Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Behavior Analytic Interventions For Promoting Skill Acquisition In Individuals With Asd: Two Case Studies, Taylor Marie Comber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This report describes two case studies that used behavior analytic interventions to promote skill acquisition during structured instructional activities for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The first study examined the effects of presession pairing (PSP) implemented by a teacher in the natural classroom setting for a 6-year-old with ASD whose problem behavior was associated with gaining access to attention and escaping from task demands. Results showed PSP augmented with a visual cue resulted in increased on-task behavior and decreased disruptive behavior. The second study examined the use of discrete trial training (DTT) for a 16-year-old female adolescent with ASD …

An Evaluation Of Video Feedback With And Without Video Modeling To Enhance Barbell Squat Form, Alexandra Olles

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have assessed the use of video interventions to enhance athletic performance. However, few studies have evaluated the use of video interventions to improve form in weightlifting. The present study evaluated the effects of video feedback (VF) with and without video modeling (VM) to enhance barbell squat form with novice and typically developing adults. The results showed that VF increased performance to near 100% for one participant. For the other VF increased performance to moderate levels and the addition of VF only slightly increased performance

Longitudinal Trajectory Tracking Analysis For Autonomous Electric Vehicles Based On Pid Control, Hossein Amiri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of autonomous vehicles has huge potential for revolutionizing transportation as we currently know it. All use cases of autonomous vehicles require the vehicle to travel on a pre-specified path. Accurate tracking of this defined trajectory is a crucial aspect of the implementation of autonomous vehicles; a controller system is required to translate this pre- defined trajectory in the form of the throttle, brake, and steering inputs. This project covers the application of a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller to achieve longitudinal trajectory tracking of autonomous electric vehicles with stability and accuracy in the CARLA autonomous driving simulation platform. The implemented …

The Influence Of Maternal Body-Shaming Comments And Bodily Shame On Portion Size, Savannah R. Flak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Young adult women are more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies (Wansink et al., 2017) and engage in disordered eating patterns when they have a history of receiving parental comments about their bodies during childhood (Fortesa & Ajete, 2014). Furthermore, high bodily shame mediates the relationship between receiving critical messages about eating from parents during childhood and disordered eating behaviors for young adult women (Oliveira et al., 2019). Altogether, this suggests that bodily shame is a distinct pathway linking parental influence during adolescence to eating disturbances. However, little research has examined the unique roles that bodily shame, internalized weight …

“Just Joking”: Women’S Cardiovascular Responses To Sexist Humor, Samantha Shepard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ambiguity inherent to humorous communication may make women minimize experiences of sexist jokes, which may have downstream emotional and motivational consequences. The present thesis study tested whether the manner in which sexism is communicated, as a statement or joke, would reflect the motivational intensity model in cardiovascular responses during a performance-based task. Additionally, the present studies tested whether blatant and humorous sexism differentially affects emotional responses, evaluations of a male speaker, reporting of sexist misconduct, and ingroup identification. Using an online chat paradigm, participants were randomly assigned to receive one of three messages: a sexist joke, blatantly sexist statement, …

"Duck Wars": Examining The Narrative Construction Of A "Problem" Species, Jenna A. Bateman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The problematization of non-human animals occurs through a process of claimsmaking that constructs certain species as “problems”. My thesis examines the news narrative constructions of the Muscovy duck in Florida and Texas. I use a narrative analysis to examine the themes through which news narratives make claims in their construction of the “duck wars” in Florida and Texas. In the “duck wars”, the problematization of the Muscovy occurs through a set of claims made about the species by the reporters and residents in Florida and Texas neighborhoods. There are also sets of claims about other groups associated with the species, …

Evaluating Video Modeling To Teach A Block Schedule Trial-Based Functional Analysis, Alyssa N. Zak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Functional analyses (FAs) are considered the gold standard for determining the function of behavior. However, behavior analysts have cited several perceived barriers that hinder the use of FAs, particularly a lack of time, dedicated space, and trained staff to conduct the analysis. Analyses such as the trial-based FA have been adapted from the traditional session-based FA in order to overcome some of these barriers. The block schedule trial-based FA (Gonzalez, 2018) has had one of the highest correspondence rates between the trial-based and the session-based FA to date. Research from past studies suggest that video modeling is an effective way …

Preference For Social Stimuli: A Comparison Of Stimulus Modes Used In Preference Assessments, Shannon Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social stimuli are some of the most commonly used reinforcers in clinical programming(Graff & Karsten, 2012) and previous research shows that preference for social stimuli can be identified using variations of a paired stimulus preference assessment (PSPA; Fisher et al., 1992). Previous studies evaluating preference for social stimuli have employed video stimuli (Wolfe et al., 2018), pictures of the actual social stimuli (Kelly et al., 2014), and pictures of arbitrary shapes (Morris & Vollmer, 2019). To date, no study has evaluated the correspondence in preference for social stimuli across these three stimulus modes. Therefore, the purposes of this study were …

