Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons^™

Evaluating Preference-Seeking And Aversive Qualities Of Salvia Divinorumand Mitragyna Speciosa, Melissa Jane Loria

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Use of botanicals for self-diagnosed conditions or recreational purposes is increasing. Many readily available botanicals are under-researched and little is known about potential liabilities. This study sought to utilize Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) to quantify rewarding or aversive properties of botanicals and their constituents in rats. This paradigm is based on the notion that animals prefer distinct environments previously paired with rewarding drugs. Our approach to broadly characterize a botanical and its many constituents entails dose response functions of a plant extract, its fractions, and its primary constituent. As a proof of concept, we chose two popular botanicals, one expected …

The Interface Between Morphology And Action Planning: A Comparison Of Two Species Of New World Monkeys, Stacey L. Zander, Dan J. Weiss, Peter G. Judge

Faculty Journal Articles

Recent research with several species of nonhuman primates suggests sophisticated motor-planning abilities observed in human adults may be ubiquitous among primates. However, there is considerable variability in the extent to which these abilities are expressed across primate species. In the present experiment, we explore whether the variability in the expression of anticipatory motor-planning abilities may be attributed to cognitive differences (such as tool use abilities) or whether they may be due to the consequences of morphological differences (such as being able to deploy a precision grasp). We compared two species of New World monkeys that differ in their tool use …

Friendship As A Relationship Infiltration Tactic During Human Mate Poaching., Justin Mogilski, T. Joel Wade

Faculty Journal Articles

Previous research has characterized human mate poaching as a prevalent alternative mating strategy that entails risks and costs typically not present during general romantic courtship and attraction. This study is the first to experimentally investigate friendship between a poacher and his/her target as a risk mitigation tactic. Participants (N = 382) read a vignette that differed by whether the poacher was male/female and whether the poacher and poached were friends/acquaintances. Participants assessed the likelihood of the poacher being successful and incurring costs. They also rated the poacher and poached on several personality and mate characteristics. Results revealed that friendship increased …

The Interaction Between The Physical Environment And Metaphysical States: The Role Of Social Anxiety And Stress In Informing Spatial Perception, Emily Koelmel

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

Does Breastfeeding Offer Protection Against Maternal Depressive Symptomatology? A Prospective Study From Pregnancy To 2 Years After Birth, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Martie G. Haselton, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Depression is the leading cause of disability in women (Nobel 2005) and is the most prevalent of all childbearing-related illnesses, affecting approximately 13% of women worldwide within the first 12 [...] Mothers who breastfeed typically exhibit lower levels of depressive symptomatology than mothers who do not. However, very few studies have investigated the directionality of this relationship. Of the prospective studies published, all but one focus exclusively on whether maternal depression reduces rates of subsequent breastfeeding. This study again examines this relationship, but also the reverse--that breastfeeding might predict lower levels of later depression. Using multilevel modeling, we investigated the …

Capuchin Monkeys Exercise Self-Control By Choosing Token Exchange Over An Immediate Reward, Peter G. Judge, Jennifer L. Essler

Faculty Journal Articles

Self-control is a prerequisite for complex cognitive processes such as cooperation and planning. As such, comparative studies of self-control may help elucidate the evolutionary origin of these capacities. A variety of methods have been developed to test for self-control in non-human primates that include some variation of foregoing an immediate reward in order to gain a more favorable reward. We used a token exchange paradigm to test for self-control in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Animals were trained that particular tokens could be exchanged for food items worth different values. To test for self-control, a monkey was provided with …

The Limited Effects Of Rem Sleep Deprivation On The Acquisition, Extinction, And Reinstatement Of A Methamphetamine-Induced Conditioned Place, Christopher J. Cagna

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Effects Of External Motivation And Real-Time Automated Feedback On Speeding Behavior In A Naturalistic Setting, Ian J. Reagan, James P. Bliss, Ron Van Houten, Bryan W. Hilton

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: In this field experiment, the authors tested an alerting system and a monetary incentive system with the objective of reducing speeding more than 5 mph faster than the posted speed limit.

Background: Speeding is a factor in a significant number of traffic fatalities. The systems tested in this project have been evaluated outside but not within the United States. These studies indicated that similar systems led to reductions in speeding.

Method: For this study, eight vehicles were instrumented such that vehicle speed and speed limits were linked in real time. A total of 50 participants drove assigned vehicles for …

You Get What You Deserve : The Relationship Between Injustice And The Consequences Of Social Exclusion, Heather A. Pease

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this current research I sought to answer two questions; 1) Do individuals have the capacity to recognize when they are being justly or unjustly socially excluded or conversely socially included? 2) Do the consequences of just and unjust social exclusion or social inclusion vary? In efforts to address these questions, I used perceptions of burden (i.e., participant’s overall contribution to a group task) to manipulate the perceived fairness of one’s inclusionary status to see how this affects the participants’ emotional and behavioral reactions.

In Study 1, participants engaged in an imaginary group interaction in which they were burdensome (performing …

Does Botox Buffer The Negative Effects Of Social Rejection?: A Test Of The Facial Feedback Hypothesis, Vicki Sharif

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Can a common facial cosmetic procedure buffer against the negative impact of adverse social interactions? This pilot tested the hypothesis that an injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) to the corrugator supercilii muscles used in anger, compared to a placebo injection to the same location, will reduce the impact of social rejection on mood, self-esteem, control, meaningful existence, and aggression. Freezing facial musculature was hypothesized to alter the first physical signal of negative emotional reactions, thereby reducing the impact of social rejection on distress and aggression. This was the first study using Botox to examine the effects of reduced facial feedback …

Characterizing Consumption, Dependence, And The Role Of Glucocorticoids In An Animal Model Of Voluntary Ethanol Consumption, Lynda Sharrett-Field

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Alcohol abuse disorders (AUD) represent a serious worldwide health problem with far reaching social, financial, and interpersonal implications. One of the most devastating facets of these disorders is the propensity to relapse following periods of abstinence. Ethanol withdrawal (EWD) is believed to promote relapse by increasing anxiety and craving, and may contribute to the development of cognitive decline associated with long-term dependence. Clinical data suggest that stress also plays a main role in both the development of AUD as well as relapse to drinking. As a physiological stressor, EtOH elevates levels of stress hormones (cortisol in humans, corticosterone (CORT) in …