This study examined the efficacy of an intervention for increasing the accuracy of brain-injured clients' estimation of symptom severity, using a multiple-baseline design across six subjects. High initial predicted test scores, relative to test performance, were considered underestimations of symptom severity. An estimation technique (similar to Youngjohn & Altman, 1989) and explicit positive reinforcement for decreases in discrepancies between predicted test scores and actual scores were used to increase awareness of memory deficits. It was hypothesized that clients' predicted scores would significantly decrease over time following treatment. Meanwhile, the predicted scores of clients not yet receiving treatment would not significantly change. Reduced differences between predicted and actual scores were clearly obtained for two of the six clients, despite no significant decreases in predicted scores. Results are interpreted in the light of threats to the study's internal validity and directions for future research are suggested.

The purpose of this study was to compare three methods of assessing preference for stimuli in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A paired-stimulus method, a multiple stimulus with replacement (MSW), and a multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment were conducted with participants. All assessments were conducted verbally. The paired method was the most accurate at correctly identifying the preference of stimuli and took the least amount of time to administer. After the stimulus preference assessments, a reinforcer assessment was conducted in order to identify which of the three stimulus preference methods was the most accurate and efficient method for identifying highly preferred items/activities in children with ADHD. It is suggested that future research compare the differences between the pictorial and verbal MSW methods.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a program designed to teach developmentally disabled women the self-protective skills necessary to prevent sexual abuse. Twenty developmentally disabled women participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. Both groups were given a pretest to measure any preexisting self-protective skills. The experimental group participated in a seven session program. The training program used the following behavior modification techniques to teach the self-protective skills: modeling, role-playing, and verbal and physical prompts. To test the self-protective skills learned, both groups were given a posttest. The experimental group's role-play mean increased from pretest to posttest while the control group's role-play mean decreased. The predicted testing by treatment interaction effect was significant. To test the retention of the self-protective skills learned, a follow-up role-play test was given to the experimental group 3 weeks later. There was no significant difference between the group's pretest mean and their follow-up mean which shows that there was no retention of the skills learned.

This study investigated two different training schedules for a stress management course offered to 36 child care workers. The study included three groups, a massed training group, distributed training group, and an untreated control group. Based on learning theory as presented in the paper, it was hypothesized that the distributed format (1 hour per week for 8 weeks) would yield greater changes in reported stress than would the massed format (4 hours in 2 sessions) or the wait-list control. Results indicated that statistically the training was effective in changing the number of hours absent from work, that the distributed format was superior to the massed in changing number of hours absent from work, and that the massed format was preferred by participants. Trends further tended toward support for the hypothesis that the distributed format would be more effective, particularly with the Emotional Exhaustion pre-/post-training scores. Critique and suggestions for further study are included in this paper.

Identifying potential reinforcers is an integral part to many behavior modification plans. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast two methods of stimulus preference assessment (paired stimulus computer and a traditional paired stimulus with tangible and symbolic items) using typically developing preschool children. The participants were four 3-5 year old children recruited from a childcare facility in Stockton, CA. Both methods of stimulus preference assessment were administered to them and reinforcer assessments were conducted. Kendall Rank Correlations between the two methods were low. Both methods produced hierarchies of preference. Both methods produced a reinforcement effect and the difference between the magnitude of reinforcement for the computer and the traditional method was only statistically significant with one child (favoring the computer). The computer method was significantly more time efficient than the traditional method.

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Children have strong preferences for sex-typed toys; boys prefer trucks, whereas girls prefer dolls. These preferences appear to be driven by complex interactions of hormones and the socio-cultural environment. The relative contribution of each of these factors in children is impossible to isolate given ethical limitations. Non-human primate species afford the opportunity to examine preferences in the absence of societal values and influences that children experience. In two previous studies with non-human primates, one with vervet monkeys and one with rhesus monkeys, monkeys showed sex-typed object preferences that paralleled those of children. However, several uncontrolled variables could have influenced these preferences. Our study considered object characteristics and we controlled for possible color preferences. We also tested monkeys individually to eliminate the effects of social facilitation and dominance rank. In experiment 1, monkeys were given a choice between similar objects of different colors (Phase A) and moving vs. non-moving objects (Phase B). In experiment 2, monkeys were given a choice between dolls and trucks (Phase A) and subsequent phases looked at the influence of moving wheels (Phase B) and hardness (Phase C). Contrary to previous findings, monkeys did not show sex-typed object preferences. Instead, the monkeys preferred blue objects, hard PVC objects such as trucks and hard dolls, and dolls with wheels. The influence of previous reward based cognitive testing, familiarity of substrate materials, and rearing condition are considered as possible explanations for these findings.

Previous research has compared speech samples from people both diagnosed and not diagnosed with schizophrenia and found that differences exist between the speech patterns. However, the previous research has focused on specific aspects of speech. For example, sentence structure, adjective use, syntax, etc. The current study investigated if speech differences between people diagnosed with and not diagnosed with schizophrenia could be detected by people with no experience with schizophrenia using a global rating system. A comparison was made between the ratings of coherence and “weird/crazy” speech of people who described pictures seen on a computer screen. The participants were 61 adults from the Stockton, CA area who had no experience working with people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Participants were asked to rate the level of coherence of 42 speech samples and rate the statement as “weird/crazy.” The results indicated that the sentences of people diagnosed with schizophrenia were rated as significantly less coherent ( t [df 60] = −16.34, p < .001) and significantly more weird/crazy ( t [df 60] = 13.68, p < .001) than those of people not diagnosed with schizophrenia.

While most agree that individuals with Schizophrenia require integrated skills training in multiple areas, fewer agree as to how to provide the most effective training. In this thesis, empirical studies on skills training for individuals with Schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders are examined briefly, with precision teaching representing a possible addition to the procedures currently used for rehabilitating and instructing these individuals. Precision teaching, an empirically validated instructional technology, focuses on fluency-based instruction and makes use of a standard chart to guide data-based instructional decisions. This study evaluates the effectiveness of using precision teaching for teaching basic math skills to 2 individuals with Schizophrenia. Results indicate that precision teaching effectively increased the rate of correct answers to multiplication problems during the intervention. In addition, during follow-up probes, both participants maintained greater knowledge of problems learned to a fluency criterion than those problems learned to a criterion of accuracy alone.

Tinnitus is experienced by as many as 50 million Americans and is clinically significant for approximately 12 million Americans. Tinnitus is often chronic and can evoke or exacerbate numerous psychological problems. No cure is available for tinnitus, thus treatment must focus on helping people learn to cope with tinnitus and its associated problems. The present study examined the efficacy of biodesensitization, biofeedback-controlled systematic desensitization, to decrease perceived tinnitus handicap, anxiety, depression, sleep difficulty, and daily assessments of distress in participants with tinnitus using a multiple-baseline design across 3 participants. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered at baseline and follow-up to determine changes in perceived handicap, depression, and anxiety. Also, the Tinnitus Monitoring Scale and Sleep Assessment Inventory were used to measure daily changes in tinnitus perception. It was hypothesized that biodesensitization therapy would produce significant decreases in participants' perceived tinnitus handicap, depression, and anxiety. It was also hypothesized that biodesensitization would yield improvements in daily and nightly tinnitus assessments. Results suggest that biodesensitization therapy related with decreases in scores on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and on Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. No substantial change was observed on the Beck Depression Inventory. Results also showed a relationship between biodesensitization therapy and improvements in daily assessments of tinnitus and sleep for all participants. Findings are interpreted and future research is suggested.