A questionnaire developed to measure barriers to help-seeking behavior in adolescents was tested with 280 high school students following a pilot study. The instrument, Barriers to Adolescents Seeking Help, was found to have good test-retest reliability and adequate validity. Its use in identifying adolescents amenable to or resistant to therapy is…

Reviews conceptual background on atypical patterns of early attachments, including basic theoretical terms and constructs of attachment theory; the nature and function of the original classification system; notions of "exceptional cases" or "atypical patterns"; and implications of atypicality for both a classification system of attachment behavior…

Investigated relationship between children's negative expressivity to the formation of an Insecure- Disorganized/Disoriented, Type D attachment pattern in follow-up of maltreated and nonmaltreated children at 12 and 24 months of age. Found that experiencing maltreatment in infancy was associated with Type D attachment through the toddler years,…

Examined association of three maternal regulating behaviors with children's positive and negative behaviors toward siblings in 40 Japanese families. Observed maternal regulating behaviors more frequently when younger sibling was still in early developmental stage. Older siblings' negative behaviors toward younger positively correlated with…

A cluster analytic study was conducted to derive behaviorally homogeneous subtypes of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) based on a range of behavioral symptoms that characterize autism. Analysis of data on 34 children with PDD, 27 of whom met criteria for autism, indicated 4 distinct groups differing on independent measures of social,…

This study evaluated the emotional and behavioral adjustment of 41 children (ages 5-15) within the first 3 months following disclosure of extrafamilial sexual abuse. Findings indicated that children's perceptions of self-blame and guilt for the abuse and the extent of traumatization predicted their self-reported symptomatology of depression,…

Examined relationships between family financial resources, academic competence, and socioemotional adjustment during early adolescence. Subjects were 90 African American youths and their married parents in the rural South. Found that parents with greater financial resources were less depressed and more optimistic, and their children were better…

University undergraduates (n=207) reported a diverse range of childhood disciplinary history and their perceptions regarding that history. Analysis indicated that, among those with severely punitive histories, individuals who did not label themselves as abused were less likely to classify events as physically abusive than those who labeled…

Four validity scales were developed for the Neuropsychology Behavior and Affect Profile using data from clinical and nonclinical samples. A second study, which involved 157 subjects, indicated that combinations of the clinical and validity scales effectively differentiated dissemblers from brain injury patients, even when dissemblers were highly…

Proposes a cognitive model of schizophrenia stating that schizophrenic behavior is caused by a disturbance in sensory input and stored material integration. Cites research to support this model. Outlines the manner in which a disturbance in sensory input integration relates to schizophrenic symptoms and discusses the model's relevance for…

In this study of maternal interpretations of infant behaviors, seven mothers of infants with Down syndrome identified 18 of 22 subcategories of potentially meaningful infant behavior previously identified by mothers of typically developing infants. These seven mothers also identified an additional category: developmental status-abilities.…

This article introduces some approaches that educational practitioners can use to assess the academic skills of students with Asperger syndrome (AS), while emphasizing the need for a comprehensive assessment system involving both formal and informal assessment methods as part of educational interventions. Academic characteristics of students with…

Explored in two studies disparities between how students with different degrees of extroversion and introversion engaged in small-group discussions requiring construction and critique of arguments. Found that extroverted students exhibited a greater tendency to use conflictual discourse, whereas introverted students worked with one another…

Several attitudes that predicted binge drinking on campus were identified by focus groups. A brief classroom intervention led to self-reported attitude change among university students. This type of intervention may be useful to college counselors interested in redefining normative perceptions of alcohol use to decrease the prevalence of binge…

Comparison of caregiver behaviors of children with either autism, developmental delay, or typical development found no difference between groups in caregiver synchronization with the child's focus of attention. Also, caregivers of children with autism who showed higher levels of synchronization during initial play interactions led to superior…