A functional analysis of distinct topographies of aberrant behavior displayed by 4 individuals (ages 6-28) with moderate to profound mental retardation indicated that hypotheses of separate functions for distinct behaviors can be generated using both extended and brief functional analyses when results are graphed in the aggregate and separated by…

This article reviews the development of functional analysis in understanding behavior problems like self-injury and aggression and, more recently, school-based problems. Seen as particularly promising is current work on the analysis of setting events and analysis of dependent variables by considering the effects of intervention on response…

Compared characteristics of female alcoholics receiving treatment with those of male alcoholics. Found male subjects had more psychosocial problems and had more contact with the child welfare authorities during their childhood than did the females. However, the females' offspring had had more such contact than the males' offspring. Socioeconomic…

Two kindergarten boys with behavior problems were given "happy faces" at the beginning of each period, which were removed contingent on inappropriate behavior. Retention of a number of "happy faces" earned a large "happy face," redeemable for privileges at home. Low rates of inappropriate behavior were observed while the system was in effect.…

Examined association between sibling relationships and developmental outcomes in 25 preschool foster children placed with older siblings. Found some association, though inconsistent, between quality of the relationship and child behavior problems and verbal ability. Results suggest the complexity of high-risk sibling relationships and its impact…

This review of classroom interventions for students with attention deficit disorders discusses attentional weaknesses, the use of observation and behavioral analysis to clarify issues that need to be addressed in intervention planning, and subsequent determination of the behavior management programs and academic strategies that will result in…

A British year-seven pupil developed school attendance problems and was referred to home teaching along with a gradually phased reintegration to school. The program was unsuccessful until parental involvement in facilitating the girl's return to school was emphasized. This article examines the participants' search for a scapegoat and the role of…

An "in vivo" direct instruction procedure involving the therapist working directly with parents to provide immediate consequences for a child's noncompliant behavior was used. Following training, improvements in correct responding of parents was evident. When assessing parents' initial skill level, child compliance was not found to be an accurate…

A program to decrease unnecessary visits to an elementary school health room involved teachers asking students to visit the health room only for serious problems and urging parents to support the goal of reducing health room visits. Substantial decreases in ambiguous, unidentifiable complaints and health room visits were found following program…

This essay asserts that clinical conceptualizations of emotion that stress its disruptive influences and functional models of emotion that emphasize its adaptive aspects can be integrated into a developmental psychopathology framework. Under certain conditions, emotion regulation may develop dysregulatory aspects that can become a characteristic…

Notes that violations of parent's expectancies, which are more likely during periods of rapid developmental change, provoke realignments in parent-adolescent relationships. Describes a systematic program of research exploring the nature of parental expectancies, the extent of expectancy violations during adolescence, and the consequences of these…

Examined the influence of friends' behaviors and the features of their friendships on 297 adolescents' school adjustment. Found that students whose friends described themselves as more disruptive increased in self-reported disruption over the course of the school year. Girls' self-reported disruption was more influenced by that of their best…

Examined multiple measures of 82 young children's emotionality, regulation, and social functioning over a 2-year period, finding that social functioning was predicted by low negative emotionality and high levels of regulation. Also found that vagal tone was positively related to competent social functioning and emotionality/regulation for boys,…

The characteristics of 34 females and 237 males who exhibited sexual behavior problems were compared. Females were usually younger, and there were more female children of color. Girls also had experienced a higher percentage of multiple abuse victimizations. There were also gender differences in the patterns of abuse perpetrated. (SLD)

Activities are described for learning about problem classroom behaviors, the impact of one's manner of attire on one's behavior, and personal responsibility for one's behavior. Learning activities include role playing, making math puzzles, writing personal anecdotes, drawing a persuasive cartoon concerning smoking and discipline, and making bar…