bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
First session solution‐focused brief therapy with families who have a child with severe intellectual disabilities: mothers' experiences and views
Authors: Lloyd Helen , Dallos Rudi 
Published: August 2010

This exploratory paper aimed to shed light on the experience of first session solution‐focused brief therapy (SFBT) for families who have a child with intellectual disabilities (ID). The therapist interviewed the participants, all mothers, two weeks after their initial session. The Helpful Aspects of Therapy Questionnaire (Llewelyn, 1988) was used with structured recall (Elliot and Shapiro, 1988), a procedure in which participants listen to excerpts from their therapeutic sessions identified by them as helpful or unhelpful. Interview transcripts were analysed by the therapist using interpretive phenomenological analysis (Smith, 2003).Three superordinate themes emerged from the interviews: (1) SFBT brought to mind the idea of ‘making the best of it’. (2) Examination of wishful thinking. (3) Therapeutic relationship. In addition, self‐efficacy recurred as a sub‐theme throughout. The ‘miracle question’ was perceived as irrelevant by the mothers and was the most frequently cited unhelpful event. It also seemed to be associated with shifts in wishful thinking. These mothers' experiences suggest that SFBT is a useful structure for first sessions particularly as it seems to build a useful therapeutic relationship, highlights self‐efficacy and may encourage helpful coping styles.
Researching African Statehood Dynamics: Negotiability and its Limits
Authors: Doornbos Martin 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTA focus on ‘negotiating statehood’ offers an alternative set of lenses on evolving transitions and transformations in African state–society relations to other more teleological perspectives. Notions of ‘negotiation’ and the ‘negotiability’ of authority structures allow recognition of the pliability of emerging state forms and may help in focusing on the dynamic processes through which statehood may be refounded and rationalized. This article presents a preliminary assessment of the analytical and empirical scope for employing the notion of ‘negotiating statehood’. The main argument is that although one can conceive of many processes as being negotiated, in (empirical) reality these particular lenses will be more appropriate for some situations than for others. The article therefore seeks to explore the limits of the conceptual framework associated with the idea of ‘negotiated’ statehood. It will do so through a review of selected historical and empirical contexts within which one might expect such particular dimensions to be highlighted, in contrast to situations where for one reason or another no such interactions (can) take place. In this connection the article also highlights the limitations the broader context places on the scope for realizing various state‐building designs.
The Party and the State: Frelimo and Social Stratification in Post‐socialist Mozambique
Authors: Sumich Jason 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThis contribution examines the relationship between the ruling Frelimo party and the state it controls in post‐socialist Mozambique. It argues that while democratic reforms may have altered state structures since the end of single‐party socialism in 1992, power remains concentrated in Frelimo, which has actually increased its hold and become more deeply entrenched during the liberal period. The party is not only the dominant political force in the nation, but its structures provide a layered form of social stratification within the nation and also one of the major routes of social mobility available to many Mozambicans. Democratization has largely allowed the party to become one of the primary ‘arenas of negotiation’ in Mozambique by channelling various demands and interests through its internal structures.
Stuck between Surplus and Shortage: Demand for Skills in Russian Industry
Authors: Gimpelson Vladimir , Kapeliushnikov Rostislav , Lukiyanova Anna 
Published: August 2010

AbstractIn order to remain competitive, firms need to keep the quantity and composition of jobs close to optimal for their given output. Since the beginning of the transition period, Russian industrial firms have been widely reporting that the quantity and composition of hired labour is far from being close to optimal. This paper discusses what kinds of firms in the Russian manufacturing sector are unable to optimize their employment and why. The main conclusion is that the key issue is an excess of non‐viable firms and a shortage of highly efficient firms because of weak selection mechanisms. The major solution is seen in creating institutional conditions that stimulate a more efficient reallocation of labour. The analysis presented in this paper is based on data from a large‐scale survey of Russian manufacturing firms.
The Effect of Having More Children on Women's Labour Force Participation in Korea: An Analysis Using Instrument Variables
Authors: Nam Kigon 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe objective of this study was to examine the causal relations between having more children and women's labour force participation using Korean data. Given the strong preference for sons in Korea, variables regarding the number of daughters were used as instrument variables for having more children. The results using 1980s data showed that having a third child had a significantly positive impact on women's labour force participation in the ordinary least squares analysis, whereas the coefficient value was significantly negative in the two‐stage least squares analysis. Such results imply that, unlike in the western societies such as the USA and the UK, the ordinary least squares analysis results might underestimate the negative correlations between having more children and women's labour force participation in a developing country such as Korea.
