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PubMed2002

Classroom goal structure and student disruptive behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Achievement goal theory suggests that the emphasis on mastery and performance goals in the classroom (the classroom goal structure) is related to students' patterns of learning and behaviour. This theory can offer a preventative holistic approach for dealing with students' disruptive behaviour. AIMS: The present study investigates whether the goal structure in the classroom is related to the incidence of disruptive behaviour. SAMPLE AND METHODS: A total of 388 ninth-grade students from 60 classrooms in five ethnically diverse high schools responded to surveys asking about the perceived goal structures, their personal achievement goals, and their involvement in disruptive behaviour in their maths classroom. Their maths teachers responded to surveys asking about their goal-related approaches to instruction. RESULTS: Using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM), at the student level, being male and having lower achievement was related to reports of disruptive behaviour. In addition, personal mastery goals were related to lower reports of disruptive behaviour and personal performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals were related to higher reports of disruptive behaviour. Disruptive behaviour also varied significantly between classrooms. Aggregated student perceptions of a mastery goal structure were related to a lower incidence, and aggregated student perceptions of a performance-approach goal structure were related to a higher incidence of disruptive behaviour. CONCLUSION: The implications of the findings to approaches for dealing with disruptive behaviour are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Staff reactions to self-injurious behaviours in learning disability services: attributions, emotional responses and helping.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to explore an amended version of Weiner's (e.g. Weiner, 1980) helping behaviour model potentially more specific to the context of care staff working with people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours. DESIGN: Key elements of the helping model (causal attributions, affective responses, and helping behaviour) were assessed using self-report questionnaires. In contrast to previous research, helping behaviour was conceptualized as behaviour more or less likely to reinforce challenging behaviours rather than as willingness to expend extra effort in helping. Furthermore, dimensions of positive and negative affect associated with challenging behaviour were used. METHOD: A total of 123 care staff in adult services viewed one of two videos depicting a person with learning disabilities engaging in self-injurious behaviour. Information about the behaviour's function was manipulated in order to assess reinforcing staff helping responses. Staff completed self-report scales immediately after viewing the video material. RESULTS: There was very little evidence for the predicted associations between causal attributions and both positive and negative affect, and only one significant association between affect and reinforcing helping responses. Given this lack of association, we did not fully test Weiner's prediction that affect would mediate the impact of causal attributions on helping. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that Weiner's helping model can be amended to account for staff working with challenging behaviour. Close examination of previous studies also reveals very few supportive data of Weiner's original formulation. Therefore, we discuss the potential utility of alternative models in addition to methodological and conceptual issues.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

The theory of planned behaviour: self-identity, social identity and group norms.

The aim of the present study was to examine further the role that self-identity plays in the theory of planned behaviour and, more specifically, to: (1) examine the combined effects of self-identity and social identity constructs on intention and behaviour, and (2) examine the effects of self-identity as a function of past experience of performing the behaviour. The study was concerned with the prediction of intention to engage in household recycling and reported recycling behaviour. A sample of 143 community residents participated in the study. It was prospective in design: measures of the predictors and intention were obtained at the first wave of data collection, whereas behaviour was assessed two weeks later. Self-identity significantly predicted behavioural intention, a relationship that was not dependent on the extent to which the behaviour had been performed in the past. As expected, there was also evidence that the perceived norm of a behaviourally relevant reference group was related to behavioural intention, but only for participants who identified strongly with the group, whereas the relationship between perceived behavioural control (a personal factor) and intention was strongest for low identifiers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Conscientiousness, emotional stability, perceived control and the frequency, recency, rate and years of blood donor behaviour.

