bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Skill versus Use in the Recovery of Motor Function after Stroke
Authors: Nudo Randolph J.
Published: December 2014

Skilled motor behaviors are accomplished through the coordinated activity of several sensory and motor structures that are widely distributed across the cerebral cortex. A major neuroscientific advance over the past 20 years has been the recognition that these cortical structures are functionally and structurally plastic throughout life. Remarkably, as new motor skills are learned, cortical neurons alter their response properties, creating a new functional topography. Likewise, after the cerebral cortex is injured, as might occur in stroke, the remaining cortical tissue alters its function based on post-injury behavioral experience. These new findings from both animal model and human neuroimaging studies have important implications for the design of rehabilitation strategies after brain injury. In this review, the author provides an overview of standard motor learning paradigms, the cortical structures involved in the motor learning process, and the evidence for plasticity in the cerebral cortex of both normal and injured brains.
Culture and the Construction of Habits in Daily Life: Implications for the Successful Development of Children with Disabilities
Authors: Harkness Sara , Super Charles M. , Sutherland Mary A. , Blom Marjolijn J. M. , Moscardino Ughetta , Mavridis Caroline Johnston , Axia Giovanna
Published: December 2014

The developmental niche, a theoretical construct for the study of the child in cultural context, has been usefully applied to the analysis of environments of disabled individuals. In this article, the authors review the three components of the niche (settings of daily life, customs of care, and the psychology of the caretakers), with particular reference to issues of disability. Two case studies are presented as illustrations of the importance of parents' culturally constructed ideas, or ethnotheories, as either challenges or supports to the work of the occupational therapist. The article concludes with a consideration of cultural variability in parents' ideas of “successful development,” with illustrations from research in Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States. The developmental niche framework is relevant to concepts of “habit” as used in occupational therapy. It is also helpful for considering how the environment of the disabled individual—including cultural assumptions about what constitutes an agenda for successful development—may be modified to promote full participation in meaningful activities in the community.
Habits and other Anchors of Everyday Life That People with Psychiatric Disabilities May Not Take for Granted
Authors: Davidson Larry
Published: December 2014

This article argues for the adoption of action theory as the foundation for rethinking psychiatric research and practice as it relates to individuals with serious mental illnesses. Action theory involves viewing human beings as agents who are active in creating their experiences and environments at the same time as they are shaped by them. Rather than following from insight, actions are viewed as preceding and generating insight. When viewed in this manner, the chronicity formerly associated with psychosis is reinterpreted as habits stemming from institutionalization, while recovery is understood as developing new habits based on the person's need to establish caring relationships and focus on being grounded in the present. What results is a strengths-based approach to practice that shares many basic principles with occupational science and therapy, leading us to call for a renewed interest in mental illness among investigators and practitioners within this discipline and profession.
Justice and Habits: A Synthesis of Habits III
Authors: Townsend Elizabeth
Published: December 2014

This article discusses issues of justice from the conference on Habit and Rehabilitation: Promoting Participation. After tracing the evolution of research presented at Habits I, II, and III, the article offers two levels of synthesis. The first level highlights the conference themes: habit, participation, and rehabilitation. The second level poses critical reflections referenced to presentations on three justice-related concepts: opportunity, enablement and empowerment, and the inclusion of difference. The implications for rehabilitation extend beyond the biomedical treatment of impairments and may lead to redesign of the habitus of rehabilitation programs and research.
Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies on Older Driver Safety and Mobility
Authors: Classen Sherrilene , Winter Sandra , Lopez Ellen D. S.
Published: December 2014

A meta-synthesis approach was used to identify, assess, and synthesize six qualitative studies on older driver safety and community mobility. Included studies had rich narrative results and thematic findings on older adults' and stakeholders' needs, factors influencing safety, and goals. The authors performed iterative data analysis, coded deductively and inductively, and developed themes from the constant comparison method. A core construct emerged: older adults' driving ability is innately connected to their identities and desire to maintain their independence. The five overarching themes—assessing risk, acceptance versus denial, cessation beliefs, communication, and involved others—inform occupational therapy clinicians and researchers of opportunities for role expansion. The findings point to underlying beliefs that influence decision making and driving safety that can be explored using qualitative, survey, or experimental studies. Furthermore, these findings may facilitate changes in occupational therapy practice, such as enhancing driver evaluations.
I Have a Disease but I Am Not Ill: A Narrative Study of Occupational Balance in People with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Stamm Tanja , Lovelock Linda , Stew Graham , Nell Valerie , Smolen Josef , MacHold Klaus , Jonsson Hans , Sadlo Gaynor
Published: December 2014

