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Biomedical subjects

A J Finch

Publications and source records attributed to A J Finch.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Learned helplessness: effects of noncontingent reinforcement and response cost with emotionally disturbed children.

In order to investigate the effectiveness of noncontingent reinforcement and response cost in inducing learned helplessness and to determine whether depressed Ss respond differently than nondepressed Ss, 28 emotionally disturbed children (20 boys, 8 girls) were tested in a modified learned helplessness paradigm. Children's Depression Inventory score and diagnosis were each used to distinguish "depressed" and "nondepressed" children. Half of the depressed group and half of the nondepressed group received noncontingent response cost, the other half of the two groups received noncontingent positive reinforcement. Results indicated that both noncontingent response cost and noncontingent reinforcement led to reduced persistence time relative to persistence under conditions of contingent reinforcement. There was only one significant difference between depressed and nondepressed Ss (differential persistence time over trials) and there were no significant interactions. Results were discussed in terms of Seligman's formulation of learned helplessness and the extension of this model to a clinical child population.

Achievement↗
PubMed1984

Heart surgery in infants: a preliminary assessment of maternal adaptation.

The present investigation was undertaken to determine the effects on the mother of having a child undergo heart surgery. Three groups of subjects were recruited and included mothers of infants undergoing heart surgery (Heart Surgery group), mothers of infants admitted on an emergency basis for nonsurgical/nonterminal illness (Inpatient Control), and mothers of infants visiting the pediatrician for well baby checks (Outpatient Control). Data were collected at three times: PRE, the day of admission; POST, the 7th day of admission or day of discharge (whichever came first); and FOLLOW-UP, 2 months after discharge. Relative to the other two groups, a differential attrition rate was evidenced in the Inpatient Control group and this finding is discussed. Given the attrition rate, analyses after PRE involved the Heart Surgery and Outpatient Control. Findings indicate that, relative to the Outpatient Control group, the Heart Surgery group reported greater distress at FOLLOW-UP than at any other time. The distress that was reported involved disruption in the family environment. Results of the analyses are discussed as consistent with posttraumatic stress theory.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1983

A multimethod approach to measuring anger in children.

In order to investigate the relationship between self-reported anger, peer-report of anger, teacher ratings of anger, and the presence of anger management problems in emotionally disturbed children, 38 children in a psychiatric hospital served as subjects. Results indicated that there was a significant relationship between a child's self-report score obtained on the Children's Inventory of Anger and his or her behavior as perceived by peers and as presented at the time of admission to the hospital. Teacher ratings were related to peer reports but not to either self-report or the presenting problems that brought the child to the hospital. Results were discussed in terms of their implications for future research and the need to view anger from different perspectives.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Developmental differences in Bender-Gestalt recall of children with learning and behavior problems.

To investigate the visual-memory ability of children referred for psychological evaluations of academic and/or behavior problems, 135 children were administered the Bender-Gestalt and then asked to reproduce as many designs from memory as they could. Analysis indicated that the number of designs recalled increased with age and Performance IQ but not Full Scale IQ. Results were discussed in terms of the importance of considering developmental level when evaluating children and the establishment of rough cut-off scores on recall of the Bender-Gestalt designs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Reflection-impulsivity and WISC-R performance in behavior-problem children.

Forty-three emotionally disturbed children, ranging in age from 8 years, 3 months, to 15 years, 6 months, were divided into two groups, impulsive and reflective, on the basis of their cognitive style as measured by the Matching Familiar Figures Test and administered the Wechsler Intellectual Scale for Children-Revised. Reflective children scored significantly higher than the impulsive children on Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, Full Scale IQ, and Kaufman's Perceptual Organization factor. The two groups did not differ significantly on the Freedom from Distractibility or Verbal Comprehension factors. Results were discussed in terms of their relationship to previous findings, with particular attention to factor analytic research with behavior problem children that did not find a Freedom from Distractibility factor and could account for the present findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Multidimensionality of the Nowicki-Strickland locus of control scale for adults.

