The aim of this work is to create an application that allows modeling of user behavior and subsequent search for anomalies in this behavior. An application entry is a list of actions the user has executed on his workstation. From this information and from information about the events that occurred on this device the behavioral model for a specific time is created. Subsequently, this model is compared to models in different time periods or with other users' models. From this comparison, we can get additional information about user behavior and also detect anomalous behavior. The information about the anomalies is useful to build security software that prevents valuable data from being stolen (from the corporate enviroment).

Deficits in the study skills of college students can lead to lower academic performance and disqualification. Although behavior analytic research has evaluated methods for teaching, structuring in-class notes, increasing attendance, and improving participation, no studies have evaluated methods for improving independent studying outside of the classroom using a single-case design. We evaluated the effects of a study skills training package using a multiple probe design across skills with college students. Sessions took place in a room arranged to emulate the typical study space found in a dorm or library. During sessions, participants were given a 3–6 page reading from a textbook on research methods and statistics. We modified the readings to equate the number of headings, subheadings, paragraphs, and bolded terms. Using a combination of a checklist with picture models and performance feedback, we taught college students how to set up their study space, take notes, and study their notes by writing answers to study questions. Some participants received instructions to check items off the checklist as they completed them. As a supplemental measure, we probed quiz performance during baseline and after a participant mastered each skill. Checklist training improved targeted study skills for all four participants. Explicit instructions to check items off the checklist improved performance for one participant when consistent performance did not maintain after training and produced high levels of performance when implemented at the beginning of training for another participant.

Orientador: Kester Carrara / Resumo: Produto do crescente interesse de analistas do comportamento por políticas públicas e por análises de contingências sociais diversas, bem como de sua dimensão política – isto é, as relações de antagonismo entre e intra classes econômicas e sociais –, esta tese tem como objetivo principal investigar relações inferidas de controle e contracontrole social entre agências de controle e demais atores sociais, configurando o que Skinner chamou de “sistema social complexo”. Mais especificamente, trata-se de colocar em exame o conceito de agência de controle por meio de um estudo de caso envolvendo uma proposta de política pública educacional, o Programa Escola Sem Partido, por um lado, e os efeitos que produziu na população, por outro. As características contextuais sociais do projeto de lei foram analizados por meio de (1) inferências de prescrições comportamentais, (2) identificações dos atores envolvidos nas prescrições, e (3) descrição de relações entre essas informações e seus contextos históricos, econômicos e culturais. Na esteira do mapeamento do controle governamental, o contracontrole exercido pela sociedade foi mapeado pela (1) identificação dos atores que se organizaram para opor a política educacional proposta, (2) descrição das principais ações desses grupos, (3) categorização dessas ações em termos de suas principais características e (4) descrição de relações entre essas informações e seus contextos históricos, econômicos e culturais. O que emerge no decorrer da pesqu... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / This research is a product of the growing interest of behavior analysts in public policy and the analysis of multiple social contingencies. It also aimed to further the analysis of political social contingencies – meaning the relations of antagonism between and within social and economic classes. The main goal is to evaluate relations of control and social countercontrol among controlling agencies and other social actors, in what Skinner called “complex social system”. More specifically, it was about testing the concept through a case study of an educational public policy proposal, the Programa Escola Sem Partido, and the effects this government bill produced in the population. The social contextual characteristics of the bill were analyzed through (1) inferring the behavioral prescriptions and obligations involved, (2) identifying the actors whose behaviors were being prescribed, and (3) relating all this information to the historical, economic and cultural contexts. Following this mapping of the proposed governmental control, the countercontrol exerted by society was mapped by (1) identifying the actors who organized to oppose the educational policy proposal, (2) describing the main actions of these groups, (3) categorizing these actions in terms of their main characteristics, and (4) relating all this information to the historical, economic and cultural contexts. Through this research, a description of some functional relations linking political-economic--governmental cont / Doutor

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The individualized education program (IEP) is a critical component of providing special education services to children with disabilities, outlining the services and modifications that will be provided to help them make progress towards the general curriculum. While simulations have been shown to be an effective means of teaching special education policies and procedures, this can be challenging when working with distance students. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine how virtual simulations function to train preservice teachers learning to conduct IEP team meetings. Seven preservice special education teachers enrolled in a mild/moderate distance degree and licensure program participated in this research. Through multiple case study analysis, this study examined the specific behaviors emitted by each participant throughout these simulated meetings, as well as the antecedent stimuli and consequences controlling these behaviors. Additionally, participants were each asked to construct rules, based on their own simulated experiences, to govern their future behaviors for in vivo individualized education program team meetings. Results indicate that virtual simulations served a variety of functions for training teachers to work on a collaborative team, including increased practice opportunities and self-efficacy to collaborate with parents in the future. Although teacher trainees had difficulty generating complete verbal statements to govern future behaviors, each was able to identify discrete antecedents, behaviors, and consequences responsible for controlling their actions throughout the simulations.