Occupational balance is a prominent concept in occupational therapy and in society at large, and could be a key concept in that it may enhance understanding of the link between occupation and health. Because there is a lack of empirical evidence, the aim of this study was to critically examine the existing assumptions regarding occupational balance. An open narrative approach was applied to include the life context of the participants and to deliberately exclude predefinitions of the concept. From 10 reconstructed life stories, which were analyzed individually, three new dimensions of occupational balance related to health and grounded in the data were developed: a balance between challenging versus relaxing occupations and activities, activities meaningful for the individual and activities meaningful in a sociocultural context, and activities intended to care for oneself and activities intended to care for others. These three dimensions of occupational balance may be key concepts for future research.
Cognitive versus Multisensory Approaches to Handwriting Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Zwicker Jill G. , Hadwin Allyson F.
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of cognitive versus multisensory interventions on handwriting legibility of elementary school students referred to occupational therapy for handwriting difficulties. In this randomized controlled trial, 72 first- and second-grade students were assigned to either a cognitive intervention, multisensory intervention, or control (no intervention) group. Letter legibility was measured using the Evaluation Tool for Children's Handwriting before and after 10 weeks of intervention. Analysis of variance of change scores showed no statistically significant difference across the three groups. First-grade students improved with or without intervention, but second-grade students showed sizeable improvement with cognitive intervention compared to multisensory intervention ( d = 1.09) or no intervention ( d = .92). These results challenge current occupational therapy practice of using a multisensory approach for remediation of handwriting difficulties for students in second grade. A cognitive approach to handwriting intervention shows greater promise and is worthy of further investigation.
Learning Tool Use: Body Scheme Recalibration and the Development of Hand Skill
Authors: Schwartz Richard K. , Reilly Marie A.
Published: December 2014

Skill at using tools depends on somatosensory and visual information being integrated into a body schema. “Calibration,” defined as the ability to accurately localize a limb in space, and “recalibration,” the ability to accurately localize a limb plus tool in space, are proposed as intermediate stages between the development of manipulative prehension and the acquisition of skilled tool usage. Each of these depends upon body scheme information. The ability to recalibrate muscular output for different weights and lengths of tools was investigated. It was hypothesized that such recalibration is an intermediate stage of skill that should be developed prior to extensive practice with tools themselves. A total of 48 normal children, ranging in age from 4.0 to 8.11 years, served as subjects. Test instruments included the Southern California Motor Accuracy Test (MAC) and three tests of recalibration skills. These three tests involved touching a target with the tip of the index finger and with the tips of both a short and a long tool. Results were as hypothesized. Older children performed significantly better than younger children on all tests of hand and tool skill. Ability to use a tool appears to increase with increased ability to recalibrate. Skill in using the hand as a tool appears to develop earlier than skill in recalibrating for short / light tools, which precedes skill at recalibrating for longer / heavier tools.
Service Provision and the Elderly: Attitudes of Three Generations of Urban Women
Authors: Davis Linda J.
Published: December 2014

The “women's movement” is viewed as having a profound effect on lifestyle in contemporary American society. This paper addresses the impact of women's changing roles on care for the dependent elderly. Specifically, three generations of urban women were surveyed to determine attitudes regarding filial responsibility, gender appropriate roles, independence and dependence, and projected preferences for service providers. The findings suggested generational differences in attitudes toward these issues. Moreover, the data supported an increasing need for allocation of resources that facilitate self-management and independent living. Occupational therapy is identified as a discipline with great potential for providing long term community professional services to facilitate independent living among the elderly. Limitations of community services models utilizing occupational therapists are discussed. Recommendations are provided for needed research on program components, viewed as essential to a successful system of service provision.
The Effectiveness of a Program of Oral Sensory-Motor Therapy with the Severely and Profoundly Developmentally Disabled
Authors: Ottenbacher Kenneth , Scoggins Ann , Wayland Jamie
Published: December 2014

The efficacy of a program of oral-motor therapy designed to facilitate feeding patterns and thus produce increases in body weight in the severely developmentally disabled was explored. Twenty severely and profoundly retarded subjects with neuromotor disorders participated in a pretest / posttest control group design. The experimental group received a 9-week program of oral therapy designed to normalize oral motor functions and reduce pathological oral reflexes. Analysis of covariance revealed no statistically significant difference in body weight gains between the experimental and control group over the treatment period. A post hoc power analysis was computed and revealed a power of approximately .35, indicating a degree of insensitivity in the experimental manipulations and statistical analysis and suggesting the possibility of a Type II experimental error. The need for continued research in this area to establish the effectiveness of sensory and motor facilitation procedures in developing feeding patterns in the severely and profoundly disabled is discussed.
The Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test: Test-Retest Reliability for Preschool Children
Authors: Deitz Jean Crosetto , Siegner Cary B. , Crowe Terry K.
Published: December 2014

