Discusses the "chutzpah factor", the ability to transcend fear and enter into the unknown, in altered states of consciousness, especially in what are known as "adept" individuals. Examines the powerful effect a person's belief system has upon what he or she is able to do and endure. (Editor/RK)

The present investigation was designed to examine the relationship, if any, between extraversion and modes of reinforcement (reward or punishment) in verbal operant conditioning (VOC). (Author)

Repeated, isolated presentations of a stimulus typically reduce the subsequent ability of that cue to become an effective conditioned stimulus. This phenomenon is known as the latent inhibition effect. Four experiments investigate this effect. (Editor/RK)

A cybernetic model of factors involved in the fossilization of grammatical and lexical forms in learner grammars is offered. A distinction is made between affective and cognitive dimensions of a multidimensional channel of human communication; and the effect of expected and unexpected feedback on these two dimensions is discussed. (Author/POP)

Time-out is an effective child deceleration technique. The Time-Out Grid is a simple heuristic tool illustrating the fundamental feature of an effective time-out intervention and subsequently guides those involved in the problem analysis and program evaluation phases of consultation. Provides specific procedural recommendations for classroom…

Predictors of premature withdrawal from a 12-week program of behavioral conditioning for childhood nocturnal enuresis were examined for 47 children (ages 5-14). The function containing number of previous techniques used, presence of child behavior problems, and parent tolerance of enuresis was a significant predictor of early termination of…

Two children (ages 10 and 12) with severe mental retardation were trained to make the same response when presented with 2 initially unrelated stimuli and then trained to make a new response when presented with 1 of those stimuli. Children were then assessed on their response to the second stimulus. Results of the tests for the emergent…

Considers the debate about learning as based on conditioning or cognitive processes. Explores historical episodes in this debate in which issues were resolved first in favor of conditioning theory and then increasingly in favor of cognitive processes. Interprets the study by Coldren and Colombo reported in this monograph (PS 522 654) as a…

Assessed infants' ability to anticipate temporally cued events by presenting trials in which an interesting event was paired with a noise, followed by trials in which the interesting event was omitted. Infants demonstrated anticipatory heart-rate responses to the interesting event and a change in response to the interesting event from general to…

Discusses the threat posed by the Legionnaire's Disease bacterium and the germ's ability to thrive in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, especially in standing water. Describes ways to minimize disease risk through HVAC system design (such as locating cooling towers away from air intakes) and ways to maintain a clean…

Explains how using window film is a cost-effective way to shield buildings from heat, glare, and ultraviolet rays. The pros and cons of replacement windows and window film are highlighted. (GR)

Explains the use of computerized monitoring systems of campus operations to help make their facilities management more efficient while making the physical plant department's responsibilities easier. Highlights comments about not computerizing the facility management. (GR)

Presents specific steps that help make schools energy efficient and cut costs. Four basic strategies are suggested that include creating a database of energy usage that can also catch the occasional billing error, investigating less obvious ways of cutting energy use, such as applying cellulose commercial spray as an insulation choice, and…

Reviews studies involving noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) for the treatment of challenging behavior such as aggression, self-injury, and extreme tantrums in persons with developmental disabilities. A clinical guide for implementation is delineated. Among the advantages of NCR is ease of implementation. NCR appears particularly relevant for…

Three experiments involving four children (ages 3-7) with mental retardation found participants preferred unreliable reinforcements under certain conditions. Findings are discussed regarding the role of specific stimuli as conditioned reinforcers and how they influence preference for a response that produces reinforcement on a leaner schedule than…