Donald R. Ottinger

Skill and Chance Orientations as Determiners of Problem-Solving Behavior in Lower-and Middle-Class Children.

This study was an attempt to replicate a previous finding that lower- and middle-class children of the same MA differ in their performance on a partially reinforced three-choice learning task. It was also an attempt to assess the role that skill and chance orientations play in determining this differential performance of social-class groups. The most significant finding of this study was that skill-oriented Ss showed less maximizing (correct responses) and more left, middle, right patterning of their responses than chance-oriented Ss. No main effect of social class was found but an interaction effect did occur that reflected significantly more left, middle, right patterning of responses by middle-class skill-oriented Ss than any other group.

Comparison of the Toy-Play Behavior of Autistic, Retarded, and Normal Children: A Reanalysis

Tilton and Ottinger (1964) examined differences among autistic, retarded, and normal children by observing their behavior in a toy-play setting. The purpose of this study was to reanalyze these data using a multiple discriminant function analysis, which allowed consideration of all 10 categories of toy play and their intercorrelations within one analysis. Significant differences (p < .001) were found among the 3 groups and between the possible pairs of groups (normal-autistic, normal-retarded, autistic-retarded). In addition, information about the statistical classification of individuals was available. In the four discriminant function analyses, the proportions of Ss statistically classified the same as their original psychiatric diagnosis were .96 of the normals, .83 of the autistics, and .89 of the retardates. The combinational category of toy play emerged as the most important variable in discriminating the groups in all four analyses. It was concluded that this observational technique combined with the multiple discriminant function analysis would have practical utility as a diagnostic and evaluative measurement instrument.

Evaluating Drug Effectiveness in an Office Setting for Children with Attention Deficit Disorders

Stimulant medications have been demonstrated to be useful in treating groups of children with attention deficit disorders, but placebo effects and situaticanal differences in behavior in individual cases need to be followed and assessed. A simple procedure for systematically assessing these factors in the individual child in the ofhce setting is described and illustrated. The procedure provides an objective means of determining the drug and placebo effects on the reported problem behavior and the differences between parent and teacher perceptions of the behavior.

A case study: Encopretic adolescent with multiple problems

Abstract A 14‐year‐old boy with a 7‐year history of encopresis and concomitant social problems was treated in a multi‐faceted behavioral program. Besides the encopresis, the client had difficulties in coping with anxiety and he exhibited deficits in social skills, assertion, study skills, and other self‐control behaviors. The intervention program consisted of relaxation training and skills training to remove the deficits. Treatment was successful as the client and parents reported improvement in his toileting and overall life functioning at termination and at a six‐month follow‐up.