A test-retest reliability study was conducted for the purpose of determining the stability of the performance of 3- and 4-year olds on the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test (SCPNT). The subjects consisted of 28 3-year-olds and 42 4-year-olds enrolled in parent cooperative preschools in metropolitan Seattle, Washington. The two test administrations were planned to occur 5 weeks apart and at approximately the same time of day. The test-re test reliability coefficients for total SCPNT scores for 3-year-olds was .62 and for 4-year-olds was .83. This indicated weak test-re test reliability for 3-year-olds and adequate test-re test reliability for 4-year-olds. Recommendations for the direction of future research were included.
Statistical Power and Research in Occupational Therapy
Authors: Ottenbacher Kenneth
Published: December 2014

The rationale of statistical hypothesis testing is reviewed, and the concepts of experimental error and power are introduced and discussed. A post hoc power analysis of 205 statistical tests from 22 articles reporting occupational therapy research is presented. The effect sizes and power coefficients for each of the statistical tests reviewed were analyzed, and the evaluation revealed a significant difference in power values based on effect-size calculations: Studies reporting small and medium effect sizes were associated with low power and were subject to a high probability of Type II experimental error. The power of the tests reviewed and the estimated Type II error rates were shown to vary significantly for small, medium, and large effects. This was not true for Type I error rates, which remained constant for all effect sizes. The implications of the findings and the importance of pre-experimental power evaluations for fields such as occupational therapy, where research endeavors frequently reveal small effects, are discussed.
Measurement of Adult Hand Strength: A Comparison of Two Instruments
Authors: Fike M. Laurita , Rousseau Elaine
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was (a) to compare the Jamar Dynamometer, which is widely used to test hand strength, with the Vigorimeter, a commercially available but less well known instrument and (b) to establish norms for use of the Vigorimeter. A total of 486 adults ranging in age from 16 to 79 were tested for right- and left-hand strength using both devices. Correlations between the two instruments were moderately strong, suggesting reasonable comparability. Correlations for strength and age, although statistically significant, were so low as to be of little practical use. However, correlations between right- and left-hand strength were strong, and right- to left-hand ratios that were developed for both instruments were found to be accurate and stable in predicting hand strength across age ranges.
Publication Trends in Occupational Therapy
Authors: Ottenbacher Kenneth , Short Margaret Anne
Published: December 2014

Articles appearing in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy over the past decade were reviewed and categorized according to the nature of the article. Seven categories were identified: descriptive, survey, case and field study, correlational, quasi-experimental, true experimental, and practical. Data analysis revealed that there has been a significant change in the type of articles published before and after 1978. This change appears to be confined to certain categories. Specifically, there has been an increase in articles of a quasi-experimental nature and a decrease in articles of a purely descriptive type. The implications of increased research publications in the occupational therapy literature are discussed.
Qualitative Research: Part Two Methodological Approaches and Relevance to Occupational Therapy
Authors: Kielhofner Gary
Published: December 2014

This article, the second of two in a series, examines the data collection methods, analysis, and characteristic findings of qualitative research. The logic and yield of qualitative research processes are thus examined. The article also posits the special relevance of qualitative research to occupational therapy.
Clinical Reasoning of Occupational Therapists during the Initial Assessment of Physically Disabled Patients
Authors: Rogers Joan C. , Masagatani Gladys
Published: December 2014

Clinical reasoning lies at the core of the occupational therapy process. Although several models of clinical thinking have been presented in the literature for use by occupational therapists, no empirical studies have been conducted to examine the process in action. This article reports a pilot study of the first component of the occupational therapy process—assessment. Ten therapists, working with patients with physical problems in medical settings, were observed and interviewed as they assessed patients and summarized their impressions. The aim of the study was to describe the reasoning process used to determine functional problems and treatment goals. A six-stage model to describe the reasoning process was derived from the data. The first stage involved a search for medical information and led to the second stage in which assessments were selected. In stages three through six, the assessment plan was implemented, client problems were defined, treatment objectives were specified, and the assessment process was evaluated. The salient features of each stage are described. Overall, the therapists found it difficult to outline the progression of their thoughts. The medical diagnosis played a key role in their thoughts as did the therapist-patient relationship. The therapists' perspective for assessment focused on musculoskeletal and self-care functions. The data were interpreted in the light of the present status of occupational therapy theory.
Level of Sensory Integrative Functioning in Children of Vietnam Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange
Authors: Becker Mary Schneider
Published: December 2014

