The relations among child negative interactive behavior,child temperament,and maternal behavior

Negative behavior toward the mother during toddlerhood might be a marker of increased risk for maladjustment. The aim of the present study was to examine the possible antecedents of toddler boys’ negative behavior observed in interaction with the mother: child temperament, and maternal behavior toward the child. We studied the moderating and mediating role of two dimensions of maternal behavior, sensitivity and intrusiveness, in the relationship between children's temperamental traits (frustration, soothability and activity level), on the one hand, and child negative behavior, on the other hand. The sample consisted of 112 mother–son dyads observed when the child was 17 months old. A temperament questionnaire was completed by the mothers. Child negative interactive behavior, maternal sensitivity and intrusiveness were observed at home during a 13-min play session. Maternal sensitivity was negatively related to child negative interactive behavior regardless of child temperament. Maternal intrusiveness, however, moderated the relation between activity level and negative behavior, i.e., children with high activity level showed higher levels of negative behavior especially when the mother was highly intrusive. Furthermore, maternal intrusiveness acted as a mediator in the relation between soothability and negative behavior, i.e., low soothability was linked to higher maternal intrusiveness, which in turn was associated with higher negative behavior.     

Teachers' differential behavior

This paper reviews research and theory pertaining to teachers' differential treatment of different students in the classroom. Research on the behavioral-mediation (or transmission) of teacher expectancies is the major source of information about teachers' differential behavior toward high and low achievers. The common behaviors in expectancy-mediation research are listed, together with their meta-analytic effect magnitudes. A proposed conceptualization of teachers' differential behavior distinguishes between (a) the relatively equitable distribution of teachers' feedback; (b) compensation of low achievers in the instructional domain; and (c) a reversed trend of providing a warmer emotional climate and more positive affect to high achievers. Subsequent discussion focuses on students' perceptions of teachers' differential behavior, with special emphasis on gaps between students' and teachers' perceptions in the affective domain. Latter sections of the paper review teachers' differential behavior toward specific student types, particularly toward teachers' pets, and teachers' differential behavior in the physical space of the classroom.     

Attitude and behavior are correlates

Science attitude scales can be expected to predict science-related behavior. But A-B correspondence can seldom be expected to approach the r value of 1.00. Attitude and behavior covary to the degree that valid measurement and mediating variables are considered: Individual differences of subjects (e.g., high versus low self-monitoring); the social situation (e.g., direct experience); cognitive factors (e.g., attitude accessibility in memory). Attitude and behavior are reciprocal; that is, attitude can follow behavior. Variables other than attitude, e.g., behavioral intention, previous behavior, and habit, may under some conditions better predict behavior. Also, a viable alternative to attitude testing may be direct appraisal of some science classroom behaviors through ethnomethodology.     

Cognitive mode and classroom behavior

The present study investigated the relationship between cognitive mode and classroom behavior. Seventy-six randomly selected elementary students were administered the Adapted Children's Form of Your Style of Learning and Thinking (SOLAT) to obtain their left, right, and integrated hemisphere cognitive mode scores, and were also rated by their classroom teachers on the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklist (WPBIC) and an informal learning/behavior problem checklist. Subjects determined to have a predominant right hemisphere cognitive mode (N = 38) scored significantly higher on the learning/behavior problem checklist and the WPBIC measures of acting-out, withdrawal, distractibility, and total scale score than did subjects with a predominant left hemisphere cognitive mode (N = 25) or a predominant integrated hemisphere cognitive mode (N = 13). Correlations between the cognitive mode scores and the behavior rating measures revealed that the right hemisphere cognitive mode scores correlated positively and significantly with the learning/behavior problem checklist and WPBIC measures of acting-out and distractibility, while integrated hemisphere cognitive mode scores correlated negatively and significantly with the learning/behavior problem checklist and the WPBIC measure of acting-out. Implications of the findings are discussed relative to the left-brained instructional practices of our educational system and the consequent learning/behavior problems experienced by students witha predominant right hemisphere cognitive mode.     

Hyperactive children's perceptions of teachers' classroom behavior

The relationship between hyperactive behavior and children's perceptions of teachers' behavior was investigated. Particular attention was paid to two aspects of teacher behavior—acceptance and demand. An extensive literature review supported the position of viewing hyperactive behavior from a situational and an interactional perspective. The literature also indicated that children's behavior is affected by their perceptions of adult behavior. The subjects were 92 boys enrolled in 8 regular elementary school classrooms. Children's perceptions of acceptance and demand in their teacher's behavior were measured by administering a partial form of the Teacher Behavior Questionnaire to classroom groups. Observed levels of hyperactive behavior were measured by having the subjects' teachers complete the Conners Abbreviated Questionnaire for each boy. Using correlational analyses, hyperactive behavior was found to be significantly related to both variables in the directions of less perceived acceptance and greater perceived demand. The combination of these two measures accounted for 16% of the variance between hyperactivity and student perception of teacher behavior. On group comparison measures, hyperactive boys perceived significantly less acceptance and greater demand than did their nonhyperactive peers.     