OBJECTIVES: Personality factors were used to explore aspects of blood donor behaviour (a form of prosocial volunteer behaviour). Based on the Big 5 model of personality, a number of mediation (via perceived control) and moderation hypotheses linking personality to aspects of blood donor behaviour (frequency, recency, rate and years of past behaviour) were explored. DESIGN: A cross-section quasi-experimental survey of 630 blood donors. METHOD: Prior to donation, 630 donors completed measures of the Big 5 personality domains and donor history (frequency, recency, rate and years of past behaviour); after donation, they indicated levels of perceived procedural and emotional control. RESULTS: There was no evidence that perceived control mediates the relationship between personality and behaviour. However, donors were able to express control in a low control context. For males, the relationship between years as a donor and both the frequency and the rate of donation were stronger for those higher in conscientiousness (C), whereas for females, emotional stability (ES) acted as the moderator. Recency and frequency of past behaviour were orthogonal. DISCUSSION: The results extend previous work by showing that C (for males) and ES (for females) help to sustain behaviour over time. The recency and frequency of past behaviour assess qualitatively different aspects of past behaviour and this should be explored in future studies. These results have important practical implications for designing donor recruitment and retention interventions.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Steroidal interactions in the regulation of maternal behaviour in virgin female rats: effects of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, oestradiol, progesterone and the aromatase inhibitor, 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione.

The effects of exposure to concentrations of androgens, oestradiol (OE2) and progesterone similar to those found during pregnancy on the induction of maternal behaviour were investigated in female rats. In the first experiment the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) administered in combination with progesterone (using silicone elastomer capsules) on the induction of behavioural responsiveness towards young (crouching, retrieval and grouping of pups) were measured in ovariectomized virgin rats. Hormonally treated animals were exposed to testosterone or DHT from day 1 of treatment to the end of behavioural testing, while progesterone was administered for 10 days (days 3-13). Testing for maternal responsiveness began on day 14 and lasted until day 23. Significant reductions in latencies to show individual aspects of and complete maternal behaviour were found only in animals treated with a combination of testosterone and progesterone (range of mean latencies for showing one aspect of, to complete, maternal behaviour = 1.0-1.4 days). The mean latencies of the other hormonally treated animals ranged from 5 to 6 days and were similar to those of non-hormonally treated control rats. The second experiment examined the possibility that stimulation of maternal behaviour in animals given testosterone and progesterone resulted from the aromatization of testosterone to OE2. Ovariectomized virgin rats were implanted with capsules containing testosterone and other with the aromatase inhibitor, 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione (ATD) on day 1, and with progesterone capsules on day 3. Progesterone capsules were removed on day 13 and behavioural testing commenced on day 14. Treatment with testosterone and progesterone failed to stimulate maternal behaviour in rats treated with ATD. In a third study ovariectomized virgin rats were implanted with OE2 on day 1 and progesterone on day 3. The progesterone implants were removed on day 13 and testing began on day 14. Significant reductions in latencies to show all aspects of maternal behaviour were found in these rats. In a final study progesterone capsules remained in OE2- and progesterone-treated rats from day 3 until the completion of behavioural testing. The presence of progesterone implants throughout the test period (days 14-23) blocked the rapid onset of maternal responsiveness induced by removal of progesterone on day 13 shown in rats treated with OE2 plus progesterone in experiment 3. These data suggest that during gestation testosterone, through its conversion to OE2, synergizes with progesterone to help stimulate the development of the capacity of the female animal to respond maternally to young, a capacity unmasked by withdrawal of progesterone before parturition.

Androstatrienes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Yes, behaviour analysis can help, but do you know how to harness it?

