This study compared the effects of unequal and equal reinforcer duration during a functional analysis of aberrant behavior in an 11-year old with moderate mental retardation. Results showed that reinforcer duration affects the rate of aberrant behavior and may potentially alter functional analysis interpretation. (DB)

The successful application of functional analysis to problem behavior suggests the need to examine: additional functional properties of behavior involving social avoidance, biological reinforcement, and respondent conditioning; the role of context (including social factors and biological factors); and the multidimensional character of assessment…

Functional assessment is redefining the standards for clinical interventions with problem behavior and reemphasizing the importance of basic behavioral mechanisms. It has shown the importance of complex patterns of behavioral control, functional assessment as an ongoing process, and the importance of attention to antecedent variables. Future…

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…

Using reports by mothers about their 1- to 10-year-old children's behavior and, years later, by these same children, now parents themselves, of their 2-year-old children's behavior, assessed six behavior variables that reflected two higher-order behavioral patterns. Found stability across generations in the "inhibited" but not the…

Parents of 78 young people with Down syndrome, age 17 to 24 years, were asked whether their offspring had ever used private speech (talking out loud to themselves). Results confirm the universality of private speech and its developmental pattern. No association was found between private speech and behavior problems, communication difficulties or…

Examined the everyday lives of adolescents with low, middle, or high levels of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as assessed by either parent or teen. Found that adolescents with high ADHD levels recorded more negative moods, lower alertness, more entertaining activities relative to achievement-oriented pursuits, more time with…

Summarizes highlights of a discussion among 11 leaders in the field of child sexual abuse concerning the behavioral manifestations of child sexual abuse. (DB)

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…

Background: Recent research has shown that the range of repetitive behaviour seen in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) extends beyond food-related behaviour. Methods: The presence and intensity of repetitive, rigid and routinized behaviour in children with PWS was compared with that seen in children with another neurodevelopmental…

Summarizes outcome results of treatment programs for boys exhibiting problems commonly subsumed under the label "conduct disorder." Treatment consisted of training agents in each setting to alter the deviant behaviors of the problem child. Direct observations were made in children's homes and classrooms before, during, and after intervention.…

The behavior of young and adolescent male children from homes without fathers was compared to comparable groups of children from intact homes. Teachers reported no difference in academic and extracurricular participation and performance. It was concluded that, in general, the behavior of children with and without fathers is not appreciably…

The study examined factors which might be associated with teacher identification of behavior problems among 53 junior high school students. Teacher-student interaction profiles were compared to examine the differences between students identified as emotionally disturbed and nonidentified students. When the teacher was instructing, identified and…

This paper examines the behavioral aspects of marijuana use. The focus of the study was to investigate the attitudes and practices toward drugs by users and non-users and the relationship of these attitudes and practices to selected psychosocial factors. A survey instrument in the form of an anonymous questionnaire was developed and administered…