In order to investigate the dimensionality of the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale (ANS-IE), the responses of 120 undergraduate psychology majors were subjected to one principal components factor analysis using Kaiser's varimax criterion, Five meaningful factors emerged which accounted or 80.6% of the total variance. Results were discussed in terms of their similarity to other factor analyses using the children's version of this scale and to a factor analysis of the ANS-IE (chandler & Dugovics, 1977) which used a modified response format.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1980

Impulsivity and persistence in adult inpatient "impulse" offenders.

Related cognitive tempo, self-report measures, and ratings of behavior to task persistence and persistence in treatment in adult inpatient/drug/alcohol/sex ("impulse") offenders (N = 43). Matching Familiar Figures test latencies and self-control scale scores were related to task persistance, but only the behavior ratings produced significant relationships with persistence in treatment. Although cognitively impulsive Ss were less task persistent than reflectives, impulsive and reflective Ss did not differ on self-reported locus of control and self-control, on the behavioral ratings, or on persistence in treatment. Behavioral ratings were most efficient for making predictions about persistence in treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Cognitive style in adults: task alternatives, task strategy, and time estimation.

Increasing the number of task alternatives in a match-to-sample problem led to longer decision times in cognitively reflective but not in cognitively impulsive adults. Impulsives, as compared to reflectives, were found to verbalize less "thinking out loud" coded verbal behavior, to endorse less motivation for success and more motivation for speed, and to consistently underestimate time (i.e., periods of 10, 20, & 60 seconds). The present results suggest a latency-related response inhibition deficit in cognitively impulsive adults. The potential of a cognitive-behavioral treatment strategy is considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Short form and factor-analytic studies of the WISC-R with behavior problem children.

Two analyses of the WISC-R protocols of 100 children referred for behavioral problems in school were conducted to study (a) the utility of a variety of WISC short forms and (b) the factor structure of the WISC-R. Although the correlations between short form and WISC-R IQs were highly significant, mean differences and a high percentage of IQ classification changes indicated that the short forms were not acceptable WISC-R substitutes. Different factor analyses consistently evidenced two factors, Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization, which corresponded perfectly to the Verbal and Performance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Analyses of changes in verbal behavior following a cognitive-behavioral treatment for impulsivity.

Analyses were conducted to examine further the results of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for impulsivity in emotionally disturbed children (Kendall & Finch, 1978). The verbal behaviors of treated impulsive children, impulsive controls, and reflective children, recorded during MFF performance at pretreatment, posttreatment, and follow-up, were examined. The results indicated nonsignificant effects for several specific codes; however, the impulsive children that had received treatment evidenced a significant increase in total on-task verbal behavior at posttreatment. Discussion includes a consideration of these findings in regard to the efficacy of the cognitive-behavioral treatment and the need for research on the assessment of cognitive variables in children.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1978

Effects of task difficulty on state-trait anxiety in emotionally disturbed children.

In order to investigate the effects of a difficult vs. easier task on state-trait anxiety in emotionally disturbed children (N = 30 boys and girls), older (mean age 12.81) and younger (mean age 9.89) groups were exposed to two lists of nonsense syllables, varying on meaningfulness (0% vs. 100%) with measures of A-State and A-Trait anxiety being obtained during a no-stress period and immediately after each list. The results indicated that the younger group did not show any difference in A-State following the two lists, while the older group showed significantly more A-State increase following the difficult list. Results were discussed in terms of previous research, and in terms of possible explanations for the differences between the reactions of the older and younger children.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1977

Anxiety and mood states in delinquent adolescents.

Studied the relationship between state-trait anxiety and mood states in deliquents by giving the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) (Spielberger, 1973) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) (McNair, Lorr, & Droppleman, 1971) to 41 behavior problem adolescents who were residents of a facility for youthful offenders. Results indicated that males and females did not differ significantly. The A-State portion of the STAIC was correlated significantly with the Vigor-Activity and Anger-Hostility portions of the POMS as well as the Total Mood Disturbance index. On the other hand, the A-Trait portion of the STAIC was correlated significantly with the Depression-Dejection, the Tension-Anxiety, and the Fatigue-Inertia portions of the POMS as well as the Total Mood Disturbance index. Findings were discussed in terms of their relationship to previous research and in terms of the differences in conception of affective states presented by Spielberger (1973) and McNair et al. (1971).

Adolescent↗