Behaviour analysis procedures are gaining increasing acceptance as a viable form of treatment in traumatic head injury rehabilitation. This is based in part on the variety of sequelae that persons who have experienced a traumatic brain injury present, and the ability of behavioural procedures to address some of these issues. A second role for behaviour analysis is based on the techniques of learning and functional skill development which correlate well with the goals of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. Over the decades a number of effective learning procedures have been developed by behaviour analysts to help a variety of people with different capacities of learning develop new skills. A third role for behaviour analysis in rehabilitation is its emphasis on the use of functional measures when determining change and treatment outcome. In this manner treatment procedures and goals can be directly measured, allowing for precise management of intervention strategies. Ideally, this can help make treatment outcome more clinically efficient and cost-effective. Along with these promises come some limitations. As with any tool, behaviour analysis procedures are not all-encompassing and by themselves do not constitute proper rehabilitation. A behaviour analyst's perspective does not, and was never designed to, 'describe the world' or account for the entirety of human behaviour. Behaviour analysis represents a template for documenting and working with selected forms of human activity. Unfortunately it is frequently a misunderstood and often incorrectly applied technology. The purpose of this paper is to provide some insight into this field's development of some of the basic principles of behaviour analysis.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1986

Is type A behaviour a cause of coronary heart disease?

If claims that stress from work may cause coronary heart disease are true, then the medicolegal implications are serious. These claims may be derived from suggestions in the literature that factors in the environment can induce type A behaviour in individuals and thus increase an individual's risk of coronary heart disease. Type A behaviour has been described as the behaviour of an individual who is constantly struggling to reach poorly defined goals, in the shortest time possible, and with the added elements of hostility and aggression. Two major prospective, non-randomized studies which support this concept are examined and criticized. Another, the largest and most recent study that was both prospective and randomized (the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial), did not confirm the results of studies which showed a higher incidence of myocardial infarction, recurrent infarction and mortality in patients with type A behaviour when compared with patients with type B behaviour. Methods of defining behavioural types are not consistent and there is no relationship between behavioural patterns, as defined by "type", and the extent of coronary disease as defined by coronary angiography. Pathophysiological pathways that have been postulated between type A behaviour and coronary heart disease are discussed and it is concluded that there is no scientific proof of a link that has been established between them. Recent suggestions of other psychosocial causes of coronary heart disease include outwardly directed hostility and inwardly directed anger. A genetic determinant has also been suggested, wherein both type A behaviour and coronary heart disease have a common but parallel course. The inability to prove that type A behaviour causes coronary heart disease does not rule out the possibility that other psychosocial causes may be related to coronary artery disease.

Catecholamines↗
PubMed2000

The association between direct and relational bullying and behaviour problems among primary school children.

The prevalence of direct and relational bullying and their differential relationship to behaviour problems in young primary school children was investigated. Individual interviews were conducted with 1982 children aged 6 9 years (mean age 7.6 years) and 1639 parents completed the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire regarding behaviour problems of their children. Of the 1639 children with both data sets, 4.3% were direct bullies, 39.8 % victims, and 10.2% both bullied and were victimised frequently (bully/victims). The rates for relational bullying were 1.1% bullies, 37.9% victims, and 5.9% bully/victims. All children involved in direct bullying had significantly increased total behaviour problems, hyperactivity, conduct problems, and peer problem scores, and lower prosocial behaviour scores compared to those not involved in bullying (neutrals). Findings were similar for relational bullying involvement and behaviour problems for bully/victims and victims but less pronounced. Relational bullies had the lowest behaviour problem scores while being rated the least prosocially inclined children, consistent with the concept of a cool manipulator. Overall, direct bully/victims and children who were involved in both direct and relational bullying behaviour had the highest rates of behaviour problems. No relationship between victimisation and increased emotional problems were found. Those involved in bullying behaviour who show externalising and hyperactivity problems in primary school may be at increased risk for persistent conduct problems. Different interventions may be needed for those involved in relational bullying only, both direct and relational bullying, and those with additional behaviour problems.

Aggression↗
PubMed2001

Parents' observations of sexual behaviour in pre-school children.

