Applied Behavior Analysis Commons^™

Estimation Of The Squared Population Cross-Validity Under Conditions Of Predictor Selection, Andrew J. Kircher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study employed a Monte Carlo design to examine whether samplebased and formula-based estimates of cross-validated R2 differ in accuracy when predictor selection is and is not performed. Analyses were conducted on three datasets with 5, 10, or 15 predictors and different predictor-criterion relationships. Results demonstrated that, in most cases, a formula-based estimate of the cross-validated R2 was as accurate as a sample-based estimate. The one exception was the five predictor case wherein the formula-based estimate exhibited substantially greater bias than the estimate from a sample-based cross validation study. Thus, formula-based estimates, which have an enormous practical advantage over …

The Influence Of Texting And Virtual Peers On Adolescent Alcohol Use, Eric Steven Gregory

Dissertations

The Social Development Theory has guided substance abuse prevention planning and programming for the past two decades. One of the key risk factors cited in and targeted by Social Development Model strategies is that of the influence of peers on adolescent substance use. With the advent of modern cellular technology, the manner in which adolescents currently interact has shifted in preference from that of traditional face-to-face to interaction through text messaging. Recent research has suggested a link between the frequency of adolescent texting behavior and adolescent substance use. This shift in interaction may influence the mechanisms of peer influence and …

Physical Activity As A Contributing Factor To Engagement In Self-Harm Behaviors Among Youth, Shannon Danielle Boone

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study explored the potential for physical activity to be an effective, healthy coping strategy alternative to self-harm behaviors. Regression analyses were performed to assess how physical activity level related to risk factors (i.e., emotional dysregulation, self-esteem, and depression) and self-harm behaviors. The relationship between selfharm and exercise motivations was also examined. Participants were recruited from two high schools (n = 95) and one university (n = 72) in the southeastern region of the United States. Analyses were run using the following measures from a survey packet: adapted Exercise Questionnaire (Helmerhorst, Brage, Warren, Besson, & Ekelund, 2012), Exercise Motivations Inventory—Second …

Can Quantitative Assessment Of Moral Identity Be Improved?, David Adrion Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

According to results from Aquino and Reed (study 5, 2002) and Hall and Derryberry (2010), high means and very low standard deviations of the average score for each question for both the internalization and symbolization scales of the Moral Identity Scale (MIS) are common. This study attempts to measure the extent to which a person considers morality to be a central part of his or her self-concept. Because participants may feel pressure to respond in a certain way on the MIS, the role of social desirability to respond favorably is very plausible. The current study, therefore, attempts to reduce socially …

Using Critical Incidents: The Development Of A Behaviorally Based Training Program For Supervisor Citizenship Behavior And Feedback Skills, Jody J. Lecheler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

It has been argued (Greer, 2013) that supervisors are a critical component in organizational effectiveness. Supervisors are required to hold many roles within the organization (Evans, 1965). Specifically, employees often see supervisors as representatives of the organization, while the organization depends on supervisors to maintain production (Greer, 2013). Many supervisors also fill a variety of other organizational roles such as mentor, trainer, motivator, disciplinarian, evaluator, and leader (Evans, 1965). For these reasons, effective supervisors are crucial to organizational success. The present study developed a behaviorally based training program for supervisors for a poultry processing organization. The training program content included …

Further Evaluating The Effect Of Behavioral Observability And Overall Impressions On Rater Agreement: A Replication Study, Patrick Sizemore

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This replication study sought to analyze the effects of behavioral observability and overall impressions on rater agreement, as recently examined by Roch, Paquin, & Littlejohn (2009) and Scott (2012). Results from the study performed by Roch et al. indicated that raters are more likely to agree when items are either more difficult to rate or less observable. In the replication study conducted by Scott, the results did not support the relationship which Roch et al. found between observability and rater agreement, but did support the relationship previously found between item difficulty and rater agreement. The four objectives of this replication …

Long-Term Effects Of Response Cards On Student Engagement And Academic Performance By Students With Disabilities, Deidra Nicole Shubert

