Learning Behaviors Mediating the Effects of Behavior Problems on Academic Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Escalon, Ximena Dominguez; Greenfield, Daryl

2009-01-01

This study examined the relationships between behavior problems, learning behaviors, and educational outcomes for at-risk preschool children. A sample of Head Start children (N = 196) was selected in the southeast United States. Behavior problems were assessed using the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (LeBuffe & Naglieri, 1999) and…

Associations between Problem Behaviors and Early Vocabulary Skills among Hispanic Dual-Language Learners in Pre-K

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagan-Burke, Shanna; Soares, Denise A.; Gonzalez, Jorge E.; Zhu, Leina; Davis, Heather S.; Kwok, Oi-man; Pollard-Durodola, Sharolyn D.; Saenz, Laura M.; Resendez, Nora M.

2016-01-01

This study examined the relations between problem behaviors and early learning outcomes among 138 children in dual-language pre-K programs who were identified at the beginning of the school year to be at risk for difficulties in early language and literacy development. Children's expressive and receptive vocabulary, listening comprehension, and…

Nutrition and Its Effects on the Hyperkinetic Child's Behavior and Learning: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noonan, Roberta L.

This case study reviews the literature related to diet, behavior and learning and describes procedures and results of a change in the diet of an adolescent girl who had an extensive history of problems at home and at school. Studies of nutritional deficiency, nutritional imbalance, allergies, and synthetic food additives are briefly overviewed.…

A Propensity Score Matching Analysis of the Effects of Special Education Services

PubMed Central

Morgan, Paul L.; Frisco, Michelle; Farkas, George; Hibel, Jacob

2013-01-01

We sought to quantify the effectiveness of special education services as naturally delivered in U.S. schools. Specifically, we examined whether children receiving special education services displayed (a) greater reading or mathematics skills, (b) more frequent learning-related behaviors, or (c) less frequent externalizing or internalizing problem behaviors than closely matched peers not receiving such services. To do so, we used propensity score matching techniques to analyze data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal—Study Kindergarten Cohort, 1998–1999, a large scale, nationally representative sample of U.S. schoolchildren. Collectively, results indicate that receipt of special education services has either a negative or statistically non-significant impact on children’s learning or behavior. However, special education services do yield a small, positive effect on children’s learning-related behaviors. PMID:23606759

A Propensity Score Matching Analysis of the Effects of Special Education Services.

PubMed

Morgan, Paul L; Frisco, Michelle; Farkas, George; Hibel, Jacob

2010-02-01

We sought to quantify the effectiveness of special education services as naturally delivered in U.S. schools. Specifically, we examined whether children receiving special education services displayed (a) greater reading or mathematics skills, (b) more frequent learning-related behaviors, or (c) less frequent externalizing or internalizing problem behaviors than closely matched peers not receiving such services. To do so, we used propensity score matching techniques to analyze data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal-Study Kindergarten Cohort, 1998-1999, a large scale, nationally representative sample of U.S. schoolchildren. Collectively, results indicate that receipt of special education services has either a negative or statistically non-significant impact on children's learning or behavior. However, special education services do yield a small, positive effect on children's learning-related behaviors.

Change in children's school behavior after mass administration of praziquantel for Schistosoma mansoni infection in endemic areas of western Kenya: A pilot study using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC-2).

PubMed

Musuva, Rosemary; Shen, Ye; Wei, Xianjue; Binder, Sue; Ivy, Julianne A; Secor, W Evan; Montgomery, Susan P; King, Charles H; Mwinzi, Pauline N M

2017-01-01

Schistosomiasis is a parasite-related chronic inflammatory condition that can cause anemia, decreased growth, liver abnormalities, and deficits in cognitive functioning among children. This study used the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2) to collect data on thirty-six 9-12 year old school-attending children's behavioral profiles in an Schistosoma mansoni-endemic area of western Kenya, before and after treatment with praziquantel for S. mansoni infection. BASC-2 T scores were significantly reduced post-treatment (p < 0.05) for each of the 'negative' behavior categories including externalizing problems (hyperactivity, aggression, and conduct problems that are disruptive in nature), internalizing problems (anxiety, depression, somatization, atypicality, and withdrawal), school problems (academic difficulties, included attention problems and learning problems), and the composite behavioral symptoms index (BSI), signifying improved behavior. While the observed improvement in the 'positive' behavior category of adaptive skills (adaptability, functional communication, social skills, leadership, and study skills) was not statistically significant, there were significant improvements in two adaptive skills subcategories: social skills and study skills. Results of this study suggest that children have better school-related behaviors without heavy S. mansoni infection, and that infected children's behaviors, especially disruptive problem behaviors, improve significantly after praziquantel treatment.

Three-Month Study of College Student Disordered Gambling Using the Transtheoretical Model: Findings and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Ryan J.; Usdan, Stuart; Turner, Lori

2012-01-01

Problem: It has been suggested that gambling-related research more closely examine vulnerable population segments. Research indicates that college students are particularly vulnerable to experiencing disordered gambling behavior. Methods: We examined the gambling behavior and gambling-related Transtheoretical Model (TTM) construct (i.e., stage of…

Health-related quality of life of children with newly diagnosed specific learning disability.

PubMed

Karande, Sunil; Bhosrekar, Kirankumar; Kulkarni, Madhuri; Thakker, Arpita

2009-06-01

The objective of this study was to measure health-related quality of life (HRQL) of children with newly diagnosed specific learning disability (SpLD) using the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50. We detected clinically significant deficits (effect size > or = -0.5) in 9 out of 12 domains: limitations in family activities, emotional impact on parents, social limitations as a result of emotional-behavioral problems, time impact on parents, general behavior, physical functioning, social limitations as a result of physical health, general health perceptions and mental health; and in both summary scores (psychosocial > physical). Multivariate analysis revealed having > or = 1 non-academic problem(s) (p < 0.0001), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (p = 0.005) or first-born status (p = 0.009) predicted a poor psychosocial summary score; and having > or =1 non-academic problem(s) (p = 0.006) or first-born status (p = 0.035) predicted a poor physical summary score. HRQL is significantly compromised in children having newly diagnosed SpLD.

Navigating complex decision spaces: Problems and paradigms in sequential choice

PubMed Central

Walsh, Matthew M.; Anderson, John R.

2015-01-01

To behave adaptively, we must learn from the consequences of our actions. Doing so is difficult when the consequences of an action follow a delay. This introduces the problem of temporal credit assignment. When feedback follows a sequence of decisions, how should the individual assign credit to the intermediate actions that comprise the sequence? Research in reinforcement learning provides two general solutions to this problem: model-free reinforcement learning and model-based reinforcement learning. In this review, we examine connections between stimulus-response and cognitive learning theories, habitual and goal-directed control, and model-free and model-based reinforcement learning. We then consider a range of problems related to temporal credit assignment. These include second-order conditioning and secondary reinforcers, latent learning and detour behavior, partially observable Markov decision processes, actions with distributed outcomes, and hierarchical learning. We ask whether humans and animals, when faced with these problems, behave in a manner consistent with reinforcement learning techniques. Throughout, we seek to identify neural substrates of model-free and model-based reinforcement learning. The former class of techniques is understood in terms of the neurotransmitter dopamine and its effects in the basal ganglia. The latter is understood in terms of a distributed network of regions including the prefrontal cortex, medial temporal lobes cerebellum, and basal ganglia. Not only do reinforcement learning techniques have a natural interpretation in terms of human and animal behavior, but they also provide a useful framework for understanding neural reward valuation and action selection. PMID:23834192

The role of context in preschool learning: a multilevel examination of the contribution of context-specific problem behaviors and classroom process quality to low-income children's approaches to learning.

PubMed

Domínguez, Ximena; Vitiello, Virginia E; Fuccillo, Janna M; Greenfield, Daryl B; Bulotsky-Shearer, Rebecca J

2011-04-01

Research suggests that promoting adaptive approaches to learning early in childhood may help close the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children. Recent research has identified specific child-level and classroom-level variables that are significantly associated with preschoolers' approaches to learning. However, further research is needed to understand the interactive effects of these variables and determine whether classroom-level variables buffer the detrimental effects of child-level risk variables. Using a largely urban and minority sample (N=275) of preschool children, the present study examined the additive and interactive effects of children's context-specific problem behaviors and classroom process quality dimensions on children's approaches to learning. Teachers rated children's problem behavior and approaches to learning and independent assessors conducted classroom observations to assess process quality. Problem behaviors in structured learning situations and in peer and teacher interactions were found to negatively predict variance in approaches to learning. Classroom process quality domains did not independently predict variance in approaches to learning. Nonetheless, classroom process quality played an important role in these associations; high emotional support buffered the detrimental effects of problem behavior, whereas high instructional support exacerbated them. The findings of this study have important implications for classroom practices aimed at helping children who exhibit problem behaviors. Copyright © 2010 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Addressing Barriers to Learning. Volume 13, Number 2. Spring 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2008

2008-01-01

Concern about responding to behavior problems and promoting social and emotional learning are related and are embedded into the arenas we frame to encompass the content of student/learning supports. How these concerns are addressed is critical to the type of school and classroom climate that emerges and to student engagement and re-engagement in…

Differential Outcomes of Sleep Problems in Children with and Without Special Health Care Needs: Australian Population Study.

PubMed

Quach, Jon; Mensah, Fiona K; Hiscock, Harriet

2016-06-01

In a nationally representative sample of Australian children at ages 4 to 5, 6 to 7, 8 to 9, 10 to 11, and 12 to 13 years, we aim to examine the (1) prevalence of sleep problems in children with and without special health care needs (SHCN); (2) association of sleep problems with child behavior, health-related quality of life, learning and parent mental health outcomes; and (3) whether associations between sleep problems and outcomes among children with SHCN are larger in magnitude than among children without SHCN. Biennial data from 5 waves of the Growing Up in Australia Study. Child SHCN as defined by the Children Special Health Care Needs Screener and parent report of child sleep problem. Child: parent-reported health-related quality of life; parent-reported and teacher-reported behavior; nonverbal and verbal cognition and teacher-reported learning. Parent: self-report mental health. Logistic and linear regression, adjusted for family socioeconomic position. Children with SHCN were more likely to have sleep problems, odds ranging from 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-2.5) at 4 to 5 years to 3.9 (95% CI, 3.0-5.2) at 8 to 9 years. Compared with children who had neither condition, those with either sleep problems or SHCN had similarly poor child and maternal outcomes. Children with both SHCN and sleep problems had the poorest outcomes at every age (all p < .001). Tests of interaction found sleep problems are more strongly associated with poorer behavior and health-related quality of life among children with SHCN than those without during the preschool and early school years. Sleep problems in children with SHCN are common and are associated with poorer child and maternal outcomes. These associations are stronger for poorer behavior and health-related quality of life among children with SHCN than those without during the preschool and early school years.

Motor learning and working memory in children born preterm: a systematic review.

PubMed

Jongbloed-Pereboom, Marjolein; Janssen, Anjo J W M; Steenbergen, Bert; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G

2012-04-01

Children born preterm have a higher risk for developing motor, cognitive, and behavioral problems. Motor problems can occur in combination with working memory problems, and working memory is important for explicit learning of motor skills. The relation between motor learning and working memory has never been reviewed. The goal of this review was to provide an overview of motor learning, visual working memory and the role of working memory on motor learning in preterm children. A systematic review conducted in four databases identified 38 relevant articles, which were evaluated for methodological quality. Only 4 of 38 articles discussed motor learning in preterm children. Thirty-four studies reported on visual working memory; preterm birth affected performance on visual working memory tests. Information regarding motor learning and the role of working memory on the different components of motor learning was not available. Future research should address this issue. Insight in the relation between motor learning and visual working memory may contribute to the development of evidence based intervention programs for children born preterm. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teacher Self-Efficacy Perceptions, Learning Oriented Motivation, Lifelong Learning Tendencies of Candidate Teachers: A Modeling Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akyol, Bertan

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: While the concept of professional self-efficacy corresponds to the power and belief employees feel related to tasks they are performing, motivation can be defined as the internal energy which shapes work related behaviors of employees positively. Although there are many features that teachers and candidate teachers must have,…

Behavior: My Problem or Yours?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trede, Mildred

1991-01-01

Activities are described for learning about problem classroom behaviors, the impact of one's manner of attire on one's behavior, and personal responsibility for one's behavior. Learning activities include role playing, making math puzzles, writing personal anecdotes, drawing a persuasive cartoon concerning smoking and discipline, and making bar…

Transforming public health through distance learning.

PubMed

Hirano, D; Dillenberg, J

1998-09-01

Public health agencies face old and new problems in the next century: emerging infectious and chronic diseases, health problems related to personal behaviors, a changing demography, and a deteriorating physical and social environment. To meet these challenges, public health agencies should consider the following: the advent of new communications technologies, the need for a strong workforce, and the need for new partnerships. Distance learning can serve as a means to facilitate a strong workforce and new partnerships.

The "Learning Disabilities to Juvenile Detention" Pipeline: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mallett, Christopher A.

2014-01-01

Adolescents becoming formally involved with a juvenile court because of school-related behavior and discipline problems is a phenomenon known as the school-to-prison pipeline. Adolescents with learning disabilities are disproportionately represented within this pipeline. A study was conducted to review the outcomes for a population of youthful…

The Behavioral and Social Sciences Survey: Mathematical Sciences and Social Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruskal, William, Ed.

This book, one of a series prepared in connection with the Behavioral and Social Sciences Survey (BASS) conducted between 1967 and 1969, deals with problems of statistics, mathematics, and computation as they related to the social sciences. Chapter 1 shows how these subjects help in their own ways for studying learning behavior with irregular…

Incorporating Problem-Based Learning in Physical Education Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hushman, Glenn; Napper-Owen, Gloria

2011-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational method that identifies a problem as a context for student learning. Critical-thinking skills, deductive reasoning, knowledge, and behaviors are developed as students learn how theory can be applied to practical settings. Problem-based learning encourages self-direction, lifelong learning, and sharing…

Simple artificial neural networks that match probability and exploit and explore when confronting a multiarmed bandit.

PubMed

Dawson, Michael R W; Dupuis, Brian; Spetch, Marcia L; Kelly, Debbie M

2009-08-01

The matching law (Herrnstein 1961) states that response rates become proportional to reinforcement rates; this is related to the empirical phenomenon called probability matching (Vulkan 2000). Here, we show that a simple artificial neural network generates responses consistent with probability matching. This behavior was then used to create an operant procedure for network learning. We use the multiarmed bandit (Gittins 1989), a classic problem of choice behavior, to illustrate that operant training balances exploiting the bandit arm expected to pay off most frequently with exploring other arms. Perceptrons provide a medium for relating results from neural networks, genetic algorithms, animal learning, contingency theory, reinforcement learning, and theories of choice.

Asking for Help: A Relational Perspective on Help Seeking in the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Rijt, Janine; Van den Bossche, Piet; van de Wiel, Margje W. J.; De Maeyer, Sven; Gijselaers, Wim H.; Segers, Mien S. R.

2013-01-01

In the context of the complexity of today's organizations, help seeking behavior is considered as an important step to problem solving and learning in organizations. Yet, help seeking has received less attention in organizational literature. To increase the potential impact of help seeking on learning, it is essential to understand which…

Analysis of Learning Behavior in a Flipped Programing Classroom Adopting Problem-Solving Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Tosti Hsu-Cheng

2017-01-01

Programing is difficult for beginners because they need to learn the new language of computers. Developing software, especially complex software, is bound to result in problems, frustration, and the need to think in new ways. Identifying the learning behavior behind programing by way of empirical studies can help beginners learn more easily. In…

Academic Achievements, Behavioral Problems, and Loneliness as Predictors of Social Skills among Students with and without Learning Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zach, Sima; Yazdi-Ugav, Orly; Zeev, Aviva

2016-01-01

This study aimed to examine to what extent academic achievements, learning disorders, behavior problems and loneliness explain the variance of students' social skills. The differences between students diagnosed with learning disorders and students without learning disorders in all four variables were examined. Participants were 733 elementary…

Yeast Can Affect Behavior and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crook, William G.

1984-01-01

A pediatrician recounts his experiences in diagnosing and treating allergies to common yeast germs that may result in behavior and learning problems. He lists characteristics that may predispose children to yeast-connected health problems. (CL)

Early adversity and learning: implications for typical and atypical behavioral development.

PubMed

Hanson, Jamie L; van den Bos, Wouter; Roeber, Barbara J; Rudolph, Karen D; Davidson, Richard J; Pollak, Seth D

2017-07-01

Children who experience early adversity often develop emotion regulatory problems, but little is known about the mechanisms that mediate this relation. We tested whether general associative learning processes contribute to associations between adversity, in the form of child maltreatment, and negative behavioral outcomes. Eighty-one participants between 12 and 17 years of age were recruited for this study and completed a probabilistic learning Task. Forty-one of these participants had been exposed to physical abuse, a form of early adversity. Forty additional participants without any known history of maltreatment served as a comparison group. All participants (and their parents) also completed portions of the Youth Life Stress Interview to understand adolescent's behavior. We calculated measures of associative learning, and also constructed mathematical models of learning. We found that adolescents exposed to high levels of adversity early in their lives had lower levels of associative learning than comparison adolescents. In addition, we found that impaired associative learning partially explained the higher levels of behavioral problems among youth who suffered early adversity. Using mathematical models, we also found that two components of learning were specifically affected in children exposed to adversity: choice variability and biases in their beliefs about the likelihood of rewards in the environment. Participants who had been exposed to early adversity were less able than their peers to correctly learn which stimuli were likely to result in reward, even after repeated feedback. These individuals also used information about known rewards in their environments less often. In addition, individuals exposed to adversity made decisions early in the learning process as if rewards were less consistent and occurred more at random. These data suggest one mechanism through which early life experience shapes behavioral development. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Early adversity and learning: implications for typical and atypical behavioral development

PubMed Central

Hanson, Jamie L.; van den Bos, Wouter; Roeber, Barbara J.; Rudolph, Karen D.; Davidson, Richard J.; Pollak, Seth D.

2017-01-01

Background Children who experience early adversity often develop emotion regulatory problems, but little is known about the mechanisms that mediate this relation. We tested whether general associative learning processes contribute to associations between adversity, in the form of child maltreatment, and negative behavioral outcomes. Methods Eighty-one participants between 12 and 17 years of age were recruited for this study and completed a probabilistic learning Task. Forty-one of these participants had been exposed to physical abuse, a form of early adversity. Forty additional participants without any known history of maltreatment served as a comparison group. All participants (and their parents) also completed portions of the Youth Life Stress Interview to understand adolescent’s behavior. We calculated measures of associative learning, and also constructed mathematical models of learning. Results We found that adolescents exposed to high levels of adversity early in their lives had lower levels of associative learning than comparison adolescents. In addition, we found that impaired associative learning partially explained the higher levels of behavioral problems among youth who suffered early adversity. Using mathematical models, we also found that two components of learning were specifically affected in children exposed to adversity: choice variability and biases in their beliefs about the likelihood of rewards in the environment. Conclusions Participants who had been exposed to early adversity were less able than their peers to correctly learn which stimuli were likely to result in reward, even after repeated feedback. These individuals also used information about known rewards in their environments less often. In addition, individuals exposed to adversity made decisions early in the learning process as if rewards were less consistent and occurred more at random. These data suggest one mechanism through which early life experience shapes behavioral development. PMID:28158896

How much of reinforcement learning is working memory, not reinforcement learning? A behavioral, computational, and neurogenetic analysis

PubMed Central

Collins, Anne G. E.; Frank, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Instrumental learning involves corticostriatal circuitry and the dopaminergic system. This system is typically modeled in the reinforcement learning (RL) framework by incrementally accumulating reward values of states and actions. However, human learning also implicates prefrontal cortical mechanisms involved in higher level cognitive functions. The interaction of these systems remains poorly understood, and models of human behavior often ignore working memory (WM) and therefore incorrectly assign behavioral variance to the RL system. Here we designed a task that highlights the profound entanglement of these two processes, even in simple learning problems. By systematically varying the size of the learning problem and delay between stimulus repetitions, we separately extracted WM-specific effects of load and delay on learning. We propose a new computational model that accounts for the dynamic integration of RL and WM processes observed in subjects' behavior. Incorporating capacity-limited WM into the model allowed us to capture behavioral variance that could not be captured in a pure RL framework even if we (implausibly) allowed separate RL systems for each set size. The WM component also allowed for a more reasonable estimation of a single RL process. Finally, we report effects of two genetic polymorphisms having relative specificity for prefrontal and basal ganglia functions. Whereas the COMT gene coding for catechol-O-methyl transferase selectively influenced model estimates of WM capacity, the GPR6 gene coding for G-protein-coupled receptor 6 influenced the RL learning rate. Thus, this study allowed us to specify distinct influences of the high-level and low-level cognitive functions on instrumental learning, beyond the possibilities offered by simple RL models. PMID:22487033

Doping Among Professional Athletes in Iran: A Test of Akers's Social Learning Theory.

PubMed

Kabiri, Saeed; Cochran, John K; Stewart, Bernadette J; Sharepour, Mahmoud; Rahmati, Mohammad Mahdi; Shadmanfaat, Syede Massomeh

2018-04-01

The use of performance-enhancing drugs (PED) is common among Iranian professional athletes. As this phenomenon is a social problem, the main purpose of this research is to explain why athletes engage in "doping" activity, using social learning theory. For this purpose, a sample of 589 professional athletes from Rasht, Iran, was used to test assumptions related to social learning theory. The results showed that there are positive and significant relationships between the components of social learning theory (differential association, differential reinforcement, imitation, and definitions) and doping behavior (past, present, and future use of PED). The structural modeling analysis indicated that the components of social learning theory accounts for 36% of the variance in past doping behavior, 35% of the variance in current doping behavior, and 32% of the variance in future use of PED.

The Effect of an Energy Audit Service Learning Project on Student Perceptions of STEM Related Disciplines, Personal Behaviors/Actions towards the Environment, and Stewardship Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gullo, Michael

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not service learning could be considered an alternative teaching method in an environmental science classroom. In particular, the results of this research show whether an energy audit service learning project influenced student environmental awareness (knowledge of environmental issues, problems, and solutions), student personal actions/behaviors towards the environment, student perceptions and attitudes of science related careers, and community partnerships. Haines (2010) defines service learning as “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities” (p. 16). Moreover, service learning opportunities can encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and learn from hands-on experiences and apply knowledge obtained from lectures and classroom activities to real life situations. To add to the growing body of literature, the results of this study concluded that an energy audit service learning project did not have a measureable effect on student perceptions and attitudes of science related careers as compared to a more traditional teaching approach. However, the data from this study did indicate that an energy audit service learning project increased students personal actions/behaviors towards the environment more than a direct teaching approach.

What can robots tell us about brains? A synthetic approach towards the study of learning and problem solving.

PubMed

Voegtlin, T; Verschure, P F

1999-01-01

This paper argues for the development of synthetic approaches towards the study of brain and behavior as a complement to the more traditional empirical mode of research. As an example we present our own work on learning and problem solving which relates to the behavioral paradigms of classical and operant conditioning. We define the concept of learning in the context of behavior and lay out the basic methodological requirements a model needs to satisfy, which includes evaluations using robots. In addition, we define a number of design principles neuronal models should obey to be considered relevant. We present in detail the construction of a neural model of short- and long-term memory which can be applied to an artificial behaving system. The presented model (DAC4) provides a novel self-consistent implementation of these processes, which satisfies our principles. This model will be interpreted towards the present understanding of the neuronal substrate of memory.

The role of learning in social development: Illustrations from neglected children.

PubMed

Wismer Fries, Alison B; Pollak, Seth D

2017-03-01

Children who experience early caregiving neglect are very likely to have problems developing and maintaining relationships and regulating their social behavior. One of the earliest manifestations of this problem is reflected in indiscriminate behavior, a phenomenon where young children do not show normative wariness of strangers or use familiar adults as sources of security. To better understand the developmental mechanisms underlying the emergence of these problems, this study examined whether institutionally reared children, who experienced early social neglect, had difficulty associating motivational significance to visual stimuli. Pairing stimuli with motivational significance is presumably one of the associative learning processes involved in establishing discriminate or selective relationships with others. We found that early experiences of neglectful caregiving were associated with difficulties in acquiring such associations, and that delays in this developmental skill were related to children's social difficulties. These data suggest a way in which early social learning experiences may impact the development of processes underlying emotional development. © 2016 The Authors. Developmental Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using Literature to Build Self-Esteem in Adolescents with Learning and Behavior Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Darcy

1994-01-01

Describes the Literature Project, a literature-based thematic approach to reading instruction designed to improve self-esteem in adolescents with learning and behavior problems. Discusses the effectiveness of the program. (SR)

The Prediction of Teachers' Perceptions of School Climate from Their School's Utilization of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quackenbush, Rebecca J.

2017-01-01

School climate is an aspect of school life that has been examined closely in recent literature as it related to student interactions, behavior, and student achievement. Problem behaviors can affect students' academic learning as well as teachers' instructional time. Research has emphasized how a healthy school climate can yield positive effects on…

Adaptive functioning and behaviour problems in relation to level of education in children and adolescents with intellectual disability.

PubMed

de Bildt, A; Sytema, S; Kraijer, D; Sparrow, S; Minderaa, R

2005-09-01

The interrelationship between adaptive functioning, behaviour problems and level of special education was studied in 186 children with IQs ranging from 61 to 70. The objective was to increase the insight into the contribution of adaptive functioning and general and autistic behaviour problems to the level of education in children with intellectual disability (ID). Children from two levels of special education in the Netherlands were compared with respect to adaptive functioning [Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS)], general behaviour problems [Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)] and autistic behaviour problems [Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC)]. The effect of behaviour problems on adaptive functioning, and the causal relationships between behaviour problems, adaptive functioning and level of education were investigated. Children in schools for mild learning problems had higher VABS scores, and lower CBCL and ABC scores. The ABC had a significant effect on the total age equivalent of the VABS in schools for severe learning problems, the CBCL in schools for mild learning problems. A direct effect of the ABC and CBCL total scores on the VABS age equivalent was found, together with a direct effect of the VABS age equivalent on level of education and therefore an indirect effect of ABC and CBCL on level of education. In the children with the highest level of mild ID, adaptive functioning seems to be the most important factor that directly influences the level of education that a child attends. Autistic and general behaviour problems directly influence the level of adaptive functioning. Especially, autistic problems seem to have such a restrictive effect on the level of adaptive functioning that children do not reach the level of education that would be expected based on IQ. Clinical implications are discussed.

Training Spiking Neural Models Using Artificial Bee Colony

PubMed Central

Vazquez, Roberto A.; Garro, Beatriz A.

2015-01-01

Spiking neurons are models designed to simulate, in a realistic manner, the behavior of biological neurons. Recently, it has been proven that this type of neurons can be applied to solve pattern recognition problems with great efficiency. However, the lack of learning strategies for training these models do not allow to use them in several pattern recognition problems. On the other hand, several bioinspired algorithms have been proposed in the last years for solving a broad range of optimization problems, including those related to the field of artificial neural networks (ANNs). Artificial bee colony (ABC) is a novel algorithm based on the behavior of bees in the task of exploring their environment to find a food source. In this paper, we describe how the ABC algorithm can be used as a learning strategy to train a spiking neuron aiming to solve pattern recognition problems. Finally, the proposed approach is tested on several pattern recognition problems. It is important to remark that to realize the powerfulness of this type of model only one neuron will be used. In addition, we analyze how the performance of these models is improved using this kind of learning strategy. PMID:25709644

Studying primate learning in group contexts: Tests of social foraging, response to novelty, and cooperative problem solving.

PubMed

Drea, Christine M

2006-03-01

Learning commonly refers to the modification of behavior through experience, whereby an animal gains information about stimulus-response contingencies from interacting with its physical environment. Social learning, on the other hand, occurs when the same information originates, not from the animal's personal experience, but from the actions of others. Socially biased learning is the 'collective outcome of interacting physical, social, and individual factors' [D. Fragaszy, E. Visalberghi, Learn. Behav. 32 (2004) 24-35.] (see p. 24). Mounting interest in animal social learning has brought with it certain innovations in animal testing procedures. Variants of the observer-demonstrator and cooperation paradigms, for instance, have been used widely in captive settings to examine the transmission or coordination of behavior, respectively, between two animals. Relatively few studies, however, have examined social learning in more complex group settings and even fewer have manipulated the social environment to empirically test the effect of group dynamics on problem solving. The present paper outlines procedures for group testing captive non-human primates, in spacious arenas, to evaluate the social modulation of learning and performance. These methods are illustrated in the context of (1) naturalistic social foraging problems, modeled after traditional visual discrimination paradigms, (2) response to novel objects and novel extractive foraging tasks, and (3) cooperative problem solving. Each example showcases the benefits of experimentally manipulating social context to compare an animal's performance in intact groups (or even pairs) against its performance under different social circumstances. Broader application of group testing procedures and manipulation of group composition promise to provide meaningful insight into socially biased learning.

Improving attitudes toward mathematics learning with problem posing in class VIII

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vionita, Alfha; Purboningsih, Dyah

2017-08-01

This research is classroom action research which is collaborated to improve student's behavior toward math and mathematics learning at class VIII by using problem posing approach. The subject of research is all of students grade VIIIA which consist of 32 students. This research has been held on two period, first period is about 3 times meeting, and second period is about 4 times meeting. The instrument of this research is implementation of learning observation's guidance by using problem posing approach. Cycle test has been used to measure cognitive competence, and questionnaire to measure the students' behavior in mathematics learning process. The result of research shows the students' behavior has been improving after using problem posing approach. It is showed by the behavior's criteria of students that has increasing result from the average in first period to high in second period. Furthermore, the percentage of test result is also improve from 68,75% in first period to 78,13% in second period. On the other hand, the implementation of learning observation by using problem posing approach has also improving and it is showed by the average percentage of teacher's achievement in first period is 89,2% and student's achievement 85,8%. These results get increase in second period for both teacher and students' achievement which are 94,4% and 91,11%. As a result, students' behavior toward math learning process in class VIII has been improving by using problem posing approach.

Problem-based Learning Behavior: The Impact of Differences in Problem-Based Learning Style and Activity on Students' Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Til, Cita T.; And Others

Problem-based learning (PBL) as a new instructional method is becoming increasingly popular. PBL is hypothesized to have a number of advantages for learning because it applies insights from cognitive learning theory and it fosters a lifelong learning strategy. As in all learning programs there are individual differences between students. This…

The Behavioral Selection of Planetarium Concepts Appropriate for Second Grade Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akey, John Miles

Reported is an evaluation of a planetarium curriculum for elementary students at the primary level in terms of student behavior. Five sub-problems were investigated which related to which concepts could be learned by the planetarium-experience and which concepts were retained after a two-week time lapse. The One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design was…

Differentiating children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders by means of their motor behavior characteristics.

PubMed

Efstratopoulou, Maria; Janssen, Rianne; Simons, Johan

2012-01-01

The study was designed to investigate the discriminant validity of the Motor Behavior Checklist (MBC) for distinguishing four group of children independently classified with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD; N=22), Conduct Disorder (CD; N=17), Learning Disabilities (LD; N=24) and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD; N=20). Physical education teachers used the MBC for children to rate their pupils based on their motor related behaviors. A multivariate analysis revealed significant differences among the groups on different problem scales. The results indicated that the MBC for children may be effective in discriminating children with similar disruptive behaviors (e.g., ADHD, CD) and autistic disorders, based on their motor behavior characteristics, but not children with Learning Disabilities (LD), when used by physical education teachers in school settings. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short-memory traders and their impact on group learning in financial markets

PubMed Central

LeBaron, Blake

2002-01-01

This article highlights several issues from simulating agent-based financial markets. These all center around the issue of learning in a multiagent setting, and specifically the question of whether the trading behavior of short-memory agents could interfere with the learning process of the market as whole. It is shown in a simple example that short-memory traders persist in generating excess volatility and other features common to actual markets. Problems related to short-memory trader behavior can be eliminated by using several different methods. These are discussed along with their relevance to agent-based models in general. PMID:11997443

Latent profiles of problem behavior within learning, peer, and teacher contexts: identifying subgroups of children at academic risk across the preschool year.

PubMed

Bulotsky-Shearer, Rebecca J; Bell, Elizabeth R; Domínguez, Ximena

2012-12-01

Employing a developmental and ecological model, the study identified initial levels and rates of change in academic skills for subgroups of preschool children exhibiting problem behavior within routine classroom situations. Six distinct latent profile types of emotional and behavioral adjustment were identified for a cohort of low-income children early in the preschool year (N=4417). Profile types provided a descriptive picture of patterns of classroom externalizing, internalizing, and situational adjustment problems common to subgroups of children early in the preschool year. The largest profile type included children who exhibited low problem behavior and were characterized as well-adjusted to the preschool classroom early in the year. The other profile types were characterized by distinct combinations of elevated internalizing, externalizing, and situational problem behavior. Multinomial logistic regression identified younger children and boys at increased risk for classification in problem types, relative to the well-adjusted type. Latent growth models indicated that children classified within the extremely socially and academically disengaged profile type, started and ended the year with the lowest academic skills, relative to all other types. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing Child Problem Behaviors and Improving Teacher-Child Interactions and Relationships: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Best in Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Kevin S.; Conroy, Maureen A.; Algina, James; Ladwig, Crystal; Jesse, Gabriel; Gyure, Maria

2018-01-01

Research has consistently linked early problem behavior with later adjustment problems, including antisocial behavior, learning problems and risk for the development of emotional/behavioral disorders (EBDs). Researchers have focused upon developing effective intervention programs for young children who arrive in preschool exhibiting chronic…

Learning to use working memory: a reinforcement learning gating model of rule acquisition in rats

PubMed Central

Lloyd, Kevin; Becker, Nadine; Jones, Matthew W.; Bogacz, Rafal

2012-01-01

Learning to form appropriate, task-relevant working memory representations is a complex process central to cognition. Gating models frame working memory as a collection of past observations and use reinforcement learning (RL) to solve the problem of when to update these observations. Investigation of how gating models relate to brain and behavior remains, however, at an early stage. The current study sought to explore the ability of simple RL gating models to replicate rule learning behavior in rats. Rats were trained in a maze-based spatial learning task that required animals to make trial-by-trial choices contingent upon their previous experience. Using an abstract version of this task, we tested the ability of two gating algorithms, one based on the Actor-Critic and the other on the State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) algorithm, to generate behavior consistent with the rats'. Both models produced rule-acquisition behavior consistent with the experimental data, though only the SARSA gating model mirrored faster learning following rule reversal. We also found that both gating models learned multiple strategies in solving the initial task, a property which highlights the multi-agent nature of such models and which is of importance in considering the neural basis of individual differences in behavior. PMID:23115551

Tourette Syndrome (TS): Other Concerns and Conditions

MedlinePlus

... with friends. Learn more about ADHD » Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors People with obsessive-compulsive behaviors have unwanted thoughts ( ... compulsive behaviors. Diagnosing OCD » Learn more about OCD » Behavior or Conduct Problems About 1 in 4 children ...

Design of Video Games for Children's Diet and Physical Activity Behavior Change.

PubMed

Baranowski, Tom; Thompson, Debbe; Buday, Richard; Lu, Amy Shirong; Baranowski, Janice

2010-01-01

Serious video games (VG) offer new opportunities for promoting health related diet and physical activity change among children. Games can be designed to use storylines, characters, and behavior change procedures, including modeling (e.g., engaging characters make changes themselves, and face and overcome challenges related to fruit and vegetable (FV) and physical activity (PA) goal attainment and/or consumption), skill development (e.g., asking behaviors; virtual recipe preparation), self regulatory behaviors (problem solving, goal setting, goal review, decision making), rewards (e.g., points and positive statements generated by the program), immediate feedback (e.g., through characters and/or statements that appear on the computer screen at critical decision points), and personalization (e.g., tailored choices offered at critical junctures, based on responses to baselines questions related to preferences, outcome expectancies, etc). We are in the earliest stages of learning how to optimally design effective behavior change procedures for use in VG, and yet they have been demonstrated to change behavior. As we learn, VG offer more and better opportunities for obesity prevention that can adjust to individual needs and preferences.

Design of Video Games for Children’s Diet and Physical Activity Behavior Change

PubMed Central

Baranowski, Tom; Thompson, Debbe; Buday, Richard; Lu, Amy Shirong; Baranowski, Janice

2012-01-01

Serious video games (VG) offer new opportunities for promoting health related diet and physical activity change among children. Games can be designed to use storylines, characters, and behavior change procedures, including modeling (e.g., engaging characters make changes themselves, and face and overcome challenges related to fruit and vegetable (FV) and physical activity (PA) goal attainment and/or consumption), skill development (e.g., asking behaviors; virtual recipe preparation), self regulatory behaviors (problem solving, goal setting, goal review, decision making), rewards (e.g., points and positive statements generated by the program), immediate feedback (e.g., through characters and/or statements that appear on the computer screen at critical decision points), and personalization (e.g., tailored choices offered at critical junctures, based on responses to baselines questions related to preferences, outcome expectancies, etc). We are in the earliest stages of learning how to optimally design effective behavior change procedures for use in VG, and yet they have been demonstrated to change behavior. As we learn, VG offer more and better opportunities for obesity prevention that can adjust to individual needs and preferences. PMID:25364331

Learned Helplessness and Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders: Deprivation in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Kevin S.; Singh, Nirbhay N.

2004-01-01

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) are characterized by academic deficits and classroom behavioral problems. The relationship between problem behavior and academic difficulties is complex, and some researchers have hypothesized that the classroom behavior problems of students with E/BD are responses to aversive stimuli, namely…

Game-theoretic cooperativity in networks of self-interested units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barto, Andrew G.

1986-08-01

The behavior of theoretical neural networks is often described in terms of competition and cooperation. I present an approach to network learning that is related to game and team problems in which competition and cooperation have more technical meanings. I briefly describe the application of stochastic learning automata to game and team problems and then present an adaptive element that is a synthesis of aspects of stochastic learning automata and typical neuron-like adaptive elements. These elements act as self-interested agents that work toward improving their performance with respect to their individual preference orderings. Networks of these elements can solve a variety of team decision problems, some of which take the form of layered networks in which the ``hidden units'' become appropriate functional components as they attempt to improve their own payoffs.

Optometric Child Vision Care and Guidance. A Series of Papers Released by the Optometric Extension Program to its Membership 1966-1967.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Optometric Extension Program, Duncan, OK.

The diagnosis and treatment of early learning problems and their relation to visual development is the subject of a series of 12 articles. The optometric viewpoint expressed is that vision is learned. A child's method of organizing his world, and manifestations of his disorganized behavior, including poor early academic achievement, probably…

Decision dynamics of departure times: Experiments and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xiaoyan; Han, Xiao; Bao, Jian-Zhang; Jiang, Rui; Jia, Bin; Yan, Xiaoyong; Zhang, Boyu; Wang, Wen-Xu; Gao, Zi-You

2017-10-01

A fundamental problem in traffic science is to understand user-choice behaviors that account for the emergence of complex traffic phenomena. Despite much effort devoted to theoretically exploring departure time choice behaviors, relatively large-scale and systematic experimental tests of theoretical predictions are still lacking. In this paper, we aim to offer a more comprehensive understanding of departure time choice behaviors in terms of a series of laboratory experiments under different traffic conditions and feedback information provided to commuters. In the experiment, the number of recruited players is much larger than the number of choices to better mimic the real scenario, in which a large number of commuters will depart simultaneously in a relatively small time window. Sufficient numbers of rounds are conducted to ensure the convergence of collective behavior. Experimental results demonstrate that collective behavior is close to the user equilibrium, regardless of different scales and traffic conditions. Moreover, the amount of feedback information has a negligible influence on collective behavior but has a relatively stronger effect on individual choice behaviors. Reinforcement learning and Fermi learning models are built to reproduce the experimental results and uncover the underlying mechanism. Simulation results are in good agreement with the experimentally observed collective behaviors.

Our Minds Just Can't Feel Happy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoof, Katharene Kaufman

1993-01-01

Presents interviews with three children who offer firsthand accounts of their depression. Interviews 7-year-old boy referred for evaluation resulting from behavior problems; 12-year-old boy with major depressive episode, dysthymia, and learning disabilities, who was experiencing severe behavior and learning problems in school; and 13-year-old girl…

Preschool Interactive Peer Play Mediates Problem Behavior and Learning for Low-Income Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulotsky-Shearer, Rebecca J.; Bell, Elizabeth R.; Romero, Sandy L.; Carter, Tracy M.

2012-01-01

The study employed a developmental, ecological, and resiliency framework to examine whether interactive peer play competencies mediated associations between teacher reported problem behavior and learning outcomes for a representative sample of urban low-income children (N = 507 across 46 Head Start classrooms). Structural equation models provided…

Inclusion Strategies for Students with Learning and Behavior Problems: Perspectives, Experiences, and Best Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zionts, Paul, Ed.

This book presents discussions of the practical implementation of inclusion principles with students having learning and/or behavioral problems and disorders. The chapters, arranged under two topical units, "Perspectives and Experiences" and "Best Practices" are: (1) "Inclusion: Chasing the Impossible Dream? Maybe"…

Designing Interventions for Preschool Learning and Behavior Problems. The Jossey-Bass Social and Behavioral Science Series and the Jossey-Bass Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, David W.; Carey, Karen T.

This book aims to help in developing interventions for preschool children with learning and behavior problems, guided by a scientist-practitioner model that integrates research and deals effectively with the realities of practice. The book emphasizes a theory of psychosocial change rather than developmental theories. The book is written for…

A Mindfulness-Based Intervention Pilot Feasibility Study for Elementary School Students With Severe Learning Difficulties: Effects on Internalized and Externalized Symptoms From an Emotional Regulation Perspective

PubMed Central

Malboeuf-Hurtubise, Catherine; Lacourse, Eric; Taylor, Geneviève; Joussemet, Mireille; Ben Amor, Leila

2016-01-01

Objective. Students with severe learning disabilities often show signs of anxiety, depression, and problem behaviors such as inattention and conduct problems. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in school settings constitute a promising option to alleviate these co-occurring symptoms. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of an MBI on symptoms and behaviors of elementary school students with severe learning disabilities. Method. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The sample comprised 14 students aged 9 to 12 years with special education needs. Both student-report and teacher-report of the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition were used. Results. Repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed a significant impact of the MBI on symptoms and behaviors such as anxiety, depression, inattention, aggression, and conduct problems. Effect sizes for all variables were considered large (partial η2 = .31-.61). Conclusion. These preliminary results indicate that MBIs can reduce the frequency of symptoms and problem behaviors often found in children with learning disabilities in elementary schools. Further multiple baseline experimental trials with a long-term follow-up are warranted to establish more robustly the effect of MBIs for children with learning disabilities.

Neurocognitive and Behavioral Outcomes in Latino Childhood Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Patel, Sunita K.; Lo, Tracy T. Y.; Dennis, Jessica M.; Bhatia, Smita

2013-01-01

Background Children with brain tumors and leukemia are at risk for neurocognitive and behavioral late effects due to central nervous system-directed therapies. Few studies have examined these outcomes in ethnic minority samples, despite speculation that socio-demographic factors may increase vulnerability for adverse neurobehavioral outcomes. We evaluated the neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes and their impact on the health-related quality of life in survivors of childhood cancer drawn from Latino families in the Los Angeles region. Procedure Using culturally-relevant recruitment strategies, 73 predominantly Spanish-speaking parents of pediatric brain tumor or leukemia survivors completed standardized questionnaires, including the Conners Parent-Report and the Bidimensional Acculturation Scales. Clinical and socio-demographic factors influencing the development of neurocognitive and behavioral dysfunction were examined. Results Approximately 50% of the children placed at or above the “elevated” level for difficulties with attention, school-based learning, and peer relations. Younger age at diagnosis significantly predicted dysfunction in inattention, learning problems, and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Children whose parents were less adherent to the non-Hispanic white culture were more likely to have problems with peer relations and executive functioning. HRQL was significantly lower in survivors with neurocognitive and behavioral dysfunction relative to those with normal range scores on the Conners scale. Conclusions In addition to the child’s age at diagnosis, acculturation appears to predict select neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes in this socio-demographically homogeneous sample of Latino families. Further research is needed to understand the interaction of ethnic and cultural factors with therapeutic exposures in determining the adverse neurobehavioral outcomes, so as to optimally design interventions. PMID:23733619

Neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes in Latino childhood cancer survivors.

PubMed

Patel, Sunita K; Lo, Tracy T Y; Dennis, Jessica M; Bhatia, Smita

2013-10-01

Children with brain tumors and leukemia are at risk for neurocognitive and behavioral late effects due to central nervous system-directed therapies. Few studies have examined these outcomes in ethnic minority samples, despite speculation that socio-demographic factors may increase vulnerability for adverse neurobehavioral outcomes. We evaluated the neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes and their impact on the health-related quality of life in survivors of childhood cancer drawn from Latino families in the Los Angeles region. Using culturally-relevant recruitment strategies, 73 predominantly Spanish-speaking parents of pediatric brain tumor or leukemia survivors completed standardized questionnaires, including the Conners parent-report and the Bidimensional Acculturation Scales. Clinical and socio-demographic factors influencing the development of neurocognitive and behavioral dysfunction were examined. Approximately 50% of the children placed at or above the "elevated" level for difficulties with attention, school-based learning, and peer relations. Younger age at diagnosis significantly predicted dysfunction in inattention, learning problems, and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Children whose parents were less adherent to the non-Hispanic white culture were more likely to have problems with peer relations and executive functioning. HRQL was significantly lower in survivors with neurocognitive and behavioral dysfunction relative to those with normal range scores on the Conners scale. In addition to the child's age at diagnosis, acculturation appears to predict select neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes in this socio-demographically homogeneous sample of Latino families. Further research is needed to understand the interaction of ethnic and cultural factors with therapeutic exposures in determining the adverse neurobehavioral outcomes, so as to optimally design interventions. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Longitudinal Pathways from Cumulative Contextual Risk at Birth to School Functioning in Adolescence: Analysis of Mediation Effects and Gender Moderation.

PubMed

January, Stacy-Ann A; Mason, W Alex; Savolainen, Jukka; Solomon, Starr; Chmelka, Mary B; Miettunen, Jouko; Veijola, Juha; Moilanen, Irma; Taanila, Anja; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta

2017-01-01

Children and adolescents exposed to multiple contextual risks are more likely to have academic difficulties and externalizing behavior problems than those who experience fewer risks. This study used data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (a population-based study; N = 6961; 51 % female) to investigate (a) the impact of cumulative contextual risk at birth on adolescents' academic performance and misbehavior in school, (b) learning difficulties and/or externalizing behavior problems in childhood as intervening mechanisms in the association of cumulative contextual risk with functioning in adolescence, and (c) potential gender differences in the predictive associations of cumulative contextual risk at birth with functioning in childhood or adolescence. The results of the structural equation modeling analysis suggested that exposure to cumulative contextual risk at birth had negative associations with functioning 16 years later, and academic difficulties and externalizing behavior problems in childhood mediated some of the predictive relations. Gender, however, did not moderate any of the associations. Therefore, the findings of this study have implications for the prevention of learning and conduct problems in youth and future research on the impact of cumulative risk exposure.

Longitudinal Pathways from Cumulative Contextual Risk at Birth to School Functioning in Adolescence: Analysis of Mediation Effects and Gender Moderation

PubMed Central

January, Stacy-Ann A.; Mason, W. Alex; Savolainen, Jukka; Solomon, Starr; Chmelka, Mary B.; Miettunen, Jouko; Veijola, Juha; Moilanen, Irma; Taanila, Anja; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta

2016-01-01

Children and adolescents exposed to multiple contextual risks are more likely to have academic difficulties and externalizing behavior problems than those who experience fewer risks. This study used data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (a population-based study; N = 6,961; 51% female) to investigate (a) the impact of cumulative contextual risk at birth on adolescents’ academic performance and misbehavior in school, (b) learning difficulties and/or externalizing behavior problems in childhood as intervening mechanisms in the association of cumulative contextual risk with functioning in adolescence, and (c) potential gender differences in the predictive associations of cumulative contextual risk at birth with functioning in childhood or adolescence. The results of the structural equation modeling analysis suggested that exposure to cumulative contextual risk at birth had negative associations with functioning 16 years later, and academic difficulties and externalizing behavior problems in childhood mediated some of the predictive relations. Gender, however, did not moderate any of the associations. Therefore, the findings of this study have implications for the prevention of learning and conduct problems in youth and future research on the impact of cumulative risk exposure. PMID:27665276

Neuropsychological Comparison of Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and an IQ-Matched Comparison Group

PubMed Central

Vaurio, Linnea; Riley, Edward P.; Mattson, Sarah N.

2012-01-01

An objective in current research on children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is to determine neurobehavioral profiles to identify affected individuals. Deficits observed when children with FASD are compared to typically developing controls may be confounded by lower IQ scores in the subjects with FASD. To determine if prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with neurobehavioral deficits after controlling for IQ differences, multivariate analyses were conducted to compare alcohol-exposed (ALC) subjects to a comparison group closely matched on IQ (IQC). The initial analysis included a broad neuropsychological battery with measures of language, executive function, visual–motor integration, motor ability, and academic achievement. Additional, in depth comparisons focused on visual sustained attention, verbal learning and memory and parent/guardian-reported behavior problems. Group differences (ALC < IQC) were found on verbal learning and parent-rated behavior problems. Group differences were marginally significant (measures within the broad neuropsychological comparison) or not significant (visual attention, retention of verbal material) on the remaining comparisons. Therefore, some deficits (e.g., verbal learning and behavior problems) in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure cannot be explained by the lower FSIQ observed in the population. These areas of relative weakness could be useful in distinguishing children with FASD from other children with lowered IQ. PMID:21349236

Medications for School-Age Children: Effects on Learning and Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ronald T.; Sawyer, Michael G.

