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Travis Thompson's lengthy review of Staddon's The New Behaviorism requires several corrections and extensions. This response discusses Staddon's analysis of Hermstein's matching law and concludes that Thompson misinterprets a gentle critique as a paean. The response goes on to defend the utility of models and 'internal states' (i.e., postulated processes that are not directly measurable) as 'formal representation[s] of the data reduced to a minimal number of terms,' a position similar to one of B. F. Skinner's statements. The response ends with a defense of Skinner's empirical brilliance, but a critique of his sweeping societal prescriptions. Keywords Skinner * Superstition * Frustration Effect * Choice * Timing * Unconscious Processes, It's painful to criticize a long, thoughtful article. But Travis Thompson's review of The New Behaviorism (TNB) contains too many mistakes and misunderstandings to let it pass. First, a couple [...]

This article aims to propose and discuss a set of criteria for conceptual research in clinical behavior analysis. The existing lack of consensus on such criteria hinders advances in conceptual research that is needed for the advancement of clinical treatments. The research criteria proposed here are mindful of and try to manage some of the practical problems inherent in this type of research (e.g., dealing with psychotherapy goals and the potential disadvantages of using middle-level terms). In particular, the article, (1) offers a definition of conceptual research that is consistent with relevant theory and philosophy; and (2) explores five criteria currently used in clinical behavior analysis regarding conceptual developments. These criteria include coherence with basic research; coherence with applied research; coherence with philosophy and the theory of clinical behavior analysis; conceptual precision; and the potential to provide the practitioner with the means to develop and use technology. These five criteria are discussed and offered as a potentially useful basis for conceptual developments in clinical behavior analysis. Keywords conceptual research * clinical behavior analysis * clinical psychology * methodological criteria * theoretical research, Descriptions and explanations of phenomena are essential for the bases of reflexive scientific and analytic activity (i.e., scientific research practices that have their scientific activity as an object of analysis). [...]

Social-cognitive models such as the theory of planned behavior have demonstrated efficacy in predicting behavior, but few studies have examined the theory as a predictor of treatment adherence in chronic illness. We tested the efficacy of the theory for predicting adherence to treatment in chronic illness across multiple studies. A database search identified 27 studies, meeting inclusion criteria. Averaged intercorrelations among theory variables were computed corrected for sampling error using random-effects meta-analysis. Path-analysis using the meta-analytically derived correlations was used to test theory hypotheses and effects of moderators. The theory explained 33 and 9 % of the variance in intention and adherence behavior respectively. Theoretically consistent patterns of effects among the attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention and behavior constructs were found with small-to-medium effect sizes. Effect sizes were invariant across behavior and measurement type. Although results support theory predictions, effect sizes were small, particularly for the intention-behavior relationship. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10865-015-9644-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users., Author(s): Antonia Rich[sup.1] [sup.2] , Kim Brandes[sup.1] [sup.3] , Barbara Mullan[sup.4] , Martin S. Hagger[sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) Atlantis Healthcare, Unit 7, 112-118 Talavera Road, 2113, North Ryde, NSW, Australia [...]

This study was designed to assess the possible systematic bias in measurements obtained using tachistoscopic devices from different historical periods of psychological research. Four different tachistoscopic devices were used for brief presentations of stimuli in a letter recognition task. The research sample consisted of 24 participants (12 female, 12 male) in a within-subject experimental design with complete counterbalancing of 4 conditions defined by 4 instrument types: fall tachistoscope, tachistoscope with camera-like shutter, and computer-based tachistoscopes with cathode ray tube and liquid crystal diode display screens. The effects of experimental conditions were examined using a linear mixed model analysis. Our experiment demonstrated that even in standardized settings the type of tachistoscope used for stimulus presentation systematically influenced the participants' performance. We found that the lowest number of correctly recalled stimuli, as well as the highest number of erroneously recalled stimuli, was produced in the camera-like tachistoscope condition. Together, these findings suggest that when results from studies involving tachistoscopic experiments are reviewed, the unique characteristics of each particular instrument used must be considered carefully., The inception of psychology as an independent scientific discipline with its experimental devices and instruments can be dated to the 19th century (Boring, 1950). The more advanced discipline of physiology [...]