Spontaneous alternation behavior in Paramecium

Spontaneous alternating behavior (SAB), the tendency of an organism to successively turn left and right in a maze, is a standard metric of short-term memory in developmental and pyschopharmacological studies. Although SAB is perhaps the most phylogenetically widespread behavior in motile lifeforms, conflicting data on SAB exist for several sets of closely related taxa. For example, previous studies provide contradictory evidence concerning the existence of spontaneous alternation behavior in the protozoanParamecium. However, these studies tested different species, using very different experimental designs. Using a single, factorial design for both previously tested species,P. multimicronucleatum andP. caudatum, we found that, in fact, the two species do not differ in their alternation behavior; specifically, they alternate in mazes with short tracks, but not in mazes with long tracks. These results are in accord with alternation studies on other taxa, and they fully resolve the apparent contradictions in the earlier studies onParamecium. They also indicate that caution should be used in interpreting variable results across species tested with different experimental designs and suggest that, in at least some taxa, SAB may not be strictly dependent on the use of short-term memory.     

The effects of token reinforcement on delinquents' classroom behavior

The effects of a token reinforcement program on the classroom behavior of 19 delinquent boys in a correctional institution were investigated. Appropriate classroom behavior was defined in terms of four component categories: on-time/in-seat, on-task, social interaction, and assignment completion. A measure of total appropriate classroom behavior was calculated by summing the frequency of target response occurrence for each component behavior. Withdrawal and reinstatement of token reinforcement procedures demonstrated experimental control of total appropriate classroom behavior; however, considerable variability of component behaviors was observed. Token reinforcement control was most clearly demonstrated with on-time/in-seat behavior; assignment behavior was similarly influenced but showed greater variability; on-task behavior was noticeably affected but exhibited an ascending trend during the reversal phase; and social interaction behavior showed fluctuations which appeared unrelated to reinforcement contingencies. These findings suggest that the use of global, composite measures may mask program effects on important component behaviors.     

Effects of instructions for on-task behavior and academic behavior: Two case studies

The effects of daily teacher instructions to “work hard” for the on-task behavior of two special education students during a math period were examined in a multiple-baseline design. The results indicated that teacher instructions could increase such behavior. Generalization to work output (the rate of correct math problems) was observed. Follow-up data revealed that the effects of the instructional procedure were of lasting duration. It was suggested that instructions could be an effective, inexpensive, easy to implement, and socially acceptable classroom intervention procedure.     

Infant day care facilitates preschool social behavior

Seventy-one preschool-age children entering infant day care at varying times and receiving varying amounts of infant day care were compared on their reunion-with-parent behavior, teacher and parent ratings of their behavior, and playground play interactions. Age of entry into day care (≤ 6 months vs. > 6 months) had no significant effect on attachment to mother as measured by reunion behaviors or on play and socialization skills as measured by observation and behavior rating scales in a full-time day-care setting. Furthermore, children with more hours and months of day care engaged in less watching, solitary play, and teacher comfort-seeking behavior, and they showed more cooperative play, positive affect, peer interaction, and positive verbal interaction. Thus continuous infant day care in quality centers appears to facilitate preschool social behavior and does not negatively affect attachment behavior.     

Treating children's aggressive behavior problems using cognitive behavior therapy with virtual reality: A multicenter randomized controlled trial

This multicenter randomized controlled trial investigated whether interactive virtual reality enhanced effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to reduce children's aggressive behavior problems. Boys with aggressive behavior problems (N = 115; M_age = 10.58, SD = 1.48; 95.7% born in Netherlands) were randomized into three groups: CBT with virtual reality, CBT with roleplays, or care-as-usual. Bayesian analyses showed that CBT with virtual reality more likely reduced aggressive behavior compared to care-as-usual for six of seven outcomes (ds 0.19–0.95), and compared to CBT with roleplays for four outcomes (ds 0.14–0.68). Moreover, compared to roleplays, virtual reality more likely enhanced children's emotional engagement, practice immersion, and treatment appreciation. Thus, virtual reality may be a promising tool to enhance CBT effectiveness for children with aggressive behavior problems.     

Reevaluating canine perspective-taking behavior

Udell, Dorey, and Wynne (2011) demonstrated that both domesticated and nondomesticated canids—specifically, gray wolves—have the capacity to succeed on perspective-taking tasks, suggesting that dogs’ ability to respond to the human attentional state is not a by-product of domestication alone. Furthermore, not all dogs were successful on the task. Instead, the occluder type used was a strong predictor of performance, indicating the important role of environment and experience for tasks of this type. Here, we address several commentaries reflecting on the methods and design of that study, as well as the interpretation of the results. We also discuss the positive shift toward more interactive approaches in the field of canine behavior and cognition. Finally, we question the functionality of describing canine social behavior in terms of theory of mind.     

The case for individualizing behavior management approaches in inclusive classrooms

Abstract

In today's heterogeneous classrooms, one-method-fitsall- students behavior management approaches are ineffective and often harmful. To succeed with all of their students, teachers should determine whether students have emotional disorders, conduct/behavior disorders, robust male-typical behavior patterns, culturally influenced behavior, learning problems or disabilities and so on, and select and implement behavior management techniques that are particularly appropriate for each group.     

