Behavioral Disciplines and Activities Commons^™

Adhd And Social Impairment Among Children: Problem Solving Skills As A Potential Mediator, Rebecca Mccord

Senior Theses

This study tested the hypothesis that problem solving skills mediate the relation between ADHD symptoms and social impairment in children. Problem solving skills were evaluated by the Test of Problem Solving 3 – Elementary Version (TOPS), which separated problem solving skills into six different subtypes: making inferences, sequencing, negative questions, problem solving, predicting, and determining causes. ADHD symptoms were assessed through the parent report of the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Scale (DBD). Social impairment was assessed through the parent report of social skills using the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS). Three hundred seventy-two (372) children between the ages of eight and …

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 …

The Durational Effects Of A Free Operant Condition On Automatically Maintained Stereotypic Behavior And Discrete Trial Task Responding, Shikika Sade Young

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of three fixed-duration free operant access conditions on rates of automatically maintained stereotypic behavior and correct task responding during discrete trial training (DTT) with two children diagnosed with autism. Following a functional analysis, confirming automatic function, interviews/observations were conducted to identify behavioral indicators of satiation and an average satiation level. In this endeavor, participants were exposed to a free operant condition to validate satiation of stereotypic responding. Once satiation level was averaged, two durational conditions were computed: Long (75% access) and Short (25% access). A third condition, Deprivation, involved blocking all attempts at the stereotypic …

Rape, Race, And Capital Punishment In North Carolina: A Qualitative Approach To Examining An Enduring Cultural Legacy, Douglas Wholl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite positive steps toward the suppression of racial discrimination in the United States capital punishment process, the enduring effects of a cultural legacy of Black oppression (e.g., slavery; segregation; lynching) and historic and systemic racial discrimination in the criminal justice system have persisted to the present day. The purpose of the current study is to explore whether this enduring cultural legacy still exists by examining whether juries in rape-involved capital murder trials in North Carolina are more likely to recommend a sentence of death when the defendant is a Black male and the victim is a White female (compared to …

Using Self-Monitoring And Goal Setting To Increase Swimming In Adults, Sarah Rose Abraham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many people in the United States do not engage in the recommended levels of physical activity. Self-management strategies, including self-monitoring and goal setting, are among the interventions that have been used to increase physical activity in adults. Visual feedback has also been incorporated into interventions to increase physical activity. Minimal research has focused on increasing swimming behavior. The current study investigated the effectiveness of self-management strategies to increase swimming activity in adults. An automated recording device (watch) was used to collect data on participants’ swimming behavior. The effect of self-monitoring in the form of a self-graphing intervention to increase swimming …

Reduction Of Psychiatric Patient Boarding In The Ed, Eriam S. Nnamaliri

Master's Projects and Capstones

REDUCTION OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT BOARDING IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM

ABSTRACT

Objective: Psychiatric patient boarding is a public health concern and a threat to patient safety. The prevalence of psychiatric emergencies in the United States continues to increase due to the strain on mental health services. There is a dire need to address psychiatric patient boarding before it gets even worse. The purpose of this project is to identify the causes and identify measures to decrease emergency department length of stay (LOS) for psychiatric patients in the ED. This project is to help facilitate the development of a more precise nursing …

Training Graduate Clinicians To Implement Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy And Applied Behavior Analysis Goals In Their Treatment Sessions, Courtney E. Powers

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often receive a multitude of treatment services. Among those services are speech language pathology, occupational therapy services, and applied behavior analysis. This study will focus on developing the skill sets of the three disciplines among graduate clinicians through training and coaching procedures. One graduate student from the applied behavior analysis track trained three graduate student clinicians, one from each discipline, on the individual goals of each discipline. These trainings occurred within the framework of a systematic multiple baseline design. After the mastery criterion was met through training, a bug-in-ear audio communication system was used …

A Critical Evaluation Of Selective Attention Measures, Hannah K. Wilson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Selective attention is comprised of two simultaneous processes—the inhibition of distractors and the focus of attention on target stimuli; yet, many existing selective attention measures only measure one aspect of selective attention. This leads to a high possibility of Type I errors as high interference control or high working memory capacity may be mistaken for high selective attention. This paper proposes several criteria for high construct validity and external validity in selective attention measures.