This study investigated the sensory integrative functioning of offspring of veterans exposed to Agent Orange, a herbicide used extensively in Vietnam. The Southern California Sensory Integration Tests and the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test were administered to 12 children: six children whose fathers were exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam and six matched control children. Test scores of the two groups were compared on various parameters: general level of sensory integrative functioning, perceptual-motor functioning, visual-perceptual functioning, vestibular functioning, eye-hand coordination, visual-motor integration, and somatosensory functioning. Test results showed that the experimental (Agent Orange) group scored lower on all of the parameters. Statistically significant differences were evident on a composite score of sensory integrative functioning in general, as well as for a composite score on the perceptual-motor subtests. The results of this study, while limited in terms of sample size, suggest that children of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange are at greater risk for sensory integrative dysfunction than children in the general population. Results also suggest the need for additional research on the offspring of Vietnam veterans exposed to herbicides in Vietnam, as well as a need to assess the consequences of ubiquitous environmental chemical toxins on the neurological development of all children.
Comparative Effects of Three Hand Splints on Bilateral Hand Use, Grasp, and Arm-Hand Posture in Hemiplegic Children: A Pilot Study
Authors: Exner Charlotte E. , Bonder Bette R.
Published: December 2014

Enhancement of hand function in cerebral palsied children is a priority of occupational therapists working with this population. While splinting is used as an adjunct to active treatment with many other patient groups, it is not as consistently used with these children. This pilot study was designed to investigate the effects of hand splinting on bilateral hand use, grasp skill, and arm-hand posture in hemiplegic cerebral palsied children, using three different splints: the orthokinetic cuff, the short opponens thumb splint, and the MacKinnon splint. Each was selected based on its reported utility in reducing spasticity and thereby enhancing function. A counterbalanced experimental design was used with the 12 subjects wearing all three splints in a randomly assigned order. Splints were worn 8 hours per day for 6 weeks, with a 2-week interval between splints. Measures were developed for documentation of the three dependent variables. Analysis of the data revealed no significant relationship between splint type and change in the dependent variables. However, when scores for clusters of subjects were analyzed significant differences in response to the splints were identified Improvement in bilateral hand use was associated with the orthokinetic cuff and the MacKinnon splint; grasp skill improved most significantly with the MacKinnon splint. Arm-hand posture did not seem to be affected by splint wear. The study was limited by a lack of standardized measures of bilateral hand use and grasp skill for children, suggesting a need for development of such measures In addition, further investigation of the effectiveness of the MacKinnon splint on improving functional skills with cerebral palsied children is indicated.
Activity Analysis: Electromyographic and Electrogoniometric Verification
Authors: Trombly Catherine A. , Quintana Lee Ann
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to document, using electromyography and electrogoniometry, the normal function and interaction of extrinsic finger muscles of normal subjects during five exercises to establish a baseline of “normality.” The exercises, typical components of occupational therapy activities, were resisted grasp, resisted finger extension, rapid and slow unresisted finger extension, and grasp-release of a lightweight cylinder. A high percentage of electrical output of all three extrinsic finger muscles was generated during resisted or rapid exercises A very low percentage of output was generated during unresisted slow exercises Carryover effects of the exercises (i.e., changes seen in movement after versus before) were limited to increased range of motion and increased level of electrical activity of the three muscles during rhythmical opening of the hand after resisted grasp and rapid extension The most common pattern of usage was reciprocal between agonist and antagonist, although no muscle was ever silent. True cocontraction occurred in only the most resistive exercise—grasp. No correlation was found between average wrist position and percent of muscle output. Intersubject variability suggests that the specific results of this study cannot be generalized However, the concept that resistance and speed increase motor unit recruitment of antagonist as well as agonist may be generalized.
Voluntary Movement Impairment in Upper Motor Neuron Lesions: Is Spasticity the Main Cause?
Authors: Nwaobi Olunwa Mafiana
Published: December 2014

This literature review examines the possibility that factors other than spasticity limit voluntary movement in patients with an upper motor neuron lesion. The literature suggests that factors such as decreased convergent impulses on motor cells in the spinal cord and prolongation of agonist action may he as important or perhaps more important than antagonist spasticity in limiting voluntary movement. A reeducation regimen for voluntary movement based on this alternative premise is proposed.
Faculty Evaluation Practices among Occupational Therapy Chairpersons: A Comparative Study
Authors: Lanier Roger A. , Hedl John J. , Christiansen Charles H.
Published: December 2014