Use of medications that target specific behaviors affecting learning and social development has been the most extensively studied form of intervention available to children with behavioral and learning problems. Drawing from extensive research literature spanning the past 30 years, this guide for psychologists and other professionals who work with…

Protective resources and long-term recovery from alcohol use disorders.

PubMed

Moos, Rudolf H; Moos, Bernice S

2007-01-05

This study examined indices of personal and social resources drawn from social learning, behavioral economics, and social control theories as predictors of medium- and long-term alcohol use disorder outcomes. Individuals (N = 461) who initiated help-seeking for alcohol-related problems were surveyed at baseline and 1, 3, 8, and 16 years later. At baseline and each follow-up, participants provided information about their personal and social resources and alcohol-related and psychosocial functioning. In general, protective resources associated with social learning (self-efficacy and approach coping), behavioral economics (health and financial resources and resources associated with Alcoholics Anonymous), and social control theory (bonding with family members, friends, and coworkers) predicted better alcohol-related and psychosocial outcomes. A summary index of protective resources associated with all three theories significantly predicted remission. Protective resources strengthened the positive influence of treatment on short-term remission and partially mediated the association between treatment and remission. Application of social learning, behavior economic, and social control theories may help to identify predictors of remission and thus to allocate treatment more efficiently.

Active Player Modeling in the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma

PubMed Central

Park, Hyunsoo; Kim, Kyung-Joong

2016-01-01

The iterated prisoner's dilemma (IPD) is well known within the domain of game theory. Although it is relatively simple, it can also elucidate important problems related to cooperation and trust. Generally, players can predict their opponents' actions when they are able to build a precise model of their behavior based on their game playing experience. However, it is difficult to make such predictions based on a limited number of games. The creation of a precise model requires the use of not only an appropriate learning algorithm and framework but also a good dataset. Active learning approaches have recently been introduced to machine learning communities. The approach can usually produce informative datasets with relatively little effort. Therefore, we have proposed an active modeling technique to predict the behavior of IPD players. The proposed method can model the opponent player's behavior while taking advantage of interactive game environments. This experiment used twelve representative types of players as opponents, and an observer used an active modeling algorithm to model these opponents. This observer actively collected data and modeled the opponent's behavior online. Most of our data showed that the observer was able to build, through direct actions, a more accurate model of an opponent's behavior than when the data were collected through random actions. PMID:26989405

Active Player Modeling in the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma.

PubMed

Park, Hyunsoo; Kim, Kyung-Joong

2016-01-01

The iterated prisoner's dilemma (IPD) is well known within the domain of game theory. Although it is relatively simple, it can also elucidate important problems related to cooperation and trust. Generally, players can predict their opponents' actions when they are able to build a precise model of their behavior based on their game playing experience. However, it is difficult to make such predictions based on a limited number of games. The creation of a precise model requires the use of not only an appropriate learning algorithm and framework but also a good dataset. Active learning approaches have recently been introduced to machine learning communities. The approach can usually produce informative datasets with relatively little effort. Therefore, we have proposed an active modeling technique to predict the behavior of IPD players. The proposed method can model the opponent player's behavior while taking advantage of interactive game environments. This experiment used twelve representative types of players as opponents, and an observer used an active modeling algorithm to model these opponents. This observer actively collected data and modeled the opponent's behavior online. Most of our data showed that the observer was able to build, through direct actions, a more accurate model of an opponent's behavior than when the data were collected through random actions.

The Contributions of "Hot" and "Cool" Executive Function to Children's Academic Achievement, Learning-Related Behaviors, and Engagement in Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brock, Laura L.; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.; Nathanson, Lori; Grimm, Kevin J.

2009-01-01

Executive functioning (EF) refers to higher order thought processes considered foundational for problem-solving. EF has both "cool" cognitive and "hot" emotional components. This study asks: (a) what are the relative contributions of "hot" and "cool" EF to children's academic achievement? (b) What are the relative contributions of "hot" and "cool"…

Learning dominance relations in combinatorial search problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Chee-Fen; Wah, Benjamin W.

1988-01-01

Dominance relations commonly are used to prune unnecessary nodes in search graphs, but they are problem-dependent and cannot be derived by a general procedure. The authors identify machine learning of dominance relations and the applicable learning mechanisms. A study of learning dominance relations using learning by experimentation is described. This system has been able to learn dominance relations for the 0/1-knapsack problem, an inventory problem, the reliability-by-replication problem, the two-machine flow shop problem, a number of single-machine scheduling problems, and a two-machine scheduling problem. It is considered that the same methodology can be extended to learn dominance relations in general.

Ecocultural Perspective in Learning Disability: Family Support Resources, Values, Child Problem Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cen, Suzan; Aytac, Berna

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to assess the interaction between familial and cultural factors on child problem behaviors of learning disabled children aged between 7 and 14 within the perspective of ecocultural theory (N = 90). Mothers completed the Family Support Scale, Portrait Values Questionnaire, and Social-Demographical Form, and teachers…

Exploring Students' Use of Explanatory Help during Math Problem Solving in Interactive Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Xudong

2016-01-01

Help-seeking is a crucial behavior during learning in interactive learning environments (ILEs). Appropriate help-seeking promotes learning, while inappropriate help-seeking prohibits learning. However, many students are unaware of effective help-seeking behaviors. Therefore, research is needed to examine how students seek help in ILEs. Although…

Problem-Based Learning in Graduate Management Education: An Integrative Model and Interdisciplinary Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brownell, Judi; Jameson, Daphne A.

2004-01-01

This article develops a model of problem-based learning (PBL) and shows how PBL has been used for a decade in one graduate management program. PBL capitalizes on synergies among cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning. Although management education usually privileges cognitive learning, affective learning is equally important. By focusing on…

Neural reactivations during sleep determine network credit assignment

PubMed Central

Gulati, Tanuj; Guo, Ling; Ramanathan, Dhakshin S.; Bodepudi, Anitha; Ganguly, Karunesh

2018-01-01

A fundamental goal of motor learning is to establish neural patterns that produce a desired behavioral outcome. It remains unclear how and when the nervous system solves this “credit–assignment” problem. Using neuroprosthetic learning where we could control the causal relationship between neurons and behavior, here we show that sleep–dependent processing is required for credit-assignment and the establishment of task-related functional connectivity reflecting the casual neuron-behavior relationship. Importantly, we found a strong link between the microstructure of sleep reactivations and credit assignment, with downscaling of non–causal activity. Strikingly, decoupling of spiking to slow–oscillations using optogenetic methods eliminated rescaling. Thus, our results suggest that coordinated firing during sleep plays an essential role in establishing sparse activation patterns that reflect the causal neuron–behavior relationship. PMID:28692062

Identifying Configurations of Perceived Teacher Autonomy Support and Structure: Associations with Self-Regulated Learning, Motivation and Problem Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Sierens, Eline; Goossens, Luc; Soenens, Bart; Dochy, Filip; Mouratidis, Athanasios; Aelterman, Nathalie; Haerens, Leen; Beyers, Wim

2012-01-01

Grounded in self-determination theory, the aim of this study was (a) to examine naturally occurring configurations of perceived teacher autonomy support and clear expectations (i.e., a central aspect of teacher structure), and (b) to investigate associations with academic motivation, self-regulated learning, and problem behavior. Based on…

Bisphenol A, phthalates and lead and learning and behavioral problems in Canadian children 6-11 years of age: CHMS 2007-2009.

PubMed

Arbuckle, Tye E; Davis, Karelyn; Boylan, Khrista; Fisher, Mandy; Fu, Jingshan

2016-05-01

Childhood developmental disorders and related problems such as learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) account for a growing burden on the family, education and health care systems. Exposure to environmental chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates may play a role in the development of child behavioral problems. Using cross-sectional data from Cycle 1 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), we examined the potential association between urinary concentrations of BPA and various phthalate metabolites and child learning and behavioral problems, considering important covariates such as gender, blood lead and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) outcomes of interest were emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, and a total difficulties score with borderline and abnormal scores grouped together and compared with children with normal scores. Other outcomes studied included any reported learning disability, a subset of learning disabilities reported as ADD/ADHD (attention deficit disorder) and use of psychotropic medications in the past month. Among children ages 6-11 years, the prevalences of any learning disability, ADD, and ADHD were 8.7%, 1.5% and 2.8%, respectively. Estimated prevalences for SDQ hyperactivity/inattention, emotional symptoms and total difficulties scores were 16.9%, 15.0%, and 13.0%, respectively. Child's urinary BPA was associated with taking psychotropic medications (OR 1.59; 95% CI 1.05-2.40). Urinary MBzP concentration was significantly associated with emotional symptoms in girls (OR 1.38 95% CI 1.09-1.75) but not in boys (OR 1.05 95% CI 0.82-1.36).) Blood lead was significantly associated with several of the outcomes examined, with a significant interaction observed between prenatal smoking and blood lead for the total difficulties score (OR=10.57; 95% CI 2.81-39.69 vs. OR=1.98; 95% CI 1.41-2.79 if mother did not smoke during pregnancy). Although limited by the cross-sectional nature of the study which precludes examining causation, the results suggest that although some indicators of child behavior were significantly associated with their urinary BPA and phthalate concentrations, the major chemical associated with adverse behavioral indicators was lead. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adolescent self-esteem, emotional learning disabilities, and significant others.

PubMed

Peck, D G

1981-01-01

This paper will primarily examine four concepts: emotional learning disabilities, adolescence, self-esteem, and the social-psychological concept of "significant others." Problems of definition will be discussed, with a literature review, and an attempt will be made to integrate all four of the above-mentioned concepts. The emphasis will be in applying a sociological perspective to an educational and growing problem: how do we (sic) educate students with some type of learning disability? What, if any, extra-curricular factors potentially affect in school learning behavior(s) of adolescents?

Sleep Disorders as a Risk to Language Learning and Use.

PubMed

McGregor, Karla K; Alper, Rebecca M

2015-05-01

Are people with sleep disorders at higher risk for language learning deficits than healthy sleepers? Scoping Review. PubMed, Google Scholar, Trip Database, ClinicalTrials.gov. sleep disorders AND language AND learning; sleep disorders language learning -deprivation -epilepsy; sleep disorders AND verbal learning. 36. Children and adults with sleep disorders were at a higher risk for language problems than healthy sleepers. The language problems typically co-occurred with problems of attention and executive function (in children and adults), behavior (in children), and visual-spatial processing (in adults). Effects were typically small. Language problems seldom rose to a level of clinical concern but there were exceptions involving phonological deficits in children with sleep-disordered breathing and verbal memory deficits among adults with sleep-disordered breathing or idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder. Case history interviews should include questions about limited sleep, poor-quality sleep, snoring, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Medical referrals for clients with suspected sleep disorders are prudent.

An Electronic Library-Based Learning Environment for Supporting Web-Based Problem-Solving Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Pei-Shan; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Hung, Chun-Ming; Huang, Iwen

2012-01-01

This study aims to develop an electronic library-based learning environment to support teachers in developing web-based problem-solving activities and analyzing the online problem-solving behaviors of students. Two experiments were performed in this study. In study 1, an experiment on 103 elementary and high school teachers (the learning activity…

Parental Knowledge of Behavioral Principles Following Training to Address Sleep Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Follow-up Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Kylan

2012-01-01

Sleep problems are a common occurrence among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition to the challenges that sleep problems present for children's neurodevelopment, learning, and daytime behaviors, sleep problems in children present significant challenges for the entire family. Research studies on behavioral interventions to…

Animal behaviour learning environment: software to facilitate learning in canine and feline behavior therapy.

PubMed

McGreevy, P D; Della Torre, P K; Evans, D L

2003-01-01

Interactive software has been developed on CD-ROM to facilitate learning of problem formulation, diagnostic methodology, and therapeutic options in dog and cat behavior problems. Students working in small groups are presented with a signalment, a case history, and brief description of the problem behavior as perceived by the client. Students then navigate through the case history by asking the client questions from an icon-driven question pad. Animated video responses to the questions are provided. Students are then required to rate the significance of the questions and answers with respect to the development of the unwelcome behavior. Links to online self-assessments and to resource materials about causation and treatment options are provided to assist students in their decision-making process. The activity concludes with a software-generated e-mail submission that includes the recorded history, diagnosis, and recommended treatment for assessment purposes.

Multi-view non-negative tensor factorization as relation learning in healthcare data.

PubMed

Hang Wu; Wang, May D

2016-08-01

Discovering patterns in co-occurrences data between objects and groups of concepts is a useful task in many domains, such as healthcare data analysis, information retrieval, and recommender systems. These relational representations come from objects' behaviors in different views, posing a challenging task of integrating information from these views to uncover the shared latent structures. The problem is further complicated by the high dimension of data and the large ratio of missing data. We propose a new paradigm of learning semantic relations using tensor factorization, by jointly factorizing multi-view tensors and searching for a consistent underlying semantic space across each views. We formulate the idea as an optimization problem and propose efficient optimization algorithms, with a special treatment of missing data as well as high-dimensional data. Experiments results show the potential and effectiveness of our algorithms.

Can Tag Help Schools Teach?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2012

2012-01-01

Elementary schools are faced with a challenge: boosting student learning in an era when students face far more than schoolwork-related difficulties. Too often today, kids enter the classroom contending with issues ranging from bullying and emotional trauma to family instability and economic hardship--which can lead to behavioral problems that…

The Relative Merits of PBL (Problem-Based Learning) in University Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benson, Steve

2012-01-01

In Australia, academic workloads are increasing, and university funding is decreasing. Academics and university managers are engaging in risk adverse behavior and tending to focus on customer satisfaction and student retention, potentially at the expense of academic standards. Conventional approaches to pedagogy minimize adverse student feedback,…

School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: Effects on Academics and Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beckley Yeager, Roberta

2016-01-01

Acting out behaviors is a hindrance to learning across the country. The school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) model is a behaviorally-based systems approach to addressing problem behaviors in our school today. The problem this study is designed to address is the issue that student misbehaviors and disruptions cause a loss of valuable…

How Competition in a Game-Based Science Learning Environment Influences Students' Learning Achievement, Flow Experience, and Learning Behavioral Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ching-Huei; Liu, Jun-Han; Shou, Wen-Chuan

2018-01-01

Although educational games have become prevalent in recent research, only a limited number of studies have considered learners' learning behaviors while playing a science problem-solving game. Introducing a competitive element to game-based learning is promising; however, research has produced ambiguous results, indicating that more studies should…

Problem Behavior in Schools: A Bibliography. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Frank H.; Raison, Susan

The bibliography lists approximately 800 books and articles (c. 1950-1979)on 10 topics of behavior problems: theoretical foundations; incidence; characteristics of classified group (autistic/psychotic, emotionally disturbed/behavior disordered/learning disabled, brain injured/hyperactive/hyperkinetic); social context of education; legal and…

Sub-processes of motor learning revealed by a robotic manipulandum for rodents.

PubMed

Lambercy, O; Schubring-Giese, M; Vigaru, B; Gassert, R; Luft, A R; Hosp, J A

2015-02-01

Rodent models are widely used to investigate neural changes in response to motor learning. Usually, the behavioral readout of motor learning tasks used for this purpose is restricted to a binary measure of performance (i.e. "successful" movement vs. "failure"). Thus, the assignability of research in rodents to concepts gained in human research - implying diverse internal models that constitute motor learning - is still limited. To solve this problem, we recently introduced a three-degree-of-freedom robotic platform designed for rats (the ETH-Pattus) that combines an accurate behavioral readout (in the form of kinematics) with the possibility to invasively assess learning related changes within the brain (e.g. by performing immunohistochemistry or electrophysiology in acute slice preparations). Here, we validate this platform as a tool to study motor learning by establishing two forelimb-reaching paradigms that differ in degree of skill. Both conditions can be precisely differentiated in terms of their temporal pattern and performance levels. Based on behavioral data, we hypothesize the presence of several sub-processes contributing to motor learning. These share close similarities with concepts gained in humans or primates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Emerging Science in TBI Care: Diagnosis and Treatment: The Quadruple Aim: Learning & Growth, Readiness, Experience of Care

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-25

Behavioral problems – Emotional problems – “Unexplained“ symptoms TBI-related impairments increase vulnerability to subsequent injury until full...developed specific protocols for management of concussed Service members and those with recurrent concussion  Transition from symptom driven reporting...with early treatment.  VISION: Every Warfighter trained to: – Recognize the signs/ symptoms – Equipped to reduce the effects And in the event of an

Factors Associated with the Academic Achievement of Perinatally HIV-Infected Elementary and Middle School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Walter L.

2004-01-01

It is well documented that perinatally HIV-infected children experience difficulty in learning as well as behavioral and social problems in the school setting. While the research is mixed on the effect of the HIV virus on behavioral and social problems, it is much clearer on the effect of this virus on learning. This exploratory study identifies…

Are Tutor Behaviors in Problem-Based Learning Stable? A Generalizability Study of Social Congruence, Expertise and Cognitive Congruence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Judith C.; Alwis, W. A. M.; Rotgans, Jerome I.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stability of three distinct tutor behaviors (1) use of subject-matter expertise, (2) social congruence and (3) cognitive congruence, in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment. The data comprised the input from 16,047 different students to a survey of 762 tutors administered in three consecutive…

Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning and Behavior Problems. Fifth Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bos, Candace S.; Vaughn, Sharon

This book provides information about general approaches to learning and teaching, offering descriptions of methods and procedures and focusing on classroom and behavior management, consultation, and working with parents and professionals. The 12 chapters include: (1) "The Teaching-Learning Process" (e.g., characteristics of students with…

[Attempt at scientific theoretical classification of behavior therapy].

PubMed

Reinecker, H

1976-01-01

Following the discussion about the position of behavior therapy there are mentioned some problems of behaviorism, the connection between behavior therapy and learning theory and problems of etiology and treatment. The usefulness of known criteria (formal as well as non-formal) should be demonstrated. There are discussed three different positions of behavior therapy within the scientific disciplines.

Flight School in the Virtual Environment: Capabilities and Risks of Executing a Simulations-Based Flight Training Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-17

theories work together to explain learning in aviation—behavioral learning theory , cognitive learning theory , constructivism, experiential ...solve problems, and make decisions. Experiential learning theory incorporates both behavioral and cognitive theories .104 This theory harnesses the...34Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Flight School XXI," 7. 106 David A. Kolb , Experiential Learning : Experience as the Source of

Students' Approaches to Learning in Problem-Based Learning: Taking into Account Professional Behavior in the Tutorial Groups, Self-Study Time, and Different Assessment Aspects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loyens, Sofie M. M.; Gijbels, David; Coertjens, Liesje; Cote, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) represents a major development in higher educational practice and is believed to promote deep learning in students. However, empirical findings on the promotion of deep learning in PBL remain unclear. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationships between students' approaches to learning (SAL) and…

Cognitive Profiles of Mathematical Problem Solving Learning Disability for Different Definitions of Disability

PubMed Central

Tolar, Tammy D.; Fuchs, Lynn; Fletcher, Jack M.; Fuchs, Douglas; Hamlett, Carol L.

2014-01-01

Three cohorts of third-grade students (N = 813) were evaluated on achievement, cognitive abilities, and behavioral attention according to contrasting research traditions in defining math learning disability (LD) status: low achievement versus extremely low achievement and IQ-achievement discrepant versus strictly low-achieving LD. We use methods from these two traditions to form math problem solving LD groups. To evaluate group differences, we used MANOVA-based profile and canonical analyses to control for relations among the outcomes and regression to control for group definition variables. Results suggest that basic arithmetic is the key distinguishing characteristic that separates low-achieving problem solvers (including LD, regardless of definition) from typically achieving students. Word problem solving is the key distinguishing characteristic that separates IQ-achievement-discrepant from strictly low-achieving LD students, favoring the IQ-achievement-discrepant students. PMID:24939971

Using Problem-Based Learning with Victims of Bullying Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Kimberly R.

2006-01-01

Victims of bullying need assistance in developing better strategies for effectively responding to bullies. Utilizing a new intervention strategy, problem-based learning (PBL), school counselors can incorporate problem-solving and literature-based lessons. This strategy provides the possibility of increasing awareness and knowledge of bullying,…

Distraction during learning with hypermedia: difficult tasks help to keep task goals on track

PubMed Central

Scheiter, Katharina; Gerjets, Peter; Heise, Elke

2014-01-01

In educational hypermedia environments, students are often confronted with potential sources of distraction arising from additional information that, albeit interesting, is unrelated to their current task goal. The paper investigates the conditions under which distraction occurs and hampers performance. Based on theories of volitional action control it was hypothesized that interesting information, especially if related to a pending goal, would interfere with task performance only when working on easy, but not on difficult tasks. In Experiment 1, 66 students learned about probability theory using worked examples and solved corresponding test problems, whose task difficulty was manipulated. As a second factor, the presence of interesting information unrelated to the primary task was varied. Results showed that students solved more easy than difficult probability problems correctly. However, the presence of interesting, but task-irrelevant information did not interfere with performance. In Experiment 2, 68 students again engaged in example-based learning and problem solving in the presence of task-irrelevant information. Problem-solving difficulty was varied as a first factor. Additionally, the presence of a pending goal related to the task-irrelevant information was manipulated. As expected, problem-solving performance declined when a pending goal was present during working on easy problems, whereas no interference was observed for difficult problems. Moreover, the presence of a pending goal reduced the time on task-relevant information and increased the time on task-irrelevant information while working on easy tasks. However, as revealed by mediation analyses these changes in overt information processing behavior did not explain the decline in problem-solving performance. As an alternative explanation it is suggested that goal conflicts resulting from pending goals claim cognitive resources, which are then no longer available for learning and problem solving. PMID:24723907

Dimensions and Correlates of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garner, Annie A.; Marceaux, Janice; Mrug, Sylvie; Patterson, Cryshelle; Hodgens, Bart

2010-01-01

The present study examined Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) in relation to ADHD symptoms, clinical diagnosis, and multiple aspects of adjustment in a clinical sample. Parent and teacher reports were gathered for 322 children and adolescents evaluated for behavioral, emotional, and/or learning problems at a university clinic. Confirmatory factor…

Relation between Metacognitive Awareness and Participation to Class Discussion of University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akman, Özkan; Alagöz, Bülent

2018-01-01

Form of inquiry should be based on cognitive approach, student-centered, question and inquiry-based, free of memorization and focused on high-level cognitive skills (critical-creative thinking and problem-solving) rather than conventional teacher-centered teaching and learning based on memorization and behavioral approach. The life quality of…

New Learning Programs in Cognitive Vitality, Alzheimer's Disease, and Related Dementias

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kovacich, Joann; Garrett, Ruth; Forti, Esther M.

2006-01-01

As the population continues to age there remains an unmet need in preventing, identifying, treating, and managing mental/behavioral health problems among older adults. The purpose of this paper is to describe educational and training programs offered through three Geriatric Education Centers: (1) the Meharry Consortium Geriatric Education Center,…

Mental Health Problems in Early Childhood Can Impair Learning and Behavior for Life. Working Paper #6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2008

2008-01-01

Significant mental health problems can and do occur in young children. In some cases, these problems can have serious consequences for early learning, social competence, and lifelong health. Furthermore, the foundations of many mental health problems that endure through adulthood are established early in life through the interaction of genetic…

The Culture of Academic Medicine: Faculty Behaviors Impacting the Learning Environment.

PubMed

Moutier, Christine; Wingard, Deborah; Gudea, Monica; Jeste, Dilip; Goodman, Seneca; Reznik, Vivian

2016-12-01

The culture of academic medical institutions impacts trainee education, among many other faculty and patient outcomes. Disrespectful behavior by faculty is one of the most challenging and common problems that, left unattended, disrupts healthy work and learning environments. Conversely, a respectful environment facilitates learning, creates a sense of safety, and rewards professionalism. The authors developed surveys and an intervention in an effort to better understand and improve climate concerns among health sciences faculty at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), a research-intense, public, academic medical center. An online "climate survey" of all UC San Diego health sciences faculty was conducted in 2011-2012. A strategic campaign to address the behavioral issues identified in the initial survey was subsequently launched. In 2015, the climate was re-evaluated in order to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. A total of 478 faculty members (223 women, 235 men, 35 % of faculty) completed the baseline survey, reporting relatively low levels of observed sexual harassment (7 %). However, faculty reported concerning rates of other disruptive behaviors: derogatory comments (29 %), anger outbursts (25 %), and hostile communication (25 %). Women and mid-level faculty were more likely to report these behavioral concerns than men and junior or senior colleagues. Three years after an institutional strategy was initiated, 729 faculty members (50 % of the faculty) completed a follow-up survey. The 2015 survey results indicate significant improvement in numerous climate factors, including overall respectful behaviors, as well as behaviors related to gender. In order to enhance a culture of respect in the learning environment, institutions can effectively engage academic leaders and faculty at all levels to address disruptive behavior and enhance positive climate factors.

Effect of students' learning styles on classroom performance in problem-based learning.

PubMed

Alghasham, Abdullah A

2012-01-01

Since problem-based learning (PBL) sessions require a combination of active discussion, group interaction, and inductive and reflective thinking, students with different learning styles can be expected to perform differently in the PBL sessions. Using "Learning Style Inventory Questionnaire," students were divided into separate active and reflective learner groups. Tutors were asked to observe and assess the students' behavioral performance during the PBL sessions for a period of 5 weeks. A questionnaire of 24 items was developed to assess students' behavioral performance in PBL sessions. Active students tended to use multiple activities to obtain the needed information were more adjusted to the group norms and regulation and more skillful in using reasoning and problem-solving skills and in participation in discussion. On the other hand, reflective students used independent study more, listened actively and carefully to others and used previously acquired information in the discussion more frequently. Formative assessment quizzes did not indicate better performance of either group. There were no significant gender differences in PBL behavioral performance or quizzes' scores. Active and reflective learners differ in PBL class behavioral performance but not in the formative assessment. We recommend that students should be informed about their learning style and that they should learn strategies to compensate for any lacks in PBL sessions through self-study. Also, educational planners should ensure an adequate mix of students with different learning styles in the PBL groups to achieve PBL desired objectives.

Online exclusive: behavioral adjustment of children and adolescents with cancer: teacher, parent, and self-report.

PubMed

Moore, Ida M; Challinor, Julia; Pasvogel, Alice; Matthay, Katherine; Hutter, John; Kaemingk, Kris

2003-01-01

To describe behavioral adjustment in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and to determine whether behavioral adjustment is correlated with cognitive and academic abilities. Descriptive, cross-sectional design. Two pediatric oncology treatment centers. 47 children and adolescents who had been receiving ALL therapy for at least one year or who were off therapy for no more than three years and their parents and teachers. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R) data were available on a subset of 17 subjects. Parent, teacher, and self-report Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC) ratings were used to measure behavioral adjustment. WISC-R measured cognitive abilities, and WRAT-R measured academic abilities. Demographic, family, and treatment-related data also were collected. Behavioral adjustment and cognitive and academic abilities. At least 20% of teacher ratings for somatization, learning problems, leadership, and study skills; parent ratings for somatization, adaptability, attention problems, withdrawal, anxiety, social skills, and depression; and self-report ratings for anxiety and attitude to school were in the at-risk range (i.e., presence of significant problems that require treatment). The majority of teacher BASC ratings were correlated significantly with WISC-R and WRAT-R scores. Self-report depression and social stress ratings were correlated significantly with some WISC-R and WRAT-R scores. Treatment-related experiences such as body image alterations and mental and emotional problems were associated with problematic behaviors, including depression, somatization, withdrawal, and social stress. Youth with ALL are at risk for some behavioral adjustment problems, particularly anxiety, somatization, adaptability, attention, and withdrawal. Cognitive and academic abilities are associated with some dimensions of behavioral adjustment. Findings suggest the need for ongoing assessment of behavioral adjustment and cognitive and academic abilities of children with ALL. Behavioral interventions that target at-risk mannerisms, such as somatization, depression, anxiety, and social stress, are needed. Central nervous system treatment may contribute to behavioral adjustment problems, as well as to cognitive and academic problems. Strategies to improve academic abilities also may have a positive effect on behavioral adjustment.

Why Is My Child Hurting? Positive Approaches to Dealing with Difficult Behaviors. A Monograph for Parents of Children with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehr, Susan; Lehr, Robert

This monograph aims to assist parents in dealing with behavior problems of children with disabilities. It begins with a case history of an 8-year-old girl with learning disabilities, emotional problems, and behavior problems and her parents' advocacy efforts to obtain an appropriate educational environment for her. Aversive interventions are…

Exploration of the short-term and long-term effects of parental illness on children's educational and behavioral functioning using a large Taiwanese sample.

PubMed

Chen, Yung-Chi

2014-05-01

This study used data from Waves I and II of the Taiwan Educational Panel Survey (TEPS) to explore the potential short-term and long-term effects of parental illness and health condition on children's behavioral and educational functioning. A sample of 11,018 junior high school students and their parents and teachers in Taiwan were included in this present study. The results supported previous work that parental illness may place children at slight risk for poor psychosocial adjustment and behavioral problems. Parental illness was associated with lower adaptive skills and more behavioral problems in children. Children of ill parents showed resilience in their educational functioning in the event of parental illness as children's academic achievement and learning skills were not related to parental illness/health condition.

Using a Web-based simulation as a problem-based learning experience: perceived and actual performance of undergraduate public health students.

PubMed

Spinello, Elio F; Fischbach, Ronald

2008-01-01

This study investigated the use of a Web-based community health simulation as a problem-based learning (PBL) experience for undergraduate students majoring in public health. The study sought to determine whether students who participated in the online simulation achieved differences in academic and attitudinal outcomes compared with students who participated in a traditional PBL exercise. Using a nonexperimental comparative design, 21 undergraduate students enrolled in a health-behavior course were each randomly assigned to one of four workgroups. Each workgroup was randomly assigned the semester-long simulation project or the traditional PBL exercise. Survey instruments were used to measure students' attitudes toward the course, their perceptions of the learning community, and perceptions of their own cognitive learning. Content analysis of final essay exams and group reports was used to identify differences in academic outcomes and students' level of conceptual understanding of health-behavior theory. Findings indicated that students participating in the simulation produced higher mean final exam scores compared with students participating in the traditional PBL (p=0.03). Students in the simulation group also outperformed students in the traditional group with respect to their understanding of health-behavior theory (p=0.04). Students in the simulation group, however, rated their own level of cognitive learning lower than did students in the traditional group (p=0.03). By bridging time and distance constraints of the traditional classroom setting, an online simulation may be an effective PBL approach for public health students. Recommendations include further research using a larger sample to explore students' perceptions of learning when participating in simulated real-world activities. Additional research focusing on possible differences between actual and perceived learning relative to PBL methods and student workgroup dynamics is also recommended.

"They Just Won't Listen to Me": A Teacher's Guide to Positive Behavioral Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rafferty, Lisa A.

2007-01-01

It has been estimated that as much as 20 percent of the school population may have some form of unidentified emotional or behavioral disorder; at some point in time, nearly all children exhibit problem behaviors. These behaviors often interfere with the learning environment and make it nearly impossible for teaching and learning to take place…

A cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based group sleep intervention improves behavior problems in at-risk adolescents by improving perceived sleep quality.

PubMed

Blake, Matthew J; Snoep, Lian; Raniti, Monika; Schwartz, Orli; Waloszek, Joanna M; Simmons, Julian G; Murray, Greg; Blake, Laura; Landau, Elizabeth R; Dahl, Ronald E; Bootzin, Richard; McMakin, Dana L; Dudgeon, Paul; Trinder, John; Allen, Nicholas B

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to test whether a cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based group sleep intervention would improve behavior problems in at-risk adolescents, and whether these improvements were specifically related to improvements in sleep. Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial conducted with 123 adolescent participants (female = 60%; mean age = 14.48, range 12.04-16.31 years) who had high levels of sleep problems and anxiety symptoms. Participants were randomized into either a sleep improvement intervention (n = 63) or an active control "study skills" intervention (n = 60). Participants completed sleep and behavior problems questionnaires, wore an actiwatch and completed a sleep diary for five school nights, both before and after the intervention. Parallel multiple mediation models showed that postintervention improvements in social problems, attention problems, and aggressive behaviors were specifically mediated by moderate improvements in self-reported sleep quality on school nights, but were not mediated by moderate improvements in actigraphy-assessed sleep onset latency or sleep diary-measured sleep efficiency on school nights. This study provides evidence, using a methodologically rigorous design, that a cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based group sleep intervention improved behavior problems in at-risk adolescent by improving perceived sleep quality on school nights. These findings suggest that sleep interventions could be directed towards adolescents with behavior problems. This study was part of The SENSE Study (Sleep and Education: learning New Skills Early). URL: ACTRN12612001177842; http://www.anzctr.org.au/TrialSearch.aspx?searchTxt=ACTRN12612001177842&isBasic=True. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental reading disorder

MedlinePlus

... important. Many students with learning disabilities have poor self-esteem. Psychological counseling may be helpful. ... Problems in school, including behavior problems Loss of self-esteem Reading problems that continue Problems with job performance

Credit assignment between body and object probed by an object transportation task.

PubMed

Kong, Gaiqing; Zhou, Zhihao; Wang, Qining; Kording, Konrad; Wei, Kunlin

2017-10-17

It has been proposed that learning from movement errors involves a credit assignment problem: did I misestimate properties of the object or those of my body? For example, an overestimate of arm strength and an underestimate of the weight of a coffee cup can both lead to coffee spills. Though previous studies have found signs of simultaneous learning of the object and of the body during object manipulation, there is little behavioral evidence about their quantitative relation. Here we employed a novel weight-transportation task, in which participants lift the first cup filled with liquid while assessing their learning from errors. Specifically, we examined their transfer of learning when switching to a contralateral hand, the second identical cup, or switching both hands and cups. By comparing these transfer behaviors, we found that 25% of the learning was attributed to the object (simply because of the use of the same cup) and 58% of the learning was attributed to the body (simply because of the use of the same hand). The nervous system thus seems to partition the learning of object manipulation between the object and the body.

Agent Reward Shaping for Alleviating Traffic Congestion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tumer, Kagan; Agogino, Adrian

2006-01-01

Traffic congestion problems provide a unique environment to study how multi-agent systems promote desired system level behavior. What is particularly interesting in this class of problems is that no individual action is intrinsically "bad" for the system but that combinations of actions among agents lead to undesirable outcomes, As a consequence, agents need to learn how to coordinate their actions with those of other agents, rather than learn a particular set of "good" actions. This problem is ubiquitous in various traffic problems, including selecting departure times for commuters, routes for airlines, and paths for data routers. In this paper we present a multi-agent approach to two traffic problems, where far each driver, an agent selects the most suitable action using reinforcement learning. The agent rewards are based on concepts from collectives and aim to provide the agents with rewards that are both easy to learn and that if learned, lead to good system level behavior. In the first problem, we study how agents learn the best departure times of drivers in a daily commuting environment and how following those departure times alleviates congestion. In the second problem, we study how agents learn to select desirable routes to improve traffic flow and minimize delays for. all drivers.. In both sets of experiments,. agents using collective-based rewards produced near optimal performance (93-96% of optimal) whereas agents using system rewards (63-68%) barely outperformed random action selection (62-64%) and agents using local rewards (48-72%) performed worse than random in some instances.

The Relationship between Brainstem Temporal Processing and Performance on Tests of Central Auditory Function in Children with Reading Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Billiet, Cassandra R.; Bellis, Teri James

2011-01-01

Purpose: Studies using speech stimuli to elicit electrophysiologic responses have found approximately 30% of children with language-based learning problems demonstrate abnormal brainstem timing. Research is needed regarding how these responses relate to performance on behavioral tests of central auditory function. The purpose of the study was to…

Developing Safe Schools Partnerships with Law Enforcement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosiak, John

2009-01-01

Safe schools are the concern of communities throughout the world. If a school is safe, and if children feel safe, students "are better able to learn. But what are the steps to make" this happen? First, it is important to understand the problem: What are the threats to school safety? These include crime-related behaviors that find their way to…

Solving Wicked Problems through Action Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crul, Liselore

2014-01-01

This account of practice outlines the Oxyme Action Learning Program which was conducted as part of the Management Challenge in my final year of the MSc in Coaching and Behavioral Change at Henley Business School. The central research questions were: (1) how action learning can help to solve wicked problems and (2) what the effect of an action…

An Interdisciplinary Approach toward the Treatment of Behavior and Learning Problems in a Special Educational Facility for Emotionally and Socially Handicapped Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comiskey, Vincent P.; And Others

Provided are some of the guidelines used in the Village School Behavior Modification Program for children with behavior problems in Bergen County, New Jersey. Included are definitions of the terms "emotionally disturbed" and "socially maladjusted", descriptions of some behavior modification techniques used, copies of forms and…

SOS! Help for Parents: A Practical Guide for Handling Common Everyday Behavior Problems [With Video Leader's Guide].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Lynn

This book provides parents with guidance for handling a variety of common behavior problems based on the behavioral approach to child rearing and discipline. This approach suggests that good and bad behavior are both learned and can be changed, and proposes specific methods, skills, procedures, and strategies for parents to use in getting improved…

Preventing risk for significant behavior problems through a cognitive-behavioral intervention: effects of the tools for getting along curriculum at one-year follow-up.

PubMed

Smith, Stephen W; Daunic, Ann P; Barber, Brian R; Aydin, Burak; Van Loan, Christopher L; Taylor, Gregory G

2014-10-01

Efficient and effective social-emotional learning programs increase the likelihood of success in school for all students, and particularly for those who may develop emotional or behavior problems. In this study, we followed a sub-sample of students 1 year after their participation in a randomized controlled trial of the effects of the Tools for Getting Along (TFGA) curriculum. TFGA is a universally delivered, preventive cognitive-behavioral curricular intervention designed to improve upper elementary school students' emotional and behavioral self-regulation. To determine effects at 1-year follow-up, we assessed 720 out of the 1,296 original students across TFGA and control conditions on measures of curricular knowledge, teacher-rated executive function and behavior, and student-reported anger and social problem solving. Findings indicated a continued positive effect on curricular knowledge for students taught TFGA relative to controls. We also found significant pretest by condition interaction effects on teacher reports of skills associated with executive function, including inhibitory control and shift (cognitive flexibility), and on teacher reported internalizing and externalizing behavior. Specifically, students with poorer scores on these measures at pretest benefited from TFGA at follow-up relative to comparable students in the control condition. Finally, we found marginally significant pretest by condition interaction effects on proactive aggression, outward expressions of anger, and the executive function related skills of initiating activities and using working memory. Counter to expectations, we found negative TFGA effects on student-reported trait anger and anger control.

Using functional assessment to treat behavior problems of deaf and hard of hearing children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Zane, Thomas; Carlson, Mark; Estep, David; Quinn, Mike

2014-01-01

A defining feature of autism spectrum disorders is atypical behaviors, e.g., stereotypy, noncompliance, rituals, and aggression. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals with autism present a greater challenge because of additional issues related to their hearing status. One conceptualization of problem behavior is that it serves a communication function, i.e., the person has learned that certain misbehaviors may be reinforced in some way. The present article describes "functional behavior assessment," a group of state-of-the-art methodologies that allow a caregiver to determine the cause of the behavior, so that treatment--based on that cause--will be more effective. Different methods of functional assessment are described, along with a step-by-step implementation sequence. The results of a functional assessment should lead to more effective programming, resulting in quicker elimination of the behavioral concerns, and allow the person to gain access to greater independence and more reinforcement.

Behavioral flexibility and problem solving in an invasive bird.

PubMed

Logan, Corina J

2016-01-01

Behavioral flexibility is considered an important trait for adapting to environmental change, but it is unclear what it is, how it works, and whether it is a problem solving ability. I investigated behavioral flexibility and problem solving experimentally in great-tailed grackles, an invasive bird species and thus a likely candidate for possessing behavioral flexibility. Grackles demonstrated behavioral flexibility in two contexts, the Aesop's Fable paradigm and a color association test. Contrary to predictions, behavioral flexibility did not correlate across contexts. Four out of 6 grackles exhibited efficient problem solving abilities, but problem solving efficiency did not appear to be directly linked with behavioral flexibility. Problem solving speed also did not significantly correlate with reversal learning scores, indicating that faster learners were not the most flexible. These results reveal how little we know about behavioral flexibility, and provide an immense opportunity for future research to explore how individuals and species can use behavior to react to changing environments.

Psychology's Contributions to Classroom Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Steven G.; Akin-Little, Angeleque

2008-01-01

Classroom management (CRM) has been associated with discipline, control, or other terms that connote reducing unacceptable student behavior. However, CRM involves not merely responding effectively when problems occur, but also preventing problems from occurring by creating environments that encourage learning and appropriate behavior. Teachers'…

Learning and exploration in action-perception loops.

PubMed

Little, Daniel Y; Sommer, Friedrich T

2013-01-01

Discovering the structure underlying observed data is a recurring problem in machine learning with important applications in neuroscience. It is also a primary function of the brain. When data can be actively collected in the context of a closed action-perception loop, behavior becomes a critical determinant of learning efficiency. Psychologists studying exploration and curiosity in humans and animals have long argued that learning itself is a primary motivator of behavior. However, the theoretical basis of learning-driven behavior is not well understood. Previous computational studies of behavior have largely focused on the control problem of maximizing acquisition of rewards and have treated learning the structure of data as a secondary objective. Here, we study exploration in the absence of external reward feedback. Instead, we take the quality of an agent's learned internal model to be the primary objective. In a simple probabilistic framework, we derive a Bayesian estimate for the amount of information about the environment an agent can expect to receive by taking an action, a measure we term the predicted information gain (PIG). We develop exploration strategies that approximately maximize PIG. One strategy based on value-iteration consistently learns faster than previously developed reward-free exploration strategies across a diverse range of environments. Psychologists believe the evolutionary advantage of learning-driven exploration lies in the generalized utility of an accurate internal model. Consistent with this hypothesis, we demonstrate that agents which learn more efficiently during exploration are later better able to accomplish a range of goal-directed tasks. We will conclude by discussing how our work elucidates the explorative behaviors of animals and humans, its relationship to other computational models of behavior, and its potential application to experimental design, such as in closed-loop neurophysiology studies.

Dogs’ Body Language Relevant to Learning Achievement

PubMed Central

Hasegawa, Masashi; Ohtani, Nobuyo; Ohta, Mitsuaki

2014-01-01

Simple Summary For humans and dogs to live together amiably, dog training is required, and a lack of obedience training is significantly related to the prevalence of certain behavioral problems. To train efficiently, it is important that the trainer/owner ascertains the learning level of the dog. Understanding the dog’s body language helps humans understand the animal’s emotions. This study evaluated the posture of certain dog body parts during operant conditioning. Our findings suggest that certain postures were related to the dog’s learning level during operant conditioning. Being aware of these postures could be helpful to understand canine emotion during learning. Abstract The facial expressions and body postures of dogs can give helpful information about their moods and emotional states. People can more effectively obedience train their dogs if we can identify the mannerisms associated with learning in dogs. The aim of this study was to clarify the dog’s body language during operant conditioning to predict achievement in the test that followed by measuring the duration of behaviors. Forty-six untrained dogs (17 males and 26 females) of various breeds were used. Each session consisted of 5 minutes of training with a treat reward followed by 3 minutes of rest and finally an operant conditioning test that consisted of 20 “hand motion” cues. The operant tests were conducted a total of nine times over three consecutive days, and the success numbers were counted. The duration of the dog’s behavior, focusing on the dog’s eyes, mouth, ears, tail and tail-wagging, was recorded during the operant conditioning sessions before the test. Particular behaviors, including wide-eyes, closed mouth, erect ears, and forward and high tail carriage, without wagging or with short and quick wagging, related to high achievement results. It is concluded that dogs' body language during operant conditioning was related to their success rate. PMID:26479883

Attributional processes in the learned helplessness paradigm: behavioral effects of global attributions.

PubMed

Mikulincer, M

1986-12-01

Following the learned helplessness paradigm, I assessed in this study the effects of global and specific attributions for failure on the generalization of performance deficits in a dissimilar situation. Helplessness training consisted of experience with noncontingent failures on four cognitive discrimination problems attributed to either global or specific causes. Experiment 1 found that performance in a dissimilar situation was impaired following exposure to globally attributed failure. Experiment 2 examined the behavioral effects of the interaction between stable and global attributions of failure. Exposure to unsolvable problems resulted in reduced performance in a dissimilar situation only when failure was attributed to global and stable causes. Finally, Experiment 3 found that learned helplessness deficits were a product of the interaction of global and internal attribution. Performance deficits following unsolvable problems were recorded when failure was attributed to global and internal causes. Results were discussed in terms of the reformulated learned helplessness model.

Cognitive development in introductory physics: A research-based approach to curriculum reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorescu, Raluca Elena

This project describes the research on a classification of physics problems in the context of introductory physics courses. This classification, called the Taxonomy of Introductory Physics Problems (TIPP), relates physics problems to the cognitive processes required to solve them. TIPP was created for designing and clarifying educational objectives, for developing assessments that can evaluate individual component processes of the problem-solving process, and for guiding curriculum design in introductory physics courses, specifically within the context of a "thinking-skills" curriculum. TIPP relies on the following resources: (1) cognitive research findings adopted by physics education research, (2) expert-novice research discoveries acknowledged by physics education research, (3) an educational psychology taxonomy for educational objectives, and (4) various collections of physics problems created by physics education researchers or developed by textbook authors. TIPP was used in the years 2006--2008 to reform the first semester of the introductory algebra-based physics course (called Phys 11) at The George Washington University. The reform sought to transform our curriculum into a "thinking-skills" curriculum that trades "breadth for depth" by focusing on fewer topics while targeting the students' cognitive development. We employed existing research on the physics problem-solving expert-novice behavior, cognitive science and behavioral science findings, and educational psychology recommendations. Our pedagogy relies on didactic constructs such as the GW-ACCESS problem-solving protocol, learning progressions and concept maps that we have developed and implemented in our introductory physics course. These tools were designed based on TIPP. Their purpose is: (1) to help students build local and global coherent knowledge structures, (2) to develop more context-independent problem-solving abilities, (3) to gain confidence in problem solving, and (4) to establish connections between everyday phenomena and underlying physics concepts. We organize traditional and research-based physics problems such that students experience a gradual increase in complexity related to problem context, problem features and cognitive processes needed to solve the problem. The instructional environment that we designed allows for explicit monitoring, control and measurement of the cognitive processes exercised during the instruction period. It is easily adaptable to any kind of curriculum and can be readily adjusted throughout the semester. To assess the development of students' problem-solving abilities, we created rubrics that measure specific aspects of the thinking involved in physics problem solving. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was administered pre- and post-instruction to determine students' shift in dispositions towards learning physics. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) was administered pre- and post-instruction to determine students' level of conceptual understanding. The results feature improvements in students' problem-solving abilities and in their attitudes towards learning physics.

RTI Goes Mainstream

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pascopella, Angela

2010-01-01

In more districts than ever, Response-to-Intervention programs are gaining ground, nipping learning problems in the bud and keeping more students out of unnecessary special education classes, which is the goal. RTI, a multi-tier intervention used to diagnose and address potential learning or behavioral problem early, is also increasing in…

Behavioral Interventions to Address Sleep Disturbances in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Kylan S.; Johnson, Cynthia R.

2013-01-01

Sleep problems are a common occurrence among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition to the adverse effects that sleep problems present for children's neurodevelopment, learning, and daytime behaviors, these sleep problems also present significant challenges for the entire family. This article outlines the results of a…

Evaluation of a Multicomponent, Behaviorally Oriented, Problem-Based "Summer School" Program for Adolescents with Diabetes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlundt, David G.; Flannery, Mary Ellen; Davis, Dianne L.; Kinzer, Charles K.; Pichert, James W.

1999-01-01

Examines a two-week summer program using problem-based learning and behavior therapy to help adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes improve their ability to cope with obstacles to dietary management. Improvements were observed in self-efficacy, problem-solving skills, and self-reported coping strategies. No significant changes were observed…

The student tutor experience in a problem-based learning course: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Tricia Susan

This case study, conducted from an interpretive paradigm, illuminates contextual factors related to the tutor experience when senior undergraduate dental hygiene students served as tutors for beginning undergraduate dental hygiene students, or sophomores, in a 1-semester, 2-hour long problem-based learning (PBL) course in a Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene (BDH) curriculum during the spring semester of 2008. Data were collected using various sources and methods. Six tutors and three administrators were interviewed, tutees completed an anonymous questionnaire, the tutorial process and tutor training sessions were observed, and related documents were examined. Data analysis included open and axial coding, creation of tutor profiles, and identification of patterns. Tutor behaviors varied with respect to the nature of intervention (e.g., telling, asking, clarifying, acknowledging), emphasis (process, content, social), and facilitation style (directive, suggestive, empowering). Patterns in tutor behavior and attitudes emerged related to comfort and growth, persistence and lenience, and compliance, resistance, and innovation. Differences in tutor understanding and perception of their role and the purpose of PBL influenced the role the tutor assumed. Other factors that influenced tutor behavior included tutor intentions, tutor training, and environmental factors such as the nature of problems, allotted time, and tutorial group characteristics. The influence of these factors can be understood by applying Fishbein's integrated model of behavior prediction (Fishbein, 2008). Tutor training included experiencing the PBL student role, attending class, and sharing experiences with other tutors in weekly seminar sessions facilitated by a tutor supervisor. Tutor's gained confidence, knowledge, skills, and friendship. They also had the opportunity to see things from a new perspective, that of a teacher encouraging self-direction rather than a student depending on others for direction. I suggest that the PBL tutor role can be seen as a transition between dependence on external guidance and reliance on internal guidance, with the potential to prepare students for their role as professional health care providers.