Evaluating Behavioral Skills Training To Increase The Use Of Verbal Feedback With Personal Trainers, Towanda Beck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated behavioral skills training (BST) to improve feedback skills of personal trainers. We used a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effects of BST for teaching personal trainers to provide positive and corrective feedback to their clients during various exercises within a private gym setting. In addition, we conducted observer absent observations in baseline and intervention to see if increases in the behavior occurred when the researcher was not present. Results indicated that BST was successful for both participants. Future studies should evaluate BST as a training method for personal trainers and assess its effectiveness across …

An Evaluation Of Video Modeling And Video Modeling With Video Feedback To Enhance The Performance Of Competitive Soccer Goalkeepers, Alexandra Martina Capalbo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Several studies have evaluated the effects of consequent and antecedent procedures on athletic performance, including video modeling plus video feedback (VM+VF) as a treatment package. Although the effects of the VF consequent component have been well researched, relatively scant literature exists assessing the effectiveness of the VM component as an antecedent strategy. Additionally, these interventions have not been studied to improve goalkeeping skills of soccer players. Therefore, this study used a multiple baseline across behaviors to compare the effects of VM to the VM+VF to train goalkeeper skills to soccer players. Task analyses were established for three goal keeping skills …

A Review Of The Class Pass Intervention: A Derivative Of Bedtime Pass, Peigelyn A. Dorno

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper was to review and synthesize the literature on both the bedtime pass (BPP) and the class pass intervention (CPI), a school-based intervention derived from the bedtime pass. Specifically, the objective of this paper was to discuss variations in the implementation of the class pass and bedtime pass that may impact the effectiveness of this intervention. A total of 11 articles, seven articles on CPI and four articles on BPP, were identified for this review through a search on EBSCO database and Google Scholar search engine. The articles identified were summarized in regard to the participant’s …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Peer-Implemented Video Feedback On Improving Weightlifting Form, Emma Kathleen Cochrane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) in teaching peer-trainers to implement video feedback (Study 1). This study also evaluated the effectiveness of peer-implemented video feedback to improve the form of the deadlift movement (Study 2). Peer-implemented video feedback was used to improve the performance of the deadlift across participants. A non-concurrent, multiple baseline across participants design was employed for all participants in Study 1 and Study 2. The results show that BST was effective at teaching peer-trainers to implement video feedback. Peer-implemented video feedback was effective at improvement the form of the deadlift across all participants.Keywords: …

Assessing The Validity Of The Automatic Reinforcement Screening Assessment, Taylin Rhey Byerly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stereotypy is commonly observed in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). (Bodfish et al., 2000; Koegel & Covert, 1972) and vocal stereotypy has been found to impede skill acquisition and be socially stigmatizing (Gibbs et al., 2018; Liu-Gitz, & Banda, 2010;). Although vocal stereotypy is often maintained by automatic reinforcement (Ahearn et al., 2007), until recent years it was common practice to conduct a functional analysis consisting of multiple test conditions and at least one control condition (e.g., Iwata et al., 1982/1994) to identify its function. However, research suggests that a screening assessment (Querim et al., 2013) may be an …

Using A Peer-Mediated Bullying Safety Skills Intervention For Children With Disabilities, Jennifer Leigh Trapani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As bullying continues to be a growing problem in schools, research is needed to further evaluate the effectiveness of current bullying prevention and intervention programs for children with disabilities. The peer-mediated intervention (PMI) is an evidence-based practice that has been successful in teaching social skills to children with disabilities. PMI literature can be extended by exploring and evaluating its effectiveness in teaching bullying safety skills to children with disabilities. The current study examined the use of PMI to teach children with disabilities bullying safety skills with four students (2 peers and 2 learners) in grades kindergarten and third grade. Typically …

Review Of The Use Of Differential Reinforcement In Skill Acquisition, Hannah E. Efaw

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper was to review and synthesize the literature investigating the impact of differential reinforcement on skill acquisition. Specifically, the aim of this review was to determine the most efficient differential reinforcement arrangement for skill acquisition in individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Researchers synthesized the results of 12 articles with the following categories: (a) participant characteristics (i.e.,, age, sex, diagnosis, verbal repertoire, communication modality, receptive and imitation skills, prompt dependency), (b) target behavior information (i.e., target behavior, measurement system), (c) pre-evaluation assessments (i.e., preference assessments, reinforcer assessments, magnitude edible and size assessments), (d) teaching procedures (i.e., …

