Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Contextual And Behavioral Control Of Antipsychotic Sensitization Induced By Haloperidol And Olanzapine, Chen Zhang, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Repeated administration of haloperidol (HAL) and olanzapine (OLZ) causes a progressively enhanced disruption of the conditioned avoidance response (CAR) and a progressively enhanced inhibition of phencyclidine (PCP)-induced hyperlocomotion in rats (termed antipsychotic sensitization). Both actions are thought to reflect intrinsic antipsychotic activity. The present study examined the extent to which antipsychotic- induced sensitization in one model (e.g. CAR) can be transferred or maintained in another (e.g. PCP hyperlocomotion) as a means of investigating the contextual and behavioral controls of antipsychotic sensitization. Well-trained male Sprague-Dawley rats were first repeatedly tested in the CAR or the PCP (3.2 mg/kg, subcutaneously) hyperlocomotion model …

Selfhood And The Unity Of Consciousness, Kate Hanniball

Summer Research

The focus of my summer research was a philosophical investigation of the concept of selfhood incorporating an emphasis on the physical realities of the brain, in particular bi-hemispheric communication between the right and left hemispheres via the neural pathway known as the Corpus Callosum.

Working within the theoretical framework of Derek Parfit the present research explored the question of selfhood by maintaining a focus on the unity of consciousness we all associate with the singular nature of the self. The theory of conscious unity--or the idea that at any one time all our phenomenal experiences are unified by the fact …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Childfree Choice In A Sample Of Australian Women, Joanne Doyle, Julie Ann Pooley, Lauren Breen

Research outputs 2012

Choosing not to have children is considered a deviation from cultural norms, particularly the dominant pronatalist discourse; this is especially so for women. However, little research has documented the experience of Australian women who have consciously chosen to remain childless. Ten voluntarily childfree women participated in unstructured interviews about their choice and its ramifications. The data analysis revealed three broad themes – the experiences and processes of making the choice; the ongoing effects of their choice, ranging from support and acceptance to pressure and discrimination; and no regret as the women described engaging in meaningful, generative activities that contributed to …

Crime Prevention: The Role Of Individual Resilience Within The Family, Catherine Ferguson, Craig Harms, Julie Ann Pooley, Lynne Cohen, Stuart Tomlinson

Research outputs 2012

Resilience is context dependent but for resilience to be present, two elements must co-occur: adversity (i.e., high-risk situation/threat) and successful adaptation/competence. An understanding of resilience is important for professionals dealing with at-risk families. This exploratory research investigated how individuals caring for a family member with a mental illness adapted to the role of carer or supporter. Fifteen participants mostly aged 50 years or more were interviewed. Content analysis was used to develop themes from the interview transcripts. Seven themes were elicited from the data. Three of these fit with existing knowledge about challenges faced by offenders’ families. The article concludes …

A Theory Of The Mind As A Complex System, Craig Speelman, Kim Kirsner, Stephan Halloy

Research outputs 2012

Five principles of skill acquisition are presented based on a review of research on human learning and expertise. Essentially these principles state that practice leads to faster and more efficient uses of knowledge. This enables faster performance and results in less demand on mental resources. In turn these outcomes enable higher level behaviours to be attempted. Ultimately skills are developed through refinement of many component processes. A theory of the mind is proposed that borrows from theories of complex adaptive systems. In this theory, the mind is conceived of as consisting of agents that compete for resources associated with processing …

Osmd: Cultural Competence Tool For Research, Education, And Practice, Rebecca Tadlock-Marlo, Danny Applegate

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Results from a mixed methods study provide insight into redefining multicultural counseling competencies specific to school counselors. Foci include new counseling competencies and implications for counselor educators. Attendees will explore aspects of multiculturalism, counseling competencies of school counselors, research implications, and its importance for the field. Also discussed will be applying information to the development of skills, knowledge, and awareness of counselors-in-training through specific pedagogical examples. Participant discussion is vital to this presentation to further discuss content area, explore redefining multiculturalism, and implications this research has for both practicing counselors and counselor educators. Attendees can expect to gain groundbreaking theory …

