The normative development of child and adolescent problem behavior.

The aim of this study was to identify normative developmental trajectories of parent-reported problems assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; T. M. Achenbach, 1991) in a representative sample of 2,076 children aged 4 to 18 years from the general population. The trajectories were determined by multilevel growth curve analyses on the CBCL syndromes in a longitudinal multiple birth-cohort sample that was assessed 5 times with 2-year intervals. Most syndromes showed a linear increase or decrease with age or a curvilinear trajectory, except for thought problems. Trajectories for most syndromes differed for boys versus girls, except those for withdrawn, social problems, and thought problems. These normative developmental trajectories provide information against which developmental deviance in childhood and adolescence can be detected. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How to resolve stool retention in a child. Underwear soiling is not a behavior problem

Many parents do not realize their child has stool retention when they bring him or her for an office visit. Some complaints that may be a tip-off and should prompt questioning about stool frequency and underwear soiling are vague abdominal pain, urinary incontinence, and stools so large they plug the toilet. A rectal examination is usually adequate to confirm the diagnosis. Management begins with educating parents that leaking of liquid stool around impaction and onto underwear is completely involuntary, so the child should never be scolded or embarrassed. Stool retention may begin because of unpleasant or unavailable toilet facilities, constipation, or painful elimination and often becomes self-perpetuating. Impaction must be removed immediately; magnesium citrate solution is usually effective. To allow the rectum to return to its normal size, which can take an extended time, stool must be kept soft and movable with administration of mineral oil and appropriate dietary choices (eg, fruit, juice, fiber). Recurrence is common, so ongoing measures and follow-up are important.     

Maternal perceptions of child maladjustment as a function of the combined influence of child behavior and maternal depression.

Proposes a model for predicting how child behavior patterns and parental depression influence parental perceptions of child maladjustment (CM). This model emphasizes the combined influence of child characteristics and parent characteristics on parental perceptions. It was predicted that the combination of a high level of maternal depression (MD) and a high level of child noncompliance (CNC) would be associated with greater perceptions of CM than either factor alone. To test the model, 60 clinic-referred children (aged 27–108 mo) were observed on each of 4 occasions for 40 min with their mothers at home. These interactions were quantified via a behavioral coding system designed to assess CNC. MD was assessed through the Beck Depression Inventory. Ss were assigned to 1 of 4 groups on the basis of levels of MD and CNC. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant interaction, indicating that the combination of high MD with high levels of CNC was associated with more perceived CM than in the remaining 3 groups. Results are discussed in terms of support for the proposed model of parental perceptions of CM. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychic hygiene as a possible special discipline

One hundred and twenty healthy Nigerian female patients undergoing minor gynaecological operations were divided randomly into two groups. One group of 58 patients received intramuscular atropine as the only premedication on the ward while the other group of 62 patients received their atropine intravenously at the time of induction of anaesthesia. Anaesthesia was induced with thipentone and maintained with nitrous oxide, oxygen, and halothane using a facemask. There was equally satisfactory control of secretions in both groups. However, due to the occasional difficulties in achieving optimal timing of intramuscular atropine as well as the uncomfortably dry mouth complained of by 87.7 per cent of the patients who had intramuscular atropine, the intravenous administration at induction is to be preferred. Moreover, one saves the patient an extra injection.     

Stimulus control of self-destructive behavior in a psychotic child

This study attemped to isolate some of the stimulus variables that controlled the self-destructive behavior of a psychotic child. In Experiment 1, the child was exposed to several demand and nondemand situations. In Experiment 2, the situation containing demands was modified so that demands now occurred in the context of a positive, ongoing interaction between the child and the adult therapist. The rates of self-destructive behavior underwent several orderly changes: (1) Rates were high in demand situations and low in nondemand and modifieddemand situations; (2) rates decreased sharply when a stimulus correlated with the termination of demands was introduced; and (3) rates of self-destruction typically showed gradual increases within each of those sessions which contained only demands. These results were interpreted as suggesting that (1) self-destruction, under certain circumstances, may be conceptualized as an escape response which is negatively reinforced by the termination of a demand situation and (2) certain modifications of the social environment may provide discriminative stimuli for behaviors other than self-destruction, thereby decreasing this behavior.     

