Responds to M. Stanton's comments on the current author's original article. One of the puzzles of motivational interviewing is why it works at all. How can it be that an individual interview or two yields change in a long-standing problem behavior even without any effort to alter social context? The time involved is such a tiny part of the…

Focuses attention on social disability'' as a unitary disorder; provides a rationale for an environmental view of it; suggests a theoretical framework within which etiological hypotheses can be tested; and relates the concept to conventional psychiatric classification. (Author/JM)

Reviews changing patterns of health and illness that have led to increased interest in the role of patient and provider behaviors, discussing the advantages of using health care settings as prevention sites. Presents examples of successful behaviorally-based prevention programs, offering evidence supporting their cost-effectiveness. Describes…

People disturb themselves with irrational beliefs, some of which are obvious and blatant while others are subtle and tricky. The latter type make people more disturbed than do the former kind. Even when helped by the most efficient forms of psychotherapy, humans have difficulty achieving and maintaining good mental health. (Author/VM)

Approximately 1.7 million children have parents who are incarcerated in prison in the United States, and possibly millions of additional children have a parent incarcerated in jail. Many affected children experience increased risk for developing behavior problems, academic failure, and substance abuse. For a growing number of children,…

Identifies an epistemological bias in current psychological research in family planning and population change that contributes to its lack of relevance in providing solutions to problems: population psychologists simply must get on with the business of effecting changes in problem behaviors. (Author/JM)

Explores developmental and intervention evidence relevant to iatrogenic effects in peer-group interventions. Findings from two intervention studies involving 119 high-risk youth and 39 controls and 150 pairs of adolescent boys suggest that high-risk youth are particularly vulnerable to peer aggregations when compared to low-risk youth. Discusses…

Reviews recent developments in the following areas of research on affective disorders and related syndromes in the preadult years: (1) psychiatric and diagnostic (nonbiological) studies; (2) hypothesis-testing and causal-explanation studies; and (3) studies of developmental psychopathology. Indicates directions for future research. (Author/BJV)

Among the phenomena covered are superstitious behavior, learned helplessness, experimental neurosis, anaclitic depression as a result of maternal separation, and physiological disturbances such as ulceration. (Author/AM)

Suggests that the problem of effective care of diabetes mellitus presents an opportunity for the emerging field of health psychology. Discusses behavioral interventions that aid in treatment of this disease by reducing its energy mobilizing effects on the nervous system. (Author/AOS)

Describes the integration of research-based practices into youth problem behavior prevention, examining the developing integration of science and prevention practice regarding: increasing use of epidemiological evidence about youth problem behaviors to guide prevention; a system for monitoring the incidence, prevalence, and context of youth…

Metaphors can both inspire and mislead the public. Current metaphors for youth violence are inconsistent with scientific evidence about how chronic violence develops and evoke inaccurate or harmful reactions. Popular, problematic metaphors include "superpredator", "quarantining the contagious", "corrective surgery", "man as computer", "vaccine",…

Reviews advances in child behavior therapy by illustrating the range of problems treated and the techniques and accomplishments that have emerged. Discusses training of parents, teachers, peers, and children themselves in behavior change techniques, as well as general implications of therapeutic developments for enhancing child welfare. (GC)

This report summarizes findings from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development as effect sizes for exclusive maternal care and--for children in child care--type, quality, and quantity of care. Children (n = 1,261) were recruited at birth and assessed at 15, 24, 36, and 54 months.…

Reviews evolving conceptions of hyperactivity and attention deficits. The cognitive and social difficulties of hyperactive children may be better understood in terms of motivational and self-regulatory processes than as deficiencies in basic information processing. Discusses the role of stimulant medication. (Author/BJV)