Conditioned Flavor Preferences In Children, Victoria Heinrichs Marshall

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Direct And Indirect Contingencies Of Reinforcement For Teaching Advanced Receptive Skills, Catherine Czerwonka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An important variable not often examined in the literature is the relationship between target behaviors and their reinforcers. Previous research has demonstrated faster acquisition rates of simple receptive and imitative skills when the reinforcer used was part of the behavior chain that it reinforced. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a direct reinforcement contingency to teach pairs of advanced receptive skills with three children with autism. During the indirect reinforcement condition, the therapist reinforced correct responding by handing the child an edible reinforcer. During the direct reinforcement condition, the reinforcer was located under the container displaying the correct response. …

A Smoking Cessation Program Using Vouchers With Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury, Thomas Karl Erickson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a smoking cessation program using vouchers as reinforcers with individuals with traumatic brain injury and a history of substance abuse. The intervention was conducted at a residential facility that houses individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Vouchers were delivered contingent on reductions of carbon monoxide (CO) samples of 5 ppm or less across a shaping phase, and an abstinence induction phase. A standard pay phase was added at the end of the study to examine the effects of a standardized reinforcement scale with the abstinence criterion set at 8 ppm or less. Reductions in …

Ncr Vs Dro: Evaluation Of Effectiveness, Teacher Preference, And Fidelity Of Implementation, Jackie Courntey Lansdale

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) and differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) are effective procedures in reducing problem behavior of children both in and out of the classroom. However, few studies have assessed which procedure is most socially acceptable among teachers. In addition, studies have not recorded data on fidelity of implementation among teachers. A non-concurrent multiple baseline across teachers design was used to (a) demonstrate the effect of NCR and DRO on the problem behaviors of school aged children with no identified developmental disability, and (b) assess implementation fidelity of each procedure by the teacher. …

Evaluation Of Video Modeling And In Situ Training To Teach Gun Safety Skills To Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kelsey Lynn Morgan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is no known research on teaching gun safety skills to individuals with developmental disabilities. Research has shown that children typically engage in gunplay behaviors if they find a firearm. These behaviors can lead to unintentional firearm injuries and even death, especially for young children. Previous research has shown the success of video modeling for teaching various skills to individuals with autism. This study examined the effectiveness of video modeling for teaching gun safety skills to three children with autism spectrum disorder, and found that video modeling was effective for one participant, but in situ training was needed to …

Training Deictic Relational Responding In People With Schizophrenia, John O'Neill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend recent findings in the functional contextual literature by 1) establishing complex deictic relational responding skills in 3 persons diagnosed with Schizophrenia and mild-moderate Mental Retardation and 2) assessing generalization through pre and post-instructional measures of Social Anhedonia and Theory of Mind functioning. Results suggest that increasingly complex levels of deictic relational responses were acquired and mastered by all 3 participants and that generalization extended to the Deceptive Container Task (ToM levels 4 & 5) and Hinting Task. Support is provided for the notion that perspective taking skills might be shaped …

An Evaluation Of Reactivity To Observer Presence While Self-Monitoring To Improve Swimming Performance, Sara Wendi Schonwetter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study evaluated the effects of self-monitoring by swimmers to improve their performance at practice and assessed the effects of reactivity to observer presence on their performance. Additionally, it investigated the accuracy of the swimmers' self-reports. Seven public high school swim team members used program boards to self-monitor in order to increase the number of assigned laps completed at practice. Reactivity to observer presence was assessed by having a confederate record the number of laps completed during observer absent conditions. A series of AB replications and an ABAB reversal design were used. The percentage of assigned laps completed increased …

Intertemporal Choice In Lemurs, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Nelly Mühlhoff

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Different species vary in their ability to wait for delayed rewards in intertemporal choice tasks. Models of rate maximization account for part of this variation, but other factors such as social structure and feeding ecology seem to underly some species differences. Though studies have evaluated intertemporal choice in several primate species, including Old World monkeys, New World monkeys, and apes, prosimians have not been tested. This study investigated intertemporal choices in three species of lemur (black-and- white ruffed lemurs, Varecia variegata, red ruffed lemurs, Varecia rubra, and black lemurs, Eulemur macaco) to assess how they compare to …

Clozapine, But Not Olanzapine, Disrupts Conditioned Avoidance Response In Rats By Antagonizing 5-Ht2a/2c Receptors, Ming Li, Tao Sun, Alexa Mead