Mild cognitive impairment affects motor control and skill learning.

PubMed

Wu, Qiaofeng; Chan, John S Y; Yan, Jin H

2016-02-01

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional phase between normal cognitive aging and dementia. As the world population is aging rapidly, more MCI patients will be identified, posing significant problems to society. Normal aging is associated with cognitive and motor decline, and MCI brings additional impairments. Compared to healthy older adults, MCI patients show poorer motor control in a variety of tasks. Efficient motor control and skill learning are essential for occupational and leisure purposes; degradation of motor behaviors in MCI patients often adversely affects their health and quality of life. In this article, we first define MCI and describe its pathology and neural correlates. After this, we review cognitive changes and motor control and skill learning in normal aging. This section is followed by a discussion of MCI-related degradation of motor behaviors. Finally, we propose that multicomponent interventions targeting both cognitive and motor domains can improve MCI patients' motor functions. Future research directions are also raised.

Questionnaire-based assessment of executive functioning: Case studies.

PubMed

Kronenberger, William G; Castellanos, Irina; Pisoni, David B

2018-01-01

Delays in the development of executive functioning skills are frequently observed in pediatric neuropsychology populations and can have a broad and significant impact on quality of life. As a result, assessment of executive functioning is often relevant for the development of formulations and recommendations in pediatric neuropsychology clinical work. Questionnaire-based measures of executive functioning behaviors in everyday life have unique advantages and complement traditional neuropsychological measures of executive functioning. Two case studies of children with spina bifida are presented to illustrate the clinical use of a new questionnaire measure of executive and learning-related functioning, the Learning, Executive, and Attention Functioning Scale (LEAF). The LEAF emphasizes clinical utility in assessment by incorporating four characteristics: brevity in administration, breadth of additional relevant content, efficiency of scoring and interpretation, and ease of availability for use. LEAF results were consistent with another executive functioning checklist in documenting everyday behavior problems related to working memory, planning, and organization while offering additional breadth of assessment of domains such as attention, processing speed, and novel problem-solving. These case study results demonstrate the clinical utility of questionnaire-based measurement of executive functioning in pediatric neuropsychology and provide a new measure for accomplishing this goal.

Implementing Intensive Intervention: Lessons Learned from the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center on Intensive Intervention, 2013

2013-01-01

The National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) has a mission to build district and school capacity to implement intensive intervention that will improve reading, mathematics, and behavioral outcomes for students with disabilities in Grades K-12 who have severe and persistent learning and/or behavioral problems. The purpose of this document…

Interdisciplinary Middle School Teams as Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, George Ellis, Jr.

2016-01-01

Problem: Interdisciplinary teaming has been noted as a critical element of the middle school model associated with higher student achievement. Yet, research on middle school teams' use of common planning time suggests that the majority of meeting time is spent discussing student behavior/issues, discussing student learning problems/issues, and…

Torque and Learning and Behavior Problems in Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zendel, Ivan H.; Pihl, R. O.

1980-01-01

Findings indicate minimal differences, on diagnostic tests, between children who exhibited torque and those who did not. Torque is defined as the circling of any X in a clockwise direction. Torque is not associated with learning problems in school. Diagnostic utility of torque should be carefully considered. (Author)

A parameter control method in reinforcement learning to rapidly follow unexpected environmental changes.

PubMed

Murakoshi, Kazushi; Mizuno, Junya

2004-11-01

In order to rapidly follow unexpected environmental changes, we propose a parameter control method in reinforcement learning that changes each of learning parameters in appropriate directions. We determine each appropriate direction on the basis of relationships between behaviors and neuromodulators by considering an emergency as a key word. Computer experiments show that the agents using our proposed method could rapidly respond to unexpected environmental changes, not depending on either two reinforcement learning algorithms (Q-learning and actor-critic (AC) architecture) or two learning problems (discontinuous and continuous state-action problems).

Corporal Punishment in Schools: Myths, Problems and Alternatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubanoski, Richard A.; And Others

1983-01-01

The paper examines common myths about corporal punishment (e.g., that it builds character), discusses potential problems from its use (such as loss of self-esteem and development of counterproductive behavior), and describes three positive approaches to discipline (behavior modification, social learning, and communication skills training).…

Machine learning methods applied on dental fear and behavior management problems in children.

PubMed

Klingberg, G; Sillén, R; Norén, J G

1999-08-01

The etiologies of dental fear and dental behavior management problems in children were investigated in a database of information on 2,257 Swedish children 4-6 and 9-11 years old. The analyses were performed using computerized inductive techniques within the field of artificial intelligence. The database held information regarding dental fear levels and behavior management problems, which were defined as outcomes, i.e. dependent variables. The attributes, i.e. independent variables, included data on dental health and dental treatments, information about parental dental fear, general anxiety, socioeconomic variables, etc. The data contained both numerical and discrete variables. The analyses were performed using an inductive analysis program (XpertRule Analyser, Attar Software Ltd, Lancashire, UK) that presents the results in a hierarchic diagram called a knowledge tree. The importance of the different attributes is represented by their position in this diagram. The results show that inductive methods are well suited for analyzing multifactorial and complex relationships in large data sets, and are thus a useful complement to multivariate statistical techniques. The knowledge trees for the two outcomes, dental fear and behavior management problems, were very different from each other, suggesting that the two phenomena are not equivalent. Dental fear was found to be more related to non-dental variables, whereas dental behavior management problems seemed connected to dental variables.

Integrated method of teaching in Web Quest activity and its impact on undergraduate students' cognition and learning behaviors: a future trend in medical education.

PubMed

Badiyepeymaie Jahromi, Zohreh; Mosalanejad, Leili

2015-01-14

Web Quest is one of the new ways of teaching and learning that is based on research, and includes the principles of learning and cognitive activities, such as collaborative learning, social and cognitive learning, and active learning, and increases motivation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the Web Quest influence on students' learning behaviors. In this quasi-experimental study, which was performed on undergraduates taking a psychiatric course at Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, simple sampling was used to select the cases to be studied; the students entered the study through census and were trained according to Web Quest methodology. The procedure was to present the course as a case study and team work. Each topic included discussing concepts and then patient's treatment and the communicative principles for two weeks. Active participation of the students in response to the scenario and introduced problem was equal to preparing scientific videos about the disease and collecting the latest medical treatment for the disease from the Internet.Three questionnaires, including the self-directed learning Questionnaire, teamwork evaluation Questionnaire (value of team), and Buffard self-regulated Questionnaire, were the data gathering tools. The results showed that the average of self-regulated learning and self-directed learning (SDL) increased after the educational intervention. However, the increase was not significant. On the other hand, problem solving (P=0.001) and the value of teamwork (P=0.002), apart from increasing the average, had significant statistical values. In view of Web Quest's positive impacts on students' learning behaviors, problem solving and teamwork, the effective use of active learning and teaching practices and use of technology in medical education are recommended.

Integrated Method of Teaching in Web Quest Activity and Its Impact on Undergraduate Students’ Cognition and Learning Behaviors: A Future Trend in Medical Education

PubMed Central

Jahromi, Zohreh Badiyepeymaie; Mosalanejad, Leili

2015-01-01

Introduction: Web Quest is one of the new ways of teaching and learning that is based on research, and includes the principles of learning and cognitive activities, such as collaborative learning, social and cognitive learning, and active learning, and increases motivation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the Web Quest influence on students’ learning behaviors. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, which was performed on undergraduates taking a psychiatric course at Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, simple sampling was used to select the cases to be studied; the students entered the study through census and were trained according toWeb Quest methodology. The procedure was to present the course as a case study and team work. Each topic included discussing concepts and then patient’s treatment and the communicative principles for two weeks. Active participation of the students in response to the scenario and introduced problem was equal to preparing scientific videos about the disease and collecting the latest medical treatment for the disease from the Internet. Three questionnaires, including the self-directed learning Questionnaire, teamwork evaluation Questionnaire (value of team), and Buffard self-regulated Questionnaire, were the data gathering tools. Results: The results showed that the average of self-regulated learning and self-directed learning (SDL) increased after the educational intervention. However, the increase was not significant. On the other hand, problem solving (P=0.001) and the value of teamwork (P=0.002), apart from increasing the average, had significant statistical values. Conclusions: In view of Web Quest’s positive impacts on students’ learning behaviors, problem solving and teamwork, the effective use of active learning and teaching practices and use of technology in medical education are recommended. PMID:25946931

Student Classroom Misbehavior: An Exploratory Study Based on Teachers' Perceptions

PubMed Central

Sun, Rachel C. F.; Shek, Daniel T. L.

2012-01-01

This study aimed to examine the conceptions of junior secondary school student misbehaviors in classroom, and to identify the most common, disruptive, and unacceptable student problem behaviors from teachers' perspective. Twelve individual interviews with teachers were conducted. A list of 17 student problem behaviors was generated. Results showed that the most common and disruptive problem behavior was talking out of turn, followed by nonattentiveness, daydreaming, and idleness. The most unacceptable problem behavior was disrespecting teachers in terms of disobedience and rudeness, followed by talking out of turn and verbal aggression. The findings revealed that teachers perceived student problem behaviors as those behaviors involving rule-breaking, violating the implicit norms or expectations, being inappropriate in the classroom settings and upsetting teaching and learning, which mainly required intervention from teachers. PMID:22919297

Effect of Tools for Getting along on Student Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Upper Elementary Classrooms: A Replication Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Stephen W.; Daunic, Ann P.; Aydin, Burak; Van Loan, Christopher L.; Barber, Brian R.; Taylor, Gregory G.

2016-01-01

Social-emotional learning curricula to prevent student problematic behaviors should play a prominent role in public school instruction. While social-emotional curricula have been shown to be effective, there are few replication studies that substantiate their capacity to improve outcomes for students who exhibit problem behaviors. Thus, we…

A Social-Ecological Approach to Addressing Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Schools: Focusing on Group Processes and Social Dynamics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trach, Jessica; Lee, Matthew; Hymel, Shelley

2018-01-01

A substantial body of evidence verifies that social-emotional learning (SEL) can be effectively taught in schools and can reduce the prevalence and impact of emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) among children and youth. Although the positive effects of SEL on individual student's emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes have been…

On Learning to Talk: Are Principles Derived from the Learning Laboratory Applicable?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palermo, David S.

While studies in learning and verbal behavior show that learning comes through paired-associate problems, they do not explain the acquisition of language. Three paradigms demonstrate mediation effect in paired-associate learning: response equivalence, stimulus equivalence, and chaining model. By reviewing children's language acquisition patterns…

Emotional, developmental, and behavioral health of American children and their families: a report from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health.

PubMed

Blanchard, Laura T; Gurka, Matthew J; Blackman, James A

2006-06-01

Recent children's health surveys have documented a high prevalence of emotional, developmental, and behavioral problems among children. Data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health provide new insights into these problems and their association with family function and community participation. These issues have become a current focus of the World Health Organization. Answers to questions of interest from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health were reported using estimates and SEs of rates. Statistical comparisons of rates with chi2 tests at the 0.05 level were made when relevant. The most commonly diagnosed problems among children 6-17 years of age were learning disabilities (11.5%), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (8.8%), and behavioral problems (6.3%); among preschoolers, speech problems (5.8%) and developmental delay (3.2%) were most common. One in 200 children was diagnosed with autism. In contrast, rates of parental concerns about emotional, developmental, or behavioral problems were much higher; for example, 41% of parents had concerns about learning difficulties and 36% about depression or anxiety. Children with developmental problems had lower self-esteem, more depression and anxiety, more problems with learning, missed more school, and were less involved in sports and other community activities. Their families experienced more difficulty in the areas of childcare, employment, parent-child relationships, and caregiver burden. The most recent National Survey of Children's Health mirrored results of previous surveys regarding rates of diagnosed emotional, developmental, and behavioral problems, including an escalating diagnosis of autism among children. Reported rates of parental concerns about these problems were much higher, suggesting possible underdiagnosis of children's problems. Children with chronic problems had diminished family functioning, more school absences, and less participation in community activities compared with other children. Their parents experienced more difficulty with childcare, employment, and parenting skills. A change in treatment emphasis is needed, away from an exclusive focus on a child's developmental and behavioral problems to one that addresses the impacts of these problems on the family and community participation. A new approach to the way these issues are addressed and managed has the potential to enhance the quality of life for a child, as well as the parents, and to produce more meaningful and tangible solutions to these complex and increasingly evident problems.

Intelligent control based on fuzzy logic and neural net theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Chuen-Chien

1991-01-01

In the conception and design of intelligent systems, one promising direction involves the use of fuzzy logic and neural network theory to enhance such systems' capability to learn from experience and adapt to changes in an environment of uncertainty and imprecision. Here, an intelligent control scheme is explored by integrating these multidisciplinary techniques. A self-learning system is proposed as an intelligent controller for dynamical processes, employing a control policy which evolves and improves automatically. One key component of the intelligent system is a fuzzy logic-based system which emulates human decision making behavior. It is shown that the system can solve a fairly difficult control learning problem. Simulation results demonstrate that improved learning performance can be achieved in relation to previously described systems employing bang-bang control. The proposed system is relatively insensitive to variations in the parameters of the system environment.

Reinforcement Learning in a Nonstationary Environment: The El Farol Problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, Ann Maria

1999-01-01

This paper examines the performance of simple learning rules in a complex adaptive system based on a coordination problem modeled on the El Farol problem. The key features of the El Farol problem are that it typically involves a medium number of agents and that agents' pay-off functions have a discontinuous response to increased congestion. First we consider a single adaptive agent facing a stationary environment. We demonstrate that the simple learning rules proposed by Roth and Er'ev can be extremely sensitive to small changes in the initial conditions and that events early in a simulation can affect the performance of the rule over a relatively long time horizon. In contrast, a reinforcement learning rule based on standard practice in the computer science literature converges rapidly and robustly. The situation is reversed when multiple adaptive agents interact: the RE algorithms often converge rapidly to a stable average aggregate attendance despite the slow and erratic behavior of individual learners, while the CS based learners frequently over-attend in the early and intermediate terms. The symmetric mixed strategy equilibria is unstable: all three learning rules ultimately tend towards pure strategies or stabilize in the medium term at non-equilibrium probabilities of attendance. The brittleness of the algorithms in different contexts emphasize the importance of thorough and thoughtful examination of simulation-based results.

Brain-state invariant thalamo-cortical coordination revealed by non-linear encoders.

PubMed

Viejo, Guillaume; Cortier, Thomas; Peyrache, Adrien

2018-03-01

Understanding how neurons cooperate to integrate sensory inputs and guide behavior is a fundamental problem in neuroscience. A large body of methods have been developed to study neuronal firing at the single cell and population levels, generally seeking interpretability as well as predictivity. However, these methods are usually confronted with the lack of ground-truth necessary to validate the approach. Here, using neuronal data from the head-direction (HD) system, we present evidence demonstrating how gradient boosted trees, a non-linear and supervised Machine Learning tool, can learn the relationship between behavioral parameters and neuronal responses with high accuracy by optimizing the information rate. Interestingly, and unlike other classes of Machine Learning methods, the intrinsic structure of the trees can be interpreted in relation to behavior (e.g. to recover the tuning curves) or to study how neurons cooperate with their peers in the network. We show how the method, unlike linear analysis, reveals that the coordination in thalamo-cortical circuits is qualitatively the same during wakefulness and sleep, indicating a brain-state independent feed-forward circuit. Machine Learning tools thus open new avenues for benchmarking model-based characterization of spike trains.

Brain-state invariant thalamo-cortical coordination revealed by non-linear encoders

PubMed Central

Cortier, Thomas; Peyrache, Adrien

2018-01-01

Understanding how neurons cooperate to integrate sensory inputs and guide behavior is a fundamental problem in neuroscience. A large body of methods have been developed to study neuronal firing at the single cell and population levels, generally seeking interpretability as well as predictivity. However, these methods are usually confronted with the lack of ground-truth necessary to validate the approach. Here, using neuronal data from the head-direction (HD) system, we present evidence demonstrating how gradient boosted trees, a non-linear and supervised Machine Learning tool, can learn the relationship between behavioral parameters and neuronal responses with high accuracy by optimizing the information rate. Interestingly, and unlike other classes of Machine Learning methods, the intrinsic structure of the trees can be interpreted in relation to behavior (e.g. to recover the tuning curves) or to study how neurons cooperate with their peers in the network. We show how the method, unlike linear analysis, reveals that the coordination in thalamo-cortical circuits is qualitatively the same during wakefulness and sleep, indicating a brain-state independent feed-forward circuit. Machine Learning tools thus open new avenues for benchmarking model-based characterization of spike trains. PMID:29565979

Behavioral flexibility in an invasive bird is independent of other behaviors

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Behavioral flexibility is considered important for a species to adapt to environmental change. However, it is unclear how behavioral flexibility works: it relates to problem solving ability and speed in unpredictable ways, which leaves an open question of whether behavioral flexibility varies with differences in other behaviors. If present, such correlations would mask which behavior causes individuals to vary. I investigated whether behavioral flexibility (reversal learning) performances were linked with other behaviors in great-tailed grackles, an invasive bird. I found that behavioral flexibility did not significantly correlate with neophobia, exploration, risk aversion, persistence, or motor diversity. This suggests that great-tailed grackle performance in behavioral flexibility tasks reflects a distinct source of individual variation. Maintaining multiple distinct sources of individual variation, and particularly variation in behavioral flexibility, may be a mechanism for coping with the diversity of novel elements in their environments and facilitate this species’ invasion success. PMID:27478705

Understanding and Managing Self-Injurious Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zirpoli, Thomas J.; Lloyd, John Wills

1987-01-01

The literature review looks at self-injurious behaviors in handicapped students in terms of characteristics, prevalence, etiology (biological, psychological, and as learned behavior), and management including extinction, positive punishment, negative punishment, and reinforcement of other behaviors. Problems in areas of management, administration,…

Behavioral flexibility and problem solving in an invasive bird

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Behavioral flexibility is considered an important trait for adapting to environmental change, but it is unclear what it is, how it works, and whether it is a problem solving ability. I investigated behavioral flexibility and problem solving experimentally in great-tailed grackles, an invasive bird species and thus a likely candidate for possessing behavioral flexibility. Grackles demonstrated behavioral flexibility in two contexts, the Aesop’s Fable paradigm and a color association test. Contrary to predictions, behavioral flexibility did not correlate across contexts. Four out of 6 grackles exhibited efficient problem solving abilities, but problem solving efficiency did not appear to be directly linked with behavioral flexibility. Problem solving speed also did not significantly correlate with reversal learning scores, indicating that faster learners were not the most flexible. These results reveal how little we know about behavioral flexibility, and provide an immense opportunity for future research to explore how individuals and species can use behavior to react to changing environments. PMID:27168984

The Effects of Chiropractic Treatment on Students With Learning and Behavioral Impairments Due to Neurological Dysfunction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, E. V.; Brzozowski, Walter T.

The effects of chiropractic treatment on children with learning and behavioral problems was investigated with 24 elementary and secondary level students, 12 receiving regular chiropractic treatment and 12 receiving medication. Results indicated that chiropractic treatment was more effective for the wide range symptoms common in the neurological…

Adaptive categorization of ART networks in robot behavior learning using game-theoretic formulation.

PubMed

Fung, Wai-keung; Liu, Yun-hui

2003-12-01

Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) networks are employed in robot behavior learning. Two of the difficulties in online robot behavior learning, namely, (1) exponential memory increases with time, (2) difficulty for operators to specify learning tasks accuracy and control learning attention before learning. In order to remedy the aforementioned difficulties, an adaptive categorization mechanism is introduced in ART networks for perceptual and action patterns categorization in this paper. A game-theoretic formulation of adaptive categorization for ART networks is proposed for vigilance parameter adaptation for category size control on the categories formed. The proposed vigilance parameter update rule can help improving categorization performance in the aspect of category number stability and solve the problem of selecting initial vigilance parameter prior to pattern categorization in traditional ART networks. Behavior learning using physical robot is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive categorization mechanism in ART networks.

Computational neuroscience across the lifespan: Promises and pitfalls.

PubMed

van den Bos, Wouter; Bruckner, Rasmus; Nassar, Matthew R; Mata, Rui; Eppinger, Ben

2017-10-13

In recent years, the application of computational modeling in studies on age-related changes in decision making and learning has gained in popularity. One advantage of computational models is that they provide access to latent variables that cannot be directly observed from behavior. In combination with experimental manipulations, these latent variables can help to test hypotheses about age-related changes in behavioral and neurobiological measures at a level of specificity that is not achievable with descriptive analysis approaches alone. This level of specificity can in turn be beneficial to establish the identity of the corresponding behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms. In this paper, we will illustrate applications of computational methods using examples of lifespan research on risk taking, strategy selection and reinforcement learning. We will elaborate on problems that can occur when computational neuroscience methods are applied to data of different age groups. Finally, we will discuss potential targets for future applications and outline general shortcomings of computational neuroscience methods for research on human lifespan development. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Executive function skills and academic achievement gains in prekindergarten: Contributions of learning-related behaviors.

PubMed

Nesbitt, Kimberly Turner; Farran, Dale Clark; Fuhs, Mary Wagner

2015-07-01

Although research suggests associations between children's executive function skills and their academic achievement, the specific mechanisms that may help explain these associations in early childhood are unclear. This study examined whether children's (N = 1,103; M age = 54.5 months) executive function skills at the beginning of prekindergarten (pre-K) predict their learning-related behaviors in the classroom and whether these behaviors then mediate associations between children's executive function skills and their pre-K literacy, language, and mathematic gains. Learning-related behaviors were quantified in terms of (a) higher levels of involvement in learning opportunities; (b) greater frequency of participation in activities that require sequential steps; (c) more participation in social-learning interactions; and (d) less instances of being unoccupied, disruptive, or in time out. Results indicated that children's learning-related behaviors mediated associations between executive function skills and literacy and mathematics gains through children's level of involvement, sequential learning behaviors, and disengagement from the classroom. The implications of the findings for early childhood education are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Misconception and miseducation: Presentations of radical behaviorism in psychology textbooks

PubMed Central

Todd, James T.; Morris, Edward K.

1983-01-01

Behavior analysts have recently expressed concern about what appear to be misrepresentations of behaviorism in psychology textbooks. This paper presents an analysis of currently used textbooks in the areas of introductory, social, cognitive, personality, and developmental psychology that confirms this. Topics on which behavior analysis is most often misrepresented relate to the role of animal learning research, environmentalism, the “empty organism,” language, and the overall utility of the approach. Because textbooks are often a major medium of interaction between the public and behaviorism, behavior analysts must work to correct these errors and to prevent possible negative consequences of widespread misunderstanding. Several potential solutions to these problems are presented that take into account current publishing practices and the monetary contingencies which support them. PMID:22478585

SOS! Ayuda para Padres: Una Guia Practica para Manejar Problemas de Conducta Comunes y Corrientes. (SOS! Help for Parents: A Practical Guide for Handling Common Everyday Behavior Problems.) Leader's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Lynn

This Spanish-language version of "SOS" provides parents with guidance for handling a variety of common behavior problems based on the behavior approach to child rearing and discipline. This approach suggests that good and bad behavior are both learned and can be changed, and proposes specific methods, skills, procedures, and strategies…

A Multidirectional Model for Assessing Learning Disabled Students' Intelligence: An Information-Processing Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, H. Lee

1982-01-01

An information processing approach to the assessment of learning disabled students' intellectual performance is presented. The model is based on the assumption that intelligent behavior is comprised of a variety of problem- solving strategies. An account of child problem solving is explained and illustrated with a "thinking aloud" protocol.…

Korean immigrant discipline and children's social competence and behavior problems.

PubMed

Kim, Eunjung; Guo, Yuqing; Koh, Chinkang; Cain, Kevin C

2010-12-01

The goal of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between Korean immigrant discipline (e.g., positive, appropriate, and harsh discipline) and children's social competence and behavior problems. Self-report data were collected from 58 mothers and 20 fathers of children aged from 3 to 8 years. Only paternal harsh discipline was positively correlated with children's behavior problems. Among specific discipline strategies, maternal physical affection, correcting misbehaviors, and reasoning were positively correlated with children's social competence. Paternal physical punishment (e.g., spanking, hitting, and raising arms) was positively correlated with children's behavior problems. Immigrant fathers need to learn alternative ways of managing children's misbehaviors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Study on the correlation between adolescents' emotional and behavioral problems and life events].

PubMed

Huang, Xue-zhu; Guo, Lan-ting; Tang, Guang-zheng

2006-03-01

To study the life events which are correlated with adolescent's emotion and behavior problems, and to provide evidence for clinicians and school staff to develop intervention for those problems. Youth's Self Report (YSR) and Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List (ASLEC) were used to assess adolescent's emotional and behavioral problems and life events by 'spot' study. The referred group consisted of 585 patients from 11 to 18 years old in a Mental Health Centre of West China Hospital of Sichuan University from July in 2002 to March in 2004. Level of IQ was above 5th grade of primary school among the study subjects who were willing to fill in the YSR and ASLEC. The non-referred group was selected in a 1280 students cluster-sample from the schools of Chengdu city, whose sex, age and father's career were matched with the referred group. Variance inflation factor (VIF) was used to verify that there was no collinearity to each other in the 6 factors of ASLEC: interpersonal relationship, learning pressure, being punished, losing good adaptation and other. Linear stepwise regression was adopted. The YSR scores in referred group were higher than those in non-referred group, and the referred group had more emotional and behavioral problems than the non-referred one. Partial correlations ranged from 0.124 to 0.418 in referred group, and from 0.104 to 0.388 in non-referred group. Unsatisfied interpersonal relationship, heavy learning pressure, having been punished and poor adaptation were likely to increase the risk of youth's emotional and behavioral problems. More attention should be paid to help adolescents in the following areas: solving intrapersonal affairs, relieving pressure from learning, avoiding punishment, and improving ability to fit themselves to their surroundings.

Human reinforcement learning subdivides structured action spaces by learning effector-specific values

PubMed Central

Gershman, Samuel J.; Pesaran, Bijan; Daw, Nathaniel D.

2009-01-01

Humans and animals are endowed with a large number of effectors. Although this enables great behavioral flexibility, it presents an equally formidable reinforcement learning problem of discovering which actions are most valuable, due to the high dimensionality of the action space. An unresolved question is how neural systems for reinforcement learning – such as prediction error signals for action valuation associated with dopamine and the striatum – can cope with this “curse of dimensionality.” We propose a reinforcement learning framework that allows for learned action valuations to be decomposed into effector-specific components when appropriate to a task, and test it by studying to what extent human behavior and BOLD activity can exploit such a decomposition in a multieffector choice task. Subjects made simultaneous decisions with their left and right hands and received separate reward feedback for each hand movement. We found that choice behavior was better described by a learning model that decomposed the values of bimanual movements into separate values for each effector, rather than a traditional model that treated the bimanual actions as unitary with a single value. A decomposition of value into effector-specific components was also observed in value-related BOLD signaling, in the form of lateralized biases in striatal correlates of prediction error and anticipatory value correlates in the intraparietal sulcus. These results suggest that the human brain can use decomposed value representations to “divide and conquer” reinforcement learning over high-dimensional action spaces. PMID:19864565

Human reinforcement learning subdivides structured action spaces by learning effector-specific values.

PubMed

Gershman, Samuel J; Pesaran, Bijan; Daw, Nathaniel D

2009-10-28

Humans and animals are endowed with a large number of effectors. Although this enables great behavioral flexibility, it presents an equally formidable reinforcement learning problem of discovering which actions are most valuable because of the high dimensionality of the action space. An unresolved question is how neural systems for reinforcement learning-such as prediction error signals for action valuation associated with dopamine and the striatum-can cope with this "curse of dimensionality." We propose a reinforcement learning framework that allows for learned action valuations to be decomposed into effector-specific components when appropriate to a task, and test it by studying to what extent human behavior and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity can exploit such a decomposition in a multieffector choice task. Subjects made simultaneous decisions with their left and right hands and received separate reward feedback for each hand movement. We found that choice behavior was better described by a learning model that decomposed the values of bimanual movements into separate values for each effector, rather than a traditional model that treated the bimanual actions as unitary with a single value. A decomposition of value into effector-specific components was also observed in value-related BOLD signaling, in the form of lateralized biases in striatal correlates of prediction error and anticipatory value correlates in the intraparietal sulcus. These results suggest that the human brain can use decomposed value representations to "divide and conquer" reinforcement learning over high-dimensional action spaces.

Daily Hassles, Mother-child Relationship, and Behavior Problems in Muslim Arab American Adolescents in Immigrant Families

PubMed Central

Aroian, Karen J.; Templin, Thomas N.; Hough, Edythe S.

2016-01-01

Objective This longitudinal study examines reciprocal and dynamic relations among daily hassles, the mother-child relationship, and adolescent behavior problems and whether the relations differed by socio-demographic variables. Methods Three waves of data about adolescent daily hassles, quality of the mother-child relationship, and adolescent behavior problems were collected from 454 Arab Muslim adolescents and their immigrant mothers over a three-year period. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine reciprocal relations among the study variables. Results Relations between the mother-child relationship and adolescent behavior problems were reciprocal, with a poor mother-child relationship contributing to greater behavior problems and behavior problems contributing to a decline in the quality of the mother-child relationship. Relations involving daily hassles were unidirectional: A better mother-child relationship contributed to fewer daily hassles and behavior problems contributed to more daily hassles but daily hassles did not contribute to more behavior problems. Father’s education was the only socio-demographic variable that was significant: Adolescents with more highly educated fathers had a better mother-child relationship and fewer behavioral problems. Conclusions Findings suggest that Arab American Muslim adolescents with behavior problems are differentially exposed to daily hassles but daily hassles are not the best point of intervention. Bidirectional relations between the mother-child relationship and adolescent behavior problems suggest intervening to improve the mother-child relationship and manage symptoms of adolescent behavior problems. PMID:27055003

Daily hassles, mother-child relationship, and behavior problems in Muslim Arab American adolescents in immigrant families.

PubMed

Aroian, Karen J; Templin, Thomas N; Hough, Edythe S

2016-10-01

This longitudinal study examines reciprocal and dynamic relations among daily hassles, the mother-child relationship, and adolescent behavior problems and whether the relations differed by sociodemographic variables. Three waves of data about adolescent daily hassles, quality of the mother-child relationship, and adolescent behavior problems were collected from 454 Arab Muslim adolescents and their immigrant mothers over a 3-year period. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine reciprocal relations among the study variables. Relations between the mother-child relationship and adolescent behavior problems were reciprocal, with a poor mother-child relationship contributing to greater behavior problems and behavior problems contributing to a decline in the quality of the mother-child relationship. Relations involving daily hassles were unidirectional: A better mother-child relationship contributed to fewer daily hassles and behavior problems contributed to more daily hassles but daily hassles did not contribute to more behavior problems. Father's education was the only sociodemographic variable that was significant: Adolescents with more highly educated fathers had a better mother-child relationship and fewer behavioral problems. Findings suggest that Arab American Muslim adolescents with behavior problems are differentially exposed to daily hassles but daily hassles are not the best point of intervention. Bidirectional relations between the mother-child relationship and adolescent behavior problems suggest intervening to improve the mother-child relationship and manage symptoms of adolescent behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Integrating Model-Driven and Data-Driven Techniques for Analyzing Learning Behaviors in Open-Ended Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinnebrew, John S.; Segedy, James R.; Biswas, Gautam

2017-01-01

Research in computer-based learning environments has long recognized the vital role of adaptivity in promoting effective, individualized learning among students. Adaptive scaffolding capabilities are particularly important in open-ended learning environments, which provide students with opportunities for solving authentic and complex problems, and…

Problem-Based Learning: Student Engagement, Learning and Contextualized Problem-Solving. Occasional Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mossuto, Mark

2009-01-01

The adoption of problem-based learning as a teaching method in the advertising and public relations programs offered by the Business TAFE (Technical and Further Education) School at RMIT University is explored in this paper. The effect of problem-based learning on student engagement, student learning and contextualised problem-solving was…

A Hierarchical Bayesian Model for Crowd Emotions

PubMed Central

Urizar, Oscar J.; Baig, Mirza S.; Barakova, Emilia I.; Regazzoni, Carlo S.; Marcenaro, Lucio; Rauterberg, Matthias

2016-01-01

Estimation of emotions is an essential aspect in developing intelligent systems intended for crowded environments. However, emotion estimation in crowds remains a challenging problem due to the complexity in which human emotions are manifested and the capability of a system to perceive them in such conditions. This paper proposes a hierarchical Bayesian model to learn in unsupervised manner the behavior of individuals and of the crowd as a single entity, and explore the relation between behavior and emotions to infer emotional states. Information about the motion patterns of individuals are described using a self-organizing map, and a hierarchical Bayesian network builds probabilistic models to identify behaviors and infer the emotional state of individuals and the crowd. This model is trained and tested using data produced from simulated scenarios that resemble real-life environments. The conducted experiments tested the efficiency of our method to learn, detect and associate behaviors with emotional states yielding accuracy levels of 74% for individuals and 81% for the crowd, similar in performance with existing methods for pedestrian behavior detection but with novel concepts regarding the analysis of crowds. PMID:27458366

A case for safety leadership team training of hospital managers.

PubMed

Singer, Sara J; Hayes, Jennifer; Cooper, Jeffrey B; Vogt, Jay W; Sales, Michael; Aristidou, Angela; Gray, Garry C; Kiang, Mathew V; Meyer, Gregg S

2011-01-01

Delivering safe patient care remains an elusive goal. Resolving problems in complex organizations like hospitals requires managers to work together. Safety leadership training that encourages managers to exercise learning-oriented, team-based leadership behaviors could promote systemic problem solving and enhance patient safety. Despite the need for such training, few programs teach multidisciplinary groups of managers about specific behaviors that can enhance their role as leadership teams in the realm of patient safety. The aims of this study were to describe a learning-oriented, team-based, safety leadership training program composed of reinforcing exercises and to provide evidence confirming the need for such training and demonstrating behavior change among management groups after training. Twelve groups of managers from an academic medical center based in the Northeast United States were randomly selected to participate in the program and exposed to its customized, experience-based, integrated, multimodal curriculum. We extracted data from transcripts of four training sessions over 15 months with groups of managers about the need for the training in these groups and change in participants' awareness, professional behaviors, and group activity. Training transcripts confirmed the need for safety leadership team training and provided evidence of the potential for training to increase targeted behaviors. The training increased awareness and use of leadership behaviors among many managers and led to new routines and coordinated effort among most management groups. Enhanced learning-oriented leadership often helped promote a learning orientation in managers' work areas. Team-based training that promotes specific learning-oriented leader behaviors can promote behavioral change among multidisciplinary groups of hospital managers.

“Insight” in Pigeons: Absence of Means-End Processing in Displacement Tests

PubMed Central

Cook, Robert G.; Fowler, Catherine

2013-01-01

The understanding of functional relations between action and consequence is a critical component of intelligence. To examine this linkage in pigeons, we investigated their understanding of the relations of the elements tested in an extension of Köhler's box-stacking task to this species (Epstein et al. 1984). In the experiments, the pigeons had to move a spatially displaced box under an out-of-reach target. Experiment 1 successfully replicated and extended the previous finding showing that when separately trained to move a box and stand on it to peck the target, pigeons can synthesize these behaviors to solve the single-box displacement problem quickly on their first attempt. Experiment 2 tested whether pigeons, when given a simultaneous choice among two boxes with identical reinforcement histories, would selectively choose the box with the correct functional affordance (i.e., permitting standing) to solve the problem rather than a nonfunctional one. Their extensive, equivalent, and undirected behavior in moving both boxes during these tests suggests the pigeons did not possess a means-end understanding of the functional properties of the boxes. Instead, their results were consistent with an analysis of their earlier synthetic behavior as being due to the temporal and spatial relations of the physical elements in the task and their prior learned behaviors. PMID:23774955

"Insight" in pigeons: absence of means-end processing in displacement tests.

PubMed

Cook, Robert G; Fowler, Catherine

2014-03-01

The understanding of functional relations between action and consequence is a critical component of intelligence. To examine this linkage in pigeons, we investigated their understanding of the relations of the elements tested in an extension of Köhler's box stacking task to this species. In the experiments, the pigeons had to move a spatially displaced box under an out-of-reach target. Experiment 1 successfully replicated and extended the previous finding showing that when separately trained to move a box and stand on it to peck the target, pigeons can synthesize these behaviors to solve the single-box displacement problem quickly on their first attempt. Experiment 2 tested whether pigeons, when given a simultaneous choice between two boxes with identical reinforcement histories, would selectively choose the box with the correct functional affordance (i.e., permitting standing) to solve the problem rather than a non-functional one. Their extensive, equivalent, and undirected behavior in moving both boxes during these tests suggests the pigeons did not possess a means-end understanding of the functional properties of the boxes. Instead, their results were consistent with an analysis of their earlier synthetic behavior as being due to the temporal and spatial relations of the physical elements in the task and their prior learned behaviors.

A Systematic Review of Function-Based Interventions for Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenna, John William; Flower, Andrea; Kyung Kim, Min; Ciullo, Stephen; Haring, Christa

2015-01-01

Students with learning disabilities (LD) experience pervasive academic deficits requiring extensive academic intervention; however, they may also engage in problem behaviors that adversely affect teaching and learning, thus lessening the potential impact of specialized instruction and supports. The learning deficits of students with LD are…

Adolescent cigarette smoking: health-related behavior or normative transgression?

PubMed

Turbin, M S; Jessor, R; Costa, F M

2000-09-01

Relations among measures of adolescent behavior were examined to determine whether cigarette smoking fits into a structure of problem behaviors-behaviors that involve normative transgression-or a structure of health-related behaviors, or both. In an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 1782 male and female high school adolescents, four first-order problem behavior latent variables-sexual intercourse experience, alcohol abuse, illicit drug use, and delinquency-were established and together were shown to reflect a second-order latent variable of problem behavior. Four first-order latent variables of health-related behaviors-unhealthy dietary habits, sedentary behavior, unsafe behavior, and poor dental hygiene-were also established and together were shown to reflect a second-order latent variable of health-compromising behavior. The structure of relations among those latent variables was modeled. Cigarette smoking had a significant and substantial loading only on the problem-behavior latent variable; its loading on the health-compromising behavior latent variable was essentially zero. Adolescent cigarette smoking relates strongly and directly to problem behaviors and only indirectly, if at all, to health-compromising behaviors. Interventions to prevent or reduce adolescent smoking should attend more to factors that influence problem behaviors.

The Role of Learning in Social Development: Illustrations from Neglected Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wismer Fries, Alison B.; Pollak, Seth D.

2017-01-01

Children who experience early caregiving neglect are very likely to have problems developing and maintaining relationships and regulating their social behavior. One of the earliest manifestations of this problem is reflected in indiscriminate behavior, a phenomenon where young children do not show normative wariness of strangers or use familiar…

Relationships between behavioral symptoms of non-medicated Chinese children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and parenting stress: Comparison of different subtypes and comorbidities.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Jiang, Wen-Qing; Du, Ya-Song; Coghill, David

2016-06-01

To identify the characteristics of behavior problems among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their relation with parenting stress. The Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ) and Parenting Stress Index (PSI) were used to assess the symptoms and parenting stress of 132 non-medicated children with ADHD as compared with 88 healthy controls. Every PSQ factor of ADHD children was higher than in the control group; children with the combined subtype of ADHD had the highest scores in conduct and learning problems, impulsivity/hyperactivity, and overall hyperactivity index; the PSI total stress, child domain, and parent domain scores were all higher in the ADHD group than in the control group; children with the combined subtype of ADHD had the highest score in the competence subscale of the parent domain, whereas the PSI total stress score of parents of children with ADHD and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) was higher than that of parents of children with only ADHD. The PSI total stress score was positively correlated with all PSQ factor scores. The PSQ factors of conduct problems and learning problems were found to be significant predictors in a regression analysis. The children with ADHD exhibited abnormal parenting stress compared with healthy controls, which was much more pronounced when the children had comorbid ODD. Furthermore, parenting stress was related with the severity of ADHD symptoms, suggesting that children with the combined subtype of ADHD require particular attention in the future. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Effects of Integrating an Active Learning-Promoting Mechanism into Location-Based Real-World Learning Environments on Students' Learning Performances and Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chang, Shao-Chen; Chen, Pei-Ying; Chen, Xiang-Ya

2018-01-01

Engaging students in real-world learning contexts has been identified by educators as being an important way of helping them learn to apply what they have learned from textbooks to practical problems. The advancements in mobile and image-processing technologies have enabled students to access learning resources and receive learning guidance in…

Comparing the Social Knowledge Construction Behavioral Patterns of Problem-Based Online Asynchronous Discussion in E/M-Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lan, Yu-Feng; Tsai, Pei-Wei; Yang, Shih-Hsien; Hung, Chun-Ling

2012-01-01

In recent years, researchers have conducted various studies on applying wireless networking technology and mobile devices in education settings. However, research on behavioral patterns in learners' online asynchronous discussions with mobile devices is limited. The purposes of this study are to develop a mobile learning system, mobile interactive…

[Why are some high achievers on the course final exam unsuccessful on the proficiency exam in English?].

PubMed

Matsunuma, Mitsuyasu

2009-04-01

This study examined why some high achievers on the course final exam were unsuccessful on the proficiency exam in English. We hypothesized that the learning motives and learning behaviors (learning strategy, learning time) had different effects on the outcomes of the exams. First, the relation between the variables was investigated using structural equation modeling. Second, the learning behaviors of students who got good marks on both exams were compared with students who did well only on the course final exam. The results were as follows. (a) Learning motives influenced test performance via learning behaviors. (b) Content-attached motives influenced all variables concerning learning behaviors. (c) Content-detached motives influenced all variables concerning learning behaviors that were related only to the course final exam. (d) The students who got good marks on both exams performed the learning behaviors that were useful on the proficiency exam more frequently than the students who did well only on the course final exam.

The clinical relevance of neuroplasticity in corticostriatal networks during operant learning

PubMed Central

Andrzejewski, Matthew E.; McKee, Brenda L.; Baldwin, Anne E.; Burns, Lindsay; Hernandez, Pepe

2013-01-01

Dopamine and glutamate serve crucial functions in neural plasticity, learning and memory, and addiction. Contemporary theories contend that these two, widely-distributed neurotransmitter systems play an integrative role in motivational and associative information processing. Combined signaling of these systems, particularly through the dopamine (DA) D1 and glutamate (Glu) N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR), triggers critical intracellular signaling cascades that lead to changes in chromatin structure, gene expression, synaptic plasticity, and ultimately behavior. Addictive drugs also induce long-term neuroadaptations at the molecular and genomic levels causing structural changes that alter basic connectivity. Indeed, evidence that drugs of abuse engage D1- and NMDA-mediated neuronal cascades shared with normal reward learning provides one of the most important insights from contemporary studies on the neurobiology of addiction. Such drug-induced neuroadaptations likely contribute to abnormal information processing and behavior, resulting in the poor decision-making, loss of control, and compulsivity that characterize addiction. Such features are also common to many other neuropsychiatric disorders. Behavior problems, construed as difficulties associated with operant learning and behavior, present compelling challenges and unique opportunities for their treatment that require further study. The present review highlights the integrative work of Ann E. Kelley and colleagues, demonstrating a critical role not only for NMDAR, D1 receptors (D1R), and their associated signaling cascades, but also for other Glu receptors and protein synthesis in operant learning throughout a cortico-striatal-limbic network. Recent work has extended the impact of appetitive learning to epigenetic processes. A better understanding of these processes will likely assist in discovering therapeutics to engage neural plasticity-related processes and promote functional behavioral adaptations. PMID:23567518

Team Learning in Technology-Mediated Distributed Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andres, Hayward P.; Shipps, Belinda P.

2010-01-01

This study examines technological, educational/learning, and social affordances associated with the facilitation of project-based learning and problem solving in technology-mediated distributed teams. An empirical interpretive research approach using direct observation is used to interpret, evaluate and rate observable manifested behaviors and…

Development of an Internet Collaborative Learning Behavior Scale--Preliminary Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Ti; Wang, Hsiu Fei

It is well known that math phobia is a common problem among young school children. It becomes a challenge to educational practitioners and academic researchers to figure out ways to overcome the problem. Collaborative team learning has been proposed as one of the alternatives. This study was part of a large and ongoing research project designed to…

Predictors of child functioning and problem behaviors for children diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and externalizing problems.

PubMed

Nabors, Laura; Baker-Phibbs, Christina; Burbage, Michelle

2016-01-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder and behavioral disorders are related to problems in emotional functioning for young children. Factors related to child functioning are important to understand in order to develop interventions and assess their impact. This study examined clinician and parent reports of child functioning and behavior problems and factors related to each of these outcome variables. Results indicated that parental acceptance was inversely related to child behavior problems. Increased parental supervision of the child was related to high total problems scores. Parental acceptance was positively related to child functioning. Future research is needed to examine relations among interventions to improve parental supervision and interactions with the child and child functioning, in terms of both positive and negative behaviors.

Search for an Appropriate Behavior within the Emotional Regulation in Virtual Creatures Using a Learning Classifier System

PubMed Central

Rosales, Jonathan-Hernando; Cervantes, José-Antonio

2017-01-01

Emotion regulation is a process by which human beings control emotional behaviors. From neuroscientific evidence, this mechanism is the product of conscious or unconscious processes. In particular, the mechanism generated by a conscious process needs a priori components to be computed. The behaviors generated by previous experiences are among these components. These behaviors need to be adapted to fulfill the objectives in a specific situation. The problem we address is how to endow virtual creatures with emotion regulation in order to compute an appropriate behavior in a specific emotional situation. This problem is clearly important and we have not identified ways to solve this problem in the current literature. In our proposal, we show a way to generate the appropriate behavior in an emotional situation using a learning classifier system (LCS). We illustrate the function of our proposal in unknown and known situations by means of two case studies. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to converge to the appropriate behavior even in the first case; that is, when the system does not have previous experiences and in situations where some previous information is available our proposal proves to be a very powerful tool. PMID:29209362

The Drift toward Problem Behavior during the Transition to Adolescence: The Contributions of Youth Disclosure, Parenting, and Older Siblings.

PubMed

Low, Sabina; Snyder, James; Shortt, Joann Wu

2012-03-01

Prospective associations of mothers' parenting processes, youth disclosure and youth problem behavior were examined in a longitudinal design following 244 adolescent sibling dyads over a three year period. For both siblings, authoritative parenting was positively associated with youth disclosure and negatively related to problem behavior, and coercive parenting was negatively associated with youth disclosure and positively related to problem behavior. When the influence of older sibling problem behavior on younger sibling problem behavior was modeled, younger sibling disclosure accounted for the relationship of maternal parenting processes to problem behavior. Findings indicate the important role of sibling influence in the development of problem behavior, contextualizing the relative roles of maternal parenting and youth disclosure in the transmission of risk.

The Drift toward Problem Behavior during the Transition to Adolescence: The Contributions of Youth Disclosure, Parenting, and Older Siblings

PubMed Central

Low, Sabina; Snyder, James; Shortt, Joann Wu

2013-01-01

Prospective associations of mothers’ parenting processes, youth disclosure and youth problem behavior were examined in a longitudinal design following 244 adolescent sibling dyads over a three year period. For both siblings, authoritative parenting was positively associated with youth disclosure and negatively related to problem behavior, and coercive parenting was negatively associated with youth disclosure and positively related to problem behavior. When the influence of older sibling problem behavior on younger sibling problem behavior was modeled, younger sibling disclosure accounted for the relationship of maternal parenting processes to problem behavior. Findings indicate the important role of sibling influence in the development of problem behavior, contextualizing the relative roles of maternal parenting and youth disclosure in the transmission of risk. PMID:23667299

Behavior Problems among Cocaine Exposed Children: Role of Physiological Regulation and Parenting

PubMed Central

Finger, Brent; Schuetze, Pamela; Eiden, Rina D.

2014-01-01

This study examined interrelations between prenatal cocaine exposure, child autonomic regulation, parenting behavior and child sex on parent-reported behavior problems at 36 months of age. We hypothesized that respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)1 at 13 months of age would mediate the relation between cocaine exposure and behavior problems. We also hypothesized that child sex, maternal negative affect, and maternal sensitivity observed at 13 months of age would moderate the relation between RSA and behavior problems. Results revealed that cocaine exposure predicted low baseline RSA and low RSA withdrawal during a negative affect task. Low baseline RSA, in turn, predicted fewer behavior problems offering support for an indirect association between cocaine exposure and behavior problems. The association between baseline RSA and behavior problems was further moderated by maternal negative affect such that high baseline RSA was more strongly related to behavior problems under conditions of high compared to low maternal negative affect. Results also revealed a near significant trend for baseline RSA to be more strongly related to behavior problems among boys than girls. These findings highlight several possible pathways toward behavior problems among cocaine exposed children. PMID:24480789

Chromosomal abnormalities in a psychiatric population

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lewis, K.E.; Lubetsky, M.J.; Wenger, S.L.

