Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons^™

The Power Of Words: Unpacking Language's Role In Educational Inequities, Zara Yokohama, Liz Beccari, Malcolm Jasmin

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

The language used to describe racial disparities in education may inadvertently influence how we address them. Framing such disparities as “achievement gap” rather than as “inequality in educational outcomes” assumes a deficit thinking mindset, shifting focus from the structural injustices contributing to education disparities to individuals, resulting in decreased prioritization of racial equity (Quinn & Desruisseaux, 2022). We aim to replicate this prioritization effect, specify the language driving the effect, and examine the impact of frames on perceptions of how to achieve racial equity. Participants were randomly assigned to conditions framing racial equity concerns as: a racial achievement gap, racial …

The Effects Of Verbal Interference On Memory Outcomes: Implications For Understanding How Language Shapes Cognition, Malcolm Jasmin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With this capstone I examine the impact of verbal interference on attention and memory, particularly in the absence of explicit articulation. Challenging the conventional view that language solely influences explicit communication, I investigate the manner verbal interference affects cognitive processes at an implicit level. The theoretical framework integrates the linguistic-relativity hypothesis, which posits that language shapes cognitive functions, and the universalist hypothesis, which argues for cognitive independence from language. By reviewing relevant literature, I intend to shed light on how verbal interference disrupts attention and memory across varied contexts, including cultural background, emotional state, environmental factors, task complexity, and modality. …

Members Only: Do Mandatory Inclusive Introductions Inadvertently Cause Exclusion?, Leah Marie Mckinney

All Master's Theses

In order to establish the proper way to address peers and colleagues, an introduction is necessary. In an attempt to support inclusion, it has become standard to ask that people state their associated pronouns. Researchers have shown that the proper use of one’s pronouns can help people feel safe in a new environment (e.g., Kramer et al., 2022; Lauscher et al., 2022; Palanica et al., 2022); however, to my knowledge, very few researchers have explored the potential adverse effects of requiring pronouns in introductions. The practice of stating pronouns during introductions has been established relatively recently (MIT, 2020), limiting research …

Critically Evaluating Website Credibility: Factors That Influence Perceptions Of Online Mental Health Information, Mikayla Kimery

All Master's Theses

Research on the use of online information has suggested that general users of the internet do not critically evaluate the information they consume. In addition, specific elements of online information, such as the presence of advertisements, has been shown to affect perceptions of that information, resulting in less favorable ratings of websites. In contrast, communication studies have shown that perceptions of the presented information increased favorably when an image of a brain was included even when the actual information was considered insufficient in quality by experts. To date, the combined effects of brain images and advertisements on evaluations of online …

Frontal Alpha Wave Asymmetry In Regard To Affect, Monica Leigh Sewell

All Master's Theses

This study examines frontal alpha brain wave asymmetry (FAA) in relation to emotion processing. Previous research has shown that differences between left versus right FAA could exhibit a neurological marker for emotional intelligence (EI), mental health, and stress. Behavioral data were collected using Profile of Emotional Competence Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. This was followed by a series of resting EEG recordings. This study hypothesizes that participants who are mentally healthy, have higher EI scores and lower stress will display greater left FAA. The hypothesis is partially supported; participants with depression had greater …

Impact Of The Csi Effect And Authority Bias On Juror Decisions, Meredith Scruggs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The recent increase in number of crime drama television shows raises the issue that these fictional portrayals may impact real proceedings in the justice system. This phenomenon has become known as the CSI effect. This includes the concept of authority bias, by which laypeople place higher value on information provided by those that they perceive to be in positions of authority. 289 college students completed a survey comparing their likelihood to match an unknown fingerprint to a suspect’s, after actors portraying evidence technicians either confirm the match or provide no conclusion. Results showed no significant interaction between the confirmation condition …

Chimpanzee Early Life Experiences And Responses To Caregiver Use Of Species-Specific Behavior, Emily Patton

All Master's Theses

More than 1,400 chimpanzees live in captivity in the US and each has complex social needs. The humans who care for captive chimpanzees occupy a place within chimpanzee social structures and their actions have consequences on chimpanzee behavior and welfare. Two studies compared chimpanzee responses between a condition in which humans used chimpanzee behaviors (CB) and another in which they use human behaviors (HB) during informal interactions. The chimpanzees showed more affiliative behavior during the CB condition in one study and strong individual variation in responses to the two conditions in both studies. Individual variation in adult primate behavior can …

