Applied Behavior Analysis Commons^™

The Association Between Emotional Competencies And E-Cigarette Susceptibility, Laurel Brockenberry

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of e-cigarette use in young adults rose dramatically in the United States over the past decade. Nonetheless, our understanding of the motives that make young adults more susceptible to e-cigarette use remains limited. Risk factors associated with susceptibility to combustible cigarettes suggest that negative affect reduction outcome expectancies are positively associated with cigarette susceptibility in this age group. Further, emotion competencies, such as emotion regulation difficulties, distress tolerance, and positive and negative urgency have been positively associated with both susceptibility and negative affect reduction expectancies. Determining the role of negative affect reduction outcome expectancies on e-cigarette use requires …

Examining The Role Of Behavioral Inhibition In Harsh Parenting Preferences: An Analog Study, Kelsey T. Ellis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the cognitive processes involved in harsh parenting behavior would have broad implications for parenting interventions and training programs. Few studies have addressed how parental stressors, specifically infant crying, can influence individuals’ self-regulatory cognitive capacities and ultimately their preference for harsh parenting strategies. Furthermore, little research has explored the link between these cognitive processes and harsh parenting preferences; thus, little work has been done to establish a true causal relationship. This study examined the role of behavioral inhibition in harsh parenting preferences when individuals were exposed to an infant crying noise.

Participants (n = 129) were undergraduate students (Mage = …

Pathways From Religiosity To Couple’S Satisfaction Through Relational Virtues And Equality In Two Cultures, Ilya A. Okhotnikov

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

To explore relational processes of couple’s satisfaction this study drew on the relational spirituality framework (Mahoney, 2010) in order to test a relational religiosity model to evaluate the effects of public, private, ideological, intellectual, and experiential religiosity that were mediated by relational virtues of commitment, sacrifice, forgiveness, and sanctification and relational equality on couple’s satisfaction in two cultures. Data for this component used convenience samples of English-speaking respondents (hereafter American sample; n = 1,529) and Russian-speaking respondents (hereafter Russian sample; n = 529). Results provided evidence to partially support relational religiosity model; specifically commitment, while a statistically significant intervening element, …

The Psychometric Assessment Of Alexithymia: Development And Validation Of The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire, David Preece, Rodrigo Becerra, Ken Robinson, Justine Dandy, Alfred Allan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Alexithymia is a trait comprising people's ability to focus attention on and accurately appraise their own emotions. Its assessment is of clinical interest because people who have difficulty processing their negative and positive emotions are more vulnerable to developing psychopathology symptoms, however, existing alexithymia measures cannot comprehensively assess the construct across both negative and positive emotions. In this paper, we attempt to remedy these measurement limitations by developing and validating a new 24-item self-report measure, the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ), which is based on the attention-appraisal model of alexithymia. In Study 1, our confirmatory factor analyses in a sample of …

How Do Angry Drivers Respond To Emotional Music? A Comprehensive Perspective On Assessing Emotion, Seyedeh Maryam Fakhr Hosseini

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Driving is a complicated task that requires the coordination of visual and sensory-motor skills. Unsafe driving behavior and accidents can happen regardless of the level of drivers’ experience. The main cause of the most of these accidents is human error. Emotions influence the way drivers process and react to internal or environmental factors. Specifically, anger elicited either from traffic or personal issues, is a serious threat on the road. Therefore, having an affective intelligent system in the car that can estimate drivers’ anger and respond to it appropriately can help drivers adapt to moment to-moment changes in driving situations. To …

Ground Deformation Studies And Evacuation Behavior During Eruptions At Guatemalan Volcanoes, Hans Lechner

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Volcanic eruptions can be an especially problematic hazard when considering the uncertainty in eruption timing and magnitude coupled with challenges associated with delivering warnings to remote areas and facilitating effective evacuations. The hazards presented by Guatemala’s active volcanoes demand enhanced monitoring capabilities and instrumentation infrastructure. Strengthening the link between the physical and social sciences should lead to more accurate, reliable, and timely hazard information to the people living in proximity to the volcano and facilitate rational decisions and actions that reduce their level of risk. While there is no one single technique that can provide unambiguous diagnostics about the timing, …

Derived Textual Control In Recreational Activity Schedules With Children With Autism, Holly Kolb

All Master's Theses

Activity schedules are commonly used with individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. The primary advantage of activity schedules is that they help the learner complete tasks independently. One child with autism, who was familiar with using pictorial activity schedules, participated in this study. This study was done to examine the use of a conditional discrimination procedure for helping children with autism transfer from the use of a pictorial activity schedule to the use of a textual activity schedule. The participant was exposed to a conditional discrimination training procedure before being tested for the ability to follow a textual activity …

Functional Analysis Of Tattoos From An Evolutionary Perspective, Elise V. Neville

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Recently, rates of tattooing in the U.S. have surged despite evidence of negative perceptions of individuals with tattoos. Additionally, perceptions appear to vary by target gender, with tattooed women being perceived more negatively than their male counterparts. The purpose of the current research was to examine (a) if perceptions of those with tattoos indeed vary by gender, (b) if tattoos conceivably serve an evolutionary function and (c) if so, do tattoos serve different functions for women and men. An evolutionary approach takes into consideration the purpose an observed behavior may serve for the individual in terms of how it solves …

Design And Evaluation Of Auditory-Supported Air Gesture Controls In Vehicles, Jason Sterkenburg

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The number of visual distraction-caused crashes highlights a need for non-visual information displays in vehicles. Auditory-supported air gesture controls could fill that need. This dissertation covers four experiments that aim to explore the design auditory-supported air gesture system and examine its real-world influence on driving performance. The first three experiments compared different prototype gesture control designs as participants used the systems in a driving simulator. The fourth experiment sought to answer more basic questions about how auditory displays influence performance in target acquisition tasks. Results from experiment 1 offered optimism for the potential of auditory-supported displays for navigating simple menus …

Generalization Of Ipad®-Learned Skills In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Claire Klein

CMC Senior Theses

The present study investigated the effects of learning from an iPad® to real-world skills for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research has demonstrated that for some children with ASD, electronic media such as an iPad® is highly motivating, highly preferred, and increasing in popularity in homes and in classrooms (Chen & Bernard-Opitz, 1993; Rideout, 2017; Shane & Albert, 2008). Because academic skills are often difficult for children with ASD due to problems with motivation, the current study used the motivating features of iPad® apps to teach real-world academic skills to children with ASD, with the hypothesis that skills would …

Applying Psychological Theories Of Personality, Identity, And Intergroup Conflict To Radical Violence: A Case Study Of Extremist Behavior, Sydney Flynn

CMC Senior Theses

This paper aims to address possible psychoanalytical explanations for the heinous acts in which terrorists, particularly ISIS, engage. It focuses on Harold D. Lasswell’s principles of the id, ego, and superego as well as Tajfel and Turner’s social identity theory. Within the framework of these two theories, relevant psychological and social psychological theories are discussed in order to explore a possible connection between the psyche of violent perpetrators and their actions. By exploring these connections, I find that there may be more nuanced psychological explanations for these violent acts, which could lead to new methods of weakening perceived biases, intergroup …

Effects Of Learned Exercises On Gross Motor Coordination In Children With Asd, Garrett Myers

CMC Senior Theses

The effectiveness of a teaching progression to teach three “Olympic” exercises and improve gross motor coordination was evaluated with four children (3 boys, 1 girl) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A multiple baseline design across children and within children across activities was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching progression used to teach the physical exercise program, which consisted of three “Olympic” events (long jump, 50 foot dash, and a relay race). Results showed all four participants learned the three “Olympic” exercises, with all four participants mastering at least one of the three exercises. Two participants mastered all …

Emergence Of Stimulus Equivalence And Topography-Based Responding Following Lecture Instruction, Justin Dale Krzmarzick

All Master's Theses

The present study examined the emergence of stimulus equivalence using both selection-based and topography-based tests following a lecture or control condition. This study also evaluated generalization to novel stimuli in both selection-based and topography-based response formats, and evaluated the social validity of the instructional procedure. Twenty undergraduate students who were at least 18 years of age were assigned to a lecture or control condition. Participants in the lecture condition were exposed to a lecture on the topic of generalization. Participants in the control condition watched the video Martin Seligman: The New Era of Positive Psychology that did not relate to …

Computational Model For Behavior Shaping As An Adaptive Health Intervention Strategy, Vincent Berardi, Ricardo Carretero-González, Neil E. Klepeis, Sahar Ghanipoor Machiani, Arash Jahangiri, John Bellettiere, Melbourne Hovell

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Adaptive behavioral interventions that automatically adjust in real-time to participants’ changing behavior, environmental contexts, and individual history are becoming more feasible as the use of real-time sensing technology expands. This development is expected to improve shortcomings associated with traditional behavioral interventions, such as the reliance on imprecise intervention procedures and limited/short-lived effects. JITAI adaptation strategies often lack a theoretical foundation. Increasing the theoretical fidelity of a trial has been shown to increase effectiveness. This research explores the use of shaping, a well-known process from behavioral theory for engendering or maintaining a target behavior, as a JITAI adaptation strategy. A computational …

Attrition In Behavioral Parent Training Programs In Clinical And Community Settings: A Meta-Analytic Review, Brett C. Michael

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

It is estimated that approximately 16-20% of youth will develop a diagnosable behavior disorder. Behavioral parent training is a valuable approach to address disruptive behaviors by teaching parents how to effectively manage their child’s challenging behavior with non-physical disciplinary techniques. While these programs are generally effective, attrition rates have been found to be as high as 60% in some cases. This review provides information about the characteristics commonly associated with these programs, the attrition rates of each program, and the general effectiveness of the programs. Meta-analytic procedures were implemented to identify contributing factors leading to withdrawal from intervention.

Keywords: …

Treatment Analysis Of A Captive Male Jaguar (Panthera Onca), Megan Colleen Morris

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Large carnivores in human care have been reported to engage in stereotypic behaviors. Such behavior is thought to be correlated with high stress levels, in part, due to captive environments limiting opportunities for functional consequences and environmental stimuli. Moreover, there are several arguments stating that stereotypic behaviors can be indicative of poor welfare, as they can often have severe negative emotional and physical effects on the animal. The first portion of this study included a five-phase treatment analysis which evaluated whether environmental manipulations decrease the frequency of stereotypic behaviors including pacing, over-grooming and tail-sucking exhibited by a single male jaguar …

The Effects Of Tact-To-Mand Transfer Procedures And Prompting Procedures For Increasing Independent Mands In A Child With Autism, Melissa C. Perdomo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined tact-to-mand transfer procedures and prompting procedures on a child diagnosed with autism. There was one participant, a 3-year-old Hispanic male, with a limited manding repertoire whom also possessed knowledge of tacting items. A multiple baseline design across settings was implemented in order to increase the number of mands emitted by the participant. Data were collected using paper and pen recording by the researcher and another observer to provide interobserver agreement. Mastery probes were collected at one week, two weeks, and four weeks. Results indicated that transfer procedures may be helpful in generalizing manding for a child …

Utilization Of Behavioral Health Services Among The Latino Population, Jennifer R. Mazzetti

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Limited research exists examining the effectiveness of an integrated primary care model of behavioral health service delivery among the Latino population. This descriptive pilot study addresses this gap in the literature by exploring the mechanisms that influence whether Latino integrated primary care patients who receive a Warm Hand-Off (WHO) will or will not pursue further Behavioral Health Services (BHS). Participants were recruited from Clinica Tepeyac, an integrated primary care clinic located in Denver, Colorado. Results showed that the majority of participants engaged in BHS at the suggestion of their medical provider, as opposed to initiating BHS involvement by their own …

Bilingualism Positively Predicts Mathematical Competence: Evidence From Two Large-Scale Studies, Andree Hartanto, Hwajin Yang, Sujin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although little is known about the link between bilingualism and mathematical achievement in children, the established link between executive functions (EFs) and mathematical achievement suggests that bilingualism—which has been shown to affect EFs—may positively predict math skills. Drawing on two large-scale datasets collected in the US—the Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten and the State-Wide Early Education Programs (Study 1) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (Study 2)—we examined the relation between bilingualism and mathematical achievement among preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first-grade students (ages 4–7), while controlling for key covariates of (a) demographic variables, such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; and …

Introduction: Jewish Gamevironments – Exploring Understanding With Playful Systems, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

The study of Judaism, Jewish civilizationi, and games is currently comprised of projects of a rather small set of game scholars. A sample of our work is included in this issue.

Individualism, Collectivism, And Trade, Aidin Hajikhameneh, Erik O. Kimbrough

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

While economists recognize the important role of formal institutions in the promotion of trade, there is increasing agreement that institutions are typically endogenous to culture, making it difficult to disentangle their separate contributions. Lab experiments that assign institutions exogenously and measure and control individual cultural characteristics can allow for clean identification of the effects of institutions, conditional on culture, and help us understand the relationship between behavior and culture, under a given institutional framework. We focus on cultural tendencies toward individualism/collectivism, which social psychologists highlight as an important determinant of many behavioral differences across groups and people. We design an …

Possible Breakdown Of Dopamine Receptor Synergism In A Mouse Model Of Huntington's Disease, Samantha F. Kennedy

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The model of basal ganglia function proposed by Albin, Young and Penney (1989) describes two anatomically independent motor pathways, the direct and indirect. However, under normal conditions striatal dopamine (DA) is required for the expression of motor behavior, and DAergic control of the two pathways (via D1 and D2 receptors, respectively) is dependent on co-activation. We tested for a possible breakdown of D1/D2 synergism using transgenic R6/1 mice bearing the human huntingtin allele (Htt). Motor stereotypy, observed prior to the onset of HD-related symptoms, was rated on a 5-point scale following activation of: A) D1 receptors alone, B) D2 receptors …

Do Flashbulb Memories Transmit Across Generations? 9/11 As A Case Study, Shanique Meyler

Student Theses

Psychologists have only recently begun to examine the extent to which personal memories transmit across generations. When they have, they typically focus on family stories (see Merrill & Fivush, 2016) or memories of historical events (Svob & Brown, 2012). The present study extends this line of research to flashbulb memories, or memories of an individual’s circumstances when first learning about a consequential, historical event (Brown & Kulik, 1977). To this end, the present study examines the extent to which flashbulb memories surrounding the events of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 transmit to the next generation. The results suggest that flashbulb …

A Translational Evaluation Of Renewal Of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior, Vivian Ibañez, Cathleen C. Piazza, Kathryn M. Peterson

Theses & Dissertations

The term renewal describes the recurrence of previously extinguished behavior that occurs when the intervention context changes. Renewal has important clinical relevance as a paradigm for studying treatment relapse because context changes are necessary for generalization and maintenance of most intervention outcomes (Podlesnik, Kelley, Jimenez-Gomez, & Bouton, 2017). The effect of context changes are particularly important during intervention for children with feeding disorders because children eat in a variety of contexts, and extinction is an empirically supported and often necessary intervention. Therefore, we used an ABA arrangement to test for renewal during intervention with 3 children diagnosed with a feeding …

Privileging Autistics Of Color: A Human Rights Approach To Applied Behavior Analysis (Aba) Therapy, Rebecca Rubey

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project examines the social construction of autistic people of color through the pathology paradigm and the associated human rights violations. The purpose of the project is to disrupt the pathology paradigm by privileging voices of autistic people of color in professional development workshops for ABA therapy providers. The workshops aim to help ABA therapy providers understand the historical context of ABA, how it fits into the wider systems of white supremacy and ableism, and how these dynamics are re-enacted in every day practice with autistic people of color.

A Comparison Of The Social-Adaptive Perspective And Functionalist Perspective On Guilt And Shame, Heidi L. Dempsey

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Within the field of guilt and shame two competing perspectives have been advanced. The first, the social-adaptive perspective, proposes that guilt is an inherently adaptive emotion and shame is an inherently maladaptive emotion. Thus, those interested in moral character development and psychopathology should work to increase an individual’s guilt-proneness and decrease an individual’s shame-proneness. The functionalist perspective, in contrast, argues that both guilt and shame can serve a person adaptively or maladaptively—depending on the situational appropriateness, duration, intensity, and so forth. This paper reviews the research conducted supporting both positions; critiques some issues with the most widely used guilt- and …

A Comparison Of Traditional, Trial-Based, And Synthesized Contingency Trial-Based Functional Analyses, Kaitlin S. Curtis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Researchers have developed functional analyses (FAs) to improve efficiency and correspondence that still use core components of the traditional format. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the correspondence between the trial-based FA and the traditional FA. I also evaluated the correspondence between the synthesized-contingency trial-based FA and the traditional FA. Within this study, I determined that by combining methods, I was able to reduce false negatives for escape found within the trial-based FAs and false-positives found within the synthesized contingency FAs.

The Effects Of Goal Setting Type And Feedback On Basketball Skill Improvement, Shelby Diane White

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Goal setting is a process that is used by many people in a variety of settings. For example, goals can be set for weight loss, career milestones, or anything a person would like to increase or decrease. According to Locke and Latham (1984), the best way to set a goal is to make sure the goal is specific. If someone wants to lose weight, the individual should state exactly how much weight they would like to lose and set a specific deadline for achieving the weight loss. A second aspect to goal setting is to make sure the goal is …

Comparison Of Trial-Based, Synthesized Trial-Based, And Traditional Functional Analyses, Kara Leigh Forck

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

I evaluated a synthesized trial-based functional analysis with two students who engaged in problem behavior by combining the methods from the trial-based functional analysis and synthesized contingency functional analysis. Multiple test conditions were combined into one test condition and were evaluated in 2-min trials. The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of correspondence of the results between the trial-based, synthesized trial-based, and traditional function analyses. One participant showed exact correspondence between the three functional analyses, while the other participant showed partial correspondence.

Teaching Students Who Have Difficulty Mastering Lmitation, Jennifer Mrljak

Dissertations

Some children with autism are unable to acquire imitation despite receiving early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) meant to teach that and other important skills. Many EIBI programs use physical-prompting hierarchies either as a component of the discriminative stimulus or the correction procedure following an error (Lovaas, 1981; Maurice, Green, & Luce, 1996). But even after lengthy exposure to these teaching techniques, some children still do not acquire imitative repertoires. In the present study, working with students who were not acquiring imitative repertoires, we started with shaping the initial imitative responses as a method to gain stimulus control and then introduced …