Explored the stability of temperament of 450 Australian children. One of the child's parents completed a measure of the child's temperament at 5 instances between 18 months and 8 years. Approach, irritability, cooperation-manageability, inflexibility, rhythmicity, and persistence factors showed substantial continuity from infancy to eight years.…

Notes that practice of geriatrics frequently involves interdisciplinary team and that behavior of team members exists on functional continuum, from adaptive to maladaptive. Sees danger of team members with maladaptive behavior, and persons colluding with this behavior, negatively influencing care. Categorizes common maladaptive behavior patterns…

Pulling up stakes is seldom the best way to handle difficult people at work, because they exist everywhere as bullies, "yes" people, whiners, nonentities, know-it-alls, or "no" people. This article examines these six personality types and tells how administrators can avoid being victimized. (MLH)

Random-walk conceptions of performance, aspirations, and risk preferences are used to model a pattern of risk taking responsive to a risk taker's changing fortune. The impact of adaptive aspirations and attention focus on risk taking over time is explored for cohorts and a renewing population of risk takers. (SLD)

Assessed general knowledge of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), beliefs about preventing AIDS, and sexual behavior among 60 sexually delinquent and 57 nondelinquent runaway adolescent males. Sexually delinquent youths scored significantly lower than nondelinquent youths in general knowledge of AIDS and were not able to discriminate safer…

Identified variables related to contraception that could be addressed during contraceptive counseling and to aid persons in deciding the most effective contraceptive method within context of an intimate relationship. Used questionnaire responses from 350 college students. Results indicated both general self-esteem and sexual self-esteem were…

Examined relationship between peer interactions and similarity in drug use among friends. Findings from large sample of secondary school students (n=113,289) indicated that youth who used specific drugs in last 30 days almost invariably had friends who used same drugs but was considerably less likely to have friends who used other drugs or no…

Examined model of therapeutic control, which posited that control indices can be described by 3 independent dimensions, through audio-recorded meetings of 26 clients. Rated audiotapes with 5 different control-coding schemes, and aggregated resulting sequential ratings with 3 different methods, yielding 15 different behavioral-control indices.…

Two surveys of 240 and 262 adults assessed risk-taking behavior and attitudes using different formats and source identifications. Results show that these risk-taking behaviors have different antecedents; different formats and sources also affect how individuals process information about risk. (JOW)

Recidivism data on 166 spouse abusers ordered to attend a "Batterers Anonymous" seminar showed a success rate of 80 percent after 18 months. The intervention worked less well for intensely violent men who suffered romantic crises. (Ten BA sessions are outlined.) (SK)

Summarizes major, recent research findings concerning illegal alcohol use and intoxicated driving among American youth. Examines what research revealed about the nature of underage drinking and driving; what health, social, and legal ramifications are associated with drinking and driving; and what characteristics and behavioral patterns are found…

Over five days, videotaped and analyzed contrived play sessions of African-American male first and third graders to examine behavioral patterns leading to chronic victimization by peers. Victims demonstrated lower rates of assertive behaviors and higher rates of nonassertive behaviors than nonvictims. Children who eventually emerged as chronic…

Describes four behavioral styles (relater, analyzer, director, and socializer) which often reflect the balance of individuals that make up effective administrative leadership teams. Each style has strengths and weaknesses, and each typically has a back-up style used in times of stress. This "style flex" can enable all parties to function in a…

Studied the potential health effects of watching television for 1,035 Finnish 17-and 18-year-olds. Findings show that television viewing is linked with behaviors that can affect the viewer's health. Discusses the relationship between television viewing and people's assessment of their own bodies. (SLD)

A case study is used to argue that the function of the aggressive behavior of a young woman with severe mental retardation was to avoid or escape the termination of a chain of complex stereotyped ritual behaviors. This is an example of complex interaction between two behaviors and illustrates the need for very careful analysis of the functions of…