Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons^™

Treatment Of Specific Animal Phobias And The Relationship Of An Opiate Antagonist To Outcome, Andrea T. Kozak

Dissertations

Previous research with non-humans, and humans to a lesser degree, suggest the endogenous opiate system is at work to assist an organism in times of pain or stress. One-session exposure treatment is an effective treatment for specific animal phobia and entails modest degrees of stress during implementation. At the present time, the mechanisms at work that facilitate the success of this intervention have been incompletely investigated. The focus of the present study was to determine whether the endogenous opiate system is activated during the treatment of persons with specific animal phobias. In a double-blind investigation, 15 individuals with specific animal …

Identifying The Function Of Aberrant Behavior: Comparing Variations Of The Experimental Functional Analysis, Kathryn M. Potoczak

Dissertations

The advent of the experimental functional analysis has had a significant effect on the field of behavior analysis in shifting the focus from topography-based interventions for aberrant behavior to treatment based on function. The original method developed by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman in 1982 utilized attention, demand, alone, and play conditions in a multielement design. Its effectiveness in determining the function of aberrant behavior using both antecedents and corresponding contingencies of reinforcement is well established, and it is the most prevalent method of functional assessment used today.

However, an alternative to the Iwata et al. (1982) procedure exists. …

Attitudinal And Behavioral Changes Demonstrated By Expectant Fathers As Measured By The Index Of Self Esteem, Terry G. Savage

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty married men who were expecting their first child were tested in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy with the Index of Self Esteem to see if the subjects experienced a significant drop in self esteem during the course of pregnancy. The current study focused on the attitudinal and behavioral changes in the subjects as measured by the index of self-esteem. A decrease in self-esteem of the expectant fathers was not found, however the lack of diversity within the sample may account for the results. It would be necessary to conduct more extensive research to be more representative …

An Open Label Study Of The Effects Of Levetiracetam In Children With Autism, Teresa C. Samsock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This was an open-label study of levetiracetam in children with autism. Many anticonvulsant medications are used for management of externalizing behaviors and mood stability in autism; however, they are not consistently effective and adverse reactions limit their use. The objective of this study was to test the following research questions: (1) to determine whether levetiracetam reduces problematic externalizing behaviors in children with autism, and (2) to determine whether a nootropic effect from levetiracetam may be seen in cognition, memory, and/or language function in children with autism. Evaluations were gathered pre-treatment and during treatment using a battery of cognitive and behavioral …

The Relationship Between Age, Years Of Service, Gender, Education, And Job Satisfaction Among Mental Health Professionals, Veria L. Hicks

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The study explored the relationship between age, years of service, gender, education, and job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Thirty subjects (15 males and 15 females) were involved in the study. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant relationship between age, years of service, gender, education and job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

Drug Of Choice As A Predictor Of Program Completion In A 12-Week Intensive Outpatient Program And Continuing Care Program, James R. Myers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study consisted of a one year examination of a twelve week Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), followed by continuing care treatment, coupled with required attendance to a Twelve Step AA/NA Program. This study detailed the treatment plan available at a local Intensive Outpatient Program in Southern West Virginia. A sample, separating alcoholics from other substance abusers to obtain an estimated completion rate was used.

Tills thesis comprised a one-year history of subjects (6/30/98 -07/01/99). A total of 84 subjects entered into the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) within the above time frame. Determination of completion rates was based on a categorical …

Comparing Aggression Between Young-Adult And General Admission Patients In A State-Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, Jill Kridle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Because of the inherent danger surrounding violence, aggression studies are particularly important for those working in a health care setting. A constant variable in aggression studies that poses many risk factors is age. This study examined characteristics of aggressors contained on state psychiatric hospital, located in West Virginia. Included on the unit was the neo-adult program and some general admission patients. The study evaluated all aggressors on the unit between September 1997 and August 1998. Comparisons were made to distinguish any possible differences or similarities between the two groups. The results indicated some differences relating to age of aggressor. Young-adult …

The Effects Of Music Therapy On Reducing Depression Among The Hospitalized Elderly Diagnosed With Dementia, Alan J. Blosser

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Music therapy was implemented as an affordable and accesible intervention for the hospitalized elderly diagnosed with dementia to reduce depression. Thirty hospitalized, elderly individuals diagnosed with dementia were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. The experimental group were involved in six one-half hour music therapy sessions over a three week period. Music was selected according to group preference. No intervention was provided to the control group. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to measure depression. The instrument was administered orally to both groups one week prior to treatment, within two days after treatment had been completed, and two …

Concurrent Validity Of The Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, Kathryn L. Ingles

