A Multi-Faceted Approach To Understanding Acceptability Of Docs K-5: A Qualitative Analysis, 2021 University of South Florida
A Multi-Faceted Approach To Understanding Acceptability Of Docs K-5: A Qualitative Analysis, Andrea Guarnieri
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative study investigated the acceptability of DOCS K-5, a behavior parenting program adapted for parents of elementary aged children. Despite proven efficacy in preventing maladaptive behaviors, parenting programs have historically suffered from low attendance and engagement. Participants (N = 13) attending the pilot DOCS K-5 program took part in six group interviews while enrolled in the program to examine the facilitators and barriers to attendance, perceived effectiveness, and collateral benefits received from participation in the program. This study considered possible cognitive, affective, instructional, and pragmatic facilitators or barriers to attendance and engagement. Participants described motivations to learn various types …
An Investigation Of The Hot Docs Guide For Weekly Early Intervention Sessions: A Multiple Baseline Design, 2021 University of South Florida
An Investigation Of The Hot Docs Guide For Weekly Early Intervention Sessions: A Multiple Baseline Design, Cashea Holyfield
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Many parents of young children across the United States are increasingly impacted by their children’s display of early childhood challenging behavior. Common examples of these behaviors include feeding difficulties, tantrums, whining, crying, and noncompliance (Barbarian, 2007; Hemmeter et al., 2014; Spencer & Coe, 2003). Though the relationship between early childhood behavior problems and future outcomes may not be causal, researchers have consistently concluded that if left unaddressed, children who demonstrate early challenging behavior are likely to experience some difficulties in academic achievement, sociability, school readiness, and mental health (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2002; Turney & McLanahan, 2015). Behavioral parent training …
Reference-Dependent Choice On Digital Platforms, 2021 University of South Florida
Reference-Dependent Choice On Digital Platforms, Joshua K. Kaisen
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Throughout this dissertation I explore a significant departure from the standard model of rationality known as reference-dependence. The theory reference-dependence asserts that an individual’s choice is dependent on their frame of reference established through factors divorced from their rational cost and benefit. This behavior is inefficient as individuals fail to rationally optimize their payoffs. This behavior is understudied in natural settings where isolating specific stimuli which may establish a reference is challenging. However, digital platforms contain limited stimuli which are fully observable to researchers and present an ideal setting to study the theory of reference-dependence. Thus, I introduce three new …
Content Validity Of Aba Language Assessments In The Totality Of Skinner's Verbal Operant Theory, 2021 Missouri State University
Content Validity Of Aba Language Assessments In The Totality Of Skinner's Verbal Operant Theory, Taylor Marie Lauer
MSU Graduate Theses
Content validity describes the degree of which a measure represents all the components of the overall construct being measured. Behavior analytic language assessments are largely based on Skinner’s verbal operant theory (1957). Three behavior analytic language assessments were utilized to measure the coverage of Skinner’s verbal behavior theory: the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, and PEAK. The purpose of the current study was to examine the content validity of each of these assessments coverage on the totality of Skinner’s verbal operant theory. Expressive items on each of the three assessments were compared to definitions of Skinner’s verbal operants and were coded as the …
Assessing Rat Behavioral Response To Novelty, 2021 University of Connecticut
Assessing Rat Behavioral Response To Novelty, Neha Mathew
Honors Scholar Theses
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is involved in memory and navigation. Neurons in the hippocampus, known as place cells, fire in specific locations within this region of the brain as the subject navigates through their environment. As these cells fire, they create a map-like representation of this environment. However if the environment is altered in any way, the place cell firing pattern is adjusted to incorporate this new information. This adjustment will inevitably cause subjects to take more time to complete their task. The goal of our testing was to assess how various manipulations, both spatial …
Case Study: Using A Contingency-Based Delay Procedure To Decrease Tantrums During Periods Of Delayed Reinforcement, 2021 University of South Florida
Case Study: Using A Contingency-Based Delay Procedure To Decrease Tantrums During Periods Of Delayed Reinforcement, Lindsey Snyder
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Functional Communication Training (FCT) involves reinforcing a functional communicative response (FCR) while placing problem behaviors on extinction (Carr & Durrand, 1985). When reinforcement for the FCR is delayed or unavailable, the individual’s problem behavior may return to previous levels (i.e., resurgence of previously reinforced problem behavior; Briggs et al., 2018) or the participant may exhibit emotional responding consistent with an extinction burst (Lerman & Iwata, 1996). A contingency-based delay procedure was introduced which increased the participant’s percentage of trials without tantrums and decreased the overall duration of tantrums.
