The Assessment of Behavioural Decline in Adults with Down's Syndrome

The present study examines two methods of using the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales as a measure of behavioural change in people with Down syndrome who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The first method uses the Vineland scales as the basis of a semi-structured interview and notes all areas of behavioural change identified by staff; the second method scores the Vineland scales using the basal rule outlined in the manual. The comparison of these two methods illustrated that using the second method highlighted a significant decline in scores for the group meeting the criteria for ‘probable Alzheimer’s disease’ on a number of domains between baseline and 12–24 months. However, this scoring method also appeared to miss more subtle changes in behaviour, which may be important early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease, which were picked up by the first method. The implications of the study are discussed

Digital transformation challenges successful enterprises – an exploration of the collaboration of marketing and sales department in German organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of digital transformation on theintersection of marketing and sales departments.Design/methodology/approach – This area has received little attention in academic literature whileconsiderable amount of research exists surrounding the marketing and sales integration, the influence of thetrend of digital transformation on both departments and how it affects their collaboration is not investigatedin-depth and is therefore studied by qualitative research via semi-structured interviews in six Germanorganizations.Findings – By considering the findings the collaboration between the marketing and sales departments inGerman organizations is perceived as good. However, generation-related conflicts occur due to differentdemographic structures of employees. The study provides evidence that the digital transformation affects themarketing and sales integration and thus, the overall organizational performance.Originality/value – Moreover, it is crucial that organizations face the challenges that occur in terms ofinterdepartmental relationships and be aware of the huge potentials which arise due to digital transformationto improve the marketing and sales collaboration

Exploring the potential impact of relational coherence on persistent rule-following : the first study

Rule-governed behavior and derived relational responding have both been identified as important variables in human learning. Recent developments in the relational frame theory (RFT) have outlined a number of key variables of potential importance when analyzing the dynamics involved in derived relational responding. Recent research has explored the impact of one of these variables, level of derivation, on persistent rule-following and implicated another, coherence, as possibly important. However, no research to date has examined the impact of coherence on persistent rule-following directly. Across two experiments, coherence was manipulated through the systematic use of performance feedback, and its impact was examined on persistent rule-following. A training procedure based on the implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP) was used to establish novel combinatorially entailed relations that manipulated the feedback provided on the trained relations (A-B and B-C) in Experiment 1, and on the untrained, derived relations (A-C) in Experiment 2. One of these relations was then inserted into the rule for responding on a subsequent contingency-switching match-to-sample (MTS) task to assess rule persistence. While no significant differences were found in Experiment 1, the provision or non-provision of feedback had a significant differential impact on rule-persistence in Experiment 2. Specifically, participants in the Feedback group resurged back to the original rule for significantly more responses after demonstrating contingency-sensitive responding than did the No-Feedback group, after the contingency reversal. The results highlight the subtle complexities that appear to be involved in persistent rule-following in the face of reversed reinforcement contingencies

An analysis of EHEA Business School approaches to the development, configuration and management of international academic alliances

The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivations for international academic alliance development, the configuration of alliance networks and their sustained management in Business Schools within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). A purposive sample of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) engaged with international alliance activities was selected from seven Business Schools within the target markets of France, Germany and Scotland. In order to investigate issues inherent within international alliance development this sample provided access to academic and administrative elites competent to discuss their alliance portfolios, from a strategic perspective, through semi-structured interview conducted in their home institutions. A key feature of the research was that, in the interest of minimising the potential for superficial or pre-conceived conclusions to be drawn, interviews with participants from two respondent institutions were positioned outside the researcher’s direct ‘preferred partner’ network. This insider-outsider perspective reduced potential bias through over-familiarity with solely networked institutional respondents when analysing the development, configuration and management of international academic alliances and alliance portfolios (APs).The study identifies three key findings on the basis of the analysis of institutional alliance activity. Firstly, that HEIs, operating within an appropriate regulatory environment can utilise both exploitation and exploration alliance strategies simultaneously to extend their resource base. The two strategies can be mutually reinforcing, and are not contradictory in tertiary education. Secondly, the analysis indicates that the extent to which resource extension may be achieved is reflected in the alliance strategy employed as HEIs internationalise. The movement from exploitation to exploration alliance strategy signifies a fundamental change in strategic intent and direction of the Business School, so new internationalisation strategy definitions are proposed for tertiary education. Thirdly, alliance management capability has the potential to develop, within complex partnership scenarios, as an institutional core competence, providing the potential for sustainable competitive advantage. On the basis of this analysis tools are developed which can assist in the strategic decision-making process for further evolution of alliance networks within institutional internationalisation strategies. The resultant application of these strategic tools allows for Business Schools to determine the characteristics of appropriate alliance partners to fill the gaps identified within their alliance network or portfolio

Persistent rule-following in the face of reversed reinforcement contingencies : the differential impact of direct versus derived rules

Rule-governed behavior and its role in generating insensitivity to direct contingencies of reinforcement have been implicated in human psychological suffering. In addition, the human capacity to engage in derived relational responding has also been used to explain specific human maladaptive behaviors, such as irrational fears. To date, however, very little research has attempted to integrate research on contingency insensitivity and derived relations. The current work sought to fill this gap. Across two experiments, participants received either a direct rule (Direct Rule Condition) or a rule that involved a novel derived relational response (Derived Rule Condition). Provision of a direct rule resulted in more persistent rule-following in the face of competing contingencies, but only when the opportunity to follow the reinforced rule beforehand was relatively protracted. Furthermore, only in the Direct Rule Condition were there significant correlations between rule-compliance and stress. A post hoc interpretation of the findings is provided

An Examination of the Severe Impairment Battery as a Measure of Cognitive Decline in Clients with Down's Syndrome

The present study examined the validity of the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) as a tool for measuring cognitive decline in clients with Down syndrome. Two groups participated: 10 clients who showed behavioural decline over at least a 2 year period as measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, and 14 clients who showed no decline on this measure over the same period. No differences were found between the two groups in relation to health or life factors which may have impacted on functional and cognitive decline. The deteriorating group were found to be significantly older than the non-deteriorating group. The comparison of the SIB scores indicated that the deteriorating group showed a significant decline between baseline and 12 months and baseline and 24 months on the orientation factor. By contrast, for the non-deteriorating group, significant increases were found for praxis, orientating to name and total scores

Recent Decisions

Comments on recent decisions by Thomas B. McNeill, Patrick F. McCartan, R. L. Cousineau, William J. Harte, William D. Bailey, Jr., John E. Kennedy, and Daniel W. Hammer