Psychology Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Efficiency Of And Preference For Analog Versus Mand Training On The Acquisition Of Mands For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Melissa L. King

Theses & Dissertations

The present study provides a systematic replication of the Jennett, Harris, and Delmolino (2008) study comparing discrete trial instruction (DTI) and mand training on the acquisition of mands for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An adapted alternating treatment design was implemented across three participants. Independent mands, variation in requested items, and duration of sessions were assessed across conditions. Generalization probes were conducted to assess generalization across communication partners (e.g., novel research assistants), along with a maintenance probe one-week post-training. Furthermore, a concurrent-chains arrangement was implemented to assess participants’ preference for teaching strategies. All participants reached mastery criterion quickest with …

Reducing The Risk Of Suicide On An Inpatient Acute Behavioral Health Unit, Thomas I. Coleman Mr

Master's Projects and Capstones

Evidence suggest for those who have successfully committed suicide in the form of asphyxiation inside locked facilities are more than likely due to patient bathroom doors. The current unit consists of 30 inpatient medical-psychiatric beds serving the adult and geriatric populations. The goal is to ensure patient safety by removing patient bathroom doors and replacing them with breakaway shower curtains for those exhibiting direct signs and symptoms of suicidal ideations with a plan. The specific aim is to improve patient outcomes by decreasing the number of deaths or attempted suicides. With great results, this type of project has been implemented …

The Regional Study Of Sleep-Related Behaviors Of Nurse Anesthetists: Personal And Professional Implications: A Replication Study, Jarrod Fontenelle

Doctoral Projects

Universally, anesthesia providers are expected to be knowledgeable, astutely responding to clinical challenges while maintaining a prolonged vigilance for administration of safe anesthesia and critical care. A fatigued anesthetist is the consequence of cumulative acuity manifesting as decreased motor and cognitive powers. This results in patient harm, impaired judgement, late and inadequate responses to clinical changes, poor communications, and medical errors. With increased expectations and medical-legal claims, anesthesiologists work to provide efficient and timely services, but are rendered sleep deprived themselves. It is the right time to address the issue of the health of anesthesia providers and the profession. The …

Exploring Acceptance Of Using An Online Platform To Teach Parents Of Children With Autism Methods In Applied Behavior Analysis (Aba), Marwah S. Zagzoug

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background and Purpose of the Study: A diagnosis of autism can lead to lifelong struggles for parents and children. These families face profound difficulties in coping with stress while seeking out early interventions and managing imperative service needs. Parents are increasingly turning to the internet for information, advice, and even formal training. Breakthroughs in technology have made the internet more accessible and more sophisticated. The involvement of parents in applying intervention strategies to help their autistic children has long been advocated as a useful approach. Enabling parents as interventionists provides renewed confidence and reduced stress for parents as well as …

A Randomized Comparison Of Two Instructional Sequences For Imitation Intervention For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Elaine Espanola

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine differences in effectiveness and rate of skill acquisition between a recently developed and empirically validated instructional sequence, Motor and Vocal Imitation Assessment (MVIA), and a commonly used instructional sequence in a curriculum guide, Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP).

Methods: Children with ASD were randomly assigned to two treatment groups to determine difference in imitation performance. The treatment group followed the instructional sequence proposed in the MVIA. The comparison group followed the instructional sequence proposed in the VB-MAPP. Initial levels of imitation were assessed via the MVIA. The intervention …

Training A New Trick Using No-Reward Markers: Effects On Dogs’ Performance And Stress Behaviors, Naomi Rotenberg

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored using no-reward markers (NRMs). Dogs were taught a novel trick. In the IG group dogs’ errors were ignored; in the NRM group they elicited a tone. Performance and stress were evaluated. IG dogs reached higher levels of performance, with no difference in the frequency of stress behaviors.

Feasibility Of A Peer Support Oriented Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Massive Open Online Course For Emotion Dysregulation, Rachel Gill

Senior Theses

Public interest in mental health care modernization has steadily gained momentum since ratifying The United States Health Care Affordability Act (U.S. Office of the Legislative Counsel, 2010). Furthermore, with 1 in every 1000 people seeking online support for mental health issues (DeAndrea & Anthony, 2013), research concerning the development of virtual mental health applications is critical to ensure science guides their innovation. To this end, this study explores the feasibility of a mental health intervention that unites the experiential, recovery-oriented, and self-determined values of mental health peer support (Kaufman et al., 2014) with dialectical behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) (Linehan, …

Functionally Distinct Pools Of Calcineurin Contribute To Depotentiation-Like Synaptic Changes In The Lateral Amygdala During Auditory Fear Extinction, Elena Kay Rotondo