Music, Video And Perception: An Investigation Into Shaping Attitudes Toward Fish And Their Natural Habitat, Kayla-Ann Hemmings

All Master's Theses

The current study investigated the influence of music and video on perceptions of fish, willingness to help aquatic conservation efforts, and attitudes about the marine environment. Participants were randomly distributed to one of six groups which varied by presenting information about marine life in a video format or through printed text (i.e., video or pamphlet) and on the background music that played during the presentation of that information (i.e., ominous, uplifting, or no sound). Participants, then, completed several counterbalanced measures, including rating how much six different words (i.e., three positive and three negative) applied to fish, Willingness to Conserve questions …

The Effect Of A Lag Schedule Of Reinforcement On Variability In Toy Play In Children With Autism, Cloie Cornell

All Master's Theses

Variability is a dimension of behavior that is altered and learned through reinforcement contingencies (Neuringer, 2002). The lag schedule of reinforcement is one way to establish contingencies in order to increase variability in block formations built by children diagnosed with autism. Napolitano, Smith, Zarcone, Goodkin and McAdam (2010), and Miller (1012) found that a lag schedule of reinforcement increased the variety of block formations built by children diagnosed with autism, both studies used the discriminative stimulus (SD) “build differently,” during intervention phases. The current study used a lag schedule of reinforcement along with the SD “build something,” throughout each phase. …

Confidence In Academic Testing: The Effect Of Induced Checking And Anxiety On University Students' Emotional Responses To, And Performance In, Academic Challenge, Elijah Bruner

All Master's Theses

Academic tests such as the American College Testing (ACT), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) have been used to assess academic aptitude. Research suggests that both test anxiety and test emotions (positive and negative) influence academic performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of test anxiety and uncertainty (i.e., re-checking items) on performance and test emotions. It was hypothesized that induced checking and participant anxiety would negatively predict performance and positive testing emotions, and positively predict negative testing emotions. It was also hypothesized that induced checking and anxiety would interact, with …

Use Of Vertical Enclosure Space And Species-Typical Locomotion By A Rehabilitating Spider Monkey (Ateles Fusciceps), Jake Funkhouser

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With wild spider monkey populations in decline, investigations contributing to captive welfare, and successful rehabilitation and reintroduction knowledge is increasingly pressing. Quantifying and analyzing the appropriateness of naturalistic enclosure designs to foster species-typical behaviors is an effective way to address both of these needs. This study investigates enclosure space use, vertical space preference, substrate use, positional/postural modes, and interactions with human caregivers of a wild-caught, pet-trade rehabilitant Columbian black spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris, N = 1). Video data collected daily from August to October 2015 via focal animal sampling (from 08:00 to 10:00) at Alouatta Sanctuary, Panama …

A Cultural Comparison Of The Facial Inference Process, Janine Swiney

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare emotion and personality trait attributions to facial expressions between American and Asian Indian samples. Data were collected using Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Participants in this study were asked to infer the emotions and personality traits shown in three facial expressions (scowling, frowning, and smiling) of young white females and males in six photographs. Each picture was randomly presented for 10 seconds followed by four randomized questions about the individual in the picture. The first question asked participants to identify the emotion shown from a list of six emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, …

A Cultural Comparison Of Two Facial Inference Studies, Janine Swiney

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

Two different samples from Pakistan and the United States were asked to infer the emotions and personality traits shown in three facial expressions (angry, sad, happy) of young white females and males in six photographs. The two studies used Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) to investigate the facial inference process. Each picture was presented for 10 seconds followed by four questions about the individual in the picture. The first question asked participants to identify the emotion shown, from a list of six emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise). The next three questions consist of condensed sets of the Big Five …

A Mturk Facial Inference Study, Janine Swiney, Anthony Stahelski, Mary Radeke

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

This survey is one in a series of studies utilizing Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) to investigate the facial inference process. Participants in this study were asked to infer the emotions and personality traits shown in three facial expressions (angry, sad, happy) of young white females and males in six photographs. Each picture was presented for 10 seconds followed by four questions about the individual in the picture. The first question asked participants to identify the emotion shown, from a list of six emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise). The next three questions consist of condensed sets of the Big …

A Mturk Facial Inference Study, Janine Swiney, Anthony Stahelski, Mary Radeke

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

This survey is one in a series of studies utilizing Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) to investigate the facial inference process. Participants in this study were asked to infer the emotions and personality traits shown in three facial expressions (angry, sad, happy) of young white females and males in six photographs. Each picture was presented for 10 seconds followed by four questions about the individual in the picture. The first question asked participants to identify the emotion shown, from a list of six emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise). The next three questions consist of condensed sets of the Big …