This applied dissertation study was designed to inform and advance knowledge regarding research in the area of the effectiveness of functional communication training (FCT) in reducing challenging behaviors among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who were nonverbal, by using a quantitative single subject approach. The researcher specifically focused on determining which modality, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or manual sign language, would be the most effective as a replacement behavior to bring about a reduction in challenging behaviors. Previous researchers in the field of FCT did not address this area, thus leaving a gap in the research. The participants for the study were three children with ASD between the ages of 4 and 6. Prior to the start of the study, multiple assessments were administered to assess the function of challenging behaviors, level of functioning, imitation skills, and preferences. The intervention phases consisted of randomly alternating between a session of PECS and manual sign daily with each session consisting of 10 trials. Baseline data was collected to assess preexisting skill level to mand for items. The intervention trials continued until the participants reached mastery level in either modality. Results demonstrated that only PECS was effective for both the participants who completed the study, and for the participant who mastered both manual signing and PECS, PECS had a quicker acquisition rate. Implications from the findings suggest that FCT is an effective intervention in reducing challenging behaviors, and that PECS might be more effective for quick reductions of challenging behaviors. The study is a valuable addition to the current FCT research as it aligns with and extends findings from previous research.

The main aim of this dissertation is to identify the importance of utilizing both a behavior analytic lens and systemic thinking lens when working with families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Currently, the prevalence of ASD is on the rise, which means more families are in need of services. Services are typically available for the individual with ASD or the family; however, it is the researcher’s belief that services delivered utilizing a both/and lens are more impactful. Through the use of transcendental phenomenology, trained behavior analysts and marriage and family therapists were interviewed to gain insight into their experiences working with families with children diagnosed with ASD. Specifically, this dissertation focused on clinicians who implement both lens. The findings of the study revealed three central themes and two subordinate themes: Participants noted boundaries that influence a dual perspective, Participants found it useful to use a dual perspective, Participants noted this is a different approach not shared by others, Participants found it useful to apply ABA and systemic thinking in a specific order, and Participants found a larger systems perspective useful. The experiences of participants were captured through these themes. Their experiences suggest that the utilization of a dual perspective, while challenging, is more beneficial to families with children diagnosed with ASD. This demonstrates a large need for dual perspectives’ training in both ABA and systemic thinking fields.

Twenty emotionally disturbed children between the ages of six and twelve from three agencies providing special treatment for behavioral or emotional problems were the subjects for this study. The subjects were divided into two major diagnostic categories, withdrawn and acing out, and then matched in pairs by age and diagnosis. One half of each pair was randomly assigned to the experimental condition and the remaining halves were assigned to the control condition. Both the experimental and control groups contained five withdrawn and five acting out subjects. Four experimenters were used, and each experimenter worked with two or four experimental children and their matched control subjects. The Purdue Perceptual-Motor Survey was administered to all the subjects prior to the experiment and behavior rating of maladaptive behaviors was obtained on each child from three adults who worked closely with the child. Using the methods outlined by Kephart and Radler in “Success Through Play”, the experimental subjects received perceptual-motor training for one-half hour three times a week for nine weeks. The control subjects received individual adult attention for the same amount of time as the training in the form of physical or quiet activities and games. At the end of the nine weeks the subjects were tested with the Purdue Perceptual-Motor Survey again and new behavior ratings also were obtained. The behavior scale was analyzed as a total score and then two subscores were obtained for anti-social and asocial behaviors. Analysis revealed that: 1) The experimental subjects’ perceptual-motor scores increased the most, especially among the withdrawn subjects; 2) The training had little effect on the maladaptive behaviors of the acting out subjects. The experimental acting out subjects improved behaviorally, but not significantly more than the control acting out subjects; 3) The training had a significant effect on the maladaptive behaviors of withdrawn children. The total behavior scores and the asocial behavior scores of the experimental withdrawn children improved; their anti-social scores changed very little. The subjects came from three agencies with different treatment philosophies. One agency was a public school with special classrooms for emotionally disturbed children which exclusively used behavior modification techniques. Another agency was a residential treatment center which was designed for a milieu therapy, where the children are removed from the home. The third agency was a semi-residential treatment center that used a combination of milieu therapy and behavior modification techniques, where the children return home for weekends. There were equal numbers of acting out, withdrawn, experimental and control subjects from any single agency. An analysis of the amount of behavioral improvement within each agency was performed which revealed that there was significantly more improvement among the subjects from the semi-residential treatment agency. It was concluded from this study that; perceptual-motor training increases the perceptual-motor abilities of emotionally disturbed children, especially those diagnosed as withdrawn, childhood schizophrenic and autistic; perceptual-motor training aids in reducing maladaptive behaviors in disturbed children diagnosed as withdrawn, childhood schizophrenic and autistic; perceptual-motor training may most effectively be used for emotionally disturbed children in conjunction with other forms of treatment.

Although lying is a major concern for many caregivers (Alwin, 1989; Gervais et al., 2000), there is little behavior analytic research on effective, practical interventions. Studies have shown that a moral story, instruction, or rule implying praise for honesty produced statistically significant improvements in children admitting a transgression (Lee et al., 2014; Talwar et al., 2015; Talwar et al., 2016). Although praise has been shown to function as a reinforcer (Dozier et al., 2012; Hall et al., 1968; Polick et al., 2012), it is unknown if an intervention package including praise for telling the truth would compete with reinforcement contingencies for lying. We evaluated an intervention package comprised of this moral story, instruction, and rule in combination with praising honest reports when reinforcement favored lying. We identified and used each participant’s preferred topography of praise using a multiple-stimulus without replacement preference assessment (MSWO; Deleon & Iwata, 1996). No or minimal increase in honest reports was observed following the praise-based intervention. However, reinforcement of correspondence produced a complete increase in honest reports when staggered across participants using a multiple baseline design.