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)     

Oral hygiene as a risk indicator of enamel and dentin caries

Dental researchers have postulated that the risk factors for enamel and dentin caries may not be the same. A review of the literature ascertained that data to support this theory are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the risk indicators of enamel and dentin caries of the permanent dentition in a study group who had limited access to fluorides and made limited use of dental services. METHODS: The study was conducted in Goa, India. Data came from a cross-sectional survey of 1189 seventh grade children, which consisted of a clinical dental examination and a self-administered questionnaire to their parents. The cavitated and non-cavitated criteria were used to score for caries, and the Silness-Loe index for plaque. RESULTS: The mean age of the children was 12.2 years. The percentage of children caries free in the permanent dentition was 22.2%, the mean+/-s for dmfs, enamel and dentin lesions were 4.20+/-5.10, 2.59+/-2.89 and 1.61+/-3.30 respectively, and the mean plaque score was 1.00+/-0.48. Results of regression analyses showed that the risk indicators of prevalence and severity of caries differed depending on lesion type. The only variable that was consistently a risk indicator of presence and severity of both dentin and enamel caries was poor oral hygiene. Mother's highest level of education and presence of fluorosis were also risk indicators of enamel and dentin caries. The presence of decayed primary teeth was a risk indicator of enamel caries; and fluorosis severity, use of fluoride toothpaste at the time of the survey, and toothbrushing frequency were risk indicators of dentin caries. The observed caries-oral hygiene association seen is explored further.     

Mothers' personality and its interaction with child temperament as predictors of parenting behavior.

In this longitudinal, multimethod investigation, the authors examined mothers' personality and its interaction with infants' negative emotionality as predictors of parenting behavior. When infants were 8–10 months old (N?=?112), mothers completed personality self-reports, and the authors observed infants' negative emotionality in both standard procedures and naturalistic daily contexts. When infants were 13–15 months old (N?=?108), the authors observed two aspects of parenting, power assertion and maternal responsiveness, in mother–child interactive contexts. Maternal personality alone and also in interaction with child emotionality predicted future parenting behaviors. The longitudinal links established between personality and parenting behaviors indicate the predictive utility of personality. Findings also highlight the bidirectionality of the early parent–child relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Artificial insemination as a legal problem

This paper which was submitted to the Fifth World Congress on Medical Law, which oonvened in the Philippines July 16-19, 1976, presents some of the as yet unresolved problems in Polish law that may occur in decisions involving artificial insemination. Legal standards must be established, so that when applied to family and inheritance rights, they will not conflict with international law as it affects the individual. Basically Polish law accepts artificial insemination by husband (AIH). Regardless of whether the husband's sperm was used with or without his consent, he is legally obligated as the child's father and must provide for it. He may not disinherit the child. On the other hand artificial insemination by donor (AID) is highly controversial. There ae those who claim it destroys the real meaning of marriage, family and motherhood, and thus should be declared illegal, forbidding doctors to practice it. This is no solution to the problem. The law presently bars the donor from paternal rights since he did not have physical relations with the mother. Under the law, a married woman who has been artificially inseminated by an unknown donor may not claim that her husband has paternal responsibilities toward the child. The wife's husband may accept the child, but legally may not adopt it. If a couple jointly decide to try AID, they should first agreee to financially provide for the child. In the case of a single woman, or a married women who decided on AID without the husband's consent, financial support should perhaps be offered by the Alimony Fund if the mother has insufficient means. Knowing that in the future sperm may be preserved for many years, legal tangles will develop even with AIH if for example the husband has been dead for several years prior to the wife's insemination. As the law stands today, the child could not inherit the father's estate.     

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)     

Constructing violence as a public health problem

MOTIVATION: The search for repeated patterns in DNA and protein sequences is important in sequence analysis. The rapid increase in available sequences, in particular from large-scale genome sequencing projects, makes it relevant to develop sensitive automatic methods for the identification of repeats. RESULTS: A new method for finding periodic patterns in biological sequences is presented. The method is based on evolutionary distance and 'phase shifts' corresponding to insertions and deletions. A given sequence is aligned to itself in a certain sense, trying to minimize a distance to periodicity. Relationships between different such periodicity measures are discussed. An iterative algorithm is used, and the running time is nearly proportional to the sequence length. The alignment produces a periodic consensus pattern. A 'phase score' is used to indicate a statistical significance of the periodicity. Three examples using both DNA and protein sequences illustrate how the method can be used to find patterns. AVAILABILITY: On request from the authors. CONTACT: evindc@mat nu.no; finn.drablos@unimed.sintef.no     

Lateness as a withdrawal behavior.

Studied 131 23–60 yr old female telephone operators on whom objective records were available over a 2-yr period for measuring days and length of time late, as well as days absent with and without a medical excuse. Ss also responded to an attitude questionnaire that included measures of job and life satisfaction, work tedium, and work needs. Lateness was a stable pattern of behavior. Although lateness had a stronger relationship with unexcused than medical absences, the relationship between lateness and unexcused absenteeism was not progressive. Job satisfaction and work tedium were generally significant predictors of lateness but not of absenteeism. The contrasting findings for lateness and absenteeism are analyzed in light of recent applications of expectancy theory to understanding withdrawal decisions. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)