Behavioral Disciplines and Activities Commons^™

Desire For Control Moderates The Relationship Between Perceived Control And Depressive Symptomology, Liam Alexander Mackenzie Myles, Emanuele Maria Merlo, Antonia Obele

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Background. The prevalence of psychological difficulties is rising at an alarming rate, with an increasing number of individuals reporting symptoms of depression. A decline in both perceived control and desire for control has previously been associated with the onset of depression. However, previous research has failed to examine whether perceived control and desire for control interact in their relationship with depressive symptomology. Methods. A sample of 350 participants completed the Spheres of Control Scale, the Desirability of Control Scale and Beck’s Depression Inventory. Process Macro was used to examine whether desire for control moderated the relationship between perceived …

Effect Of Presence And Absence Of Parents On The Emotional Maturity And Perceived Loneliness In Adolescents, Sana Fatima, Momal Bashir, Kainat Khan, Sheeza Farooq, Sidra Shoaib, Sheeba Farhan

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The present study was conducted to examine the Emotional Maturity and Perceived Loneliness of adolescents with respect to the presence and absence of parents. It was hypothesized that the absence or presence of parents of adolescents would affect the level of emotional maturity and perceived loneliness among adolescents. The adolescent participants N=250 (males n=125 and females n=125; age range= 13-18; M=16.63; SD=0.87) were approached through purposive convenient sampling technique. Measures included the Emotional Maturity Scale and the UCLA loneliness scale V-III. Results indicated that adolescent who lived with their guardians had greater perceived loneliness than those who lived with their …

The Association Of Parent-Child Communication With Internet Addiction In Left-Behind Children In China: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jingjing Cai, Yun Wang, Feng Wang, Jingjing Lu, Lu Li, Xudong Zhou

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Internet addiction has emerged as a growing concern worldwide. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of Internet addiction between left-behind children (LBC) and non-left-behind children (non-LBC), and explore the role of paternal and maternal parent-child communication on LBC.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in rural areas in Anhui, China. The complete data were available from 699 LBC and 740 non-LBC. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine 1) whether LBC were more likely to develop Internet addiction, and 2) the association between parent-child communication and Internet addiction among LBC.

Results: LBC had a higher likelihood to report …

Burstiness And Stochasticity In The Malleability Of Physical Activity, Vincent Berardi, David Pincus, Evan Walker, Marc A. Adams

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined whether patterns of self-organization in physical activity (PA) predicted long-term success in a yearlong PA intervention. Increased moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was targeted in insufficiently active adults (N = 512) via goal setting and financial reinforcement. The degree to which inverse power law distributions, which are reflective of self-organization, summarized (a) daily MVPA and (b) time elapsed between meeting daily goals (goal attainment interresponse times) was calculated. Goal attainment interresponse times were also used to calculate burstiness, the degree to which meeting daily goals clustered in time. Inverse power laws accurately summarized interresponse times, but …

Managing Health Locus Of Control In Patient-Provider Relationships, James Wallace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Patient locus of control is a strong determinant of health outcomes, yet health care professionals do not typically address it in care plans. In fact, management of most medical conditions is hindered because the treating physician has little information about the patient’s locus of control. This research addresses the question “How can locus of control be used to enable health care practitioners to improve medical outcomes?”

Research Methodology. Using an engaged scholarship approach incorporating the Elaborated Action Design Research methodology, the research drives the guided, emergent design of a novel protocol and two separate artifacts for management of health locus …

Asking The Experts: Perception Of The Relative Importance Of Antecedents Of Optimal Financial Behavior, Chad M. Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although there is ample research on financial behavior, the inclusion of financial planners in the sample frames of such research is rare. This study used certified financial planners (CFPs) as the sole sample population to identify antecedents of optimal financial behavior and their relative importance. Data from a nationally representative sample of 167 CFPs indicated that (a) financial literacy lost relative importance as CFP tenure increased, (b) romantic partnership closely rivaled financial literacy in importance, (c) financial literacy was more weakly correlated with romantic partnership than with the other antecedents investigated, and (d) romantic partnership was universally accepted as a …

Stair Versus Elevator Use In A University Residence Hall Setting, Vincent Berardi, Benjamin D. Rosenberg, Sophie Srivastava, Noah Estrada-Rand, Julia Frederick

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Determine the temporal and spatial characteristics of stairs versus elevator use in a university residence hall to inform future physical activity promotion efforts.