Measuring Self-Reported Exercise, Motivation To Exercise, And Sexism In Women, Sydney C. Jensen

All Master's Theses

The harmfulness and pervasiveness of benevolent sexism is not a well disseminated issue, despite the belief that women are treated with equality in today’s society. The current study was designed to investigate whether exercise type and motivation to exercise would predict participants’ self-reported benevolent and hostile sexism, particularly in light of gender-related stereotypes about physical activity. A sample of 79 females completed an online survey that included questions about demographic characteristics, primary exercise type (i.e., cardiovascular exercise, weight-lifting, or hobbies), average number hours spent engaging in their primary exercise weekly, exercise motivations, and finally the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory which served …

Peer Tutoring To Teach Children To Seek Help When Lost, Andrew J. Arellano

All Master's Theses

There are many programs that are designed to teach children safety skills. Skills such as gun safety, first aid, and abduction prevention have all been taught using a method called Behavioral Skills Training (BST). However, BST only teaches a few children at a time and is often taught by an expert. This study aimed to test whether young children (5 year olds) can learn from older peer trainers (11 & 12 year olds) who have been taught to use BST. The safety skill targeted for the current study was the behavior of seeking help when lost in a store because …

The Effect Of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid In A Mouse Model Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Rosalind Chaffee

All Master's Theses

The goals of the experiment presented in this thesis were threefold. The primary goal was to construct a mouse model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from an existing rat model that utilizes predator scent exposure as a traumatic event that then triggers changes in anxiety-like behavior. The second goal of the experiment was to study the rate of occurrence of PTSD in female and male mice to determine whether the model would mirror the higher rate of PTSD observed in women. Finally, the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a protective element in biological susceptibility to PTSD was assessed via …

Gesture Sequence In Captive Orangutans (Pongo Pygmaeus), Amanda Leone Carner

All Master's Theses

The most flexible form of communication may be gestures used by large body apes. The current study focused on gesture sequence in five captive orangutans at Woodland Park Zoo. We observed 305 gestures with 185 gestures (60.65%) occurring in 61 sequences in 2,482 minutes of data. Overall, orangutans used 272 tactile gestures (89 .18% ), 29 visual gestures (9 .50%) and 4 facial expressions ( 1.31 % ). In sequence, orangutans used 176 tactile gestures (95.14%), 7 visual gestures (3.78%), and 2 facial expressions (1.08%). Overall, a two-way repeated measure ANOV A showed significantly more tactile (x=26.9) than visual (x=2.9) …

Exercise Habits, Mindfulness, And Indicators Of Mental Health Among College Students, Emily R. Faust

All Master's Theses

The differences in levels of mindfulness and indicators of mental health were examined between groups of individuals currently engaging in various types of exercise. Eighty-two undergraduate and graduate-level college students completed an online survey regarding their past and current exercise habits and their levels of mindfulness, stress, anxiety, and affect. Four exercise groups, matched on age and gender, were created based on the types of exercise that participants reported currently engaging in: (a) yoga plus any other type of exercise; (b) aerobic exercise only; ( c) more than one type of exercise; ( d) no current activity. The results showed …

Empathy: A Possible Link Between Charismatic Megafauna And Environmental Concern, Anthony Joseph Carr

All Master's Theses

Environmental organizations have long used charismatic megafauna - popular large animals - as strategic figureheads to summon support for conservation actions. While the animals chosen as flagship species usually have anthropomorphic features, such as large body size and forward-facing eyes, there is no commonly accepted explanation for why these similarities influence people's willingness to help these species. In this study, empathy was found to be predictive of perceived need and willingness to help in a conservation scenario. While framing a threatened ecosystem as the habitat of an unspecified animal species with cultural characteristics increased reports of situational empathy, perceived need …

Behavioral Relaxation Training: A Stress Management Tool For Graduate Students, Natalie Anne Juhlin

All Master's Theses

Stress can have maladaptive effects on health and academic performance. This study examined the effectiveness of teaching Behavioral Relaxation Training (BRT) as a stress management technique for graduate students. BRT is a form of relaxation training that teaches individuals 10 relaxed behaviors to use when experiencing distressing emotions. A concurrent multiple probe design across four participants was used in conjunction with pretest and follow-up scores from the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Following baseline probes, participants received two BRT training sessions focusing on acquisition and proficiency of relaxed body postures. Results revealed that after BRT training all participants achieved greater than …

