Current robots and other artificial systems are typically able to accomplish only one single task. Overcoming this limitation requires the development of control architectures and learning algorithms that can support the acquisition and deployment of several different skills, which in turn seems to require a modular and hierarchical organization. In this way, different modules can acquire different skills without catastrophic interference, and higher-level components of the system can solve complex tasks by exploiting the skills encapsulated in the lower-level modules. While machine learning and robotics recognize the fundamental importance of the hierarchical organization of behavior for building robots that scale up to solve complex tasks, research in psychology and neuroscience shows increasing evidence that modularity and hierarchy are pivotal organization principles of behavior and of the brain. They might even lead to the cumulative acquisition of an ever-increasing number of skills, which seems to be a characteristic of mammals, and humans in particular. This book is a comprehensive overview of the state of the art on the modeling of the hierarchical organization of behavior in animals, and on its exploitation in robot controllers. The book perspective is highly interdisciplinary, featuring models belonging to all relevant areas, including machine learning, robotics, neural networks, and computational modeling in psychology and neuroscience. The book chapters review the authors' most recent contributions to the investigation of hierarchical behavior, and highlight the open questions and most promising research directions. As the contributing authors are among the pioneers carrying out fundamental work on this topic, the book covers the most important and topical issues in the field from a computationally informed, theoretically oriented perspective. The book will be of benefit to academic and industrial researchers and graduate students in related disciplines.

In her doctoral thesis, Mara Gerich makes an important contribution to research on the topic of teachers' counseling competence, particularly in the specific domain of parent-teacher talks with regard to the support of students' learning processes. The author gains insights that permit several implications for educational practice, particularly within the context of teacher preparation and continuing education. Parent counseling on the support of students' learning processes is emphasized as a central pedagogical task of teachers in international research on teacher professionalization and standards for teacher education.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment in Schools serves as a guide on how to assess children for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), specifically in school settings. Dilly and Hall offer a general overview of ASD, describe ASD assessment best practices, and explain the process of identifying ASD in schools. Current research and up-to-date science is incorporated in a practitioner-friendly manner, and short case vignettes will increase the accessibility of the book content and illustrate principles. As the rates of ASD reach 1/59 children, and school psychologists are increasingly expected to possess expertise in the assessment of ASD, this book serves as a must have for school psychologists, school social workers, and other practitioners.

Well-informed and skilled interviewing is a key factor in dealing with suspects, victims and witnesses. Experienced police and investigators know this from their own practice, and there is now a substantial body of research and theory in psychology which supports this practice and can guide both training and the development of investigative work. The purpose of this book is to provide a concise and clearly written guide to the psychological concepts and research-based knowledge that can support and guide investigative interviewing. It deals in particular with:

• good basic practice and methods for investigative interviewing
• how to deal with false confessions and unreliable or incomplete witness information
• the special problems of interviewing children and other vulnerable people
• the process of interviewing suspects, victims, witnesses, complainants and colleagues

This book will be of interest and value to a wide range of professionals involved in training and practice in the police or other agencies, as well as social workers,lawyers, psychologists and psychiatrists involved in forensic work. "The strength of this book lies in its relevance for both practice and research in investigative interviewing, not only in Britain but internationally. Based on psychological theory and research, it provides practitioners with a wealth of information and specific guidelines to help improve their interviewing skills. Researchers are challenged to address some of the, as yet, unanswered questions." Janet Jackson, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Criminality and Law Enforcement, Leiden, The Netherlands This book is published in the Wiley Series in the Psychology of Crime, Policing and Law Series Editors: professor Professor Graham Davies University of Leicester, UK, and Professor Ray Bull University of Portsmouth, UK