The Emotional Effects Of Mindfulness, Meditation, And Worldview, 2021 Bryant University
The Emotional Effects Of Mindfulness, Meditation, And Worldview, Jason Katz
Honors Projects in Applied Psychology
Much research on mindfulness and meditation investigates the relationship between mindfulness practices and health in physiological, psychological, and neurological contexts and organizations have implemented mindfulness training programs, possibly after learning of the apparent benefits. Researchers should use caution when assessing the practice’s benefits and consider extraneous variables such as the possibility that meditators tend towards spirituality; theologians argue that underlying beliefs might contribute to mindfulness practitioners’ reactions to the physical and psychological changes that result from mindfulness practices. This study investigates if and how religious beliefs modify mindfulness’s emotional outcomes for Bryant University students. The findings suggest that mindfulness and …
Sexual Violence And Suicide In Bangladesh, 2021 Enam Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sexual Violence And Suicide In Bangladesh, S M Yasir Arafat, Murad M. Khan
Department of Psychiatry
No abstract provided.
Evaluating The Use Of An Interdependent Group Contingency In Online Graduate Courses To Increase Engagement, 2021 University of South Florida
Evaluating The Use Of An Interdependent Group Contingency In Online Graduate Courses To Increase Engagement, Tiana Evans
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Enrollment in online academic programs has increased substantially in recent years (Allen & Seaman, 2011) and is especially relevant due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Khalil et al., 2020). Peer interaction and engagement opportunities are strategies associated with course satisfaction, test performance, and grades and should be incorporated into online courses (Conaway et al. 2005). Group contingencies have been commonly studied in face-to-face classrooms and have been found to be effective intervention in changing target behavior in elementary and secondary education settings (Barrish et al., 1969; Deshais et al., 2019; Harris & Sherman, 1973; Mitchell et al. 2015; Wiskow et al., …
Case Studies In Applied Behavior Analysis: Self-Management Package To Increase Walking Behavior And Class Pass Intervention To Decrease Off-Task Behavior, 2021 University of South Florida
Case Studies In Applied Behavior Analysis: Self-Management Package To Increase Walking Behavior And Class Pass Intervention To Decrease Off-Task Behavior, Michelle Wood
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Case Study 1: Sedentary lifestyles are part of an increasing problem of social significance in the United States. Behavioral interventions can be used to effect change in this area and the target behavior of increase can be physical activity. Multiple behavioral change techniques used within an umbrella of a self-management intervention package were utilized to increase physical activity, more specifically walking behavior, for one participant. The study results showed that the self-management intervention package was effective in increasing walking behavior for the participant, and future research is discussed.
- Applying behavioral interventions to the area of physical activity can assist clinicians …
Evaluating The Use Of Behavioral Skills Training To Teach Substitute Caregivers To Identify Hazards, 2021 University of South Florida
Evaluating The Use Of Behavioral Skills Training To Teach Substitute Caregivers To Identify Hazards, Carlos Abarca
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The leading cause of death for children across the world is unintentional injuries (UNICEF 2001). Hazards such as accessible pools, poisons, and small ingestible items are the leading causes of unintentional injuries. Behavioral interventions such as Project 12-Ways/Safe Care have been used to teach parents how to be proactive in structuring a home free of accessible hazards by teaching the parents to identify and remove hazards in their home. Though the Project 12-Ways/Safe Care model has over 30 years of literature supporting its efficacy, the model has not been tested with substitute caregivers who often play a critical role in …
Assessing Prompting And Prompt-Fading Strategies In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2021 University of South Florida
Assessing Prompting And Prompt-Fading Strategies In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ashley L. Frankenfield
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and deficits in social and communication skills. In order to help a person with ASD improve their communication skills, behavior analysts should place emphasis on teaching intraverbal skills. Each person has a unique learner history, meaning that different prompts and prompt-fading techniques will result in the most accurate and efficient mastery of intraverbal skills for different people. Assessments were used to identify each participant’s most efficient combination of prompt and prompt-fading procedures in order to maximize one’s potential for learning new skills. Participants’ most efficient prompt/prompt-fading combinations resulted in …
The Origins Of Manufactured Dissent And The Efficacy Of Climate Change Narratives, 2021 University of Vermont
The Origins Of Manufactured Dissent And The Efficacy Of Climate Change Narratives, Emma Elisabeth Giering
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
The year of 2020 revealed many things about the fragility of socially constructed institutions and the public trust which grants such entities legitimacy, which is perhaps what reinvigorated social discourse surrounding the existential threat posed by climate change. Amid a pandemic, Americans watched wildfires engulf much of the west coast, environmental regulations unravel in the hands of the Trump administration, and Wall Street begin trading futures contracts on the U.S.’s water supply. Given the ever-expanding record of environmental travesties, how are citizens to respond, and from where should they derive their inspiration for response?
This thesis answers the above question …
The Role Of Infralimbic Cortex In Switching Between An Instrumental Behavior’S Status As A Goal-Directed Action Or Habit, 2021 University of Vermont
The Role Of Infralimbic Cortex In Switching Between An Instrumental Behavior’S Status As A Goal-Directed Action Or Habit, Matthew Broomer
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
In instrumental learning, extensive training of a response typically generates a habit. The transition from goal-directed to habitual behavioral control is often considered unidirectional; however, recent evidence suggests this is not the case. Under certain conditions, goal-directed control may be restored to a behavior that was previously habitual. We identify the infralimbic cortex (IL) as a participant in this process and draw on both instrumental learning and fear extinction literatures to further our understanding of IL function.
