Doctoral and nondoctoral practicing school psychologists: Are there differences?

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe differences between doctoral and nondoctoral practicing school psychologists. Participants selected for the study were school psychologists who were full-time practitioners in a school setting. The sample was randomly selected from the 1992 National Association of School Psychologists Membership Database. Four hundred forty persons were selected to serve as a sample of the NASP membership, and 359 responded to the survey. Of those that responded, 232 were full-time practitioners employed in the schools and formed the sample used in the data analysis. Overall, doctoral and nondoctoral school psychologists were very much alike in terms of age, gender, and years of experience. Doctoral level school psychologists were more likely to be employed in urban areas. Both groups spend a similar amount of time participating in seven different job activities. Doctoral and nondoctoral level practitioners working in schools maintain high levels of job satisfaction and the majority intend to remain in their current position and the profession for the next five years. Higher salaries and an increased likelihood of having a private practice outside of school are the major differences between doctoral and nondoctoral school psychologists practicing in the schools. Future evolution of the role of school psychologists may allow for the increased use of the advanced skills obtained by doctoral level school psychologists. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Assessment of perinatal risk factors

The test-retest stability of the Maternal Perinatal Scale (MPS) was examined for a random sample of 41 mothers. The stability of items over a two-day period ranged from 1.00 to .85 (r) for items with an underlying normal distribution and from 1.00 to .86 (Cramer's V or Phi coefficient) for nominal items. Moreover, 90% of the coefficients exceeded .90. Intercorrelations between specific information assessed by the items were consistent with clinical obstetric and research evidence. The results were interpreted as lending support to the clinical and research potential of a systematic self-report format in the assessment of perinatal histories.     

Reports of child sexual abuse in the schools

Few studies have examined the problem of child sexual abuse (CSA) as it relates to the role of the school psychologist. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of CSA reports to school psychologists, to examine the perceived quality of service to child victims, and to survey the usage of CSA prevention and screening programs as adjunct services in managing this problem. Of the 171 respondents, 498 child sexual abuse cases were reported. Respondents with prior CSA training rated their performance significantly higher than those without training in handling these cases. Those respondents reporting use of CSA prevention and screening programs generally rated their effectiveness as average or above. The results of this study suggested a need for training of school psychologists in the assessment of child sexual abuse. The results also implicated the use of prevention and screening programs as part of a service delivery program to all students in the public schools.     

Health sciences librarians of African heritage: an earnest entreaty for research

In view of recent discussions of diversity in library work, it would seem prudent to have a good understanding of basic facts and considered opinions of health sciences librarians of African heritage concerning their career experiences, opportunities for advancement, perceptions of negative behavior in the library, experiences of bias and discrimination in the library, existence of special information needs of patrons of African heritage, and interactions with non-African-heritage medical librarians and staff. Since there is a dearth of literature and research on these topics, this commentary will attempt to stimulate and encourage such work by providing a brief summary of currently available literature and research and providing some ideas for future academic endeavors.     

Use of an independent group contingency management system in a regular classroom setting

This paper examines the usefulness of an independent group contingency system for decreasing inappropriate behaviors. Twenty-five fourth-grade students enrolled in a regular class setting participated in this intervention, which involved a public posting system using positive reinforcement for desired behaviors. The program involved identification of target behaviors, collection of baseline data, program implementation, and follow-up. Targeted behaviors showed marked decreases across the 8-week treatment period and remained at this level through the end of the school year. Positive and negative factors influencing the effectiveness of the independent group contingency approach are reviewed. A second aspect of this paper is to discuss teacher-related variables that can influence the success of a management program developed by a psychological consultant.     

Psychometric Characteristics of the Revised Procrastination Inventory

The Procrastination Inventory developed for use with doctoral students in clinical psychology was modified for use with ABD students and doctoral graduates in a College of Education. The original Procrastination Inventory contained 43 items with 11 subscales. The structure of the revised measure was analyzed both through factor and Rasch analyses and three subscales that were more generalized were found instead of the eleven originally posited. The three subscales were: (1) procrastination, 20 items, alpha = .88, (2) perfectionism, 9 items, alpha = .64, and (3) graduate school comfort, 6 items, alpha = .59. Eight items were deleted after Rasch and factor analyses, resulting in a 35-item scale. Validity was demonstrated by the measure's ability to predict dissertation completion and through correlations with related measures. The Procrastination Inventory is useful in the study of attrition from doctoral programs, particularly at the dissertation stage.     

Memory modality differences in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder with and without learning disabilities

This study assesses information processing and memory functioning in 50 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) with and without learning disabilities (LD). Mode of presentation (visual vs. auditory), type of memory processing (immediate, short-term, and long-term), and order of recall (ordered vs. unordered) were assessed using the Learning Efficiency Test-II (LET-II). Both groups demonstrated difficulty with auditory ordered recall and lost substantial information from immediate memory to short-term and long-term memory stores. The ADHD/LD group also demonstrated more difficulty with ordered recall than the ADHD only group. While there were no differences between the two groups in regard to immediate recall, the ADHD/LD group demonstrated more problems transferring information into short-term and long-term memory stores than the ADHD only group. Verbal interference effects significantly decreased retention for both visual and auditory processing. Results indicate that ADHD alone presents significant problems in information processing, but the comorbid effects of a learning disability further intensify the negative impact of ADHD. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A study of gender differences among school psychologists

Full and intern members of ten state school psychology associations were surveyed regarding demographics, salaries, experience, yearly evaluations completed, contractual arrangements, and professional credentials and affiliations (N = 1,527). Results indicate higher proportions of women are increasingly entering the field. With years of experience considered, there were significant gender differences in yearly (p < .05), daily (p < .01), and hourly (p < .05) salary. There were no gender differences in the number of days worked yearly, number of hours worked daily, number of yearly evaluations completed, or the number of assigned schools. Gender differences were noted in professional credentials and professional affiliations. Implications of the emerging gender trend for service delivery are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Course materials presentation using video-based technologies: An evaluative study of college student performance and attitudes

A study was conducted in which one group of students was taught for 4 weeks using computer-generated lecture-relevant visual materials (i.e., still color video-displayed graphics) and then for 4 weeks using traditional lecture-relevant visual materials (i.e., blackboard and overhead transparency drawings). During the same time period, a comparable group of students was taught the same material by the same instructor for 4 weeks using traditional lecture-relevant visual materials and then for 4 weeks using computer-generated lecture-relevant visual materials. Students' learning of the course material (i.e., operationalized in terms of examination scores) and their attitudes about the course and instructor were assessed after the first 4-week period (Time 1) and the second 4-week period (Time 2). The pattern of exam score results suggested that student learning was negatively affected from Time 1 to Time 2 for those first having, and then not having, the computer-generated visuals and was positively affected from Time 1 to Time 2 for those first not having, and then having, the computer-generated visuals. Statistical tests performed on the data, however, did not reach acceptable levels of significance. Student attitudes did not parallel the performance data. Implications of the results are discussed.