Software is cut-and-dried - every button you press has a predictable effect - but qualitative analysis is open-ended and unfolds in unpredictable ways. This contradiction is best resolved by separating analytic strategies - what you plan to do - from software tactics - how you plan to do it. Expert ATLAS.ti users have unconsciously learned to do this. The Five-Level QDA (R) method unpacks the process so that you can learn it consciously and efficiently. The first part of the book explains how the contradiction between analytic strategies and software tactics is reconciled by "translating" between them. The second part provides both an in-depth description of how ATLAS.ti works and comprehensive instruction in the five steps of "translation". these steps are illustrated with examples from a variety of research projects. The third part contains real-world qualitative research projects from a variety of disciplines, methodologies, and kinds of qualitative analysis, all illustrated in ATLAS.ti using the Five-Level QDA method. The book is accompanied by three sets of videos demonstrations on the Companion Website. While this book uses screenshots from the current ATLAS.ti Version 8, it is still fully applicable to users of older versions. The book and accompanying videos illustrate the Windows version of ATLAS.ti. As there are some differences in screen and interface design between the Mac and Windows versions please watch the video 'The ATLAS.ti Mac Interface' in the Component Orientation series of videos (available September 2017) The Five-Level QDA method is based on the authors' combined 40 years of experience teaching ATLAS.ti and other software packages used as platforms for conducting qualitative analysis. After many years observing their students' challenges they developed the Five-Level QDA method to describe the process that long-time ATLAS.ti experts unconsciously adopt. The Five-Level QDA method is independent of software program or methodology, and the principles apply to any type of qualitative project. Please see the following URL to access the accompanying materials for this book: https://www.qdaservices.co.uk/five-level-qda

This book is a first attempt to combine insights from the two perspectives with regard to the question of meaning by examining a collection of theoretical and empirical works. This volume therefore is destined to become an important addition to psychological literature: both from the viewpoint of the history of ideas (again this would be one of the first times that positive and existentialist psychologies meet) and from the viewpoint of theoretical and empirical research into the meaning concept in psychology.

This volume is the most comprehensive reference book on community sentiment available. The classic book about community sentiment is Norm Finkel's "Commonsense Justice: Jurors' Notions of the Law" (1995). A similarly influential book called "Justice, Liability, and Blame" was published at the same time, examining lay sentiment about a variety of criminal issues and suggesting ways in which the substantive criminal law could be reformed in light of such lay responses (Robinson & Darley, 1995). Although these books were influential and important for their time (and since), this Handbook expands significantly on them, both by updating research since that time and broadens the scope of topic areas to ones that are not limited to trial and criminal justice issues. Each chapter is original/unpublished and focuses on an area related to children/families, many of which are "hot topic" areas in the news and courts today. For instance, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a case in June 2012 about the constitutionality of "life without parole" for juvenile offenders-a topic discussed in the Fass and Miora chapter. Thus, it is of interest to those interested in family law topics as well.

Requiring no prior training, Modern Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences provides a two-semester, graduate-level introduction to basic statistical techniques that takes into account recent advances and insights that are typically ignored in an introductory course. Hundreds of journal articles make it clear that basic techniques, routinely taught and used, can perform poorly when dealing with skewed distributions, outliers, heteroscedasticity (unequal variances) and curvature. Methods for dealing with these concerns have been derived and can provide a deeper, more accurate and more nuanced understanding of data. A conceptual basis is provided for understanding when and why standard methods can have poor power and yield misleading measures of effect size. Modern techniques for dealing with known concerns are described and illustrated. Features: Presents an in-depth description of both classic and modern methods Explains and illustrates why recent advances can provide more power and a deeper understanding of data Provides numerous illustrations using the software R Includes an R package with over 1300 functions Includes a solution manual giving detailed answers to all of the exercises This second edition describes many recent advances relevant to basic techniques. For example, a vast array of new and improved methods is now available for dealing with regression, including substantially improved ANCOVA techniques. The coverage of multiple comparison procedures has been expanded and new ANOVA techniques are described. Rand Wilcox is a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California. He is the author of 13 other statistics books and the creator of the R package WRS. He currently serves as an associate editor for five statistics journals. He is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute.

