The detrimental effects of physical restraint as a consequence for inappropriate classroom behavior. (17/463)

Functional analyses produced inconclusive results regarding variables that maintained problem behavior for 2 students with developmental disabilities. Procedures were modified to include a contingent physical restraint condition based on in-class observations. Results indicated that tinder conditions in which physical restraint (i.e., basket-hold timeout) was applied contingent on problem behavior, rates of these behaviors increased across sessions for both subjects. Implications for the use of physical restraint in the classroom are discussed.  (+info)

Treating overweight children through parental training and contingency contracting. (18/463)

Fifteen overweight girls aged 5 to 11 yr were randomly assigned to one of two weight-reduction treatments: response-cost plus reinforcement, response-cost only, or a no-treatment control group. In the response-cost plus reinforcement group, parents contracted to facilitate their child's weight loss by carrying out reinforcement and stimulus control techniques, completing weekly charts and graphs, and encouraging their child to exercise. The response-cost only group parents did not contract to reinforce their child's performance. The response-cost program applied to both experimental groups was conducted in weekly meetings in which parents lost previously deposited sums of money. Twenty-five per cent was deducted for missing the weekly meeting, 25% for failing to fill out charts and graphs, and 50% if their child failed to meet her specified weekly weight-loss goal. At the end of the 12-week treatment period, both experimental groups had lost significantly more weight than the control group. After an eight-week, no-contact follow-up, some of the lost weight was regained. The response-cost plus reinforcement group was still significantly below the controls. The response-cost group just missed significance. A 31-week, no-contact follow-up failed to show a treatment effect, but did show a trend towards slower weight gain by the response-cost plus reinforcement group.  (+info)

4-(2-Chloro-4-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-N-[(1S)-2-cyclopropyl-1-(3-fluoro-4-methylp henyl)ethyl]5-methyl-N-(2-propynyl)-1, 3-thiazol-2-amine hydrochloride (SSR125543A), a potent and selective corticotrophin-releasing factor(1) receptor antagonist. II. Characterization in rodent models of stress-related disorders. (19/463)

The present study investigated the effects of the novel corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF)(1) receptor antagonist 4-(2-chloro-4-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-N-[(1S)-2-cyclopropyl-1-(3-fluoro-4-methylp henyl)ethyl]5-methyl-N-(2-propynyl)-1,3-thiazol-2-amine hydrochloride (SSR125543A) in a variety of rodent models of anxiety, including conflict procedures (punished drinking and four-plate), exploration models (elevated plus-maze and light/dark), a fear/anxiety defense test battery, and several procedures based on stress-induced changes in physiological (isolation-induced hyperthermia and tail pinch-induced cortical norepinephrine release) or behavioral (social defeat-induced anxiety, maternal separation-induced vocalization) parameters. Moreover, the effects of SSR125543A were investigated in acute (forced swimming) and chronic (chronic mild stress; CMS) models of depression. SSR125543A and the CRF(1) receptor antagonist antalarmin displayed limited efficacy in exploration-based anxiety models. In contrast, both compounds produced clear-cut anxiolytic-like activity in models involving inescapable stress, including the conflict procedures, the social defeat-induced anxiety paradigm and the defense test battery (3-30 mg/kg i.p. or p.o.). These effects paralleled those of the anxiolytic diazepam. In addition, SSR125543A and antalarmin antagonized stress-induced hyperthermia, distress vocalization, and cortical norepinephrine release. In the forced swimming test, 30 mg/kg p.o. SSR125543A and 3 to 30 mg/kg p.o. antalarmin produced clear antidepressant-like effects. These latter results were strengthened by the findings from the CMS, which showed that repeated administration of 10 mg/kg i.p. SSR125543A for 30 days improved the degradation of the physical state, the reduction of body weight gain, and anxiety produced by stress. Together, these data indicate that SSR125543A shows good activity in acute and chronic tests of unavoidable stress exposure, suggesting that it may have a potential in the treatment of depression and some forms of anxiety disorders.  (+info)

Inpatient costs and paramilitary punishment beatings in northern Ireland. (20/463)

BACKGROUND: Paramilitary punishment beatings are a common occurrence in Northern Ireland. Little is known about the costs such attacks impose on the health service. METHODS: Data was collected retrospectively on victims treated by Northern Ireland's regional specialist orthopaedics unit. Data related to all victims treated in the unit between January 1999 and May 2000. RESULTS: Average inpatient care costs were 2010 Pounds ($2914). There was no significant difference in these between patients who were shot and those who were beaten. CONCLUSION: Punishment beatings present a small but significant cost burden to the health service. A fuller understanding of them from a health care perspective is warranted.  (+info)

Perceptions of Canadian dental faculty and students about appropriate penalties for academic dishonesty. (21/463)

The purpose of this investigation was to a) compare the opinions of Canadian faculty and students as regards to what they felt was an appropriate penalty for particular academic offenses and b) to analyze the results and create a jurisprudence grid to serve as a guideline for appropriate disciplinary action. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed to the ten dental colleges in Canada. Each college was asked to have ten faculty and ten students complete the survey. A response rate of 100 percent was achieved for students and 92 percent for faculty. The questionnaire required respondents to select what they felt were appropriate penalties for a list of fifteen academic offenses and to render judgment on three specific cases. Statistical analysis of survey responses led to the following conclusions: 1) students gave equal or more lenient penalties than faculty for the same offense; 2) extenuating circumstances introduced via case presentations altered penalty choice only slightly; and 3) offenses could be grouped to correspond with appropriate penalties, thereby establishing a jurisprudence grid that may serve as a guideline for adjudication committees.  (+info)

Childhood discipline: challenges for clinicians and parents. (22/463)

Although childhood discipline is an important issue for parents, this topic is seldom emphasized by family physicians during well-child examinations. Behavior problems are relatively common but frequently under-recognized by physicians. Opportunities to counsel parents about safe, effective methods of discipline are therefore missed. Discipline should be instructive and age-appropriate and should include positive reinforcement for good behavior. Punishment is only one aspect of discipline and, in order to be effective, it must be prompt, consistent, and fair. Time-out is frequently used to correct younger children, but because it is often enforced improperly, it loses its effectiveness. Corporal punishment is a controversial but common form of discipline that is less effective than some other types of punishment. Its use is linked to child and spouse abuse, as well as to future substance use, violent crime, poor self-esteem, and depression. Despite the possible negative effects of corporal punishment, it is still widely accepted in our society. Since discipline plays an important role in the social and emotional development of children, physicians should be trained to discuss this issue with parents during routine well-child examinations.  (+info)

On the status of knowledge for using punishment implications for treating behavior disorders. (23/463)

In this paper, we review basic and applied findings on punishment and discuss the importance of conducting further research in this area. The characteristics of responding during punishment and numerous factors that interact with basic processes are delineated in conjunction with implications for the treatment of behavior disorders in clinical populations. We conclude that further understanding of punishment processes is needed to develop a highly systematic, effective technology of behavior change, including strategies for improving the efficacy of less intrusive procedures and for successfully fading treatment.  (+info)

Punishment happens: some comments on Lerman and Vorndran's review. (24/463)

Some readers will view the article by Lerman and Vorndran as controversial. It is a review of existing basic and applied research on punishment and a call for additional research on punishment. The thesis of my commentary is that the paper should not be viewed as controversial. Punishment happens. To ignore a natural phenomenon and its implications for a technology of behavior is akin to ignoring the physical nature of the universe. A science and a technology of behavior are incomplete without research on punishment. Five reasons to pursue punishment research are discussed, along with some caveats.  (+info)