The present study, based on the work of Dweck (2000) and her description of helpless and mastery-orientated children, was designed to find a new, simple and economic way of assessing helplessness while testing a child's intelligence. Two hundred and thirty-two Austrian grammar-school children, previously classified as either helpless or…

Collective traumas can negatively affect large numbers of people who ostensibly did not experience events directly, making it particularly important to identify which people are most vulnerable to developing mental and physical health problems as a result of such events. It is commonly believed that successful coping with a traumatic event…

Recent advances in testing mediation have found that certain resampling methods and tests based on the mathematical distribution of 2 normal random variables substantially outperform the traditional "z" test. However, these studies have primarily focused only on models with a single mediator and 2 component paths. To address this limitation, a…

College instructors are increasingly relying on wireless clicker systems as instructional tools in the classroom. Instructors commonly use clicker systems for such classroom activities as taking attendance, giving quizzes, and taking opinion polls. However, these systems are uniquely well suited for the teaching of psychology and other courses…

Conclusions about secondary control have been hindered by researchers' disparate interpretations of the construct. The current review offers a definition that reflects commonality among researchers and the spirit of the original article (F. Rothbaum, J. R. Weisz, & S. S. Snyder, 1982): Secondary control refers to the process by which people adjust…

Correlation is one of the most widely used analytic procedures in the behavioral sciences. The bivariate correlation is implicit in all classical analyses ranging from t-tests to canonical correlation analysis. The most common correlation coefficient used in statistics is the Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation, which is represented…

The evaluation of gross human behavior, its measurement and assessment are discussed. The four-stage approach to behavioral analysis (specification, intervention, assessment, and prevention) is described, using criminal behavior as a case in point. An example is given of assessment-intervention reciprocity, and the three levels of behavioral…

The paper reviews research in early education, early intervention, applied behavior analysis and parent/child interaction to illustrate how methods and findings might suggest a model for ecobehavioral research in child development. An ongoing program of research is described to demonstrate application of the model. (Author/CL)

Officials from the American Broadcasting Companies (ABC) continue the debate between the network's report (minimizing television's role in the development of violent behavior) and the National Institute of Mental Health's position (which indicts television as a cause of social violence). (GC)

The behavior of scientists who studied the moon rocks from the various Apollo missions was examined over a three year period. Methods of interviews ranging from discussion to written questionnaires were designed to explore issues connected with lunar missions and to focus on specific attitudes towards these issues. The central question emphasized…

Three experiments related to the study of behavioral science are discussed. (CK)

A review of Psychology and the Education of the Young (American Elsevier, 1970) by Margaret Munro. (CK)

Compared the traditional moderated regression technique with a technique designed to increase the probability of indication of a moderator variable. Results indicated that detection of moderator variables is dependent on their strength. A higher probability of detecting a moderator exists if the interaction is entered into the regression first.…

The author makes a plea to both academics and managers to consider the price business pays for applying universal theories in particular situations and asks each to take a role in rectifying the situation. (Author/IRT)

The relation between reinforcer magnitude and timing behavior was studied using a peak procedure. Four rats received multiple consecutive sessions with both low and high levels of brain stimulation reward (BSR). Rats paused longer and had later start times during sessions when their responses were reinforced with low-magnitude BSR. When estimated…