The paper addresses the assessment and management of hyperkinesis in children. Recent research is reported to show that hyperkinetic children differ in psychological functioning, which might account for varying reactions to stimulant medication. An evaluation procedure which identifies the subgroups of hyperkinetic children using behavioral and…

In contrast to the usual counseling outcome assessment procedures, which rely on individual change scores on selected outcome instruments, this paper proposes a contemporary interactional perspective which suggests that the assessment of outcome should focus on determining changes in the counseling process itself, i.e., a change in the interaction…

Three term analysis (a format for viewing a student in relation to other people and to the physical environment) is proposed as a way of providing teachers (including those of the handicapped) with a vehicle for viewing all behavior and recording all aspects of the planning process. S. Sapon's behavioral formulations are presented followed by a…

This paper discusses strategies for the evaluation of severely handicapped students. The shortcomings of standardized assessment techniques are reviewed, and the appropriateness of normative comparison and the developmental model with this population is discussed. The role of the school psychologist in student assessment is described, and the need…

WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and WRAT (Wide Range Achievement Test) data from the first sample of 60 children with uncomplicated meningomyelocele (a neurological condition) were examined to determine their deviation from test norms. A second sample of 46 children was tested with the WISC-R, WRAT, VMI (Visual Motor Integration)…

Critical Incident Technique (CIT) involves the collection of real-world examples of behavior that characterize either very effective or very ineffective performance of some activity. The principal advantage of the CIT is that it generates data based on actual behavior rather than on a particular researcher's subjectivity. The CIT has much to offer…

Two hypotheses were posed in a study that examined the communicative consequences of structured versus nonstructured tasks on subjects with varying levels of communication apprehension (CA): (1) task structure and level of CA will interact to predict behavioral disruption in dyads, and (2) CA and evaluation will interact to predict behavioral…

The development of some psychometric indices of performance rating quality based in judgement is traced. The conceptual and analytical confusion that characterizes contemporary research in this area is described. The operational definitions of several criteria of rating quality, including leniency and severity of the rating effect, halo effect,…

This study developed a method to assess group process in a collaborative problem-solving situation. Participants were 32 fifth- and sixth-grade students. Students in seven collaborative groups worked on a two-part mathematics problem first individually, then in groups, and finally individually again. Groups engaging in behaviors that facilitated…

The course of psychosocial adjustment to cancer was examined in 105 adults with cancer of the lung, breast and skin. Half of the patients received a program of systematic psychosocial rehabilitation plus evaluation, and the other half received only an evaluation, consisting of a series of psychometric instruments and a problem-oriented structured…

A four-level taxonomy is proposed to define the usefulness of rater written comments for supporting letters of recommendation. The taxonomy is used to classify comments on 220 rating forms by 25 raters from two surgery departments regarding performance by third-year medical students. Written comments were classified by the following taxonomy: (1)…

Assuming that teacher effectiveness and nonverbal communication are interrelated, an analysis of nonverbal communication and teacher assessment of nonverbal action is appropriate. A review of the literature indicates that nonverbal behaviors may be examined by the impressionistic and the quantitative methods. Each of these methods generates…

This paper focuses on the systems approach in family therapy and attempts to further the development of this approach by defining its assumptions and delineating the relationship between the assumptions and their operationalization in assessment and therapy. The first section identifies two basic assumptions of a systemic approach, i.e., that the…

The use of an observational assessment instrument designed for autistic children is described. The Behavior Rating Instrument for Autistic and other Atypical Children (BRIAAC) measures behavior in eight developmental areas: relationship to an adult, communication, drive for mastery, vocalization and expressive speech, sound and speech reception,…

Education is one important role of zoos, but there is relatively little research on the extent to which zoos are serving this role. Traditional methods for collecting and analyzing such information have significant disadvantages in zoo settings and should be supplemented (not replaced) by nonreactive measures. To test this concept, teams of…