Effort Observability, Incentive Systems, and Organizational Forms
Authors: De Paola Maria , Scoppa Vincenzo 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis paper analyses the choice between a centralized and a decentralized organizational structure focusing on the relationship existing between the allocation of decision rights, the degree of observability of effort and the use of different compensation systems. Profitable production is realized thanks to good information being available during the project selection stage and hard work being performed in the implementation stage. Selection of projects may be made by the principal (hierarchy) or by the agent (delegation). Under the hierarchical system, the principal's participation in the design of projects allows her to gather useful information for the design of a more accurate compensation system. Therefore, we analyse the trade‐off between optimal use of available information and accuracy of incentive systems, which emerges in the choice of organizational form.
Following in Your Parents’ Footsteps? Empirical Analysis of Matched Parent–Offspring Test Scores*
Authors: Brown Sarah , Mcintosh Steven , Taylor Karl 
Published: August 2010

AbstractIn this article, we explore whether an intergenerational relationship exists between the reading and mathematics test scores, taken at age 7, of a cohort of individuals born in 1958 and the equivalent test scores of their offspring measured in 1991. Our results suggest that how the parent performs in reading and mathematics during their childhood is positively related to the corresponding test scores of their offspring as measured at a similar age. The results further suggest that the effect of upbringing is mainly responsible for the intergenerational relationship in literacy, although genetic effects seem more relevant with respect to numeracy.
Mean Reversion in Profitability for Non‐listed Firms
Authors: Nordal Kjell Bjørn , Næs Randi 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe presence of mean reversion in profitability at the firm level is important for valuation and prediction of growth and earnings. We investigate the mean reversion in accounting profitability for Norwegian non‐listed firms for the period 1988–2006. We find a mean reversion rate of about 0.44 per year. This is higher than found in other studies. We also find that small firms have a higher mean reversion rate than large firms. Our results should have important practical implications for the difficult task of valuing non‐listed firms. Previously, price‐to‐book ratios have been used to investigate changes in profitability over time for listed firms. We examine bankruptcy risk as an alternative variable for unlisted firms. We find that bankruptcy risk may help explain changes in profitability, but the results are not as strong as found in previous work.
Clinic and home parent training of a mother with mental handicap caring for three children with developmental delay
Authors: Tymchuk Alexander J. , Andron Linda 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThere have been few intervention studies with mothers with mental handicaps and their children, but recently there has been more interest in this population. Previous work has focused upon a limited number of behaviours and only upon interactions between a mother and one child, even though some mothers had several children.This study reports on parent training efforts with a mother of three children, each with behavioural and/or medical and cognitive delays. Training occurred first in a clinic setting and then in the home, the mother being instructed with each child singly and then as a group. Using a multiple baseline procedure the results showed that the interactions were positively changed in both settings. Great difficulty in developing more positive styles of interaction, especially with the eldest daughter, led the authors to expect that the gains would not be fully maintained and additional training would be required. However, there was some maintenance in the positive aspects of the mother's behaviour as well as for some of each child's behaviour.The data support the contention that mothers with mental handicaps can be successfully trained to care for several (even delayed) children. Given the manifold problems of the mother studied and of other mothers with similar handicaps, and the consequent large expenditure of professional effort, it is apparent that other training programmes should be examined. These may require relatively short, periodic maintenance training sessions for a long duration. The efficacy of differing methodologies to meet individual parents' needs must be examined.
Dog phobia in people with mental handicaps: anxiety management training and exposure treatments
Authors: Lindsay William R. , Michie Amanda M. , Baty Frances J. , McKenzie Karen 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThe present paper describes the development of anxiety management training and exposure treatments for dog phobia with people with mental handicaps. The treatment procedures have several components including: increased contact with dogs; changing dogs as treatment progresses; graded exposure to dogs; eliciting anxiety from an early stage in the programme; modelling reasonable reactions to dogs; encouraging individuals to have control over dogs; and promoting generalisation of coping behaviours. The procedures are illustrated by the cases of two women who were assessed on overall ratings of fear, number of positive approaches to a dog, number of negative reactions to a dog, number of requests to remove a dog, and self‐assessments of anxiety. Both women responded to treatment. The results are discussed in terms of the patterning of the women's responses as treatment progressed. Finally, the study suggests that exposure treatments may be a successful way of helping people with mental handicaps overcome their phobic anxiety.
