Marilyn T. Erickson

Teachers’ Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Patterns as a Function of Teacher Race, Student Gender, and Student Race

Teachers’ verbal and nonverbal behaviors were examined in the natural classroom setting to assess differences based on sex of child, race of child, and race of teacher. The subjects were 16 (8 black and 8 white) female first grade teachers in an urban public elementary school system. All teachers’ classrooms contained students of both races with at least a 1 to 3 ratio of one race to the other. Trained observers recorded verbal and nonverbal behavior for each instance of teacher behavior directed toward individual children in each classroom. The results indicated that white teachers directed more verbal praise and criticism and nonverbal praise toward males and more nonverbal criticism toward black males.

A model for training psychologists to provide services for children and adolescents.

Center for Mental Health Services Background and rationale for a comprehensive model of training for psychologists to provide services to children and adolescents are outlined. Eleven integrated aspects of training are described with respect to training topics, justification for the training, and ways to implement the training. The model described addresses the need for guidance in training specialists in psychologically based mental health services for children, adolescents, and their families. Practitioners can use this model to assess their own backgrounds, knowledge, and skills in working with these populations. Children, adolescents, and their families represent a large segment of the population whose mental health needs are un- derserved (Markel-Fox & Stiles, 1996; Saxe, Cross, & Sil- verman, 1988). The relative lack of psychologists adequately trained to provide assessment, treatment, and prevention ser- vices to these groups pose s a major obstacle to providing more and better services. Over many years, professionals have in- creasingly recognized the need for an updated, comprehensive, and integrated outline of training components in the area of THE GENESIS OF THIS MODEL

The application of structural equation modeling to maternal ratings of twins' behavioral and emotional problems.

The application of structural equation modeling to twin data is used to assess the impact of genetic and environmental factors on childrens behavioral and emotional functioning. The models are applied to the maternal ratings of behavior of a subsample of 515 monozygotic and 749 dizygotic juvenile twin pairs, ages 8 through 16, obtained through mailed questionnaires as part of the Medical College of Virginia Adolescent Behavioral Development Twin Project. The importance of genetic, shared, and specific environmental factors for explaining variation is reported for both externalizing and internalizing behaviors, as well as significant differences in the causes of variation in externalizing behaviors among young boys and girls. The usefulness of applying structural equation models to data on monozygotic and dizygotic twins and the potential implications for addressing clinically relevant questions regarding the causes of psychopathology are discussed.

The Child Abuse Potential Inventory: a study of concurrent validity

Forty-four subjects were assigned to a High or Low Abuse Potential Group based upon their Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventorys abuse scale scores. Each subjects heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) were monitored while the subject was viewing videotape presentations of an infant smiling, crying, or quiescent. The High Abuse Potential Group had a faster peak HR throughout the videotape presentations with no significant differences among videotape segments. The Low Abuse Potential Group had a slower peak HR and had a significantly lower HR during the Smile and Cry segments than in the second Quiescent segment. The males accounted for most of the significant SC variability among tape segments. The pattern of SC responses revealed that the males were less aroused than the females, the Low Abuse Potential Group was less aroused than the High Abuse Potential group, and all four groups showed a decrease in arousal toward the end of the videotape presentations. The results provide support for the concurrent validity of the CAP inventory.

Childhood behavior problems: a comparison of twin and non-twin samples

This study compares standardized measures of childhood behavior problems in a community-based twin sample with those for normative samples from the general population. Maternal parent ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for 1824 twins were compared with the CBCL normative sample. The results indicated that twins showed small but consistently higher levels of problem behaviors. These elevations were significant for older children on both internalizing and externalizing behaviors; for younger children the elevations were significant for externalizing but not internalizing behaviors.

A comparison of cognitive strategies in modifying the cognitive style of impulsive third-grade children.

The present study was designed to test the relative effectiveness of two cognitive strategies in the modification of an impulsive cognitive tempo among school-age children. Twenty-four third-grade children were assigned through a three-step randomized block procedure to one of the four following experimental conditions: (1)Scanning Strategy Instructions, (2)Verbal Self-Instructions, (3)Scanning Strategy Instructions plus Verbal Self-Instructions, and (4)Attention Control. The results of the current investigation suggest that a streamlined cognitive training procedure, involving either scanning strategy instructions or verbal self-instructions, is sufficient when the goal is the modification of an impulsive cognitive tempo exhibited by normal elementary school children. The effects of the cognitive training procedures generalized to the childrens academic work, but not to their nonacademic behavior in the classroom.

Self and informant ratings of SCID‐II personality disorder items for nonreferred college women: Effects of item and participant characteristics

Examined the relationship between self- and informant-ratings on Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders (SCID-II) items. Seventy-five female undergraduate student volunteers and their roommates also completed the Brief Symptom Inventory, Rubins Liking Scale, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Self-rating scores on personality disorder items were significantly higher than informant-ratings on five personality disorder scales. Participants and informants endorsed more personality disorder items rated higher on social desirability. No relationship was found between subjectivity of personality disorder scales and differences between self- and informant-ratings. Participants with higher needs for positive self-presentation rated themselves lower on nine personality disorder scales. A higher level of liking for roommates was associated with lower informant ratings for six personality disorder scales.

Social skill in third and sixth grade children: A moderator of lifetime stressful life events and behavior problems?

We investigated relationships among stressful lifetime life events, social skill, and behavior problems in children. Participants were 159 third graders, 138 sixth graders, and their mothers. Mothers reported on their childrens life events, social skill, and behavior problems. Children self-reported on their social skill and behavior problems. Increased numbers of stressful life events significantly predicted increased behavior problems in third and sixth graders. Increased social skill significantly predicted decreased behavior problems in third and sixth graders. Social skill served a stress-protective role for third but not sixth graders; third graders with increased life events and better social skill had fewer behavior problems than their less socially skilled peers. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed, and suggestions for future resilience research are presented.

The Psychological, Social, and Medical Needs of Lower Socioeconomic Status Mothers of Asthmatic Children

Extensive clinical literature describes parental reactions and stages of adjustment to chronic illnesses of their children, but such observations have not yet been empirically demonstrated. Utilizing a cross-sectional approach, the present study examined the psychological/emotional, social/instrumental, and medical/educational problems experienced by lower socioeconomic status (SES) mothers of 45 asthmatic children as a function of the length of time that had elapsed since the diagnosis of their childrens illness. Data analysis indicated that the problem areas did not vary with the length of time since diagnosis. The majority of mothers reported difficulties related to their childrens illness in each area.

Reading Disability in Relation to Performance on Neurological Tests for Minimal Brain Dysfunction

All 155 children in the second grade of a public school (mean age 7 · 6 years) were given an intelligence test, an oral reading achievement test, and a series of items assessing minimal brain dysfunction (MBD). Correlational analyses indicated that about half the mbd items were significantly related to mental age and iq score. From the original sample, three groups of reading‐disabled children were identified on the basis of objective criteria. Statistical comparisons between the reading‐disabled groups and control groups, matched for sex and iq, revealed no differences on the neurological test items for minimal brain dysfunction.