Concerning construct validity, the test must allow participants to exercise selective attention, adequately measure the level of attention to the distractor stimuli, and adequately measure level …

Effect Of Sensory Cues On Hand Hygiene Habits Among A Diverse Workforce In Food Service, Robert Pellegrino

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poor hand hygiene is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses in the foodservice industry. A series of complex motivational interventions must be employed to permanently change the behavior of workers, to increase their compliance and sustain appropriate levels of proper hand hygiene. Unlike the healthcare industry, which uses large, costly multi-modal behavior modification strategies, the foodservice industry must deploy rapid, cost-efficient strategies that are focus on accommodating these goals with the constraints of high employee turnover rates and diverse demographics. This research was twofold, 1) examining differences in emotions and hand hygiene behavior among participants of two cultures when handling …

Municipal Officials' Participation In Built Environment Policy Development In The United States, Stephenie C. Lemon, Karin V. Goins, Kristin L. Schneider, Ross Brownson, Cheryl A. Valko, Kelly R. Evenson, Amy A. Eyler, Katie M. Heinrich, Jill Litt, Rodney Lyn, Hannah L. Reed, Nancy O'Hara Tompkins, Jay Maddock

Stephenie C. Lemon

Purpose. This study examined municipal officials' participation in built environment policy initiatives focused on land use design, transportation, and parks and recreation. Design. Web-based cross-sectional survey. Setting. Eighty-three municipalities with 50,000 or more residents in eight states. Subjects. Four hundred fifty-three elected and appointed municipal officials. Measures. Outcomes included self-reported participation in land use design, transportation, and parks and recreation policy to increase physical activity. Independent variables included respondent position; perceptions of importance, barriers, and beliefs regarding physical activity and community design and layout; and physical activity partnership participation. Analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models. Results. Compared to other positions, public …

A Multiple Case Exploration Of Designers And Reflection In The Design Space, Tamme L. Quinn Grzebyk

Wayne State University Dissertations

For decades, scholars have searched for ways to more effectively teach and practice instructional design. A variety of strategies have been employed to address the ambiguity in and challenges of the field. Much of the focus in the education of instructional designers has been on teaching students how best to use the many models developed for the field (Rowling, 1992). These efforts, while meant to help the new instructional designer succeed, have often been stifled by the ever-changing landscape of what instructional designers are asked to do in their roles after graduation (Kenny, Zhang, Schwier, & Campbell, 2005). Other research …

Keeping Up With The Grandkids: Using Tagteach To Train Baton Twirling Skills In Older Adults, Sarah Elizabeth Hester

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exercise has many physical, cognitive, and social benefits, but the majority of older adults do not meet the recommended level of physical activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). TAGteach, which combines elements of both behavioral coaching and acoustical feedback, has been demonstrated as an effective way to teach athletic skills (Fogel, Weil, & Burris, 2010; Quinn, Miltenberger, & Fogel, 2015; Stokes, Luiselli, Reed, & Fleming 2010). However, none of the current research on teaching athletic skills targeted an older population. This study evaluated TAGteach in a multiple baseline across behaviors design as a method of teaching 4 basic …

Using Auditory Feedback To Improve Dance Movements Of Children With Disabilities, Takema J. James

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research incorporating behavior analysis to improve sports performance has shown that various feedback types (e.g., video feedback, public posting) can increase skills. Recently, auditory feedback has been shown to be effective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of auditory feedback to improve dance movements of children with disabilities using an ABAB design embedded in a multiple baseline across participants design. The target behaviors were fundamental dance skills, individualized to each student, and scored using a task analysis to calculate the percentage of correct steps. The results showed that auditory feedback was valuable in increasing the specific …

Evidence Of Distinctive Structural Alterations That Differentiate Adhd Boys With And Without A Comorbid Reading Disability, Dhruman Dilip Goradia

