Today, the use of formal preference assessments, including paired-stimulus preference assessments, is widely utilized to help determine which items to use as reinforcers during intervention. A second way to determine potential reinforcers is to analyze multiple dimensions of a stimulus in the moment, a procedure known as in-the-moment reinforcer…

This research addresses the challenges of assessing receptive language abilities in minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder by comparing several adapted measurement tools: a standardized direct assessment of receptive vocabulary (i.e. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4); caregiver report measures including scores on the Vineland-II…

The method of Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) incorporates aspects of both systematic direct observation and behavior rating scales to provide an efficient means to collect time series data. This study extended the development and evaluation of DBR Single-Item Scales (DBR-SIS) as a behavior assessment tool. Eighty-eight undergraduate students used…

In a comparison of two systems used for evaluating the skills of medical students in relating to patients, the one utilizing interaction analysis yielded more reliable ratings and seems to have potential as an instructional method. The other system used traditional types of judgments registered on a 10-point continuum. Both systems were used with…

The Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) technique was employed with 16 dormitory resident assistants (RAs) to develop an RA job description. Results revealed that RA's generally preferred BARS to the existing job description. Procedural refinements and further uses for the BARS job description are discussed. (Author/RC)

The relationship between the behavioral consistency procedure and two other procedures (application form analysis and rating scales) were investigated through a comparison of initial employment and hiring practices used by the U.S. Civil Service Commission. The position of Budget Analyst was initially assessed in terms of five achievement areas…

Parents of 20 children with autism and 14 children with mental retardation, with comparable cognitive developmental levels, completed the Preschool Social Behavior Checklist. Results revealed that autistic children exhibited deficits in imaginative play, peer play, and imitation skills compared to the other group, and that parents are capable of…

This study focused on the problem-solving of family groups including an adolescent diabetic. The study sought to: compare three methods used to identify and analyze phases in family problem-solving interactions, establish criteria to evaluate the methods, utilize the criteria to evaluate the three methods, and select a method. The three methods…

Ten preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit were provided with tactile-kinesthetic stimulation. Following treatment, the infants' weight gains and performance on the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale significantly increased, compared to 10 control-group infants, also preterm. The groups showed no differences on length of hospital…

Evaluated the construct validity of the parent version of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS) and compared this version with the teacher version. Findings support the use of the PIPPS parent version. Parent version replicated the three-factor solution found with the teacher version, supporting the following constructs of peer play: Play…

A mail survey about the use of instruments in 9 assessment areas was answered by 389 school psychologists. Comparison with a similar survey 10 years earlier suggests no decline in assessment overall, although emphasis is switching away from intelligence testing, toward achievement testing, behavior rating, and adaptive measurements. (SLD)

The paper describes a behavioral-ecological assessment system called AIMS (Assessment for Integration into Mainstream Settings) and presents the results of a comparative study of the responses of four Australian (N=179) and two U.S. (N=72) elementary teacher groups on two of the AIMS assessment instruments, the Social Behavior Standards Inventory…

This study compared mothers' and teachers' ratings of adaptive behavior of 20 children (ages 24-38 months) with developmental delays in an early childhood education program, to determine whether their observations differed. Results are analyzed in terms of child's age, gender, and length of time spent in the program. (Author/JDD)

A methodology for the assessment and prediction of recidivism in terms of degree or extent of environmental deprivation or support is presented. The Environmental Deprivation Scale (EDS) was employed as an objective means of assessing environmental circumstances in a group of recidivists as contrasted with non-recidivists. The EDS consists of a…

This first phase of a projected longitudinal study designed to assess the impact of Head Start in Montgomery County, Maryland, concentrates on reporting results of data collection activities from 1966 to the end of 1969. Instruments were developed to measure whether Head Start evolved a curriculum relevant to its goals and whether the…