Richard Milich

Social information processing in child psychiatric populations

This study examined three kinds of social information-processing deficits in child psychiatric populations. The deficits studied were response decision biases, hostile attributional biases, and cue-utilization deficiencies. Subjects were diagnosed as hyperactive/aggressive (H/A) (n=24), exclusively hyperactive (n=14), exclusively aggressive (n=14), psychiatric control (n =23), and normal control (NC) (n=60) boys according to procedures suggested by Loney and Milich (1982). They were administered several tasks to solicit information-processing patterns. The H/A group was found to be deficient in all three areas asssessed, relative to the NC group. They were also deficient in response decisions and cue-utilization, relative to the other three groups of psychiatrically referred boys. Discriminant function analyses demonstrated that the H/A group displayed a distinct processing pattern. These results were found to be relevant to the study of behavior disorders, to social information processing theory, and to intervention efforts with these boys.

Preschool peer perceptions of the behavior of hyperactive and aggressive children

To assess if preschool children can successfully identify externalizing symptomatic behaviors in their male classmates, and if these perceptions are associated with peer-rated popularity and rejection, 154 preschool boys and girls were interviewed using a peer nomination procedure. Behavioral data on the same preschool boys (N=86) were also provided by their respective teachers. Preschool children were capable of providing stable nominations of popularity, rejection, and aggression, boys and girls significantly agreed in their nominations, and these nominations were not a function of the age of the rated child, although they differed somewhat as a function of the age of the rater. Teachers and peers reflected significant convergence in ratings of hyperactivity and aggression and teacher ratings of peer problems significantly agreed with actual peer nominations of popularity and rejection. Boys nominated as aggressive were more rejected by their classmates, whereas boys nominated as hyperactive were either more popular and /or more rejected. Limited evidence for differential patterns of relationships among hyperactivity, aggression, and peer status was obtained for both the peer and teacher data.

A Comparison of the Social Status and Social Behavior of Aggressive and Aggressive/Withdrawn Boys

The purpose of this study was to clarify contradictory findings concerning the social status of aggressive youngsters. This was undertaken by dividing kindergarten boys into either Aggressive [A] or Aggressive/Withdrawn [A/W] groups, as proposed by Ledingham [1981]. Both groups were found to be high on peer-nominated rejection, but the A group was also high on peer-nominated popularity while the A/W group was low. Similarly, both groups were observed to be high in negative peer interactions, but the A group was also high in positive interactions. It was noted that valuable information regarding the social status and social behavior of aggressive youngsters would be lost if such subgrouping is not undertaken. The relationship between Ledinghams categorizations and others reported in the literature was discussed.

A Comparison of Teacher and Peer Assessment of Social Status

Previous research has suggested that a simple teacher ranking of popularity can better predict observed social competence than a peer sociometric nomination procedure. This is an important finding as peer‐generated sociometric data are difficult and time consuming to collect. In order to further asssess this issue, teacher popularity rankings and peer popularity and rejection nominations were collected on 49 kindergarten boys. Additionally, the social interaction behavior of these boys was observed during free play activities. When examining popularity, results were consistent in demonstrating that teachers and peers provide essentially redundant information. However, when peer nominations of rejection were considered, peers did significantly better than teachers in the prediction of observed social behaviors. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for an enhanced understanding of social status constructs.

Differentiating Practice Effects and Statistical Regression on the Conners Hyperkinesis Index

The Conners Abbreviated Parent-Teacher Questionnaire or Hyperkinesis Index (HI), a set of l0 checklist items from the Conners Parent and Teacher Rating Scales, is a widely used instrument to diagnose and monitor the treatment of hyperactive children. The scale appears to fulfill necessary criteria for such a diagnostic instrument: it is easily administered; it differentiates normal and hyperative children; and it shows high test-retest reliability. Further, it differentiates between active and placebo drug treatment, as well as different dosage levels of stimulant medication (Goyette, Conners, & Ulrich, 1978). In a study of methylphenidate treatment with hyperactive children, Werry and Sprague (1974) noted a significant drop in both the Conners teacher and parent scores between the first rating and the second through fifth ratings. They labeled this phenomenon a practice effect and proposed that investigators using the Conners administer the scale once prior to treatment in order to wash out this effect. While a definition of practice effect was not provided by the authors, from their discussion of the topic one could infer that the practice effect is a property of the Conners scale itself and that the drop in scores from first to subsequent administrations should occur for all factors on the Conners. Since Werry and Spragues article, other investigators have cautioned against a single administration of the Conners and have attempted to compensate for practice

Development and Evaluation of a Placebo for Studies of Operant Behavioral Intervention

Abstract The role of credible placebo conditions in operant intervention research is reviewed. Three studies are presented which were designed to help develop such a placebo condition and then to evaluate its credibility. The results of the studies underscore the necessity for evaluating a placebo condition before employing it in the actual intervention study. Data are offered suggesting that a credible placebo for behavioral treatment of hyperactive children can be developed for use in teacher consultation studies. The data also suggest, however, that credibility ratings are influenced by the manner in which the evaluations are undertaken. The nature of the concept of credibility is also briefly discussed.