The Rise Of The "Gatecrashers": The Growing Impact Of Athletes Breaking News On Mainstream Media Through Social Media, Michael Nabors

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study provided a detailed examination into how gatekeeping theory is losing its traditional impact due to the increased opportunities social media has afforded the modern athlete. For the purposes of this research, those athletes who communicate through social media were able to circumvent traditional mainstream media (MSM) to broadcast their own messaging and as a result, the exclusivity of their respective content is frequently relevant to contemporary news organizations. The research explored how the MSM uses the content it airs from these athletes. An important distinction and goal of this study was to determine whether this messaging used by …

This Is It: Latina/X Representation On One Day At A Time, Camille Ruiz Mangual

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the tensions between contemporary Latina/x representations and problematic tropes in the sitcom, One Day at a Time (2017-2020) [ODAAT]. ODAAT centers of Elena, Penelope, and Lydia, three generations of a Latina/x family. Many entertainment reviewers and fans praised the series for its progressive and nuanced portrayals of Latina/x characters. However, I argue that while ODAAT depicts Latina/x characters that transcend some United States mainstream media tropes about Latinas/xs, the series also relies on conventional markers of Latina/x identity as tools with which to communicate progressive messages around identity. I expand upon scholarship in Latina/o media …

Tourism, Education, And Identity Making: Agency And Representation Of Indigenous Communities In Public Sites Within Florida., Timothy R. Lomberk Ii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

National parks have a history of complex relations with Native communities beginning with the advent of the National Park Service to representation of Native histories in the present. I will focus on two specific cases located within Florida, utilizing the lens of authorized heritage to show challenges of representation; and the range of ways that representation has been addressed and are currently being addressed with respect to Native communities in Florida. I utilize ethnohistorical and ethnographic methods to explore issues of representation in public spaces; such as museums and national parks. I am interested in critical representations of Native American …

¿De Dónde Eres?: Negotiating Identity As Third Culture Kids, Sophia Margulies

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sparked by David C. Pollock's (1988) concept of "third culture kids" (children of government officials and military personnel), this thesis uses autoethnography to examine "white-passing" Latinx identity and gender passing as it relates to individuals who identify as transgender to understand what it means to "pass" within these communication contexts. I situate the study at the intersections of queer, trans, and Latinx theories. Ultimately, I argue that the communicative and identity practices inherent to the liminal spaces in which third culture kids perform create the conditions for performances as transnational subjects. What the contexts of place and home are like, …

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 …

Cultivating Courage: Medical Dramas And Portrayals Of Patient Self-Advocacy, Alyssa H. Harrell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the influence of medical dramas on perceptions of patient self- advocacy. With a purposeful sample of college students, the study explored perceptions of information seeking preferences of a medical drama patient. With a quasi-experimental design using an online questionnaire containing both qualitative and quantitative measures, the study was able to compare four unique variables to perceptions of the information seeking preferences of a medical drama patient. The study analyzed the influence that (1) medical drama exposure, (2) patient advocacy rating, (3) perceived realism of medical dramas, and (4) previous experience healthcare each had on college students’ perceptions …

Case Studies In Applied Behavior Analysis: Brain Breaks For Elementary Students And Using The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (Ptr) Model To Increase On-Task Behavior In A Classroom Setting, Peyton L. Stipes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disruptive behavior in the classroom can harmfully impact students learning and hinder academic growth (Austin & Agar, 2005; Hartman & Gresham, 2016). The term disruptive behavior encompasses many different behaviors, but when used in the classroom it focuses on off-task behavior, noncompliance, talking out in class, aggression, leaving designated areas, and stereotypy (Celebreti et al., 1997; Folino et al., 2014 & Kern et al., 1982). Both antecedent and consequence-based interventions have been conducted in school settings in attempts to decrease disruptive behaviors and increase appropriate on-task academic behavior. Physical activity and antecedent manipulations have demonstrated empirical evidence that both interventions …

Politics Vs. The Environment: The Spatial Distributions Of Mississippian Mound Centers In Tampa Bay, Adam J. Sax

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Safety Harbor culture that resided in West-Central Florida during the Mississippian period (~1000-1500 CE) was distant from the Mississippian heartland but built similar platform mound complexes and exhibited social hierarchies despite practicing an estuarine lifestyle that likely did not rely on extensive agriculture. To determine whether this coastal culture exhibited similar spatial patterns of platform mound centers to traditional inland cultures, GIS spatial analyses including distance matrices, density analyses, and least cost analyses (LCA) were performed within the Safety Harbor geographical nexus of Tampa Bay. The results were able to detect temporal changes in settlement patterns and estimate the …

