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Biomedical subjects

K J Tarnowski

Publications and source records attributed to K J Tarnowski.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Impact of social desirability response sets on the self-report of marital adjustment in alcoholics.

The role of social desirability response sets on self-reported marital satisfaction in 143 male alcoholics and their wives was assessed in a factor analytic study of the combined Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale (MAS) and Edmonds Marital Conventionalization Scale (MCS). Overall, results indicated that alcoholics rated their marriage as significantly more satisfying than did their wives. There was, however, a large amount of covariation between the MAS and MCS for husbands, and factor analyses revealed considerable redundancy between the two measures as evidenced in one dominant factor on which both MAS and MCS items loaded. Although there was also high covariation between the two scales for wives, there was still enough differential responding to MAS and MCS items to identify both a dominant factor and a second factor, the latter loaded on only by MCS items. Results suggest that the self-reported marital satisfaction of male alcoholics may be highly contaminated by social desirability response sets. The results are discussed with respect to the two-component model of socially desirable responding and caution is urged in the evaluation of self-report marital adjustment measures with this population.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Ecobehavioral characteristics of a pediatric burn injury unit.

Behavioral observations were conducted on 40 children admitted consecutively to an inpatient pediatric burn care unit (PBCU) over a 6-month period. Children's responses to the PBCU environment as well as adult responses to patients were assessed. Data indicated that children most frequently (a) were oriented and alert, (b) emitted vocalizations or verbalizations, (c) were environmentally engaged, (d) and demonstrated positive or neutral affective responding. Adult-child interactions occurred during the majority of observations. Age was found to be significantly related to the type of distress response exhibited. Positive responses indicative of patient well-being were found to be associated with environmental engagement and the presence of other patients. In general, little evidence emerged to support the notion of a PBCU response pattern which resembles that observed in pediatric intensive care units (i.e., ICU syndrome). The use of observational methods for studying the behavioral adaptation of children in medical settings and the implications of the data for the design of interventions on PBCUs are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Acceptability of behavioral interventions for self-injurious behavior.

Using a case description methodology, we examined the effects of behavior problem severity, intervention type (accelerative vs. reductive), client status (child vs. adult), and type of work setting (child vs. adult unit) on staff members' acceptability ratings of six behavioral interventions used to treat self-injurious behavior (SIB). Results indicated that (a) accelerative interventions were rated more acceptable than reductive treatments, (b) acceptability of treatments varied as a function of SIB severity, and (c) client status and type of work setting failed to significantly influence acceptability ratings. Findings were discussed in the context of the current controversy surrounding the use of aversive treatments. The implications of the results for the design of institutionally based behavioral intervention programs were examined.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

An inventory to measure medical staff knowledge of behavioral methods with pediatric pain patients.

An inventory is described for assessing medical staffs' knowledge of behavioral methods with pediatric pain patients. It was adapted from a measure designed by Sanders and Webster (1982) for use with nurses treating adult chronic pain patients. The modified inventory was administered to three groups of medical staff: (a) pediatric residents, (b) pediatric nurses and (c) medical students. A series of analyses provided data supporting the psychometric integrity of the inventory. The measure successfully discriminated trained from untrained staff. The utility of the instrument for staff assessment and development is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

A modified habit reversal procedure in a recalcitrant case of trichotillomania.

An 11-year-old girl with a severe and recalcitrant case of trichotillomania was successfully treated with a modified habit reversal procedure. Erosion estimates and serial photographic assessment methods were used to document client progress over a one-year period. Treatment effects were socially validated by attractiveness ratings of 20 same-aged children. Results extend the use of habit reversal procedures to a severe case and address the need for reliable and valid assessment procedures as well as extended follow-up.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1987

Teaching intermittent self-catheterization skills to mentally retarded children.

In an A-B design with replication, the efficacy of a behavioral training program for teaching two mildly retarded children intermittent self-catheterization skills was assessed. Component skills were task-analyzed and trained via a graduated prompting procedure. Results indicated that both children rapidly acquired the component skills necessary to perform self-catheterization in an accurate and nearly independent manner. Benefits of children engaging in their own health-care maintenance are discussed.

Child↗
PubMed1983

Marital disturbance and child problems: a cautionary note regarding hyperactive children.

In previous work, investigators have found a relationship between marital discord and childhood conduct problems (aggression) in clinic samples. Given the wide variability of aggression found among hyperactive children, it would follow from previous work that child aggression may be associated with marital discord in a hyperactive population. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 23 boys (ages 5 to 8) diagnosed as attention deficit with hyperactivity. Aggressive behaviors were tracked by the children's teachers for 12 school days. Parental and teacher ratings of conduct problems were also obtained. Additionally, the auditory version of the laboratory Continuous Performance Test was administered. Marital adjustment, overt hostility, and conflict tactics, as reported by the mothers, were not significantly correlated with any of the measures of aggression or conduct problems. In other words, marital discord in families with a hyperactive boy did not explain differential rates of aggressive behavior despite definite variability in both the marital and child behavioral measures. Marital discord was marginally related to severity of attentional deficit on the Continuous Performance Test. The results underscore the need for caution in attempting to extend findings from a general population (i.e., undifferentiated clinic-referred children) to a specific diagnostic subgroup (i.e., attention-deficit hyperactive children).

Aggression↗
PubMed1983

Effects of sex education on sexual guilt, anxiety, and attitudes: a comparison of instruction formats.

Previous sex education research has neglected to examine systematically the effects of different types of instruction formats. In the present study, 193 undergraduates were assigned to one of the following conditions: (1) lecture only; (2) small group discussion only; (3) lecture + small group discussion; (4) lecture + extra lecture/review; and (5) no intervention control. Pre- and posttest measures assessed the dimensions of sexual guilt, sexual attitudes, and sexual anxiety. Results revealed significantly greater reductions in sexual guilt for the lecture only, lecture + small group discussion, and lecture + extra lecture/review conditions than for the no intervention control condition. Significantly greater changes in the direction of more tolerant sexual attitudes were found for the small group discussion only and lecture + extra lecture/review conditions than for the no intervention control condition. No other significant results were found. Contrary to expectation, the addition of 9 hours of small group discussion to a semester-long lecture format course did not result in significantly greater positive changes on the dimensions assessed than those achieved by lecture alone. The implications of these findings for the design of sex education courses are discussed. Recommendations for future research include assessment of the long-term effects of sex education on dimensions such as quality of sexual adjustment and consistency of contraceptive usage.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1982

Reliability of neurological soft signs in children: reevaluation of the PANESS.

Test-retest reliability and intellectual-behavioral correlates of a revised version of the Physical and Neurological Examination for Soft Signs (PANESS) were evaluated. The WISC-R and PANESS were administered to a heterogeneous clinical sample of 28 6- to 8-year-old children. Test-retest interval for PANESS retest was approximately 28 days with 15 children retested by same testers and the remaining children retested by different testers. Results indicated that PANESS total score is a reliable indicator of overall performance; tester assignment and retest had negligible effects on total score. Grade of subcategory scores proved unreliable across examiners but occurrence/nonoccurrence scores were more robust. Performance on the PANESS was significantly correlated with WISC-R indices sensitive to brain dysfunction, and behavioral factors implicated in the description of minor neurological dysfunction. Further research evaluating discriminant validity of the examination and changes in performance as a result of development is recommended.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