A study tested whether four students with mental retardation would substitute task-related behaviors for stereotypic behaviors when opportunity for active responding did or did not match level of motoric responding in a free-operant baseline. Students did substitute behaviors, with stereotypic behaviors occurring 1.5-14 times as much in the…

College students (N=375) listened to taped segments of a counseling interview concerning a spouse's drinking problem with tapes varying client's age, gender, and cognitive behaviors. Found no main or interaction effects of age on subjects' ratings of client behaviors; female clients were perceived as having better memory and greater alertness than…

Investigates the self-perception theory account of the foot-in-the-door (FITD) phenomenon, a sequential-request technique using a small first request followed by a larger, target request. Finds that a self-inference explanation is viable, but that a strict self-perception account fails because neither request size nor execution correspond to…

Summarizes a study that tested a theoretical model concerning elementary and secondary school principals' influence on student achievement. Results showed that 3 latent instructional leadership variables (school governance, instructional organization, and school climate) affected student achievement. Includes 54 references. (MLH)

Investigates subordinates' communication styles and superiors' satisfaction with subordinates from the perspective of the superior. Finds that when superiors were very satisfied with subordinates they perceived them as (1) friendly, relaxed, and attentive communicators; (2) lacking in verbal aggressiveness; and (3) high in argumentativeness. (MS)

Implications for suicide prevention efforts are examined. It is concluded that psychiatric treatment of depression and restricting access to lethal methods for suicide are more useful tactics for suicide prevention programs in elderly, and crisis counseling from suicide prevention centers and educational programs are more useful in younger adults.…

One hundred thirty-five adolescents were administered the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI). On the CDI, male adolescents responded more severely on an item involving fighting with others when they could be identified. There were no significant differences among responses on CSEI items.…

Group Adventure Initiative Tasks require the successful completion of a group task or objective and then provide debriefing and reflection on group processes and individual behaviors. A model of responsible action provides a framework for debriefing by charting behaviors and outcomes of choosing to respond to a situation as "victim"…

A longitudinal study examined the structure of coping behavior and the relationship between coping style and depression for 603 adolescents in grades 6 through 11 studied in 1989 and 1 year later. Confirmatory factor analysis found a two-dimensional model of coping with factors of approach and avoidant coping. (SLD)

To assess the predictive importance of recklessness in suicidality, 155 college students completed measures of experience, depression, and suicide ideation. Results indicated that recklessness was not a component of suicidality among these nonclinical older adolescents, although it might be in younger adolescents and clinical samples. (SLD)

Sleep patterns of 103 institutionalized individuals with profound mental retardation were explored. Almost 40% were found to have short-sleep patterns. Short-sleep was predicted by blindness; nonshort-sleep was predicted by diagnosis of cerebral palsy and sodium valproate usage. Techniques for minimizing possible negative consequences of…

Examined the relationship between individual interactional style, individual problem-solving behavior, and family problem-solving effectiveness in 431 intact rural families with 2 children, 1 of whom was in seventh grade. Results indicated that a hostile interactional style directly predicted destructive problem-solving behavior, whereas a warm…

Presents general comments on economic, political and demographic features of Indian Hindu community in the United States. Describes preliminary findings on precepts and practices related to identity formation among Indian Hindu youth. Highlights practices related to dress and hair behaviors and gender differences. Presents questions for further…

Principals help teachers become more reflective practitioners by providing a supportive environment, using specific facilitative behaviors (asking questions, informally critiquing, and questioning program irregularities), and enabling program implementation. Principals create a supportive environment by encouraging justification of practice,…

This case study focused on an adult with severe disabilities and multiple problem behaviors fitting a pattern of behavioral escalation. Functional assessment indicated that use of rule statements by the teacher was related to occurrence and escalation of problem behaviors. Elimination of rule statements was an effective instructional intervention…