Research interviews with people with mental handicaps
Authors: Atkinson Dorothy 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTIn any study of the lives and life styles of people with mental handicaps it is essential to make every effort to obtain the consumers' own perspective of their own social situation and personal circumstances. There is a growing body of literature on the challenges faced by researchers who seek the viewpoint of consumers and some ideas are now emerging about how to meet those challenges most effectively. This paper looks at this growing body of literature, and notes some points of consensus.The paper then describes the research methods used in a follow‐up study of people with mental handicaps living in the community, in which personal views were sought. An attempt is made to describe the challenges met, not only at the design stage but also during the research interviews. Some key issues emerged from the study, and these are discussed in some detail. Illustrative interview material is included to highlight points made about the interaction between researchers and respondents, and to suggest some ways forward for others embarking in this field.
Manipulative competence in children with mental handicaps: theory, findings, and intervention
Authors: Moss Stephen C. , Hogg James 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThe article reviews studies carried out by the authors on fine motor skill development in children with mental handicaps. From a theoretical perspective, a distinction is drawn between the evidence for programmed movement in animals, characterised by rigidly invariant patterns of movement, and the concept of motor programming as applied to human motor learning. Some studies on human motor programming have suggested that skilled action is characterised by increasing predictability, and that children's motor learning is characterised by the development of a repertoire of stable units of action, called subroutines, which can be combined into longer action sequences. In a series of studies, however, the authors found little evidence for such an interpretation. Rather than showing increasing consistency as proficiency improves, repetition of a task by a skilled performer demonstrates a variety of distinctly different motor patterns. In accordance with this finding of variability in skilled action, an approach to the teaching of motor skills is presented which is based on the development of generalised competence through the application of general case instruction.
Evaluating the quality of life of people with mental handicaps: A SOCIAL VALIDATION STUDY
Authors: Stanley Brian , Roy Ashok 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThis paper describes an attempt to evaluate quality of life using standards set by the local community. Several parameters derived from community psychology, such as actual levels of functioning and degree of satisfaction within several life domains, are used to develop a social validation approach. This avoids certain methodological pitfalls common to this type of evaluation.
Comparing interactions in two hospital wards for people with mental handicaps: A PILOT STUDY
Authors: Wood James R. A. 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTInteractions between primary care‐givers and people with mental handicaps have been a focus of eco‐behavioural studies. Many of these have classified verbalisations by staff and the people resident in long‐stay settings to indicate the nature of the linguistic environment and show that there is a low level of high quality interaction in these settings. A comparison between two separate wards in the same hospital was carried out to obtain baselines as part of a study of the efficacy of staff training procedures. The wards were identified as being very different from each other in management practices, level of communication ability, and degree of support required by the people living in them.The present study examined the use of an observational schedule which yielded data for fine‐grained analysis of the patterns of interaction between residents and staff; according to population density and by staff grade. The results of the baseline measures indicated very few differences in interaction patterns between the wards despite other differences in régime. While much previous research has suggested that different management approaches, such as staff training, are important factors in setting differences, it is only in‐depth investigations which examine these aspects in terms of the patterns of language use and activity that highlight the extent of the effects of institutionalisation on staff and the people in their care.The implications are that training needs to be targeted at communication to overcome some of the features of existing interaction patterns. Replacing large institutions by smaller facilities, where changes in management or physical features only replicate the activity, staffing, and systemic patterns of large hospitals, could lead to very little fundamental change in interaction patterns for the people who live in them unless effort is directed towards facilitating their development of socially interactive skills.
The effects of deinstitutionalisation on people with mental handicaps: A REVIEW
Authors: Allen David 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThe deinstitutionalisation of people with mental handicaps has given rise to a considerable literature regarding the effects of this policy on service users. This review describes the major findings in relation to changes in adaptive behaviour, activity levels, social interaction, community integration, disruptive behaviour, and quality of life. Individual and environmental influences are discussed, together with possible foci for future research.
