Applied Clinical Psychology – serie

Since the early 1800's, children have been taught and encouraged to function as instructional agents for their classroom peers. However, it was not until the last decade that peer-mediated intervention was studied in a rigorous, systematic fashion. The purpose of this edited volume is to provide an up-to-date and complete account of empirical research that addresses the general efficacy of classroom peers as behavior change agents. As a result of various social and legal developments, such as the passage of Public Law 94-142 and its accompanying demand for indi­ vidualized instruction, peer-mediated interventions seem likely to prolif­ erate. As I have noted elsewhere (Strain, this volume), close adherence to the principle of individualized programming has rendered obsolete the "adults only" model of classroom instruction. Whether the utilization of peers in the instructional process comes to be viewed by school personnel as a positive adjunct to daily classroom practices depends in large mea­ sure on our ability to carefully design, conduct, and communicate the findings of applied research. I trust that this volume will function both to accurately communicate existing findings and to stimulate further study. My colleagues who have generously contributed their time and skill to this volume have my deepest appreciation. They have performed their various tasks in a timely, professional manner and, in my opinion, have provided considerable insight into the problems and potentials of peers as instructional agents.

This guidebook has been developed as a skill-training package to teach psychologists, counselors, social workers, and other applied­ mental-health professionals a model for the delivery of behavioral interventions through a behavioral consultation approach. This train­ ing guide is an abridged version of the skills taught as part of a behavioral consultation model. As such it is not intended to be an exhaustive program in behavioral consultation. Usually, consultation skills are taught over a period of several months in university training programs. Also, the most successful use of the guidebook can be accom­ plished only with prerequisite training in behavioral analysis and assessment as a method of delivering psychological services. Thus, individuals using this guidebook should obtain supervised training in this area. The book is also designed to accompany Bergan and Kratochwill (1990). Some individuals may have a background in behavioral assess­ ment and intervention. In this case, the use of this guidebook can provide the user who has not been exposed to the specifics of the behavioral consultation approach valuable information regarding in­ terviewing forms of assessment and intervention. Such activities can be extremely useful when incorporated into regular clinical work in applied settings and supplemented with other assessment and inter­ vention methods. Given the importance of successful interviewing in applied settings, a major clinical tool should be available after careful study of this guidebook.

Behavioral assessment is a psychological assessment paradigm that emphasizes empirically supported, multimethod and multi-informant assessment of specific, observable behaviors and contemporaneous causal variables in the natural environment. The behavioral assessment paradigm stresses the use of well-validated assessment instruments and assumptions that social/environmental, cognitive, and physiological variables are often important sources of behavior variance.The behavioral assessment paradigm has had a major influence on the field of psychological assessment. It has affected the way research on the causes of behavior disorders is conducted, the way treatment processes and outcomes are evaluated, and the way treatment decisions are made. The goal of this book is to present the characteristics and underlying assumptions of the behavioral assessment paradigm and to show how they affect the strategies of behavioral assessment. Although all of the concepts and strategies discussed in this book are applicable in the research, this book focuses on the use of behavioral assessment to guide clinical judgements.

Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are dielectric liquids which have been widely used in various industries for more than 50 years because of their supposed nonflammabi 1 i ty and thei r chemical inertness. Recent acc idents all over the world have shown PCBs can burn and their combustion by­ products (dioxines, furanes, etc.) are highly toxic. In fact, confusion has been created in the pub 1 ie mind between the dangers and hazards induced by PCBs themselves and those generated by their byproducts. Meanwhile, PCB pollution and toxicity is a major concern for regulating agencies, such as EPA in the United States and industry. Most Western countries now ban PCB production and strictly control their use. However, enormous amounts of PCB remain in use and their safe handling, destruction and replacement are heavy burdens for industrial users. PCB pollution and its side effects are the subject of various studies with recent conferences devoted to these PCB studies. Thus a large body of specialized information now exists on the environmental, medical, bio­ logical and safety aspects of PCB handling, use, cleaning and decontami­ nation. However, no single comprehensive publication is yet available which deals with all the problems associated with PCBs. The major objective of the present book is to provide such a guide for PCB users. One interest of this book is that it brings together the point of view of scientists from widely different backgrounds: biologists, physicians, environmentalists, toxicologists, chemists, electrical engineers, etc.

