This study explored the stability and heritability of novelty seeking, defiance, and rule-breaking in early childhood using a twin sample. Parent reports of novelty seeking were assessed at ages 3 and 4, parent reports of rule-breaking were assessed at ages 5 and follow-up (6-16), and observer reports of defiance were assessed at age 5. Results showed that novelty seeking increased between ages 3 and 4, and rule-breaking remained stable from age 5 to follow-up (6-16). All constructs demonstrated significant heritability. Finally, neither novelty seeking nor defiance predicted 5-year-old rule-breaking. Defiance was the only construct that significantly predicted follow-up rule-breaking. Defiance and rule-breaking in early childhood were predictive of later rule-breaking, indicating that children may benefit from early intervention to reduce later rule-breaking behaviors.

Conduct Disorder is a disruptive behavior disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). Considering the prevalence and severity of Conduct Disorder and the social and economic impact, research is needed to address subtype and comorbidity. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the impact of Conduct Disorder age of onset by comparing neuropsychological functioning between adolescents diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, childhood-onset and adolescents diagnosed with the adolescent onset subtype of Conduct Disorder. In addition, the study will investigate the impact of a comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. Exploration into the neuropsychological functioning of Conduct Disorder while considering comorbidity with ADHD is needed to clarify cognitive functioning profiles of children and adolescents diagnosed with Conduct Disorder. / text

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this literature review was to examine the most current research regarding effective, evidence-based programs for reducing incivility among the healthcare team, particularly nurses. BACKGROUND: Incivility in the work environment is linked to a variety of negative outcomes, including diminished productivity, impaired judgement, and reduced employee retention. Incivility is especially detrimental to the healthcare team because it is correlated with decreased quality of patient care and increased medical errors. Despite regulations and statements made by the Joint Commission and the American Nurses Association to combat this serious problem, incivility continues to plague healthcare. METHODS: CINAHL and MEDLINE databases were reviewed for interventions to reduce incivility or bullying. Articles that evaluated interventions for practicing nurses were included in the review. RESULTS: The majority of studies evaluated training programs based on cognitive theory or cognitive rehearsal training as an intervention for incivility or bullying. Most studies showed positive correlations between the intervention and reducing incivility or bullying in some areas, however, results were inconsistent, most evidence ranked low and most studies shared sub-optimal quality. CONCLUSION: Most current studies towards reducing incivility in the healthcare team are poorly designed for demonstrating causation. More research is required to examine effective, evidence-based solutions for cultivating civility. Research must distinguish independent variables, incorporate teams instead of individuals, and fit into the structure of the work environment that it is serving.

Children exhibiting conduct problems comprise the largest source of referrals to children's mental health services in this county. Significant research has been conducted in an attempt to identify specific risk factors that result in increased vulnerability of a child developing conduct problems. Knowledge of these factors increases our ability to identify young children who are at greater risk for developing conduct problems. The treatment for conduct problems that possesses the greatest amount of empirical support is behavioral parent training. Yet behavioral parent training fails to address behaviors and risk factors that are present during a child's early development. Preventative behavioral parent training is a very brief primary prevention strategy designed to prevent the development of chronic and age-inappropriate display of conduct problems. This project was an initial longitudinal assessment examining the merits of preventative behavioral parent training as a primary prevention strategy for young children at-risk of developing conduct problems. Results demonstrated that prevention participants were engaging in normative rates of noncompliance and tantruming at 6-month follow-up, whereas comparison children showed a general worsening in their disruptive behaviors over time.

In this study, the effects of two secondary tier positive behavioral support strategies, teacher praise notes (TPNs) and peer praise notes (PPNs), were investigated using an alternating treatments single-subject design in residential classroom settings with eight elementary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) in grades one through five who displayed disruptive behaviors. These students were selected based on the following criteria: (a) identified as using attention-seeking behaviors to disrupt classroom instruction, and (b) accrued an average of three or more office discipline referrals (ODRs) during classroom instruction since the beginning of the semester. Teacher praise notes are notes written by the teacher to a student regarding observed appropriate classroom behaviors while peer praise notes are written by the students to peers of their choice regarding observed appropriate behaviors. The type of praise notes were counterbalanced across each session. Duration recording was used to record the length of disruption per student during all sessions. Data were analyzed by visual analysis. The results suggest that TPNs and PPNs decreased disruptive behaviors of the students with E/BD in a residential setting; however, there was minimal to no fractionation between the two interventions. Limitations and future for research directions are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference between the implementation of positive behavior supports and teacher stress? Previous research conducted by Ross, Romer, and Horner (2011) reported that teachers who work in schools that effectively implement Positive Behavior Supports (PBIS) had lower levels of stress and higher levels of efficacy. The current study investigated the difference between the PBIS and teacher stress. Additionally, this study sought to determine if teachers age, years of teaching experience, and gender had an impact on teacher stress. Data collection strategies included two surveys, Effective Behavior Support and the Teacher Stress Inventory. The survey instrument consisted of 65 statements that asked respondents to indicate their degree of agreement on a 7-point Likert scale. Using two ANOVA’s and two independent sample t-test, 104 participant surveys across three school district groups were analyzed. Results revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in positive behavior supports and interventions and teacher stress. Additionally, there were no statistically significant difference in teachers age, years of teaching, and gender and teacher stress.