Level P300: An Erp And Working Memory Evaluation Of Gamers And Non-Gamers, Derek Matthew Ellis

All Master's Theses

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) estimates that the average U.S. household owns at least one video game console. The ESRB also notes that 66% of parents believe video games offer mental stimulation or education. Few studies have analyzed the impact of video game play on cognition. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of video games on both behavioral and neurophysiological measures (event-related potentials) of working memory. Stimuli used during the neurophysiological portion of the study were based on the visual odd-ball paradigm in which participants had to respond to standard and rare occurring visual …

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.

A Comparison Of Intragroup Greeting And Reassurance Behaviors Across Four Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes) Social Groups In American And African Sanctuaries, Trijntje Laurel Marburg

All Master's Theses

In this study, gestures performed in the greeting and reassurance context were investigated in four groups of chimpanzees living in American and African sanctuaries. Over 85 hr of video recording at three African sanctuaries and 798 hr of video recording at an American sanctuary were analyzed for greeting and reassurance gestures. The four chimpanzee groups demonstrated various differences in both greeting and reassurance gestures. Groups differed in the proportion of time spent in each context, the gesture frequency per minute, and the gesture types used. Some gestures were group specific, meaning they occurred only in one group; some gestures were …

Chimpanzee Use Of Modulation In Response To Questions, Jen-Shiuan (Susan) Shiau

All Master's Theses

Modulation in American Sign Language is meaningful systematic change in sign form. Young cross-fostered chimpanzees used sign modulations in ways that resemble human signers. Jensvold and Gardner (2000) videotaped conversations between adult chimpanzees-Washoe, Moja, Tatu, and Dar-and a human interlocutor under four conditions: general, on-topic, off-topic, and can't. Signs from this dataset were selected and analyzed for modulation. Like human signers, the adult chimpanzees modulated the signing speed, size, length, and number of reiterations. They used both single and combinatorial modulations. Modulation use varied with different functional categories of signs. The chimpanzees varied the sign modulation on repeated glosses between …

Chimpanzee-Caregiver Interactions In Captive Settings: The Effects Of "Cultures" Of Captive Management, Sarah Angela Baeckler

All Master's Theses

Interactions between chimpanzees and human caregivers can have profound effects on both the humans and the chimpanzees. These interactions were studied at three different facilities. Twenty-one chimpanzees and five caregivers were observed during their daily interactions over the course of approximately two weeks per facility. Results indicate differences in the types and styles of interactions that take place at each facility, and the relationships between the chimpanzees and their caregivers.

Implications for captive management were discussed.

Introversion, Extraversion, And Humor, Tanna Marlane Boucher

All Master's Theses

The differences in behavioral expression of humor for introverts and extroverts was investigated, as well as the behavioral expression of humor and humor ratings of video clips containing sound versus those with no sound. Subjects were videotaped as they watched humorous clips in a room alone. The results indicated that there was no significant difference between introverts and extroverts in terms of their behavioral expression of humor. These findings are consistent with the literature on social aspects of humor in that people tend to express more humor in social groups than when alone. However, subjects did show significantly more behavioral …

The Effects Of Reduction In Dependence Upon Group As A Source Of Influence On Field Dependence, James L. Antram

All Master's Theses

Recent research has cast doubt on Witkin's stability hypothesis of the field-dependence-independence dimension. Prior research suggested reduction of external field influences results in a decrease in level of field-dependence. It was hypothesized for this study that a reduction in dependence upon a group as a source of influence would result in a concomitant reduction in level of field-dependence as measured by the Witkin Rod-and-Frame Test.

A Comparison On The State Dependent Effects Of Electroconvulsive Shock And Physostigmine On A Choice Task, Candace Susanne Brown

All Master's Theses

Two experiments compared the state-dependent effects of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) and physostigmine relative to a normal state (saline or no injection). Rats were trained in a water T maze using a discrimination-training paradigm. In Experiment 1, discrimination was found between the ECS- and normal state. However, response control was strongest in the ECS-0 treatment-training order and on non-ECS training sessions. In Experiment 2, dissociation also occurred but was more pronounced in the P-0 (physostigmine-saline) treatment-training order and on the saline training sessions. Results from both experiments indicate learning is most rapid in the treatment-no treatment training order and that a …