A perennial question for academic health programs has been: What is the relationship between the faculty evaluation practices of academic health programs and those of general liberal arts programs? The purpose of this study was to compare the faculty evaluation practices of a sample of occupational therapy chairpersons with those of a recent national sample of deans of public and private liberal arts colleges Major areas of inquiry focused on institutional policies and practices in evaluating faculty performance in teaching research/scholarship, and institutional/community service The relative importance of various factors as well as their extent of current usage were assessed At a general level of analysis (relative rankings), the faculty evaluation practices of OT chairpersons are significantly related to those reported by public and private liberal arts college deans for the four dimensions of performance The OT chairpersons tend to focus on five major factors to evaluate overall performance, always use one source of information to evaluate teaching performance, always use four types of information to evaluate scholarship/research performance, and consider four major factors in evaluating college service. This pattern involves more factors to evaluate overall performance and college service, with fewer sources of information used to evaluate teaching performance and scholarship/research performance as compared to public and private liberal arts colleges Significant differences were observed between the faculty evaluation considerations of OT chairpersons and public college liberal arts deans in the areas of overall performance (three factors), teaching performance (five factors), and scholarship/research performance(10 factors). While the faculty evaluation practices of OT chairpersons are fairly consistent with the other two groups, questions are raised as to the relative stability and defensibility of the evaluation practices of OT chairpersons for certain dimensions of faculty performance.
Comparison of Two Scales for Assessing Motor Development in Infants with down's Syndrome
Authors: Lydic Joan Snyder , Short Margaret A. , Nelson David L.
Published: December 2014

The Peabody Developmental Scales (PDS) and the Movement Assessment of Infants (MAI) were examined for their abilities to detect subtle changes in motor development of infants with Down's syndrome Both assessments were administered to 10 infants before and after a 6-week period A t-test suggested that the MAI was sensitive to developmental changes in the subjects tested from initial test to follow-up. Similar testing using the PDS did not reveal significant differences in the scores, suggesting that the MAI was the more sensitive of the two instruments. When partial correlations were calculated for possible artifactual effects due to age, the MAI still demonstrated greater stability. Results indicate that, for infants with Down's syndrome, the MAI may be preferable to the PDS for detecting changes in motor ability over short periods. However, these results should be considered tentative until a more in-depth study is conducted using a larger number of subjects from a variety of clinical populations.
Stress Effects of Isometric Contraction in Occupational Therapy
Authors: Smith Doris A. , Lukens Shirley A.
Published: December 2014

Medical literature reports that isometric muscle contraction can cause potentially dangerous increases in blood pressure and pulse rate. This research shows the effects on blood pressure and pulse of four isometric activities performed by 40 subjects, 19 to 30 years old, with normal resting blood pressure and pulse. A repeated measures ANOVA of three isometric activities (pinching gripping and pushing) for 3, 6, 10 and 3P seconds led to conclusions that there was a significant increase in blood pressure and pulse as time of contraction increased, and that the pushing activity had a significantly greater effect on blood pressure and pulse than did pinching or gripping. A t-test resulted in a significant difference between measures of blood pressure and pulse taken before and during a manual muscle test. Because occupational therapists in all specialty areas have clients potentially at risk from effects of isometric muscle contractions, better guidelines for activities with isometric components should be developed.
The Significance of Power and the Power of Significance: Recommendations for Occupational Therapy Research
Authors: Ottenbacher Kenneth
Published: December 2014

Research in the behavioral and social sciences including occupational therapy has been shown to be associated with low statistical power and a high rate of Type II experimental errors. Three methods of increasing power that are frequently suggested are increasing sample size, increasing effect size, and increasing the significance level The first two alternatives are often not possible in applied fields such as occupational therapy, and the third is generally not considered desirable since it leads to increased Type I error rates. A fourth alternative is proposed, which involves the partitioning of the decision region into three sections. This procedure is based on the Neyman and Pearson (1933) decision-theory approach to significance testing and is particularly applicable to areas of applied and clinical investigation such as occupational therapy. A sample power table is presented along with formulas to compute table values. The argument is made that using the procedures described will provide a method of unambiguously interpreting nonsignificant results and increase the power and sensitivity of occupational therapy research.
A Comparative Analysis of Occupational Therapy Graduates from Baccalaureate and Entry-Level Master's Degree Programs
Authors: Gilkeson Grace E. , Hanten William P.
Published: December 2014

