Individuals (n=55) with mild to moderate mental retardation rated the acceptability of differential reinforcement and time-out. Community-based subjects and institutionalized subjects differed in their ratings depending on the severity of the problem. (DB)

Describes Cognitive Behavior Education (CBE) as intervention with elementary children at risk. Presents characteristics of children at risk; provides overview of cognitive behavior theory; and discusses CBE, cognitive behavior interventions, and implementation issues. Asserts that, through play, classroom guidance, and interactive activities with…

Reports research results concerning beliefs about B. F. Skinner's psychological theories. Examines beliefs in the myths that Skinner: (1) discounted physiological and genetic roles in behavior; (2) believed that any behavior could be conditioned; (3) discounted individual uniqueness; (4) viewed punishment as the preferred form of behavior control;…

Developed and evaluated psychological intervention for depression in Young Offenders. Recognizing pressure on clinical teams to be both cost and time effective, it was decided to pilot Barkham's 2+1 format in prison setting. Results suggest that depression in prisons can be treated with cognitive-behavioral techniques and that 2+1 format may be…

Four young children were taught contact lens wear using a shaping procedure, which involved praise and tangibles for compliance and time-outs or restraint for noncompliance. At followup, levels of compliance were high for three children, while a subject with Down's syndrome showed low compliance with need for physical restraint throughout.…

Two children (ages 13 and 16) with autism were taught to differentiate appropriate from inappropriate social behaviors. Children's treated behaviors improved rapidly, and there were generalized changes in untreated social behaviors. Results suggest the possibility of identifying pivotal response classes of social behavior that may improve peer…

Social skills training practices for persons with mental retardation are summarized, along with reasons for their lack of maintenance and generalization. A cognitive-behavioral definition and model of social competence and social skills are described, which unify social learning concepts with recent research and practice and focus on their utility…

A behavior management approach, designed to enhance the active involvement of children (ages 6-11) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, has parents present behavior management situations requiring the child's choice between compliance and noncompliance and involving linkage to a consequence. Having parents (n=75) meet with therapists in…

This article presents principles of behavior therapy that can be used alone to treat minor feeding problems in young children or in conjunction with other modalities to treat serious disorders. The article discusses assessment methods; variables in feeding, including time, space, child, feeder, food, and treatment; methods to increase or decrease…

Treatment of a woman with severe mental retardation with the Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibiting System (SIBIS) resulted in significant reductions in SIB behavior which generalized to the natural environment and the brief follow-up sessions. (Author/DB)

Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given reinforcers (nickels) according to three different concurrent variable-interval schedules. Time allocated to the assigned tasks was in linear relationship to the reinforcement rate. However, changes in reinforcement schedules were not followed by changes in allocation patterns…

Investigated effectiveness of behavioral consultation in changing children's (n=20) and teachers' (n=20) behaviors in consultation cases that involved children identified by teachers as manifesting symptoms characteristic of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Children who received consultation improved significantly more than students in…

A close friend and colleague of Burrhus Frederic Skinner comments on obituaries of Skinner published in major newspapers and expresses his gratefulness for Skinner's contributions to the field of behavioral psychology, including his writing of "The Behavior of Organisms" and development of teaching machines and programed instruction.…

The daughter of Burrhus Frederic Skinner writes of her father's activities during the last few days of his life--his speech upon receipt of an award from the American Psychological Association, his work on research papers and books, interviews, and his final admission to the hospital where he died. (JDD)

Conducted two studies in which college students (n=241) described their methods of coping with depressive affect and evaluated efficaciousness of those methods. Five times more behavioral than cognitive strategies were reported. Ratings for perceived effectiveness for all strategies were higher than ratings of likelihood of being employed. Men's…