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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A technology for program maintenance: programming key researcher behaviors in a student housing cooperative.

Behavioral researchers play critical, but often unanalyzed, roles in the programs they develop. Unless they replace their key activities with standardized procedures, their continued participation may be essential to program success--a situation that is often not only impractical but may be prohibitively expensive and disliked by local staff. This study was conducted in a student housing cooperative that is dependent on close researcher supervision for its continued health and survival. A key activity of the co-op researchers was to provide public recognition for good job performance by co-op members. The purposes of this study were (a) to replace that idiosyncratic recognition with systematic procedures so members, instead of the researchers, would provide public recognition to each other for good job performance; and (b) to evaluate those procedures by comparing job performance when member-delivered recognition was provided and when it was not. When the procedures were in place, job performance increased and fines for poor job performance and complaining at meetings decreased. This study suggests that procedures can be developed to reduce program reliance on the researcher that are effective, inexpensive, sustainable, and acceptable to the participants--a first step toward developing a technology of program maintenance.

Activities of Daily Living

Generalization in social behavior research with children and youth who have emotional or behavioral disorders.

This article presents a critical analysis of social behavior research with students who have emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). In particular, it focuses on issues of generalized responding and a technology of generalization promotion. From a review of selected studies the conclusion is drawn that (a) researchers too rarely examine generalization in social behavior research, (b) studies that provide analysis of generalization rely on the least analytic approaches, and (c) generalization is seldom presented as a dependent variable of central interest in social behavior research with EBD students. Guidelines for further research in the area of generalization promotion are offered.

Adolescent

Behavioral research in breeding colonies of Old World monkeys.

The existence of an active behavioral research program using animals in primate breeding colonies was considered to be not only a compatable multiple use of animals, but a way of materially improving the management and efficiency of the breeding colonies. In colonies of monkeys specifically established for behavioral research programs directed at the examination of social relationships, incidental breeding resulted in levels of reproductive success equivalent to or greater than that normally experienced in colonies devoted entirely to breeding. Behavioral research revealed patterns of seasonality, fostering, kidnapping, and infant care which would otherwise have escaped notice and which would significantly influence culling and management choices in a breeding colony. Many young males and certain low ranking adult males actively contributed to reproduction. Females born and reared in the colonies were the most productive, exceeding wild born or other introduced females in reproductive efficiency. Specific recommendations for establishing, expanding and culling of nonhuman primate breeding colonies were derived from the behavioral research.

Animals

Federal Aviation Administration's behavioral research program for defense against hijackings.

Behavioral research has been significant contributions to the government's successful program for defense against hijackers. Today's boarding gate defenses have a leading role in that program, but they were rejected until creation of the behavioral profile made selective search feasible. Metal detectors now make search of all travelers practical but with increasing involvement of boarding gate employees, so a behavioral program is used to monitor their performance. Experience shows that some persons have penetrated boarding gate defenses, so another requirement was in-flight defenses. Flightpersonnel had defeated some past hijackers, so a behavioral analysis of past hijackings was used to identify tactics for in-flight defense. These were incorporated into training programs and distributed to all U.S. airlines, many government organizations, and foreign carriers. Research continues for updating these and developing new courses for special needs, such as defense against gangs.

Accidents, Aviation

The Oregon lesson: results of postelection research. Bureau of Economic and Behavioral Research.

Definite issues are involved in the denturism controversy, such as consumerism/economics, sympathy for the elderly population, freedom of choice, and acceptance of paraprofessionals. The dental profession must deal with these issues. Its concern for oral health and quality of training can only be presented (and accepted) if it is placed within the context of the issues as the public sees them.

American Dental Association

Sampling methods in behavior research.

Animals perform a continuous stream of behavior throughout their lives. Because their behavior is not random, appropriate sampling methods can be used to obtain data that accurately reflect the actual behavior and are valid for answering research questions. Answering questions related to several variables assists in narrowing the choices of sampling methods. First, a determination must be made of what behaviors to measure. If the behaviors are few and easily measured, then All Occurrences Sampling is the method of choice because it generates accurate frequency and duration data through continuous recording. Sequence and Sociometric Matrix Sampling are specialized types of All Occurrences Sampling that are restricted to sampling intra- or interindividual sequences and social interactions (e.g., agonistic), respectively. Second, if who (e.g., specific individual, sex, or genotype) performs the behavior is a major component of the research question, then consideration should be given to Focal Animal (Pair, Group) Sampling. Third, if when or where the behavior is performed is of interest (e.g., activity budget), then Instantaneous or Scan Sampling can often be effective. Ad libitum Sampling does not produce valid data for analyses, but it is useful when formulating and fine-tuning research questions. One-Zero Sampling is not recommended except when the research question relates to the presence or absence of behaviors only. Other factors to consider in selecting a sampling method are duration of the behavior (event or state), desired scale of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio), and logistics (e.g., time, and equipment and facilities available).

Animals

Some highlights of aircraft passenger behavior research.

A brief review is offered of the field of aircraft passenger safety research. Probelms associated with passenger behavior, e.g. panic, and passenger safety education studies and requirements are discussed. In addition, a comparison is drawn between commerical and corporate aircraft passenger safty requirements and current research and development programs. It is concluded there is a need for increased funding and more emphasis to be placed on education in the areas of aircraft passenger safty research.

Accident Prevention

Methodological considerations in pediatric behavioral research: measurement.

Measurement is the critical building block underlying all science. Adequate measures should demonstrate reliability, validity, and sensitivity. Special problems associated with the selection and development of measures used in behavioral pediatric research are reviewed. These include measurement specificity, construct complexity, the illusive "gold standard," construct independence, theoretical clarity, timing of measurements, and developmental considerations. The advantages and limitations of a variety of behavioral assessment strategies are described: questionnaires, interviews, behavioral observations, permanent products, biological measures, and provider ratings. Programmatic measurement research not only improves the science of behavioral pediatrics but also has widespread clinical application.

Attitude to Health

Basic ethical principles in the conduct of biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects.

Moral postures concerning research involving human subjects are diverse in part because of the diversity of issues at stake in, for example, disputes over conflicts of rights and duties, concerning values, and with regard to duties to persons with interests in goods and values. I have presented three ethical principles around which to gather these questions: I) respect for human subjects as free agents; II) concern to foster the best interests of human subjects; and III) concern to maximize the benefits accruable to society. I have indicated that these three abstract considerations arise around four procedural foci for research involving humans: A) the requirement of free and informed consent of competent human subjects; B) the requirement of proxy consent from incompetent human subjects; C) the avoidance of coercion in the consent context; and D) an interest in having research involving humans redound to the general good of society. These are at best guidelines, or outlines, of the central ethical issues at stake. They must in each case of research be applied with care and followed with prudence. One can never have a means of simply deducing answers. Basic ethical principles represent, rather, our best attempt to map out the terrain of rights and values.

Behavior