A new approach to behavioral control with individuals having both visual impairments and multiple disabilities stresses the use of positive intervention strategies, bases treatment on functional assessments of challenging responses, and emphasizes broad changes in the lifestyles of individuals. Case examples illustrate applications. (Author/DB)

The relations between young children's salivary cortisol level, patterns of behavior problems, and social behavior were explored in this study of 29 preschool-aged children with emerging behavior problems. Decreases in salivary cortisol during a play session with unfamiliar teachers and peers were associated with concurrent and subsequent…

Examines the prevalence of nervous habits, tics, and stuttering and the relationship between these behaviors and general anxiety in college students (n=256). Participants completed self-report measures of general anxiety and somatic awareness. Relationships were found between number of nervous habits and self-reported awareness of bodily…

The dynamics of self-injurious behaviors were examined in 8 adults with mental retardation. Analysis of trajectories of the arm movements and impact forces of head blows found a high degree of cycle-to-cycle consistency in the qualitative dynamics of limb motions, indicating the motions are often stereotyped in nature. (Contains references.) (CR)

Research into behavior problems among individuals with mental retardation has been well developed. However, few studies have addressed the effect of multiple problem behaviors on social skills. In the present study, the authors examined the relationship between two problem behaviors, stereotypy and self-injury, and social skills among individuals…

Cognitive control theories attribute control to executive processes that adjust and control behavior online. Theories of automaticity attribute control to memory retrieval. In the present study, online adjustments and memory retrieval were examined, and their roles in controlling performance in the stop-signal paradigm were elucidated. There was…

The current study investigated the influence of rewards on very young children's helping behavior. After 20-month-old infants received a material reward during a treatment phase, they subsequently were less likely to engage in further helping during a test phase as compared with infants who had previously received social praise or no reward at…

The study attempts to carry out latent class analysis (LCA) in a sample of 1010 individuals, some with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and others normal. Results indicate that LCA can feasibly allow the combination of externalizing and internalizing symptoms for future tests regarding specific genetic risk factors.

The effects of parental attitudes, practices, and television mediation on adolescent sexual behaviors were investigated in a study of adolescent sexuality and media (N = 887). Confirmatory factor analyses supported an eight-factor parenting model with television mediation factors as constructs distinct from general parenting practices. Logistic…

This study examined the similarities and differences between adolescents' interactions with romantic partners and those with friends and mothers. Thirty-two adolescents were observed interacting with a romantic partner, a close friend, and their mother. Adolescents and romantic partners engaged in more conflict than adolescents and friends.…

Four studies explored the communicative behaviors of people who outperform others in a relevant or irrelevant field and the impression formed of these outperformers by the outperformed people. In line with the premises of the self-evaluation maintenance model (A. Tesser, 1988) and the STTUC framework (J. J. Exline & M. Lobel, 1999), Studies 1 and…

To coordinate our actions with those of others, it is crucial to not only choose an appropriate category of action but also to execute it at an appropriate timing. It is widely documented that people tend to unconsciously mimic others' behavior. The present study show that people also tend to modify their movement timing according to others'…

Reviews the theory and research on the physiological or genetic origins of parenting behavior, noting that an ethological or evolutionary analysis of parenting behavior supports the idea that primates, including man, have evolved psychological structures which are particularly adapted to respond to cues from young children. (Author/JM)

This text concentrates on the analysis of influences acting on human behavior, particularly the influences that people have on each other. Lessons are designed to lead the student to identifying these influences. Some influences that would not be obvious are introduced by several of the later chapters. Lessons are presented using readings,…

IN AN ATTEMPT TO MODIFY OR SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOR IN NURSERY SCHOOL CHILDREN, A TEACHING TECHNIQUE WAS INTRODUCED WHEREIN THE TEACHER WOULD ATTEND TO THE CHILD ONLY WHEN THE CHILD WAS MANIFESTING ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR AND WOULD IGNORE THE CHILD WHEN HE WAS MANIFESTING UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOR. IT WOULD THEN BE POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE…