Applied Behavior Analysis Commons^™

Reversal Shift Performance By Young Children As A Function Of Stimulus Presentation Mode, Beverly Faye Miller

All Master's Theses

The present study required three groups of Ss (gifted preschoolers, average preschoolers, and first graders) to solve a reversal shift (R). It was hypothesized that greater verbal competency among any of the three groups would lead to superior performance on the R shift. The results indicated that first graders performed significantly better than the average preschool children on the R shift. Also the performance of the first graders was reliably superior to the gifted children on one postshift phase analysis; on the remaining postshift comparisons a visual trend in the same direction was observed. Three separate stimulus presentation modes were …

The Effects Of Pattern Of Extraneous Auditory Stimuli And Sex On Vigilance Performance, Paul G. Fisher

All Master's Theses

Eighty introductory-level psychology student volunteers performed a sweep-clock perceptual vigilance task. Each subject was exposed to one of four noise conditions: 65-dB constant noise, 100-dB constant noise, 100-dB regularly-intermittent noise and 100-dB variable intermittent noise. No overall effects of pattern of presentation schedule of noise on performance were found. Time-related changes in three measures, correct detections, reaction times, and incorrect detections plus sex differences in reaction times, were found. In the regularly-intermittent condition females showed a greater time-related decrement in correct detections than males and made fewer incorrect detections. With intermittent background stimulation the time-related change in incorrect detection rates …

The Effects Of Extraneous Stimulation And Activity On Performance In A Recognition-Memory Task, Richard Armstrong

All Master's Theses

Reaction times of 36 subjects in a recognition-memory task were used to evaluate the effects of extraneous stimulation and activity upon memory processes. No significant effect of noise on RT was suggested. A linear increase in reaction time as a function of memory load was found in all noise conditions. When the recognition-memory task was accompanied by a simultaneous shadowing task, a significant difference in the positive and negative reaction times was suggested.

Effects Of Reinforcement Schedules On The Eating Behavior Of Hooded Rats, Wayne T. Pratt

All Master's Theses

While the eating behavior of organisms has been the subject of considerable research, the methods commonly employed to disrupt eating behavior also result in irreparable damage to the central nervous system. This paper presents an attempt to evaluate some effects of reinforcement schedules on the eating behavior of hooded rats when external motivating factors were introduced.

The results indicated that stress tended to inhibit food intake to a significant degree.

Problems associated with this method of creating obesity were discussed and suggestions offered for further research.

Transfer Of Active Avoidance Response Tendency By Brain Extract, Marlene Sanders

All Master's Theses

Interanimal memory transfer was tested using an active avoidance task in which donor rats were trained to jump onto a platform to avoid a footshock. One control group was allowed to freely explore the experimental chamber and a second control group received footshock in the chamber but without the opportunity to avoid.

Results indicated that recipients of trained donor extract learned the task in significantly fewer trials than recipients of control donor extract. Suggestions for further research and modifications of this study were discussed.

Food Choice Preferences And Delay Of Reward In Obese And Normal Weight Children, Mitzi M. Rochester

All Master's Theses

Thirty-seven obese and thirty-six normal weight children, ages eight to eleven, of both sexes were tested to determine if the cue prominence theory of obesity would be supported early in life. Ss chose a candy bar as a reward for a task from one of three bowls, containing either large bars in plain brown wrappers, small bars in brightly colored wrappers, or small bars in plain brown wrappers. Obese and normals did not differ in their choices: 67% of the obese and 80% of the non-obese children chose the large candy bars in plain wrappers. However, obese Ss chose significantly …

The Course Of Amnesia Up To Twenty-Four Hours After Non-Contingent Treatment As A Function Of The Footshock-Electroconvulsive Shock Interval, Thomas C. Whitaker

All Master's Theses

This study tested specific predictions of the state-dependency hypothesis concerning the effects of footshock (FS)-electroconvulsive shock (ECS) treatment interaction on memory storage. Rats were trained in a water "T" maze to turn either left or right. Twenty-four hours later they received FS-ECS treatment. The FS-ECS intervals were .5 sec., 10 sec., 30 sec., and sham (no FS-ECS). Testing took place either 1, 6, 12, 18, or 24 hr. after treatment. Results indicated trends, but no significant evidence of the amnesia gradient being related to the FS-ECS interval.

The Effects Of A Behavior Modification Program On The Self Concepts Of Children In Special Education, Barbara M. Scott

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine whether using a behavior modification approach to teaching children will help to raise a child's self concept.

The Use Of Selected Films And Film Discussions In Modifying Social Distance In Elementary School Children, Stanton C. Baker

All Master's Theses

When conflicts involving interpersonal relationships arise within the school setting, it would appear appropriate to attempt to cope with these conflicts within the framework of the school; particularly the classroom. Many methods of modifying behavior through group procedures have been attempted with varying degrees of success. It was the purpose of this study to investigate the effectiveness of one such method; a fiIm-discussion technique. This program was developed to modify behaviors, attitudes and/or perceptions which interfere with the development of constructive interpersonal relationships within an elementary classroom.

Modification Of Deviant Behavior By Parents, Jeanne M. Gabourie

All Master's Theses

It is the purpose of this study (1) to determine if a child's deviant social behaviors can be effectively modified by his own parents; and (2) to determine if parents can be trained to use behavior modification techniques in the home.

Conditioned Helplessness And Human Escape Behavior, Robert E. Gabbard Jr.

All Master's Theses

The present study was undertaken to determine, first, whether or not "helplessness" can be conditioned in human subjects, and, secondly, the amount of behavioral variability that can be accounted for in terms of locus of control as measured by Rotter's Internal-External control scale (I-E scale).

Verbal Conditioning With Vicarious Reinforcement As Related To Peer Attitudes In Grade-School Children, Margaret Mccutcheon Lauterbach

All Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of peer attitudes toward performers in a verbal conditioning experiment using vicarious reinforcement, and to determine whether birth order or need for social approval had any effect on conditioning. Fifth grade and sixth grade students served as subjects, with performers (those to be directly reinforced) from the same grades as the observers.

The Effectiveness Of The Presentation And Removal Of Money As Reward And Punishment In A Paired-Associate-Constant Order Learning Task, John B. Baughman

All Master's Theses

This type of research is believed to be important because of the implications it would seem to have for educational techniques. For example, a program could be instituted at the high school level whereby students would be rewarded with money for maintaining a certain academic standard but punished by the removal of a portion of this money for dropping below that standard. This technique might, in addition to facilitating their learning, act as a motivator in keeping them in school since many students drop out in order to make some money.

The Effect Of Continuous – And Partial Reinforcement On The Choice Behavior Of Rats, Philip S. Hall

All Master's Theses

The research presented in this paper is primarily concerned with the difficulties imposed on the Hull-Spence learning theory by the effects of partial reinforcement on response acquisition.

Operantly Conditioning A Boy’S Classroom Behavior, Daniel Lee Mcivor

All Master's Theses

It was hypothesized that (a) if attending and correct responses were followed by approving attention from the staff, then the rates of attending and giving correct responses would significantly increase; (b) if yelling, rocking, and hitting were immediately followed by a command to stop, or by placement in a time-out room, then the rates of those behaviors would significantly decrease; and (c) if the above conditioning procedures were dropped, then the rates of all behaviors under study would return toward their operant levels.

Suggestibility And Its Relationship To Instructional Set In Serial Learning, Richard Walter Giroux

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to attempt to determine the influence of two variables, suggestibility and instructional set, upon the individual's performance in a serial learning task. The attempt was made to find whether it is the instructional set that affects the outcome of a serial learning task or whether it is suggestibility that is the primary variable. The approach to this problem was based upon past studies in three different areas of psychological research. These were the areas of set, serial learning, and suggestibility.

The Effect Of Electroconvulsive Shock Following One-Trial Avoidance Learning In The Rat, Richard H. Lovely

All Master's Theses

It is hypothesized that (1) If rats are given electroconvulsive shock, following a footshock to condition an avoidance response, they will display initial retrograde amnesia and that this amnesia will diminish over time as manifested by recovery of the avoidance response; (2) This recovery is not a pure function of time but involves re-exposure to the original learning situation.

Conservatism In A Bayesian Probability Situation As A Function Of The Sex Of The Subject, Paul Frederick Miller

All Master's Theses

The present study was designed to examine whether the conservatism present in a Bayesian probability situation could be partially attributable to the sex of the subjects performing the task. The experimental design required that the subjects estimate the probabilities of occurrence of two independent events. They were then given an opportunity to revise their estimates as additional information was experimentally introduced into the situation. These estimates were compared to estimates calculated from Bayes’ theorem.

The Relative Effect Of Time Of Reinforcement And Pre-Reinforcement Activity On The Learning Of Meaningful Verbal Material, Daisuke Bill Nakashima

All Master's Theses

The present study was designed to compare the relative effects on learning and retention of (1) time of reinforcement, (2) pre-reinforcement activity, and (3) the interaction of the temporal interval and activity. The hoped-for criterion was the retention of six principles.

Meaningfulness And Similarity As Determinants Of Verbal Retention, Walter S. Heins

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the relationships and interaction between two factors--meaningfulness (m) and similarity (s) as these factors affect the retention and recall of high and low m consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) trigrams.

The Effect Of Overlearning And The Associative Value Of The Stimuli Upon Reversal Learning, Ralph Daniel Marken

All Master's Theses

In this experiment the relevance of the associative value of the stimuli in an overlearning reversal task will be examined as well as the persistence to respond to the former positive stimulus after reversal. That is, (1) Does the associative value of the stimuli have an effect upon the occurrence of the ORE, and (2) Do human Ss who have received overlearning tend to respond to the former positive stimulus upon reversal for more trials than do subjects receiving no overlearning as has been found for animals?

Delayed Auditory Feedback And Retention Testing Time, Wayne K. Miller

All Master's Theses

There have been many studies exploring variables that contribute to the appearance of the phenomenon, but strikingly few studies attempting to relate DAF to learning. Since sensory feed back is very important to behavior and especially learning, it would seem that the DAF phenomenon could yield some significant information for learning.

The Relative Efficiency Of Auditory (Social) Reinforcement Vs. Food Reinforcement With The Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri Sciureus) In An Operant Situation, David R. Mcmurray

All Master's Theses

Research using non-deprivation and sensory or food reinforcement has received little attention to the present time. It is possible that, at least in the laboratory, sensory reinforcement under non- deprived conditions may be a much more economical and efficient reinforcer than food reinforcement under deprived conditions, which is traditionally used.

Effects Of Delay Of Reinforcement On Problem Solving Behavior, Verne R. Bacharach

All Master's Theses

This study was designed to investigate the effects of delay of feedback in a programmed instruction task, retention, and subsequent problem solving behavior. The instructional material in symbolic logic was specifically presented in such a way as to introduce certain basic logical concepts and mechanical procedures in a logically coherent body of knowledge.

Motivation And Its Effects On Auditory Detection Thresholds, Gregory Peter Thomas

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the relative influence of reward and punishment upon auditory detection threshold.