This textbook provides in-depth instruction for conducting psychoeducational assessments of children in grades K-12 and conveying results through detailed, well-written reports. It takes readers step by step through the assessment process - collecting data, writing reports, and communicating conclusions - for students with conditions spanning the range of IDEA classifications such as autism, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, and conditions covered by Section 504. The book offers not only a broad understanding of assessment and communication skills, but also of the ethical, legal, cultural, and professional considerations that come with psychoeducational evaluation. And its sample reports model clear, well-organized results accessible to parents and caregivers as well as teachers and colleagues. Key areas of coverage include: * Assessment basics: the testing environment and protocols, interviewing, and observation. * Report writing section by section, from reason for referral to summary and recommendations. * Guidelines for oral reporting, with case examples. * Special issues in psychoeducational assessment and report writing. * Sample psychoeducational reports using this framework. Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing is an essential text for graduate students, researchers, professors, and professionals in child and school psychology; assessment, testing, and evaluation; social work; and psychological methods/evaluation.

A comprehensive collection by Professor Cary Cooper and his colleagues in the field of workplace stress and wellbeing, which draws on research in a number of areas including stress-strain relationships, sources of workplace stress and stressful occupations. Volume 1 of 2.

A comprehensive collection by Professor Cary Cooper and his colleagues in the field of workplace stress and wellbeing, which draws on research in a number of areas including stress-strain relationships, sources of workplace stress and stressful occupations. Volume 2 of 2.

R is a powerful and free software system for data analysis and graphics, with over 5,000 add-on packages available. This book introduces R using SAS and SPSS terms with which you are already familiar. It demonstrates which of the add-on packages are most like SAS and SPSS and compares them to R's built-in functions. It steps through over 30 programs written in all three packages, comparing and contrasting the packages' differing approaches. The programs and practice datasets are available for download. The glossary defines over 50 R terms using SAS/SPSS jargon and again using R jargon. The table of contents and the index allow you to find equivalent R functions by looking up both SAS statements and SPSS commands. When finished, you will be able to import data, manage and transform it, create publication quality graphics, and perform basic statistical analyses. This new edition has updated programming, an expanded index, and even more statistical methods covered in over 25 new sections.

The 78th Annual Meeting of the Psychometric Society (IMPS) builds on the Psychometric Society's mission to share quantitative methods relevant to psychology. The chapters of this volume present cutting-edge work in the field. Topics include studies of item response theory, computerized adaptive testing, cognitive diagnostic modeling, and psychological scaling. Additional psychometric topics relate to structural equation modeling, factor analysis, causal modeling, mediation, missing data methods, and longitudinal data analysis, among others. The papers in this volume will be especially useful for researchers in the social sciences who use quantitative methods. Prior knowledge of statistical methods is recommended. The 78th annual meeting took place in Arnhem, The Netherlands between July 22nd and 26th, 2013. The previous volume to showcase work from the Psychometric Society's Meeting is New Developments in Quantitative Psychology: Presentations from the 77th Annual Psychometric Society Meeting (Springer, 2014).

This book introduces the latest meta-analytical methods and discusses their applications in the field of psychiatry. A comprehensive list of methods used in meta-analysis has been described in simple language and demonstrated with real-time examples. This informative volume explains the importance of meta-analysis and describes how it differs from narrative and systematic reviews. It also relates the historical development of meta-analysis and explains methods used for locating and selecting the required studies in a given domain. Suitable software is examined in detail as well.

In a multimethod laboratory study Alessia Ruf compared multimodal learning in system-paced and self-paced environments over time. The results show that overall participants achieved the highest learning success in short- and long-term when they learned with visual texts and controlled the learning time by themselves. These results reveal a general impression of the modality effect, show possibilities to improve e-learning systems and give recommendations for further research.