Theses and Dissertations

Until recently, auditory fear extinction was not thought to modify substrates involved in the storage of the original auditory fear memory. Evidence now suggests that extinction results in the reversal of the fear conditioning-induced potentiation of thalamic inputs to the lateral amygdala. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that support this depotentiation of synaptic strength. Here we present behavioral and molecular evidence in support of the contribution of two distinct pools of the protein phosphatase calcineurin to depotentiation-like changes in lateral amygdala AMPA receptor trafficking during auditory fear extinction. Calcineurin protein that exists prior to the onset of …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Psychological Distress And Risky Sexual Behaviors Among A Treatment-Seeking Opioid-Dependent Population, Hayley M. Smith

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Substance abusing populations are at an increased risk for disease transmission and have higher rates of psychological comorbidity compared to the general population (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012a; Chaudhury & Singh, 2009; Des Jarlais, Semaan, & Arasteh, 2011; Goodwin & Stein, 2013). Numerous studies have implicated the interaction of psychological distress and risky sexual behaviors in the increased risk of disease transmission, however, several studies have not found this association. It has been suggested that there may be curvilinear relationship between psychological distress and risky sexual behaviors but this theory has yet to be tested. The …

Effects Of Reinforcement Duration And Duration-Correlated Stimuli On Preference In Pigeons, Michael James Harman

Theses and Dissertations

Pigeons were trained in a two-key, concurrent chains choice procedure with equal initial and terminal links. Across conditions, the durations of reinforcement in the terminal links were either equal (3-s vs 3-s) or unequal (3-s vs 6-s), and these durations were either uncued by hopper lights (both white) or cued (3-s: white; 6-s: colored). The pigeons’ choice responding leading to the longer duration of reinforcement was generally in the range of indifference with nondifferential hopper lights, but favored the longer duration with differential hopper lights. Taken together, the data suggest that differential hopper lights facilitated the discrimination of the longer …

Using Video Modeling To Teach Parents To Use The Natural Language Paradigm, Brittany Ann Leblanc

Theses and Dissertations

There is paucity of research examining the use of video modeling to train parents to implement formats of early intervention such as Naturalistic Environmental Training (NET). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of video modeling to train parents to implement the Naturalistic Language Paradigm (NLP), a specific format of NET, with their children diagnosed with or suspected of having autism spectrum disorder. All three parents demonstrated accurate performance of the components of NLP with an adult confederate and met the mastery criterion in two or three video modeling sessions. We measured the parent’s accurate implementation …

A Comparison Of Two Function-Based Interventions: Ncr Vs. Dro In A Preschool Classroom, Zachary C. Labrot

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative efficacy of non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) after behavioral functions have been identified through indirect, descriptive, and experimental assessment. Participants included three preschool-age children in center-based classrooms (Head Start) in a southeastern school district. Functional assessment data were used to inform treatment procedures, which were examined with an alternating treatments design. This study examined (1) relative differences in the efficacy of NCR and DRO in decreasing problem behaviors in preschool children, (2) relative differences in the efficacy of NCR and DRO in increasing appropriate behavior, …

Effects Of Amphetamine On Striatal Dopamine Release, Open-Field Activity, And Play In Fischer 344 And Sprague–Dawley Rats, Stephen M. Siviy, Lana S. Mcdowell, Samantha R. Eck, Alexandra Turano, Garnik Akopian, John P. Walsh

Psychology Faculty Publications

Previous work from our laboratories has shown that juvenile Fischer 344 (F344) rats are less playful than other strains and also appear to be compromised in dopamine (DA) functioning. To determine whether the dysfunctional play in this strain is associated with deficits in the handling and delivery of vesicular DA, the following experiments assessed the extent to which F344 rats are differentially sensitive to the effects of amphetamine. When exposed to amphetamine, striatal slices obtained from F344 rats showed a small increase in unstimulated DA release when compared with slices from Sprague–Dawley rats; they also showed a more rapid high …

Happiness In Modern Society: Why Intelligence And Ethnic Composition Matter, Satoshi Kanazawa, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Recent developments in evolutionary psychology suggest that living among others of the same ethnicity might make individuals happier and further that such an effect of the ethnic composition on life satisfaction may be stronger among less intelligent individuals. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health showed that White Americans had significantly greater life satisfaction than all other ethnic groups in the US and this was largely due to the fact that they were the majority ethnic group; minority Americans who lived in counties where they were the numerical majority had just as much life satisfaction as White Americans …

Evaluation Of A Training Program (Strap) Designed To Decrease Young Drivers Secondary Task Engagement In High Risk Scenarios, Akhilesh Krishnan

Masters Theses

Distracted driving involving secondary tasks is known to lead to an increased likelihood of being involved in motor vehicle crashes. Some secondary tasks are unnecessary and should never be performed. But other secondary tasks, e.g., operating the defroster, are critical to safe driving. Ideally, the driver should schedule when to perform the critical tasks such that the likelihood of a hazard materializing is relatively small during the performance of the secondary task. The current study evaluates a training program -- STRAP (Secondary Task Regulatory & Anticipatory Program) -- which is designed to make drivers aware of latent hazards …

