Much behavior development is cumulative and hierarchical in that subsequent learning is dependent on prior learning. The behavior or behavioral changes that produce subsequent important behavioral changes are referred to as basic behavioral repertoires or behavioral cusps. This progression of learning is called "cumulative-hierarchical learning,"…

In recent years, functional analysis methods have been extended to classroom settings; however, research has not evaluated the extent to which consequences presented during functional analysis are associated with problem behavior under naturalistic classroom conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the social…

Behavior-analytic approaches to occupational safety are often effective for improving safety in organizations, and have been successful in a wide variety of settings. The effects of these safety processes are thought to arise primarily from the behavioral observation process and the delivery of feedback. Typically, supervisors or employee…

This article explores how different raters have different strengths and weaknesses. Parents know their children well, but have a narrower framework on which to base their judgments about behavior problems. Moreover, in some cases such as hyperactivity, they are prone to exaggerate differences between their children. Teachers have greater expertise…

Wandering is a difficult-to-manage behavior problem for individuals with cognitive impairments that can jeopardize safety if an individual enters a hazardous area or becomes lost. This study investigated the effects of a cloth barrier on entry into an unsafe area. The cloth barrier reduced entry into the restricted area and had high treatment…

Many teachers feel unprepared to deal with disruptive behavior and believe this substantially interferes with their teaching and their ability to successfully include children with disabilities (Schumm & Vaughn, 1995). In addition to the stress of dealing with never-ending piles of paperwork, working with challenging students may be one of the…

The purpose of this experiment was to establish discriminative control of responding by an antecedent stimulus using differential punishment because the results of past studies on this topic have been mixed. Three adults with mental retardation who exhibited stereotypy not maintained by social consequences (i.e., automatic reinforcement)…

Campbell Loughmiller (1906-1993) is widely recognized as a leader in therapeutic work with troubled youngsters in outdoor settings. Rejecting punitive or institutional models of intervention, Loughmiller set out to demonstrate that every young person has strengths, desires to make positive changes, can grow in responsibility, and contribute to…

The purpose of this study was to produce a typology of behavior problems in preschool children. Distinct subtypes were identified through the use of cluster analytic techniques on data from the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)--Parent Rating Scales. Analyses were based on archival data collected on a sample of 268 children, aged 2 to…

Objective: Chronic snoring that does not adhere to the criteria for a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome may be associated with learning and behavioral problems. We investigated the sleep structure of chronic snorers who had an apnea-hypopnea index of less than 1 event per hour and analyzed the cyclic alternating pattern. Methods:…

Few studies have examined the impact of children with genetic disorders and their unaffected siblings on family functioning. In this study, the reciprocal causal links between problem behaviors and maternal distress were investigated in 150 families containing a child with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and an unaffected sibling. Both children's…

Research has shown that cognitive processes like the attribution of hostile intention or angry emotion to others contribute to the development and maintenance of conduct problems. However, the role of memory has been understudied in comparison with attribution biases. The aim of this study was thus to test if a memory bias for angry faces was…

The current study describes the assessment and treatment of the problem behavior of 3 individuals with autism for whom initial functional analysis results were inconclusive. Subsequent analyses revealed that the interruption of free-operant behavior using "do" requests (Study 1) as well as "do" and "don't" requests (Study 2) occasioned problem…

The relationship between morningness/eveningness (M/E) and morning-to-afternoon cortisol ratio, pubertal timing, and antisocial behavior was examined in 111 girls and boys ages 8 to 13 years. Cortisol levels showed a significant increase after awakening and declined thereafter (p less than .05). Eveningness was related to a composite measure of…

The author believes that issues of behaviour in the mathematics classroom are intimately connected to views of mathematics and the learning of mathematics. Maths teachers' perspectives on classroom behaviour will be influenced by many factors, but one often neglected and highly significant factor will be their view of mathematics as a subject. In…