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) is a brief, comprehensive screening instrument for neurological impairment. The DRS has a low floor and enables progressive levels of dementia to be measured. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent validity of the DRS. Eighteen subjects from nursing homes and personal care homes diagnosed with mild to moderate Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type were involved in the research. The score on the DRS was correlated with the raw scores on the Block Design and Vocabulary subtests of the WAIS-III. Research indicates that the performance on the Block Design subtest is a …

Effects Of Goal Reward And Feedback Frequency On Motivation: A Control Theory Perspective, Jonathan Michael Balcerek

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The current study investigated the effects of feedback frequency and goal reward on subject motivation. Klein's (1989) control theory model of work motivation was used to conceptualize the method and hypothesis. Subjects performed a simple computer addition task. When we examined subjects who displayed medium to high mathematical ability, significant effects were discovered. Higher goal reward led to higher motivation. In addition, subjects with a low goal reward and high amounts of feedback displayed lower motivation than subjects with a high goal reward and high amounts of feedback and subjects with a high goal reward and low amounts of feedback. …

Effects Of Age On Motor Preparation And Restructuring, Paul Amrhein, Noreen Goggin, George Stelmach

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Age-related decrements in motor plan restructuring were investigated. In this experiment, older and younger adults performed a discrete aiming task that involved responses that were precued and responses that were modified at the time of an imperative signal. On 75% of the trials, the precue specified the response-stimulus (valid trials) with respect to the movement parameters of the arm (left or right) and direction (toward or away). On the remaining 25% of the trials, the response-stimulus was different from the precue (invalid trials) in that the subject was required to modify a planned movement by changing the arm to be …

The Effects Of Frequency & Source Of Feedback On Performance Under Goal-Setting Conditions, David Campshure

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Feedback and goal setting are both necessary for either to have an effect on performance (Erez, 1977). In the present study two attributes of feedback, frequency and source, were manipulated under goal-setting conditions to examine their effects on performance. It is generally assumed that performance can be enhanced by providing individuals with frequent feedback and by providing them with feedback that originates from a source close to themselves--that is, feedback from the task itself or self-administered feedback. A third variable of interest, subjects' perceived control over the task, was assessed via questionnaires.

Subjects worked on a problem-solving task. Each subject …

The Effect Of Calcium On Learned Helplessness And Associated Neurotransmitter Change, Kamyar Arasteh

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Effects of elevated calcium on learned helplessness in rats was tested by maintaining animals on either distilled water or water containing 2.5 percent calcium. Animals that were maintained on drinking water containing high calcium showed elevated levels of brain and serum calcium. Rats that were on high calcium drinking water showed longer escape latencies than their non-calcium counterparts after they were pretreated with inescapable electric shocks. Lower levels of 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid associated with the state of "depression" were found in the forebrain and brainstem of these animals. Therefore, elevated levels of calcium enhance learned helplessness and decrease brain serotonin turnover. …

A Concurrent Validity Study Of The Acting Out Score Of The Hand Test, Arthur Dosch

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In an investigation of the concurrent validity of the Acting Out Score (AOS) of the Hand Test, the AOSs of 32 normal college students were compared with the scores they obtained on two clinically popular self-report criterion measures of hostility and aggression, the Buss-Durkee (BD) and the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ). The AOS did not significantly differentiate between high and low scoring groups on either the HDHQ or BD although both criterion measures were found to be significantly related.

The Fear Conditioning Cues Necessary For The Reinstatement Of Memory After Retrograde Amnesia Induced By Ecs Ina One Trial Fear Conditioning Paradigm, Thomas Martin Hopfer

All Master's Theses

Rats were trained in a one trial fear conditioning paradigm (tone paired with footshock) after they had been trained to drink from a water tube. Fear conditioned animals given ECS (TFS/ECS) showed fear responses, indistinguishable from similarly treated animals given no ECS (TFS/ECS), when administered post-treatment fear conditioning cues 96 and 97 hours after fear conditioning day and tested 120 hours after conditioning. In addition, amnesia was shown at the 120 hour test in the TFS/ECS animals that received no post-treatment fear conditioning cues compared to similarly treated TFS/NECS animals. Further, animals that received the same experimental treatments as the …

Self Persuasion As A Function Of True And False Confession, Barry A. Stevens

All Master's Theses

Colored slides were established as the discriminative stimuli for "truth" and "lying." Experimental subjects were commanded to emit both positive and negative statements in the presence of these stimuli concerning previously established neutral picture-slides. Subsequently, the real opinion of each subject was recorded. The hypothesis that those statements made in the presence of discriminative stimuli would effect judgments was not supported. The only significant main effect was that of the command variable. Suggestions for further study were given.