Using a static group comparison design, two groups of therapists who had graduated from occupational therapy programs in the United States were surveyed Occupational therapists whose professional education was at the baccalaureate level were compared with those who entered practice with a professional master's degree A stratified systematic, random sample was selected from 7,902 therapists comprising the above target population Comparative analyses pertained to general demographic data, job activities and responsibilities, professional productivity, and professional growth. Subjects sampled were at 1 through 6 years since graduation, inclusively. A questionnaire was mailed to each of the 1,147 subjects, with 91.4% responding. Descriptive data were summarized using means, standard deviations, and percentages. For categorical items, chi-square analyses were employed A nested two-way ANOVA was used to analyze continuous data Although not at a level of significance overall, several notable trends were identified.
The Use of Color Cues to Facilitate Discrimination Learning in Moderately Retarded Adults: A Pilot Study
Authors: Haese Julia B.
Published: December 2014

This study explored the effectiveness of color cues in facilitating discrimination tasks with retarded adults The ability to discriminate among utensils is an important and necessary skill in food preparation. Moderately retarded adults may be capable of food preparation, but because of deficits in discrimination learning they frequently encounter difficulty in following recipes It was surmised that the use of color, as a method for facilitating discrimination learning might have potential value as an instructional aid in this area of independent living skill Ten women from a daycare center served as subjects in testing the hypothesis that colored drawings would be more effective than monochromatic (black-and-white) drawings in teaching the identification of 10 common kitchen utensils Subjects presented with colored stimulus cards were able to select the correct utensil more accurately and more quickly than subjects using black-and-white cards ( p<.001). The results may have implications for other learning situations where mastery of independent living skills requires the ability to discriminate.
The Dearth of Mental Health Research in Occupational Therapy
Authors: Gibson Diane
Published: December 2014

Traditionally, occupational therapists, like most other disciplines in the mental health field, have undertaken very little research. Reasons for this phenomenon are complex, numerous, and difficult. They include small numbers of doctoral level occupational therapists, the psychobehavioral versus biochemical split and confusion in psychiatry, the lack of a theoretical framework in occupational therapy, the level of research instruction in occupational therapy curricula, the impact of being a predominantly female profession, and the attitudes of institutions. Recommendations for stimulating research in occupational therapy are reviewed.
The Effects of Movement Speed and Initial Position on Movement Reproduction Accuracy
Authors: Gliner Jeffrey A. , Davis Christine G.
Published: December 2014

This study examined two different cues that might be used in the reproduction of movement: (1) the initial position of the movement and (2) the terminal location of the movement. An experiment was designed to assess the relative importance of these two cues using the kinesthesia subtest of the Southern California Sensory Integration Tests with 48 college juniors A 2 × 2 factorial design was used One factor, speed of movement, had two levels, fast and slow, as did the other factor, angle of approach—altered approach or original approach. The dependent measures were distance error from the target and angle error. The results suggested that angle of approach was not an important variable in reproduction of movement. However, a significant effect ( p<05) was found for speed of movement, indicating that fast movements caused a significantly larger error in direction than did slow movements These data imply that the terminal location of a movement is the more salient cue, independent of the extent or angle of the movement.
Factors Affecting Textural Discrimination in Normal Children
Authors: Royeen Charlotte Brasic , Kannegieter Ruthan B.
Published: December 2014

This study investigated the effects of an intermediate agent and applied pressure on the judgment of textural roughness Fifty-two subjects, aged 6 to 10 years, participated The study was designed to compare these results found for children with those found for adults Wooden blocks covered with sandpaper ranging from rough to smooth (36 to 220 grits) were used During 12 trials, a pair of blocks, each resting on a scale, was palpated with the fingertips while vision was occluded under two conditions: using an intermediate agent, and using fingertips only. The intermediate agent was a piece of bond paper held between the fingertips and the block being judged. The results were mixed, with Condition 1 being judged rougher for two out of three rough sandpaper grits (36 and 80) but not being judged rougher for finer grits. A Pearson correlation coefficient indicated that the pressure exerted by the subjects was independent of their choice of conditions ( r = .04, df = 624, p = .14). No sex differences were revealed.
Measures of Relationship Strength in Occupational Therapy Research
Authors: Ottenbacher Kenneth
Published: December 2014

