Psychology Commons^™

Stacking The Deck In The Learner's Favor: Behavioral Skills Training Improves Safmeds Implementation, Lauren Olsen

Theses

“Say All Fast Minute Every Day Shuffled” (SAFMEDS) is a structured, evidence-based protocol for using flashcards. The protocol is a sequence of steps that are designed to promote accurate and quick responding to learn the information presented on flashcards. Although the benefits of using SAFMEDS have been well-documented, much of the literature fails to adequately describe the methods used to train participants on how to use the protocol. In addition, few studies measure participant procedural integrity (i.e., the extent to which the protocol is implemented as planned). To date, no study has systematically examined the effects of different training methods …

The (Simp)Le Truth About Excessive & Obsessive Romantic Behaviors In Men, Daniel Ho

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

There has been a growing trend in mainstream media of certain individuals being termed as simps, generally recognized as people who engage in costly or extravagant romantic behaviors toward a romantic interest, but are often met with no reciprocation. It is suggested that simping behaviors appear to be an evolutionarily maladaptive mating strategy where individuals engage in excessive and obsessive behaviors when pursuing a romantic interest. The current research aimed to explore this phenomenon, to identify specific traits and characteristics that are typical of simps and simping behavior. Across a set of two studies comprising an act nomination and act …

Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus Connectivity With The Dorsomedial Subsystem Of Default Network Tracks Real-World Conversation Behaviour, Dhaval M. Bhatt

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Social interactions are multifaceted, complex, and critical to social behaviour as they help gather information, develop social connections, and regulate social behaviour (Lakey & Orehek, 2011; Testard et al., 2021; Jolly & Chang, 2021). Among social interactions, conversations find a special place for humans due to the nuances associated with language, conversational behaviour (e.g., gestures), and context (e.g., where conversations occur and what is discussed). Researchers have studied aspects of single conversation behaviour, content related to conversations, and brain function (Sievers et al., 2020). However, little is known about the brain function of densely-sampled in-person conversation behaviour. Filling this gap …

Increasing Cheerleader Safety Through The Observer Effect, Madison Elizabeth Duke

Theses and Dissertations

Cheerleading has a high rate of serious injuries, but the safety of cheerleaders has seldom been researched. Behavior analytic research has never investigated cheerleading and has rarely focused on improving the safety of athletes. The present study examined scored observations, a common intervention in the behavior-based safety literature, as a method to increase the safety of cheerleaders completing basic movements. This has previously been shown to produce the observer effect, wherein an observer’s safe behavior is increased after observing and scoring the behavior of another performer. Scored observations alone increased basic cheerleading movements to a mastery criteria for one of …

Effect Of Variable Delays To Reinforcement On Skill Acquisition Of Tacts In Children With Autism, Ya-Chien Yang

Theses and Dissertations

Basic research has established that immediate reinforcement produces the best outcome when learning a skill. More recent research has followed, showing that even 8-10 seconds of brief delays may impair learning. In one of the few applied studies on this topic, Majdalany et al. (2016) showed that participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) acquired tacts more quickly with immediate reinforcement, compared to delays of 6s and 12s. However, no research has examined variable delays to reinforcement, which may be more common in classrooms and clinics. Thus, the purpose of the proposed study was to expand previous research by examining variable …

Relations Between Heart Rate And Precursors To Aggression With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emily Wynn Dowling

Theses and Dissertations

Aggression is a commonly reported problem behavior for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. When assessing and treating aggression, there are risks of injury to the client and staff when the problem behavior is aggression. Investigating physiological arousal states of clients may be fruitful if this physiological measure can be used to predict occurrences of problem behavior, such as aggression. Previous research has shown varied results when investigating the relations between heart rate and problem behaviors. For some individuals, heart rate increased preceding problem behavior and for others heart rate decreased (Barrera et al., 2007). The temporal relation between heart …

Comparing Video Modeling To Tactile Feedback To Train Medical Skills, Kelcie Erin Mccafferty

Theses and Dissertations

Medical skills and practices have been continuously advancing, with many recent advancements in clinical practice. However, medical training has yet to develop in tandem with medical advancement. Behavior analysis has a large body of research and practice in the area of skill acquisition to offer the medical field. TAGteach® is one example of a behavior analytic method that could be beneficial to the medical field. Although traditional applications of TAGteach® have been proven to be effective, they may not be socially valid or accepted by the larger population or medical professionals. The purpose of the present study was to compare …

Further Evaluation Of The Effects Of Music And Rird On Vocal Stereotypy, Keith Happel