Contemporary behavior therapy encompasses diverse conceptual positions, clinical and applied problems, and intervention techniques. Behavior therapy has spread to several disciplines to provide substantive concepts and procedures as well as methodological tenets regarding how intervention techniques are to be evaluated. The proliferation of behavior therapy research has produced a plethora of texts. Typically texts review the history of particular treatments and detail contemporary advances. The historical underpinnings are often emphasized with the heavily labored view that in order to understand where one is going, it is important to understand where one has been. To be sure, historical roots of behavior therapy are important to document. However, a given history might have many different outcomes. Similarly, the current status of par­ ticular areas is frequently reviewed. Sometimes the number of reviews seems to approach or exceed the number of sound studies that there are to be reviewed. A review of current work is obviously essential but leaves open major questions of where the work will all lead. A valuable addition to ex­ isting reviews would be information that points in a prescriptive or explicit way to areas that are likely to be important in future work. The present book is unique in its approach and focus. Brief reviews of contemporary advances are provided in diverse areas of behavior therapy and serve as a point of departure to chart emerging trends and future direc­ tions.

The NATO ADVANCED SUMMER INSTITUTE ON THEORETICAL PHYSICS 1981 st was held in Freiburg, Germany from August 31 until September 11th 1981. It was the twelfth in a series of Summer Institutes organized by German Universities. Its main objective was a thorough comparison of structures and methods of two different branches of Theoretical Physics, name­ ly Elementary Particle Physics and Statistical Mechanics, and the idea was to exhibit the structural similarities, to trace them until their origins, to compare solution and approximation schemes and to report on those new results and methods in either of the two branches which are indicative of an intimate connection between them. Thus stimulation of a deeper understanding and development of new Methods could be hoped for in both fields. The contributions to the Summer Institute - lectures and seminars - are contained in this volume. One group of them gives concise up-to-date information on basic topics in Statistical Mechanics and Phase Transitions, Dynamical Systems, Solvable Lattice Models and Lattice Gauge The­ ories. A second group is devoted to special topics which illustrate the interrelationship between Statistical Mechanics and Elementary Particle Physics, like topological quantum numbers on a lattice, model studies on the confinement problem, etc. Supplementary information on experimental implications and on neighbouring fields is provided in a third group.

Behavioral assessment is a psychological assessment paradigm that emphasizes empirically supported, multimethod and multi-informant assessment of specific, observable behaviors and contemporaneous causal variables in the natural environment. The behavioral assessment paradigm stresses the use of well-validated assessment instruments and assumptions that social/environmental, cognitive, and physiological variables are often important sources of behavior variance.The behavioral assessment paradigm has had a major influence on the field of psychological assessment. It has affected the way research on the causes of behavior disorders is conducted, the way treatment processes and outcomes are evaluated, and the way treatment decisions are made. The goal of this book is to present the characteristics and underlying assumptions of the behavioral assessment paradigm and to show how they affect the strategies of behavioral assessment. Although all of the concepts and strategies discussed in this book are applicable in the research, this book focuses on the use of behavioral assessment to guide clinical judgements.

Since the early 1800's, children have been taught and encouraged to function as instructional agents for their classroom peers. However, it was not until the last decade that peer-mediated intervention was studied in a rigorous, systematic fashion. The purpose of this edited volume is to provide an up-to-date and complete account of empirical research that addresses the general efficacy of classroom peers as behavior change agents. As a result of various social and legal developments, such as the passage of Public Law 94-142 and its accompanying demand for indi­ vidualized instruction, peer-mediated interventions seem likely to prolif­ erate. As I have noted elsewhere (Strain, this volume), close adherence to the principle of individualized programming has rendered obsolete the "adults only" model of classroom instruction. Whether the utilization of peers in the instructional process comes to be viewed by school personnel as a positive adjunct to daily classroom practices depends in large mea­ sure on our ability to carefully design, conduct, and communicate the findings of applied research. I trust that this volume will function both to accurately communicate existing findings and to stimulate further study. My colleagues who have generously contributed their time and skill to this volume have my deepest appreciation. They have performed their various tasks in a timely, professional manner and, in my opinion, have provided considerable insight into the problems and potentials of peers as instructional agents.