Over a 3.5 year period of time, 345 patients hospitalized for psychiatric problems were evaluated cytogenetically. The patient population included 76% males and 94% children with a mean age of 12 years. The criteria for testing was an undiagnosed etiology for mental retardation and/or autism. Cytogenetic studies identified 11, or 3%, with abnormal karyotypes, including 4 fragile X positive individuals (2 males, 2 females), and 8 with chromosomal aneuploidy, rearrangements, or deletions. While individuals with chromosomal abnormalities do not demonstrate specific behavioral, psychiatric, or developmental problems relative to other psychiatric patients, our results demonstrate the need for an increased awarenessmore » to order chromosomal analysis and fragile X testing in those individuals who have combinations of behavioral/psychiatric, learning, communication, or cognitive disturbance. 5 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.« less

An Educator's Guide to Tourette Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bronheim, Suzanne

1991-01-01

Tourette Syndrome is described in terms of causes, treatment, associated disorders (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, learning disabilities), and classroom management (dealing with tics, writing problems, language problems, and attention problems). Common teacher questions concerning Tourette Syndrome are…

Nurturing Responsible Behavior: A Foundation for Guidance. Preventing Discipline Problems, Unit 3. [Teaching Video, Practice Video, Facilitator's Guide, and Viewer's Guide].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

As children learn to practice responsible behaviors, discipline problems in the early childhood classroom can be reduced. As Part 3 of a 3-part video series designed to help adults working with 3- to 8-year-olds use a proactive approach to prevent discipline problems, this video training package is comprised of a Facilitators' Guide, a Viewers'…

The effects of a shared, Intranet science learning environment on the academic behaviors of problem-solving and metacognitive reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Mary Jo

This study investigated the effects of a shared, Intranet science environment on the academic behaviors of problem-solving and metacognitive reflection. Seventy-eight subjects included 9th and 10th grade male and female biology students. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test data collection and randomization occurring through assignment of biology classes to traditional or shared, Intranet learning groups was employed. Pilot, web-based distance education software (CourseInfo) created the Intranet learning environment. A modified ecology curriculum provided contextualization and content for traditional and shared learning environments. The effect of this environment on problem-solving, was measured using the standardized Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal test. Metacognitive reflection, was measured in three ways: (a) number of concepts used, (b) number of concept links noted, and (c) number of concept nodes noted. Visual learning software, Inspiration, generated concept maps. Secondary research questions evaluated the pilot CourseInfo software for (a) tracked user movement, (b) discussion forum findings, and (c) difficulties experienced using CourseInfo software. Analysis of problem-solving group means reached no levels of significance resulting from the shared, Intranet environment. Paired t-Test of individual differences in problem-solving reached levels of significance. Analysis of metacognitive reflection by number of concepts reached levels of significance. Metacognitive reflection by number of concept links noted also reach significance. No significance was found for metacognitive reflection by number of concept nodes. No gender differences in problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection emerged. Lack of gender differences in the shared, Intranet environment strongly suggests an equalizing effect due to the cooperative, collaborative nature of Intranet environments. Such environments appeal to, and rank high with, the female gender. Tracking learner movements in web-based, science environments has metacognitive and problem-solving learner implications. CourseInfo software offers one method of informing instruction within web-based learning environments focusing on academic behaviors. A shared, technology-supported learning environment may pose one model which science classrooms can use to create equitable scientific study across gender. The lack of significant differences resulting from this environment presents one model for improvement of individual problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection across gender.

A Heuristic Algorithm for Planning Personalized Learning Paths for Context-Aware Ubiquitous Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Kuo, Fan-Ray; Yin, Peng-Yeng; Chuang, Kuo-Hsien

2010-01-01

In a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment, learning systems can detect students' learning behaviors in the real-world with the help of context-aware (sensor) technology; that is, students can be guided to observe or operate real-world objects with personalized support from the digital world. In this study, an optimization problem that…

Dynamic Assessment of Algebraic Learning in Predicting Third Graders’ Development of Mathematical Problem Solving

PubMed Central

Fuchs, Lynn S.; Compton, Donald L.; Fuchs, Douglas; Hollenbeck, Kurstin N.; Craddock, Caitlin F.; Hamlett, Carol L.

2008-01-01

Dynamic assessment (DA) involves helping students learn a task and indexing responsiveness to that instruction as a measure of learning potential. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of a DA of algebraic learning in predicting 3rd graders’ development of mathematics problem solving. In the fall, 122 3rd-grade students were assessed on language, nonverbal reasoning, attentive behavior, calculations, word-problem skill, and DA. On the basis of random assignment, students received 16 weeks of validated instruction on word problems or received 16 weeks of conventional instruction on word problems. Then, students were assessed on word-problem measures proximal and distal to instruction. Structural equation measurement models showed that DA measured a distinct dimension of pretreatment ability and that proximal and distal word-problem measures were needed to account for outcome. Structural equation modeling showed that instruction (conventional vs. validated) was sufficient to account for math word-problem outcome proximal to instruction; by contrast, language, pretreatment math skill, and DA were needed to forecast learning on word-problem outcomes more distal to instruction. Findings are discussed in terms of responsiveness-to-intervention models for preventing and identifying learning disabilities. PMID:19884957

Korean Immigrant Discipline and Children’s Social Competence and Behavior Problems

PubMed Central

Kim, Eunjung; Guo, Yuqing; Koh, Chinkang; Cain, Kevin C.

2009-01-01

The goal of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between Korean immigrant discipline (e.g., positive, appropriate, harsh discipline) and children’s social competence and behavior problems. Self-report data were collected from 58 mothers and 20 fathers of children aged from three and eight. Only paternal harsh discipline was positively correlated with children’s behavior problems. Among specific discipline strategies, maternal physical affection, correcting misbehaviors, and reasoning were positively correlated with children’s social competence. Paternal physical punishment (e.g., spanking, hitting, raising arms) was positively correlated with children’s behavior problems. Immigrant fathers need to learn alternative ways of managing children’s misbehaviors. PMID:21035016

Assessing collaborative computing: development of the Collaborative-Computing Observation Instrument (C-COI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Israel, Maya; Wherfel, Quentin M.; Shehab, Saadeddine; Ramos, Evan A.; Metzger, Adam; Reese, George C.

2016-07-01

This paper describes the development, validation, and uses of the Collaborative Computing Observation Instrument (C-COI), a web-based analysis instrument that classifies individual and/or collaborative behaviors of students during computing problem-solving (e.g. coding, programming). The C-COI analyzes data gathered through video and audio screen recording software that captures students' computer screens as they program, and their conversations with their peers or adults. The instrument allows researchers to organize and quantify these data to track behavioral patterns that could be further analyzed for deeper understanding of persistence and/or collaborative interactions. The article provides a rationale for the C-COI including the development of a theoretical framework for measuring collaborative interactions in computer-mediated environments. This theoretical framework relied on the computer-supported collaborative learning literature related to adaptive help seeking, the joint problem-solving space in which collaborative computing occurs, and conversations related to outcomes and products of computational activities. Instrument development and validation also included ongoing advisory board feedback from experts in computer science, collaborative learning, and K-12 computing as well as classroom observations to test out the constructs in the C-COI. These processes resulted in an instrument with rigorous validation procedures and a high inter-rater reliability.

Diagnosis of Specific Learning Disabilities and Prescriptive Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alonso, Lou; And Others

The recent trend in special education toward individualized teaching based on the diagnosis of specific learning disabilities is reviewed. The concern of educators for emphasis on psychoeducational diagnosis to determine learning and behavioral problems, and their remediation, rather than primarily on classification and categorization along…

Reconciling Reinforcement Learning Models with Behavioral Extinction and Renewal: Implications for Addiction, Relapse, and Problem Gambling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redish, A. David; Jensen, Steve; Johnson, Adam; Kurth-Nelson, Zeb

2007-01-01

Because learned associations are quickly renewed following extinction, the extinction process must include processes other than unlearning. However, reinforcement learning models, such as the temporal difference reinforcement learning (TDRL) model, treat extinction as an unlearning of associated value and are thus unable to capture renewal. TDRL…

Hierarchically organized behavior and its neural foundations: A reinforcement-learning perspective

PubMed Central

Botvinick, Matthew M.; Niv, Yael; Barto, Andrew C.

2009-01-01

Research on human and animal behavior has long emphasized its hierarchical structure — the divisibility of ongoing behavior into discrete tasks, which are comprised of subtask sequences, which in turn are built of simple actions. The hierarchical structure of behavior has also been of enduring interest within neuroscience, where it has been widely considered to reflect prefrontal cortical functions. In this paper, we reexamine behavioral hierarchy and its neural substrates from the point of view of recent developments in computational reinforcement learning. Specifically, we consider a set of approaches known collectively as hierarchical reinforcement learning, which extend the reinforcement learning paradigm by allowing the learning agent to aggregate actions into reusable subroutines or skills. A close look at the components of hierarchical reinforcement learning suggests how they might map onto neural structures, in particular regions within the dorsolateral and orbital prefrontal cortex. It also suggests specific ways in which hierarchical reinforcement learning might provide a complement to existing psychological models of hierarchically structured behavior. A particularly important question that hierarchical reinforcement learning brings to the fore is that of how learning identifies new action routines that are likely to provide useful building blocks in solving a wide range of future problems. Here and at many other points, hierarchical reinforcement learning offers an appealing framework for investigating the computational and neural underpinnings of hierarchically structured behavior. PMID:18926527

The Effects of Multi-Sensory Environments on the Stereotypic Behaviors of Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandenburg, Linda A.

2012-01-01

A significant problem for individuals with autism is the presence of stereotypic behaviors, that is, repetitive, invariant behavior patterns with no obvious goal or function. Stereotypic behaviors interfere with an individual's ability to participate in the daily activities of life, including learning. By reducing stereotypic behaviors in…

THE CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH AND THEORY IN HUMAN PROBLEM SOLVING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DAVIS, GARY A.

PROBLEM-SOLVING THEORIES IN THREE AREAS - TRADITIONAL (STIMULUS-RESPONSE) LEARNING, COGNITIVE-GESTALT APPROACHES, AND COMPUTER AND MATHEMATICAL MODELS - WERE SUMMARIZED. RECENT EMPIRICAL STUDIES (1960-65) ON PROBLEM SOLVING WERE CATEGORIZED ACCORDING TO TYPE OF BEHAVIOR ELICITED BY PARTICULAR PROBLEM-SOLVING TASKS. ANAGRAM,…

Social construction of physical knowledge of shadows: A study of five preoperational children's perceptions, collaborative experiences, and activities across knowledge domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Amy M.

The first purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the process of social construction of physical knowledge of shadows among preoperational thinkers by examining collaborative behaviors that may lead to new knowledge. The second purpose was to understand children's perspectives concerning the connection between social interaction and learning. The study focused on group collaboration and physical knowledge building as they relate to preoperational thought, a phase of cognitive development in early childhood. The case study consisted of five kindergarten children enrolled in a private, laboratory school at a southern, urban university. Across the eight-week data collection period, the children explored shadows through planned activities on 10 occasions and were interviewed three times in a focus group context. Primary methods for collecting data included videotaping the interviews and participant observations. Data were transcribed and coded inductively to discover emerging patterns while relating these patterns to existing constructivist theories. In addition, field notes, artifacts, and interviews with the children's teacher served to verify the findings. The findings revealed four major themes. Firstly, in terms of collaborative learning, children, while exhibiting a focus on the self, were attracted to learning with each other. Secondly, interactions seldom involved dialogic complexity, revealing minimal rationale, even during conflict. Thirdly, negative behaviors, such as tattling and exclusion, and prosocial behaviors, such as helping, were perceived as integral to the success of social construction of knowledge. The children considered each of these moral behaviors from the personal standpoint of how it affected them emotionally and in accomplishing a learning-related task. Fourthly, in terms of knowledge building, the findings indicated children's knowledge of shadows evolved over time as they participated in a developing scientific community. They experimented in partnerships to answer questions, test theories, solve problems, and communicate their growing understandings to others about such topics as objects "blocking" light, the origin of shadows, and the comparison between the concepts of shadow and reflection. The influence of socio-moral-emotional classroom climates on physical knowledge construction is suggested for future research as well as motivation as it relates to learning in early childhood group contexts.

A Quasi-Randomized Trial of a School-Wide Universal Prevention Program: Results and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodin, Maria C.; South, Sandra H.; Ingemarson, Maria

2016-01-01

Prevention in School (PS) is a comprehensive program which aims to improve the learning climate and reduce problem behavior in elementary schools. Core components are teaching of school rules, praise and rewards to support prosocial behavior, and a forum involving parents. This trial investigated the effects of PS on its intended outcomes, and…

Use of a Behavioral Graphic Organizer to Reduce Disruptive Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDaniel, Sara C.; Flower, Andrea

2015-01-01

Students with challenging behavior spend substantial amounts of time away from instruction due to behavioral problems. Time away from instruction reduces their opportunities for learning, which are critical as these students typically demonstrate academic performance below their same-age peers. After removal from instruction due to behavioral…

Neurophysiological evidence for the interplay of speech segmentation and word-referent mapping during novel word learning.

PubMed

François, Clément; Cunillera, Toni; Garcia, Enara; Laine, Matti; Rodriguez-Fornells, Antoni

2017-04-01

Learning a new language requires the identification of word units from continuous speech (the speech segmentation problem) and mapping them onto conceptual representation (the word to world mapping problem). Recent behavioral studies have revealed that the statistical properties found within and across modalities can serve as cues for both processes. However, segmentation and mapping have been largely studied separately, and thus it remains unclear whether both processes can be accomplished at the same time and if they share common neurophysiological features. To address this question, we recorded EEG of 20 adult participants during both an audio alone speech segmentation task and an audiovisual word-to-picture association task. The participants were tested for both the implicit detection of online mismatches (structural auditory and visual semantic violations) as well as for the explicit recognition of words and word-to-picture associations. The ERP results from the learning phase revealed a delayed learning-related fronto-central negativity (FN400) in the audiovisual condition compared to the audio alone condition. Interestingly, while online structural auditory violations elicited clear MMN/N200 components in the audio alone condition, visual-semantic violations induced meaning-related N400 modulations in the audiovisual condition. The present results support the idea that speech segmentation and meaning mapping can take place in parallel and act in synergy to enhance novel word learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outline for Remediation of Problem Areas for Children with Learning Disabilities. Revised. = Bosquejo para la Correccion de Areas Problematicas para Ninos con Impedimientos del Aprendizaje.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Joan L.

The booklet outlines ways to help children with learning disabilities in specific subject areas. Characteristic behavior and remedial exercises are listed for seven areas of auditory problems: auditory reception, auditory association, auditory discrimination, auditory figure ground, auditory closure and sound blending, auditory memory, and grammar…

Program for Positive Behavior: Working with Misbehaving Campers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Edie

1997-01-01

Stresses the importance of camp staff understanding why campers misbehave. Offers recommendations for helping campers to learn responsible behavior, including setting clear expectations and consequences for camper behavior; teaching campers self-discipline and problem-solving strategies; asking campers thought-provoking questions; avoiding power…

75 FR 41501 - Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-16

..., mental retardation or learning disabilities, and behavioral problems, as well as malformations in many... degree of mental retardation and learning disability. Biochemically, SLOS is caused by disruption of the..., but the mechanism of resistance is highly complex; this mouse model will be useful in learning the...

From modulated Hebbian plasticity to simple behavior learning through noise and weight saturation.

PubMed

Soltoggio, Andrea; Stanley, Kenneth O

2012-10-01

Synaptic plasticity is a major mechanism for adaptation, learning, and memory. Yet current models struggle to link local synaptic changes to the acquisition of behaviors. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate a computational relationship between local Hebbian plasticity and behavior learning by exploiting two traditionally unwanted features: neural noise and synaptic weight saturation. A modulation signal is employed to arbitrate the sign of plasticity: when the modulation is positive, the synaptic weights saturate to express exploitative behavior; when it is negative, the weights converge to average values, and neural noise reconfigures the network's functionality. This process is demonstrated through simulating neural dynamics in the autonomous emergence of fearful and aggressive navigating behaviors and in the solution to reward-based problems. The neural model learns, memorizes, and modifies different behaviors that lead to positive modulation in a variety of settings. The algorithm establishes a simple relationship between local plasticity and behavior learning by demonstrating the utility of noise and weight saturation. Moreover, it provides a new tool to simulate adaptive behavior, and contributes to bridging the gap between synaptic changes and behavior in neural computation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clustering of health-related behaviors, health outcomes and demographics in Dutch adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Busch, Vincent; Van Stel, Henk F; Schrijvers, Augustinus J P; de Leeuw, Johannes R J

2013-12-04

Recent studies show several health-related behaviors to cluster in adolescents. This has important implications for public health. Interrelated behaviors have been shown to be most effectively targeted by multimodal interventions addressing wider-ranging improvements in lifestyle instead of via separate interventions targeting individual behaviors. However, few previous studies have taken into account a broad, multi-disciplinary range of health-related behaviors and connected these behavioral patterns to health-related outcomes. This paper presents an analysis of the clustering of a broad range of health-related behaviors with relevant demographic factors and several health-related outcomes in adolescents. Self-report questionnaire data were collected from a sample of 2,690 Dutch high school adolescents. Behavioral patterns were deducted via Principal Components Analysis. Subsequently a Two-Step Cluster Analysis was used to identify groups of adolescents with similar behavioral patterns and health-related outcomes. Four distinct behavioral patterns describe the analyzed individual behaviors: 1- risk-prone behavior, 2- bully behavior, 3- problematic screen time use, and 4- sedentary behavior. Subsequent cluster analysis identified four clusters of adolescents. Multi-problem behavior was associated with problematic physical and psychosocial health outcomes, as opposed to those exerting relatively few unhealthy behaviors. These associations were relatively independent of demographics such as ethnicity, gender and socio-economic status. The results show that health-related behaviors tend to cluster, indicating that specific behavioral patterns underlie individual health behaviors. In addition, specific patterns of health-related behaviors were associated with specific health outcomes and demographic factors. In general, unhealthy behavior on account of multiple health-related behaviors was associated with both poor psychosocial and physical health. These findings have significant meaning for future public health programs, which should be more tailored with use of such knowledge on behavioral clustering via e.g. Transfer Learning.

Clustering of health-related behaviors, health outcomes and demographics in Dutch adolescents: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Recent studies show several health-related behaviors to cluster in adolescents. This has important implications for public health. Interrelated behaviors have been shown to be most effectively targeted by multimodal interventions addressing wider-ranging improvements in lifestyle instead of via separate interventions targeting individual behaviors. However, few previous studies have taken into account a broad, multi-disciplinary range of health-related behaviors and connected these behavioral patterns to health-related outcomes. This paper presents an analysis of the clustering of a broad range of health-related behaviors with relevant demographic factors and several health-related outcomes in adolescents. Methods Self-report questionnaire data were collected from a sample of 2,690 Dutch high school adolescents. Behavioral patterns were deducted via Principal Components Analysis. Subsequently a Two-Step Cluster Analysis was used to identify groups of adolescents with similar behavioral patterns and health-related outcomes. Results Four distinct behavioral patterns describe the analyzed individual behaviors: 1- risk-prone behavior, 2- bully behavior, 3- problematic screen time use, and 4- sedentary behavior. Subsequent cluster analysis identified four clusters of adolescents. Multi-problem behavior was associated with problematic physical and psychosocial health outcomes, as opposed to those exerting relatively few unhealthy behaviors. These associations were relatively independent of demographics such as ethnicity, gender and socio-economic status. Conclusions The results show that health-related behaviors tend to cluster, indicating that specific behavioral patterns underlie individual health behaviors. In addition, specific patterns of health-related behaviors were associated with specific health outcomes and demographic factors. In general, unhealthy behavior on account of multiple health-related behaviors was associated with both poor psychosocial and physical health. These findings have significant meaning for future public health programs, which should be more tailored with use of such knowledge on behavioral clustering via e.g. Transfer Learning. PMID:24305509

English Relativization and Learners' Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phoocharoensil, Supakorn; Simargool, Nirada

2010-01-01

The present study aims at investigating the learning strategies on which Thai EFL learners rely in learning English relative clauses (ERCs). Not only do these strategies facilitate their ERC acquisition, but they are also found to lead them to certain kinds of problems. Such problems related to the learning strategies are first language transfer,…

Student Development of Information Literacy Skills during Problem-Based Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shultz, Ginger V.; Li, Ye

2016-01-01

Problem-based learning methods support student learning of content as well as scientific skills. In the course of problem-based learning, students seek outside information related to the problem, and therefore, information literacy skills are practiced when problem-based learning is used. This work describes a mixed-methods approach to investigate…

Childhood Fish Consumption and Learning and Behavioral Disorders

PubMed Central

Carwile, Jenny L.; Butler, Lindsey J.; Janulewicz, Patricia A.; Winter, Michael R.; Aschengrau, Ann

2016-01-01

Fish is a major source of nutrients critical for brain development during early life. The importance of childhood fish consumption is supported by several studies reporting associations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation with better behavior and school performance. However, fish may have a different effect than n-3 PUFA alone due to the neurotoxic effects of methylmercury, a frequent contaminant. We investigated associations of childhood fish consumption with learning and behavioral disorders in birth cohort study of the neurotoxic effects of early life exposure to solvent-contaminated drinking water. Childhood (age 7–12 years) fish consumption and learning and behavioral problems were reported in self-administered questionnaires (age 23–41 at questionnaire completion). Fish consumption was not meaningfully associated with repeating a grade, tutoring, attending summer school, special class placement, or low educational attainment. However, participants who ate fish several times a week had an elevated odds of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (odds ratio: 5.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.5–18) compared to participants who did not eat fish. While these findings generally support the safety of the observed level of fish consumption, the absence of a beneficial effect may be attributed to insufficient fish intake or the choice of relatively low n-3 PUFA fish. PMID:27827868

Innovation and behavioral flexibility in wild redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons).

PubMed

Huebner, Franziska; Fichtel, Claudia

2015-05-01

Innovations and problem-solving abilities can provide animals with important ecological advantages as they allow individuals to deal with novel social and ecological challenges. Innovation is a solution to a novel problem or a novel solution to an old problem, with the latter being especially difficult. Finding a new solution to an old problem requires individuals to inhibit previously applied solutions to invent new strategies and to behave flexibly. We examined the role of experience on cognitive flexibility to innovate and to find new problem-solving solutions with an artificial feeding task in wild redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons). Four groups of lemurs were tested with feeding boxes, each offering three different techniques to extract food, with only one technique being available at a time. After the subjects learned a technique, this solution was no longer successful and subjects had to invent a new technique. For the first transition between task 1 and 2, subjects had to rely on their experience of the previous technique to solve task 2. For the second transition, subjects had to inhibit the previously learned technique to learn the new task 3. Tasks 1 and 2 were solved by most subjects, whereas task 3 was solved by only a few subjects. In this task, besides behavioral flexibility, especially persistence, i.e., constant trying, was important for individual success during innovation. Thus, wild strepsirrhine primates are able to innovate flexibly, suggesting a general ecological relevance of behavioral flexibility and persistence during innovation and problem solving across all primates.

Improving Work Outcome in Supported Employment for Serious Mental Illness: Results From 2 Independent Studies of Errorless Learning.

PubMed

Kern, Robert S; Zarate, Roberto; Glynn, Shirley M; Turner, Luana R; Smith, Kellie M; Mitchell, Sharon S; Sugar, Catherine A; Bell, Morris D; Liberman, Robert P; Kopelowicz, Alex; Green, Michael F

2018-01-13

Heterogeneity in work outcomes is common among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). In 2 studies, we sought to examine the efficacy of adding errorless learning, a behavioral training intervention, to evidence-based supported employment to improve SMI work outcomes. Work behavior problems were targeted for intervention. We also explored associations between early work behavior and job tenure. For both studies (VA: n = 71; community mental health center: n = 91), randomization occurred at the time of job obtainment with participants randomized (1:1) to either errorless learning plus ongoing supported employment or ongoing supported employment alone and then followed for 12 months. Dependent variables included job tenure, work behavior, and hours worked and wages earned per week. For the primary intent-to-treat analyses, data were combined across studies. Findings revealed that participants in the errorless learning plus supported employment group stayed on their jobs significantly longer than those in the supported employment alone group (32.8 vs 25.6 wk). In addition, differential treatment effects favoring errorless learning were found on targeted work behavior problems (50.5% vs 27.4% improvement from baseline to follow-up assessment). There were no other differential treatment effects. For the prediction analyses involving work behavior, social skills explained an additional 18.3% of the variance in job tenure beyond levels of cognition, symptom severity, and past work history. These data support errorless learning as an adjunctive intervention to enhance supported employment outcomes and implicate the relevance of workplace social difficulties as a key impediment to prolonged job tenure. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center 2017.

Cognitive Inflexibility in Gamblers is Primarily Present in Reward-Related Decision Making

PubMed Central

Boog, Michiel; Höppener, Paul; v. d. Wetering, Ben J. M.; Goudriaan, Anna E.; Boog, Matthijs C.; Franken, Ingmar H. A.

2014-01-01

One hallmark of gambling disorder (GD) is the observation that gamblers have problems stopping their gambling behavior once it is initiated. On a neuropsychological level, it has been hypothesized that this is the result of a cognitive inflexibility. The present study investigated cognitive inflexibility in patients with GD using a task involving cognitive inflexibility with a reward element (i.e., reversal learning) and a task measuring general cognitive inflexibility without such a component (i.e., response perseveration). For this purpose, scores of a reward-based reversal learning task (probabilistic reversal learning task) and the Wisconsin card sorting task were compared between a group of treatment seeking patients with GD and a gender and age matched control group. The results show that pathological gamblers have impaired performance on the neurocognitive task measuring reward-based cognitive inflexibility. However, no difference between the groups is observed regarding non-reward-based cognitive inflexibility. This suggests that cognitive inflexibility in GD is the result of an aberrant reward-based learning, and not based on a more general problem with cognitive flexibility. The pattern of observed problems is suggestive of a dysfunction of the orbitofrontal cortex, the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, and the ventral regions of the striatum in gamblers. Relevance for the neurocognition of problematic gambling is discussed. PMID:25165438

How learning one category influences the learning of another: intercategory generalization based on analogy and specific stimulus information.

PubMed

Nahinsky, Irwin D; Lucas, Barbara A; Edgell, Stephen E; Overfelt, Joseph; Loeb, Richard

2004-01-01

We investigated the effect of learning one category structure on the learning of a related category structure. Photograph-name combinations, called identifiers, were associated with values of four demographic attributes. Two problems were related by analogous demographic attributes, common identifiers, or both to examine the impact of common identifier, related general characteristics, and the interaction of the two variables in mediating learning transfer from one category structure to another. Problems sharing the same identifier information prompted greater positive transfer than those not sharing the same identifier information. In contrast, analogous defining characteristics in the two problems did not facilitate transfer. We computed correlations between responses to first-problem stimuli and responses to analogous second-problem stimuli for each participant. The analogous characteristics produced a tendency to respond in the same way to corresponding stimuli in the two problems. The results support an alignment between category structures related by analogous defining characteristics, which is facilitated by specific identifier information shared by two category structures.

Use of Problem-Based Learning in the Teaching and Learning of Horticultural Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbey, Lord; Dowsett, Eric; Sullivan, Jan

2017-01-01

Purpose: Problem-based learning (PBL), a relatively novel teaching and learning process in horticulture, was investigated. Proper application of PBL can potentially create a learning context that enhances student learning. Design/Methodology/Approach: Students worked on two complex ill-structured problems: (1) to produce fresh baby greens for a…

How Cognitive Styles Affect the Learning Behaviors of Online Problem-Solving Based Discussion Activity: A Lag Sequential Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Sheng-Yi; Hou, Huei-Tse

2015-01-01

Cognitive styles play an important role in influencing the learning process, but to date no relevant study has been conducted using lag sequential analysis to assess knowledge construction learning patterns based on different cognitive styles in computer-supported collaborative learning activities in online collaborative discussions. This study…

Social and Emotional Learning Hikes Interest and Resiliency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beland, Kathy

2007-01-01

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process by which people develop the skills to recognize and manage emotions, form positive relationships, solve problems that arise, motivate themselves to accomplish a goal, make responsible decisions, and avoid risky behavior. The Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), at the University of…

Psychosocial and Adaptive Deficits Associated with Learning Disability Subtypes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backenson, Erica M.; Holland, Sara C.; Kubas, Hanna A.; Fitzer, Kim R.; Wilcox, Gabrielle; Carmichael, Jessica A.; Fraccaro, Rebecca L.; Smith, Amanda D.; Macoun, Sarah J.; Harrison, Gina L.; Hale, James B.

2015-01-01

Children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have deficits in the basic psychological processes that interfere with learning and academic achievement, and for some SLD subtypes, these deficits can also lead to emotional and/or behavior problems. This study examined psychosocial functioning in 123 students, aged 6 to 11, who underwent…

Socio-cognitive habilitation using the math interactive learning experience program for alcohol-affected children.

PubMed

Kable, Julie A; Coles, Claire D; Taddeo, Elles

2007-08-01

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) has been recognized as a disabling condition with a significant impact on the neurobehavioral functioning of affected individuals, including cognition, behavior, and academic functioning, but little research has been performed on targeted interventions for these children. A socio-cognitive habilitative program focused on improving behavior and math functioning in children 3 to 10 years of age (n=61) was developed and evaluated. The intervention provided parental instruction on FAS, advocacy, and behavioral regulation via workshops and interactive math tutoring with children. All families received parental instruction and were then randomly assigned to either the math instruction or standard psychoeducational care groups. Satisfaction with workshops was very high, with over 90% agreeing that trainers were knowledgeable and materials easy to understand and helpful. Significant gains in knowledge were found for information provided in the instructional groups. At posttesting, caregivers reported fewer problem behaviors on the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, Internalizing Problem Behavior, Externalizing Problem Behavior, and Total Problem Behavior summary scales. After 5 months, both groups of children demonstrated gains in math knowledge but significantly higher gains were found in the group receiving direct math instruction. The math treatment group was also more likely to demonstrate a gain of over 1 standard deviation on any of the 4 math outcome measures used. These findings suggest that parents of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FAS(D)) benefit from instruction in understanding their child's alcohol-related neurological damage and strategies to provide positive behavioral supports and that targeted psychoeducational programs may be able to remediate some of the math deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.

Young Children’s Adjustment as a Function of Maltreatment, Shame, and Anger

PubMed Central

Bennett, David S.; Sullivan, Margaret Wolan; Lewis, Michael

2007-01-01

Maltreated children are at increased risk for behavior problems. This study examines a model in which shame mediates the potential relation between maltreatment and anger, and anger mediates the potential relation between shame and behavior problems. Participants were 177 children (ages 3 to 7 years) and their mothers, 90 of whom had histories of perpetrating neglect and/or physical abuse. Physical abuse, but not neglect, was related to increased shame during an evaluative task; shame was related to increased anger; and anger to teacher ratings of total behavior problems and externalizing problems. Age moderated the relation between physical abuse and adjustment, as abuse was related to more total problems only among the younger children. Anger was a significant mediator of shame and both behavior problems and externalizing problems. Shame, anger, age, and type of maltreatment appear to be important factors in explaining variance in behavioral adjustment following a history of maltreatment. PMID:16204734

The Applied Behavior Analytic Heritage of PBS: A Dynamic Model of Action-Oriented Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Glen; Horner, Robert H., Ed.

2006-01-01

In the past two decades, positive behavior support (PBS) has emerged from applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a newly fashioned approach to problems of behavioral adaptation. ABA was established in the 1960s as a science in which learning principles are systematically applied to produce socially important changes in behavior, whereas PBS was…

The Impact of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on the Organizational Health of Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Koth, Christine W.; Bevans, Katherine B.; Ialongo, Nicholas; Leaf, Philip J.

2008-01-01

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a universal, school-wide prevention strategy that is currently implemented in over 7,500 schools across the nation to reduce disruptive behavior problems through the application of behavioral, social learning, and organizational behavioral principles. PBIS aims to alter school environments…

An Outcome Evaluation of the Success for Kids Program

PubMed Central

Maestas, Nicole; Gaillot, Sarah J.

2012-01-01

Abstract This article presents results from a multisite, quantitative evaluation of the international Success for Kids (SFK) after-school program. The program seeks to build resilience in children by teaching them to access inner resources and build positive connections with others. The SFK program is unlike most after-school programs both in its focus on spiritual development and in its emphasis on outcomes related to resilience rather than academics. The authors found that the program had beneficial effects on adaptive skills, behavioral problems, overexternalization of problems, and school problems, and the effects persisted at 12-week follow-up. Interestingly, the program positively affected school-related outcomes, even though SFK is not an academic intervention. Specifically, it improved reported study skills and reduced reported learning problems and attention problems. Overall, a major strength of the program appears to be its careful attention to uniformity of program delivery—in particular, its standardized curriculum, use of experienced teachers, and formal teacher-training program. PMID:28083226

An Outcome Evaluation of the Success for Kids Program.

PubMed

Maestas, Nicole; Gaillot, Sarah J

2012-01-01

This article presents results from a multisite, quantitative evaluation of the international Success for Kids (SFK) after-school program. The program seeks to build resilience in children by teaching them to access inner resources and build positive connections with others. The SFK program is unlike most after-school programs both in its focus on spiritual development and in its emphasis on outcomes related to resilience rather than academics. The authors found that the program had beneficial effects on adaptive skills, behavioral problems, overexternalization of problems, and school problems, and the effects persisted at 12-week follow-up. Interestingly, the program positively affected school-related outcomes, even though SFK is not an academic intervention. Specifically, it improved reported study skills and reduced reported learning problems and attention problems. Overall, a major strength of the program appears to be its careful attention to uniformity of program delivery-in particular, its standardized curriculum, use of experienced teachers, and formal teacher-training program.

Garden Counseling Groups and Self-Esteem: A Mixed Methods Study with Children with Emotional and Behavioral Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swank, Jacqueline M.; Shin, Sang Min

2015-01-01

This research study focused on the use of a garden group counseling intervention to address the self-esteem of children with emotional and behavioral problems. The researchers found higher self-esteem among participants (N = 31) following the gardening group. Additionally, participants discussed feeling calm and happy and learning to working…

Identifying Mechanisms through Which Preschool Problem Behavior Influences Academic Outcomes: What Is the Mediating Role of Negative Peer Play Interactions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulotsky-Shearer, Rebecca J.; Bell, Elizabeth R.; Romero, Sandy L.; Carter, Tracy M.

2014-01-01

Given theoretical and empirical support for the importance of peer play within the preschool classroom to early learning, the present study tested the hypothesis that associations between teacher-reported problem behavior and academic skills were mediated by difficulties in peer play (disruptive and disconnected play), for a representative sample…

Associations of Bullying, Victimization, and Daytime Sleepiness With Academic Problems in Adolescents Attending an Alternative High School.

PubMed

Rubens, Sonia L; Miller, Molly A; Zeringue, Megan M; Laird, Robert D

2018-01-22

Adolescents attending alternative high schools often present with high rates of academic and behavior problems. They are also at increased risk of poor health behaviors and engaging in physical violence compared with students in traditional high school settings. To address the needs of students in these educational settings, examining factors that influence academic problems in this population is essential. Research has established that both bullying/victimization and sleep problems increase adolescents' risk for academic problems. Little is known about how these 2 factors together may exacerbate risk for academic problems among students attending an alternative high school. The current study investigated the interaction between teacher-reported bullying, victimization and daytime sleepiness on academic concerns (attention and learning problems) among a sample of 172 students (56% female; age M = 18.07 years, SD = 1.42) attending an alternative high school in a large, Southeastern U.S. city. Findings from path models indicated that daytime sleepiness, bullying, and victimization were uniquely associated with attention and learning problems. Further, significant interactions indicated that the association between victimization/bullying and attention/learning problems weakened as levels of daytime sleepiness increased. Results suggest the importance of assessing and addressing multiple contextual risk factors in adolescents attending alternative high schools to provide comprehensive intervention for students in these settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Features and Characteristics of Problem Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceker, Eser; Ozdamli, Fezile

2016-01-01

Throughout the years, there appears to be an increase in Problem Based Learning applications in education; and Problem Based Learning related research areas. The main aim of this research is to underline the fundamentals (basic elements) of Problem Based Learning, investigate the dimensions of research approached to PBL oriented areas (with a look…

Maximizing Student Learning: The Effects of a Comprehensive School-Based Program for Preventing Problem Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, J. Ron; Martella, Ronald M.; Marchand-Martella, Nancy

2002-01-01

A study evaluated a comprehensive school-wide program based on an effective behavioral support approach for preventing disruptive behaviors implemented in seven elementary schools. The program included a school-wide discipline program, tutoring, conflict resolution, and functional behavioral intervention plans. Schools showed positive effects on…

Comparison of Discipline Referrals for Students with Emotional/ Behavioral Disorders under Differing Instructional Arrangements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyler-wood, Tandra; Cereijo, Maria Victoria Perez; Pemberton, Jane B.

2004-01-01

Academic assessment for students with challenging behavior is often overlooked. Confronted with a curriculum that is above or below their instructional needs, students may engage in a range of inappropriate behaviors (e.g., acting-out, withdrawal, social avoidance). In that behavioral and learning problems are reciprocal, academically related…

The Examination of the Relation between Teacher Candidates' Problem Solving Appraisal and Utilization of Motivated Strategies for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turgut, Ozden; Ocak, Gurbuz

2017-01-01

This study examines the relation between teacher candidates' problem solving appraisal and utilization of motivated strategies for learning. The study has been carried out with 416 teacher candidates. A correlation has been used between problem solving appraisal and utilization of motivated strategies for learning. Besides, regression analysis has…

A Framework for Problem-Based Learning: Teaching Mathematics with a Relational Problem-Based Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schettino, Carmel

2016-01-01

One recommendation for encouraging young women and other underrepresented students in their mathematical studies is to find instructional methods, such as problem-based learning (PBL), that allow them to feel included in the learning process. Using a more relationally centered pedagogy along with more inclusive instructional methods may be a way…

The Impact of Problem-Based Learning on the Information Behavior and Literacy of Veterinary Medicine Students at University College Dublin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodd, Lorna

2007-01-01

Research was conducted on the impact of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on the information seeking and literacy of veterinary students at University College Dublin. Data were collected using both quantitative and qualitative methods from students, academics and the librarian. Results showed that PBL has a significant impact on how students find and…

Event-related brain potentials, bilateral electrodermal activity and Mangina-Test performance in learning disabled/ADHD pre-adolescents with severe behavioral disorders as compared to age-matched normal controls.

PubMed

Mangina, C A; Beuzeron-Mangina, J H; Grizenko, N

2000-07-01

The most frequently encountered developmental problems of learning disabilities/ADHD often co-exist with severe behavioral disorders. As a direct consequence, this condition opens the way to delinquency, school drop-out, depression, suicide, substance abuse, work absenteeism, and other psycho-social complications. In this paper, we are presenting a selective overview of our previous research and its clinical applications in this field as it relates to our present research data pertaining to the effects of our original Memory Workload Paradigm on the event-related brain potentials in differentiating normal and pathological pre-adolescents (learning disabled/ADHD with concomitant severe behavioral disorders such as oppositional and conduct). In addition, it provides data on the bilateral electrodermal activity during cognitive workload and Mangina-Test performance of pathological and normal pre-adolescents conducted in separate sessions. The results of our present research indicate that a significant memory load effect for the P450 latency (F(3,27)=4.98, P<0.01) and the P450 amplitude (F(3,27)=3.57, P<0.05) was present for normal pre-adolescents which was absent in pathological pre-adolescents. Moreover, enhanced N450 ERP amplitudes to our Memory Workload Paradigm in pre-frontal and frontal regions clearly differentiated normal from pathological pre-adolescents (F(1, 18)=12.21, P<0.004). Furthermore, significant differences between normal and pathological groups were found in bilateral electrodermal activity (F(1,18)=23.86, P<0.001) and on the Mangina-Test performance (F(1,18)=75.35, P<0.001). Our present research findings provide an original and valuable demonstration of an integrative and effective clinical psychophysiological application of central (ERPs), autonomic (bilateral electrodermal activity) and neuro-psychometric aspects (Mangina-Test) which characterize normal and pathological pre-adolescents and underpin the neurophysiological basis of learning disabled/ADHD with severe behavioral disorders as opposed to normal subjects.

Is the learn unit a fundamental measure of pedagogy?

PubMed Central

Greer, R. Douglas; McDonough, Sally Hogin

1999-01-01

We propose a measure of teaching, the learn unit, that explicitly describes the interaction between teachers and their students. The theoretical, educational research, and applied behavior analysis literatures all converge on the learn unit as a fundamental measure of teaching. The theoretical literature proposes the construct of the interlocking operant and embraces verbal behavior, social interaction, and translations of psychological constructs into complex theoretical respondent-operant interactions and behavior-behavior relations. Research findings in education and applied behavior analysis on engaged academic time, opportunity to respond, active student responding, teacher-student responding, student-teacher responding, tutor-tutee responding, tutee-tutor responding, and verbal episodes between individuals all support a measure of interlocking responses. More recently, research analyzing the components of both the students' and teachers' behavior suggests that the learn unit is the strongest predictor of effective teaching. Finally, we propose applications of the learn unit to other issues in pedagogy not yet researched and the relation of learn units to the verbal behavior of students. PMID:22478317

Effects of Peer Mentors on Work-Related Performance of Adolescents with Behavioral and/or Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westerlund, Debbie; Granucci, Elizabeth A.; Gamache, Peter; Clark, Hewitt B.

2006-01-01

Many young people with behavior disorders and/or learning disabilities need assistance in learning work-related tasks but want support that is minimally intrusive and nonstigmatizing. This study demonstrates the effectiveness and acceptability of using peer mentors as natural supports to assist in improving work-related student performance in a…

How Does Self-Regulated Learning Relate to Active Procrastination and Other Learning Behaviors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamada, Masanori; Goda, Yoshiko; Matsuda, Takeshi; Saito, Yutaka; Kato, Hiroshi; Miyagawa, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

This research investigates the relationship between self-regulated learning awareness, procrastination, and learning behaviors in a blended learning environment. Participants included 179 first-grade university students attending a blended learning-style class that used a learning management system. Data were collected using questionnaires on…

Problem Behavior and Urban, Low-Income Youth

PubMed Central

Lewis, Kendra M.; Schure, Marc B.; Bavarian, Niloofar; DuBois, David L.; Day, Joseph; Ji, Peter; Silverthorn, Naida; Acock, Alan; Vuchinich, Samuel; Flay, Brian R.

2013-01-01

Background Youth problem behaviors remain a public health issue. Youth in low-income, urban areas are particularly at risk for engaging in aggressive, violent, and disruptive behaviors. Purpose To evaluate the effects of a school-based social–emotional learning and health promotion program on problem behaviors and related attitudes among low-income, urban youth. Design A matched-pair, cluster RCT. Setting/participants Participants were drawn from 14 Chicago Public Schools over a 6-year period of program delivery with outcomes assessed for a cohort of youth followed from Grades 3 to 8. Data were collected from Fall 2004 to Spring 2010, and analyzed in Spring 2012. Intervention The Positive Action program includes a scoped and sequenced K–12 classroom curriculum with six components: self-concept, social and emotional positive actions for managing oneself responsibly, and positive actions directed toward physical and mental health, honesty, getting along with others, and continually improving oneself. The program also includes teacher, counselor, family, and community training as well as activities directed toward schoolwide climate development. Main outcome measures Youth reported on their normative beliefs in support of aggression and on their bullying, disruptive and violent behaviors; parents rated youths’ bullying behaviors and conduct problems; schoolwide data on disciplinary referrals and suspensions were obtained from school records. Results Multilevel growth-curve modeling analyses conducted on completion of the trial indicated that Positive Action mitigated increases over time in (1) youth reports of normative beliefs supporting aggressive behaviors and of engaging in disruptive behavior and bullying (girls only); and (2) parent reports of youth bullying behaviors (boys only). At study end-point, students in Positive Action schools also reported a lower rate of violence-related behavior than students in control schools. Schoolwide findings indicated positive program effects on both disciplinary referrals and suspensions. Program effect sizes ranged from −0.26 to −0.68. Conclusions These results extend evidence of the effectiveness of the Positive Action program to low-income, minority, urban school settings and to middle school–aged youth. Trial registration This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01025674. PMID:23683980

Problem behavior and urban, low-income youth: a randomized controlled trial of positive action in Chicago.

PubMed

Lewis, Kendra M; Schure, Marc B; Bavarian, Niloofar; DuBois, David L; Day, Joseph; Ji, Peter; Silverthorn, Naida; Acock, Alan; Vuchinich, Samuel; Flay, Brian R

2013-06-01

Youth problem behaviors remain a public health issue. Youth in low-income, urban areas are particularly at risk for engaging in aggressive, violent, and disruptive behaviors. To evaluate the effects of a school-based social-emotional learning and health promotion program on problem behaviors and related attitudes among low-income, urban youth. A matched-pair, cluster RCT. Participants were drawn from 14 Chicago Public Schools over a 6-year period of program delivery with outcomes assessed for a cohort of youth followed from Grades 3 to 8. Data were collected from Fall 2004 to Spring 2010, and analyzed in Spring 2012. The Positive Action program includes a scoped and sequenced K-12 classroom curriculum with six components: self-concept, social and emotional positive actions for managing oneself responsibly, and positive actions directed toward physical and mental health, honesty, getting along with others, and continually improving oneself. The program also includes teacher, counselor, family, and community training as well as activities directed toward schoolwide climate development. Youth reported on their normative beliefs in support of aggression and on their bullying, disruptive, and violent behaviors; parents rated youths' bullying behaviors and conduct problems; schoolwide data on disciplinary referrals and suspensions were obtained from school records. Multilevel growth-curve modeling analyses conducted on completion of the trial indicated that Positive Action mitigated increases over time in (1) youth reports of normative beliefs supporting aggressive behaviors and of engaging in disruptive behavior and bullying (girls only) and (2) parent reports of youth bullying behaviors (boys only). At study end-point, students in Positive Action schools also reported a lower rate of violence-related behavior than students in control schools. Schoolwide findings indicated positive program effects on both disciplinary referrals and suspensions. Program effect sizes ranged from -0.26 to -0.68. These results extend evidence of the effectiveness of the Positive Action program to low-income, minority, urban school settings, and to middle school-aged youth. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Are Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes more similar than we thought? Food-related behavior problems in Angelman, Cornelia de Lange, fragile X, Prader-Willi and 1p36 deletion syndromes.

PubMed

Welham, Alice; Lau, Johnny; Moss, Joanna; Cullen, Jenny; Higgs, Suzanne; Warren, Gemma; Wilde, Lucy; Marr, Abby; Cook, Faye; Oliver, Chris

2015-03-01

Food-related behavior problems are well documented in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), with impaired satiety, preoccupation with food and negative food-related behaviors (such as taking and storing food) frequently reported as part of the behavioral phenotype of older children and adults. Food-related behavior problems in other genetic neurodevelopmental syndromes remain less well studied, including those seen in Angelman Syndrome (AS), the 'sister imprinted disorder' of PWS. Food-related behavior problems were assessed in 152 participants each with one of five genetic neurodevelopmental syndromes – PWS, AS, 1p36 deletion, Cornelia de Lange, and fragile X. Predictably, levels of food-related behavior problems reported in participants with PWS significantly exceeded those of at least one other groups in most areas (impaired satiety; preoccupation with food; taking and storing food; composite negative behavior). However, in some areas people with AS were reported to display food-related problems at least as severe as those with PWS, with the AS group reported to display significantly more food-related behavior problems than at least one comparison group on measures of taking and storing food, composite negative behaviors, impaired satiety and preoccupation with food. Over 50% of participants in the AS group scored above the median point of the distribution of PWS scores on a measure of taking and storing food. These findings indicate further investigation of eating problems in AS are warranted and have implications for current theoretical interpretations of the behavioral differences between AS and PWS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Academic and social motives and drinking behavior.

PubMed

Vaughan, Ellen L; Corbin, William R; Fromme, Kim

2009-12-01

This longitudinal study of 1,447 first-time college students tested separate time-varying covariate models of the relations between academic and social motives/behaviors and alcohol use and related problems from senior year of high school through the end of the second year in college. Structural equation models identified small but significant inverse relations between academic motives/behaviors and alcohol use across all time points, with relations of somewhat larger magnitude between academic motives/behaviors and alcohol-related problems across all semesters other than senior year in high school. At all time points, there were much larger positive relations between social motives/behaviors and alcohol use across all semesters, with smaller but significant relations between social motives/behaviors and alcohol-related problems. Multi-group models found considerable consistency in the relations between motives/behaviors and alcohol-related outcomes across gender, race/ethnicity, and family history of alcohol problems, although academic motives/behaviors played a stronger protective role for women, and social motives were a more robust risk factor for Caucasian and Latino students and individuals with a positive family history of alcohol problems. Implications for alcohol prevention efforts among college students are discussed. Copyright 2009 APA

Emotional Multiagent Reinforcement Learning in Spatial Social Dilemmas.