The aim of this article is to discuss the following questions: Can neurophysiology reveal something new about behavior--something that we could not know only by means of behavior analysis? Can neurophysiology influence the way we think about behavioral relations? To investigate these questions, I present an example in which neurophysiological events controlled, in addition to behavioral events, the verbal behavior of theorizing about behavior. The example under analysis concerns the biobehavioral approach hypotheses about the operant-respondent distinction and the unit of selection. I will discuss how information about the neurophysiology of retention contributed to this debate by sometimes favoring the ideas proposed by the biobehavioral approach, but, in some cases, by also providing evidence that challenge these very same ideas. I will argue that this example provides a positive answer to both of the aforementioned questions. Key words: neuroscience and behavior analysis, unit of selection, operant-respondent distinction, biobehavioral approach, neurophysiology of retention, In the late 1980s, just before the so-called decade of the brain, but also at a time when neuroscience had already achieved significant advancements (Shepherd, 2010), Skinner wrote the following [...]

This paper is the second in a series documenting and validating the Mini-IPIP6 for use in New Zealand. The Mini-IPIP6 is a public domain short-form personality instrument which provides four-item markers of the six broad-bandwidth dimensions of personality: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Openness to Experience and Honesty-Humility. This study reports results from an Item Response Theory analysis of the Mini-IPIP6 in a nationally representative New Zealand sample (N = 5,576). A series of unidimensional graded item response models indicated that the Mini-IPIP6 provided well distributed estimates of each of the six dimensions of personality across the latent trait range and centered on the population mean. These findings indicate that the Mini-IPIP6 provides a reasonably precise measure of the major dimensions of personality, given the scale's brevity. Discrimination and difficulty parameter estimates for the Mini-IPIP6 in the New Zealand population are presented, along with Test Information Functions for each personality dimension. A copy of the Mini-IPIP6 is included., There are a vast number of self-report personality measures available. Generally speaking, these measures are based on the assumption that '... individuals are characterized by stable, distinctive, and highly meaningful [...]

The purpose of this review is to introduce the reader to the concepts of delay and probability discounting as well as the major empirical findings to emerge from research with humans on these concepts. First, we review a seminal discounting study by Rachlin, Raineri, and Cross (1991) as well as an influential extension of this study by Madden, Petry, Badger, and Bickel (1997). In doing so, we describe the general procedure used for assessing discounting and the resulting form of the obtained discounting functions. With this as background, we review additional empirical findings that have emerged over the last 20 years, by addressing issues such as time consistency and preference reversals, magnitude effects, and the gain--loss asymmetry. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of more recent developments and their implications for the future of this growing area. Key words: delay discounting, probability discounting, choice, impulsivity, risky behavior, decision making, The topics of delay and probability discounting have received substantial empirical and conceptual attention in recent years (Madden & Bickel, 2010). Delay discounting refers to the decrease in the subjective [...]

We analyzed stimulus class formation in a human study and in a connectionist model (CM) with a yes/no procedure, using compound stimuli. In the human study, the participants were six female undergraduate students; the CM was a feed-forward back-propagation network. Two 3-member stimulus classes were trained with a similar procedure in both the human participants and the model. During training, the compound stimuli A1B1, A2B2, B1C1, B2C2 were associated with the yes response, and A1B2, A2B1, B1C2, B2C1 were associated with the no response. During testing, we probe the emergence of the yes and no responses in the presence of new compound stimuli (Aid, A2C2, AlC2, A2C1). Four participants and five out of six runs of the CM exhibited stimulus class formation. These results show the usefulness of the yes/no procedure for simulating stimulus class formation in a CM in contrast with the models inspired in matching-to-sample procedures. Key words: connectionist modeling, stimulus class formation, compound stimuli, yes/no procedure, adult humans, Stimulus classes or categories have been defined as stimulus sets that occasion common responses in a specific context; such sets include stimuli involved in an explicit learning history and new [...]

The present study investigated the effect of the presence of the experimenter on behavioral sensitivity to contingency change. In history training, college students were exposed to differential reinforcement of low rate (DRL) and fixed-ratio (FR) schedules, and in testing, to a fixed-interval (FI) schedule. For the control group, instructions were never provided, whereas for the without-observer and with-observer groups, inaccurate instructions were given (variable ratio [VR], fixed time [FT], and differential reinforcement of high rate [DRH], respectively). The experimenter was present during testing for the with-observer group. In history training, DRL response rates were lower than FR rates with or without instructions. In testing, the control and without-observer groups showed lower response rates and a more efficient behavioral patterning than did the with-observer group. These results indicate that instruction following was affected by the presence of the experimenter despite a history of no reinforcement for such behavior, and they suggest that instructional control may be strengthened by social contingencies. Key words: reinforcement history, instructions, monitoring, social control, behavior sensitivity, History effects are concerned with the contribution of past reinforcement and punishing contingencies to the acquisition and maintenance of current behavior. For studying such effects, researchers have employed an experimental [...]