Several researchers have begun to investigate early intervention and prevention programs, seeking to alter the trajectory of early-onset behavior problems. While it appears that multi-modal programs are the most promising approach, researchers have only recently begun to evaluate programs that use a similar treatment approach across settings and there is currently little information about classroom-based treatments for disruptive behaviors among preschoolers. The purpose of this study was to develop a classroom-based intervention based on the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) model developed by Eyberg. In addition, this study provides an initial investigation of the efficacy of this program with an emphasis on evaluating changes in teacher behavior and treatment acceptability. The intervention was provided to a group of 26 teachers from 13 Head Start classrooms. Results indicated minimal changes in observed teaching behavior and no significant changes in teachers' self-efficacy. Although the intervention was rated as being acceptable by teachers overall, ratings were somewhat lower for sessions dealing with child-directed activities; teacher comments indicated that this component was difficult to implement in the classroom. Observations of child behavior indicated reductions in both prosocial and disruptive behaviors. Teacher-completed rating scales indicated statistically significant reductions in disruptive child behaviors and child behavior problems, although the magnitude of these changes was generally small. The implications of these findings will be discussed and modifications will be proposed for increasing the effectiveness and acceptability of this intervention.

No description available.

The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-IV), specifically the disruptive behavior module for preschool-age children. The participants were 128 children (M = 4.43 years, SD = .54; Girls = 63) of African American (n = 37), European American (n = 41), Latino American (n = 38), and Mixed Ethnic (n = 12) background from Western Massachusetts. The overall internal consistency, concurrent validity, and predictive validity of the ADHD and ODD subsections were examined. Gender and ethnicity were examined as potential moderators of those as well. The DISC-IV and a behavior rating scale for teachers were administered at the beginning of the school year and the administration of the rating scale occurred again at end of the school year. The DISC-IV ADHD and ODD subsections exhibited acceptable overall internal consistency. The concurrent validity of the ADHD subsection was also found, but not for the ODD subsection. Most importantly, both DISC-IV subsections exhibited overall predictive validity, above initial teacher ratings. Partially supporting our hypotheses, ethnicity moderated the concurrent validity of the DISC-IV ADHD subsection, with DISC-IV scores of African American children having a stronger association with teachers’ ratings; boys also exhibited a stronger association than girls although not reaching significance. Also approaching significance, the DISC ADHD subsection appeared to predict year-end teacher ratings better for African American children than for European American and Latino American children. Overall, the DISC-IV was found to be a psychometrically reliable and valid diagnostic instrument for preschool-age children.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM–IV: Parent Version (ADIS–P) is a valid diagnostic tool in assessing Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in youth. Although there is considerable evidence that the ADIS–P is effective when diagnosing anxiety disorders in youth, no studies have yet examined its utility in assessing ODD, even though the ADIS–P contains an ODD module. In contrast, a number of studies support the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children–Version IV (DISC–IV) as a reliable and valid tool for assessing ODD. The two diagnostic interviews have not been compared to determine whether the ADIS–P might be equally valid to the DISC–IV in diagnosing ODD. In this study, the ADIS–P and DISC–IV ODD modules were administered in a counterbalanced order to the parents of a clinical sample of 53 children between 8 and 13 years of age referred for the treatment of ODD. It was hypothesized that the ODD module of the ADIS–P would be reliable, as evidenced by inter-rater correspondence, and valid as determined by its concurrent validity with the DISC–IV and its relations with the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Aggression and Conduct Problems scales as well as the Disruptive Behavior Disorders rating scale (DBD). Both of these latter instruments were completed by parents and teachers of the referred youth. Results suggest that the ADIS–P provides a valid assessment of ODD, giving clinicians and researchers another empirically-supported interview to use when assessing children's disruptive behaviors. / Master of Science