Theses and Dissertations

Vocal stereotypy (VS), or vocalizations that are noncontexual or nonfunctional, is commonly exhibited in individuals on the autism spectrum. The nature of vocal stereotypy may pose an issue for some individuals, ranging from social ostracization to the inability to perform daily tasks. Previous research has shown that access to matched stimulation (e.g., music) and response interruption and redirection (RIRD), a form of punishment, are effective at decreasing vocal stereotypy (Gibbs et al., 2018). However, in the aforementioned study, researchers did not evaluate a less intrusive treatment in isolation prior to implementing punishment. The purpose of the current investigation is to …

Subjective Socioeconomic Status Moderates Self-Esteem Reactivity To Daily Stressor Exposure: Evidence From A Daily Diary Approach, Yi Jing Chua, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Chi-Ying Cheng, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Research on self-esteem reactivity has demonstrated that self-esteem fluctuates in response to daily stressor exposure, and the strength of this relationship varies between individuals. Drawing upon the positive link between objective socioeconomic status (SES) and self-esteem, how subjective SES influences self-esteem reactivity to daily stressor exposure was explored. Using a 7-day daily diary study, the current study (N-participants = 243, N-days = 1651) adopted a multilevel analysis to demonstrate that subjective SES attenuated the within-person association between daily stressor exposure and daily self-esteem, even after controlling for demographics and objective indicators of SES. The interactions were also consistent across social …

A Scoping Review Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy In Higher Education, Sarah Caimano

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a transdiagnostic intervention that holds promise in improving well-being across various contexts. The current scoping review aims to examine the literature on the use of ACT interventions in higher education to improve aspects of student well-being and academic outcomes. Chapter 2 summarizes the results of the review and includes 34 peer-reviewed empirical research articles that applied ACT interventions with higher education students. Online and in-person interventions were both widely used and found to be effective. Though these outcomes are promising, nearly half of the articles reviewed provided insufficient detail to allow for replication and …

Bridging Empathy, Qianwen Lu

Masters Theses

As a jeweler, ally, and sympathetic witness to the traumatic stories of survivors, my work aims to support the process of reconstruction and reintegration for victims and the greater community. To move beyond isolation, resentment, and debilitating helplessness requires care and support. I want my jewelry to act as catalysts in the healing process by straddling both sides of the trauma-induced situation, to create greater awareness and empathy. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence shows that women are more likely to become victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or other forms of physical and psychological abuse in unhealthy emotional relationships. These …

Desire For Social Status Affects Marital And Reproductive Attitudes: A Life History Mismatch Perspective, Amy J. Lim, Norman P. Li, Zoi Manesi, Steven L. Neuberg, Mark Van Vugt, Andrea L. Meltzer, Kenneth Tan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Modern low fertility is an unresolved paradox. Despite the tremendous financial growth and stability in modern societies, birth rates are steadily dropping. Almost half of the world's population lives in countries with below-replacement fertility and is projected for a continued decline. Drawing on life history theory and an evolutionary mismatch perspective, we propose that desire for social status (which is increasingly experienced by individuals in industrialized, modern societies) is a key factor affecting critical reproductive preferences. Across two experimental studies (total N = 719), we show that activating a desire for status can lead people to prefer reproductive tradeoffs that …

The Effects Of Antecedent And Consequence Strategies On Data Collection In A Human Service Organization, Sarah Love, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Antecedent and consequence strategies in the research literature to improve employee performance within human service organizations have included behavioral skills training (BST) and performance-based incentive programs, among others. The current study continued this line of research in which participants were members of a human service organization and were responsible for collecting data on clients’ responding during programming. The purpose was to evaluate the effects of antecedent and consequence-based strategies on the accuracy of data collected by participants. The results showed that BST was effective at increasing accurate data collection across all participants and that the consequence-based intervention, in the form …

Comparing Teaching Methods For Auditory-Visual Conditional Discrimination, Brady Conley, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Responding to spoken language is a skill that is typically acquired at a young age. However, responding to spoken language requires discrimination between stimuli. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have demonstrated difficulty acquiring listener behavior involving conditional discrimination. Thus, the most efficient and effective teaching strategies should continue to be a focus in behavior-analytic research. The purpose of the current study was to compare teaching methods for conditional discrimination for three school-aged children with ASD. The results showed that one participant met criterion for the best practice condition only, one participant met criterion for both best practice and …

Payments Data In Gambling Research, Kasra Ghaharian, Mana Azizsoltani

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

A considerable body of gambling-related research has leveraged gamblers' behavioral tracking data to address a broad set of research questions. These data have typically comprised of gamblers' betting-related behaviors including, for example, the frequency and volume of betting. The analysis of gamblers' payment-related behavioral data is far less common, but provides a fruitful avenue gambling-related research.

In this presentation we discuss a selection of potential research opportunities that payments transaction data presents. We supplement this discussion with specific analyses that have been performed by our research group. We also discuss knowledge gaps and areas for future research.