We Don’T Always Mean What We Say: Attitudes Toward Statutory Exclusion Of Juvenile Offenders From Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, Tina Zotolli, Tarika Daftary Kapur, Patricia A. Zapf

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In the United States, juvenile offenders are often excluded from the jurisdiction of the juvenile court on the basis of age and crime type alone. Data from national surveys and data from psycholegal research on support for adult sanction of juvenile offenders are often at odds. The ways in which questions are asked and the level of detail provided to respondents and research participants may influence expressed opinions. Respondents may also be more likely to agree with harsh sanctions when they have fewer offender- and case-specific details to consider. Here, we test the hypothesis that attitudes supporting statutory exclusion laws …

Profiling Arson, Katarina Fritzon, Rebekah Doley, Ryan Bell

Ryan Bell

Overview: Criminal psychological profiling is the forensic technique of inferring personal, psychological, demographic, and behavioral characteristics of offenders based on crime scene evidence. While the majority of research concerning criminal pro-filing has been focused on the investigation of crimes of sexual violence such as murder and rape, criminal psychological profiling is frequently described as being applicable to the investigation of serial arson crimes, and the frequency with which psychological profiling has been used in the investigation of arson crimes has been growing steadily over the past 30 years (Drabsch 2004; Kocsis 2004, 2006; Turvey1999). This current entry reviews the growing …

Behavioral And Neural Mechanisms Of Impulsive Choice, Jesse Mcclure

Doctoral Dissertations

Impulsive choice is defined as the preference for a small immediate reward over a larger delayed reward. Individual variablity in impulsive choice correlates with many socially relevant behaviors. Although forms of impulsive choice have been studied in both behavioral ecology and psychology, the exchange of knowledge between these fields is just beginning. Drawing from both of these fields will improve our research methods allowing for a more detailed understanding of this complex behavior. Existing tasks to measure impulsive choice conflate the delay and quantity of the reward. To address this, I have drawn from foraging research to establish a method …

Attachment And Pornography Use: The Influence Of Romantic Attachment Styles, Intimacy, And Pornography Use On Marital Satisfaction, Saudia Twine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study sought to answer the following research questions: First, what is the relationship between attachment, intimacy, pornography use, and marital satisfaction? Second, in what ways does intimacy influence marital satisfaction among pornography users with insecure attachment? Finally, is pornography used to regulate attachment emotions among pornography users with insecure attachment? The study revealed that Pornography Use caused an interaction in the relationship between Intimacy and Marital Satisfaction for those higher in Attachment Avoidance. Pornography Use accounted for 3% unique variance on Marital Satisfaction after controlling for Intimacy and Attachment Avoidance. Results also revealed Intimacy had a direct effect …

Butterfly Eyespots: Their Potential Influence On Aesthetic Preferences And Conservation Attitudes, Zoi Manesi, Paul A. M. Van Lange, Thomas V. Pollet

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Research has shown that the mere presence of stimuli that resemble eyes is sufficient to attract attention, elicit aesthetic responses, and can even enhance prosocial behavior. However, it is less clear whether eye-like stimuli could also be used as a tool for nature conservation. Several animal species, including butterflies, develop eye-like markings that are known as eyespots. In the present research, we explored whether the mere display of eyespots on butterfly wings can enhance: (a) liking for a butterfly species, and (b) attitudes and behaviors towards conservation of a butterfly species. Four online experimental studies, involving 613 participants, demonstrated that …

What Is More Likely To Predict Prejudicial Attitudes Towards Overweight Individuals: Gender, Locus Of Control, Or Social Dominance Orientation?, Joanna Kelly, Peta Stapleton

Peta B. Stapleton

As obesity has become an important healthcare issue, more research has revealed a pervasive bias against overweight individuals. Individuals are often perceived to be in control of their own weight, and therefore, if one is overweight they are considered lazy, lacking in self-control, and non-compliant (Rukavina & Li, 2011; Stapleton, 2013). Although obesity rates are rising across countries, there has been no reduction in the negative attitudes and prejudices expressed towards the overweight (Stapleton, 2013). This study was conducted to assess the effects that Health Locus of Control (HLOC), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) (Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth & Malle, 1994), and …

Shop 'Til You Drop: A Coping Mechanism For Stressed University Students?, Aileen M. Pidgeon, Leanne Bottomley, Amy Bannatyne

Aileen M. Pidgeon

Compulsive buying is a concerning problem affecting university students who are particularly vulnerable to experiencing anxiety and stress due to academic workloads, financial difficulties, and social isolation. The current study explores the relationship between compulsive buying behaviour, gender differences, anxiety, stress, and coping styles among university students. As expected, findings revealed female university students reported significantly higher levels of compulsive buying behaviour compared to male students, and students engaging in compulsive buying behaviours were significantly younger than non-compulsive buying students. Compared to university students who reported regular purchasing behaviours, university students who engaged in compulsive buying also reported significantly higher …