Participants

All residents and visitors for a single, four-story residence hall dormitory building located on a college campus in Orange, CA.

Methods

Smart mat systems capable of detecting pedestrian traffic were placed in front of the stairs and elevators on each floor plus a basement. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) were used to compare stair versus elevator usage at different times of the day and on different floors.

Results

Stair versus elevator use varied much more …

An Evaluation Of Distributed And Accumulated Reinforcer Arrangements On Skill Acquisition And Preference, Natalie R. Mandel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Discrete trial training (DTT), an evidence-based instructional procedure (Wong et al., 2015), is often used to teach skills to individuals with autism. Manipulations to the reinforcement component of DTT have increased its instructional efficiency, resulting in acquisition of skills in less time (e.g., Cividini-Motta & Ahearn, 2013). Results of previous studies (e.g., DeLeon et al., 2014) indicate that some individuals prefer to complete larger work requirements that result in a larger amount of a reinforcer (i.e., accumulated arrangement), rather than receiving access to small amounts of a reinforcer dispersed throughout the work requirement (i.e., distributed arrangement). In addition, accumulated reinforcer …

A Multi-Faceted Approach To Understanding Acceptability Of Docs K-5: A Qualitative Analysis, Andrea Guarnieri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the acceptability of DOCS K-5, a behavior parenting program adapted for parents of elementary aged children. Despite proven efficacy in preventing maladaptive behaviors, parenting programs have historically suffered from low attendance and engagement. Participants (N = 13) attending the pilot DOCS K-5 program took part in six group interviews while enrolled in the program to examine the facilitators and barriers to attendance, perceived effectiveness, and collateral benefits received from participation in the program. This study considered possible cognitive, affective, instructional, and pragmatic facilitators or barriers to attendance and engagement. Participants described motivations to learn various types …

An Investigation Of The Hot Docs Guide For Weekly Early Intervention Sessions: A Multiple Baseline Design, Cashea Holyfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many parents of young children across the United States are increasingly impacted by their children’s display of early childhood challenging behavior. Common examples of these behaviors include feeding difficulties, tantrums, whining, crying, and noncompliance (Barbarian, 2007; Hemmeter et al., 2014; Spencer & Coe, 2003). Though the relationship between early childhood behavior problems and future outcomes may not be causal, researchers have consistently concluded that if left unaddressed, children who demonstrate early challenging behavior are likely to experience some difficulties in academic achievement, sociability, school readiness, and mental health (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2002; Turney & McLanahan, 2015). Behavioral parent training …

Reference-Dependent Choice On Digital Platforms, Joshua K. Kaisen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout this dissertation I explore a significant departure from the standard model of rationality known as reference-dependence. The theory reference-dependence asserts that an individual’s choice is dependent on their frame of reference established through factors divorced from their rational cost and benefit. This behavior is inefficient as individuals fail to rationally optimize their payoffs. This behavior is understudied in natural settings where isolating specific stimuli which may establish a reference is challenging. However, digital platforms contain limited stimuli which are fully observable to researchers and present an ideal setting to study the theory of reference-dependence. Thus, I introduce three new …

Content Validity Of Aba Language Assessments In The Totality Of Skinner's Verbal Operant Theory, Taylor Marie Lauer

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Content validity describes the degree of which a measure represents all the components of the overall construct being measured. Behavior analytic language assessments are largely based on Skinner’s verbal operant theory (1957). Three behavior analytic language assessments were utilized to measure the coverage of Skinner’s verbal behavior theory: the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, and PEAK. The purpose of the current study was to examine the content validity of each of these assessments coverage on the totality of Skinner’s verbal operant theory. Expressive items on each of the three assessments were compared to definitions of Skinner’s verbal operants and were coded as the …

Assessing Rat Behavioral Response To Novelty, Neha Mathew

Honors Scholar Theses

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is involved in memory and navigation. Neurons in the hippocampus, known as place cells, fire in specific locations within this region of the brain as the subject navigates through their environment. As these cells fire, they create a map-like representation of this environment. However if the environment is altered in any way, the place cell firing pattern is adjusted to incorporate this new information. This adjustment will inevitably cause subjects to take more time to complete their task. The goal of our testing was to assess how various manipulations, both spatial …