Eating And Body Image Disorders In The Time Of Covid19: An Anthropological Inquiry Into The Pandemic’S Effects On The Bodies, Theresa A. Stoddard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lifestyle changes are impacting the experiences of self-identifying women and females with body image disorders (BIDs) and/or eating disorders (EDs), focusing on the mental, physical, and emotional health of participants. Using surveys, person-centered semi-structured interviews, and autoethnography, I collected qualitative and quantitative data regarding the challenges, triumphs, hopes, and fears of participants regarding their EDs/BIDs during the pandemic and situated their experiences within their sociocultural context. Drawing on anthropological and psychological theory, I examine the data through the lenses of Scheper-Hughes’s and Lock’s “The Three Bodies” (the body politic, body …

Un Rompecabezas Americano: La Identidad Y Los Escritores Hispanos En Estados Unidos, Keren N. Benalcazar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Hispanic immigrant authors in the US portray the process of identity formation in diaspora affected by the act of immigration itself through the analysis of four main themes: cultural identity, language, alienation and the immigrant's experience with borders and border culture. While Hispanic literature of immigrants has evolved over time in the United States, many of its general themes remain the same. Focusing on authors from the 19th to 21st centuries, this thesis covers 18 works ranging from novels, to essays, to poetry to short stories, all by various Hispanic authors, most of them immigrants or …

The Influence Of Hate Speech On Tiktok On Chinese College Students, Tengyue Chen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research is whether Chinese college students' attitudes to hate speech and hate speech censorship systems will be affected by the hate speech in TikTok. Meanwhile, the research could explore the third-person effect of hate speech on TikTok on Chinese college students. An online survey was designed for this research. 658 participants who are college students in China completed the online survey. The results showed that Chinese college students believed hate speech on TikTok would affect themselves, while others will affect less by hate speech. The results also stated that the attitude toward the censorship system affects …

Evaluating The Use Of Behavioral Skills Training To Teach Assertiveness Skills To College Students, Kayla Rogover

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on assertiveness skills has mostly involved the use of self-report measures. However, self-report has been noted to be highly inaccurate (Bernard et al., 1984). Only one unpublished study has explored a behavioral analytic perspective of assertiveness demonstrating behavioral skills training (BST) to be effective in teaching assertiveness skills. Thus, this study evaluated the effectiveness of BST to teach assertiveness skills to college students and whether the skills would generalize to novel therapist. Results of the study suggest BST was effective for teaching assertiveness skills to college students, the skills generalized to a novel therapist, and maintained at follow-up.

The Social Correlates Of War: Conflict Correlations Within Belief Systems., Richard R. N. Decampa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous cross-national research concerning the political or economic factors that lead to international conflict tends to focus on leadership by elites, anarchic security, or democratic peace. However, less quantitative cross-national research focuses on how religious and national belief systems impact international conflict. Previous research suggests that value systems, such as religiosity and nationalism should impact conflict, though there is little cross-national empirical evidence to support these claims. Thus, I expand on this work by testing the relationship between several variables that represent religiosity and nationalism and the initiation and escalation of conflict between nation states. The main dependent variables are …

The General Psychopathology Factor (P) From Adolescence To Adulthood: Disentangling The Developmental Trajectories Of P Using A Multi-Method Approach, Alexandria M. Choate

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Considerable attention is directed towards studying co-occurring psychopathology through the lens of a general factor (p-factor). However, the developmental trajectories and stability of the p-factor have yet to be fully understood. Study 1 first examined the explanatory power of dynamic mutualism theory — an alternative framework positing the p-factor to be a product of lower-level symptom interactions rather than the inherent cause of them. Predictions of dynamic mutualism were tested using three distinct statistical approaches including: longitudinal bifactor models, random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs), and network models. Next, given prior suggestions that borderline personality disorder (BPD) could be a marker …

Credibility Of Spokespersons And E-Cigarette Prevention Messages: Elaboration Likelihood Model And The Moderating Role Of Perceived Risk, Emmanuel Maduneme

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

E-cigarettes also referred to as vapes or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) were developed as a safer alternative to tobacco smoking, but the prevalent usage among young adults has led to deleterious mental and physical health challenges. Communications interventions against e-cigarette use have employed a variety of message strategies, but one that has not received a lot of attention is the credibility of a spokesperson and the impacts it could have. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model, the current study aimed to examine the impacts of spokesperson credibility in e-cigarette prevention messages, and the moderating role of perceived risk.

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