One member of each pair of 52 undergraduates, referred to as a learner, was trained BC conditional discriminations, with B stimuli as the samples and C stimuli as the correct comparisons. Responses of the learner were either reinforced or punished by another member of each pair, an instructor, who had previously mastered AC conditional discriminations, with A stimuli as the samples. The B sample stimuli were presented simultaneously with the A stimuli so that only the instructor could see the latter. Each learner mastered the BC conditional discriminations from his or her instructor, regardless of whether the learner saw the instructor in advance or not. Performance was less accurate when the B stimuli corresponded 83.3% with the A stimuli than when they corresponded 100%. These results extend previous findings on private events obtained from only two of eight pairs when the stimuli always corresponded. Key words: private events, conditional discrimination, teaching, social interactions, key press, humans, Private events have generally been defined structurally as those that occur within the skin of a person (Anderson, Hawkins, & Scotti, 1997) and functionally as events that are directly accessible [...]

Abstract Our aim with this descriptive phenomenological study was to identify and describe the essential meaning structure in the experience of postpartum depression (PPD). We interviewed four women diagnosed with [...]

A component analysis is a systematic assessment of 2 or more independent variables or components that comprise a treatment package. Component analyses are important for the analysis of behavior; however, previous research provides only cursory descriptions of the topic. Therefore, in this review the definition of component analysis is discussed, and a notation system for evaluating the experimental designs of component analyses is described. Thirty articles that included a component analysis were identified via a literature search. The majority of the studies successfully identified a necessary component; however, most of these studies did not evaluate the sufficiency of the necessary component. The notation system may be helpful in developing experimental designs that best suit the purpose of studies aimed at conducting component analyses of treatment packages. Key words: behavior analysis, behavior modification, component analysis, experimental design doi: 10.1901/jaba.2010.43-685

Background: Social psychological research suggests that prediction of behavioural intentions towards those with mental illness could be increased by assessing attitudes towards specific actions or behaviours and by including a measure of perceived normative expectations by others concerning such behaviours. Aims: To investigate whether attitudes towards specific behaviours and perceived normative expectations improve prediction of behavioural intentions towards a person with mental illness. Methods: Two studies were carried out; one with university undergraduates and one with community service club members. Each included assessments of attitudes towards a person described as having a mental illness; attitudes towards specific behaviours reflecting social distance; perceived descriptive and injunctive norms with reference to those behaviours; and behavioural intentions. Results: Attitude towards the specifi c behaviour frequently showed a higher correlation with behavioural intentions than did attitude towards the person. Inclusion of perceived norms also improved prediction of behavioural intention. Conclusions: The prediction of behavioural intentions towards those with mental illness may be improved by increasing the specificity of the attitude measures to the behavioural intentions being predicted and including measures of perceived norms. Furthermore, the effectiveness of efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness may be increased by addressing their impact on perceived norms.

This study compared the outcomes of three descriptive analysis methods--the ABC method, the conditional probability method, and the conditional and background probability method--to each other and to the results obtained from functional analyses. Six individuals who had been diagnosed with developmental delays and exhibited problem behavior participated. Functional analyses indicated that participants' problem behavior was maintained by social positive reinforcement (n = 2), social negative reinforcement (n = 2), or automatic reinforcement (n = 2). Results showed that for all but 1 participant, descriptive analysis outcomes were similar across methods. In addition, for all but 1 participant, the descriptive analysis outcome differed substantially from the functional analysis outcome. This supports the general finding that descriptive analysis is a poor means of determining functional relations. DESCRIPTORS: descriptive analysis, functional analysis, problem behavior

Log data provide valuable insight into observable behavioural patterns, which could be inferred to study a learner's cognitive processes, levels of motivation and levels of knowledge acquisition. To date, most of the research work has been devoted to study the different methods to analyze and interpret log data. Little attention, however, has been given to use log data as a tool to investigate the behaviour of Bayesian learner models. In this light, this article discusses how log data could be employed to investigate the performance of Bayesian learner models. The log data were firstly transformed into a set of structured dataset, which conformed to the INQPRO's learner model. The transformed dataset were then fed into different versions of INQPRO's learner model to obtain their predictive accuracies. From the predictive accuracies, an optimal learner model was identified. Empirical results indicated that the log data approach provides an efficient way to study the behaviour of a Bayesian learner model Key words: Log data, bayesian learner model, scientific inquiry learning environment, INTRODUCTION The log data are a chronological record of learners' interactions with a computer-based learning environment. Log data, which may take different forms, can be treated as a crucial instrument [...]