UNLABELLED: This commentary on the Larsson and Svedin study of sexual behaviour in pre-school children, published in the present issue of Acta Paediatrica, centres around three questions: 1. How can normal sexual behaviour in children be distinguished from problematic behaviour? 2. What characterizes the sexual development of the normal child? 3. Can knowledge about normal and problematic sexual behaviour be used to screen for sexual abuse or to confirm cases of sexual victimization? It is recommended that the inventory used by the authors be standardized on a representative sample of Swedish children, because this would enhance its usefulness in distinguishing normal from problematic behaviour. It is further recommended that research about sexual development in children be based on person-oriented rather than on variable-oriented analyses. It is finally argued that knowledge about normal and problematic sexual behaviour may not contribute to more effective screening or confirmation procedures in suspicions of sexual abuse. However, knowledge about normal sexual behaviour is valuable in studies of sexual behaviour in different categories of children, e.g. in the developmentally delayed or psychosocially deprived. CONCLUSION: By helping to identify problematic sexual behaviour in individual children, a standardized inventory could guide professionals in detecting possible psychological problems accompanying the behaviour.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed2001

Sexual behaviour in Swedish preschool children, as observed by their parents.

UNLABELLED: Issues of what constitutes normal and healthy childhood sexual behaviour have acquired new implications in the light of child sexual abuse. Increased knowledge in this area is therefore of vital importance and studies in different countries are needed. In the present study parents of 231 children aged 3-6 y were asked to answer questionnaires about their child's behaviour at home. The questionnaire consisted of four sections: demographic data, a general behaviour checklist, a sexual behaviour inventory, and attitudinal questions to the parents. The results showed that children in Sweden exhibit a wide range of sexual behaviour, most of them developmentally related. Some behaviour appeared to be very rare in a normative sample of preschool children and included behaviours usually referred to as sexualized and problematic. Reports on sexual behaviour in the children were also related to general behaviour reports, the parent's socioeconomic level, parental attitudes towards child sexuality and the openness of family habits. CONCLUSION: There is a need for further national studies in different settings, to help create a better understanding of what constitutes both normative and deviant sexual behaviour in children.

Child↗
PubMed2003

Cholecystokinin receptor subtypes: role in the modulation of anxiety-related and reward-related behaviours in animal models.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is an abundant and widely distributed neuropeptide that plays a modulatory role in a variety of behaviours. This paper focuses on the role of CCK in modulating anxiety-related and reward-related behaviours in key brain regions of the amygdala and mesolimbic dopamine system, respectively. The role of CCK in mediating aspects of these behaviours has been studied in a variety of behavioural paradigms, but inconsistent results have led to confusion regarding the precise role of the receptor subtypes in mediating behaviour. The confusion in the literature may come in part from the diverse behavioural paradigms that are used, the differences in regional effects of CCK manipulations in different areas and at different receptor subtypes in these areas and the dependence of the behavioural outcome on the baseline state of arousal of the animal. Evidence on the role of CCK in anxiety-related and reward-related behaviours in various animal models indicates that CCK-B receptors in the basolateral amygdala are important mediators of anxiety-related behaviours and that CCK-A and CCK-B receptors in the nucleus accumbens are important in mediating different aspects of reward-related behaviour. Emphasis is placed upon the role of CCK as a neuromodulator that is recruited only under conditions of high frequency neuronal firing.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Behavioural endocrinology and reproduction: an evolutionary perspective.