Impact of instruction on behavior disordered and learning disabled students' creative behavior

Ninety-eight pupils from intermediate-level behavior disordered and learning disabled self-contained classrooms served as subjects. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking were used as pretests and posttests to measure the effect of creativity instruction on the creative thinking skills of the subjects. For 14 weeks the Purdue Creative Thinking Program was used to stimulate the behaviorally disordered (BD) and learning disabled (LD) experimental group's creative behavior. Subjects in the BD and LD experimental group made significantly greater scores than did the control groups on the verbal and figural subtests of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.     

Digging behavior in 12 taxa of muroid rodents

The digging behavior of 12 taxa of muroid rodents was observed on sand and peat substrates. Overall, significantly more digging was performed on peat than on sand. The percentage of animals of each taxon that dug was found to be positively correlated with both the duration of digging and the number of bouts of digging and negatively correlated with latency to dig. Differences across taxa in the duration of digging were correlated with field observations of the nesting behavior of these taxa; taxa that frequently utilize subterranean nest sites exhibited more digging than those that do not. The motor patterns used in digging are described;Mus musculus was the only species that appeared to exhibit a unique digging pattern. Digging behavior appears to be a pattern that is readily elicited in the laboratory, related to behavior in the field, and appropriated for further laboratory study.     

Teacher-pupil compatibility and teachers' ratings of children's behavior

Canonical variate analysis of the relationships between teachers' ratings of children's behavior and an index of teacher-pupil compatibility objectively demonstrated a significant relationship between behaviors representative of serious psychopathology and teacher-pupil compatibility. Previous multivariate analyses of variance had failed to identify meaningful relationships between teacher-pupil compatibility and teacher nomination of a child as a behavior problem. This study provides inferential support for the contention that school behavior problems and emotional disturbances are separate nosological entities.     

Profiles of disruptive behavior across early childhood: contributions of frustration reactivity, physiological regulation, and maternal behavior

Disruptive behavior, including aggression, defiance, and temper tantrums, typically peaks in early toddlerhood and decreases by school entry; however, some children do not show this normative decline. The current study examined disruptive behavior in 318 boys and girls at 2, 4, and 5 years of age and frustration reactivity, physiological regulation, and maternal behavior in the laboratory at 2 years of age. A latent profile analysis resulted in 4 longitudinal profiles of disruptive behavior, which were differentiated by interactions between reactivity, regulation, and maternal behavior. A high profile was associated with high reactivity combined with high maternal control or low regulation combined with low maternal control. Results are discussed from a developmental psychopathology perspective.     

Teacher instructional behavior change through self-control

This study illustrates the use of self-control procedures to modify teacher instructional behavior. A teacher wanted to increase the frequency of approval statements and decrease the frequency of disapproval statements. She followed a plan that included self-assessment, self-observation and recording, self-determination of cues, self-determination of performance criteria, self-selection of consequences, and self-administration of consequences. Specifically, the plan included a card self-recording system, cues, and overt rewards. A functional relationship between teacher behavior and student behavior also is suggested by the corresponding reduction in the frequency of inappropriate talk-outs by a target student in relation to the teacher's self-modification.     

Perceptions of control over social outcomes and student behavior

Locus of control and classroom behavior data were gathered from 223 randomly selected students in 75 senior high and junior high school classrooms. The major purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between LOC orientation regarding social outcomes and two types of classroom behavior: considerate vs. hostile, and task-oriented vs. distractible. Results showed moderate positive correlation between internality and both Considerate and Task-Oriented behavior. The strongest relationship observed was that between perceptions about the teacher's control over negative outcomes and the students' behavior. Differences in relations were observed for males and females.     

Self-esteem and classroom behavior in elementary school children

While many investigators have examined the relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement, and between behavior and achievement, there has been little research examining the relationship between self-esteem and classroom behavior. The present study investigated the relationship between self-esteem, using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, and classroom behavior, using the Classroom Behavior Rating Scale, with a sample of 54 elementary school children. Results indicate that a significant relationship exists between self-esteem and classroom behavior. The implications of this with regard to teachers' modification of student behaviors are discussed.     

The family check-up with high-risk indigent families: preventing problem behavior by increasing parents' positive behavior support in early childhood

Seven hundred thirty-one income-eligible families in 3 geographical regions who were enrolled in a national food supplement program were screened and randomized to a brief family intervention. At child ages 2 and 3, the intervention group caregivers were offered the Family Check-Up and linked parenting support services. Latent growth models on caregiver reports at child ages 2, 3, and 4 revealed decreased behavior problems when compared with the control group. Intervention effects occurred predominantly among families reporting high levels of problem behavior at child age 2. Families in the intervention condition improved on direct observation measures of caregivers' positive behavior support at child ages 2 and 3; improvements in positive behavior support mediated improvements in children's early problem behavior.