BACKGROUND: Although a long latency period of toxicity after exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is known to exist in humans, few animal studies have addressed this issue. Substantiation of delayed MeHg [...]

Despite the many undesirable outcomes of corporate misconduct, scholars have an inadequate understanding of corporate misconduct's causes and mechanisms. We extend the behavioral theory of the firm, which traditionally assumes [...]

Abstract Behavioral approaches dominate the field of school psychology teacher consultation. The author examines the problems with school psychologists relying exclusively on this approach and offers an alternative consultation intervention [...]

A behaviorally-uninhibited temperament, callous-unemotional (CU) features, and harsh parenting have been associated with specific patterns of aggressive behavior in older children and adolescents. We tested the additive and interactive effects of these factors in predicting different types of aggressive behavior in a high-risk preschool sample. Forty-nine preschoolers and their parents registering for Head Start programs were recruited for participation. Behavioral inhibition, CU features, and attitudes toward various types of parenting were assessed through parent rating scales completed at the time of registration. Behavioral inhibition, CU features, and aggression were assessed by teacher ratings approximately six months later. Analyses revealed that behavioral inhibition, CU features, and harsh parental attitudes all contributed independently to the prediction of aggressive behavior. These associations were strongest for proactive types of aggression. Our results suggest that a behaviorally uninhibited temperament, CU features, and attitudes favoring harsh parenting are all important for understanding the development of aggression in preschool children. Keywords Aggression * Preschool * Behavioral inhibition * Callous-unemotional * Parenting

OBJECTIVES. Our goal was to compare the prevalence of behavioral problems between very preterm children and term children at 3 years of age and examine the factors associated with behavioral problems in very preterm children. METHODS. We conducted a prospective population-based cohort study: the EPIPAGE (Etude Epidemiologique sur les Petits Ages Gestationnels) study. All infants born between 22 and 32 weeks of gestation in 9 regions of France in 1997 were included and compared with a control group of infants born at term. Sociodemographic status, obstetric, and neonatal data were collected at birth and in the neonatal units. At 3 years of age, the behavioral problems of 1228 very preterm singleton children without major neurodisabilities, and 447 term children were studied using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire completed by the parents. RESULTS. Very preterm children were more likely than controls to have behavioral difficulties. Among very preterm children, several medical conditions were associated with a high total difficulty score: major neonatal cerebral lesions diagnosed by cranial ultrasonographic studies, hospitalization within the last year, poor health, and psychomotor delay. A high birth order and sociodemographic factors such as young maternal age and low educational level of the mother were also identified as risk factors for behavioral difficulties. The differences between very preterm children and controls remained significant after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, neonatal complications, and neurodevelopmental status, for a high total difficulties score, hyperactivity, conduct problems, and for peer problems. For emotional problems, the difference was at the limit of significance. CONCLUSIONS. Very preterm children have a higher risk of behavioral problems at 3 years of age compared with term-born children. Health and neurodevelopmental status of the child were significantly associated with behavioral difficulties. Key Words very preterm children, behavior, preschool age Abbreviations EPIPAGE--Etude Epidemiologique sur les Petits Ages Gestationnets SDQ--Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire CBCL--Child Behavior Checklist OR--odds ratio CI--confidence interval, ALTHOUGH ADVANCES IN perinatal care, with increased use of antenatal steroid therapy, in utero transfer and surfactant therapy, have increased the chances of survival of very preterm infants, mortality and [...]