PubMed

Yu, Chao; Zhang, Minjie; Ren, Fenghui; Tan, Guozhen

2015-12-01

Social dilemmas have attracted extensive interest in the research of multiagent systems in order to study the emergence of cooperative behaviors among selfish agents. Understanding how agents can achieve cooperation in social dilemmas through learning from local experience is a critical problem that has motivated researchers for decades. This paper investigates the possibility of exploiting emotions in agent learning in order to facilitate the emergence of cooperation in social dilemmas. In particular, the spatial version of social dilemmas is considered to study the impact of local interactions on the emergence of cooperation in the whole system. A double-layered emotional multiagent reinforcement learning framework is proposed to endow agents with internal cognitive and emotional capabilities that can drive these agents to learn cooperative behaviors. Experimental results reveal that various network topologies and agent heterogeneities have significant impacts on agent learning behaviors in the proposed framework, and under certain circumstances, high levels of cooperation can be achieved among the agents.

Learning Model of Unggah-Ungguh Basa Oriented to Noble Behavior in SMP (Junior High School) Jawa Timur (East Java) Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sudikan, Setya Yuwana

2017-01-01

Learning problem of "unggah-ungguh basa", is very complicated. It is needed reorientation and re-setting the approaches, strategies, methods, techniques, and learning contents that can give rise to a new model of learning of "unggah-ungguh basa" oriented to the character formation of children, especially in Jawa Timur. In…

Student Reflections as Artifacts of Self-Regulatory Behaviors for Learning: A Tale of Two Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigenho, Christopher William

2011-01-01

The rapid growth of online and blended learning environments in both higher education and K-12, along with the development of innovative game based, narrative driven, problem-based learning (PBL) systems known as Alternate Reality Games (AltRG), has led to the need to understand student's abilities to self-regulate their learning behaviors…

Examining the Effects of Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports on Student Outcomes: Results from a Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial in Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Mitchell, Mary M.; Leaf, Philip J.

2010-01-01

Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a universal, schoolwide prevention strategy that is currently implemented in over 9,000 schools across the nation to reduce disruptive behavior problems through the application of behavioral, social learning, and organizational behavioral principles. SWPBIS aims to alter school…

Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Problem Behavior for Children (ASD-PBC) against the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahan, Sara; Matson, Johnny L.

2011-01-01

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate challenging behaviors. Since challenging behaviors are obstacles for social development and learning, it is important to determine if and what challenging behaviors are exhibited. Although there are some measures that asses for challenging behaviors, the majority were not specifically…

Schools' mental health services and young children's emotions, behavior, and learning.

PubMed

Reback, Randall

2010-01-01

Recent empirical research has found that children's noncognitive skills play a critical role in their own success, young children's behavioral and psychological disorders can severely harm their future outcomes, and disruptive students harm the behavior and learning of their classmates. Yet relatively little is known about wide-scale interventions designed to improve children's behavior and mental health. This is the first nationally representative study of the provision, financing, and impact of school-site mental health services for young children. Elementary school counselors are school employees who provide mental health services to all types of students, typically meeting with students one-on-one or in small groups. Given counselors' nonrandom assignment to schools, it is particularly challenging to estimate the impact of these counselors on student outcomes. First, cross-state differences in policies provide descriptive evidence that students in states with more aggressive elementary counseling policies make greater test score gains and are less likely to report internalizing or externalizing problem behaviors compared to students with similar observed characteristics in similar schools in other states. Next, difference-in-differences estimates exploiting both the timing and the targeted grade levels of states' counseling policy changes provide evidence that elementary counselors substantially influence teachers' perceptions of school climate. The adoption of state-funded counselor subsidies or minimum counselor–student ratios reduces the fraction of teachers reporting that their instruction suffers due to student misbehavior and reduces the fractions reporting problems with students physically fighting each other, cutting class, stealing, or using drugs. These findings imply that there may be substantial public and private benefits derived from providing additional elementary school counselors.

RAMBOT: A Connectionist Expert System That Learns by Example.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mozer, Michael C.

One solution to the problem of getting expert knowledge into expert systems would be to endow the systems with powerful learning procedures that could discover appropriate behaviors by observing an expert in action. A promising source of such learning procedures can be found in recent work on connectionist networks, which are massively parallel…

Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders in Professional Development Schools: A Social Validity Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldarella, Paul; Hallam, Pamela R.; Christensen, Lynnette; Wall, Gary

2014-01-01

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are an increasingly popular strategy for improving schools. While PLCs routinely implement universal academic screening, they seldom screen for emotional and behavioral problems. This is unfortunate, as the early signs of emotional and behavioral disorders can be identified and interventions developed. The…

Theoretical models for application in school health education research.

PubMed

Parcel, G S

1984-01-01

Theoretical models that may be useful to research studies in school health education are reviewed. Selected, well-defined theories include social learning theory, problem-behavior theory, theory of reasoned action, communications theory, coping theory, social competence, and social and family theories. Also reviewed are multiple theory models including models of health related-behavior, the PRECEDE Framework, social-psychological approaches and the Activated Health Education Model. Two major reviews of teaching models are also discussed. The paper concludes with a brief outline of the general applications of theory to the field of school health education including applications to basic research, development and design of interventions, program evaluation, and program utilization.

Improving Prescripted Agent Behavior with Neuroevolution

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

learned behaviors might be undesirable, violating the designer’s intentions. This problem could be avoided if game designers could specify an...compatible throughout evolution, and the problem of matching different topologies (Radcliffe 1993) is essentially avoided . Second, NEAT speciates the...interaction with NPCs, such as a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game ( MMORPG ), the ability for NPCs to slowly adapt to humans would keep the game

Independent Contributions of Early Positive Parenting and Mother-Son Coercion on Emerging Social Development.

PubMed

Akcinar, Berna; Shaw, Daniel S

2018-06-01

In the current study, we explored associations between parent-child coercion and positive parenting in the toddler period in relation to children's social-behavioral development during the school-age period. The data were drawn from the Pitt Mother & Child Project, a sample of 310 low-income, ethnically diverse boys. Drawing on tenets of both attachment and social learning theory, it was hypothesized that coercive mother-son interaction would lead to reductions in positive maternal parenting in the toddler period, and that both positive parenting and mother-son coercion in the toddler period would contribute to children's conduct problems at school entry and lower social skills and peer rejection in middle childhood. The results were largely confirmed, such that mother-son coercive interaction at 18 months was related to decreases in positive parenting at 24 months. Additionally, mother-son coercive interaction and positive parenting at 24 months were linked to child conduct problems at age 5, which in turn predicted child social skills and peer rejection during middle childhood. In addition to indirect effects through child conduct problems, mother-son coercion continued to be independently related to school-age peer rejection. The findings are discussed with respect to the importance of early coercive interactions in the growth of child social-behavioral development from early to middle childhood.

Acquisition of neural learning in cerebellum and cerebral cortex for smooth pursuit eye movements

PubMed Central

Li, Jennifer X.; Medina, Javier F.; Frank, Loren M.; Lisberger, Stephen G.

2011-01-01

We have evaluated the emergence of neural learning in the frontal eye fields (FEFSEM) and the floccular complex of the cerebellum while monkeys learned a precisely-timed change in the direction of pursuit eye movement. For each neuron, we measured the time course of changes in neural response across a learning session that comprised at least 100 repetitions of an instructive change in target direction. In both areas, the average population learning curves tracked the behavioral changes with high fidelity, consistent with possible roles in driving learning. However, the learning curves of individual neurons sometimes bore little relation to the smooth, monotonic progression of behavioral learning. In the FEFSEM, neural learning was episodic. For individual neurons, learning appeared at different times during the learning session and sometimes disappeared by the end of the session. Different FEFSEM neurons expressed maximal learning at different times relative to the acquisition of behavioral learning. In the floccular complex, many Purkinje cells acquired learned simple-spike responses according to the same time course as behavioral learning and retained their learned responses throughout the learning session. A minority of Purkinje cells acquired learned responses late in the learning session, after behavioral learning had reached an asymptote. We conclude that learning in single neurons can follow a very different time course from behavioral learning. Both the FEFSEM and the floccular complex contain representations of multiple temporal components of learning, with different neurons contributing to learning at different times during the acquisition of a learned movement. PMID:21900551

Relations between the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) and the Children's Memory Scale (CMS).

PubMed

Riccio, Cynthia A; Garland, Beth H; Cohen, Morris J

2007-09-01

There is considerable overlap in the constructs of attention and memory. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), a measure of attention, to components of memory and learning as measured by the Children's Memory Scale (CMS). Participants (N = 105) were consecutive referrals to an out-patient facility, generally for learning or behavior problems, who were administered both the TOVA and the CMS. Significant correlations were found between the omissions score on the TOVA and subscales of the CMS. TOVA variability and TOVA reaction time correlated significantly with subscales of the CMS as well. TOVA commission errors did not correlate significantly with any CMS Index. Although significant, the correlation coefficients indicate that the CMS and TOVA are measuring either different constructs or similar constructs but in different ways. As such, both measures may be useful in distinguishing memory from attention problems.

Sparsity and Nullity: Paradigm for Analysis Dictionary Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-09

16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: Sparse models in dictionary learning have been successfully applied in a wide variety of machine learning and...we investigate the relation between the SNS problem and the analysis dictionary learning problem, and show that the SNS problem plays a central role...and may be utilized to solve dictionary learning problems. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 12

Collaborating with Parents in Using Effective Strategies to Reduce Children's Challenging Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fettig, Angel; Schultz, Tia R.; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.

2013-01-01

Challenging behavior is often a source of frustration for parents. Challenging behavior is defined as any behavior that interferes with children's learning and development, is harmful to children and to others, and puts a child at risk for later social problems or school failure (Bailey & Wolery, 1992; Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2003). Children's…

A Meta-Analysis of Class-Wide Interventions for Supporting Student Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaffee, Ruth K.; Briesch, Amy M.; Johnson, Austin H.; Volpe, Robert J.

2017-01-01

Off-task and disruptive classroom behavior impedes the learning of the children emitting these behaviors as well as the delivery of instruction to the entire class, which may lead to decreased academic achievement and more severe behavior problems. A meta-analysis of the single-case literature was conducted to understand the effectiveness of…

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON VERBAL LEARNING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education.

THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY LISTS MATERIAL ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF VERBAL LEARNING. APPROXIMATELY 50 UNANNOTATED REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED TO DOCUMENTS DATING FROM 1960 TO 1965. JOURNALS, BOOKS, AND REPORT MATERIALS ARE LISTED. SUBJECT AREAS INCLUDED ARE CONDITIONING, VERBAL BEHAVIOR, PROBLEM SOLVING, SEMANTIC SATIATION, STIMULUS DURATION, AND VERBAL…

Facilitating Problem Framing in Project-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svihla, Vanessa; Reeve, Richard

2016-01-01

While problem solving is a relatively well understood process, problem framing is less well understood, particularly with regard to supporting students to learn as they frame problems. Project-based learning classrooms are an ideal setting to investigate how teachers facilitate this process. Using participant observation, this study investigated…

Functional Analysis of Precursors for Serious Problem Behavior and Related Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langdon, Nancy A.; Carr, Edward G.; Owen-DeSchryver, Jamie S.

2008-01-01

Precursor behaviors are innocuous behaviors that reliably precede the occurrence of problem behavior. Intervention efforts applied to precursors might prevent the occurrence of severe problem behavior. We examined the relationship between precursor behavior and problem behavior in three individuals with developmental disabilities. First, a…

Integrated Behavior Change Techniques for Problem Drinkers in the Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogler, Roger E.; And Others

1977-01-01

Problem drinkers in the community were subjects in a study that evaluated the therapeutic potential of learning techniques in changing abusive drinking patterns and achieving moderation. The authors conclude that moderation is a more attainable and feasible goal for problem drinkers than for chronic alcoholics. (Author)

Problem-Based Learning: A Critical Rationalist Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parton, Graham; Bailey, Richard

2008-01-01

Although problem-based learning is being adopted by many institutions around the world as an effective model of learning in higher education, there is a surprising lack of critique in the problem-based learning literature in relation to its philosophical characteristics. This paper explores epistemology as a starting point for investigating the…

New Ideas on the Design of the Web-Based Learning System Oriented to Problem Solving from the Perspective of Question Chain and Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Yin; Chu, Samuel K. W.

2016-01-01

In recent years, a number of models concerning problem solving systems have been put forward. However, many of them stress on technology and neglect the research of problem solving itself, especially the learning mechanism related to problem solving. In this paper, we analyze the learning mechanism of problem solving, and propose that when…

Ventral striatal prediction error signaling is associated with dopamine synthesis capacity and fluid intelligence

PubMed Central

Schlagenhauf, Florian; Rapp, Michael A.; Huys, Quentin J. M.; Beck, Anne; Wüstenberg, Torsten; Deserno, Lorenz; Buchholz, Hans-Georg; Kalbitzer, Jan; Buchert, Ralph; Kienast, Thorsten; Cumming, Paul; Plotkin, Michail; Kumakura, Yoshitaka; Grace, Anthony A.; Dolan, Raymond J.; Heinz, Andreas

2013-01-01

Fluid intelligence represents the capacity for flexible problem solving and rapid behavioral adaptation. Rewards drive flexible behavioral adaptation, in part via a teaching signal expressed as reward prediction errors in the ventral striatum, which has been associated with phasic dopamine release in animal studies. We examined a sample of 28 healthy male adults using multimodal imaging and biological parametric mapping with 1) functional magnetic resonance imaging during a reversal learning task and 2) in a subsample of 17 subjects also with positron emission tomography using 6-[18F]fluoro-L-DOPA to assess dopamine synthesis capacity. Fluid intelligence was measured using a battery of nine standard neuropsychological tests. Ventral striatal BOLD correlates of reward prediction errors were positively correlated with fluid intelligence and, in the right ventral striatum, also inversely correlated with dopamine synthesis capacity (FDOPA Kinapp). When exploring aspects of fluid intelligence, we observed that prediction error signaling correlates with complex attention and reasoning. These findings indicate that individual differences in the capacity for flexible problem solving may be driven by ventral striatal activation during reward-related learning, which in turn proved to be inversely associated with ventral striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. PMID:22344813

Transactional relations between caregiving stress, executive functioning, and problem behavior from early childhood to early adolescence

PubMed Central

LaGasse, Linda L.; Conradt, Elisabeth; Karalunas, Sarah L.; Dansereau, Lynne M.; Butner, Jonathan E.; Shankaran, Seetha; Bada, Henrietta; Bauer, Charles R.; Whitaker, Toni M.; Lester, Barry M.

2016-01-01

Developmental psychopathologists face the difficult task of identifying the environmental conditions that may contribute to early childhood behavior problems. Highly stressed caregivers can exacerbate behavior problems, while children with behavior problems may make parenting more difficult and increase caregiver stress. Unknown is: (1) how these transactions originate, (2) whether they persist over time to contribute to the development of problem behavior and (3) what role resilience factors, such as child executive functioning, may play in mitigating the development of problem behavior. In the present study, transactional relations between caregiving stress, executive functioning, and behavior problems were examined in a sample of 1,388 children with prenatal drug exposures at three developmental time points: early childhood (birth-age 5), middle childhood (ages 6 to 9), and early adolescence (ages 10 to 13). Transactional relations differed between caregiving stress and internalizing versus externalizing behavior. Targeting executive functioning in evidence-based interventions for children with prenatal substance exposure who present with internalizing problems and treating caregiving psychopathology, depression, and parenting stress in early childhood may be particularly important for children presenting with internalizing behavior. PMID:27427803

Development of a tool for assessment and care planning for dementia-related problem behaviors in home and community-based services programs: the Problem Behavior Inventory.

PubMed

Phillips, V L; Diwan, Sadhna; Egner, Amanda

2002-01-01

To describe development, validity, and application of the Problem Behavior Inventory (PBI), a tool to assess dementia-related problem behaviors (DRPBs) in community-based populations. Demographic, contact, and disease-specific data were extracted from client files from a Medicaid-funded home and community-based services program. Primary caregivers completed standard surveys relating to the care recipients' memory, mood, and behaviors. The client (care recipient) completed the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE). Cognitively impaired clients, enrolled in the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) during a reference month, and their primary caregivers, were identified by CCSP case managers for participation in the study. Primary caregivers completed the Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC). Clients screening positive for the presence of DRPBs based on caregiver responses to the RMBPC were then assessed using the Problem Behavior Inventory (PBI). Within the CCSP sample, the most prevalent behavior was appearing sad or depressed (67%), while the most frequent behavior was seeking attention, occurring at least daily in 58% of the group. The most bothersome behaviors were being sexually inappropriate, wandering, and misbehaving in public. Examination by behavior category (physical, verbal, mood, etc.) revealed a strong relationship between level of bother and behavior frequency. Frequency of verbal behaviors was positively related to MMSE scores, whereas frequency of ADL-related behaviors was inversely related to MMSE scores. Bother scores were not associated with MMSE scores. This study documents that the PBI is a valid, useful, and feasible tool for assessing DRPBs in community populations. Case managers using the PBI can determine specific problem behavior areas among client populations and for individual clients and institute client-specific interventions to address each issue.

Preservice Teachers' Knowledge and Perceptions of Effective Behavior Management Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nields, Allison N.

2014-01-01

This study examined student teachers' perceptions and knowledge of behavior management strategies. A questionnaire that included questions about broad behavior management techniques, behavioral learning theory, and behavior management strategies related to behavioral learning theory was given to sixty-one student teacher candidates at a large…

[Relations between problems on sleeping and suicidal behaviors in middle school students].

PubMed

Chen, Jing; Wan, Yuhui; Sun, Ying; Tao, Fangbiao

2014-02-01

To understand the epidemiological characteristics and possible associations between sleeping problems and suicidal behaviors among middle school students. A total of 13 817 middle school students were selected in Shenyang,Xinxiang, Chongqing and Guangzhou cities and cluster sampling method was used. Questionnaires would include information on demographics, quality of sleep, psychopathological status and suicidal behaviors. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index (PSQI) and Adolescent Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire (MSQA) were used to assess the quality of sleep and psychosomatic symptoms, respectively. Rates on sleeping problems and suicidal behaviors were compared in students with specific characteristics. Effects related to sleeping problems and suicidal behaviors were analyzed, using the multivariate logistic regression model. The overall prevalence of problems related to sleeping among middle school students was 26.5%. 28.2% of the girls and 35.2% of senior students reported as having more sleeping problems. Rates on suicide related ideation, planning and attempts were 16.6%, 9.6% and 4.7% , respectively. Girls reported more suicide ideation than boys. However, no gender differences were found in suicide planning or attempted suicide. It also suggested that the incidence of the suicidal behavior among students with sleeping problems was significantly higher than students without sleeping problems. Data from Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that sleeping problems appeared as independent risk factors on suicidal behavior. Higher PSQI scores seemed coincide with the increased risk of suicidal behaviors. Students having sleeping time less than 5 hours per day showed higher risk of suicidal behaviors. Problems on sleeping seemed a strong risk factor for suicidal behaviors among middle school students. Improvement on the quality of sleep and reasonable arrangement of sleeping time could help prevent related suicidal behaviors among middle school students.

The Relations among Cumulative Risk, Parenting, and Behavior Problems during Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trentacosta, Christopher J.; Hyde, Luke W.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Dishion, Thomas J.; Gardner, Frances; Wilson, Melvin

2008-01-01

Background: This study examined relations among cumulative risk, nurturant and involved parenting, and behavior problems across early childhood. Methods: Cumulative risk, parenting, and behavior problems were measured in a sample of low-income toddlers participating in a family-centered program to prevent conduct problems. Results: Path analysis…

Does Preschool Self-Regulation Predict Later Behavior Problems in General or Specific Problem Behaviors?

PubMed

Lonigan, Christopher J; Spiegel, Jamie A; Goodrich, J Marc; Morris, Brittany M; Osborne, Colleen M; Lerner, Matthew D; Phillips, Beth M

2017-11-01

Findings from prior research have consistently indicated significant associations between self-regulation and externalizing behaviors. Significant associations have also been reported between children's language skills and both externalizing behaviors and self-regulation. Few studies to date, however, have examined these relations longitudinally, simultaneously, or with respect to unique clusters of externalizing problems. The current study examined the influence of preschool self-regulation on general and specific externalizing behavior problems in early elementary school and whether these relations were independent of associations between language, self-regulation, and externalizing behaviors in a sample of 815 children (44% female). Additionally, given a general pattern of sex differences in the presentations of externalizing behavior problems, self-regulation, and language skills, sex differences for these associations were examined. Results indicated unique relations of preschool self-regulation and language with both general externalizing behavior problems and specific problems of inattention. In general, self-regulation was a stronger longitudinal correlate of externalizing behavior for boys than it was for girls, and language was a stronger longitudinal predictor of hyperactive/impulsive behavior for girls than it was for boys.

Social problem-solving and mild intellectual disabilities: relations with externalizing behavior and therapeutic context.

PubMed

van Nieuwenhuijzen, Maroesjka; de Castro, Bram Orobio; Wijnroks, Lex; Vermeer, Adri; Matthys, Walter

2009-01-01

Relations among externalizing behavior, therapeutic context (community care vs. residential care), and social problem-solving by children with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intelligence were examined. Participants were 186 children (12 to 14 years of age) who responded to a video-based social problem-solving task. Of these, 130 received residential care and the majority suffered from severe externalizing behavior problems. The results indicated that externalizing behavior was related to encoding, generation of aggressive responses, and negative evaluation of assertive responses. Therapeutic context was related to encoding, positive evaluation of assertive responses, and negative evaluation of aggressive responses. Results indicate a discrepancy between appropriate problem-solving skills and behavior in daily life. Implications for interventions are discussed.

Hand Gesture and Mathematics Learning: Lessons From an Avatar.

PubMed

Cook, Susan Wagner; Friedman, Howard S; Duggan, Katherine A; Cui, Jian; Popescu, Voicu

2017-03-01

A beneficial effect of gesture on learning has been demonstrated in multiple domains, including mathematics, science, and foreign language vocabulary. However, because gesture is known to co-vary with other non-verbal behaviors, including eye gaze and prosody along with face, lip, and body movements, it is possible the beneficial effect of gesture is instead attributable to these other behaviors. We used a computer-generated animated pedagogical agent to control both verbal and non-verbal behavior. Children viewed lessons on mathematical equivalence in which an avatar either gestured or did not gesture, while eye gaze, head position, and lip movements remained identical across gesture conditions. Children who observed the gesturing avatar learned more, and they solved problems more quickly. Moreover, those children who learned were more likely to transfer and generalize their knowledge. These findings provide converging evidence that gesture facilitates math learning, and they reveal the potential for using technology to study non-verbal behavior in controlled experiments. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Using a Genetic Algorithm to Learn Behaviors for Autonomous Vehicles,

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-12

Truly autonomous vehicles will require both projective planning and reactive components in order to perform robustly. Projective components are...long time period. This work addresses the problem of creating reactive components for autonomous vehicles . Creating reactive behaviors (stimulus

A Novel Approach for Assisting Teachers in Analyzing Student Web-Searching Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, G. J.; Tsai, P. S.; Tsai, C. C.; Tseng, J. C. R.

2008-01-01

Although previous research has demonstrated the benefits of applying the Internet facilities to the learning process, problems with this strategy have also been identified. One of the major difficulties is owing to the lack of an online learning environment that can record the learning portfolio of using the Internet facilities in education, such…

Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Examination of Developmental Functioning, Autistic Symptoms, and Coexisting Behavior Problems in Toddlers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartley, Sigan L.; Sikora, Darryn M.

2009-01-01

Little is known about the female presentation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during early childhood. We investigated sex differences in developmental profiles using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, autistic symptoms on the ADOS-G, and coexisting behavior problems on the CBCL in 157 boys and 42 girls with ASD aged 1.5-3.9 years. Overall,…

Effects of Food Products on Behavior, Learning Abilities, and Social Relationships in Preschool and Elementary School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crews, Cecilia N.

A kindergarten teacher reviews research findings on aspects of children's diet that may influence behavior and the ability to learn. Introductory discussion presents vignettes relating kindergarten children's behavioral responses to dietary intake. A brief background section offering dietary tips is followed by relatively extended discussions of…

Families Are Learning in Science Museums.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borun, Minda; And Others

1996-01-01

Reports on a study designed to identify and measure family learning in science museums. Findings indicate that families do learn from exhibits and the level of learning is related to specific observed behaviors. Grouping these behaviors as performance indicators provides a useful measure of exhibit learning. Appendixes include a demographic…

School Counselors Connecting the Dots between Disruptive Classroom Behavior and Youth Self-Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bidell, Markus P.; Deacon, Robert E.

2010-01-01

Students exhibiting emotional and behavioral problems in the classroom can significantly impact the learning environment and often are referred to school counselors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between high school students' self-concept and disruptive classroom behaviors (DCB). High school students (N = 92)…

Students with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu-Hamour, Bashir

2014-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a study which aimed to explore the learning and behavioral characteristics of students with Learning Disabilities (LDs) in Jordan. Specifically, variables that related to challenging behaviors, school's type, and gender differences were investigated. Four resource room teachers in public and private schools were…

Parenting behavior dimensions and child psychopathology: specificity, task dependency, and interactive relations.

PubMed

Caron, Annalise; Weiss, Bahr; Harris, Vicki; Catron, Tom

2006-02-01

This study examined the specificity of relations between parent or caregiver behaviors and childhood internalizing and externalizing problems in a sample of 70 fourth-grade children (64% boys, M age = 9.7 years). Specificity was assessed via (a) unique effects, (b) differential effects, and (c) interactive effects. When measured as unique and differential effects, specificity was not found for warmth or psychological control but was found for caregiver's use of behavior control. Higher levels of behavior control were uniquely related to lower levels of externalizing problems and higher levels of internalizing problems; differential effects analyses indicated that higher levels of behavior control were related to decreases in the within-child difference in relative levels of level of internalizing versus externalizing problems. Interactive relations among the 3 parenting behavior dimensions also were identified. Although caregivers emphasized different parenting behavior dimensions across 2 separate caregiver-child interaction tasks, relations between parenting behavior dimensions and child psychopathology did not vary as a function of task. These findings indicate the importance of assessing and simultaneously analyzing multiple parenting behavior dimensions and multiple child psychopathology domains.

[Application of music therapy for managing agitated behavior in older people with dementia].

PubMed

Sung, Huei-Chuan; Chang, Anne M; Abbey, Jennifer

2006-10-01

Older people with dementia may display negative emotions, memory problems, sleep disturbance, and agitated behavior. Among these symptoms, agitated behavior has been identified by families and nursing staff as the care problem that presents the greatest challenge. Several studies have found that music therapy reduced agitated behaviors in those with dementia and recommended use of music as an effective strategy in managing this behavioral problem. Music therapy represents a lower cost, effective care approach that nursing staff can easily learn and apply to those with dementia. Furthermore, reductions in agitated behavior in dementia patients that result from music therapy can also alleviate caregiver stress and burden of care, leading to improvements in the health and quality of life of both dementia patients and their caregivers. This paper aims to introduce the principles and application of music therapy in the management of agitated behavior in those with dementia.

Stoic Behavior Hypothesis in Hint Seeking and Development of Reversi Learning Environment as Work Bench for Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miwa, Kazuhisa; Kojima, Kazuaki; Terai, Hitoshi

2014-01-01

Tutoring systems provide students with various types of on-demand and context-sensitive hints. Students are required to consciously adapt their help-seeking behavior, proactively seek help in some situations, and solve problems independently without supports in other situations. We define the latter behavior as stoic behavior in hint seeking. In…

Perceived support in sibling relationships and adolescent adjustment.

PubMed

Branje, Susan J T; van Lieshout, Cornelis F M; van Aken, Marcel A G; Haselager, Gerbert J T

2004-11-01

Siblings may support each other, but also reveal fierce rivalry and mutual aggression. Supportive sibling relationships have been linked to the development of psychosocial competence of children. In the present longitudinal study, we will focus on the development of perceived support in sibling dyads and on the influence of sibling support and sibling problem behavior on psychosocial adjustment in adolescence. In a three-wave longitudinal sample of 285 Dutch families with two adolescent children (11- to 15-year-olds), these two siblings judged the support perceived from each other. In addition, they themselves and their parents judged their internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. The relation of sibling support and sibling problem behavior with internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors was examined while controlling for support from parents and friends and, over time, controlling for the autoregressive effects of problem behavior. Support perceived from a sibling is mostly negatively related to externalizing problems; sibling problem behavior is strongly related to internalizing problems. Differential developmental trajectories of adolescents' adjustment are associated with siblings' support and problem behavior. The results indicate that adolescents' relationships with both older and younger siblings are characterized by modeling processes.

Adolescent Temperament: Childhood Problem Precursors and Problem Behavior Correlates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Windle, Michael

Interrelations between childhood behavior problems and adolescent temperament, and between adolescent temperament and problem behaviors, were studied. A sample of 311 adolescents with an average age of 15.7 years completed self-report measures regarding behavior problems before age 13, temperament, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems,…

Using Research-Informed Pedagogical Practices to Maximize Learning in Youth Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

PubMed Central

Reid, Gerald M.; Grills, Amie E.; Mian, Nicholas D.; Reid, Alexis A.; Merson, Rachel A.; Langer, David A.

2017-01-01

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth is an evidence-based treatment that typically starts with some form of psychoeducation, during which the patient is taught in a didactic manner about their presenting problems and strategies to ameliorate their symptoms. The learning process continues over the course of treatment as patients consolidate and attempt to utilize their aqcuired knowledge in their daily life. Manuals provide helpful structure and strategies to facilitate this learning process (e.g., using metaphors, personalized coping cards); however, there is variability across patients in terms of what presented content they will be able to access and understand, how they can most effectively transfer what they learn into their everyday life, and why they will become engaged in this learning process. The purpose of this paper is to connect CBT and pedagogy by outlining the research-informed pedagogical framework known as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as it relates to the teaching and learning that takes place in CBT. First, we describe UDL as a lens through which clinicians can conceptualize evidence-based pedagogical principles that undergird common CBT teaching practices. Second, we recommend that clinicians use UDL as a guiding framework when they are faced with barriers to learning due to the variability that exists in how patients engage in, access and understand, and utilize the material. We posit that UDL can help clinicians ensure that more patients are able to successfully access and benefit from CBT. PMID:28983515

Extending the Reach of Early Intervention Training for Practitioners: A Preliminary Investigation of an Online Curriculum for Teaching Behavioral Intervention Knowledge in Autism to Families and Service Providers

PubMed Central

Hamad, Charles D.; Serna, Richard W.; Morrison, Leslie; Fleming, Richard

2013-01-01

Early behavioral intervention, based on the methods of applied behavior analysis, has the strongest and most consistent scientific support as a means of teaching skills to young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and reducing their restricted and maladaptive behavior. Though individual ABA-based treatment plans are usually developed, designed and supervised by a senior-level clinician, they are most often implemented by a practitioner, such as a parent, direct service provider, aide, or an early childhood professional from a related discipline. Unfortunately, few practitioner-orientated training programs are available to geographically disparate persons. Online distance-learning education offers a potential solution to this problem. Fifty-one individuals participated in an initial study of a short, three-module online course. The results showed a highly statistically significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test score. The outcomes suggest the feasibility and user satisfaction of teaching BI knowledge acquisition online, and thus bolster confidence that future, larger-scale curricula aimed at teaching BI in a distance-learning format is warranted. PMID:23504540

Credit Assignment in a Motor Decision Making Task Is Influenced by Agency and Not Sensory Prediction Errors.

PubMed

Parvin, Darius E; McDougle, Samuel D; Taylor, Jordan A; Ivry, Richard B

2018-05-09

Failures to obtain reward can occur from errors in action selection or action execution. Recently, we observed marked differences in choice behavior when the failure to obtain a reward was attributed to errors in action execution compared with errors in action selection (McDougle et al., 2016). Specifically, participants appeared to solve this credit assignment problem by discounting outcomes in which the absence of reward was attributed to errors in action execution. Building on recent evidence indicating relatively direct communication between the cerebellum and basal ganglia, we hypothesized that cerebellar-dependent sensory prediction errors (SPEs), a signal indicating execution failure, could attenuate value updating within a basal ganglia-dependent reinforcement learning system. Here we compared the SPE hypothesis to an alternative, "top-down" hypothesis in which changes in choice behavior reflect participants' sense of agency. In two experiments with male and female human participants, we manipulated the strength of SPEs, along with the participants' sense of agency in the second experiment. The results showed that, whereas the strength of SPE had no effect on choice behavior, participants were much more likely to discount the absence of rewards under conditions in which they believed the reward outcome depended on their ability to produce accurate movements. These results provide strong evidence that SPEs do not directly influence reinforcement learning. Instead, a participant's sense of agency appears to play a significant role in modulating choice behavior when unexpected outcomes can arise from errors in action execution. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When learning from the outcome of actions, the brain faces a credit assignment problem: Failures of reward can be attributed to poor choice selection or poor action execution. Here, we test a specific hypothesis that execution errors are implicitly signaled by cerebellar-based sensory prediction errors. We evaluate this hypothesis and compare it with a more "top-down" hypothesis in which the modulation of choice behavior from execution errors reflects participants' sense of agency. We find that sensory prediction errors have no significant effect on reinforcement learning. Instead, instructions influencing participants' belief of causal outcomes appear to be the main factor influencing their choice behavior. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/384521-10$15.00/0.

Positive affect: phenotypic and etiologic associations with prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems in toddlers

PubMed Central

Wang, Manjie; Saudino, Kimberly J.

2015-01-01

Despite evidence for the associations of positive affect to prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems, relatively little is known about the underlying etiology. The sample comprised over 300 twin pairs at age 3. Positive affect, prosocial behaviors, and internalizing problems were assessed using the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (Goldsmith, 1996), the Revised Rutter Parent Scale for Preschool Children (Hogg et al., 1997), and the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5–5 (Achenbach, 1991), respectively. Positive affect correlated positively with prosocial behaviors, and negatively with internalizing problems. Prosocial behaviors were negatively associated with internalizing problems. The relations of positive affect to prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems were due to environmental effects (shared and non-shared). In contrast, the link between prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems was entirely explained by genetic effects. The current study has moved beyond prior emphasis on negative affect and elucidated the less understood etiology underlying the associations between positive affect, prosocial behaviors, and internalizing problems. This study could guide the development of programs for promoting prosocial behaviors and alleviating internalizing problems in children. PMID:25914668

Positive affect: phenotypic and etiologic associations with prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems in toddlers.

PubMed

Wang, Manjie; Saudino, Kimberly J

2015-01-01

Despite evidence for the associations of positive affect to prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems, relatively little is known about the underlying etiology. The sample comprised over 300 twin pairs at age 3. Positive affect, prosocial behaviors, and internalizing problems were assessed using the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (Goldsmith, 1996), the Revised Rutter Parent Scale for Preschool Children (Hogg et al., 1997), and the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5-5 (Achenbach, 1991), respectively. Positive affect correlated positively with prosocial behaviors, and negatively with internalizing problems. Prosocial behaviors were negatively associated with internalizing problems. The relations of positive affect to prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems were due to environmental effects (shared and non-shared). In contrast, the link between prosocial behaviors and internalizing problems was entirely explained by genetic effects. The current study has moved beyond prior emphasis on negative affect and elucidated the less understood etiology underlying the associations between positive affect, prosocial behaviors, and internalizing problems. This study could guide the development of programs for promoting prosocial behaviors and alleviating internalizing problems in children.

From action to abstraction: Gesture as a mechanism of change

PubMed Central

Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2015-01-01

Piaget was a master at observing the routine behaviors children produce as they go from knowing less to knowing more about at a task, and making inferences not only about how the children understood the task at each point, but also about how they progressed from one point to the next. In this paper, I examine a routine behavior that Piaget overlooked—the spontaneous gestures speakers produce as they explain their solutions to a problem. These gestures are not mere hand waving. They reflect ideas that the speaker has about the problem, often ideas that are not found in that speaker’s talk. But gesture can do more than reflect ideas—it can also change them. In this sense, gesture behaves like any other action; both gesture and action on objects facilitate learning problems on which training was given. However, only gesture promotes transferring the knowledge gained to problems that require generalization. Gesture is, in fact, a special kind of action in that it represents the world rather than directly manipulating the world (gesture does not move objects around). The mechanisms by which gesture and action promote learning may therefore differ—gesture is able to highlight components of an action that promote abstract learning while leaving out details that could tie learning to a specific context. Because it is both an action and a representation, gesture can serve as a bridge between the two and thus be a powerful tool for learning abstract ideas. PMID:26692629

From action to abstraction: Gesture as a mechanism of change.

PubMed

Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2015-12-01

Piaget was a master at observing the routine behaviors children produce as they go from knowing less to knowing more about at a task, and making inferences not only about how the children understood the task at each point, but also about how they progressed from one point to the next. In this paper, I examine a routine behavior that Piaget overlooked-the spontaneous gestures speakers produce as they explain their solutions to a problem. These gestures are not mere hand waving. They reflect ideas that the speaker has about the problem, often ideas that are not found in that speaker's talk. But gesture can do more than reflect ideas-it can also change them. In this sense, gesture behaves like any other action; both gesture and action on objects facilitate learning problems on which training was given. However, only gesture promotes transferring the knowledge gained to problems that require generalization. Gesture is, in fact, a special kind of action in that it represents the world rather than directly manipulating the world (gesture does not move objects around). The mechanisms by which gesture and action promote learning may therefore differ-gesture is able to highlight components of an action that promote abstract learning while leaving out details that could tie learning to a specific context. Because it is both an action and a representation, gesture can serve as a bridge between the two and thus be a powerful tool for learning abstract ideas.

Beyond ADHD: How Well Are We Doing?

PubMed Central

Stein, Ruth EK; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Kerker, Bonnie D.; Garner, Andrew; Szilagyi, Moira; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; O’Connor, Karen G.; Horwitz, Sarah McCue

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives There has been increasing emphasis on the role of the pediatrician with respect to behavioral, learning and mental health (MH) issues, and developmental behavioral rotations are now required in pediatric residency programs. We sought to examine whether this newer emphasis on MH is reflected in pediatricians’ reports of their current practices. Methods Data from two Periodic Surveys (PS) conducted in 2004 and 2013 by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) were examined to see whether there were differences in self-reported behaviors of usually inquiring/screening, treating/managing/co-managing, or referring patients for ADHD, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems or learning problems. We examined patterns for all practicing members and for those who practiced general pediatrics exclusively. Results There were few changes over the decade in the percentage who inquired or screened among all clinicians; among those exclusively practicing general pediatrics, the percentage who inquired or screened increased about 10% for ADHD and depression. ADHD remained the only condition for which the majority of respondents treated/managed/co-managed (57%). While there was some increase in the percentages who treated other conditions, the other conditions were usually treated by < 30% of respondents. A similar pattern of results was observed in analyses adjusted for physician, practice, and patient characteristics. Conclusions Despite the changing nature of pediatric practice and increased efforts to emphasize the importance of behavior, learning and MH, the pediatric community appears to be making little progress toward providing for the long-term behavioral, learning and MH needs of children and adolescents in its care. PMID:26514649

Studies of Complex Behavior and Their Relation to Trouble Shooting in Electronic Equipment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1957-06-01

discussed. It has been concluded that the study of human problem • . solving, concept formation, probability learning, and so forth, has i. provided litt 1...five actions) used by men in trouble shooting radio problemson the MASTS , AUTOMI STS, arid a job—sample test . There were five L categories so defined...Defense Human Research Unit ’ s proposed Task MA INTRAIN• will be drawn upon as needed for the non—trouble —shooting topics. I

Interoceptive sensitivity, body weight and eating behavior in children: a prospective study

PubMed Central

Koch, Anne; Pollatos, Olga

2014-01-01

Previous research indicates that interindividual differences in the ability to perceive one's own bodily signals (interoceptive sensitivity, IS) are associated with disordered eating behavior and weight problems. But representative and prospective data in children are lacking and therefore, the exact nature of these observed associations remains unclear. Data on IS measured by heartbeat perception ability in 1657 children between 6 and 11 years of age were collected on the basis of two measurement points with a year distance in time. Stability of the construct and its prospective association with different food approach behaviors [assessed via parent questionnaires (Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire)] as well as with weight status were analyzed via structural equation modeling. Main results were that only in overweight children external and emotional eating behavior were predictive for later IS, whereas no such relation was found in normal weight children. There was no direct relation between IS and body mass index. For the first time, we could show that eating behavior and IS in middle childhood are prospectively related to each other. But surprisingly, our data indicate that altered interoceptive processes rather follow than precede non-adaptive eating behavior patterns in overweight children. This suggests a possible crucial role of faulty learning mechanisms in eating behavior early in life, undermining the later confidence in one's body. PMID:25250006

The relation between stressful life events and adjustment in elementary school children: the role of social support and social problem-solving skills.

PubMed

Dubow, E F; Tisak, J

1989-12-01

This study investigated the relation between stressful life events and adjustment in elementary school children, with particular emphasis on the potential main and stress-buffering effects of social support and social problem-solving skills. Third through fifth graders (N = 361) completed social support and social problem-solving measures. Their parents provided ratings of stress in the child's environment and ratings of the child's behavioral adjustment. Teachers provided ratings of the children's behavioral and academic adjustment. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed significant stress-buffering effects for social support and problem-solving skills on teacher-rated behavior problems, that is, higher levels of social support and problem-solving skills moderated the relation between stressful life events and behavior problems. A similar stress-buffering effect was found for problem-solving skills on grade-point average and parent-rated behavior problems. In terms of children's competent behaviors, analyses supported a main effect model of social support and problem-solving. Possible processes accounting for the main and stress-buffering effects are discussed.

Beyond Assertiveness Training: A Problem-Solving Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Nancy A.

1979-01-01

Assertiveness training models show shortcomings in those situations where assertiveness results in stalemates or conflicts, or both. Deadlocks may occur when antagonists demonstrate appropriate assertive behavior. Conflict management using problem-solving skills allows individuals to learn appropriate methods of dealing with conflictual or…

Family and School Influences on Youths' Behavioral and Academic Outcomes: Cross-Level Interactions between Parental Monitoring and Character Development Curriculum.

PubMed

Top, Namik; Liew, Jeffrey; Luo, Wen

2017-01-01

The authors examined the joint (interactive) roles of the Second Step curriculum (a validated social-emotional learning and bullying prevention program; Committee for Children, Seattle, WA) and parenting practices on students' behavioral and academic outcomes in Grades 5-8. Participants were 763 parents and their children from 22 schools (8 control and 14 treatment). A 2-level random coefficient model was conducted to assess the effect of parental monitoring on school outcomes, as well as the interaction between character development curriculum and parental monitoring. Results indicated that parental monitoring was a significant predictor of school behaviors and school grades. Furthermore, the Second Step curriculum moderated the relationship between parental monitoring and problem behaviors, prosocial behaviors, and grades at school. Specifically, in schools without the Second Step curriculum parental monitoring predicted higher school grades but had no impact on students' school behaviors. By contrast, in schools with the Second Step curriculum, parental monitoring predicted fewer problem behaviors as well as more prosocial behaviors. The study results highlight the joint influences of the family and the school in children's behavioral and academic trajectories. Results have implications for education and intervention, including improving the school climate, student behaviors, and learning or achievement.

Predicting radiotherapy outcomes using statistical learning techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Naqa, Issam; Bradley, Jeffrey D.; Lindsay, Patricia E.; Hope, Andrew J.; Deasy, Joseph O.

2009-09-01

Radiotherapy outcomes are determined by complex interactions between treatment, anatomical and patient-related variables. A common obstacle to building maximally predictive outcome models for clinical practice is the failure to capture potential complexity of heterogeneous variable interactions and applicability beyond institutional data. We describe a statistical learning methodology that can automatically screen for nonlinear relations among prognostic variables and generalize to unseen data before. In this work, several types of linear and nonlinear kernels to generate interaction terms and approximate the treatment-response function are evaluated. Examples of institutional datasets of esophagitis, pneumonitis and xerostomia endpoints were used. Furthermore, an independent RTOG dataset was used for 'generalizabilty' validation. We formulated the discrimination between risk groups as a supervised learning problem. The distribution of patient groups was initially analyzed using principle components analysis (PCA) to uncover potential nonlinear behavior. The performance of the different methods was evaluated using bivariate correlations and actuarial analysis. Over-fitting was controlled via cross-validation resampling. Our results suggest that a modified support vector machine (SVM) kernel method provided superior performance on leave-one-out testing compared to logistic regression and neural networks in cases where the data exhibited nonlinear behavior on PCA. For instance, in prediction of esophagitis and pneumonitis endpoints, which exhibited nonlinear behavior on PCA, the method provided 21% and 60% improvements, respectively. Furthermore, evaluation on the independent pneumonitis RTOG dataset demonstrated good generalizabilty beyond institutional data in contrast with other models. This indicates that the prediction of treatment response can be improved by utilizing nonlinear kernel methods for discovering important nonlinear interactions among model variables. These models have the capacity to predict on unseen data. Part of this work was first presented at the Seventh International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications, San Diego, CA, USA, 11-13 December 2008.

Do Children’s Learning-Related Behaviors Moderate the Impacts of an Empirically-Validated Early Literacy Intervention?

PubMed Central

Hart, Sara A.; Piasta, Shayne B.; Justice, Laura M.

2016-01-01

The present study included 314 children who had been involved in Project STAR, and explored how two learning-related behaviors, interest in literacy and effortful control, moderated the impact of the literacy intervention on reading outcomes. Results indicated significant associations of both learning-related behaviors with reading, with the children with the highest literacy interest and effortful control in the intervention group showing the highest reading outcomes. These results indicate that accounting for a greater breadth of possible moderators of intervention impacts is an important area to explore. PMID:28216991

Exploring trends of nonmedical use of prescription drugs and polydrug abuse in the Twittersphere using unsupervised machine learning.

PubMed

Kalyanam, Janani; Katsuki, Takeo; R G Lanckriet, Gert; Mackey, Tim K

2017-02-01

Nonmedical use of prescription medications/drugs (NMUPD) is a serious public health threat, particularly in relation to the prescription opioid analgesics abuse epidemic. While attention to this problem has been growing, there remains an urgent need to develop novel strategies in the field of "digital epidemiology" to better identify, analyze and understand trends in NMUPD behavior. We conducted surveillance of the popular microblogging site Twitter by collecting 11 million tweets filtered for three commonly abused prescription opioid analgesic drugs Percocet® (acetaminophen/oxycodone), OxyContin® (oxycodone), and Oxycodone. Unsupervised machine learning was applied on the subset of tweets for each analgesic drug to discover underlying latent themes regarding risk behavior. A two-step process of obtaining themes, and filtering out unwanted tweets was carried out in three subsequent rounds of machine learning. Using this methodology, 2.3M tweets were identified that contained content relevant to analgesic NMUPD. The underlying themes were identified for each drug and the most representative tweets of each theme were annotated for NMUPD behavioral risk factors. The primary themes identified evidence high levels of social media discussion about polydrug abuse on Twitter. This included specific mention of various polydrug combinations including use of other classes of prescription drugs, and illicit drug abuse. This study presents a methodology to filter Twitter content for NMUPD behavior, while also identifying underlying themes with minimal human intervention. Results from the study track accurately with the inclusion/exclusion criteria used to isolate NMUPD-related risk behaviors of interest and also provides insight on NMUPD behavior that has a high level of social media engagement. Results suggest that this could be a viable methodology for use in big data substance abuse surveillance, data collection, and analysis in comparison to other studies that rely upon content analysis and human coding schemes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When students can choose easy, medium, or hard homework problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorescu, Raluca E.; Seaton, Daniel T.; Cardamone, Caroline N.; Rayyan, Saif; Abbott, Jonathan E.; Barrantes, Analia; Pawl, Andrew; Pritchard, David E.

2012-02-01

We investigate student-chosen, multi-level homework in our Integrated Learning Environment for Mechanics [1] built using the LON-CAPA [2] open-source learning system. Multi-level refers to problems categorized as easy, medium, and hard. Problem levels were determined a priori based on the knowledge needed to solve them [3]. We analyze these problems using three measures: time-per-problem, LON-CAPA difficulty, and item difficulty measured by item response theory. Our analysis of student behavior in this environment suggests that time-per-problem is strongly dependent on problem category, unlike either score-based measures. We also found trends in student choice of problems, overall effort, and efficiency across the student population. Allowing students choice in problem solving seems to improve their motivation; 70% of students worked additional problems for which no credit was given.

Nutrition and Its Effects on Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swensson, Marjorie

A 12-week practicum intervention, designed to improve the classroom performance of 17 elementary school students experiencing learning or behavior problems by offering the students nutrition instruction and improving nutritional practices in the students' homes, was implemented and evaluated. Students were requied to agree to: (1) eat a nutritious…

Teaching Social Studies to High School Students with Learning Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Marcee M.