Four experiments explored the role of IL in flexible behavior. Experiments 1a and 1b were instrumental learning experiments. Experiment 1a used a previously …
Vermont Special Educators’ Perceptions On The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities In Universal Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports (Pbis), 2021 University of Vermont
Vermont Special Educators’ Perceptions On The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities In Universal Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports (Pbis), Cassandra L. Townshend
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
AbstractOver the last 25 years, there has been an increased body of research on best practices to address the social, emotional, and behavioral well-being of all students in schools. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has consistently demonstrated effectiveness in attending to all students’ social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing – including students with disabilities (Simonsen et al., Feb., 2020). Despite PBIS being implemented in over 27,000 schools in the United States (Horner & Sugai, 2015) and in over 50% of schools Vermont, minimal research has been conducted on the experiences of special educators and their perceptions of PBIS practices on …
Examining Sex Differences In Habit Formation: Effects Of Methamphetamine Sensitization And Contributions Of Ovarian Hormones, 2021 University of Vermont
Examining Sex Differences In Habit Formation: Effects Of Methamphetamine Sensitization And Contributions Of Ovarian Hormones, Hannah Schoenberg Book
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
In the early stages of instrumental learning, behavior is goal-directed and sensitive to changes in the value of the instrumental outcome. As learning progresses, an association forms between the response and stimuli within the learning environment, such that after sufficient repetition, responding is evoked automatically in the presence of these stimuli and is insensitive to changes in outcome value. The reflexive nature of these types of behaviors has led to their classification as instrumental habits. The emergence of habitual behavior is thought to involve parallel processes that are mediated by distinct neural substrates. Regions of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and …
Readiness To Change In Rural Adults At High Risk For Diabetes, 2021 University of South Dakota
Readiness To Change In Rural Adults At High Risk For Diabetes, Katherine A. Wagner
Dissertations and Theses
Type II diabetes is one of the most devastating chronic diseases in the United States and is associated with decreased lifespan and serious comorbidities. While evidence-based prevention strategies of nutrition and physical activity exist, behavior change is an essential component. Researchers use readiness to change to predict clinical outcomes of chronic disease prevention programs, however, this has not been well studied in rural populations. The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between readiness to change and attrition rates and clinical outcomes among rural dwellers enrolled in a nutrition and physical activity intervention. Article one of this three-article …
How And Why Do People Value Nature? An Examination Of Nonmaterial Aspects Of Human-Nature Interactions., 2021 University of Vermont
How And Why Do People Value Nature? An Examination Of Nonmaterial Aspects Of Human-Nature Interactions., Tatiana Marquina
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
Nonmaterial benefits from nature, often labeled as cultural ecosystem services, represent a core dimension of human well-being. Yet despite their importance, these benefits and associated values remain overlooked in environmental assessments and decisions.
This dissertation applies insights from multiple disciplines to document nonmaterial dimensions of human-nature interactions across geographic contexts and user groups. As nonmaterial benefits can be hard to elicit and measure, this work uses multiple existing data collection methods and tests a novel data collection tool. First, I use a qualitative study design to explore values and stewardship practices associated with urban foraging in New York City, NY. …
An Evaluation Of Wayfinding Abilities In Adolescent And Young Adult Males With Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2021 Montclair State University
An Evaluation Of Wayfinding Abilities In Adolescent And Young Adult Males With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Yingying Yang, Weijia Li, Dan Huang, Wei He, Yanxi Zhang, Edward Merrill
Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
Background
Wayfinding refers to traveling from place to place in the environment. Despite some research headway, it remains unclear whether individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show strengths, weaknesses, or similarities in wayfinding compared with ability-matched typically developing (TD) controls.
Method
The current study tested 24 individuals with ASD, 24 mental-ability (MA) matched TD (MA-TD) controls, and 24 chronological-age (CA) matched TD (CA-TD) controls. Participants completed a route learning task and a survey learning task, both programmed in virtual environments, and a perspective taking task. Their parents completed questionnaires assessing their children’s everyday wayfinding activities and competence.
Results
Overall, CA-TD …
Oral Cbd Administration: Assessing Bioavailability And Behavioral Outcomes In A Rodent Model, 2021 Wayne State University
Oral Cbd Administration: Assessing Bioavailability And Behavioral Outcomes In A Rodent Model, Jordan Skully
Wayne State University Theses
There has been a recent surge in popularity for cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychotropic constituent of cannabis, due to numerous claims of potential therapeutic properties, which include, but are not limited to, anxiolytic, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, as previous scientific literature on CBD's effectiveness in providing such therapeutic effects is limited, this project was aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial properties of a hemp derived 99% pure CBD compound provided from Ellipse Analytics (Denver, CO) in a rodent model. We analyzed the pharmacokinetics of this CBD product as well as the behavioral outcomes after acute and chronic administration. Pharmacokinetics …