Research on the prevalence and correlates of dating violence in Mexican teens is challenged by the lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment tools. This study modified, translated, and back-translated the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI. Wolfe et al., 2001) and the Attitudes Towards Dating Violence Scales (Price, Byers, & the Dating Violence Research Team, 1999) for Mexican adolescents. Analyses on 307 adolescents (15-18 years old) from Monterrey and Mexicali, Mexico, revealed that most of the translated CADRI subscales and Attitudes Towards Dating Violence Scales had acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability coefficients. The study offers some evidence that the measures may be useful in assessing dating violence in Mexican teens. Keywords: dating violence, assessment: Mexican teens: adolescence

Human chromosome 22q11.2 has been implicated in various behavioral abnormalities, including schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric/behavioral disorders. However, the specific genes within 22q11.2 that contribute to these disorders are still poorly understood. Here, we show that an [approximately equal to] 200-kb segment of human 22q11.2 causes specific behavioral abnormalities in mice. Mice that overexpress an [approximately equal to] 200-kb region of human 22q11.2, containing CDCrel, GP1B[beta], TBX1, and WDR14, exhibited spontaneous sensitization of hyperactivity and a lack of habituation. These effects were ameliorated by antipsychotic drugs. The transgenic mice were also impaired in nesting behavior. Although Tbx1 has been shown to be responsible for many physical defects associated with 22q11.2 haploinsufficiency, Tbx1 heterozygous mice did not display these behavioral abnormalities. Our results show that the [approximately equal to] 200-kb region of 22q11.2 contains a gene(s) responsible for behavioral abnormalities and suggest that distinct genetic components within 22q11.2 mediate physical and behavioral abnormalities. 22q11 | habituation | hyperactivity | mouse model | schizophrenia

Much research has demonstrated that workers are influenced by--and behave differently as a result of--social comparisons with various referent individuals. However, relatively little research has examined how individuals choose among these referents for comparison activities. In this article, we seek to extend previous work on referent selection by acknowledging psychological influences. Specifically, we develop arguments for how self-efficacy, equity sensitivity, and psychological climate may affect referent selection. We also examine system-referents--referent choices involving the employment exchange--from the perspective of psychological contracts. From these relationships, we attempt to enrich our understanding of social cognitive theory, equity theory, and other psychological contract theory. By so doing, we seek to provide knowledge useful for managers interested in how their employees react to workplace comparisons., The nature of contemporary work environments, ones characterized by instability and uncertainty, may create increased needs on the part of individuals for comparative information (Lamertz, 2002). Individuals use social comparisons [...]

The authors developed a source-monitoring procedure to reduce the biasing effects of rater expectations on behavioral measurement. Study participants (N = 224) were given positive or negative information regarding the performance of a group and, after observing the group, were assigned to a source-monitoring or control condition. Raters in the source-monitoring condition were instructed to report only behaviors that evoked detailed memories (remember judgments) and to avoid reporting behaviors based on feelings of familiarity (know judgments). Results revealed that controlling raters' response strategy reduced (and often eliminated) the biasing effects of performance expectations. These findings advance our understanding of the performance-cue bias and offer a potentially useful technique for decreasing rater bias. Keywords: behavior measurement, performance appraisal, source monitoring, performance-cue bias, rater expectations

A simple prompting procedure involving index cards was used to increase suggestive selling by the owner/operator of a small pet grooming business. Over a year of baseline data revealed that no sales prompts were given and few pet products were sold. When the owner was prompted by an index card to ask customers if they wanted to purchase pet products, sales tripled and increased four-fold by the end of the year. This study is part of an increasing interest in the behavioral analysis of consumer choice and addresses both management and marketing concerns by demonstrating how a simple, well-replicated prompting procedure can modify a key employee behavior that in turn changes customer behavior, and results in an important organizational outcome. KEYWORDS. Prompting, sales, small business, self-management

In a sample of 134 married couples randomly assigned to traditional or integrative behavioral couple therapy (TBCT vs. IBCT), a multivariate hierarchical growth curve analysis using latent variable regression revealed that measures of communication, behavior frequency, and emotional acceptance acted as mechanisms of change. TBCT led to greater changes in frequency of targeted behavior early in therapy, whereas IBCT led to greater changes in acceptance of targeted behavior both early and late in therapy. In addition, change in behavioral frequency was strongly related to improvements in satisfaction early in therapy; however, in the 2nd half of therapy, emotional acceptance was more strongly related to changes in satisfaction. Research and clinical implications are discussed. Keywords: couple therapy, mechanism, emotional acceptance, communication, behavior frequency

