Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 147

1 Alisha is the mother of an 8-year-old boy who is struggling with reading and was recently diagnosed with dyslexia. Although her son is participating in a phonics-based reading program at school, his progress has been slow. Alisha’s friend told her that a therapist in town uses “vision therapy” to help children with reading problems. This therapy involves teaching children special eye-tracking skills to help them focus and encourages them to use special colored lenses to see text more clearly. “Vision therapy was a lifesaver for my nephew,” her friend reported. “It’s expensive, but it really helped him learn to read quickly. You should try it.” Why might parents pursue unsupported treatments like vision therapy to help their children? What is the danger of treatments like these?11In case you’re wondering, vision therapy is not recommended to treat dyslexia. In a joint statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology (2014) conclude: “Scientific evidence does not support the efficacy of eye exercises, behavioral vision therapy, or special tinted filters or lenses. Diagnostic and treatment approaches that lack scientific evidence of efficacy, including eye exercises, behavioral vision therapy, or special tinted filters or lenses, are not endorsed and should not be recommended.”

2 Lucas is a school psychologist who wants to determine if a before-school exercise program reduces hyperactivity among first-graders in their first-period class. How might Lucas operationally define “hyperactivity” in his study?

3 Kirby Deater-Deckard and colleagues (1996) were interested in determining the effects of harsh physical discipline (e.g., spanking) on children’s development. They found that children who received more harsh physical discipline from their parents displayed more behavior problems at school, but only if they came from European American families. There was no relationship between harsh discipline and behavior problems among African American children. How does ethnicity act as a moderator variable in this study? What might explain these different outcomes?

4 A superintendent is interested in determining if a new alcohol and drug prevention program can reduce substance use among students in her district. She randomly selects two middle schools in the district to participate in the study. Students at Absolut Middle School participate in the prevention program for 12 weeks. Students at Grey Goose Middle School, across town, do not participate in the program and serve as controls. At the end of the school year, students at Absolut reported less alcohol and drug use than students at Grey Goose. Can the superintendent conclude that the prevention program caused these differences in substance use? Why or why not?

5 Quinn is a psychology student who wants to conduct an honors project examining the moral reasoning skills of children. She hypothesizes that children with siblings will have higher moral reasoning skills than only-children. She wants to assess moral reasoning by administering a 30-minute test to each child at school. What information does Quinn need to provide in her informed consent statement to parents? How might Quinn obtain children’s assent to participate in the study?