The Emotional Effects Of Mindfulness, Meditation, And Worldview, Jason Katz

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

Much research on mindfulness and meditation investigates the relationship between mindfulness practices and health in physiological, psychological, and neurological contexts and organizations have implemented mindfulness training programs, possibly after learning of the apparent benefits. Researchers should use caution when assessing the practice’s benefits and consider extraneous variables such as the possibility that meditators tend towards spirituality; theologians argue that underlying beliefs might contribute to mindfulness practitioners’ reactions to the physical and psychological changes that result from mindfulness practices. This study investigates if and how religious beliefs modify mindfulness’s emotional outcomes for Bryant University students. The findings suggest that mindfulness and …

Case Study: Using A Contingency-Based Delay Procedure To Decrease Tantrums During Periods Of Delayed Reinforcement, Lindsey Snyder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Functional Communication Training (FCT) involves reinforcing a functional communicative response (FCR) while placing problem behaviors on extinction (Carr & Durrand, 1985). When reinforcement for the FCR is delayed or unavailable, the individual’s problem behavior may return to previous levels (i.e., resurgence of previously reinforced problem behavior; Briggs et al., 2018) or the participant may exhibit emotional responding consistent with an extinction burst (Lerman & Iwata, 1996). A contingency-based delay procedure was introduced which increased the participant’s percentage of trials without tantrums and decreased the overall duration of tantrums.

Sexual Violence And Suicide In Bangladesh, S M Yasir Arafat, Murad M. Khan

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Use Of An Interdependent Group Contingency In Online Graduate Courses To Increase Engagement, Tiana Evans

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enrollment in online academic programs has increased substantially in recent years (Allen & Seaman, 2011) and is especially relevant due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Khalil et al., 2020). Peer interaction and engagement opportunities are strategies associated with course satisfaction, test performance, and grades and should be incorporated into online courses (Conaway et al. 2005). Group contingencies have been commonly studied in face-to-face classrooms and have been found to be effective intervention in changing target behavior in elementary and secondary education settings (Barrish et al., 1969; Deshais et al., 2019; Harris & Sherman, 1973; Mitchell et al. 2015; Wiskow et al., …

Case Studies In Applied Behavior Analysis: Self-Management Package To Increase Walking Behavior And Class Pass Intervention To Decrease Off-Task Behavior, Michelle Wood

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Case Study 1: Sedentary lifestyles are part of an increasing problem of social significance in the United States. Behavioral interventions can be used to effect change in this area and the target behavior of increase can be physical activity. Multiple behavioral change techniques used within an umbrella of a self-management intervention package were utilized to increase physical activity, more specifically walking behavior, for one participant. The study results showed that the self-management intervention package was effective in increasing walking behavior for the participant, and future research is discussed.

• Applying behavioral interventions to the area of physical activity can assist clinicians …

Evaluating The Use Of Behavioral Skills Training To Teach Substitute Caregivers To Identify Hazards, Carlos Abarca

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The leading cause of death for children across the world is unintentional injuries (UNICEF 2001). Hazards such as accessible pools, poisons, and small ingestible items are the leading causes of unintentional injuries. Behavioral interventions such as Project 12-Ways/Safe Care have been used to teach parents how to be proactive in structuring a home free of accessible hazards by teaching the parents to identify and remove hazards in their home. Though the Project 12-Ways/Safe Care model has over 30 years of literature supporting its efficacy, the model has not been tested with substitute caregivers who often play a critical role in …

Assessing Prompting And Prompt-Fading Strategies In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ashley L. Frankenfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and deficits in social and communication skills. In order to help a person with ASD improve their communication skills, behavior analysts should place emphasis on teaching intraverbal skills. Each person has a unique learner history, meaning that different prompts and prompt-fading techniques will result in the most accurate and efficient mastery of intraverbal skills for different people. Assessments were used to identify each participant’s most efficient combination of prompt and prompt-fading procedures in order to maximize one’s potential for learning new skills. Participants’ most efficient prompt/prompt-fading combinations resulted in …