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of response cards on student engagement and academic performance during math instruction. Students in a middle school classroom for students with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) received two different instructional conditions: (a) hand raising or (b) response cards. An experimental group was compared to a control group on three identical academic tests administered at various times throughout the school semester to evaluate long-term effects of response cards on academic performance. Analysis of the results indicated increases in student engagement when response cards were implemented when compared to sessions during which students used hand raising to …

Humor Types: Replication Using Latent Profile Analysis And Associations With Maladaptive Personality Traits, Joseph Robert Finn

Master's Theses

Martin’s (2003) Humor Styles Questionnaire measures four distinct styles of humor usage. However, examining these humor styles individually fails to account for the combination with which they are used as well as how these combinations may affect the relationship between humor and personality. The present study examined relationships of the humor styles, both individually and in combination, with a broad array of maladaptive personality traits. The incremental validity of accounting for the combinations with which the humor styles are used was examined through the use of hierarchical multiple regressions. Results demonstrated that the humor styles, both individually and in combination, …

The Relationship Of Cell Phone Usage To Personality And Attention, Victoria L. Grajeda

Senior Theses

Cell phones seem to create distraction and anxiety in student’s daily lives. The present study tests if distraction would occur just by the ring from a cell phone (i.e. they will score lower on the lecture quiz). The procedure will include 40 students enrolled in two sections of Introduction to Psychology. In one section, a backpack will be situated on an empty desk with a cell phone inside which is set to ring during a normal classroom lecture. Once the lecture ends (in both sections), a quiz will be issued about the PowerPoint including slides showing during the cell phone …

The Impact Of Treatment Exposure, Trauma, And Caregiver Involvement In Therapy On Children's Response To Behavioral Treatment, Mindy R. Chadwell

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Early childhood represents a time period during of rapid growth and development including physical development, language and communication, autonomy, and a wide variety of self-regulation skills (Campbell, 2006; Egger & Angold, 2006). Children vary in the rates at which they achieve these skills and they may challenge their parents through behaviors such as noncompliance and temper tantrums (Butler & Eyberg, 2006). Failure for children to adequately develop these basic skills can contribute to the development of behavior problems that lead to persistent problems throughout life (Whittaker et al., 2011). This study examined three factors that influence young children’s response to …

The Impact Of Relational Training Of Preferred Food And Non-Preferred Food To Arbitrary Symbols On Implicit Relational Tasks, Janelle Antoinette Allison

Theses and Dissertations

The Mixed-Trial Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (MT-IRAP) is a tool for measuring implicit behavior (i.e., biases or beliefs the individual is unaware of or intends to conceal from the public) among individuals. The MT-IRAP is a modified version of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) and was designed to address limitations inherent to the IRAP’s design. The MT-IRAP was tested with adult participants across a series of five studies. Throughout each study, the MTIRAP assessed implicit behavior toward high-preferred foods, non-preferred foods, and arbitrary symbols. The experimenter administered the MT-IRAP before and after participant completion of a task designed to …

Decreasing Bouts Of Prolonged Sitting Among Office Workers, Nicholas Green

Theses and Dissertations

Health care costs of preventable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and obesity are higher than ever, and indicate the need for behavioral interventions. Research has shown that individuals who sit for extended periods are at higher risk for these diseases. Moreover, the risks associated with sitting have been found to be independent of an individual’s physical activity. That is, longer durations of sitting per day are associated with higher levels of unwanted health risks, regardless of how often an individual exercises. There is a need to address this issue in today’s inactive workplace. Research indicates that office …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Picture Exchange Communication System On Increasing Manding And Vocal Speech In Identical Twin Adults With Autism, Laura C. Hilton

Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on increasing manding (i.e., making requests) and spontaneous vocalizations. Participants were a set of identical twin adult women, both with a diagnosis of autism. The main dependent variable was the number of mands emitted by the participants while utilizing PECS. During each phase of training, participants had to meet a specific criterion before receiving a preferred item. Once the participants met the criterion for each phase of PECS training, a new phase began. Spontaneous vocalizations were tracked during each phase of training to determine if, as previous studies …

Too Materialistic To Get Married And Have Children?, Norman P. Li, Amy J. Y. Lim, Ming-Hong Tsai, Jiaqing O

