Assessment of Concrete in Sulfate Soils

An investigation of concrete exposed to sulfate soils is used to illustrate a methodology for the systematic study of the condition of concrete in service. Condition surveys of the site and tests of engineering properties of the concrete were supplemented by examination of concrete cores using the stereomicroscope, the optical microscope, the electron microscope, analysis by wet chemistry, thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Step-by-step progression from large scale (tens of meters) to submicroscopic scales (tens of nanometers) gave continuity to detailed test methods. It also allowed for the selection of specimens appropriately representing the concrete as a whole, and ensured reliable interpretation of the results. In many cases, more than one test method provided the same or similar information. The writers believe the methodology employed will be of value to other investigators.     

"How interchangeable are different estimators of effect size?": Correction to Ray and Shadish (1996).

Reports an error in the original article by J. W. Ray and W. R. Shadish (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1996[Dec], Vol 64(6), 1316–1325). On page 1325, a correction is made to column 1, lines 25–26. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1996-07086-021). The computation of effect sizes is a key feature of meta-analysis. In treatment outcome meta-analyses, the standardized mean difference statistic on posttest scores (d) is usually the effect size statistic used. However, when primary studies do not report the statistics needed to compute d, many methods for estimating d from other data have been developed. Little is known about the accuracy of these estimates, yet meta-analysts frequently use them on the assumption that they are estimating the same population parameter as d. This study investigates that assumption empirically. On a sample of 140 psychosocial treatment or prevention studies from a variety of areas, the present study shows that these estimates yield results that are often not equivalent to d in either mean or variance. The frequent mixing of d and other estimates of d in past meta-analyses, therefore, may have led to biased effect size estimates and inaccurate significance tests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Children of Divorce Intervention Program: Development, implementation, and evaluation of a program for young urban children.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 16-week preventive intervention for 52 second- and third-grade urban children of divorce. The program extended the Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP), a school-based program originally developed for fourth–sixth-grade suburban children. CODIP's main goal is to mitigate the behavioral and emotional problems that occur in the wake of divorce. The program promotes support, helps children identify and express divorce-related feelings, clarifies divorce-related concepts and misconceptions, and develops relevant coping skills as well as positive self- and family-perceptions. Participants were compared with 52 divorce controls and 81 demographically matched children from intact families on child, parent, and teacher measures of adjustment. The experimental group improved significantly more than nonprogram groups from multiple perspectives, suggesting that the intervention enhanced children's ability to cope with the stressful experiences often associated with parental divorce. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Children of Divorce Intervention Program: An investigation of the efficacy of a school-based prevention program.

Evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based, preventive 10-wk group program for 4th–6th grade children of divorce. The program, a modified version of the children's support group used by A. L. Stolberg et al (1982) and Stolberg and P. M. Cullen (1983), creates a group atmosphere in which children can share divorce-related feelings, clarify common misconceptions, and reduce feelings of isolation and build competence. Participants are taught problem-solving, communication, and anger-control skills to help them cope adaptively with challenges posed by parental divorce. 72 3rd–6th graders who were children of divorce, in demographically matched groups, were randomly assigned to an immediate intervention (experimental) or a delayed intervention (control) group. The experimental group improved significantly more on teacher ratings of problem behaviors and competence and parent ratings of adjustment and self-reported anxiety. Group leaders also rated experimental Ss as having improved significantly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental and sociocultural aspects of imagery in the picture-word paired-associate learning of children.

Taught 128 middle-class Anglo-Americans and 128 lower socioeconomic Spanish-American children paired-associate lists in which pictures and orally presented words were learned as combinations of picture-picture, picture-word, word-picture, and word-word. Half of the Ss were placed in a recall test during learning trials and half in a recognition condition. One wk after original learning, the Ss were retested. Pictures in the stimulus position greatly facilitated learning, whereas pictures in the response term produced negative effects, but only in the recall condition. Pictures produced better long-term retention in both stimulus and response positions than did words. No significant differences between sociocultural groups in overall paired-associate performance appeared, but long-term retention was significantly better for Anglo Ss. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The efficacy of an online cognitive-behavioral family intervention in improving child behavior and social competence following pediatric brain injury.

Objective: To examine whether an online cognitive-behavioral intervention could improve child adjustment following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants: Thirty-nine families of children with moderate to severe TBI. Intervention: Families were randomly assigned to the online family problem-solving (FPS) group or to the Internet resources comparison (IRC) group. Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes included child behavior problems, social competence, and self-management/compliance. Results: The FPS group reported better child self-management/compliance at follow-up than did the IRC group. The child's age and socioeconomic status (SES) moderated treatment effects, with older children and those of lower SES who received FPS showing greater improvements in self-management and behavior problems, respectively. Conclusions: Findings suggest that an online cognitive- behavioral approach can improve child adjustment after TBI, particularly in older children and children of lower SES. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)