A self-control classroom for hyperactive children.

In this study we investigated the effectiveness of a package of self-control procedures in a classroom with six hyperactive boys ages 7 to 10. A within-subjects reversal design was used. Measures of on-task behavior and class misbehavior, as well as measures of activity level, were recorded. Results indicated that the self-control package was effective in improving misbehavior and attention to tasks during the individual seat work but not during group instruction. Activity level was not affected by the treatment. Changes in the schedule of self-monitoring for the boys in the class produced an increase in variability and some deterioration in their behavior. Those boys of lower mental age seemed most affected by the schedule shift.

Types of private speech produced by hyperactive and nonhyperactive boys.

Types and amount of private speech (audible talking that is not addressed to another person) were assessed during the free play of 16 hyperactive and 16 nonhyperactive boys. Verbalizations were coded into nine categories that denoted the boys' level of use of verbal control of their own behavior (Luria, 1961; Kohlberg, Yeager, & Hjertholm; 1968). Differences in amount and type of private speech between hyperactive and nonhyperactive boys were found to indicate that hyperactive boys may be presenting a specific or general cognitive lag in development. Treatment ramifications are discussed.

The selective attention of learning-disabled children: three studies.

Three studies were performed to assess the selective attention of learning-disabled (LD) children. In the first study, 10 LD and 16 non-LD children were given the Speeded Classification task. LD children sorted cards more slowly than non-LD children, and children in both groups had trouble ignoring irrelevant information. Non-LD children became more accurate across trials, while LD children did not. In the second study, one group of 13 LD children was taught to accompany their Speeded Classification sorting verbally in an attempt to improve their performance; the other group of LD children (n = 12) received no such instruction. The experimental group, however, showed poorer performance across trials compared with the control group. In the third study, the children from Experiments 1 and 2 were given the Central-Incidental Learning Task. Older children learned more central memory items than younger children and, LD children learned more incidentally than non-LD children.

Behavioral correlates of the hyperactivity factor of the Conners Teacher Questionnaire.

The present study assesses whether ratings on the Conners Teacher Questionnaire, Hyperactivity Factor, corresponded to observed behavioral and attitudinal differences in hyperactive and nonhyperactive males. Boys in the present study were rated on the questionnaire and then observed in a free-play situation. The boys' scores on the Teacher Questionnaire were later compared with their activity level, judgments about their behavior, and interview questions about their experience in the study. Several of these measures were found to correlate significantly with the Teacher Questionnaire scores, suggesting that it successfully taps observable dimensions of hyperactivity in novel situations.

Behavioral differences in the interactions between Type A and B mothers and their children.

Fifty-seven women participating in a study of family reorganization following parental separation were grouped as Type A or B on the basis of the Jenkins Activity Survey. They were observed interacting with their children during two tasks, one of which elicited more directive and involved interaction than the other. Type A mothers were particularly directive, especially when interacting with sons and during the task-oriented condition. Although children's behavior was coded and analyzed as a function of mothers' Type A or B status, few differences in children's behavior were found.

Assessing and facilitating play in handicapped children.

The importance of using the play period in an educational curriculum to promote social and cognitive growth is discussed, especially as it pertains to handicapped children. Facilitation and stimulation of play at the child's current level of functioning is advocated. A sample play programme is discussed as an illustration of how problems in planning can be handled. A list of decision points and important factors to consider in planning for play is then provided.

Differences in attitudes toward sex-typed behavior of nonretarded and retarded children.

The present study was an initial attempt at understanding gender constancy in retarded children. Stories about retarded or nonretarded boys or girls were given to teachers and caretakers of retarded children and teachers of nonretarded children. The stories described children in four sex-stereotyped activities. Respondents rated each child in the stories on scales of typicality and acceptability. Results indicated that, while nonretarded children were rated as typical when engaging in sex-appropriate, desirable play activities, retarded children were rated as typical when engaging in undesirable activities, regardless of sex appropriateness. Different professional groups appeared to use different criteria when judging the children in the stories.

ACTH4-10: cognitive and behavioral effects in hyperactive, learning-disabled children.

A single dose of 30 mg i.m. ACTH4-10 or placebo was given to a sample of 20 hyperactive, learning-disabled children. No significant drug effects were obtained on measures of visual and auditory memory, new learning, impulsivity, attention, perceptual motor skills, anxiety, or behavior during testing. There was a slight increase in pulse rate for drug compared with the placebo group. These findings are in keepeing witth other recent reports of limited or insignificant cognitive effects in adults of a single dose of this peptide.