While empirical, scientific research has much to offer to the practice-oriented therapist in training, it is often difficult to effectively engage the trainee, beginning practitioner, or graduate student in the subject of research. This fully revised and expanded edition of Research for the Psychotherapist is an engaging, accessible guide that bridges the gap between gathering, analyzing, presenting, and discussing research and incorporating that research into practice. The authors present concise chapters that distill research findings and clearly apply them to practical issues, while also helping readers progress as consumers of relevant research.

This book is a practical guide to the intellectual assessment of children and adolescents in the schools. Although primarily intended for graduate students in school psychology training programs and practicing school psychologists, it should also be useful for those involved with making decisions in schools that are based, in part, on the results of intelligence tests, including counselors, teachers, administrators, and other school personnel. In writing it, we placed particular emphasis on evidence-based practices pertaining to the use and interpretation of intelligence tests. The assessment of intelligence has long been mandated by law for eligibility determination for special education and related services. At the current time, however, there is widespread disagreement about the use and interpretation of intelligence tests. Nevertheless, none of the currently available books on intellectual assessment critically reviews the scientific evidence regarding the critical role played by intelligence tests in the schools for the determination of eligibility for special education and related services. One of the main intentions of this book was to fill that gap and to recommend best practices with scientific support.

This book provides first time insight into whether emotions impact performance of an online ability test. This question is gaining in relevance as online assessment is used increasingly in personnel selection and since it has been shown that emotions impact the way humans think. Moreover, the author demonstrates, for the first time, how short film clips can elicit different emotions in an online setting. Furthermore, she gives an overview of the area of online assessment, of models of intelligence and emotion, and of how emotion and cognition interact.

The definitive guide to the latest edition of the Cognitive Assessment System Essentials of CAS2 Assessment is a comprehensive guide to the successful administration of the updated CAS2. Written by leading cognitive assessment experts, the book discusses the latest research and thinking on PASS (Planning, Attention-Arousal, Simultaneous and Successive) theory and includes case studies that demonstrate the use of CAS2 with several types of diagnostic groups and integration with other instruments. A companion website offers additional tools and information to help busy professionals make optimal use of the CAS2. This is the first book to provide comprehensive, step-by-step guidelines for administering, scoring, and interpreting the latest edition of the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS2). While the outcome of the test depends upon the child's performance, the reliability and accuracy of the analysis depends largely upon the performance of the test administrator. Essentials of CAS2 Assessment offers detailed insight on topics such as: * Fair assessment of diverse populations * Assessment of children with comorbid conditions * Changes to the CAS2 rating scale and form * Nuances of the three-tier model Each chapter in the book highlights key concepts, bulleted points, and actual test questions. The CAS2 is a valuable tool in the detection of learning disabilities, ADHD, TBI, retardation, and giftedness. Essentials of CAS2 Assessment is the guidebook professionals need to ensure the CAS2 test is applied and analyzed accurately so that the results can be applied to the maximum benefit of the child.

This book seeks to confront an apparent contradiction: that while we are constantly attending to environmental issues, we seem to be woefully out of touch with nature. The goal of Ecopsychology, Phenomenology and the Environment is to foster an enhanced awareness of nature that can lead us to new ways of relating to the environment, ultimately yielding more sustainable patterns of living. This volume is different from other books in the rapidly growing field of ecopsychology in its emphasis on phenomenological approaches, building on the work of phenomenological psychologists such as Maurice Merleau-Ponty. This focus on phenomenological methodologies for articulating our direct experience of nature serves as a critical complement to the usual methodologies of environmental and conservation psychologists, who have emphasized quantitative research. Moreover, Ecopsychology, Phenomenology and the Environment is distinctive insofar as chapters by phenomenologically-sophisticated ecopsychologists are complemented by chapters written by phenomenological researchers of environmental issues with backgrounds in philosophy and geology, providing a breadth and depth of perspective not found in other works written exclusively by psychologists.