Being Environmentally Responsible: Cosmopolitan Orientation Predicts Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Angela K. Y. Leung, Kelly Koh, Kim-Pong Tam

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Much research has examined individuals' values and beliefs as antecedents or correlates of pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). We approach this question from the novel perspective of individuals' cosmopolitan orientation (CO). We define CO as made up of three essential qualities. First, cultural openness captures individuals' receptiveness to immerse in and learn from other cultures. Second, global prosociality denotes a sense of collective moral obligation to universally respect and promote basic human rights. Third, respect for cultural diversity concerns high tolerance of and appreciation for cultural differences. Across two studies, we validated the Cosmopolitan Orientation Scale (COS) with theoretically related criterion measures …

An Individualized Approach To Teach Greeting And Conversation Skills With Persons With Autism: Efficacy, Generalization, And Social Acceptability Outcomes, Stephanie A. Hood

Theses & Dissertations

Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder commonly exhibit deficits in social skills, which can lead to a lack of friendships (Howlin, 2003) and underemployment (Shattuck et al., 2012). We selected social skills based on a parent interview and a direct assessment of three individuals’ conversation and greeting deficits. We taught the conversation and greeting skills using behavioral skills training and within-session prompting. We assessed generalization of the conversation and greeting skills across unfamiliar conversation partners and maintenance over time. We obtained parent responses on the social acceptability of their child’s social skills. A multiple baseline design across behaviors was used …

Controlling The Influence Of Stereotypes On One’S Thoughts (Preprint Title: Controlling Implicit Bias: Insights From A Public Health Perspective), Patrick S. Forscher, Patricia G. Devine

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research on reducing or controlling implicit bias has been characterized by a tension between the two goals of reducing lingering intergroup disparities and gaining insight into human cognition. The tension between these two goals has created two distinct research traditions, each of which is characterized by different research questions, methods, and ultimate goals. We argue that the divisions between these research traditions are more apparent than real and that the two research traditions could be synergistic. We attempt to integrate the two traditions by arguing that implicit bias, and the disparities it is presumed to cause, is a public health …

A Comparison Of Measurement Systems To Score Sleep Disturbance For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Aaron Lesser

Theses & Dissertations

Direct observation of children’s sleep disturbance in the home is critical to understanding child behavior while awake and determining qualitative features of the sleep environment, but obtaining these data from an in-home recorded video, second-by-second, is impractical in terms of scoring time because observers score when the child is asleep and awake. In Studies 1 and 2, we conducted an analog study to assess a motion-detection camera to determine whether it would be suitable to measure children’s sleep disturbance. In Study 3, we obtained in-home measures of sleep disturbance for three children with an autism spectrum disorder using a motion-detection, …

Framing The Game: Assessing The Impact Of Cultural Representations On Consumer Perceptions Of Legitimacy, Ashlee Humphreys, Kathryn A. Latour

Kathryn A. LaTour

No abstract provided.

Chapman, John D. Foubert

John D. Foubert

Click here for Chapman Presentation

Prevalence And Correlates Of Firesetting Behaviours Among Offending And Non-Offending Youth, Bruce Watt, Kerry Geritz, Tasneem Hasan, Scott Harden, Rebekah Doley

Rebekah Doley

Purpose: Adolescents represent a disproportionate number of firesetters relative to their adult counterparts. There is limited understanding, however, in the differing rates of firelighting behaviours between subgroups of youth. Method: Utilizing the recently developed Youth Fire Behaviours and Interests Scale, the differences in firesetting behaviours between adolescents adjudicated as offenders and non-offenders were evaluated. The associations for firesetting behaviours with antisocial behaviours and callous-unemotional traits (CUT) were examined utilizing items from the Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Participants were recruited across south-east Queensland; young offenders on community orders or in a youth detention centre (n …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Firesetting Behaviours Among Offending And Non-Offending Youth, Bruce Watt, Kerry Geritz, Tasneem Hasan, Scott Harden, Rebekah Doley

Bruce Watt

Purpose: Adolescents represent a disproportionate number of firesetters relative to their adult counterparts. There is limited understanding, however, in the differing rates of firelighting behaviours between subgroups of youth. Method: Utilizing the recently developed Youth Fire Behaviours and Interests Scale, the differences in firesetting behaviours between adolescents adjudicated as offenders and non-offenders were evaluated. The associations for firesetting behaviours with antisocial behaviours and callous-unemotional traits (CUT) were examined utilizing items from the Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Participants were recruited across south-east Queensland; young offenders on community orders or in a youth detention centre (n …