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study was designed to assess the role of 5-HT_2A/2C receptors in the acute and repeated effect of clozapine and olanzapine in a rat conditioned avoidance response model, a validated model of antipsychotic activity. Male Sprague–Dawley rats that were previously treated with either phencyclidine (0.5–2.0 mg/kg, sc), amphetamine (1.25–5.0 mg/kg, sc), or saline and tested in a prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle study were used. They were first trained to acquire avoidance response to a white noise (CS1) and a pure tone (CS2) that differed in their ability to predict the occurrence of footshock. Those who acquired avoidance …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Preschool Behavioral And Emotional Rating Scale (Prebers) With Preschool Children With Disabilities, Cynthia J. Cress, Lori Synhorst, Michael Epstein, Elizabeth Allen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (PreBERS) is a standardized, norm-referenced instrument that assesses emotional and behavioral strengths of preschool children. This study investigated whether the PreBERS four-factor structure (i.e., emotional regulation, school readiness, social confidence, and family involvement) could be replicated with an early childhood special education (ECSE) sample of children. Teachers who participated in the study rated a total of 1,103 preschool children with disabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis determined the extent to which the ECSE data fit the original four-factor PreBERS structure identified with the national normative sample. Results indicated that the four-factor structure demonstrated an acceptable …

Conscientiousness As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Work Autonomy And Job Satisfaction, Kyle Garret Mack

Dissertations and Theses

Autonomy is one of the most commonly studied job characteristics in the work design literature and is commonly associated with large and positive effects on job satisfaction. There is reason to believe that autonomy may interact with personality characteristics to affect attitudinal outcomes, but prior research has tended to focus on the original growth-need-strength construct as a potential moderator with mixed results. One glaring gap in the literature is the lack of research that examines the Big Five constructs of personality as a potential class of moderators. Grant, Fried, and Juillerat (2010) have suggested additional research into the Big Five …

Dynamic Associations Of Change In Physical Activity And Change In Cognitive Function: Coordinated Analyses Of Four Longitudinal Studies, Magnus Lindwall, Cynthia R. Cimino, Laura Gibbons, Meghan Mitchell, Andreana Benitez, Cassandra L. Brown, Robert F. Kennison, Steven D. Shirk, Alireza Atri, Annie Robitaille, Stuart W. Macdonald, Elizabeth M. Zelinski, Sherry L. Willis, K. Warner Schaie, Boo Johannson, Marcus Praetorius, Roger A. Dixon, Dan M. Mungas, Scott M. Hofer, Andrea M. Piccinin

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study used a coordinated analyses approach to examine the association of physical activity and cognitive change in four longitudinal studies. A series of multilevel growth models with physical activity included both as a fixed (between-person) and time-varying (within-person) predictor of four domains of cognitive function (reasoning, memory, fluency, and semantic knowledge) was used. Baseline physical activity predicted fluency, reasoning and memory in two studies. However, there was a consistent pattern of positive relationships between time-specific changes in physical activity and time-specific changes in cognition, controlling for expected linear trajectories over time, across all four studies. This pattern was …

Comparing Prompt Delay And Total Communication For Training Vocal Intraverbals In Children With Autism, Rosana Pesantez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Verbal behavior encompasses a wide range of aspects in our everyday lives and in the activities of a society. Many verbal behavior interventions often include programs to teach answering questions, these responses are referred to as intraverbals. Previous research has demonstrated a higher rate of acquisition of verbal targets such as mands and tacts for children with a limited verbal repertoire when a presentation of both sign and vocal prompts occur simultaneously (Total Communication), in comparison to sign-alone or vocal-alone trainings. However, an important variable not often examined in the literature is the comparison of Total Communication (TC) and …

A Punishment-Free, Toilet-Training Protocol For Children With Developmental Disabilities, Chelsea Lynn Pearsall

All Master's Theses

The present investigation adapted a behaviorally-based toilet-training protocol for use with two male children with developmental disabilities. Positive practice and verbal reprimands were eliminated, and reinforcement, scheduled sits, and a urine alarm were utilized. Data were collected on the number of intoilet urinations, urinary accidents, and self-initiations. Results show that both participants exhibited significant improvement in their toileting skills and met the final success criteria rapidly. These results were maintained through follow-up. Implications for the elimination of punishment procedures in future toilet training protocols are discussed.