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2004.07.004 Byline: Henk F. van der Molen (a)(b), Judith K. Sluiter (a), Monique H.W. Frings-Dresen (a) Keywords: Behavioural change; Ergonomics measures; Physical work demands Abstract: The objective of this qualitative study was to assess whether a hypothesised sequential order of behavioural change phases would be fulfilled in different groups of stakeholders involved at the start of a process to implement ergonomics measures in bricklaying teams. The measures include trestles, bricklaying scaffolds, mast climbing work platforms, and cranes. The behavioural change phases were: (1) being aware of measures, (2) understanding measures, (3) wanting measures, (4) intention to buy or hire measures, (5) ability to use measures, (6) using measures (experience), and (7) continuing to use measures. Structured interviews were conducted to examine the change phases in two groups of stakeholders (employers/work planners, n=11, and foremen/bricklayers, n=9, from nine companies) thought to be relevant in the decision to adopt and use the ergonomics measures. The relationship between fulfilled and unfulfilled change phases by each stakeholder (group) and actual use of each ergonomic measure requires further study, so as to improve the selection of suitable implementation strategies. The interaction between fulfilled and unfulfilled change phases for different stakeholder groups and actual use of measures warrants further study, so as to improve the selection of suitable implementation strategies. Author Affiliation: (a) Academic Medical Center, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Coronel Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, Research Institute AmCOGG, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands (b) Arbouw, P.O. Box 8114, 1005 AC Amsterdam, The Netherlands Article History: Received 17 December 2003; Accepted 21 July 2004

This paper explored methodological issues in examining the impact of maltreatment characteristics on behavioral adjustment in a sample of maltreated school-age children. Different approaches to assessing the effects of maltreatment type were used to determine whether maltreatment characteristics differed by type of maltreatment and whether relationships between maltreatment characteristics and child behavioral functioning differed according to type of maltreatment. Results revealed several differences among the three types of maltreatment subgroups (physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse) on characteristics of maltreatment experiences. Correlations between maltreatment characteristics and outcome measures for the sample as a whole obscured findings that relationships were often specific to particular types of maltreatment. Developing generic definitions for maltreatment characteristics applicable to all forms of maltreatment is difficult because of differences in meaning across maltreatment types. Findings suggest that the role of maltreatment characteristics in children's behavioral functioning should be examined separately for each form of maltreatment. KEY WORDS: child maltreatment; behavioral adjustment; methodology., Investigations of the impact of maltreatment on children's behavioral and emotional functioning have provided evidence for the heterogeneity of maltreatment experiences. The range and variety of maltreatment experiences may account [...]

This study investigated the effectiveness of response cost and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) in reducing the disruptive behaviors of 25 children in a preschool classroom. Using an alternating treatments design, disruptive behavior was reduced when the participants earned tokens for the absence of disruptive behavior (DRO) or lost tokens for the occurrence of disruptive behavior (response cost). Initially, DRO was more successful in reducing the number of disruptive behaviors; however, over time, response cost proved to be more effective. DESCRIPTORS: differential reinforcement, disruptive behavior, preschoolers, response cost

We report on behavioral interactions between fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) and vertebrate predators at two Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla) nests at Fort Hood, Texas. In the presence of fire ants, an eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana) failed to depredate a clutch of vireo eggs at one nest, while a rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri) depredated nestlings at another nest, despite fire ants swarming the nest. Neither nest was successful. Direct and indirect effects of interactions among nest predators on avian nesting success need further assessment. Received 21 November 2003, accepted 7 June 2004., The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is an invasive species that occurs throughout much of the southern United States (Porter et al. 1991, Callcott and Collins 1996, O'Keefe et [...]

We conducted and compared both brief and extended functional analyses of disruptive behaviors for 3 individuals with developmental disabilities who attended a vocational training program. Results demonstrated that the brief assessment identified the function of 2 of the 3 participants' disruptive behavior compared to the extended assessment. DESCRIPTORS: assessment, brief functional analysis, disruption

The effects of noncontingently available alternative stimuli on functional analysis outcomes were evaluated for 2 individuals. Results suggested that noncontingent access to preferred items resulted in reduced levels of attention-maintained behavior. The results are interpreted in terms of establishing operations. DESCRIPTORS: functional analysis, establishing operation, developmental disabilities

Keywords: prenatal drug exposure; descriptive and experimental analysis; ecobehavioral analysis; language intervention; parent training Abstract: This paper presents two studies of factors affecting developmental outcomes of young children exposed prenatally to drugs and alcohol. In Study One, descriptive analyses of 38 children and families indicated that, as a group, children scored lower on assessed cognitive and language development, that two rates of oral language and negative behavior by children were associated with these developmental areas, and that several child-caregiver interactions were associated with these differential rates of child behaviors. In Study Two, intervention targets were selected from Study One and manipulated in multiple-baseline fashion across two pairs of children. Results demonstrated increased rates of all identified ecobehavioral variables for three of four parents or other adult caregivers, with concomitant increases in rates of child language production during play activities. Article History: Registration Date: 21/10/2004

Results indicate that fruits and vegetables and sedentary activities are preferred over snack foods under situations where the cost for snack food is high. Data suggest that the choice of alternatives to snack foods is dependent on the activities that have a high reinforcing value and compete with eating.

