This study investigates the diversity of early prosocial behavior by examining the ability of ninety-five 2- to 4-year-olds to provide aid to an adult experimenter displaying instrumental need, emotional distress, and material desire. Children provided appropriate aid in response to each of these cues with high consistency over multiple trials. In…

This paper: i) estimates the effect that going to a better school has on students' academic achievement, and ii) explores whether this intervention induces behavioral responses on the part of children, their parents, and the school system. For the first task, we exploit almost 2,000 regression discontinuity quasi-experiments observed in the…

To support children with autism in inclusive classrooms, schools are increasingly utilizing paraprofessionals. However, research suggests that paraprofessionals often lack sufficient training and may inadvertently hinder the social interactions between children with disabilities and their peers. This study used a multiple baseline across…

Aims at clarifying the concept of the sensitive period. Differentiates imprinting and sensitivity and defines the latter as an interval of heightened responsiveness to certain kinds of stimuli. Argues that "sensitive period" is a descriptive, not an explanatory term which is consistent with an interactional approach to developmental…

Examined four variables affecting children's resistance to deviation: (1) modeling resistance to deviation, (2) modeling alternative activity incompatible with deviation; (3) availability of alternative activity, and (4) attractiveness of alternative activity. It was concluded that the modeling of behavioral inhibition and incompatible responses…

Theoretical analysis of two idealized discrimination situations show that certain assumptions of habit strength development need not result in differentiated predictions for the performance of two drive-level groups when the numbers of occurences of responses are equated. (Author)

This paper opened a workshop session designed to demonstrate a group training process using the collegial modeling process. This process was developed within the faculty of a small high school serving a correctional facility. The program described was developed to allow teachers the option to model specific behaviors to both their colleagues and…

Discusses how the behavior contract becomes a method of giving the student specific "things to do" while avoiding the process of nagging him to do something. (Author)

To document movement patterns and to examine developmental interrelationships, the ontogeny of rooting, lip, lateral tongue, mouth opening, biting, and Babkin reflexes and the development of emerging chewing behaviors were observed in two normal infants over a period from 1 week to 35 weeks of age. (Author/RH)

We tested the effect of a Rotated Protocol Immersion package on the emergence of observing responses as prerequisites for more complex verbal developmental capabilities. Three elementary aged students between the ages of 6 and 7 participated. They were diagnosed with autism spectrum disabilities. The treatment condition consisted of total…

Counseling response preferences of graduate students completing internship requirements were assessed. It was hypothesized that at the end of the internship the students would show a significant increase in preference for active counseling responses. Five counseling responses were evaluated, and change did occur as hypothesized. (Author)

Children's avoidance responses were conditioned and then extinguished in a laboratory analog of a social threat situation. (DP)

Study supported by grants from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation (42), the National Institute of Health Service (HD-01456-02), the Defense Research Board of Canada (9401-24), and the National Research Council of Canada (APA-94).