuroticism, sociopathic behavior, and autism. Methodological issues are briefly considered. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A controlled evaluation of behavior modification with conduct problem children.

Evaluated a behavioral intervention program for conduct problem children with both behavioral and academic difficulties in elementary school. 16 Ss were each assigned to either a treatment or a "no-contact" control group. A standardized 20-hr treatment program involving the child, parents, and the teacher was provided by clinical psychologists. Both observational recordings and teacher ratings of social and academic behavior demonstrated that significantly greater behavioral improvement had occurred for treated than for control children. However, at a 9-mo follow-up, the control group had improved sufficiently that these differences were no longer significant. Although no differences existed between treated and untreated children in achievement test performance (California Achievement Test) or grades at termination, follow-up revealed that the treated Ss had significantly better achievement scores and grades 9 mo after termination. Ratings of therapists by teachers and parents were uniformly positive, and there were no dropouts during the 3-4 mo course of treatment. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Imaginary audience behavior in children and adolescents.

The Imaginary Audience Scale (IAS), consisting of 2 subscales—the Transient Self (TS) and the Abiding Self (AS) scale—was administered to 697 Ss at the 4th-, 6th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade levels. The scale assesses young people's willingness to reveal different facets of themselves to an audience. Some of the Ss were given the test twice to obtain reliability data, and some of the other Ss were also tested on measures of self-esteem and locus of control (e.g., Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children) to obtain validity data. Results show that the IAS has reasonable reliability and construct validity. Results also show that 8th graders were significantly less willing than older or younger Ss to reveal their transient and abiding selves to an audience. Girls tended to be more reluctant than boys to reveal themselves to an audience. Results support the imaginary audience construct and warrant further use of the IAS. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)