2007-01-01

Because of recent legislation, many students with mild disabilities enroll in high school social studies courses in general education rather than special education settings. Therefore, teachers may have students with learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, communication disorders, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in their history,…

Malnutrition, Learning, and Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Read, Merrill S.; Felson, David

The problems of those children who are chronically malnourished, the cultural environment of malnutrition, and the extent to which children are temporarily or permanently handicapped in learning because of malnutrition are discussed in this booklet. It also describes hunger and its effects on child development. The topics addressed are: definition…

Student Motivation in Response to Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fukuzawa, Sherry; Boyd, Cleo; Cahn, Joel

2017-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a self-directed learning strategy where students work collaboratively in small groups to investigate open-ended relatable case scenarios. Students develop transferable skills that can be applied across disciplines, such as collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Despite extensive research on…

Towards a Web-Based Handbook of Generic, Process-Oriented Learning Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marjanovic, Olivera

2005-01-01

Process-oriented learning designs are innovative learning activities that include a set of inter-related learning tasks and are generic (could be used across disciplines). An example includes a problem-solving process widely used in problem-based learning today. Most of the existing process-oriented learning designs are not documented, let alone…

A New Approach of an Intelligent E-Learning System Based on Learners' Skill Level and Learners' Success Rate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohamed, Hafidi; Lamia, Mahnane

2015-01-01

Learners usually meet cognitive overload and disorientation problems when using e-learning system. At present, most of the studies in e-learning either concentrate on the technological aspect or focus on adapting learner's interests or browsing behaviors, while, learner's skill level and learners' success rate is usually neglected. In this paper,…

The Influence of Early Parent Involvement and Depression on Academic Achievement, Psychosocial Behaviors, and Motivation in Children with Learning Disabilities across Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahdavi, Seema

2017-01-01

Children with learning disabilities represent the largest category of students served within special education systems in schools, and are at increased risk for academic and psychosocial problems in comparison to peers without learning disabilities. While much of clinical practice and research focus has been on academic interventions,…

Word learning emerges from the interaction of online referent selection and slow associative learning

PubMed Central

McMurray, Bob; Horst, Jessica S.; Samuelson, Larissa K.

2013-01-01

Classic approaches to word learning emphasize the problem of referential ambiguity: in any naming situation the referent of a novel word must be selected from many possible objects, properties, actions, etc. To solve this problem, researchers have posited numerous constraints, and inference strategies, but assume that determining the referent of a novel word is isomorphic to learning. We present an alternative model in which referent selection is an online process that is independent of long-term learning. This two timescale approach creates significant power in the developing system. We illustrate this with a dynamic associative model in which referent selection is simulated as dynamic competition between competing referents, and learning is simulated using associative (Hebbian) learning. This model can account for a range of findings including the delay in expressive vocabulary relative to receptive vocabulary, learning under high degrees of referential ambiguity using cross-situational statistics, accelerating (vocabulary explosion) and decelerating (power-law) learning rates, fast-mapping by mutual exclusivity (and differences in bilinguals), improvements in familiar word recognition with development, and correlations between individual differences in speed of processing and learning. Five theoretical points are illustrated. 1) Word learning does not require specialized processes – general association learning buttressed by dynamic competition can account for much of the literature. 2) The processes of recognizing familiar words are not different than those that support novel words (e.g., fast-mapping). 3) Online competition may allow the network (or child) to leverage information available in the task to augment performance or behavior despite what might be relatively slow learning or poor representations. 4) Even associative learning is more complex than previously thought – a major contributor to performance is the pruning of incorrect associations between words and referents. 5) Finally, the model illustrates that learning and referent selection/word recognition, though logically distinct, can be deeply and subtly related as phenomena like speed of processing and mutual exclusivity may derive in part from the way learning shapes the system. As a whole, this suggests more sophisticated ways of describing the interaction between situation- and developmental-time processes and points to the need for considering such interactions as a primary determinant of development and processing in children. PMID:23088341

An embodied biologically constrained model of foraging: from classical and operant conditioning to adaptive real-world behavior in DAC-X.

PubMed

Maffei, Giovanni; Santos-Pata, Diogo; Marcos, Encarni; Sánchez-Fibla, Marti; Verschure, Paul F M J

2015-12-01

Animals successfully forage within new environments by learning, simulating and adapting to their surroundings. The functions behind such goal-oriented behavior can be decomposed into 5 top-level objectives: 'how', 'why', 'what', 'where', 'when' (H4W). The paradigms of classical and operant conditioning describe some of the behavioral aspects found in foraging. However, it remains unclear how the organization of their underlying neural principles account for these complex behaviors. We address this problem from the perspective of the Distributed Adaptive Control theory of mind and brain (DAC) that interprets these two paradigms as expressing properties of core functional subsystems of a layered architecture. In particular, we propose DAC-X, a novel cognitive architecture that unifies the theoretical principles of DAC with biologically constrained computational models of several areas of the mammalian brain. DAC-X supports complex foraging strategies through the progressive acquisition, retention and expression of task-dependent information and associated shaping of action, from exploration to goal-oriented deliberation. We benchmark DAC-X using a robot-based hoarding task including the main perceptual and cognitive aspects of animal foraging. We show that efficient goal-oriented behavior results from the interaction of parallel learning mechanisms accounting for motor adaptation, spatial encoding and decision-making. Together, our results suggest that the H4W problem can be solved by DAC-X building on the insights from the study of classical and operant conditioning. Finally, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the proposed biologically constrained and embodied approach towards the study of cognition and the relation of DAC-X to other cognitive architectures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emotional and behavioral problems associated with attachment security and parenting style in adopted and non-adopted children.

PubMed

Altınoğlu Dikmeer, Ilkiz; Erol, Neşe; Gençöz, Tülin

2014-01-01

This study aimed to investigate and compare emotional and behavioral problems in Turkish adoptees and non-adopted peers raised by their biological parents. The study included 61 adopted children (34 female and 27 male) aged 6-18 years and 62 age- and gender-matched non-adopted children (35 female and 27 male). Parents rated their children's problem behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18, temperament characteristics using the School Age Temperament Inventory, their own personality traits using the Basic Personality Traits Inventory, and their parenting styles using the Measure of Child Rearing Styles. Children rated their parents' availability and reliability as attachment figures using the Kerns Security Scale and parenting styles using the Measure of Child Rearing Styles. Adolescents aged 11-18 years self-rated their problem behaviors using the Youth Self Report. Group differences and correlations were analyzed. There were non-significant differences in all scale scores between the adopted and non-adopted groups. In contrast to the literature, age of the children at the time of adoption was not associated with problem behaviors or attachment relationships. On the other hand, the findings indicate that as the age at which the children learned that they had been adopted increased emotional and behavioral problems increased. Adoption alone could not explain the problem behaviors observed in the adopted children; the observed problem behaviors should be considered within the context of the developmental process.

Hot Bodies 400 Corporation: A Simple Guide for Small Business Startups [and] Teamwork: Problems and Solutions Workbook. For What You Wear...or Wear Not! An ICA Publication in Business and Behavioral Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonilla, Carlos A., Ed.; Righetti, Candace S., Ed.

Many cooperative learning programs are merely exhibitions of the willingness to work with others. They apply teams of people to do work that could be accomplished just as well by individuals. Successful programs focus on collaborative learning that fosters working together to solve problems beyond the capacity of any individual. A cooperative…

Constructive Alternatives to Punishment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reclaiming Children and Youth: Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Problems, 1997

1997-01-01

Provides examples of programs that teach children positive behavior skills for success in life rather than resorting to traditional punishment. Looks at the Positive Education Program, Boys Town, the Westerly School District, and the New Opportunities Program. Such programs help children learn appropriate skills that replace problem behaviors.…

The Positive Action Program: Improving Academics, Behavior, and Character by Teaching Comprehensive Skills for Successful Learning and Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flay, Brian R.; Allred, Carol G.

2010-01-01

This chapter outlines and provides evidence for the effects of the "Positive Action Program" as a way of inculcating values, driving student wellbeing, and improving academic performance and interpersonal behavior. The program centers on addressing behavioral, emotional, and academic problems by developing in individuals positive beliefs…

Effects of Multimedia Goal-Setting Instruction on Students' Knowledge of the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction and Disruptive Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzotti, Valerie L.; Test, David W.; Wood, Charles L.

2013-01-01

Students at risk for, or with, emotional disturbance during preadolescence struggle to adjust socially, behaviorally, and academically and often make choices about relationships that support problem behaviors. Research suggests explicitly teaching self-determination skills as early as preschool may prevent referral to special education with a…

Vocal Stereotypy in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Behavioral Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanovaz, Marc J.; Sladeczek, Ingrid E.

2012-01-01

Vocal stereotypy is a common problem behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorders that may interfere considerably with learning and social inclusion. To assist clinicians in treating the behavior and to guide researchers in identifying gaps in the research literature, the authors provide an overview of research on vocal stereotypy in…

Levetiracetam in adult patients with and without learning disability: focus on behavioral adverse effects.

PubMed

Brodtkorb, Eylert; Klees, Theresa M; Nakken, Karl O; Lossius, Rasmus; Johannessen, Svein I

2004-04-01

Optimal antiepileptic drug treatment in patients with learning disability (LD) represents a particular challenge. These patients are often unable to report toxicity, and side effects may manifest as behavioral problems. The aim of this open study was to compare efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam (LEV) in patients with LD and those without LD. One hundred eighty-four consecutive adult patients who received LEV were followed for an average of 8.1 months. Fifty-six patients (30%) had LD. Thirty-nine percent of patients with refractory epilepsy (37% with and 40% without LD) had > 50% seizure reduction. Significantly more behavioral side effects (23% vs 10%) and a tendency toward less reported somatic central nervous side effects were found in the LD group. We conclude that LEV is equally effective and well tolerated in both patients with LD and patients without LD. However, behavioral problems are more frequent in patients with LD, whereas the tendency toward seizure increase is not enhanced.

Employee performance in the knowledge economy: Capturing the keys to success

PubMed Central

Fauth, Rebecca; Bevan, Stephen; Mills, Peter

2009-01-01

The present study examines the key determinants of employee performance in a knowledge-intensive service firm located in the UK. Using data from a pilot study, we mapped eight performance-related behaviors to two measures of global performance to isolate the strongest predictors of the latter. We also examined the degree to which these associations varied depending on whether employees or their managers reported on performance as well as according to the degree of complexity (eg, ongoing learning, multitasking, problem solving, etc.) present in workers’ jobs. Findings revealed that more traditional employee performance-related behaviors (eg, dependability) as well as behaviors that have likely increased in importance in the knowledge economy (eg, sharing ideas and information) accounted for the most variance in reported global performance. Sharing ideas and information was a particularly important predictor for workers in complex jobs. When the performance-related behaviors were regressed on the organization’s annual employee appraisal ratings, only dependability and time management behaviors were significantly associated with the outcome. As organizational success increasingly is dependent on intangible inputs stemming from the ideas, innovations and creativity of its workforce, organizations need to ensure that they are capturing the full range of behaviors that help to define their success. Further research with a diverse range of organizations will help define this further. PMID:22110316

Treatment Effects of a Primary Care Intervention on Parenting Behaviors: Sometimes It's Relative.

PubMed

Shaffer, Anne; Lindhiem, Oliver; Kolko, David

2017-04-01

The goal of this brief report is to demonstrate the utility of quantifying parental discipline practices as relative frequencies in measuring changes in parenting behavior and relations to child behavior following intervention. We explored comparisons across methodological approaches of assessing parenting behavior via absolute and relative frequencies in measuring improvements in parent-reported disciplinary practices (increases in positive parenting practices in response to child behavior; decreases in inconsistent discipline and use of corporal punishment) and child behavior problems. The current study was conducted as part of a larger clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a collaborative care intervention for behavior problems, ADHD, and anxiety in pediatric primary care practices (Doctor Office Collaborative Care; DOCC). Participants were 321 parent-child dyads (M child age = 8.00, 65 % male children) from eight pediatric practices that were cluster randomized to DOCC or enhanced usual care (EUC). Parents reported on their own discipline behaviors and child behavior problems. While treatment-related decreases in negative parenting were found using both the absolute and relative frequencies of parenting behaviors, results were different for positive parenting behaviors, which showed decreases when measured as absolute frequencies but increases when measured as relative frequencies. In addition, positive parenting was negatively correlated with child behavior problems when using relative frequencies, but not absolute frequencies, and relative frequencies of positive parenting mediated relations between treatment condition and outcomes. Our findings indicate that the methods used to measure treatment-related change warrant careful consideration.

Age differences in risky choice: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Mata, Rui; Josef, Anika K.; Samanez-Larkin, Gregory R.; Hertwig, Ralph

2012-01-01

Does risk taking change as a function of age? We conducted a systematic literature search and found 29 comparisons between younger and older adults on behavioral tasks thought to measure risk taking (N =4,093). The reports relied on various tasks differing in several respects, such as the amount of learning required or the choice framing (gains vs. losses). The results suggest that age-related differences vary considerably as a function of task characteristics, in particular the learning requirements of the task. In decisions from experience, age-related differences in risk taking were a function of decreased learning performance: older adults were more risk seeking compared to younger adults when learning led to risk-avoidant behavior, but were more risk averse when learning led to risk-seeking behavior. In decisions from description, younger adults and older adults showed similar risk-taking behavior for the majority of the tasks, and there were no clear age-related differences as a function of gain/loss framing. We discuss limitations and strengths of past research and provide suggestions for future work on age-related differences in risk taking. PMID:22023565

Blood Test: Lead (For Parents)

MedlinePlus

... is found in the environment and in many consumer products. Most people have a small amount of lead in their blood from these exposures. But higher levels of lead can lead to problems in children, such as learning disabilities, behavior problems, and anemia . Very high levels can cause ...

Design and Control of Large Collections of Learning Agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agogino, Adrian

2001-01-01

The intelligent control of multiple autonomous agents is an important yet difficult task. Previous methods used to address this problem have proved to be either too brittle, too hard to use, or not scalable to large systems. The 'Collective Intelligence' project at NASA/Ames provides an elegant, machine-learning approach to address these problems. This approach mathematically defines some essential properties that a reward system should have to promote coordinated behavior among reinforcement learners. This work has focused on creating additional key properties and algorithms within the mathematics of the Collective Intelligence framework. One of the additions will allow agents to learn more quickly, in a more coordinated manner. The other will let agents learn with less knowledge of their environment. These additions will allow the framework to be applied more easily, to a much larger domain of multi-agent problems.

Understanding the Problems of Learning Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semilla-Dube, Lilia

1983-01-01

A model is being developed to categorize problems in teaching and learning mathematics. Categories include problems due to language difficulties, lack of prerequisite knowledge, and those related to the affective domain. This paper calls on individuals to share teaching and learning episodes; those submitted will then be compiled and categorized.…

Learning from Examples versus Verbal Directions in Mathematical Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hee Seung; Fincham, Jon M.; Anderson, John R.

2015-01-01

This event-related fMRI study investigated the differences between learning from examples and learning from verbal directions in mathematical problem solving and how these instruction types affect the activity of relevant brain regions during instruction and solution periods within problem-solving trials. We identified distinct neural signatures…

A Comparative Study of Pairwise Learning Methods Based on Kernel Ridge Regression.

PubMed

Stock, Michiel; Pahikkala, Tapio; Airola, Antti; De Baets, Bernard; Waegeman, Willem

2018-06-12

Many machine learning problems can be formulated as predicting labels for a pair of objects. Problems of that kind are often referred to as pairwise learning, dyadic prediction, or network inference problems. During the past decade, kernel methods have played a dominant role in pairwise learning. They still obtain a state-of-the-art predictive performance, but a theoretical analysis of their behavior has been underexplored in the machine learning literature. In this work we review and unify kernel-based algorithms that are commonly used in different pairwise learning settings, ranging from matrix filtering to zero-shot learning. To this end, we focus on closed-form efficient instantiations of Kronecker kernel ridge regression. We show that independent task kernel ridge regression, two-step kernel ridge regression, and a linear matrix filter arise naturally as a special case of Kronecker kernel ridge regression, implying that all these methods implicitly minimize a squared loss. In addition, we analyze universality, consistency, and spectral filtering properties. Our theoretical results provide valuable insights into assessing the advantages and limitations of existing pairwise learning methods.

Factors Related to Social-Emotional Problem Behavior in Nursing Homes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fergus, Esther O.; And Others

Data on demographics, physical capability and social-emotional behavioral variables for 134 residents between the ages of 50 and 96 were collected in four nursing homes to examine the dimensions related to problem behaviors. Social-emotional behaviors related on six scales of reliabilities ranging from .90 to .74. The scales included depression,…

Parents' Attributions for Negative and Positive Child Behavior in Relation to Parenting and Child Problems.

PubMed

Park, Joanne L; Johnston, Charlotte; Colalillo, Sara; Williamson, David

2016-04-12

Previous research has stressed the importance of parents' attributions and parenting for child problems. Based on social cognitive models, studies have focused on the interrelations among parents' child-responsibility attributions for negative behavior, harsh parenting, and child problems. Little is known about the extent to which child-responsibility attributions for positive behavior and other types of parenting play a role in these models. The purpose of this study was to examine whether parents' child-responsibility attributions for positive and negative child behaviors are related to child problems, and whether these relations are mediated by harsh, lax, and positive parenting. Mothers' and fathers' attributions and parenting were examined separately. A community sample of 148 couples and their 9- to 12-year-old child (50% boys) participated in the study. Mothers and children participated by completing questionnaires and a laboratory interaction task. Fathers participated by completing the same questionnaires as mothers. Harsh parenting was the only parenting variable that uniquely mediated the relations between more child-responsibility attributions for (a) negative child behaviors and child problems for both parents and (b) the inverse relation between attributions for positive child behaviors and child problems for fathers. Findings confirm the importance of harsh parenting and demonstrate the importance of parents' attributions for positive child behaviors in relation to decreasing harsh parenting and child problems. Clinically, it may be useful not only to reduce child-responsibility attributions for negative behaviors but also to increase the extent to which parents give their child credit for positive behaviors.

[Activity of Retrosplenial Neurons during the First Days and after a Week Following the Learning of the Operant Food-Acquisition Task].

PubMed

Kuzina, E A; Gorkin, A G; Alexandrov, I

2015-01-01

Activity of single neurons in the retrosplenial cortex of rats during realization of the operant food-acquisition behavior was recorded. In the first group of rats the recordings were made in the first six days after learning of the task and in the second group--following a week of a rest after learning. There were no significant differences in proportion of neurons specialized in relation to the learned behavior; however in the first group 40% of these cells had specific activations only in 80-90%, but not in all (100%) realizations of their specific behavioral acts, while in the second group there were much less relative numbers (4%) of such cells. All neurons with not-100% activations on the early stages after the learning were specialized in relation to acts of approaching and pressing the pedal that rats acquired on the last session of learning. It could be supposed that during the first stages of consolidation of the operant skill some variable set of retrosplenial cortex neurons specialized to new behavioral acts can be involved.

Assessing and Treating Aggression and Conduct Problems in Schools: Implications from the Coping Power Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Nicole P.; Boxmeyer, Caroline L.; Baden, Rachel; Stromeyer, Sara; Minney, Jessica A.; Mushtaq, Asia; Lochman, John E.

2011-01-01

Children with high levels of aggressive behavior and conduct problems create major management problems in school settings and interfere with the learning environment of their classmates and with their own academic achievement. A contextual social-cognitive model can provide a framework for understanding risk factors involved in the development and…

Can Food be Addictive? Public Health and Policy Implications

PubMed Central

Gearhardt, Ashley N.; Grilo, Carlos M.; DiLeone, Ralph J.; Brownell, Kelly D.; Potenza, Marc N.

2011-01-01

Aims Data suggest that hyperpalatable foods may be capable of triggering an addictive process. Although the addictive potential of foods continues to be debated, important lessons learned in reducing the health and economic consequences of drug addiction may be especially useful in combating food-related problems. Methods In the current paper, we review the potential application of policy and public health approaches that have been effective in reducing the impact of addictive substances to food-related problems. Results Corporate responsibility, public health approaches, environmental change, and global efforts all warrant strong consideration in reducing obesity and diet-related disease. Conclusions Although there exist important differences between foods and addictive drugs, ignoring analogous neural and behavioral effects of foods and drugs of abuse may result in increased food-related disease and associated social and economic burdens. Public health interventions that have been effective in reducing the impact of addictive drugs may have a role in targeting obesity and related diseases. PMID:21635588

Can food be addictive? Public health and policy implications.

PubMed

Gearhardt, Ashley N; Grilo, Carlos M; DiLeone, Ralph J; Brownell, Kelly D; Potenza, Marc N

2011-07-01

Data suggest that hyperpalatable foods may be capable of triggering an addictive process. Although the addictive potential of foods continues to be debated, important lessons learned in reducing the health and economic consequences of drug addiction may be especially useful in combating food-related problems. In the current paper, we review the potential application of policy and public health approaches that have been effective in reducing the impact of addictive substances to food-related problems. Corporate responsibility, public health approaches, environmental change and global efforts all warrant strong consideration in reducing obesity and diet-related disease. Although there exist important differences between foods and addictive drugs, ignoring analogous neural and behavioral effects of foods and drugs of abuse may result in increased food-related disease and associated social and economic burdens. Public health interventions that have been effective in reducing the impact of addictive drugs may have a role in targeting obesity and related diseases. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

What students learn when studying physics practice exam problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fakcharoenphol, Witat; Potter, Eric; Stelzer, Timothy

2011-06-01

We developed a web-based tool to provide students with access to old exam problems and solutions. By controlling the order in which students saw the problems, as well as their access to solutions, we obtained data about student learning by studying old exam problems. Our data suggest that in general students learn from doing old exam problems, and that having access to the problem solutions increases their learning. However, the data also suggest the depth of learning may be relatively shallow. In addition, the data show that doing old exam problems provides important formative assessment about the student’s overall preparedness for the exam and their particular areas of strength and weakness.

Does Nursing Facility Use of Habilitation Therapy Improve Performance on Quality Measures?

PubMed

Fitzler, Sandra; Raia, Paul; Buckley, Fredrick O; Wang, Mei

2016-12-01

The purpose of the project, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation study, was to evaluate the impact on 12 quality measures including 10 Minimum Data Set (MDS) publicly reported measures and 2 nursing home process measures using habilitation therapy techniques and a behavior team to manage dementia-related behaviors. A prospective design was used to assess the changes in the measures. A total of 30 Massachusetts nursing homes participated in the project over a 12-month period. Project participation required the creation of an interdisciplinary behavior team, habilitation therapy training, facility visit by the program coordinator, attendance at bimonthly support and sharing calls, and monthly collection of process measure data. Participating facilities showed improvement in 9 of the 12 reported measures. Findings indicate potential quality improvement in having nursing homes learn habilitation therapy techniques and know how to use the interdisciplinary team to manage problem behaviors. © The Author(s) 2016.

The Unknown Variable: Identifying Learning Disabilities with Pupil Behavior Rating Scales.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winzer, Margret; Malarczyk, Barbara

Difficulties in identifying learning disabilities (LD) are examined, and special problems presented by hearing impaired children with LD are considered. The value of rating scales as a quick instrument for obtaining, measuring, recording and communicating information is emphasized. Adaptations of the Pupil Rating Scale for hearing impaired…

Location-Aware Mobile Learning of Spatial Algorithms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karavirta, Ville

2013-01-01

Learning an algorithm--a systematic sequence of operations for solving a problem with given input--is often difficult for students due to the abstract nature of the algorithms and the data they process. To help students understand the behavior of algorithms, a subfield in computing education research has focused on algorithm…

Rethinking the lecture: the application of problem based learning methods to atypical contexts.

PubMed

Rogal, Sonya M M; Snider, Paul D

2008-05-01

Problem based learning is a teaching and learning strategy that uses a problematic stimulus as a means of motivating and directing students to develop and acquire knowledge. Problem based learning is a strategy that is typically used with small groups attending a series of sessions. This article describes the principles of problem based learning and its application in atypical contexts; large groups attending discrete, stand-alone sessions. The principles of problem based learning are based on Socratic teaching, constructivism and group facilitation. To demonstrate the application of problem based learning in an atypical setting, this article focuses on the graduate nurse intake from a teaching hospital. The groups are relatively large and meet for single day sessions. The modified applications of problem based learning to meet the needs of atypical groups are described. This article contains a step by step guide of constructing a problem based learning package for large, single session groups. Nurse educators facing similar groups will find they can modify problem based learning to suit their teaching context.

Exact solution of a modified El Farol's bar problem: Efficiency and the role of market impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsili, Matteo; Challet, Damien; Zecchina, Riccardo

2000-06-01

We discuss a model of heterogeneous, inductive rational agents inspired by the El Farol Bar problem and the Minority Game. As in markets, agents interact through a collective aggregate variable - which plays a role similar to price - whose value is fixed by all of them. Agents follow a simple reinforcement-learning dynamics where the reinforcement, for each of their available strategies, is related to the payoff delivered by that strategy. We derive the exact solution of the model in the “thermodynamic” limit of infinitely many agents using tools of statistical physics of disordered systems. Our results show that the impact of agents on the market price plays a key role: even though price has a weak dependence on the behavior of each individual agent, the collective behavior crucially depends on whether agents account for such dependence or not. Remarkably, if the adaptive behavior of agents accounts even “infinitesimally” for this dependence they can, in a whole range of parameters, reduce global fluctuations by a finite amount. Both global efficiency and individual utility improve with respect to a “price taker” behavior if agents account for their market impact.

Comparing Problem-Based Learning Students to Students in a Lecture-Based Curriculum: Learning Strategies and the Relation with Self-Study Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wijnen, Marit; Loyens, Sofie M. M.; Smeets, Guus; Kroeze, Maarten; van der Molen, Henk

2017-01-01

In educational theory, deep processing (i.e., connecting different study topics together) and self-regulation (i.e., taking control over one's own learning process) are considered effective learning strategies. These learning strategies can be influenced by the learning environment. Problem-based learning (PBL), a student-centered educational…

Neighborhood characteristics, parenting styles, and children's behavioral problems in Chinese American immigrant families.

PubMed

Lee, Erica H; Zhou, Qing; Ly, Jennifer; Main, Alexandra; Tao, Annie; Chen, Stephen H

2014-04-01

Using data from a socioeconomically diverse sample of Chinese American children (n = 258, aged 6-9 years) in immigrant families, we examined the concurrent relations among neighborhood economic disadvantage and concentration of Asian residents, parenting styles, and Chinese American children's externalizing and internalizing problems. Neighborhood characteristics were measured with 2000 U.S. Census tract-level data, parents (mostly mothers) rated their own parenting styles, and parents and teachers rated children's behavioral problems. Path analysis was conducted to test two hypotheses: (a) parenting styles mediate the relations between neighborhood characteristics and children's behavioral problems, and (b) children's behavioral problems mediate the relations between neighborhood and parenting styles. We found that neighborhood Asian concentration was positively associated with authoritarian parenting, which in turn was associated with Chinese American children's higher externalizing and internalizing problems (by parents' reports). In addition, neighborhood economic disadvantage was positively related to children's externalizing problems (by parents' reports), which in turn predicted lower authoritative parenting. The current results suggest the need to consider multiple pathways in the relations among neighborhood, family, and child adjustment, and they have implications for the prevention and intervention of behavioral problems in Chinese American children.

Pull or Push? Octopuses Solve a Puzzle Problem

PubMed Central

Richter, Jonas N.; Hochner, Binyamin; Kuba, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Octopuses have large brains and exhibit complex behaviors, but relatively little is known about their cognitive abilities. Here we present data from a five-level learning and problem-solving experiment. Seven octopuses (Octopus vulgaris) were first trained to open an L shaped container to retrieve food (level 0). After learning the initial task all animals followed the same experimental protocol, first they had to retrieve this L shaped container, presented at the same orientation, through a tight fitting hole in a clear Perspex partition (level 1). This required the octopuses to perform both pull and release or push actions. After reaching criterion the animals advanced to the next stage of the test, which would be a different consistent orientation of the object (level 2) at the start of the trial, an opaque barrier (level 3) or a random orientation of the object (level 4). All octopuses were successful in reaching criterion in all levels of the task. At the onset of each new level the performance of the animals dropped, shown as an increase in working times. However, they adapted quickly so that overall working times were not significantly different between levels. Our findings indicate that octopuses show behavioral flexibility by quickly adapting to a change in a task. This can be compared to tests in other species where subjects had to conduct actions comprised of a set of motor actions that cannot be understood by a simple learning rule alone. PMID:27003439

Solving and Learning Soft Temporal Constraints: Experimental Setting and Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rossi, F.; Sperduti, A.; Venable, K. B.; Khatib, L.; Morris, P.; Morris, R.; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Soft temporal constraints problems allow to describe in a natural way scenarios where events happen over time and preferences are associated to event distances and durations. However, sometimes such local preferences are difficult to set, and it may be easier instead to associate preferences to some complete solutions of the problem. Machine learning techniques can be useful in this respect. In this paper we describe two solvers (one more general and the other one more efficient) for tractable subclasses of soft temporal problems, and we show some experimental results. The random generator used to build the problems on which tests are performed is also described. We also compare the two solvers highlighting the tradeoff between performance and representational power. Finally, we present a learning module and we show its behavior on randomly-generated examples.

The Paradoxical Value of Privacy

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-14

on occurrence of identity theft correlated with consumer behavior so that probabilities of at least such clear privacy problems could be assigned to...now. And, the market typically needs to learn from experience, so consumer behavior is likely to lag behind any current reality. So one answer is that

Encopresis in Children on the Autistic Spectrum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radford, Jo; Anderson, Maggie

2003-01-01

Outlines problems faced by parents and caregivers of a child with encopresis. Differentiates between knowledge, skill, and volition issues when dealing with the encoprectic child; and suggests possible causal frameworks for the behavior. Concludes with suggestions for managing the teaching/learning situation arising from this behavior. (Author/KB)

Advancing the discussion about systematic classroom behavioral observation, a product review of Tenny, J. (2010). eCOVE observation software. Pacific City, OR: eCOVE Software, LLC.

PubMed

Froiland, John Mark; Smith, Liana

2014-05-01

Applied child psychologists and behavioral consultants often use systematic behavioral observations to inform the psychological assessment and intervention development process for children referred for attention and hyperactivity problems. This article provides a review of the 2010 version of the eCOVE classroom observation software in terms of its utility in tracking the progress of children with attention and hyperactive behaviors and its use in evaluating teacher behaviors that may impede or promote children's attention and positive behavior. The eCOVE shows promise as an efficient tool for psychologists and behavioral consultants who want to evaluate the effects of interventions for children with symptoms of ADHD, ODD, mood disorders and learning disorders; however, some research-based improvements for future models are suggested. The reviewers also share their firsthand experience in using eCOVE to evaluate teacher and student behavior exhibited on a television show about teaching urban high school students and during a movie about an eccentric new kindergarten teacher. Rich examples are provided of using strategic behavioral observations to reveal how to improve the classroom environment so as to facilitate attention, motivation and positive behavior among youth. Broader implications for enhancing the use of systematic behavioral observations in the assessment of children and adolescents with attention disorders and related behavioral problems are discussed. Key issues are examined such as the use of behavioral observations during psychological consultation to prevent the previously found gender bias in referrals for ADHD. Using behavioral observations to enhance differential diagnosis is also discussed.

Adaptive optimal training of animal behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bak, Ji Hyun; Choi, Jung Yoon; Akrami, Athena; Witten, Ilana; Pillow, Jonathan

Neuroscience experiments often require training animals to perform tasks designed to elicit various sensory, cognitive, and motor behaviors. Training typically involves a series of gradual adjustments of stimulus conditions and rewards in order to bring about learning. However, training protocols are usually hand-designed, and often require weeks or months to achieve a desired level of task performance. Here we combine ideas from reinforcement learning and adaptive optimal experimental design to formulate methods for efficient training of animal behavior. Our work addresses two intriguing problems at once: first, it seeks to infer the learning rules underlying an animal's behavioral changes during training; second, it seeks to exploit these rules to select stimuli that will maximize the rate of learning toward a desired objective. We develop and test these methods using data collected from rats during training on a two-interval sensory discrimination task. We show that we can accurately infer the parameters of a learning algorithm that describes how the animal's internal model of the task evolves over the course of training. We also demonstrate by simulation that our method can provide a substantial speedup over standard training methods.

Paraventricular Thalamus Balances Danger and Reward.

PubMed

Choi, Eun A; McNally, Gavan P

2017-03-15

Foraging animals balance the need to seek food and energy against the accompanying dangers of injury and predation. To do so, they rely on learning systems encoding reward and danger. Whereas much is known about these separate learning systems, little is known about how they interact to shape and guide behavior. Here we show a key role for the rat paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), a nucleus of the dorsal midline thalamus, in this interaction. First, we show behavioral competition between reward and danger: the opportunity to seek food reward negatively modulates expression of species-typical defensive behavior. Then, using a chemogenetic approach expressing the inhibitory hM4Di designer receptor exclusively activated by a designer drug in PVT neurons, we show that the PVT is central to this behavioral competition. Chemogenetic PVT silencing biases behavior toward either defense or reward depending on the experimental conditions, but does not consistently favor expression of one over the other. This bias could not be attributed to changes in fear memory retrieval, learned safety, or memory interference. Rather, our results demonstrate that the PVT is essential for balancing conflicting behavioral tendencies toward danger and reward, enabling adaptive responding under this basic selection pressure. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Among the most basic survival problems faced by animals is balancing the need to seek food and energy against the accompanying dangers of injury and predation. Although much is known about the brain mechanisms that underpin learning about reward and danger, little is known about how these interact to solve basic survival problems. Here we show competition between defensive (to avoid predatory detection) and approach (to obtain food) behavior. We show that the paraventricular thalamus, a nucleus of the dorsal midline thalamus, is integral to this behavioral competition. The paraventricular thalamus balances the competing behavioral demands of danger and reward, enabling adaptive responding under this selection pressure. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/373018-12$15.00/0.

Using enquiry in learning: from vision to reality in higher education.

PubMed

Horne, Maria; Woodhead, Kath; Morgan, Liz; Smithies, Lynda; Megson, Denise; Lyte, Geraldine

2007-02-01

This paper reports on the contribution of six nurse educators to embed enquiry-led learning in a pre-registration nursing programme. Their focus was to evaluate student and facilitator perspectives of a hybrid model of problem-based learning, a form of enquiry-based learning and to focus on facilitators' perceptions of its longer-term utility with large student groups. Problem-based learning is an established learning strategy in healthcare internationally; however, insufficient evidence of its effectiveness with large groups of pre-registration students exists. Fourth Generation Evaluation was used, applying the Nominal Group Technique and Focus Group interviews, for data collection. In total, four groups representing different branches of pre-registration students (n = 121) and 15 facilitators participated. Students identified seven strengths and six areas for development related to problem-based learning. Equally, analysis of facilitators' discussions revealed several themes related to strengths and challenges. The consensus was that using enquiry aided the development of independent learning and encouraged deeper exploration of nursing and allied subject material. However, problems and frustrations were identified in relation to large numbers of groups, group dynamics, room and library resources and personal development. The implications of these findings for longer-term utility with large student groups are discussed.

Parenting Specificity An Examination of the Relation Between Three Parenting Behaviors and Child Problem Behaviors in the Context of a History of Caregiver Depression

PubMed Central

McKee, Laura; Forehand, Rex; Rakow, Aaron; Reeslund, Kristen; Roland, Erin; Hardcastle, Emily; Compas, Bruce

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to advance our understanding of the relations between three specific parenting behaviors (warmth, monitoring, and discipline) and two child outcomes (internalizing and externalizing problems) within the context of parental depression. Using an approach recommended by A. Caron, B. Weiss, V. Harris, and T. Carron (2006), unique and differential specificity were examined. Ninety-seven parents with a history of depression and 136 of their 9- to 15-year-old children served as participants. Children reported parenting behaviors and parents reported child problem behaviors. The findings indicated that warmth/involvement, but not monitoring or discipline, was uniquely related to externalizing problems and differentially related to internalizing and externalizing problems. The findings suggest that parental warmth has implications for interventions conducted with children living in families with a history of parental depression. PMID:18391048

Evaluation of the sustained implementation of a mental health learning initiative in long-term care.

PubMed

McAiney, Carrie A; Stolee, Paul; Hillier, Loretta M; Harris, Diane; Hamilton, Pam; Kessler, Linda; Madsen, Victoria; Le Clair, J Kenneth

2007-10-01

This paper describes an innovative education program for the management of mental health problems in long-term care (LTC) homes and the evaluation of its longer-term sustainability. Since 1998, the "Putting the P.I.E.C.E.S. Together" learning initiative has been providing education sessions and related learning strategies aimed at developing the knowledge and skills of health professionals who care for older persons with complex physical and mental health needs and associated behaviors, in Ontario, Canada. A major focus of this province-wide initiative was the development of in-house Psychogeriatric Resource Persons (PRPs). Evaluation of this initiative included the completion of pre- and post-education questionnaires (over three data collection time periods) assessing learner confidence (N = 1,024 and 792, for pre- and post-education, respectively) and session evaluation questionnaires gathering feedback on the session (N = 2,029 across all sessions). A survey of LTC homes in Ontario (N = 439, 79% of the homes in the province) was conducted to assess longer-term sustainability. Ratings of the sessions indicated that they were relevant to learners' clinical practice. There were significant increases in ratings of ability to recognize and understand challenging behaviors and mental health problems, and in ability to use a variety of assessment tools. Few homes (15%) do not have a PRP; over 50% of the staff who completed the first session in 1999 continue to serve as a PRP and to apply learned skills. A learning initiative with supportive and reinforcing strategies can develop in-house PRPs to enhance the care of the elderly in LTC. Incorporation of PRP functions into job descriptions and management support contributed to the success of this initiative. This study highlights the importance of work environments that support and reinforce the use of learned skills to the success of continuing education and quality improvement initiatives in LTC.

Holistic Debriefing: A Paradigm Shift in Leadership

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

associated with a lack of control and difficulties with learning .4 Bruner introduced an optimal learning process (fig. 1) with the integration of...cognitional and behavioral elements are highlighted. Jerome Bruner , an American psychologist who is seen as one of the principal architects of the...of learning is a very important problem within educational theory.44 The question is whether what one discovers in debriefing is transferable to

Computer Aided Self-Instruction Training with Impulsive Deaf Students and Learning Disabled Students: A Study on Teaching Reflective Thought. Education and Technology Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Donald S.; And Others

Two studies examined the effectiveness of self-instruction training via a specially developed computer program to modify the impulsive problem-solving behavior of 16 deaf and 10 learning disabled (aphasic) adolescents attending two special residential schools in Canada. In the control condition, students learned the Apple LOGO computing language…

Working Memory Load Strengthens Reward Prediction Errors.

PubMed

Collins, Anne G E; Ciullo, Brittany; Frank, Michael J; Badre, David

2017-04-19

Reinforcement learning (RL) in simple instrumental tasks is usually modeled as a monolithic process in which reward prediction errors (RPEs) are used to update expected values of choice options. This modeling ignores the different contributions of different memory and decision-making systems thought to contribute even to simple learning. In an fMRI experiment, we investigated how working memory (WM) and incremental RL processes interact to guide human learning. WM load was manipulated by varying the number of stimuli to be learned across blocks. Behavioral results and computational modeling confirmed that learning was best explained as a mixture of two mechanisms: a fast, capacity-limited, and delay-sensitive WM process together with slower RL. Model-based analysis of fMRI data showed that striatum and lateral prefrontal cortex were sensitive to RPE, as shown previously, but, critically, these signals were reduced when the learning problem was within capacity of WM. The degree of this neural interaction related to individual differences in the use of WM to guide behavioral learning. These results indicate that the two systems do not process information independently, but rather interact during learning. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Reinforcement learning (RL) theory has been remarkably productive at improving our understanding of instrumental learning as well as dopaminergic and striatal network function across many mammalian species. However, this neural network is only one contributor to human learning and other mechanisms such as prefrontal cortex working memory also play a key role. Our results also show that these other players interact with the dopaminergic RL system, interfering with its key computation of reward prediction errors. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/374332-11$15.00/0.

Exploring the Relation of Harsh Parental Discipline with Child Emotional and Behavioral Problems by Using Multiple Informants. The Generation R Study

PubMed Central

Mackenbach, Joreintje D.; Ringoot, Ank P.; van der Ende, Jan; Verhulst, Frank C.; Jaddoe, Vincent W. V.; Hofman, Albert; Jansen, Pauline W.; Tiemeier, Henning W.

2014-01-01

Parental harsh disciplining, like corporal punishment, has consistently been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in children. It remains a challenge to accurately assess the consequences of harsh discipline, as researchers and clinicians generally rely on parent report of young children's problem behaviors. If parents rate their parenting styles and their child's behavior this may bias results. The use of child self-report on problem behaviors is not common but may provide extra information about the relation of harsh parental discipline and problem behavior. We examined the independent contribution of young children's self-report above parental report of emotional and behavioral problems in a study of maternal and paternal harsh discipline in a birth cohort. Maternal and paternal harsh discipline predicted both parent reported behavioral and parent reported emotional problems, but only child reported behavioral problems. Associations were not explained by pre-existing behavioral problems at age 3. Importantly, the association with child reported outcomes was independent from parent reported problem behavior. These results suggest that young children's self-reports of behavioral problems provide unique information on the effects of harsh parental discipline. Inclusion of child self-reports can therefore help estimate the effects of harsh parental discipline more accurately. PMID:25120014

Exploring the relation of harsh parental discipline with child emotional and behavioral problems by using multiple informants. The generation R study.

PubMed

Mackenbach, Joreintje D; Ringoot, Ank P; van der Ende, Jan; Verhulst, Frank C; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Hofman, Albert; Jansen, Pauline W; Tiemeier, Henning W

2014-01-01

Parental harsh disciplining, like corporal punishment, has consistently been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in children. It remains a challenge to accurately assess the consequences of harsh discipline, as researchers and clinicians generally rely on parent report of young children's problem behaviors. If parents rate their parenting styles and their child's behavior this may bias results. The use of child self-report on problem behaviors is not common but may provide extra information about the relation of harsh parental discipline and problem behavior. We examined the independent contribution of young children's self-report above parental report of emotional and behavioral problems in a study of maternal and paternal harsh discipline in a birth cohort. Maternal and paternal harsh discipline predicted both parent reported behavioral and parent reported emotional problems, but only child reported behavioral problems. Associations were not explained by pre-existing behavioral problems at age 3. Importantly, the association with child reported outcomes was independent from parent reported problem behavior. These results suggest that young children's self-reports of behavioral problems provide unique information on the effects of harsh parental discipline. Inclusion of child self-reports can therefore help estimate the effects of harsh parental discipline more accurately.

A Preliminary Study on the Effects of Training Using Behavior Support Plan Quality Evaluation Guide (BSP-QE) to Improve Positive Behavioral Support Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Diana Browning; Mayer, G. Roy; Cook, Clayton R.; Crews, S. Dean; Kraemer, Bonnie Rawlings; Gale, Bruce

2007-01-01

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of two trainings designed to increase the competencies of professionals to develop high quality positive behavior support plans for students that engage in problem behaviors that interfere with theirs and/or others' ability to learn. Training one consisted of training attendees on six key…

Maximization of Learning Speed Due to Neuronal Redundancy in Reinforcement Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takiyama, Ken

2016-11-01

Adaptable neural activity contributes to the flexibility of human behavior, which is optimized in situations such as motor learning and decision making. Although learning signals in motor learning and decision making are low-dimensional, neural activity, which is very high dimensional, must be modified to achieve optimal performance based on the low-dimensional signal, resulting in a severe credit-assignment problem. Despite this problem, the human brain contains a vast number of neurons, leaving an open question: what is the functional significance of the huge number of neurons? Here, I address this question by analyzing a redundant neural network with a reinforcement-learning algorithm in which the numbers of neurons and output units are N and M, respectively. Because many combinations of neural activity can generate the same output under the condition of N ≫ M, I refer to the index N - M as neuronal redundancy. Although greater neuronal redundancy makes the credit-assignment problem more severe, I demonstrate that a greater degree of neuronal redundancy facilitates learning speed. Thus, in an apparent contradiction of the credit-assignment problem, I propose the hypothesis that a functional role of a huge number of neurons or a huge degree of neuronal redundancy is to facilitate learning speed.

Alterations in choice behavior by manipulations of world model.

PubMed

Green, C S; Benson, C; Kersten, D; Schrater, P

2010-09-14

How to compute initially unknown reward values makes up one of the key problems in reinforcement learning theory, with two basic approaches being used. Model-free algorithms rely on the accumulation of substantial amounts of experience to compute the value of actions, whereas in model-based learning, the agent seeks to learn the generative process for outcomes from which the value of actions can be predicted. Here we show that (i) "probability matching"-a consistent example of suboptimal choice behavior seen in humans-occurs in an optimal Bayesian model-based learner using a max decision rule that is initialized with ecologically plausible, but incorrect beliefs about the generative process for outcomes and (ii) human behavior can be strongly and predictably altered by the presence of cues suggestive of various generative processes, despite statistically identical outcome generation. These results suggest human decision making is rational and model based and not consistent with model-free learning.

Alterations in choice behavior by manipulations of world model

PubMed Central

Green, C. S.; Benson, C.; Kersten, D.; Schrater, P.

2010-01-01

How to compute initially unknown reward values makes up one of the key problems in reinforcement learning theory, with two basic approaches being used. Model-free algorithms rely on the accumulation of substantial amounts of experience to compute the value of actions, whereas in model-based learning, the agent seeks to learn the generative process for outcomes from which the value of actions can be predicted. Here we show that (i) “probability matching”—a consistent example of suboptimal choice behavior seen in humans—occurs in an optimal Bayesian model-based learner using a max decision rule that is initialized with ecologically plausible, but incorrect beliefs about the generative process for outcomes and (ii) human behavior can be strongly and predictably altered by the presence of cues suggestive of various generative processes, despite statistically identical outcome generation. These results suggest human decision making is rational and model based and not consistent with model-free learning. PMID:20805507

The Meaning of Emotional Overinvolvement in Early Development: Prospective Relations with Child Behavior Problems

PubMed Central

Khafi, Tamar Y.; Yates, Tuppett M.; Sher-Censor, Efrat

2015-01-01

Emotional Overinvolvement (EOI) in parents’ Five Minute Speech Samples (FMSS; Magaña-Amato, 1993) is thought to measure overconcern and enmeshment with one’s child. Although related to maladaptive outcomes in studies of adult children, FMSS-EOI evidences varied relations with behavior problems in studies with young children. These mixed findings may indicate that certain FMSS-EOI criteria reflect inappropriate and excessive involvement with adult children, but do not indicate maladaptive processes when parenting younger children. Thus, this study evaluated relations of each FMSS-EOI criterion with changes in child behavior problems from preschool to first grade in a community sample of 223 child-mother dyads (47.98% female; Mage_W1 = 49.08 months; 56.50% Hispanic/Latina). Maternal FMSS-EOI ratings were obtained at wave 1, and independent examiners rated child externalizing and internalizing behavior problems at wave 1 and two years later. Path analyses indicated that both the Self-Sacrifice/Overprotection (SSOP) and Statements of Attitude (SOAs) FMSS-EOI criteria predicted increased externalizing problems. In contrast, Excessive Detail and Exaggerated Praise were not related to child externalizing behavior problems, and Emotional Display was not evident in this sample. None of the FMSS-EOI criteria evidenced significant relations with internalizing behavior problems. Multigroup comparisons indicated that the effect of SOAs on externalizing behavior problems was significant for boys but not for girls, and there were no significant group differences by race/ethnicity. These findings point to the salience of SSOP and SOAs for understanding the developmental significance of EOI in early development. PMID:26147935

Analysis of problem solving skill in learning biology at senior high school of Surakarta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmawati, D.; Sajidan; Ashadi

2018-04-01

Problem solving is a critical component of comprehensive learning in 21st century. Problem solving is defined as a process used to obtain the best answer from a problem. Someone who can solve the problem is called a problem solver. Problem solver obtains many benefits in the future and has a chance to be an innovator, such as be an innovative entrepreneur, modify behavior, improve creativity, and cognitive skills. The goal of this research is to analyze problem solving skills of students in Senior High School Surakarta in learning Biology. Participants of this research were students of grade 12 SMA (Senior High School) N Surakarta. Data is collected by using multiple choice questions base on analysis problem solving skills on Mourtus. The result of this research showed that the percentage of defining problem was 52.38%, exploring the problem was 53.28%, implementing the solution was 50.71% for 50.08% is moderate, while the percentage of designing the solution was 34.42%, and evaluating was low for 39.24%. Based on the result showed that the problem solving skills of students in SMAN Surakarta was Low.

Rewards Are a Rat Trap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maydosz, Ann S.

1998-01-01

Argues against the use of rewards for students. Discusses their origin in Skinner's behaviorism and their application in behavior modification in the classroom. Describes the problems with using rewards, as noted by Alfie Kohn and others, including the erosion of intrinsic motivation and the distortion of the focus of learning. Presents…

BEHAVIOR OF MEALWORMS, TEACHER'S GUIDE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elementary Science Study, Newton, MA.

THIS TEACHER'S GUIDE IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH AN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE STUDY UNIT, THE "BEHAVIOR OF MEALWORMS." BY MAKING CAREFUL OBSERVATIONS AND PERFORMING SIMPLE EXPERIMENTS, THE CHILDREN LEARN HOW TO APPROACH A PROBLEM, HOW TO INTERPRET AND EVALUATE DATA, AND, IN GENERAL, HOW TO CONDUCT A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION. THE MATERIALS HAVE…

The Vane Kindergarten Test: Temporal Stability And Ability to Predict Behavioral Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Sandra M.

1977-01-01

The Vane Kindergarten Test (VKT) is judged to have limited usefulness in early detection of learning handicaps for two reasons: (a) Its reliability is too low to allow discrimination between individuals, and (b) The ability of the VKT to predict problem behaviors is quite limited. (Author)

Neuropsychological profile in Italian children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and their relationships with neuroradiological data: Preliminary results.