We evaluated problem behavior and appropriate behavior using the matching equation with 4 individuals with developmental disabilities. Descriptive observations were conducted during interactions between the participants and their primary care providers in either a clinical laboratory environment (3 participants) or the participant's home (1 participant). Data were recorded on potential reinforcers, problem behavior, and appropriate behavior. After identifying the reinforcers that maintained each participant's problem behavior by way of functional analysis, the descriptive data were analyzed retrospectively, based on the matching equation. Results showed that the proportional rate of problem behavior relative to appropriate behavior approximately matched the proportional rate of reinforcement for problem behavior for all participants. The results extend prior research because a functional analysis was conducted and because multiple sources of reinforcement (other than attention) were evaluated. Methodological constraints were identified, which may limit the application of the matching law on both practical and conceptual levels. DESCRIPTORS: matching, descriptive analysis, severe problem behavior, functional analysis

Edward J. Green is a former student and colleague of both Jacob R. Kantor and B. F. Skinner. He is now Guerry Professor Emeritus at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga., ********** Awareness is seen as the interior perception of the wave form of the substance of which the body is composed. Traditional 'reality' is limited to exterior perceptions. Mind/body dualism [...]

The issue of behavioral covariation has been a topic of interest to behavior analysts for many years. Many writers have used the term response generalization interchangeably with behavioral covariation. In this paper, we argue from the extant literature that the term 'response generalization' should be used to describe only very specific occasions of behavioral covariation. In fact, we argue, response generalization is merely one of at least six types of behavioral covariation observed in organizational behavior management studies. After describing response generalization, the remaining five types of response-response relations we describe are: (1) physiological relations, (2) when target behaviors occasion related behaviors, (3) when target behaviors reinforce related behaviors, (4) when target and related behaviors are maintained by the same reinforcing stimulus, and (5) covariation through participation in verbal relations. We conclude by discussing the potential for additional research on this topic in the area of verbal relations. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: KEYWORDS. Operant response classes, response generalization, organizational behavior management, response-response relations, verbal relations, verbal behavior, behavior covariance

This paper details concerns with the potential misuse of the term 'response generalization' in the behavioral safety literature. Stokes and Baer's (1977) technologies of generalization and the basic literature on response induction are used to make the claim. Ludwig and Geller's (2000) Journal of Organizational Behavior Management special issue describing their work with pizza delivery drivers is used as an example. The potential problems of non-technical use of language in a technological behavioral science are briefly discussed. Finally, Baer, Wolf, and Risley's (1968, 1987) criteria of applied behavior analysis are re-visited in this context in hopes of calling researchers of organizational behavior management to more closely align their work with the tradition of applied behavior analysis. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: KEYWORDS. Response generalization, behavioral safety, organizational behavior management, applied behavior analysis

The second edition of Raymond G. Miltenberger's Behavior Modification: Principles and Procedures is reviewed. The first section of the review discusses the structure of the book. The second section of the review discusses its content. The third section offers some conclusions and describes a need for more advanced applied behavior analysis textbooks. Overall, the findings of the review are that the text is one of the best available for undergraduate instruction in applied behavior analysis. DESCRIPTORS: applied behavior analysis, textbooks, behavior modification

This study uses behavioral genetics to examine the contributions of environmental and genetic influences to the sex-typed behaviors and attitudes of adolescent males and females. Data were drawn from 1,301 sibling pairs ranging from monozygotic twins to half-sibling pairs from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The measure used was a probability score of being a male based on responses to 16 behavioral and attitudinal items. Using this scale, separate covariance matrices were computed across different levels of zygosities and fit to behavioral genetic models. It was estimated that for males, 25% of the variance was accounted for by genetic influences and 75% by nonshared environmental influences and measurement error. For females, 38% of the variance was accounted for by genetic influences and the remaining 62% by nonshared environmental influences and measurement error. No shared environmental influences were found for either sex's sex-typed behaviors and attitudes.