Behavioural treatment of anxiety and related disorders in adults with mental handicaps: A REVIEW
Authors: Allen Elizabeth A. 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThis paper comprehensively reviews studies relating to the prevalence, assessment, and behavioural treatment of anxiety and related disorders in adults with mental handicaps. It is considered that the paucity of research in this area, relative to work with adults who are not mentally handicapped, is an example of neglect by mainstream psychology rather than a belief that people with mental handicaps do not often experience such disorders. The lack of assessment measures is noted and discussed in the context of studies of treatment outcome. Such studies are sparse and generally poorly designed, although most indicate the potential benefit of behavioural interventions. Future areas of research are discussed and their necessity is outlined in the context of the principles of normalisation.
Assessing the challenge: development of the Challenging Behaviour Scales
Authors: Wilkinson Julie 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThe author devised the Challenging Behaviour Scales (CBS) in response to the task of evaluating how much impact a ward‐based intervention had on the challenging behaviour of the men who lived there. They were used as one of a “battery” of ten research methods; adding a quantitative assessment to what were largely qualitative techniques. This paper aims to describe the CBS, as opposed to project outcomes, in the belief that it has potential for wider application within areas of evaluational research. The background and objectives of the CBS are outlined, along with a description of the construction of its two parts: the Frequency and Intensity sections.Production of the accompanying Manual is also described, as well as the reliability checks, scoring methods, and staff comments obtained after application of the CBS. Finally, suggestions are made about ways in which data produced from this model of scale development can be analysed, and the author clarifies the position that she believes this type of behavioural assessment has in evaluational work. Additional suggestions are made for people who may wish to use the model of construction underlying the CBS elsewhere.
Dimensions of social competence in a population of adults with mental handicap
Authors: Walsh Patricia Noonan , McConkey Roy 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTWhen scores across 29 of the 36 areas of personal and social skill on the Pathways to Independence checklist were analysed, a multidimensional structure with one large factor, personal independence, emerged. Results suggest that, as some basic skills were loaded on single factors, and more complex skills emerged as conglomerates, two types of competence were apparent.Implications for the provision of functional teaching strategies in natural settings are discussed. Replication among other client groups is proposed. The usefulness of social competence measures in ascertaining intellectual development as well as adaptive functioning should be tested in future studies.
The social and behavioural functioning of people with mental handicaps attending adult training centres: A COMPARISON OF THOSE WITH AND WITHOUT EPILEPSY
Authors: Gillies John B. , Espie Colin A. , Montgomery James M. 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThis controlled study investigates possible psychosocial deficits associated with the “double handicap” of mental handicap plus epilepsy in a sizeable sample of adults with mental handicaps living in the community. Results indicate that social and behavioural problems, additional to those associated with mental handicap in itself, are largely confined to the relatively small sub‐group of people who have poorly controlled epilepsy. These results are discussed in relation to deficiencies in the socialisation process.
Short‐term generalised effects of relaxation training on adults with moderate and severe mental handicaps
Authors: Lindsay William R. , Richardson Isobel , Michie Amanda M. 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTOver the past few years there has been an increasing interest in the treatments for anxiety in people with mental handicaps. Some authors have found poor results in using relaxation treatments with this client group but the present authors have adapted and developed techniques which have shown excellent immediate effects.The present study investigated the generalised effects of two forms of relaxation training: Behaviour Relaxation Training (BRT) and Abbreviated Progressive Relaxation (APR). Both were found to produce reductions in anxiety at times of the day other than those in which treatment was being conducted. BRT produced quicker effects, but although people receiving this form of treatment showed less anxiety than those receiving APR, these differences were not significant by the end of treatment and at follow‐up. It was concluded that both treatments can be effective in helping people with mental handicaps reduce their anxiety outside of treatment sessions.
Identification and description of adults with mental handicaps showing physically aggressive behaviours
Authors: Reed Julie 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTEleven adults showing physically aggressive behaviour were drawn from the population of a small hospital for people with mental handicaps. They were identified by means of Criterion 1, an operational definition specifying tissue damage. High inter‐rater agreement between ward staff members was obtained for this criterion. A second inclusion criterion, which specified any act of physical aggression resulting in verbal or vocal reports of pain from another person, resulted in low inter‐rater agreement. Analysis, therefore, was focused on the 11 adults identified by Criterion 1.It is proposed that, for the purposes of planning for future service provision and resource allocation, the identification of people whose physical aggression is likely to present challenges to those with whom they live and work should also consider the influence of additional factors, such as predictability, emotional arousal, and topographical differences. These may be important variables in staff perceptions and management of physically aggressive behaviour.