Measures of relationship strength (effect size) were computed for 330 statistical tests appearing in the occupational therapy research literature The effect size measures were categorized as “small,” “medium,” or “large” according to criteria proposed by Cohen (1977). Analysis of the various measures of relationship strength revealed that the average effect size fell in the medium range Further analysis indicated that effect sizes categorized as large were frequently reported as statistically significant, while effect sizes labeled as small were rarely associated with statistical significance. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to research conducted in applied fields such as occupational therapy. The argument is made that due to the nature of the variables under investigation and the lack of experimental control in most clinical situations, measures of relationship strength should be reported routinely in occupational therapy research where statistical hypotheses are evaluated. The reporting of measures of relationship strength will aid researchers in determining the power or sensitivity of experimental manipulations and will provide valuable information related to the clinical relevance of research findings.
Adult Norms for the Nine Hole Peg Test of Finger Dexterity
Authors: Mathiowetz Virgil , Weber Karen , Kashman Nancy , Volland Gloria
Published: December 2014

The purposes of this study were to establish standardized procedures for the Nine Hole Peg Test of finger dexterity, to evaluate its reliability and validity, and to establish new clinical norms based on these standardized procedures. For the reliability and validity study, 26 female occupational therapy students were tested Very high interrater reliability (right r = .97, left r = .99) was found Test-retest reliability was reported to be moderate to high (right r = .69, left r = .43) and a significant practice effect was found between the test and retest occasions. Possible variables that may have affected these results are discussed To evaluate concurrent validity, the Nine Hole Peg Test was compared to the Purdue Pegboard. The observed correlations (right r = −.61, left r = −.53) indicated that the tests are similar but not equivalent tests of finger dexterity. For the normative data study, 628 normal subjects from 20 to 94 years were tested Data were stratified by sex and by 12 age groups to allow the therapist to easily compare patients' scores to a normative population Data showed that females scored slightly better than males, finger dexterity decreased with age, and right-hand and left-hand dominant subjects demonstrated minimal differences in performance.
Adaptation of Likert Scaling for Use with Children
Authors: Royeen Charlotte Brasic
Published: December 2014

Quantitative measurement of qualitative variables has traditionally been accomplished by using the research methodology of scaling. The most widely used and reliable scaling procedure, the Likert scale or summated rating scale, was investigated in order to adapt the research methodology for use with children Adaptation of the Likert methodology would enable occupational therapists to begin to measure qualitative variables in children in a quantitative way. Five questions germane to the adaptation of Likert scaling in children were investigated by means of pilot studies using children aged 6 to 10: (1) Will graphic representation help children better understand scale items? (2) What is the optimal response format for scale items used with children? (3) How can one ascertain appropriate language levels of items for children? (4) What directions are necessary in order to administer such a scale to children? and (5) What is the validity of employing modified Likert methodology with children? The results of the pilot studies suggest that items composed of simple sentences can be used with children, providing that such items are reviewed by a speech and language pathologist and pretested with children for comprehension. It was found that graphic representation of items was not necessary and in fact, was confounding. In addition, it was found that a three response format (“No,” “A little,” “A lot”) with the responses inscribed on the blocks worked best. Moreover, the pilot studies revealed that children need to be taught how to participate in responding to a scale procedure and that anxiety was reduced when they were told it was a game and not a test Scale items worked best when posed in an interogative format rather than the traditional Likert statement format. Finally, preliminary results indicate the modified Likert methodology is valid to use with children. Suggested directions to use when administering a modified Likert scale to children are presented.
Academic Reward Structures and Occupational Therapy Faculty Part I: Characteristics of Faculty
Authors: Parham Diane
Published: December 2014

This study examined academic rewards in occupational therapy education through a survey of baccalaureate and postbaccalaureate programs. Questionnaires from 275 full-time faculty were analyzed Results are presented in two parts Part One describes faculty characteristics, and predictors of rewards and publications are identified in Part II. Analysis of the sample shows that OT faculty are younger, hold lower academic ranks and degrees, and are less often tenured than most faculty in higher education. They also are relatively new in their programs, suggesting a high rate of turnover. Publication rates vary according to the research orientation of institutions in which the faculty work, a pattern that is consistent with higher education overall However, publication rates of OT faculty are about 20% lower than those of other faculty. This may be an indication that OT academic reward systems do not place as much emphasis on publications as is found in traditional academe.
Active and Passive Touch in Developmentally Dyspraxic and Normal Boys
Authors: Haron Maxine , Henderson Anne
Published: December 2014