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We developed new materials to induce a luxury mindset and activate materialistic values, and examined materialism’s relationship to attitudes toward marriage and having children in Singapore. Path analyses indicated that materialistic values led to more negative attitudes toward marriage, which led to more negative attitudes toward children, which in turn led to a decreased number of children desired. Results across two studies highlight, at the individual level, the tradeoff between materialistic values and attitudes toward marriage and procreation and suggest that a consideration of psychological variables such as materialistic values may allow for a better understanding of larger-scale socioeconomic issues …

Training Tutors To Use A Time Delay Procedure To Increase Vocal Manding In Children With Autism, Chelsea Roberts

Honors Theses

Learning how to spontaneously mand, or request without prompting, can be difficult for children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Previous research has shown that the implementation of a time-delay procedure aids in increasing spontaneous mands with these children (Charlop, Shreibman, & Thibodeau, 1985). The goal of this study was to increase vocal mands in children with developmental disabilities with a time-delay procedure by training their undergraduate tutors, using Behavioral Skills Training (BST), how to implement the procedure in naturally occurring opportunities. The study used a multiple baseline across participants design. The intervention used in this study can help children with developmental …

A Behavior Analytic Conceptualization Of The Assessment And Treatment Of Delusional Speech, Rebecca Braginton

Honors Theses

This case conceptualization looks at past treatments for schizophrenia and then introduces a behavioral approach to assessing and treating delusional speech in a hypothetical client with schizophrenia. The treatment assessment would consist of five treatment conditions and a control condition. The delusional speech would be triggered by specific conversational themes. The results of the treatment assessment would inform the protocol that would be written for the client's delusional speech. After a protocol is written, there would need to be staff training. Behavioral skills training (BST) has been proven to be an effective form of training that provides trainees with opportunities …

Autism And Its Effects On Students, Shane Fitzsimmons

Honors Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both disorders characterized by difficulties with socialization and communication as well as repetitive behaviors (“Autism Spectrum Disorder” Handout). Difficulties in identifying feelings, hypersensitivities, and not accepting affection well are all common in people with autism spectrum disorder (Volkmar “Autism” and Horwood 39-42, 45, 47, 53-55, 57-59). The current rate of autism is 1 in 68, affecting 4 to 5 times as many males as females (“Autism Spectrum Disorder” Handout). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mentioned that both genes and the environment play a role in causing autism, and no study has …

Cross-Cultural Comparison For Treatments Of Autism Between Germany And The United States, Jenna Hicken

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to compare perceptions of interventions for children with Autism between Germany and the United States. As the rate of Autism continually rises, more questions are asked about what are the most effective methods of treatment, and how children with Autism can be integrated into society together with children without disabilities (Newschaffer, Falb, & Gurney, 2005). A survey was developed and sent to teachers, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists in the United States and Germany. There were 9 participants from the United States and 3 participants from Germany. The majority of participants from both countries were …

An Analysis Of Free-Will, Matthew Campbell

Honors Theses

The following paper is a broad analysis of the concept of free-will. Free-will can be defined as having the ability to act outside of necessity, such that one can be the ultimate author and initiator of their actions and decisions. Stated differently, possessing free-will allows an individual to be held accountable for their behaviors, because those behaviors are the result of something controllable within the individual, rather than something external to the individual and beyond their control.

A belief in free-will is widely assumed, for we hold individuals both legally and morally accountable for their actions. Nevertheless, it remains a …

A Verification And Extension Of Students' Motivations, Financial Orientation, And Identity Salience As Predictors Of Likelihood To Withdraw From A University, Matthew I. Quinn

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Broadly, this research examines a student’s likelihood to withdraw from a university based on the relationship between motivations, financial orientation, and identity salience. Specifically, this study empirically examines the relationship between extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, and apathetic motivation, perceived opportunity loss and lifestyle activities related to financial orientation, and satisfaction and reciprocity related to identity salience, as predictors of a student’s likelihood of withdrawing from a university.

A questionnaire was designed by extending scale items related to the constructs of interest. First-year students at a private university located in the upper Midwest were sampled. A hypothesized model was tested using …