The third edition of Handbook of Marriage and the Family describes, analyzes, synthesizes, and critiques the current research and theory about family relationships, family structural variations, and the role of families in society. This updated Handbook provides the most comprehensive state-of-the art assessment of the existing knowledge of family life, with particular attention to variations due to gender, socioeconomic, race, ethnic, cultural, and life-style diversity. The Handbook also aims to provide the best synthesis of our existing scholarship on families that will be a primary source for scholars and professionals but also serve as the primary graduate text for graduate courses on family relationships and the roles of families in society. In addition, the involvement of chapter authors from a variety of fields including family psychology, family sociology, child development, family studies, public health, and family therapy, gives the Handbook a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary framework.

STATISTICAL METHODS FOR PSYCHOLOGY, 8E, International Edition surveys the statistical techniques commonly used in the behavioral and social sciences, especially psychology and education. To help students gain a better understanding of the specific statistical hypothesis tests that are covered throughout the text, author David Howell emphasize conceptual understanding. Along with significantly updated discussions of effect size and meta-analysis, this Eighth Edition continues to focus on two key themes that are the cornerstones of this book's success: the importance of looking at the data before beginning a hypothesis test, and the importance of knowing the relationship between the statistical test in use and the theoretical questions being asked by the experiment.

The presentation of mental illness at work has different implications and consequences depending on the specific nature of the job, work context, regulatory framework and risks for the employee, organisation and society. Naturally there are certain occupational groups where human factors and/or mental illness could impair safety and mental acuity, and with potentially devastating consequences. For pilots, the medical criteria for crew licensing are stipulated by regulatory aviation authorities worldwide, and these include specific mental illness exclusions. The challenge of assessment for mental health problems is, however, complex and the responsibility for psychological screening and testing falls to a range of different specialists and groups including AMEs (authorised aviation medical examiners), GPs and physicians, airline human resources departments, psychologists, human factor specialists and pilots themselves. Extending and developing the ideas of Aviation Mental Health (2006), which described a range of psychological issues and problems that may affect pilots and the consequences of these, this book presents an authoritative, comprehensive and practical guide to modern, evidence-based practice in the field of mental health assessment, treatment and care. It features contributions from experts in the field drawn from several countries, professions and representing a range of aviation-related organisations, displaying a range of different skills and methods that can be used for the clinical assessment of pilots and in relation to specific mental-health problems and syndromes.

Although humans slumber for approximately one third of our lives, sleep itself is vastly understudied. This volume provides a comparative frame through which we can understand the myriad ways in which sleep reflects and embodies culture as contributors examine aspects of sleep in various countries and contexts.

An easy-to-understand overview of the key concepts of psychological testing Fully updated and revised, the second edition of Essentials of Psychological Testing surveys the basic principles of psychometrics, succinctly presents the information needed to understand and evaluate tests, and introduces readers to the major contemporary reference works in the field. This engaging, practical overview of the most relevant psychometric concepts and techniques provides the foundation necessary for advanced study in the field of psychological assessment. Each clear, well-organized chapter includes new examples and references, featuring callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as Test Yourself questions that help gauge and reinforce readers grasp of the information covered. The author s extensive experience and deep understanding of the concepts presented are evident throughout the book, particularly when readers are reminded that tests are tools and that, like all tools, they have limitations. Starting with a basic introduction to psychological tests, their historical development, and their uses, the book also covers the statistical procedures most frequently used in testing, the frames of reference for score interpretation, reliability, validity and test item considerations, as well as the latest guidelines for test selection, administration, scoring and reporting test results. Whether as an orientation for those new to the field, a refresher for those already acquainted with it, or as reference for seasoned clinicians, this book is an invaluable resource. SUSANA URBINA, PHD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of North Florida, where she taught courses in psychological testing and assessment. A Diplomate of the American Board of Assessment Psychology and a licensed psychologist, Dr. Urbina practiced in the field of psychological assessment for over a decade. She coauthored the seventh edition of Psychological Testing with Anne Anastasi and has published numerous articles and reviews in the area of psychological testing.