Serial properties of behavior and their chemical modification

Certain features of operant behavior that are sensitive to the adverse effects of chemical exposure can be obscured by exclusive experimental reliance on global measures such as response rate. Temporal patterning of behavior is the clearest example. Reinforcement schedules studied in behavioral pharmacology and toxicology reveal novel consequences of chemical treatment when subjected to analyses of their temporal and serial properties. Fixed-ratio performance, for example, undergoes not only changes in response rate, but also displays distinctive shifts in inter-response time patterning, changes in the interresponse time distribution, and deterioration in what might be termed the cohesiveness of the ratio. Variable-interval performance also may change in distinctive ways that produce altered response patterning without marked changes in rate. Sequential dependencies, as measured by techniques of time series analysis, may also reveal effects not reflected by response rates. Spaced responding and autoregressive schedules provide examples. The serial and temporal properties alluded to above can be described and analyzed by a variety of quantitative techniques that also yield information of theoretical interest.     

Ethical issues of behavior modification research in schools

Behavior modification research in the classroom was examined by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects because of the increasingly widespread use of behavioral procedures in the schools, the effectiveness of these procedures in changing academic and social behavior, and the consequent concern about potential misuse. In order to foster the responsible use of behavior modification procedures in the schools on a practical as well as a research basis, the following ethical issues being considered by researchers and the involved public are discussed: informed consent, determination of classroom goals, legitimacy of rewards and aversive controls in the classroom, conceptions of behavior modification as manipulative and mechanistic, who can implement the procedures, research design, and accountability. The authors conclude that the issues regarding protection of human subjects in behavior modification research are no different from other treatment-oriented research with children. However, the high degree of parental and teacher involvement in both research and practice requires shared responsibility for the prevention of misuse of behavior modification procedures.     

A practical reinforcement hierarchy for classroom behavior modification

A practical reinforcement hierarchy was proposed for classroom-based behavior modification programs. The seven-level hierarchy ranged from primitive consequences (Le., Infantile Physical Contact and Food) through the more abstract consequences (i.e., Praise and Internal Self-Reinforcement). Suggestions were made for using the hierarchy in teacher consultation and behavior modification planning.     

未确知有理数在服装生产决策中的应用

利用未确知有理数理论,给出了对服装生产设计方案的优劣进行评价的一个数学模型方法。     

网格计算在网络学习情感评价中的应用初探

对网络学习的有效评价是当前的研究热点,其中对网络学习者的情感评价更是热点中的难点。网格计算技术是高性能计算技术与分布式计算技术相结合的产物,将它应用于网络学习中的情感计算就能了解学习者在学习活动中的情绪状态及其变化。本文尝试将网格计算技术应用于网络学习中的情感计算,旨在为解决网络学习者的情感评价难题抛砖引玉。     

Self-regulation of timeout duration in the modification of disruptive classroom behavior

The effects of self-determination vs. teacher-determination of timeout duration on disruptive behavior were investigated in a group of 15 students in a special classroom who had learning disabilities and/or behavior problems. There were five phases to the study: In a repeated measures design each subject received timeout for 5 minutes, no timeout, 5 minutes timeout, selfdetermined timeout duration, and student = teacher-determined timeout duration. The overall effect of timeout was to reduce significantly the rate of disruptive behavior. The effects of various timeout conditions did not differ, indicating self-management of timeout duration was just as effective as when the teacher set the timeout duration.     

Use of behavior modification with academically gifted students: A review of the research

This article responds to attitudes about giftedness in M. Sapon‐Shevin's article, “Explaining Giftedness to Parents: Why it Matters What Professionals Say.” Giftedness is not a reward or a privilege, but an aspect of a child's individuality that should be understood and taken into account by the educational system. Gifted children's needs are not solely academic, and it is parents who are responsible for meeting those needs. They need information from as many sources as possible. They are also excellent sources of information themselves, so the relationship between professionals and parents should be reciprocal. This article also responds to some of Sapon‐Shevin's objections to the book Guiding the Gifted Child, (Webb, Meckstroth, Tolan, 1982). In the preparation of this article, the writer worked closely with coauthors James T. Webb and Elizabeth Meckstroth, whose pioneering work with the SENG Project at Wright State University provided the basis of Guiding the Gifted Child.     

Some legal considerations and implications for the use of behavior modification in the schools

Legal considerations and implications for the utilization of behavior modification in the schools are presented. A limited number of applicable judicial proceedings and accompanying legal principles are explored. Special attention is focused on the derivation of disciplinary authority, the procedural and substantive rights of students, and the possible implications for several specific behavioral interventions within the classroom setting.