Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons^™

Autonomic And Behavioral Reactivity To An Acute Laboratory Stressor, Jeremy C. Peres

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Stress has been widely shown to directly influence people’s emotional and behavioral processing as well as their underlying biological systems. This project examined physiological and behavioral responses as indicators of stress and coping in the context of a psychosocial stressor in a controlled laboratory setting. We examined the association between indicators of behavioral coping and underlying physiological reactivity within participants while experiencing stress. Participants included 68 emerging adults. Physiological measures include autonomic biomarkers (e.g., heart-rate, skin conductance) at rest and during the stressor while behavioral indicators that were coded include acute verbal and non-verbal actions exhibited by participants during the …

The Change Program: Comparing An Interactive Versus Prescriptive Telephone-Based Behavioural Intervention On The Psychological And Physiological Profiles Of University Students With Obesity, Erin S. Pearson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of the CHANGE (Coaching towards Healthy Actions Naturally through Goal-related Empowerment) Program was to compare the effectiveness of an interactive versus prescriptive 12-week telephone-based behavioural intervention on the psychological and physiological profiles of university students with obesity. Motivational Interviewing administered using Co-Active Life Coaching (MI-via-CALC) and a structured lifestyle treatment following the LEARN (Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationships, Nutrition) Program for Weight Management were examined.

Article 1 provided a methodological account of the CHANGE Program which included a detailed rationale for its development and a comprehensive description of the methods used. Because goal setting has been established as an …

Individual Differences In White Matter Microstructure Predict Mathematical Achievement, Anna A. Matejko

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current study uses diffusion tensor imaging to test whether individual differences in white matter predict performance on the math subtest of the preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). Grade 10 and 11 PSAT scores were obtained from 30 young adults (ages 17- 18) with wide-ranging math achievement levels. Tract based spatial statistics was used to examine the correlation between PSAT math scores, fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD). FA in left parietal white matter was positively correlated with math PSAT scores (specifically in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus, left superior corona radiata, and left corticospinal tract). …

The Differing Effects Of Mood Priming On High Versus Low Self-Monitors, Kathleen E. Jordan

Honors Theses

The study investigated the influence of mood priming and how the influence could be different between high and low self-­‐monitors. High self‐monitors would exhibit more of a change in mood after the priming as compared to low self‐monitors. Ninety‐seven participants at Union College completed the self-‐monitoring scale, randomly underwent either positive, negative, or neutral mood priming, and then reported on their moods. There was a significant difference found between the moods of high and low self‐monitors. Low self‐monitors reported happier feelings in the positive mood condition as well as lower moods in the negative mood condition than high self‐monitors.

Route To Persuasion In The Elaboration Likelihood Model: The Role Of Self-Esteem, Hilary Salander

Honors Theses

The current study aimed to explore the relationship between the two routes to persuasion proposed in the Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasion, the central route and the peripheral route, and an individual’s self-esteem. It was hypothesized that individuals with low self-esteem would be more likely to follow the peripheral route to persuasion due to a lack of cognitive resources needed to enter the central route, while those high in self-esteem were thought to be more likely to follow the central route. Participants were first asked to fill out a series of three short questionnaires, one of which was the Rosenberg …

He Shoots He Scores: The Effect Of Mortality Salience On Risky Decisions In A Basketball Task As A Function Of Competition And Self-Esteem, Alexandra M. Aldeborgh

Honors Theses

The current study was designed to examine the effects of mortality salience (MS) and competition on risk-taking behavior in a sports-related setting as moderated by self-esteem. A basketball task was used to simulate sports risk, in which participants had the option of shooting from three lines: worth one point (least risky option), three points, and five points (riskiest option). Participants were either under the impression that they were competing with another participant or not. It was hypothesized that high self-esteem individuals, when primed with death thoughts and under the illusion of competition, would be most likely to shoot from the …

Does Personality Moderate Reciprocity?, Arianna Groveman

Honors Theses

I completed this experiment in order to better understand how personality moderates reciprocity. Reciprocity is a compliance strategy that involves giving or doing something for someone in exchange for something in return (Cialdini, 1993). I originally predicted that high self-monitors would show greater reciprocity than low self-monitors. Also, I predicted people with high need for cognition will show more reciprocity than people with a low need for cognition. In addition, I hypothesized that people with a low need to evaluate will show more reciprocity than people with a high need to evaluate. Participants were randomly assigned to either a “Soft …

Linguistic Devices, Emotionality, And Memorability Of Computer Mediated Communication, Angela M. Mion

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

I examined whether college students use shortcuts, pragmatics, and errors in text messages differently depending on their gender and the emotionality of the message. Results indicate that the prevalence of particular shortcuts differed across happy, sad, and angry messages, but gender did not influence use of linguistic devices. In a second study, I examined the emotionality and memorability of text messages versus voicemails. Results indicate that texts may be remembered better than voicemails, and happy, sad, and angry messages may be remembered differently by men and women.

Activity Choice And Extinction Intervention For Escape Maintained Behavior, Ali M. Markowitz

Honors Theses

Tantrums and non-compliant problem behaviors challenge children diagnosed with autism’s progress in early childhood special education classrooms by interfering with the child’s learning opportunities. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder causing abnormal or impaired development in social interactions and communication (DSM-IV, 1994). This paper looks at a single case on a preschool aged child diagnosed with autism exhibiting tantrums and problem behaviors. These tantrums and non-compliant problem behaviors included kicking, scratching, screaming, hitting, flopping on to the floor or eloping (leaving the table, chair or work area). One study conducted showed that activity choice intervention decreases the occurrence of problem …

Teaching Language To Children With Developmental Disabilities Using Combined Direct Reinforcement And Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing, Brighid Helene Fronapfel-Sonderegger

Dissertations

Several researchers have used stimulus-stimulus pairing (the pairing of speech sounds with established reinforcers) to increase the frequency of specific vocalizations in children with disabilities. However, only a few addressed the utility of stimulus-stimulus pairing to increase functional language, and none combined stimulus-stimulus pairing and direct reinforcement. The present study combined stimulus-stimulus pairing and direct reinforcement to successfully teach 2 to 10 functional mands in 21–49 7-minute sessions with four children with developmental disabilities with low verbal repertoires. Following mand training, two children were taught 10 tacts for pictures using the combined direct reinforcement and stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure in a …

Conditioned Flavor Preferences In Children, Victoria Heinrichs Marshall

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

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.

Exploring Support Network Structure, Content, And Stability As Youth Transition From Foster Care, Jennifer E. Blakeslee

Dissertations and Theses

Many older youth in foster care lack adequate resources and ongoing support in their social networks as they transition into young adulthood, while other youth in these circumstances experience stable social networks providing comprehensive support. Systematically measuring the supportive personal and service-oriented relationships in youth networks expands the scope of inquiry in this area by identifying patterns of social network structure, member composition, and relational qualities that are associated with more or less support provision through formal and informal relationships. These can also be measured over time to observe changes in network form and content and assess network stability. This …