PubMed

Parmeggiani, A; Boiani, F; Capponi, S; Duca, M; Angotti, M; Pignataro, V; Sacrato, L; Spinardi, L; Vara, G; Maltoni, L; Cecconi, I; Pastore Trossello, M; Franzoni, E

2018-05-04

Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a genetic disorder associated with cognitive deficits, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. These domains appear to have a still controversial debated association with local areas of T2-hyperintensities on MRI images, called unidentified bright objects (UBOs). A cohort of 36 children (aged 7-11 years) included consecutively, underwent neuropsychological and behavioral assessment to determine their cognitive and neuropsychological profile, and the frequency of specific learning disabilities. MRI examination was used to determine the impact of UBOs' presence, number, and location on the cognitive, neuropsychological and behavioral profile, and also the presence of optic glioma. The mean full intelligence quotient was 104.6; only one child had mild intellectual disability. Forty one percent of children had a diagnosis of specific learning disabilities and reading was mainly involved. Twenty per cent had attention problems. All children had normal scores in visuo-motor and visuo-perceptual tests. UBOs were present in 94.0% of the MRI examinations. Two children had optic glioma. Children with UBOs in a specific location and children with UBOs elsewhere were statistically compared, no one of the location seemed to have an impact on general cognition measured with full intelligence quotient. The thalamus was associated with problems in calculation and striatum with behavioral problems. An inverse relationship between the number of UBOs and the full intelligence quotient was present, but without a statistical significance. In this study, the specific location of UBOs did not seem to influence the general cognitive profile and also the relationship between their number and the full intelligence quotient was not significant; these results are still controversial in literature. Finally, the presence of UBOs in the thalamus and striatum may represent a neuroradiological pattern that influences performances in calculation and behavior respectively in children with Neurofibromatosis type 1. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Association between Motivation, Affect, and Self-regulated Learning When Solving Problems.

PubMed

Baars, Martine; Wijnia, Lisette; Paas, Fred

2017-01-01

Self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are essential for learning during school years, particularly in complex problem-solving domains, such as biology and math. Although a lot of studies have focused on the cognitive resources that are needed for learning to solve problems in a self-regulated way, affective and motivational resources have received much less research attention. The current study investigated the relation between affect (i.e., Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale), motivation (i.e., autonomous and controlled motivation), mental effort, SRL skills, and problem-solving performance when learning to solve biology problems in a self-regulated online learning environment. In the learning phase, secondary education students studied video-modeling examples of how to solve hereditary problems, solved hereditary problems which they chose themselves from a set of problems with different complexity levels (i.e., five levels). In the posttest, students solved hereditary problems, self-assessed their performance, and chose a next problem from the set of problems but did not solve these problems. The results from this study showed that negative affect, inaccurate self-assessments during the posttest, and higher perceptions of mental effort during the posttest were negatively associated with problem-solving performance after learning in a self-regulated way.

Seizures and Teens: When Seizures Aren't the Only Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanner, Andres M.; Shafer, Patricia O.

2006-01-01

Some teenagers with epilepsy only have to deal with seizures, which can be tough enough, but for other teens, seizures are not the only problem. Parents and caregivers often report changes in their teens' abilities to think clearly, learn in school, or remain focused in class. Mood and other behavioral problems may also be seen. It is critical…

I Can Problem Solve (ICPS): A Cognitive Approach to Preventing Early High Risk Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shure, Myrna B.; And Others

This outline presents a program designed to teach children "how" to think, not what to think--so as to help them solve typical interpersonal problems with peers and adults. Through games, stories, puppets, illustrations, and role plays, children learn a pre-problem solving vocabulary, feeling word concepts, and ways to arrive at solutions to…

A Taxonomy of Teacher-Defined Problems in the Education of Mentally Retarded Children. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, John J.; Miller, Donald M.

A taxonomy of problems in the environment or evident in student behaviors which impede providing the necessary conditions for pupils to learn was developed by teachers of the educable mentally retarded (EMR) in Wisconsin. Of the teachers, 67% or 487 responded to a request to specify five problems along with their causes and successful and…

Controlling Uncertainty: A Review of Human Behavior in Complex Dynamic Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osman, Magda

2010-01-01

Complex dynamic control (CDC) tasks are a type of problem-solving environment used for examining many cognitive activities (e.g., attention, control, decision making, hypothesis testing, implicit learning, memory, monitoring, planning, and problem solving). Because of their popularity, there have been many findings from diverse domains of research…

Rational Approximations to Rational Models: Alternative Algorithms for Category Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanborn, Adam N.; Griffiths, Thomas L.; Navarro, Daniel J.

2010-01-01

Rational models of cognition typically consider the abstract computational problems posed by the environment, assuming that people are capable of optimally solving those problems. This differs from more traditional formal models of cognition, which focus on the psychological processes responsible for behavior. A basic challenge for rational models…

Students Relationships and Teacher's Authority as Axiological, Ethical, Pedagogical, Social and Psychological Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawicki, Silvester

2011-01-01

The paper is focused on the research into the problems of education regarding the relations between students (bullying, competiveness and cooperation) and the decreasing teacher's authority in schools and society. We found that relations between pupils and students of elementary and secondary schools show several negative tendencies including harming each other, reduced rate of mutual sensitivity and preference of rivality to cooperation. Authority of teachers is permanently decreasing not only with pupils and students, but with parents and society, too. Society, parents and students much less value study results and wisdom, and these issues consequently influence the decreasing teacher's status. On the other hand, this behavior leads to decreasing the interest in semantic learning. The roots of these problems can be found in the postmodern crisis of Western culture, associated with severe deficiencies of the political system and market economy as well as one-sided rational orientation of Western society at the expense of the spiritual needs of man.

A Confidant Support and Problem Solving Model of Divorced Fathers’ Parenting

PubMed Central

DeGarmo, David S.; Forgatch, Marion S.

2011-01-01

This study tested a hypothesized social interaction learning (SIL) model of confidant support and paternal parenting. The latent growth curve analysis employed 230 recently divorced fathers, of which 177 enrolled support confidants, to test confidant support as a predictor of problem solving outcomes and problem solving outcomes as predictors of change in fathers’ parenting. Fathers’ parenting was hypothesized to predict growth in child behavior. Observational measures of support behaviors and problem solving outcomes were obtained from structured discussions of personal and parenting issues faced by the fathers. Findings replicated and extended prior cross-sectional studies with divorced mothers and their confidants. Confidant support predicted better problem solving outcomes, problem solving predicted more effective parenting, and parenting in turn predicted growth in children’s reduced total problem behavior T scores over 18 months. Supporting a homophily perspective, fathers’ antisociality was associated with confidant antisociality but only fathers’ antisociality influenced the support process model. Intervention implications are discussed regarding SIL parent training and social support. PMID:21541814

A confidant support and problem solving model of divorced fathers' parenting.

PubMed

Degarmo, David S; Forgatch, Marion S

2012-03-01

This study tested a hypothesized social interaction learning (SIL) model of confidant support and paternal parenting. The latent growth curve analysis employed 230 recently divorced fathers, of which 177 enrolled support confidants, to test confidant support as a predictor of problem solving outcomes and problem solving outcomes as predictors of change in fathers' parenting. Fathers' parenting was hypothesized to predict growth in child behavior. Observational measures of support behaviors and problem solving outcomes were obtained from structured discussions of personal and parenting issues faced by the fathers. Findings replicated and extended prior cross-sectional studies with divorced mothers and their confidants. Confidant support predicted better problem solving outcomes, problem solving predicted more effective parenting, and parenting in turn predicted growth in children's reduced total problem behavior T scores over 18 months. Supporting a homophily perspective, fathers' antisociality was associated with confidant antisociality but only fathers' antisociality influenced the support process model. Intervention implications are discussed regarding SIL parent training and social support.

Mothers' and Fathers' Negative Responsibility Attributions and Perceptions of Children's Problem Behavior

PubMed Central

Nelson, Jackie A.; O'Brien, Marion; Calkins, Susan D.; Keane, Susan P.

2013-01-01

Parents' negative responsibility attributions about their child's misbehavior are related to a perception that the child has more behavior problems. The current study used a dyadic framework to explore how mothers' and fathers' attributions relate to their own perceptions and to their partner's perceptions of the child's externalizing problems. Participants included 102 couples interviewed when children were 7 years old. Results confirmed that mothers reported more externalizing behavior problems in their children than did fathers, and fathers of boys reported more child behavior problems than fathers of girls. Dyadic analyses suggested that parents' negative responsibility attributions of the child's behavior were associated with greater perceptions of child externalizing problems on behalf of parents and their partners. PMID:24348082

Operant Conditioning and Learning: Examples, Sources, Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedrini, Bonnie C.; Pedrini, D. T.

The purpose of this paper is to relate psychology to teaching generally, and to relate behavior shaping to curriculum, specifically. Focusing on operant conditioning and learning, many studies are cited which illustrate some of the work being done toward effectively shaping or modifying student behavior whether in terms of subject matter or…

The Reciprocal Links between School Engagement, Youth Problem Behaviors, and School Dropout during Adolescence

PubMed Central

Wang, Ming-Te; Fredricks, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Drawing on the self-system model, this study conceptualized school engagement as a multidimensional construct, including behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, and examined whether changes in the three types of school engagement related to changes in problem behaviors from 7th through 11th grade. In addition, a transactional model of reciprocal relations between school engagement and problem behaviors was tested to predict school dropout. Data were collected on 1,272 youth from an ethnically and economically diverse county (58% African American, 36% European American; 51% females). Results indicated that adolescents who had declines in behavioral and emotional engagement with school tended to engage in increased delinquency and substance use over time. There were bidirectional associations between behavioral and emotional engagement in school and youth problem behaviors over time. Finally, lower behavioral and emotional engagement and greater problem behaviors predicted greater likelihood of dropping out of school. PMID:23895361

Impact of the DSM-V Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Criteria for Diagnosing Children With High IQ.

PubMed

Thongseiratch, Therdpong; Worachotekamjorn, Juthamas

2016-10-01

This study compared the number of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) cases defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-IV versus DSM-V criterion in children who have learning or behavioral problems with high IQ. The medical records of children ≤15 years of age who presented with learning or behavioral problems and underwent a Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)-III IQ test at the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic unit between 2010 and 2015 were reviewed. Information on DSM-IV and DSM-V criteria for ADHD were derived from computer-based medical records. Twenty-eight children who had learning or behavioral problems were identified to have a full-scale IQ ≥120. Sixteen of these high-IQ children met the DSM-IV criteria diagnosis for ADHD. Applying the extension of the age-of-onset criterion from 7 to 12 years in DSM-V led to an increase of three cases, all of which were the inattentive type ADHD. Including the pervasive developmental disorder criterion led to an increase of one case. The total number of ADHD cases also increased from 16 to 20 in this group. The data supported the hypothesis that applying the extension of the age-of-onset ADHD criterion and enabling the diagnosis of children with pervasive developmental disorders will increase the number of ADHD diagnoses among children with high IQ. © The Author(s) 2016.

Problem-Based Service Learning with a Heart: Organizational and Student Expectations and Experiences in a Postgraduate Not-for-Profit Workshop Event

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Sharyn; Ogden-Barnes, Stephen

2013-01-01

Service learning and problem-based learning (PBL) are distinct, yet related educational approaches. When collaborative learning events which encourage the application of the PBL principles to real world challenges faced by Not-For-Profit organizations (NFPs), these learning approaches become potentially synergistic. However, there is limited…

Emergence of Relations and the Essence of Learning: A Review of Sidman's Equivalence Relations and Behavior: A Research Story

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumbaugh, Duane M.

1995-01-01

Sidman addresses two very important questions in Equivalence Relations and Behavior: A Research Story: What are the bases of behavioral competence? And how do units of learning become related? The book recounts the story of how an understanding of emergent relations and competencies was achieved through studies in his teaching-research program with mentally retarded subjects. Although children normally accrue vast networks of relations between stimuli and events, those with mental retardation typically do not. Consequently, by learning how to establish those networks, Sidman and his students contribute richly both to the cultivation of competencies by their subjects and, more generally, to an understanding of real-world human behavior. The basic equivalence paradigm affords the subject feedback and reinforcement for very specific choices during training, but the test is not for those choices! Rather, tests for equivalence look for new choices, ones seemingly quite foreign to the training regimen. The tests for equivalence relations entail presentations of stimuli that were the options for conditional choice during reinforced training. In tests of equivalence, correct choices are novel; hence, they have never been reinforced during training. The study of equivalence relations can encourage the emergence of new perspectives that are more symbiotic than competitive. In full acknowledgment of the important role and contributions made by those who identify themselves as experimental analysts of behavior, it is timely that rapprochements be worked toward, as indeed they are, to meld that perspective with others of our time. Both our research methods and our expectations about the nature of the learning process and the abilities of our subjects can delimit what they might learn and what we, in turn, learn about their learning. The text will be of great value for instruction at the upper-division and graduate levels. Its impact will be substantial, for it defines an important advance in our efforts to understand the richness of behavior in both humans and nonhuman animals. Although not presented to that end, the book might also serve to bridge communications with other groups of animal researchers whose interests lie more in a comparative or ethological framework.

The Compassion Our Children Deserve: An Interview with Alfie Kohn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Ron; Kohn, Alfie

2000-01-01

Alfie Kohn, former teacher and current educational theorist and writer, discusses his views on teaching, learning, and parenting. He addresses the problems of reward-based education, the negative effects of competition on learning, and capitalizing on the naturalness of altruistic behavior in humans. He stresses the importance of treating children…

Ensuring Quality Service-Learning Experiences for At-Risk Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Judith A.; Sneller, Susan

2011-01-01

Service-learning is one way of reconstructing educators' thinking about adolescents who demonstrate at-risk behaviors. It allows educators and others to involve youth considered to be "at risk" in talking about their concerns and interests, solving problems, and making decisions as they construct their own identities with the help and…

Framing Collaborative Behaviors: Listening and Speaking in Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remedios, Louisa; Clarke, David; Hawthorne, Lesleyanne

2008-01-01

PBL is described as small-group collaborative learning; however, literature on how collaboration is enacted in PBL contexts is limited. A two-year ethnographic study examined the experiences and responses of Asian students to the obligations of PBL in a Western context. Participant-observation, videotape data, and video-stimulated recall…

What Every Leader for School Improvement Needs to Know about Student and Learning Supports. A Center Policy and Practice Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2011

2011-01-01

achievement and well-being and enhancing school climate. While the emphasis shifts, there is constant pressure to do more about learning problems; bullying, harassment, and other forms of violence and acting out behavior at school; substance abuse; disconnected students;…

Perceptions of Educators Regarding Direct Social Skills Instruction for Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kok, Amor

2014-01-01

As mandated by state and federal laws, students with disabilities have been mainstreamed into a general educational setting. The problem was these students exhibited behavior that interfered with their learning or the learning of other students. The perception of educators and administrators regarding social skills instruction for students with…

Does the Medium Make the Magic? The Effects of Cooperative Learning and Conferencing Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burley, Hansel

1998-01-01

Describes how using conferencing software in a computer-assisted writing environment became a catalyst for a distinctive learning ecology that interrelated prosocial student behaviors, learner-centered teaching, and assessment. Argues that the conferencing class not only helped students apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in…

Analysis of Peer Learning Behaviors Using Multiple Representations in Virtual Reality and Their Impacts on Geometry Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Wu-Yuin; Hu, Shih-Shin

2013-01-01

Learning geometry emphasizes the importance of exploring different representations such as virtual manipulatives, written math formulas, and verbal explanations, which help students build math concepts and develop critical thinking. Besides helping individuals construct math knowledge, peer interaction also plays a crucial role in promoting an…

Cognitive Profiles of Mathematical Problem Solving Learning Disability for Different Definitions of Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolar, Tammy D.; Fuchs, Lynn; Fletcher, Jack M.; Fuchs, Douglas; Hamlett, Carol L.

2016-01-01

Three cohorts of third-grade students (N = 813) were evaluated on achievement, cognitive abilities, and behavioral attention according to contrasting research traditions in defining math learning disability (LD) status: low achievement versus extremely low achievement and IQ-achievement discrepant versus strictly low-achieving LD. We use methods…

Learning Skills; Review and Domain Chart.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, N. Cecil; Thompson, Faith E.

A major goal of the elementary and secondary schools is to help each person become an efficient and autonomous learner. Outlined in this report are skills abstracted from the literature on such topics as verbal learning, problem solving, study habits, and behavior modification. The learner-oriented skills are presented so that they may be…

3-D Art Tasks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niswander, Virginia

1983-01-01

Perceptual motor dysfunctions may not allow children with learning and behavior problems to perform as most children do. A successful art activity for these children is construction using wood scraps. (SR)

Predelinquent Behavior in Males: Perspectives and Suggestions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Herbert; Kohl, Marilyn

1978-01-01

Discusses several approaches for solving the problem of delinquency including Quay's empirical system, Warren's theoretical system, Hogan's theory of moral conduct, and Bandura's social learning theory. (Author/RK)

Individuals with Smith-Magenis syndrome display profound neurodevelopmental behavioral deficiencies and exhibit food-related behaviors equivalent to Prader-Willi syndrome.

PubMed

Alaimo, Joseph T; Barton, Laura V; Mullegama, Sureni V; Wills, Rachel D; Foster, Rebecca H; Elsea, Sarah H

2015-12-01

Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability, sleep disturbances, early onset obesity and vast behavioral deficits. We used the Behavior Problems Inventory-01 to categorize the frequency and severity of behavioral abnormalities in a SMS cohort relative to individuals with intellectual disability of heterogeneous etiology. Self-injurious, stereotyped, and aggressive/destructive behavioral scores indicated that both frequency and severity were significantly higher among individuals with SMS relative to those with intellectual disability. Next, we categorized food behaviors in our SMS cohort across age using the Food Related Problems Questionnaire (FRPQ) and found that problems began to occur in SMS children as early as 5-11 years old, but children 12-18 years old and adults manifested the most severe problems. Furthermore, we evaluated the similarities of SMS adult food-related behaviors to those with intellectual disability and found that SMS adults had more severe behavioral problems. Many neurodevelopmental disorders exhibit syndromic obesity including SMS. Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is the most frequent neurodevelopmental disorder with syndromic obesity and has a well-established management and treatment plan. Using the FRPQ we found that SMS adults had similar scores relative to PWS adults. Both syndromes manifest weight gain early in development, and the FRPQ scores highlight specific areas in which behavioral similarities exist, including preoccupation with food, impaired satiety, and negative behavioral responses. SMS food-related behavior treatment paradigms are not as refined as PWS, suggesting that current PWS treatments for prevention of obesity may be beneficial for individuals with SMS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medical students' preferences for problem-based learning in relation to culture and personality: a multicultural study.

PubMed

Holen, Are; Manandhar, Kedar; Pant, Devendra S; Karmacharya, Biraj M; Olson, Linda M; Koju, Rajendra; Mansur, Dil I

2015-07-19

The aim of this study was to explore positive and negative preferences towards problem-based learning in relation to personality traits and socio-cultural context. The study was an anonymous and voluntary cross-sectional survey of medical students (N=449) in hybrid problem-based curricula in Nepal, Norway and North Dakota. Data was collected on gender, age, year of study, cohabitation and medical school. The PBL Preference Inventory identified students' positive and negative preferences in relation to problem-based learning; the personality traits were detected by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The determinants of the two kinds of preferences were analyzed by hierarchical multiple linear regressions. Positive preferences were mostly determined by personality; associations were found with the traits Extra-version, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism; the first three are related to sociability, curiosity and orderliness, the last, to mental health. The learn-ing environments of such curricula may be supportive for some and unnerving for others who score high on Neuroticism. Negative preferences were rather determined by culture, but also, they correlated with Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. Negative preferences were lower among females and students living in symmetrical relationships. Some high on Conscientiousness disliked group work, and the negative correlation with Agreeableness indicated that less sociable students were not predisposed to this kind of learning activity. Preferences related to problem-based learning were significantly and independently determined both by personality traits and culture. More insights into the nature of students' preferences may guide aspects of curriculum modifications and the daily facilitation of groups.

Client and clinician-rated characteristics of problem gamblers with and without history of gambling-related illegal behaviors.

PubMed

Ellis, Jennifer D; Lister, Jamey J; Struble, Cara A; Cairncross, Molly; Carr, Meagan M; Ledgerwood, David M

2018-03-12

Individuals with gambling disorder are at an elevated risk for engaging in gambling-related illegal behaviors. The present study examined client (N = 88) and clinician ratings (N = 30) of client characteristics associated with a history of gambling-related illegal behaviors. We also examined client characteristics associated with history of arrest for a gambling-related crime. Gambling-related illegal behaviors and arrest were common (57.3% and 23.9%, respectively) in the present sample. Clients of younger age, and those with greater gambling-related financial consequences, lifetime alcohol problems, impulsivity, mood symptoms, and daily living role difficulties were more likely to report gambling-related illegal behaviors. Clients who had been arrested for a gambling-related crime were more likely to report daily living and role functioning difficulties and lifetime alcohol problems. Clinicians rated clients with a history of gambling-related illegal behaviors and/or gambling-related arrests as more impulsive, and clinicians also endorsed higher rates of treatment failure among these clients. Both client and clinician report suggested that clients with a history of illegal behaviors may have a variety of comorbid problems that may be a focus of clinical intervention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Analysis of Epileptic Seizures and Problem Behavior in Adults with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Celeste; Yoder, Paul J.; Kennedy, Craig H.

2006-01-01

We studied possible relations between seizures and problem behavior in 3 adults with developmental disabilities. Each person was observed for between 56 and 92 days to record occurrences of seizures and problem behavior. Results of our descriptive analysis indicated an association between seizures and problem behavior for each participant. For…

Treatment of avoidance behavior as an adjunct to exposure therapy: Insights from modern learning theory.

PubMed

Treanor, Michael; Barry, Tom J

2017-09-01

Pathological avoidance of benign stimuli is a hallmark of anxiety and related disorders, and exposure-based treatments have often encouraged the removal of avoidance, or safety behaviors, due to their negative effects on extinction learning. Unfortunately, empirical evidence suggests that avoidance behaviors can persist following treatment, and the mere availability of avoidance behavior can be sufficient to renew fear following successful extinction learning. The present paper critically examines the function of avoidance behavior through the lens of modern learning theory, and speculates on novel behavioral and pharmacological strategies for targeting avoidance as an adjunct to current evidence-based treatments. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Using Problem-Based Pre-Class Activities to Prepare Students for In-Class Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alayont, Feryal

2014-01-01

This article presents a problem-based approach that prepares students for future learning in the classroom. In this approach, students complete problem-based activities before coming to class to familiarize themselves with the topics to be covered. After the discussion on how the use of these activities relate to the learning and transfer…

Unhealthy behaviors in adolescents: multibehavioral associations with psychosocial problems.

PubMed

Busch, Vincent; De Leeuw, Johannes Robertus Josephus

2014-06-01

Several unhealthy behaviors are associated with psychosocial health in adolescents. Previous studies have shown that different adolescent health behaviors cluster, and, in order to understand these associations, it is important to investigate the relations between individual behaviors and psychosocial problems. This study addressed the research question "Are adolescent health behaviors associated with psychosocial problems, and to what extent do certain health behaviors confound the relations between other health behaviors and psychosocial problems in adolescents?" Self-reported questionnaire data on a broad range of health behaviors and demographics were collected from 2,690 high school students in the Netherlands in September 2012. After adjustment for demographic characteristics, nearly all unhealthy behaviors were found to be significantly associated with psychosocial problems. However, after correction for confounding by other behaviors, psychosocial problems were associated with fewer behaviors, namely compulsive internet use and videogame playing, smoking, cannabis use, and being bullied. These associations differed in boys and girls. In multibehavioral analyses adjusted for behavioral clustering, which can cause considerable interbehavioral confounding, several behaviors were associated with psychosocial problems in adolescents. This approach to behavior analysis provides a better insight into behaviors and psychosocial health, and the specific associations identified can be utilized when designing effective prevention programs, such as health-promoting school interventions.

Cause-and-effect analysis of risk management files to assess patient care in the emergency department.

PubMed

White, Andrew A; Wright, Seth W; Blanco, Roberto; Lemonds, Brent; Sisco, Janice; Bledsoe, Sandy; Irwin, Cindy; Isenhour, Jennifer; Pichert, James W

2004-10-01

Identifying the etiologies of adverse outcomes is an important first step in improving patient safety and reducing malpractice risks. However, relatively little is known about the causes of emergency department-related adverse outcomes. The objective was to describe a method for identification of common causes of adverse outcomes in an emergency department. This methodology potentially can suggest ways to improve care and might provide a model for identification of factors associated with adverse outcomes. This was a retrospective analysis of 74 consecutive files opened by a malpractice insurer between 1995 and 2000. Each risk-management file was analyzed to identify potential causes of adverse outcomes. The main outcomes were rater-assigned codes for alleged problems with care (e.g., failures of communication or problems related to diagnosis). About 50% of cases were related to injuries or abdominal complaints. A contributing cause was found in 92% of cases, and most had more than one contributing cause. The most frequent contributing categories included failure to diagnose (45%), supervision problems (31%), communication problems (30%), patient behavior (24%), administrative problems (20%), and documentation (20%). Specific relating factors within these categories, such as lack of timely resident supervision and failure to follow policies and procedures, were identified. This project documented that an aggregate analysis of risk-management files has the potential to identify shared causes related to real or perceived adverse outcomes. Several potentially correctable systems problems were identified using this methodology. These simple, descriptive management tools may be useful in identifying issues for problem solving and can be easily learned by physicians and managers.

[Regulation of Positive and Negative Emotions as Mediator between Maternal Emotion Socialization and Child Problem Behavior].

PubMed

Fäsche, Anika; Gunzenhauser, Catherine; Friedlmeier, Wolfgang; von Suchodoletz, Antje

2015-01-01

The present study investigated five to six year old children's ability to regulate negative and positive emotions in relation to psychosocial problem behavior (N=53). It was explored, whether mothers' supportive and nonsupportive strategies of emotion socialization influence children's problem behavior by shaping their emotion regulation ability. Mothers reported on children's emotion regulation and internalizing and externalizing problem behavior via questionnaire, and were interviewed about their preferences for socialization strategies in response to children's expression of negative affect. Results showed that children with more adaptive expression of adequate positive emotions had less internalizing behavior problems. When children showed more control of inadequate negative emotions, children were less internalizing as well as externalizing in their behavior. Furthermore, results indicated indirect relations of mothers' socialization strategies with children's problem behavior. Control of inadequate negative emotions mediated the link between non-supportive strategies on externalizing problem behavior. Results suggest that emotion regulatory processes should be part of interventions to reduce the development of problematic behavior in young children. Parents should be trained in dealing with children's emotions in a constructive way.

[The relationship between reactive/proactive aggression, callous/unemotional traits and behavioural problems in Hungarian adolescents].

PubMed

Bozsik, Csilla; Körmendi, Attila; Inántsy-Pap, Judit; Pataky, Nóra; Gádoros, Júlia; Halász, József

2013-01-01

The relationship between the type of physical aggressive behavior, callous/unemotional traits and behavioral problems was extensively studied in the literature, but no similar data exist in Hungarian adolescents. In the present study, the type of aggressive behavior was assessed in adolescents on a normative sample to study its relationship with callous/unemotional traits and behavioral problems. 223 students were participated in the study after informed consent (girls, n=106, age: 14.2±1.5 years; boys, n=117, age: 13.9±1.6 years) from primary and secondary schools in Miskolc and adjacent areas. The Reactive/Proactive Aggression Questionnaire was used to assess the level of aggressive behavior, the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits was used to measure callous/unemotional traits, while behavioral problems were established by the means of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. In the present non-clinical sample, the level of reactive aggression was higher than the level of proactive aggressive behavior. In boys, proactive and total aggression measures were significantly higher compared to girls. In both genders, reactive aggression was specifically associated with emotional and peer-related problems. Proactive aggression was correlated positively with callous traits in both genders, while self-reported prosocial behavior had an inverse correlation with proactive aggressive behavior in boys. Self reported conduct- and hyperactivity problems were positively correlated with both types of aggressive behavior in both genders. The strongest positive correlation was observed between self-reported conduct symptoms and both types of aggressive behavior. Callous/unemotional traits were related with proactive forms of aggression, similar to literature data. Reactive aggressive behavior was related to peer-related and emotional problems, thus our data outlined the importance of the distinction between the two main types of aggression.

Social Interaction in Infants' Learning of Second-Language Phonetics: An Exploration of Brain-Behavior Relations.

PubMed

Conboy, Barbara T; Brooks, Rechele; Meltzoff, Andrew N; Kuhl, Patricia K

2015-01-01

Infants learn phonetic information from a second language with live-person presentations, but not television or audio-only recordings. To understand the role of social interaction in learning a second language, we examined infants' joint attention with live, Spanish-speaking tutors and used a neural measure of phonetic learning. Infants' eye-gaze behaviors during Spanish sessions at 9.5-10.5 months of age predicted second-language phonetic learning, assessed by an event-related potential measure of Spanish phoneme discrimination at 11 months. These data suggest a powerful role for social interaction at the earliest stages of learning a new language.

RHAPSODY - Internet-based support for caregivers of people with young onset dementia: program design and methods of a pilot study.

PubMed

Kurz, Alexander; Bakker, Christian; Böhm, Markus; Diehl-Schmid, Janine; Dubois, Bruno; Ferreira, Catarina; Gage, Heather; Graff, Caroline; Hergueta, Thierry; Jansen, Sabine; Jones, Bridget; Komar, Alexander; de Mendonça, Alexandre; Metcalfe, Anna; Milecka, Katrina; Millenaar, Joany; Orrung Wallin, Anneli; Oyebode, Jan; Schneider-Schelte, Helga; Saxl, Susanna; de Vugt, Marjolein

2016-12-01

Young Onset Dementia (YOD), defined by first symptoms of cognitive or behavioral decline occurring before the age of 65 years, is relatively rare compared to dementia of later onset, but it is associated with diagnostic difficulty and heavy burden on affected individuals and their informal carers. Existing health and social care structures rarely meet the needs of YOD patients. Internet-based interventions are a novel format of delivering health-related education, counseling, and support to this vulnerable yet underserved group. The RHAPSODY (Research to Assess Policies and Strategies for Dementia in the Young) project is a European initiative to improve care for people with YOD by providing an internet-based information and skill-building program for family carers. The e-learning program focuses on managing problem behaviors, dealing with role change, obtaining support, and looking after oneself. It will be evaluated in a pilot study in three countries using a randomized unblinded design with a wait-list control group. Participants will be informal carers of people with dementia in Alzheimer's disease or behavioral-variant Frontotemporal degeneration with an onset before the age of 65 years. The primary outcome will be caregiving self-efficacy after 6 weeks of program use. As secondary outcomes, caregivers' stress and burden, carer health-related quality of life, caring-related knowledge, patient problem behaviors, and user satisfaction will be assessed. Program utilization will be monitored and a health-economic evaluation will also be performed. The RHAPSODY project will add to the evidence on the potential and limitations of a conveniently accessible, user-friendly, and comprehensive internet-based intervention as an alternative for traditional forms of counseling and support in healthcare, aiming to optimize care and support for people with YOD and their informal caregivers.

Influences of an Inquiry-based Ubiquitous Gaming Design on Students' Learning Achievements, Motivation, Behavioral Patterns, and Tendency towards Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chen, Chih-Hung

2017-01-01

In this paper, an inquiry-based ubiquitous gaming approach was proposed. The objective of the study was to enhance students' performances in in-field learning activities. To show the advantages of the approach, an experiment was carried out to assess the effects of it on students' learning achievement, motivation, critical thinking, and problem…

[Mediative behavior therapy in complex behavioral problems. Illustrative cases from a psychogeriatric nursing home].

PubMed

Geelen, R; Bleijenberg, G

1999-04-01

An application in a psychogeriatric nursing home. This article describes the application of mediative behaviour therapy in a psychogeriatric nursing home. Behavioural interventions carried out by the nursing team addressed a variety of problems: quarreling between an institutionalised woman and her visiting husband, complaining about this staff by the husband to team members of another department, and the patient who let herself drop on the floor about once a week. Special regard is given to the analysis of the problems, the learning of appropriate responses by team members, as well as changing their cognitions and emotions about the problem behaviours. A meaningful reduction of the problem behaviours and of the burden experienced by team members was achieved.

Marriage Counseling

MedlinePlus

... problems Sexual difficulties Conflicts about child rearing or blended families Substance abuse Anger Infidelity Marriage counseling might ... relationship this way, but you can benefit by learning more about your reactions and behavior. Therapy is ...

Parenting and adolescent problem behavior: an integrated model with adolescent self-disclosure and perceived parental knowledge as intervening variables.

PubMed

Soenens, Bart; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Luyckx, Koen; Goossens, Luc

2006-03-01

Parental monitoring, assessed as (perceived) parental knowledge of the child's behavior, has been established as a consistent predictor of problem behavior. However, recent research indicates that parental knowledge has more to do with adolescents' self-disclosure than with parents' active monitoring. Although these findings may suggest that parents exert little influence on adolescents' problem behavior, the authors argue that this conclusion is premature, because self-disclosure may in itself be influenced by parents' rearing style. This study (a) examined relations between parenting dimensions and self-disclosure and (b) compared 3 models describing the relations among parenting, self-disclosure, perceived parental knowledge, and problem behavior. Results in a sample of 10th- to 12th-grade students, their parents, and their peers demonstrated that high responsiveness, high behavioral control, and low psychological control are independent predictors of self-disclosure. In addition, structural equation modeling analyses demonstrated that parenting is both indirectly (through self-disclosure) and directly associated with perceived parental knowledge but is not directly related to problem behavior or affiliation with peers engaging in problem behavior. Copyright (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Behavioral training for mothers of mentally handicapped children: teaching of self-help skills.

PubMed

Mehta, M; Pande, P; Bhargava, M

1991-08-01

Deficits in self help skills are an inevitable problem with the mentally handicapped. The acquisition of self-help skills, learned effortlessly by more intelligent children, is a crucial aspect of the overall development of the mentally handicapped child. In the present study, thirty seven mothers of mentally handicapped children aged between 3 1/2 and 8 years, with an IQ of less than 70, were trained in behavioral techniques such as shaping, task analysis, prompting, and modelling, to develop independent self-help functioning in their children. The self-help areas were toileting, feeding, bathing, washing, and dressing. Thirty two per cent of mothers reported complete skill learning. The problems encountered in the course of training and the subsequent evaluation of its efficacy are discussed.

Predicting Behavioral Problems in Craniopharyngioma Survivors after Conformal Radiation Therapy

PubMed Central

Dolson, Eugenia P.; Conklin, Heather M.; Li, Chenghong; Xiong, Xiaoping; Merchant, Thomas E.

2009-01-01

Background Although radiation therapy is a primary treatment for craniopharyngioma, it can exacerbate existing problems related to the tumor and pre-irradiation management. Survival is often marked by neurologic deficits, panhypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus, cognitive deficiencies and behavioral and social problems. Procedure The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to evaluate behavioral and social problems during the first five years of follow-up in 27 patients with craniopharyngioma treated with conformal radiation therapy. Results All group averages for the CBCL scales were within the age-typical range at pre-irradiation baseline. Extent of surgical resection was implicated in baseline differences for the Internalizing, Externalizing, Behavior Problem and Social scores. Significant longitudinal changes were found in Internalizing, Externalizing, Behavior Problem and School scores that correlated with tumor and treatment related factors. Conclusions The most common variables implicated in post-irradiation behavioral and social problems were CSF shunting, presence of an Ommaya reservoir, diabetes insipidus, and low pre-irradiation growth hormone levels. PMID:19191345

Problem Based Learning: Use of the Portable Patient Problem Pack (P4).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheiman, Mitchell; Whittaker, Steve

1991-01-01

The format and production of the portable patient problem pack, a patient simulation method designed for problem-based learning, are described. Clinical and didactic applications and development of materials specifically for optometric education are discussed and additional information for designing optometry-related materials is appended.…

Creative thinking level of students with high capability in relations and functions by problem-based learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurdyani, F.; Slamet, I.; Sujadi, I.

2018-03-01

This research was conducted in order to describe the creative thinking level of students with high capability in relations and functions with Problem Based Learning. The subjects of the research were students with high capability grade VIII at SMPIT Ibnu Abbas Klaten. This research is an qualitative descriptive research. The data were collected using observation, tests and interviews. The result showed that the creative thinking level of students with high capability in relations and functions by Problem Based Learning was at level 4 or very creative because students were able to demonstrate fluency, flexibility, and novelty.

Deficient behavioral inhibition and anomalous selective attention in a community sample of adolescents with psychopathic traits and low-anxiety traits.

PubMed

Vitale, Jennifer E; Newman, Joseph P; Bates, John E; Goodnight, Jackson; Dodge, Kenneth A; Pettit, Gregory S

2005-08-01

Socialization is the important process by which individuals learn and then effectively apply the rules of appropriate societal behavior. Response modulation is a psychobiological process theorized to aid in socialization by allowing individuals to utilize contextual information to modify ongoing behavior appropriately. Using Hare's (1991) Psychopathy Checklist and the Welsh (1956) anxiety scale, researchers have identified a relatively specific form of a response modulation deficit in low-anxious, Caucasian psychopaths. Preliminary evidence suggests that the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001) may be used to identify children with a similar vulnerability. Using a representative community sample of 308 16-year-olds from the Child Development Project (Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 1990), we tested and corroborated the hypotheses that participants with relatively low anxiety and high APSD scores would display poorer passive avoidance learning and less interference on a spatially separated, picture-word Stroop task than controls. Consistent with hypotheses, the expected group differences in picture-word Stroop interference were found with male and female participants, whereas predicted differences in passive avoidance were specific to male participants. To the extent that response modulation deficits contributing to poor socialization among psychopathic adult offenders also characterize a subgroup of adolescents with mild conduct problems, clarification of the developmental processes that moderate the expression of this vulnerability could inform early interventions.

From feedback- to response-based performance monitoring in active and observational learning.

PubMed

Bellebaum, Christian; Colosio, Marco

2014-09-01

Humans can adapt their behavior by learning from the consequences of their own actions or by observing others. Gradual active learning of action-outcome contingencies is accompanied by a shift from feedback- to response-based performance monitoring. This shift is reflected by complementary learning-related changes of two ACC-driven ERP components, the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and the error-related negativity (ERN), which have both been suggested to signal events "worse than expected," that is, a negative prediction error. Although recent research has identified comparable components for observed behavior and outcomes (observational ERN and FRN), it is as yet unknown, whether these components are similarly modulated by prediction errors and thus also reflect behavioral adaptation. In this study, two groups of 15 participants learned action-outcome contingencies either actively or by observation. In active learners, FRN amplitude for negative feedback decreased and ERN amplitude in response to erroneous actions increased with learning, whereas observational ERN and FRN in observational learners did not exhibit learning-related changes. Learning performance, assessed in test trials without feedback, was comparable between groups, as was the ERN following actively performed errors during test trials. In summary, the results show that action-outcome associations can be learned similarly well actively and by observation. The mechanisms involved appear to differ, with the FRN in active learning reflecting the integration of information about own actions and the accompanying outcomes.

Exploring the Complex Relations between Achievement Emotions and Self-Regulated Learning Behaviors in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artino, Anthony R., Jr.; Jones, Kenneth D., II

2012-01-01

Online learning continues to grow, but there is limited empirical research on the personal factors that influence success in online contexts. This investigation addresses this research gap by exploring the relations between several discrete achievement-related emotions (boredom, frustration, and enjoyment) and self-regulated learning behaviors…

ADHD-related symptoms, emotional/behavioral problems, and physical conditions in Taiwanese children with epilepsy.

PubMed

Tsai, Fang-Ju; Liu, Shu-Tsen; Lee, Chi-Mei; Lee, Wang-Tso; Fan, Pi-Chuan; Lin, Wei-Sheng; Chiu, Yen-Nan; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

2013-07-01

Little is known about whether Asian children with epilepsy have more attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms, emotional/ behavioral problems, and physical conditions compared with those described in Western studies. The authors investigated the rates of ADHD-related symptoms, emotional/behavioral problems, and physical conditions among pediatric patients with epilepsy. We recruited 61 patients with epilepsy, aged 6-16 years, and 122 age-, sex-, and parental education-matched school controls. Data on demographics, parental reports on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version IV scale (SNAP-IV), and medical records were collected. The average full-scale intelligence quotient of the case group was 95.8. There were 11 (18.0%), 7 (11.5%), 26 (42.6%), and 26 (42.6%) of children with epilepsy ever clinically diagnosed with developmental delay, overt ADHD symptoms, allergies reported by physicians, and behavior problems measured by the CBCL, respectively. Those children with epilepsy had more severe ADHD-related symptoms and a wider range of emotional/behavioral problems than controls (Cohen's d 0.36-0.80). The rate of potential cases of ADHD among children with epilepsy was 24.6%. A history of developmental delay predicted ADHD- related symptoms and internalizing and externalizing problems. Among children with epilepsy, a longer duration of treatment with antiepileptic drugs predicted externalizing problems, and an earlier onset of epilepsy predicted inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Our findings imply that clinicians should assess physical and emotional/behavioral problems among children with epilepsy in order to provide interventions to offset possible adverse psychiatric outcomes. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Relational Frame Theory--A Theoretical Framework for Contextual Behavioral Science].

PubMed

Kensche, M; Schweiger, U

2015-07-01

Therapists have to deal with verbal systems and often work with verbal exchange. Therefore, a psychological theory is required, which teaches the therapist how to accomplish this task. The BRT is a theory of human language and cognition that explains how people use their verbal behavior as stimuli in their interrelations and how they act and react, based on the resulting relationships. This behavior is learned very early in the course of language acquisition and functions as a generalized operant. A prerequisite for this is the ability of people to undergo mental simulation. This enables them to construct diverse relational frameworks between individual stimuli. Without relational frameworks, people cannot function. The ability to establish a relational framework is a prerequisite for the formation of rule-governed behavior. Rule-governed behavior economizes complex decision processes, creates interpersonal security and enables dealing with events before they take place. On the other hand, the same properties that enable people to solve problems effectively can also contribute to rigid adherence to rules and experience avoidance. Relational frameworks, once established, outweigh other sources of behavioral regulation. Thus, it can become the basis of psychopathology. Poor contextual control makes it difficult for people to devote flexible, focused and voluntary attention to the present and align their actions with the immediate present. Contextual psychotherapy methods that are based on the BRT start precisely at this point: Targeted establishment of new contingencies in the therapeutic interaction through systematic strengthening of metacognitive mode and through the establishment of new rules that make possible a change in the rule-governed behavior enable undermining of dysfunctional rule-governed behavior and build up desirable behavior. This allows any therapeutic process to be more effective--regardless of the patient's expressed symptoms. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Relational frame theory - a theoretical framework for contextual behavioral science].

PubMed

Kensche, M; Schweiger, U

2015-05-01

Therapists have to deal with verbal systems and often work with verbal exchange. Therefore, a psychological theory is required, which teaches the therapist how to accomplish this task. The BRT is a theory of human language and cognition that explains how people use their verbal behavior as stimuli in their interrelations and how they act and react, based on the resulting relationships. This behavior is learned very early in the course of language acquisition and functions as a generalized operant. A prerequisite for this is the ability of people to undergo mental simulation. This enables them to construct diverse relational frameworks between individual stimuli. Without relational frameworks, people cannot function. The ability to establish a relational framework is a prerequisite for the formation of rule-governed behavior. Rule-governed behavior economizes complex decision processes, creates interpersonal security and enables dealing with events before they take place. On the other hand, the same properties that enable people to solve problems effectively can also contribute to rigid adherence to rules and experience avoidance. Relational frameworks, once established, outweigh other sources of behavioral regulation. Thus, it can become the basis of psychopathology. Poor contextual control makes it difficult for people to devote flexible, focused and voluntary attention to the present and align their actions with the immediate present. Contextual psychotherapy methods that are based on the BRT start precisely at this point: Targeted establishment of new contingencies in the therapeutic interaction through systematic strengthening of metacognitive mode and through the establishment of new rules that make possible a change in the rule-governed behavior enable undermining of dysfunctional rule-governed behavior and build up desirable behavior. This allows any therapeutic process to be more effective - regardless of the patient's expressed symptoms. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Psychological and Neural Mechanisms of Experimental Extinction: A Selective Review

PubMed Central

Delamater, Andrew R.; Westbrook, R. Frederick

2013-01-01

The present review examines key psychological concepts in the study of experimental extinction and implications these have for an understanding of the underlying neurobiology of extinction learning. We suggest that many of the signature characteristics of extinction learning (spontaneous recovery, renewal, reinstatement, rapid reacquisition) can be accommodated by the standard associative learning theory assumption that extinction results in partial erasure of the original learning together with new inhibitory learning. Moreover, we consider recent behavioral and neural evidence that supports the partial erasure view of extinction, but also note shortcomings in our understanding of extinction circuits as these relate to the negative prediction error concept. Recent work suggests that common prediction error and stimulus-specific prediction error terms both may be required to explain neural plasticity both in acquisition and extinction learning. In addition, we suggest that many issues in the content of extinction learning have not been fully addressed in current research, but that neurobiological approaches should be especially helpful in addressing such issues. These include questions about the nature of extinction learning (excitatory CS-No US, inhibitory CS-US learning, occasion setting processes), especially as this relates to studies of the micro-circuitry of extinction, as well as its representational content (sensory, motivational, response). An additional understudied problem in extinction research is the role played by attention processes and their underlying neural networks, although some research and theory converge on the idea that extinction is accompanied by attention decrements (i.e., habituation-like processes). PMID:24104049

Psychological and neural mechanisms of experimental extinction: a selective review.

PubMed

Delamater, Andrew R; Westbrook, R Frederick

2014-02-01

The present review examines key psychological concepts in the study of experimental extinction and implications these have for an understanding of the underlying neurobiology of extinction learning. We suggest that many of the signature characteristics of extinction learning (spontaneous recovery, renewal, reinstatement, rapid reacquisition) can be accommodated by the standard associative learning theory assumption that extinction results in partial erasure of the original learning together with new inhibitory learning. Moreover, we consider recent behavioral and neural evidence that supports the partial erasure view of extinction, but also note shortcomings in our understanding of extinction circuits as these relate to the negative prediction error concept. Recent work suggests that common prediction error and stimulus-specific prediction error terms both may be required to explain neural plasticity both in acquisition and extinction learning. In addition, we suggest that many issues in the content of extinction learning have not been fully addressed in current research, but that neurobiological approaches should be especially helpful in addressing such issues. These include questions about the nature of extinction learning (excitatory CS-No US, inhibitory CS-US learning, occasion setting processes), especially as this relates to studies of the micro-circuitry of extinction, as well as its representational content (sensory, motivational, response). An additional understudied problem in extinction research is the role played by attention processes and their underlying neural networks, although some research and theory converge on the idea that extinction is accompanied by attention decrements (i.e., habituation-like processes). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Childhood Behavior Problems as They Relate to a Dynamic Model of Psycho-Social Development. Volume 2, Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnard, James W.

The paper relates the development of childhood behavior problems to a developmental theory of the acquisition of psycho-social skills in children. The influence of Eric Erikson (1950) on the ideas expressed is acknowledged. It is stated that each of the major types of behavior problems (withdrawal, impulsivity, dependence) results from a major…

The evolution of conformist transmission in social learning when the environment changes periodically.

PubMed

Nakahashi, Wataru

2007-08-01

Conformity is often observed in human social learning. Social learners preferentially imitate the majority or most common behavior in many situations, though the strength of conformity varies with the situation. Why has such a psychological tendency evolved? I investigate this problem by extending a standard model of social learning evolution with infinite environmental states (Feldman, M.W., Aoki, K., Kumm, J., 1996. Individual versus social learning: evolutionary analysis in a fluctuating environment. Anthropol. Sci. 104, 209-231) to include conformity bias. I mainly focus on the relationship between the strength of conformity bias that evolves and environmental stability, which is one of the most important factors in the evolution of social learning. Using the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) approach, I show that conformity always evolves when environmental stability and the cost of adopting a wrong behavior are small, though environmental stability and the cost of individual learning both negatively affect the strength of conformity.

Social defeat models in animal science: What we have learned from rodent models.

PubMed

Toyoda, Atsushi

2017-07-01

Studies on stress and its impacts on animals are very important in many fields of science, including animal science, because various stresses influence animal production and animal welfare. In particular, the social stresses within animal groups have profound impact on animals, with the potential to induce abnormal behaviors and health problems. In humans, social stress induces several health problems, including psychiatric disorders. In animal stress models, social defeat models are well characterized and used in various research fields, particularly in studies concerning mental disorders. Recently, we have focused on behavior, nutrition and metabolism in rodent models of social defeat to elucidate how social stresses affect animals. In this review, recent significant progress in studies related to animal social defeat models are described. In the field of animal science, these stress models may contribute to advances in the development of functional foods and in the management of animal welfare. © 2017 The Authors. Animal Science Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Does Gender Moderate the Relations Between Externalizing Behavior and Key Emergent Literacy Abilities? Evidence From a Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Allan, Nicholas P; Joye, Shauna W; Lonigan, Christopher J

2017-05-01

There is a significant negative relation between externalizing behavior and emergent literacy skills among preschool children. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender on the predictive relation of externalizing behavior and emergent literacy in a group of 178 preschool children (mean age = 48.50 months, SD = 3.66; 48% boys). Externalizing behaviors predicted emergent literacy over time. Distinct patterns of predictive associations dependent on gender were found. Girls with higher levels of externalizing behaviors experienced less change in their vocabulary skills compared with the vocabulary change shown by girls with lower levels of these problem behaviors. The results suggest that early identification programs that include externalizing behavior problems and their relation with emergent literacy development should account for potential gender differences. A theoretical framework in which girls with behavior problems receive less opportunity for vocabulary acquisition is presented.