Stake Size And Wagering In A Professional Betting Environment – When Data Affects Decision Making, Anthony Bedford, Tristan Barnett

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

In this work, we discuss the structure of a number of professional wagering organisations, and how they attempt to deal with the “Ender’s Game” effect – when knowledge of the true nature of the ‘war being wagered’ may have affected the process and choice of betting. We analyse the responses from professional wagering and betting organisations, whom operate predominately in Horseracing and sportsbetting, and they identify the importance of separation of decisions around choices to make and the stakes and size of wagers that are linked to the decisions. The proposed model, practically carried out by one company, is an …

The Benefits Of Art Therapy On Stress And Anxiety Of Oncology Patients During Treatment, Helen Shiepe

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Within the last ten years research on art therapy and its positive impact on oncology patients’ stress and anxiety during treatment has been minimal. Oncology patients whether they are children or adults when diagnosed experience similar reactions due to their diagnosis, treatment, and in some cases end of life care. The current question is whether or not art therapy does have a positive impact on decreasing the stress and anxiety with oncology patients while undergoing treatment. Deane, Fitch & Carmen (2000), discussed art therapy as a healing art that is “intended to integrate physical, emotional, and spiritual care by facilitating …

An Evaluation Of Procedures To Increase Medical Device Compliance, Sarah Christian Holmes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Behavioral interventions have been implemented to increase compliance with medical devices across patient populations and target devices. Intervention to increase medical device compliance (MDC) can involve a variety of components, including different reinforcement, graduated exposure, extinction, and punishment with varying degrees of acceptability and feasibility. In the current study, we compared the effects of noncontingent (NCR) versus synchronous reinforcement schedules on the duration of MDC and latency to device removal with KN95 face masks with 2 patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Following an initial baseline phase demonstrating that both participants engaged in compliance for less than 5 min, we used …

Homogeneous Or Diverse: Examining The Inclusiveness Of Behavior-Analytic Services For The Black Population, April Jefferson

Capstone Projects

Black and African Americans are the second largest minority group in the United States. Studies show that the prevalence of autism in children are similar by race and ethnicity, making Black and African Americans the second largest minority group with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. For behavior analyst servicing this population, there is an obligation to address the needs of these individuals and acknowledge their backgrounds and diversities. This study highlights areas that affect the quality of services provided to the Black and African American community and evaluate the inclusiveness of these areas.

Determining The Utilization Of Trial-Based Functional Analyses In A Clinical Setting, Cayla Thomas

Thesis Projects

The functional analysis (FA) methodology is the gold standard of functional assessments to inform function-based interventions in applied behavior analysis. Behavior analysts report underuse of the FA methodology in clinical practice due to lack of time and resources and safety concerns. The trial-based FA (TBFA) is a brief form of the FA that is conducted in the natural environment and to date has mainly been conducted in classrooms. When compared with a standard FA, TBFAs take less consecutive time to complete, there are fewer instances of maladaptive behavior, data collection is simpler, and data analysis requires less expertise. The current …

Using Imagery Practice To Improve Airline Pilot Situational Awareness, Brian Christopher Sajdak

Dissertations

Pilot error remains the primary cause of airline airplane accidents (Federal Aviation Administration, n.d.). Airline pilots have relied on Crew Resource Management and Threat Error Management to reduce or eliminate errors (Helmreich & Foushee, 2019). Unfortunately, the worldwide accident rate continues to increase (International Air Transport Association, 2021), demonstrating the need for further research into improving aviation safety. Current regulations do not require imagery training for airline pilots to improve situational awareness (Federal Aviation Administration, 2017a). Athletes and other professionals, such as musicians and medical professionals, use imagery to improve performance (Munzert et al., 2009). Imagery practice may improve the …

​​Evaluating The Utility Of Trial-Based Functional Analyses Of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior: A Comparison Of Identified Functions Across Functional Analysis Methods, Meredith Huff Staggers

Theses and Dissertations

A critical first step in addressing problem behavior is to identify the function of the problem, or reason for engaging in the problem behavior, using systematic assessment procedures known as a functional analysis (FA). The literature consistently demonstrates the effectiveness of FAs, and variations of FAs (e.g., trial-based functional analysis [TBFA]) for assessing a variety of topographies of problem behaviors across populations, age groups, and settings; however, the use of TBFAs for assessing the function of inappropriate mealtime behavior (IMB) has been documented in the literature only once. The purpose of the current study was to contribute to the research …

The Effects Of A Self-Recording Procedure On Student’S On-Task Behavior, Maria Leventhal

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This study investigated the isolated effects of self-management on students on-task behavior through an operant analysis. Two elementary-aged students, receiving ABA services at a special education school were taught to self-record their on-task behavior using a Gymboss miniMAX timer that cued them at variable intervals. Following baseline, students were trained to self-record using Behavior Skills Training. A series of phases was then implemented to gradually increase the intervals. To isolate the effects of self-recording, feedback and reinforcement were not provided. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, a functional relation was demonstrated between self-recording and on-task behavior.