It is a fact that those interested in immediate causation tend to be unaware of the great advances in evolutionary biology. Similarly, most scientists interested in ecological and evolutionary questions ignore advances in neurobiology and molecular biology. Quite simply, 'reductionists see little to be gained from holistic studies, and whole organism biologists do not recognize the value of molecular analysis' (Prosser 1986). This philosophical gap and lack of communication between molecular and physiological biologists with organismal and evolutionary biologists makes it difficult to be a generalist. Yet if we are to understand past, present, and perhaps even future behaviour, we must study how the different levels of biological organization are integrated. If done with foresight, it can lead to new discoveries not only in evolution and ecology, but also in physiology and even molecular biology. One of the first things we are impressed by is the great variety of animals, particularly their behaviours and their physiologies. With so many differences, are there any generalities? With the establishment of evolutionary theory, evidence that there is 'unity in diversity' has come with discoveries of common anatomical features, the cell cycle, conservation of intermediary metabolism, and the genetic code, to name but a few. While in vertebrates there appears to be a conservation of the neural circuits underlying sex behaviour, it is still too early to state the extent to which this concept can be extended to the hormonal mechanisms underlying behaviour. This chapter has documented how some widely-held assumptions are generalities only in a very restricted sense. I have tried to show how much of our conceptual understanding of the behavioural endocrinology stems from extensive studies on relatively few species. According to (Beach 1979), there are '... two cardinal rules that should govern not only the construction of animal models for human behaviour, but for all interspecific comparisons regardless of the behaviour and the species involved. The first rule is that meaningful comparisons are based not upon the formal characteristics of behaviour, but upon its causal mechanisms and functional outcomes.... The second rule is that the validity of interspecific generalization cannot exceed the reliability of intraspecific analysis. Significant comparison of a particular type of behaviour in two different species is impossible unless and until the behaviour has been adequately analyzed in each species by itself.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Behaviour changes in dementia. 1: Point of entry data of a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This article analyses behaviour changes in dementia at the point of entry to a longitudinal study. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal study of behaviour in dementia, with autopsy follow-up. SETTING: Subjects with dementia, living at home with a carer. All lived in Oxfordshire, UK. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-seven people with dementia (Alzheimer's disease and/or vascular dementia) who were living at home with a carer. MEASURES: At 4-monthly intervals, the carers were interviewed and the subjects with dementia were assessed cognitively. Subjects' behaviour was assessed using the Present Behavioural Examination. This is an investigator-based, semi-structured interview consisting of eight main sections covering many different aspects of behaviour. The 121 main questions, with 66 further 'nested' questions, have been shown to have high reliability. RESULTS: This article analyses the types of behaviour change reported by carers at the point of entry to this long-term study. Few correlations were found between behaviour and age, gender and time since onset of dementia. Some types of behaviour were significantly more prevalent in those with greater cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Many of these changes create problems for carers, for example increased aggressive behaviour, wandering, wakefulness at night, incontinence and persecutory ideas. In general, they are more prevalent in people with more severe dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Direct analysis of candidate genes in impulsive behaviours.

Antisocial behaviour is both heterogeneous and the product of interacting genetic and environmental factors acting at different levels of causation. Heritability studies show that individual differences in predisposition to antisocial behaviour are transmitted vertically in families by genetic mechanisms. Owing to aetiological heterogeneity and complexity, study of a variety of other behavioural phenotypes may shed more light on the antecedents of antisocial behaviour than direct studies on antisocial behaviour. Identification of genetic vulnerability factors would clarify mechanisms of vulnerability and the role of the environment. Direct gene analysis and genetic linkage analysis have identified structural variants in genes involved in neurotransmitter function, and some progress has been made towards relating these genetic variants to antisocial personality and other behaviours. Thyroid hormone receptor variants can cause attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and a monoamine oxidase A variant leads to aggressive behaviour in one family. Direct gene analyses have revealed non-conservative amino acid substitutions and structural variants (generally rare) at DRD2, DRD3 and DRD4 dopamine receptors and 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C and 5-HT7 serotonin receptors. The stage is set to identify the phenotypic significance of these as well as genetic variants at other loci which may be relevant as candidate genes for antisocial behaviour and related behavioural differences.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

MAOA deficiency and abnormal behaviour: perspectives on an association.

We have recently described an association between abnormal behaviour and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) deficiency in several males from a single large Dutch kindred. Affected males differed from unaffected males by borderline mental retardation and increased impulsive behaviour (aggressive behaviour, abnormal sexual behaviour and arson). Nevertheless, a specific psychiatric diagnosis was not made in four affected males who had psychiatric examination. Since MAOA deficiency raises 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels, it provides an interesting exception to the low 5-HT paradigm of impulsive aggression. Even if the possible relationship between MAOA deficiency and abnormal behaviour is confirmed in other kindreds, the data do not support the hypothesis that MAOA constitutes an "aggression gene'. In fact, because genes are essentially simple and behaviour is by definition complex, a direct causal relationship between a single gene and a specific behaviour is highly unlikely. In the case of MAOA deficiency, some of the complexities are illustrated by the variability in the behavioural phenotype, as well as by the highly complex effects of MAOA deficiency on neurotransmitter function. Thus, the concept of a gene that directly encodes behaviour is unrealistic.