Meta Cognition as a Means for Dialogue, Self Regulation and Learning--A Case Study from an Implementation of Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Venkatachary, Ranga; Kumar, Muthu

2005-01-01

One of the key arguments for problem-based learning as a holistic, learner centred pedagogical method rests on the premise it addresses multiple facets of learner development rather than decontextualised, content related learning outcomes. Fostering meta-cognitive ability in an attempt to develop self regulatory, autonomous learning habits is an…

Using the picture exchange communication system (PECS) with children with autism: assessment of PECS acquisition, speech, social-communicative behavior, and problem behavior.

PubMed Central

Charlop-Christy, Marjorie H; Carpenter, Michael; Le, Loc; LeBlanc, Linda A; Kellet, Kristen

2002-01-01

The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is an augmentative communication system frequently used with children with autism (Bondy & Frost, 1994; Siegel, 2000; Yamall, 2000). Despite its common clinical use, no well-controlled empirical investigations have been conducted to test the effectiveness of PECS. Using a multiple baseline design, the present study examined the acquisition of PECS with 3 children with autism. In addition, the study examined the effects of PECS training on the emergence of speech in play and academic settings. Ancillary measures of social-communicative behaviors and problem behaviors were recorded. Results indicated that all 3 children met the learning criterion for PECS and showed concomitant increases in verbal speech. Ancillary gains were associated with increases in social-communicative behaviors and decreases in problem behaviors. The results are discussed in terms of the provision of empirical support for PECS as well as the concomitant positive side effects of its use. PMID:12365736

Using the picture exchange communication system (PECS) with children with autism: assessment of PECS acquisition, speech, social-communicative behavior, and problem behavior.

PubMed

Charlop-Christy, Marjorie H; Carpenter, Michael; Le, Loc; LeBlanc, Linda A; Kellet, Kristen

2002-01-01

The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is an augmentative communication system frequently used with children with autism (Bondy & Frost, 1994; Siegel, 2000; Yamall, 2000). Despite its common clinical use, no well-controlled empirical investigations have been conducted to test the effectiveness of PECS. Using a multiple baseline design, the present study examined the acquisition of PECS with 3 children with autism. In addition, the study examined the effects of PECS training on the emergence of speech in play and academic settings. Ancillary measures of social-communicative behaviors and problem behaviors were recorded. Results indicated that all 3 children met the learning criterion for PECS and showed concomitant increases in verbal speech. Ancillary gains were associated with increases in social-communicative behaviors and decreases in problem behaviors. The results are discussed in terms of the provision of empirical support for PECS as well as the concomitant positive side effects of its use.

The nature of declarative and nondeclarative knowledge for implicit and explicit learning.

PubMed

Kirkhart, M W

2001-10-01

Using traditional implicit and explicit artificial-grammar learning tasks, the author investigated the similarities and differences between the acquisition of declarative knowledge under implicit and explicit learning conditions and the functions of the declarative knowledge during testing. Results suggested that declarative knowledge was not predictive of or required for implicit learning but was related to consistency in implicit learning performance. In contrast, declarative knowledge was predictive of and required for explicit learning and was related to consistency in performance. For explicit learning, the declarative knowledge functioned as a guide for other behavior. In contrast, for implicit learning, the declarative knowledge did not serve as a guide for behavior but was instead a post hoc description of the most commonly seen stimuli.

Hybrid multiscale modeling and prediction of cancer cell behavior

PubMed Central

Habibi, Jafar

2017-01-01

Background Understanding cancer development crossing several spatial-temporal scales is of great practical significance to better understand and treat cancers. It is difficult to tackle this challenge with pure biological means. Moreover, hybrid modeling techniques have been proposed that combine the advantages of the continuum and the discrete methods to model multiscale problems. Methods In light of these problems, we have proposed a new hybrid vascular model to facilitate the multiscale modeling and simulation of cancer development with respect to the agent-based, cellular automata and machine learning methods. The purpose of this simulation is to create a dataset that can be used for prediction of cell phenotypes. By using a proposed Q-learning based on SVR-NSGA-II method, the cells have the capability to predict their phenotypes autonomously that is, to act on its own without external direction in response to situations it encounters. Results Computational simulations of the model were performed in order to analyze its performance. The most striking feature of our results is that each cell can select its phenotype at each time step according to its condition. We provide evidence that the prediction of cell phenotypes is reliable. Conclusion Our proposed model, which we term a hybrid multiscale modeling of cancer cell behavior, has the potential to combine the best features of both continuum and discrete models. The in silico results indicate that the 3D model can represent key features of cancer growth, angiogenesis, and its related micro-environment and show that the findings are in good agreement with biological tumor behavior. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first hybrid vascular multiscale modeling of cancer cell behavior that has the capability to predict cell phenotypes individually by a self-generated dataset. PMID:28846712

Hybrid multiscale modeling and prediction of cancer cell behavior.

PubMed

Zangooei, Mohammad Hossein; Habibi, Jafar

2017-01-01

Understanding cancer development crossing several spatial-temporal scales is of great practical significance to better understand and treat cancers. It is difficult to tackle this challenge with pure biological means. Moreover, hybrid modeling techniques have been proposed that combine the advantages of the continuum and the discrete methods to model multiscale problems. In light of these problems, we have proposed a new hybrid vascular model to facilitate the multiscale modeling and simulation of cancer development with respect to the agent-based, cellular automata and machine learning methods. The purpose of this simulation is to create a dataset that can be used for prediction of cell phenotypes. By using a proposed Q-learning based on SVR-NSGA-II method, the cells have the capability to predict their phenotypes autonomously that is, to act on its own without external direction in response to situations it encounters. Computational simulations of the model were performed in order to analyze its performance. The most striking feature of our results is that each cell can select its phenotype at each time step according to its condition. We provide evidence that the prediction of cell phenotypes is reliable. Our proposed model, which we term a hybrid multiscale modeling of cancer cell behavior, has the potential to combine the best features of both continuum and discrete models. The in silico results indicate that the 3D model can represent key features of cancer growth, angiogenesis, and its related micro-environment and show that the findings are in good agreement with biological tumor behavior. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first hybrid vascular multiscale modeling of cancer cell behavior that has the capability to predict cell phenotypes individually by a self-generated dataset.

Social Information Processing in Preschool Children: Relations to Sociodemographic Risk and Problem Behavior

PubMed Central

Ziv, Yair; Sorongon, Alberto

2011-01-01

Using a multi-component, process-oriented approach, the links between Social Information Processing in the preschool years and a) sociodemographic risk, and b) behavior problems in preschool, were examined in a community sample of 196 children. Findings provided support for our initial hypotheses that aspects of social information processing in preschool are related to both sociodemographic risk and to behavior problems in preschool. Response evaluation, and in particular, the positive evaluation of an aggressive response, were related to both sociodemographic risk and children’s aggressive behavior and partially mediated the links between sociodemographic risk and aggressive behavior in preschool. PMID:21420102

Learning--Feeling--Doing: Designing Creative Learning Experiences for Elementary Health Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Gwendolyn D.; Carlo, Mona W.

The dynamics of health education are encompassed in understanding human behavior (its causes and consequences), and this book seeks to outline learning experiences that will correspond to specific behavioral objectives relating to health education. The systematic planning and instructional design center around 11 concepts: (1) Growth and…

Team Learning: Building Shared Mental Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van den Bossche, Piet; Gijselaers, Wim; Segers, Mien; Woltjer, Geert; Kirschner, Paul

2011-01-01

To gain insight in the social processes that underlie knowledge sharing in teams, this article questions which team learning behaviors lead to the construction of a shared mental model. Additionally, it explores how the development of shared mental models mediates the relation between team learning behaviors and team effectiveness. Analyses were…

Transfer of Learning Relates to Intrinsic Connectivity between Hippocampus, Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex, and Large-Scale Networks

PubMed Central

Gerraty, Raphael T.; Davidow, Juliet Y.; Wimmer, G. Elliott; Kahn, Itamar

2014-01-01

An important aspect of adaptive learning is the ability to flexibly use past experiences to guide new decisions. When facing a new decision, some people automatically leverage previously learned associations, while others do not. This variability in transfer of learning across individuals has been demonstrated repeatedly and has important implications for understanding adaptive behavior, yet the source of these individual differences remains poorly understood. In particular, it is unknown why such variability in transfer emerges even among homogeneous groups of young healthy participants who do not vary on other learning-related measures. Here we hypothesized that individual differences in the transfer of learning could be related to relatively stable differences in intrinsic brain connectivity, which could constrain how individuals learn. To test this, we obtained a behavioral measure of memory-based transfer outside of the scanner and on a separate day acquired resting-state functional MRI images in 42 participants. We then analyzed connectivity across independent component analysis-derived brain networks during rest, and tested whether intrinsic connectivity in learning-related networks was associated with transfer. We found that individual differences in transfer were related to intrinsic connectivity between the hippocampus and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and between these regions and large-scale functional brain networks. Together, the findings demonstrate a novel role for intrinsic brain dynamics in flexible learning-guided behavior, both within a set of functionally specific regions known to be important for learning, as well as between these regions and the default and frontoparietal networks, which are thought to serve more general cognitive functions. PMID:25143610

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECTS OF EARLY EXPERIENCE ON AFTER BEHAVIOR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FORGAYS, DONALD G.

TWO SERIES OF STUDIES WHOSE SUBJECTS WERE EITHER HOODED AND ALBINO RATS OR YOUNG CHILDREN INVESTIGATED THE INFLUENCE OF EARLY EXPERIENCES ON LATER BEHAVIOR. IN THE FIRST, BOTH SUBSPECIES OF RATS WERE EXPOSED TO EITHER ENRICHED OR RESTRICTED ENVIRONMENTS TO ASSESS THEIR PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITIES UNDER VARIOUS LEARNING CONDITIONS. THE RESULTS…

Correlates of Teachers' Ways of Handling Bullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grumm, Mandy; Hein, Sascha

2013-01-01

Aggressive behaviors in schools and bullying behaviors amongst children are a serious problem in the school context. As a consequence of an aggressive atmosphere in the classroom, learning processes are disturbed and children are less likely to experience pleasure when attending school. Teachers face a big challenge as a result. As we know from…

Towards Understanding How to Assess Help-Seeking Behavior across Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogan, Amy; Walker, Erin; Baker, Ryan; Rodrigo, Ma. Mercedes T.; Soriano, Jose Carlo; Castro, Maynor Jimenez

2015-01-01

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in automatically assessing help seeking, the process of referring to resources outside of oneself to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Research in the United States has shown that specific help-seeking behaviors led to better learning within intelligent tutoring systems. However, intelligent…

Youth Activism in the Urban Community: Learning Critical Civic Praxis within Community Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginwright, Shawn; Cammarota, Julio

2007-01-01

Research on African-American and Latina/o youth has been dominated by studies that focus on "problem" adolescent behavior. Typically, they explain youth crime, delinquency, and violence as individual pathological behavior or cultural adaptations stemming from social disorganization in their communities. This article argues for a more…

Family Environment and School Behavioral Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volenski, Leonard T.; Rockwood, Paul

Helping disruptive students successfully complete high school and learn how to develop self-control is a challenge for the school, parents, and society. Some of the specific family characteristics associated with disruptive behavior in the classroom and school are examined here. Parents of 105 adolescent males, who ranged in age from 15 to 17,…

A research strategy for the dynamic study of students' concepts and problem solving strategies using science software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krajcik, Joseph S.; Simmons, Patricia E.; Lunetta, Vincent N.

Microcomputers and appropriate software have the potential to help students learn. They can also serve as appropriate media for investigating how students learn. In this article we describe a research strategy examining learning and behavior when students interacted with microcomputers and software. Results from two preliminary studies illustrate the strategy.A major feature of the strategy included recording students interacting with microcomputer software interfaced with a VCR. The VCR recorded the video output from a microcomputer and students' verbal commentary via microphone input. This technique allowed students' comments about their observations, perceptions, predictions, explanations, and decisions to be recorded simultaneously with their computer input and the display on the microcomputer monitor.The research strategy described can provide important information about cognitive and affective behaviors of students engaged in using instructional software. Research studies utilizing this strategy can enhance our understanding of how students develop and employ important concepts and scientific relationships, how students develop problem-solving skills and solve problems, and how they interact with instructional software. Results of such studies have important implications for teaching and for the design of instructional software.

Multidimensional assessment of self-regulated learning with middle school math students.

PubMed

Callan, Gregory L; Cleary, Timothy J

2018-03-01

This study examined the convergent and predictive validity of self-regulated learning (SRL) measures situated in mathematics. The sample included 100 eighth graders from a diverse, urban school district. Four measurement formats were examined including, 2 broad-based (i.e., self-report questionnaire and teacher ratings) and 2 task-specific measures (i.e., SRL microanalysis and behavioral traces). Convergent validity was examined across task-difficulty, and the predictive validity was examined across 3 mathematics outcomes: 2 measures of mathematical problem solving skill (i.e., practice session math problems, posttest math problems) and a global measure of mathematical skill (i.e., standardized math test). Correlation analyses were used to examine convergent validity and revealed medium correlations between measures within the same category (i.e., broad-based or task-specific). Relations between measurement classes were not statistically significant. Separate regressions examined the predictive validity of the SRL measures. While controlling all other predictors, a SRL microanalysis metacognitive-monitoring measure emerged as a significant predictor of all 3 outcomes and teacher ratings accounted for unique variance on 2 of the outcomes (i.e., posttest math problems and standardized math test). Results suggest that a multidimensional assessment approach should be considered by school psychologists interested in measuring SRL. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The Association between Motivation, Affect, and Self-regulated Learning When Solving Problems

PubMed Central

Baars, Martine; Wijnia, Lisette; Paas, Fred

2017-01-01

Self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are essential for learning during school years, particularly in complex problem-solving domains, such as biology and math. Although a lot of studies have focused on the cognitive resources that are needed for learning to solve problems in a self-regulated way, affective and motivational resources have received much less research attention. The current study investigated the relation between affect (i.e., Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale), motivation (i.e., autonomous and controlled motivation), mental effort, SRL skills, and problem-solving performance when learning to solve biology problems in a self-regulated online learning environment. In the learning phase, secondary education students studied video-modeling examples of how to solve hereditary problems, solved hereditary problems which they chose themselves from a set of problems with different complexity levels (i.e., five levels). In the posttest, students solved hereditary problems, self-assessed their performance, and chose a next problem from the set of problems but did not solve these problems. The results from this study showed that negative affect, inaccurate self-assessments during the posttest, and higher perceptions of mental effort during the posttest were negatively associated with problem-solving performance after learning in a self-regulated way. PMID:28848467

Roles of temperamental arousal and gender-segregated play in young children's social adjustment.

PubMed

Fabes, R A; Shepard, S A; Guthrie, I K; Martin, C L

1997-07-01

The hypothesis that gender differences in children's adjustment is partially influenced by differences in temperament and interactions with same-sex peers was examined. Fifty-seven predominantly White, middle-class preschoolers (29 boys and 28 girls, M age = 54.5 months) participated. Measures were taken of children's arousability, problem behaviors, and tendencies to play with same-sex peers. A semester later, children's peer status was assessed. Analyses revealed that arousability and same-sex peer play interacted to predict problem behaviors. For boys high in arousability, play with same-sex peers increased problem behaviors. In contrast, arousable girls who played with other girls were relatively unlikely to show problem behaviors. Moreover, the interaction of arousability and same-sex peer play predicted boys' (but not girls') peer status, and this relation was partially mediated by problem behaviors. The role of gender-related processes is discussed.

The Relations of Regulation and Emotionality to Children's Externalizing and Internalizing Problem Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Nancy; Cumberland, Amanda; Spinrad, Tracy L.; Fabes, Richard A.; Shepard, Stephanie A.; Reiser, Mark; Murphy, Bridget C.; LoSaga, Sandra H.; Guthrie, Ivanna K.

2001-01-01

Examined relation of different types of negative emotion and regulation and control to 55- to 97-month-olds' internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. Found that children with externalizing problems, compared to children with internalizing problems and nondisordered children, were more prone to anger, impulsivity, and low regulation.…

Drosophila learn efficient paths to a food source.

PubMed

Navawongse, Rapeechai; Choudhury, Deepak; Raczkowska, Marlena; Stewart, James Charles; Lim, Terrence; Rahman, Mashiur; Toh, Alicia Guek Geok; Wang, Zhiping; Claridge-Chang, Adam

2016-05-01

Elucidating the genetic, and neuronal bases for learned behavior is a central problem in neuroscience. A leading system for neurogenetic discovery is the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster; fly memory research has identified genes and circuits that mediate aversive and appetitive learning. However, methods to study adaptive food-seeking behavior in this animal have lagged decades behind rodent feeding analysis, largely due to the challenges presented by their small scale. There is currently no method to dynamically control flies' access to food. In rodents, protocols that use dynamic food delivery are a central element of experimental paradigms that date back to the influential work of Skinner. This method is still commonly used in the analysis of learning, memory, addiction, feeding, and many other subjects in experimental psychology. The difficulty of microscale food delivery means this is not a technique used in fly behavior. In the present manuscript we describe a microfluidic chip integrated with machine vision and automation to dynamically control defined liquid food presentations and sensory stimuli. Strikingly, repeated presentations of food at a fixed location produced improvements in path efficiency during food approach. This shows that improved path choice is a learned behavior. Active control of food availability using this microfluidic system is a valuable addition to the methods currently available for the analysis of learned feeding behavior in flies. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Knowledge of Emotion Regulation Strategies, Problem Behavior, and Prosocial Behavior in Preschool Age].

PubMed

Gust, Nicole; Koglin, Ute; Petermann, Franz

2015-01-01

The present study examines the relation between knowledge of emotion regulation strategies and social behavior in preschoolers. Knowledge of emotion regulation strategies of 210 children (mean age 55 months) was assessed. Teachers rated children's social behavior with SDQ. Linear regression analysis examined how knowledge of emotion regulation strategies influenced social behavior of children. Significant effects of gender on SDQ scales "prosocial behavior", "hyperactivity", "behavior problems", and SDQ total problem scale were identified. Age was a significant predictor of SDQ scales "prosocial behavior", "hyperactivity", "problems with peers" and SDQ total problem scale. Knowledge of emotion regulation strategies predicted SDQ total problem scores. Results suggest that deficits in knowledge of emotion regulation strategies are linked with increased problem behavior.

Learning classifier systems for single and multiple mobile robots in unstructured environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bay, John S.

1995-12-01

The learning classifier system (LCS) is a learning production system that generates behavioral rules via an underlying discovery mechanism. The LCS architecture operates similarly to a blackboard architecture; i.e., by posted-message communications. But in the LCS, the message board is wiped clean at every time interval, thereby requiring no persistent shared resource. In this paper, we adapt the LCS to the problem of mobile robot navigation in completely unstructured environments. We consider the model of the robot itself, including its sensor and actuator structures, to be part of this environment, in addition to the world-model that includes a goal and obstacles at unknown locations. This requires a robot to learn its own I/O characteristics in addition to solving its navigation problem, but results in a learning controller that is equally applicable, unaltered, in robots with a wide variety of kinematic structures and sensing capabilities. We show the effectiveness of this LCS-based controller through both simulation and experimental trials with a small robot. We then propose a new architecture, the Distributed Learning Classifier System (DLCS), which generalizes the message-passing behavior of the LCS from internal messages within a single agent to broadcast massages among multiple agents. This communications mode requires little bandwidth and is easily implemented with inexpensive, off-the-shelf hardware. The DLCS is shown to have potential application as a learning controller for multiple intelligent agents.

Learning about natural variation of odor mixtures enhances categorization in early olfactory processing.

PubMed

Locatelli, Fernando F; Fernandez, Patricia C; Smith, Brian H

2016-09-01

Natural odors are typically mixtures of several chemical components. Mixtures vary in composition among odor objects that have the same meaning. Therefore a central 'categorization' problem for an animal as it makes decisions about odors in natural contexts is to correctly identify odor variants that have the same meaning and avoid variants that have a different meaning. We propose that identified mechanisms of associative and non-associative plasticity in early sensory processing in the insect antennal lobe and mammalian olfactory bulb are central to solving this problem. Accordingly, this plasticity should work to improve categorization of odors that have the opposite meanings in relation to important events. Using synthetic mixtures designed to mimic natural odor variation among flowers, we studied how honey bees learn about and generalize among floral odors associated with food. We behaviorally conditioned honey bees on a difficult odor discrimination problem using synthetic mixtures that mimic natural variation among snapdragon flowers. We then used calcium imaging to measure responses of projection neurons of the antennal lobe, which is the first synaptic relay of olfactory sensory information in the brain, to study how ensembles of projection neurons change as a result of behavioral conditioning. We show how these ensembles become 'tuned' through plasticity to improve categorization of odors that have the different meanings. We argue that this tuning allows more efficient use of the immense coding space of the antennal lobe and olfactory bulb to solve the categorization problem. Our data point to the need for a better understanding of the 'statistics' of the odor space. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Learning and choosing in an uncertain world: An investigation of the explore-exploit dilemma in static and dynamic environments.

PubMed

Navarro, Daniel J; Newell, Ben R; Schulze, Christin

2016-03-01

How do people solve the explore-exploit trade-off in a changing environment? In this paper we present experimental evidence from an "observe or bet" task, in which people have to determine when to engage in information-seeking behavior and when to switch to reward-taking actions. In particular we focus on the comparison between people's behavior in a changing environment and their behavior in an unchanging one. Our experimental work is motivated by rational analysis of the problem that makes strong predictions about information search and reward seeking in static and changeable environments. Our results show a striking agreement between human behavior and the optimal policy, but also highlight a number of systematic differences. In particular, we find that while people often employ suboptimal strategies the first time they encounter the learning problem, most people are able to approximate the correct strategy after minimal experience. In order to describe both the manner in which people's choices are similar to but slightly different from an optimal standard, we introduce four process models for the observe or bet task and evaluate them as potential theories of human behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Learning in the Schools Through Psychodrama.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Doris Twitchell

Psychodrama is the acting out of difficult situations one has experienced. It gives the actors and spectators the chance to try out alternative solutions to problem situations. When these problems are acted out, the actors become better acquainted with themselves and their peers. This awareness becomes a dominant determinant of future behavior.…

Income and Social Rank Influence UK Children's Behavioral Problems: A Longitudinal Analysis.

PubMed

Garratt, Elisabeth A; Chandola, Tarani; Purdam, Kingsley; Wood, Alex M

2017-07-01

Children living in low-income households face elevated risks of behavioral problems, but the impact of absolute and relative income to this risk remains unexplored. Using the U.K. Millennium Cohort Study data, longitudinal associations between Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores and absolute household income, distance from the regional median and mean income, and regional income rank were examined in 3- to 12-year-olds (n = 16,532). Higher absolute household incomes were associated with lower behavioral problems, while higher income rank was associated with lower behavioral problems only at the highest absolute incomes. Higher absolute household incomes were associated with lower behavioral problems among children in working households, indicating compounding effects of income and socioeconomic advantages. Both absolute and relative incomes therefore appear to influence behavioral problems. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

The influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on strategic, behavioral, and electrophysiological indices of arithmetic cognition in preadolescent children

PubMed Central

Moore, R. Davis; Drollette, Eric S.; Scudder, Mark R.; Bharij, Aashiv; Hillman, Charles H.

2014-01-01

The current study investigated the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness on arithmetic cognition in forty 9–10 year old children. Measures included a standardized mathematics achievement test to assess conceptual and computational knowledge, self-reported strategy selection, and an experimental arithmetic verification task (including small and large addition problems), which afforded the measurement of event-related brain potentials (ERPs). No differences in math achievement were observed as a function of fitness level, but all children performed better on math concepts relative to math computation. Higher fit children reported using retrieval more often to solve large arithmetic problems, relative to lower fit children. During the arithmetic verification task, higher fit children exhibited superior performance for large problems, as evidenced by greater d' scores, while all children exhibited decreased accuracy and longer reaction time for large relative to small problems, and incorrect relative to correct solutions. On the electrophysiological level, modulations of early (P1, N170) and late ERP components (P3, N400) were observed as a function of problem size and solution correctness. Higher fit children exhibited selective modulations for N170, P3, and N400 amplitude relative to lower fit children, suggesting that fitness influences symbolic encoding, attentional resource allocation and semantic processing during arithmetic tasks. The current study contributes to the fitness-cognition literature by demonstrating that the benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness extend to arithmetic cognition, which has important implications for the educational environment and the context of learning. PMID:24829556

Erasing the engram: the unlearning of procedural skills.

PubMed

Crossley, Matthew J; Ashby, F Gregory; Maddox, W Todd

2013-08-01

Huge amounts of money are spent every year on unlearning programs--in drug-treatment facilities, prisons, psychotherapy clinics, and schools. Yet almost all of these programs fail, since recidivism rates are high in each of these fields. Progress on this problem requires a better understanding of the mechanisms that make unlearning so difficult. Much cognitive neuroscience evidence suggests that an important component of these mechanisms also dictates success on categorization tasks that recruit procedural learning and depend on synaptic plasticity within the striatum. A biologically detailed computational model of this striatal-dependent learning is described (based on Ashby & Crossley, 2011). The model assumes that a key component of striatal-dependent learning is provided by interneurons in the striatum called the tonically active neurons (TANs), which act as a gate for the learning and expression of striatal-dependent behaviors. In their tonically active state, the TANs prevent the expression of any striatal-dependent behavior. However, they learn to pause in rewarding environments and thereby permit the learning and expression of striatal-dependent behaviors. The model predicts that when rewards are no longer contingent on behavior, the TANs cease to pause, which protects striatal learning from decay and prevents unlearning. In addition, the model predicts that when rewards are partially contingent on behavior, the TANs remain partially paused, leaving the striatum available for unlearning. The results from 3 human behavioral studies support the model predictions and suggest a novel unlearning protocol that shows promising initial signs of success. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Disorganized attachment and inhibitory capacity: predicting externalizing problem behaviors.

PubMed

Bohlin, Gunilla; Eninger, Lilianne; Brocki, Karin Cecilia; Thorell, Lisa B

2012-04-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether attachment insecurity, focusing on disorganized attachment, and the executive function (EF) component of inhibition, assessed at age 5, were longitudinally related to general externalizing problem behaviors as well as to specific symptoms of ADHD and Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and callous-unemotional (CU) traits. General externalizing problem behaviors were also measured at age 5 to allow for a developmental analysis. Outcome variables were rated by parents and teachers. The sample consisted of 65 children with an oversampling of children with high levels of externalizing behaviors. Attachment was evaluated using a story stem attachment doll play procedure. Inhibition was measured using four different tasks. The results showed that both disorganized attachment and poor inhibition were longitudinally related to all outcome variables. Controlling for initial level of externalizing problem behavior, poor inhibition predicted ADHD symptoms and externalizing problem behaviors, independent of disorganized attachment, whereas for ASD symptoms no predictive relations remained. Disorganized attachment independently predicted CU traits.

A multidisciplinary allied health faculty team: formation and first year production of problem-based learning in gerontology/geriatrics.

PubMed

Silver, S

1998-01-01

An interdisciplinary team of faculty, administrators and practitioners representing diverse settings for allied health education has formed the Mid-Atlantic Allied Health Geriatric Education Center (MAHGEC) to produce problem-based learning (PBL) cases related to older adults. These cases will enable allied health students and practitioners to work together in interdisciplinary teams and expand allied health education to include health issues related to gerontology/ geriatrics. The health professionals of MAHGEC have brought different perspectives to the project. These include: (1) educational requirements to be gained from their association with MAHGEC, (2) health care disciplines to enhance the PBL cases produced, (3) personal histories related to older adults, and (4) ideas for utilization of problem-based learning in their particular educational and professional settings. The first year of this project has included the execution of a needs assessment for gerontology/geriatric education in allied health programs, the development of the infrastructure of MAHGEC, building the content base of MAHGEC faculty regarding gerontology/geriatrics and problem-based learning, the establishment of priorities in the production of problem-based learning cases for Year 01, and division into production teams for cases.

Item-specific and generalization effects on brain activation when learning Chinese characters

PubMed Central

Deng, Yuan; Booth, James R.; Chou, Tai-Li; Ding, Guo-Sheng; Peng, Dan-Ling

2009-01-01

Neural changes related to learning of the meaning of Chinese characters in English speakers were examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We examined item specific learning effects for trained characters, but also the generalization of semantic knowledge to novel transfer characters that shared a semantic radical (part of a character that gives a clue to word meaning, e.g. water for lake) with trained characters. Behavioral results show that acquired semantic knowledge improves performance for both trained and transfer characters. Neuroimaging results show that the left fusiform gyrus plays a central role in the visual processing of orthographic information in characters. The left superior parietal cortex seems to play a crucial role in learning the visual–spatial aspects of the characters because it shows learning related decreases for trained characters, is correlated with behavioral improvement from early to late in learning for the trained characters, and is correlated with better long-term retention for the transfer characters. The inferior frontal gyrus seems to be associated with the efficiency of retrieving and manipulating semantic representations because there are learning related decreases for trained characters and this decrease is correlated with greater behavioral improvement from early to late in learning. PMID:18514678

Is it all the X: familial learning dysfunction and the impact of behavioral aspects of the phenotypic presentation of XXY?

PubMed

Samango-Sprouse, Carole A; Stapleton, Emily; Sadeghin, Teresa; Gropman, Andrea L

2013-02-15

The behavioral phenotype of children with XXY has not been extensively studied until recently and this research has been confounded by insufficient study populations and ascertainment biases. The aim of the study was to expand the behavioral aspect of the XXY phenotype as well as investigate the role of existing familial learning disabilities (FLD) on behavioral problems. Behavioral phenotype of XXY includes social anxiety, ADHD, social communication, and atypical peer interactions. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) were completed by the parents of 54 boys with XXY who had not received hormonal replacement prior to participation. Our findings suggest fewer behavioral deficits and lower severity in the general 47,XXY population than previously published and found significant differences between the groups with a positive FLD on the behavioral assessments. Findings demonstrate that boys with FLD exhibit an increased incidence and severity of behavioral problems. Our study expands on the findings of Samango-Sprouse et al. [Samango-Sprouse et al. (2012b) J Intellect Disabil Res] and the significant influence that FLD has on not only neurodevelopment, but also behavioral deficits. Our study suggests that part of the XXY phenotypic profile may be modulated by FLD. Further study is underway to examine the interaction between the many salient factors effecting behavioral and neurodevelopmental progression in XXY and variant forms. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multi-Stage Convex Relaxation Methods for Machine Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

Many problems in machine learning can be naturally formulated as non-convex optimization problems. However, such direct nonconvex formulations have...original nonconvex formulation. We will develop theoretical properties of this method and algorithmic consequences. Related convex and nonconvex machine learning methods will also be investigated.

Corporal punishment in schools: myths, problems and alternatives.

PubMed

Dubanoski, R A; Inaba, M; Gerkewicz, K

1983-01-01

In many countries, corporal punishment of school children continues to be an officially or unofficially sanctioned form of institutional child abuse. Continuing support for the use of corporal punishment is related to the following factors: (1) widely held beliefs regarding the effectiveness of corporal punishment, (2) an unawareness of problems resulting from the use of physical punishment, and (3) a lack of knowledge about effective disciplinary alternatives. The purpose of this paper is threefold: One is to show that many of the beliefs are myths, e.g., corporal punishment is not needed to build character. The second purpose is to show that physical punishment can lead to more problems than it appears to solve, e.g., the punitive teacher is avoided, and thus, is not a positive factor in the child's education and development. The third purpose is to discuss two types of alternatives to punishment, the social learning approach and communication skills training. These positive methods of discipline not only enhance classroom behavior, but also facilitate learning. In an atmosphere free of abusing and demeaning acts and in a classroom characterized by positive mutual regard, teachers can maximize their effectiveness as teachers and students can maximize their effectiveness as learners.

Promoting Social and Emotional Learning in Second Grade Students: A Study of the "Strong Start" Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldarella, Paul; Christensen, Lynnette; Kramer, Thomas J.; Kronmiller, Kalli

2009-01-01

The promotion of social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools may help prevent emotional and behavioral problems of students. This study evaluated the effects of a SEL curriculum, "Strong Start," on the social-emotional competence of 26 second grade students, using a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design. Results revealed…

Promoting Social and Emotional Learning in Preschool Students: A Study of "Strong Start Pre-K"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunter, Leslie; Caldarella, Paul; Korth, Byran B.; Young, K. Richard

2012-01-01

The inclusion of social and emotional learning (SEL) curricula in preschools may help prevent emotional and behavioral problems. This study evaluated the effects of a SEL curriculum, "Strong Start Pre-K," on the social and emotional competence of 52 preschool students using a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design. Teachers rated…

Developing a Learning-Teaching Styles Scheme to Improve Teaching Behaviors of College Child Development Student Interns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Beverly Barber

Implemented in an urban community college's child development teacher training program, this practicum project addressed the problem of discrepancies between training and work environments. General goals of the practicum were: (1) to design a learning styles training format for preschool teachers; (2) to provide teachers with factual information…

The Many Modes of Experience and Learning: The Grandmasters of ECE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elkind, David

2012-01-01

As defined by psychologists, learning is "the modification of behavior as the result of experience." The problem with this definition is that it leaves the term "experience" undefined. The major contributors to early childhood education theory and practice each had his or her own conception of the process of acquiring knowledge. The philosophers…

Machine learning techniques for fault isolation and sensor placement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carnes, James R.; Fisher, Douglas H.

1993-01-01

Fault isolation and sensor placement are vital for monitoring and diagnosis. A sensor conveys information about a system's state that guides troubleshooting if problems arise. We are using machine learning methods to uncover behavioral patterns over snapshots of system simulations that will aid fault isolation and sensor placement, with an eye towards minimality, fault coverage, and noise tolerance.

Selective aspiration or neurotoxic lesions of orbital frontal areas 11 and 13 spared monkeys’ performance on the object discrimination reversal task

PubMed Central

Kazama, Andy; Bachevalier, Jocelyne

2009-01-01

Damage to the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) has long been associated with reversal learning deficits in several species. In monkeys, this impairment follows lesions that include several OFC subfields. However, the different connectional patterns of OFC subfields together with neuroimaging data in humans have suggested that specific OFC areas play distinctive roles in processing information necessary to guide behavior (Kringelbach and Rolls, 2004; Barbas, 2007; Price, 2007). More specifically, areas 11 and 13 contribute to a sensory network, whereas medial areas 10, 14, and 25 are heavily connected to a visceromotor network. To examine the contribution of areas 11 and 13 to reversal learning, we tested monkeys with selective damage to these two OFC areas on two versions of the ODR task using either 1 or 5 discrimination problems. We compared their performance with that of sham-operated controls and of animals with neurotoxic amygdala lesions, which served as operated controls. Neither damage to areas 11 and 13 nor damage to the amygdala affected performance on the ODR tasks. The results indicate that areas 11 and 13 do not critically contribute to reversal learning and that adjacent damage to OFC subfields (10, 12, 14 and 25) could account for the ODR deficits found in earlier lesion studies. This sparing of reversal learning will be discussed in relation to deficits found in the same animals on tasks that measure behavioral modulation when relative value of affective (positive and negative) stimuli was manipulated. PMID:19261875

Behavioral Economic Measures of Alcohol Reward Value as Problem Severity Indicators in College Students

PubMed Central

Skidmore, Jessica R.; Murphy, James G.; Martens, Matthew P.

2014-01-01

The aims of the current study were to examine the associations among behavioral economic measures of alcohol value derived from three distinct measurement approaches, and to evaluate their respective relations with traditional indicators of alcohol problem severity in college drinkers. Five behavioral economic metrics were derived from hypothetical demand curves that quantify reward value by plotting consumption and expenditures as a function of price, another metric measured proportional behavioral allocation and enjoyment related to alcohol versus other activities, and a final metric measured relative discretionary expenditures on alcohol. The sample included 207 heavy drinking college students (53% female) who were recruited through an on-campus health center or university courses. Factor analysis revealed that the alcohol valuation construct comprises two factors: one factor that reflects participants’ levels of alcohol price sensitivity (demand persistence), and a second factor that reflects participants’ maximum consumption and monetary and behavioral allocation towards alcohol (amplitude of demand). The demand persistence and behavioral allocation metrics demonstrated the strongest and most consistent multivariate relations with alcohol-related problems, even when controlling for other well-established predictors. The results suggest that behavioral economic indices of reward value show meaningful relations with alcohol problem severity in young adults. Despite the presence of some gender differences, these measures appear to be useful problem indicators for men and women. PMID:24749779

Student and faculty perceptions of problem-based learning on a family medicine clerkship.

PubMed

McGrew, M C; Skipper, B; Palley, T; Kaufman, A

1999-03-01

The value of problem-based learning (PBL) in the preclinical years of medical school has been described widely in the literature. This study evaluates student and faculty perceptions of PBL during the clinical years of medical school, on a family medicine clerkship. Students used a 4-point scale to rate clerkship educational components on how well learning was facilitated. Faculty narratives of their perceptions of PBL were reviewed. Educational components that involved active learning by students--clinical activity, independent learning, and PBL tutorials--were ranked highest by students. Faculty perceived that PBL on the clerkship simulated "real-life" learning, included more behavioral and population issues, and provided substantial blocks of student contact time for improved student evaluation. Students and faculty in a family medicine clerkship ranked PBL sessions higher than any other nonclinical component of the clerkship. In addition to providing students with opportunities for self-directed learning, the PBL sessions provide faculty with more contact time with students, thereby enhancing the assessment of students' learning and progress.

[Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome secondary to a cerebellar tumour].

PubMed

Domínguez-Carral, J; Carreras-Sáez, I; García-Peñas, J J; Fournier-Del Castillo, C; Villalobos-Reales, J

2015-01-01

Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome is characterized by disturbances of executive function, impaired spatial cognition, linguistic difficulties, and personality change. The case of an 11 year old boy is presented, with behavior problems, learning difficulties and social interaction problems. In the physical examination he had poor visual contact, immature behavior, reduced expressive language and global motor disability with gait dyspraxia, with no defined cerebellar motor signs. In the neuropsychological evaluation he has a full scale overall intellectual quotient of 84, with signs of cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. A tumour affecting inferior cerebellar vermis was observed in the magnetic resonance imaging, which had not significantly grown during 5 years of follow up. The cerebellum participates in controlling cognitive and affective functions. Cerebellar pathology must be considered in the differential diagnosis of children with cognitive or learning disorder with associated behavioral and emotional components. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

What Is the Problem in Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahl, Bettina

2018-01-01

Problem and Project-Based Learning (PBL) emphasise collaborate work on problems relevant to society and emphases the relation between theory and practice. PBL fits engineering students as preparation for their future professions but what about mathematics? Mathematics is not just applied mathematics, but it is also a body of abstract knowledge…

Different Procedures for Solving Mathematical Word Problems in High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasco, Javier; Villarroel, Jose Domingo; Zuazagoitia, Dani

2014-01-01

The teaching and learning of mathematics cannot be understood without considering the resolution of word problems. These kinds of problems not only connect mathematical concepts with language (and therefore with reality) but also promote the learning related to other scientific areas. In primary school, problems are solved by using basic…

Anger and Approach Motivation in Infancy: Relations to Early Childhood Inhibitory Control and Behavior Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Jie; Degnan, Kathryn Amey; McDermott, Jennifer Martin; Henderson, Heather A.; Hane, Amie Ashley; Xu, Qinmei; Fox, Nathan A.

2010-01-01

The relations among infant anger reactivity, approach behavior, and frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry, and their relations to inhibitory control and behavior problems in early childhood were examined within the context of a longitudinal study of temperament. Two hundred nine infants' anger expressions to arm restraint were observed at 4…

Gender-related differences in learning in student-led PBL tutorials.

PubMed

Kassab, Salah; Abu-Hijleh, Marwan; Al-Shboul, Qasim; Hamdy, Hossam

2005-07-01

Male and female students behave differently in problem-based learning (PBL) tutorials. However, these differences could be partly attributed to faculty tutor behavior in male and female tutorials. This study aims to examine the gender differences in learning outcomes between medical students when peer tutors facilitate PBL tutorials. A questionnaire-based study conducted in single-gender student-led (SLT) and faculty-led (FLT) tutorials. The study involved third year medical students (n = 91) divided into ten groups (five groups each). The SLT groups consisted of 16 male and 28 female students, while the FLT group consisted of 20 male and 27 female students. Students evaluated their individual and group performance in tutorials and also skills of tutors. Student performance in end-unit examinations and their perceptions about peer tutoring were also analyzed. A total of 290 questionnaires (response rate = 63.7%) were collected over the five-week period of the study. Although individual performance in tutorials and achievement in examinations were comparable in both groups, there was significantly higher group performance in female compared with male student-led tutorials (p < 0.01). This difference between male and female groups was not attributed to improvement in the performance of female groups, but rather to a decline in performance of the male SLT groups. In addition, both male and female students expressed facing difficulties in discussion and analysis of the problem in the first tutorial session. Understanding the gender differences in the group behavior in student-led tutorials is important for PBL programs adopting this approach.

Gendered Practices of Constructing an Engineering Identity in a Problem-Based Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du, Xiang-Yun

2006-01-01

This article examines the learning experiences of engineering students of both genders in a problem-based and project-organized learning environment (PBL) at a Danish university. This study relates an amalgam of theories on learning and gender to the context of engineering education. Based on data from a qualitative study of an electrical and…

Eyes for Learning: Preventing and Curing Vision-Related Learning Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orfield, Antonia

2007-01-01

Dr. Orfield's highly readable guide on vision development presents ground-breaking solutions to common learning problems and is supported by substantial data. This holistic common sense--that most people do not know--is not just about vision but also how vision is interrelated with learning. It teaches how to care for a child's vision as well as…

More Than the Sum of Its Parts: A Role for the Hippocampus in Configural Reinforcement Learning.

PubMed

Duncan, Katherine; Doll, Bradley B; Daw, Nathaniel D; Shohamy, Daphna

2018-05-02

People often perceive configurations rather than the elements they comprise, a bias that may emerge because configurations often predict outcomes. But how does the brain learn to associate configurations with outcomes and how does this learning differ from learning about individual elements? We combined behavior, reinforcement learning models, and functional imaging to understand how people learn to associate configurations of cues with outcomes. We found that configural learning depended on the relative predictive strength of elements versus configurations and was related to both the strength of BOLD activity and patterns of BOLD activity in the hippocampus. Configural learning was further related to functional connectivity between the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens. Moreover, configural learning was associated with flexible knowledge about associations and differential eye movements during choice. Together, this suggests that configural learning is associated with a distinct computational, cognitive, and neural profile that is well suited to support flexible and adaptive behavior. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of response preference on resistance to change.

PubMed

Ringdahl, Joel E; Berg, Wendy K; Wacker, David P; Crook, Kayla; Molony, Maggie A; Vargo, Kristina K; Neurnberger, Jodi E; Zabala, Karla; Taylor, Christopher J

2018-01-01

Treatments based on differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, such as functional communication training, are widely used. Research regarding the maintenance of related treatment effects is limited. Nevin and Wacker (2013) provided a conceptual framework, rooted in behavioral momentum theory, for the study of treatment maintenance that addressed two components: (a) reemergence of problem behavior, and (b) continued expression of appropriate behavior. In the few studies on this topic, focus has been on variables impacting the reemergence of problem behavior, with fewer studies evaluating the persistence of appropriate behavior. Given the findings from applied research related to functional communication training, variables related to response topography, such as response preference, may impact this aspect of maintenance. In the current study, the impact of response preference on persistence was evaluated in the context of functional communication training for individuals who did not exhibit problem behavior (Experiment 1) and for individuals with a history of reinforcement for problem behavior (Experiment 2). High-preferred mands were more persistent than low-preferred mands. These findings suggest that response related variables, such as response preference, impact response persistence and further suggest that response related variables should be considered when developing interventions such as functional communication training. © 2018 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Educating dental students about diet-related behavior change: does experiential learning work?

PubMed

Taylor, George W; Stumpos, Madelyn L; Kerschbaum, Wendy; Inglehart, Marita Rohr

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore whether an experiential exercise in a nutrition class would a) increase dental students' motivation to change their own diet-related behavior, b) improve their understanding of theoretical concepts related to behavior change, and c) improve their attitudes towards educating their patients about diet-related behavior. Data were collected from 218 senior dental students in one dental school (2010: 106; 2011: 112) during their nutrition class. The students agreed at the beginning that it was important to change their own diet-related behavior. After one week, the majority agreed that they had changed how they felt and thought about the targeted behavior and what they actually did. After three weeks and at the end of the term, they rated the exercise as helpful for gaining a better understanding of health education theories. The majority indicated that the exercise had helped them understand the difficulty of diet-related behavior change and that it had increased their interest in helping patients change their diet-related behavior. In conclusion, this study suggests that experiential learning about diet-related behavior change is likely to affect students' own behavior positively and to result in increased understanding of behavior change theories and positive behavioral intentions concerning future health education efforts with patients.

Social Interaction in Infants’ Learning of Second-Language Phonetics: An Exploration of Brain-Behavior Relations

PubMed Central

Conboy, Barbara T.; Brooks, Rechele; Meltzoff, Andrew N.; Kuhl, Patricia K.

2015-01-01

Infants learn phonetic information from a second language with live-person presentations, but not television or audio-only recordings. To understand the role of social interaction in learning a second language, we examined infants’ joint attention with live, Spanish-speaking tutors and used a neural measure of phonetic learning. Infants’ eye-gaze behaviors during Spanish sessions at 9.5 – 10.5 months of age predicted second-language phonetic learning, assessed by an event-related potential (ERP) measure of Spanish phoneme discrimination at 11 months. These data suggest a powerful role for social interaction at the earliest stages of learning a new language. PMID:26179488

Integrating Best Practices in Positive Behavior Support and Clinical Psychology for a Child with Autism and Anxiety-Related Problem Behavior: A Clinical Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neufeld, Vanessa; Law, Kimberley C. Y.; Lucyshyn, Joseph M.

2014-01-01

This clinical case study investigated the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention for a child with autism and anxiety-related problem behavior that integrated components of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with positive behavior support (PBS). One child with autism and his family participated. The dependent variable was the number of steps…

Creating Avenues for Parent Partnership (CAPP): an intervention for parents of children with epilepsy and learning problems.

PubMed

Buelow, Janice M; Johnson, Cynthia S; Perkins, Susan M; Austin, Joan K; Dunn, David W

2013-04-01

Caregivers of children with both epilepsy and learning problems need assistance to manage their child's complex medical and mental health problems. We tested the cognitive behavioral intervention "Creating Avenues for Parent Partnership" (CAPP) which was designed to help caregivers develop knowledge as well as the confidence and skills to manage their child's condition. The CAPP intervention consisted of a one-day cognitive behavioral program and three follow-up group sessions. The sample comprised 31 primary caregivers. Caregivers reported that the program was useful (mean = 3.66 on a 4-point scale), acceptable (mean = 4.28 on a 5-point scale), and "pretty easy" (mean = 1.97 on a 4-point scale). Effect sizes were small to medium in paired t tests (comparison of intervention to control) and paired analysis of key variables in the pre- and post-tests. The CAPP program shows promise in helping caregivers build skills to manage their child's condition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying instructional tasks that occasion problem behaviors and assessing the effects of student versus teacher choice among these tasks.

PubMed

Vaughn, B J; Horner, R H

1997-01-01

Levels of problem behavior were assessed when 4 students with severe disabilities received instruction on preferred versus nonpreferred tasks and when tasks of each type were chosen by the teacher rather than by the student. In Phase 1, interview and direct observation assessments were conducted to identify relative preferences for academic tasks. In Phase 2, the effects of these lower preference and higher preference tasks on the rate of problem behavior were evaluated using a multielement design. The results showed that lower preference tasks were associated with higher rates of problem behaviors and that students, when given a choice, consistently selected the tasks that had been identified through interview and direct observation as higher preference. In Phase 3, we assessed whether allowing the students to choose between pairs of lower preference tasks or between pairs of higher preference tasks reduced problem behavior relative to a condition in which the teacher selected the same tasks. For 2 of 4 students, the rates of problem behavior were lower when students (rather than the teacher) selected the lower preference activity. Higher preference tasks for 3 students were associated with relatively low rates of problem behavior regardless of whether the student or the teacher selected the task.

Contraceptive Behavior and Adolescent Lifestyles: A Structural Modeling Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fortenberry, J. Dennis; And Others

1997-01-01

Relations of contraceptive behavior, problem behaviors, and health-protective behaviors were examined in an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of sexually active adolescents. Findings demonstrate substantial organization among adolescent health and problem behaviors and suggest that contraceptive behavior should be conceptualized…

Operant Conditioning and Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Noronha, Mario

A case study of a learning disabled 8-year-old with behavior disturbancs is presented to highlight the use of operant conditioning in cutting down educational costs and easing the teacher's class management problems. (CL)