Using Free-Operant Preference Assessments And Reinforcer Evaluations To Measure The Stability Of Preferences Over Time In Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Lindsey Histand

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The present study investigated the stability of preferences over time using an alternating treatment multielement design across participants. The participants were children between the ages of eight and twelve with developmental disabilities, who also displayed interfering behaviors. The study had a baseline condition and two experimental conditions. During the first condition, the therapist provided contingent reinforcement for correct responses during reinforcer evaluations using highest preferred items. During the second condition, the therapist provided contingent reinforcement for correct responses during reinforcer evaluations using least preferred items. Repeated measures of free-operant preference assessments produced participants’ preference rankings, thus identifying highest and least …

Using Video Prompting For Daily Living Skill Acquisition In Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Meghan Park Mitchell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The current study examined the effects of video prompting on the acquisition of a daily living skill with adults who have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). A multiple baseline across participants design was used to assess whether a video prompting procedure was able to teach adults with IDD a daily living skill with minimal socially mediated instruction. It was found that performance increased once the intervention was applied. Future directions for research and application in teaching daily living skills to adults with IDD are discussed.

A Multi-Level Comparison Of Increasing Training Modalities To Train Behavior Analysts To Conduct An Intensive Pediatric Feeding Intervention, Ronald Joseph Clark

Theses and Dissertations

A common focus within behavior analytic clinical practice is to incorporate training with caregivers to promote successful transition of clinical services. In the pediatric feeding literature, for example, training caregivers to ensure maintenance and generalization of the intervention is expected. However, training staff members to provide specific behavioral interventions has received less attention. The current study systematically implemented three levels of training to evaluate the level of intensity required to train behavior analytic staff (i.e., behavior technicians, Registered Behavior Technicians®, and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts®) to implement a feeding protocol with a role play partner. Only one participant met the mastery …

Problematic Smartphone Usage, Objective Smartphone Engagement, And Executive Functions: A Latent Variable Analysis, Andree Hartanto, Yi Jing Chua, Frosch Yi Xuan Quek, Joax Wong, Wei Ming Ooi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The negative consequences of smartphone usage have seen frequent discourse in popular media. While existing studies seek to resolve these debates in relation to executive functions, findings are still limited and mixed. This is partly due to the lack of conceptual clarity about smartphone usage, the use of self-reported measures, and problems related to task impurity. Addressing these limitations, the current study utilizes a latent variable approach to examine various types of smartphone usage, including objectively measured data-logged screen time and screen-checking, and nine executive function tasks in 260 young adults through a multi-session study. Our structural equation models showed …

The Impact Of Music Therapy On Language Acquisition In Children With Nonverbal Autism, Alecia Bernau

Senior Honors Theses

Through an experimental method, the researcher investigated whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to develop verbal communication skills after consistent exposure to songs with lyrics. Six children with nonverbal ASD were exposed to the same song with lyrics, with the goal of increased vocalization and language acquisition. Over nine sessions, subjects were pulled to participate in the experiment. The researcher played the song for the participants, recording the responses from each trial and categorizing them as either full words, verbal approximations, or miscellaneous verbalizations. The findings of the study suggest that there is a relationship between …

Effect Of Brain Injury On Demand Of Alcohol, Whitney Michele Chaney

Theses and Dissertations

Brain injury, or damage to the brain and/or surrounding structures, is listed by the CDC as the leading cause of disability and death in the United States. This kind of injury can result in symptoms that physical, cognitive, and behavioral functioning in those affected. Despite this, current literature reflects a significant deficiency in the understanding and management of behavioral symptoms, that present after the injury, in most neurorehabilitative treatments. This study aimed to investigate whether sustaining a brain injury can effect an individual’s demand intensity for alcohol, if their demand was inelastic, and their probability for misuse of alcohol. To …

Higher Well-Being Individuals Are More Receptive To Cultivated Meat: An Investigation Of Their Reasoning For Consuming Cultivated Meat, Angela K. Y. Leung, Mark Chong, Tricia Marjorie Fernandez, Shu Tian Ng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

It is evident that over-consumption of meat can contribute to the emission of hazardous greenhouse gases. One viable way to address such climate impact is to make people become more aware of more sustainable diet options, such as cultivated meat. However, it is challenging to instigate change in people's meat-eating habit, and empirical works have been examining the psychological factors that are related to consumers' willingness to consume cultivated meat. Research has suggested that psychological well-being can play a role in the meaning-making of food consumption, with higher well-being individuals showing more recognition of other sociocultural benefits of consuming food …