Aggression↗
PubMed2003

Childhood behaviour as related to subsequent drinking offences and violent offending: a prospective study of 11- to 14-year-old youths into their fourth decade.

BACKGROUND: Childhood hyperactivity has previously been found to be closely connected to subsequent alcohol problems and violent offending among men considered to be without major mental disorders. For others, these associations might be moderated or confounded by other factors, predominantly comorbid conduct disorder. AIMS: The purpose of the study was to investigate aspects of childhood hyperactive behaviour in relation to alcohol or violent offences in adult life, taking the possible confounders of early criminality and aggressive behaviour into account. Method A total of 192 young male law breakers and 95 non-criminal controls were followed from age 11-14 years into their thirties. Information on aspects of hyperactivity, aggressive behaviour, early criminality and later offences was included in the analyses. RESULTS: The results supported the hypothesis that aspects of childhood hyperactive behaviour were significantly associated with later drinking offences and violent offending. Further analyses revealed attention difficulties to be the component of hyperactivity most contributing to the relationship. When taking possible confounding variables into consideration, attention difficulties were related to subsequent violent offending among boys with early criminality, independently of early aggressive behaviour. Early criminality, attention difficulties and aggressive behaviour, however, often co-occurred in the same individual. Subsequent drinking offences or violent offending appeared seven times more often among individuals with all early behavioural problems as compared with those who had no such problems. CONCLUSION: Complex antisocial behaviours in adult life commonly represent persistence of complex childhood behavioural difficulties, but among young law breakers there does appear to be a subgroup of boys with a main problem of attention difficulties who go on to violent offending, even in the absence of early manifestation of aggression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Agitated behaviours among the institutionalized elderly with dementia: validation of the Korean version of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the factor structure, the criterion validity, the internal consistency, inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability of the Korean version of Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, to provide data on the frequency and distribution of agitated behaviours, and to compare patterns of agitated behaviours among the institutionalized elderly with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or Vascular dementia (VaD). METHODS: The Korean version of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI-K) was administered to a total of 257 elderly with AD or VaD in a nursing home in Seoul, Korea. Three kinds of reliability and criterion validity were tested. Factor analysis using principal component analysis with the varimax rotation was performed. To identify different patterns of agitated behaviours, multiple logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: This study demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity for the CMAI-K as an instrument measuring agitation in Korean dementia sufferers in nursing homes. Eighty-three percent of the subjects manifested one or more agitated behaviours at least once a week. Factor analysis yielded four subtypes of agitation: physically aggressive behaviours, physically nonaggressive behaviours, verbally agitated behaviours, and hiding/hoarding behaviours. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the CMAI-K is a reliable and valid instrument to measure agitated behaviours in Korean elderly with AD or VaD. These results validate and expand previous research on the agitation in dementia, and guide in the development of interventions.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

An evaluation of sexual behaviour change using statistical and cognitive models. The AIDS Community Demonstration Projects.

We evaluate sexual behaviour change among homosexual men enrolled in the cohorts in four AIDS Community Demonstration Projects. Behaviour change is classified following the stages of behaviour change model and described using a Markov model. Predictors of behaviour change are identified and evaluated using logit models for correlated data. Sexual behaviour change within the cohort could be modelled as a first-order Markov process. In addition, predictors suggested by models of health behaviour were correlated with particular patterns of sexual behaviour change. Our evaluation revealed a variety of patterns of sexual behaviour change in the cohorts and suggests multi-faceted interventions for promotion of behaviour change.

Adult↗