Twenty-four male children—12 developmentally dyspraxic and 12 normal control children—ranging in age from 6 through 8 years were tested using an object recognition test developed to assess active and passive touch in children. The test was an adapted version of one developed by Gibson (1962) to assess active and passive touch in normal adults. It was hypothesized that dyspraxic boys would perform more poorly than normal boys on tasks of active touch and on tasks of passive touch. It was hypothesized also that the differences between dyspraxic and normal boys would be greater on active than on passive touch tasks, because active touch is a more complex process, which involves relating active, sequential movements. Analysis of the data indicates that the developmentally dyspraxic boys performed significantly more poorly than normal males on both active and passive touch tasks. These results are consistent with other studies that report that children with perceptual-motor and learning problems display deficits in tactile functioning. The study did not support the second hypothesis, that there would be a significant group-by-task interaction such that the differences between the dyspraxic and normal boys would be greater on active than on passive touch tasks.
Equilibrium Reactions in Preschoolers
Authors: Izraelevitz Terry Ann , Fisher Anne G. , Bundy Anita C.
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in equilibrium reactions in normal 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old preschoolers. The five equilibrium measures used were drawn from standardized one-legged stance tests (Ayres, 1980) and nonstandardized clinical tests of tilting and reaching (Fisher, 1984; Fisher & Bundy, 1982). The results showed that equilibrium reactions changed significantly with age, but that the tests that demonstrated the greatest change with age and/or were the best predictors of age were not consistent between the sexes. Furthermore, the results suggested that more than one measure should be included when clinically evaluating the equilibrium reactions in a preschool population.
Using Audiotapes in Occupational Therapy Continuing Education
Authors: Poole Janet L.
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to evalute the use of audiotapes as an alternate method for continuing education. Thirty randomly selected practicing occupational therapists were randomly assigned to either a control group, which did not listen to the audiotape, or to an experimental group, which listened to the audiotape. Analysis of variance revealed that the audiotape group scored significantly higher than the control group ( p < .01) on a specially constructed achievement test. Responses to a questionnaire by participants in the audiotape group revealed that they felt that the audiotape method was convenient and that the study guide was useful. Significant negative correlations were found between test scores and the number of years a participant had practiced and between test scores and perceived difficulty in locating a particular section on the tape. Suggestions for improving future audiotape courses are discussed.
Qualitative Methods in Occupational Therapy Research: An Application
Authors: Merrill Susan Cook
Published: December 2014

Recent occupational therapy literature has pointed to significant similarities in the principles of qualitative research methods and the underlying assumptions and values of our profession. This article presents an overview of qualitative methods, an analysis of the relationship between qualitative and quantitative approaches in social and cultural research, and a brief discussion of the issues of reliability, validity, and researcher objectivity in qualitative research. The application of qualitative methods in a research project on juvenile arthritis is used to illustrate an exploration of the importance of such methods to occupational therapy theory and practice.
Educational Experience and Changes in Learning and Value Preferences
Authors: Barris Roann , Kielhofner Gary , Bauer David
Published: December 2014

Education attempts to instill certain values, as well as knowledge and skills, in students. Yet, examination of value changes is infrequent, and the findings of existing studies are equivocal. This article reports on a study of value and learning preference changes in occupational therapy students. Two small groups of undergraduate and graduate students completed the Rokeach Value Survey, the Learning Preference Inventory, and an educational values inventory (developed by the first two authors) at the beginning of their professional education and again while on affiliation. Four other groups completed the instruments once: undergraduate and graduate students in the first semester of the professional program, and undergraduate and graduate students in the second semester. For the students who participated in the study twice, undergraduates were more likely than graduates to rearrange their value priorities, and changes were more likely to occur with educational values than Rokeach values. However, although individuals may have changed substantially, when subjects were treated as a group changes tended to be masked. Comparisons of first semester, second semester, and affiliating undergraduates and graduates revealed few differences among groups, although again, educational values differed more than Rokeach values. Because the study seems to suggest that individuals are affected in varying ways by their education, a major implication is that a methodology for examining the impact of professional education must account for initial differences in students.
Measuring the Quality of Life
Authors: Kirchman Margaret M.
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to measure the quality of life through objective measures. General affect (self perception of one's quality of life) was correlated with seven satisfaction measures and five activity measures for 86 former patients treated in occupational therapy. Significant positive relationships were found between general affect and four out of seven satisfaction measures: satisfaction with job, with spare time, with standard of living, and with health. Nonsignificant relationships between general affect and five measures of activity—self-care, communication skills, homemaking, return to former activities, and ambulation—led the investigator to consider a theory of accommodation. Implications of this study support a mandate to continue services that will minimize the effects of losses and compensate for deficits so as to improve the quality of patients' lives.