Wayne State University Dissertations

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disability (RD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that often co-occur. Children with ADHD and co-occurring RD (ADHD/+RD) tend to show greater cognitive deficits than children with ADHD alone (ADHD/-RD). However, the extents to which comorbid RD impact structural alteration in children with ADHD have never been investigated. The overall goal of this study was to assess structural alterations in the subcortical, cortical and white matter that may differentiate ADHD/-RD from ADHD/+RD. The general hypothesis was that ADHD/+RD would show extensive alterations in regions implicated in ADHD than ADHD/-RD as well as show additional abnormalities in …

Developing Executive Functions Through Mindfulness Training In School-Aged Children, Ashley Black Adams

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Well-developed executive functions are necessary for successful classroom functioning. Students with executive function deficits can fall behind academically as well as socially and emotionally, relative to their same-aged peers. Effective interventions for developing executive functions within the school environment are essential for addressing this issue. This study examines changes in students’ executive functions as a result of their participation in a mindfulness training intervention. Participants included four ten-year old elementary school boys who took part in a ten-week mindfulness training intervention. The data were generated through pre and post assessments with an executive function teacher rating scale and a Goal-Attainment …

Using Video Feedback To Increase Job Interview Skills For Young Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Jessica Lynn Moore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities often lack the skills needed to gain meaningful employment in the community. One crucial skill is interviewing as this is the first and often the only pre-job interaction an individual has with his or her employer. In a short interaction, the person must convey information about specific work history, employability, and a general impression of character. This study evaluated the effectiveness of video feedback in improving job interview behaviors for three young adults with developmental disabilities. The interview related-behaviors were appropriate greeting, responses to interview questions, and appropriate closing statement. The performance across the participants …

Effects Of Nicotine Withdrawal On Motivation, Reward Sensitivity And Reward-Learning, Jason A. Oliver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on addictive behavior has traditionally emphasized the role that primary reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse plays in the development and maintenance of dependence. However, contemporary behavioral economic theory and animal models of nicotine dependence suggest the need for greater attention to the impact that response to alternative rewards may have on smoking behavior. The present study sought to investigate the impact of nicotine withdrawal on self-report, behavioral and neural indices of motivation, immediate response to rewards and the capacity to learn and modify behavior in response to positive and negative feedback. Heavy smokers (n = 48) completed two …

Assessment Of The Impact Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder On Type 1 Diabetes, Kellee Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individual day-to-day management and effective control of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is ultimately driven by decisions made by the individual. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a higher tendency to be inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive. Attention deficits and impulsivity among adolescents and adults with T1D could result in poor diabetes management through infrequent self-monitoring of blood glucose and inadequate insulin dosing – key components of achieving optimal glycemic control.

This study included 7,380 adolescents and young adults, ages 13-25 years, participating in the T1D Exchange clinic registry (median age 17.4 years, duration 7.7 yrs, 50% female, 81% white). …

Exploring The Underlying Mechanisms Of Comorbid Adhd And Eating Disorders, Jennifer Rebecca Bleck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests comorbidity of ADHD and eating disorders (EDs) among females. Capitalizing on the comorbidity of ADHD and EDs and subsequent obesity could lead to improved prevention and treatment of all three conditions. However, additional information regarding the comorbidity is necessary to develop such interventions, as little is known about how or why this co-occurrence exists. A comprehensive model of the underlying mechanisms associated with comorbid ADHD and EDs is needed to improve understanding of the development of the comorbidity. Moreover, while there are gender differences within each disorder, literature is limited regarding to the comorbidity among males, leading to …

Theoretically Guided Examination Of Caregiver Strain And Its Relationship With School-Based Mental Health Services Utilization And Parent Engagement In Services, Amy Lynn Green

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Broadly, the purpose of this study was to address the gaps in the knowledge base of caregiver strain through an examination of this and other theoretically related constructs in a sample of parents of high-risk youth. In the last two decades, a growing body of research has pointed to the significance of strain that can result from this caregiving experience, particularly as it relates to patterns of mental health services utilization. Despite the fact that the majority of children who receive mental health receive them from the school, few studies have examined caregiver strain in the context of school-based mental …