This study evaluated the speed of acquisition and level of generalization of tacts across three different stimulus modes: picture-flashcard, video clip, and 3D object. Three young children diagnosed with autism participated in this study. The acquisition of tacts was evaluated during Discrete Trial Training sessions (DTT). Two of the three participants learned the tacts more rapidly in the video clip condition in contrast with the picture condition. All three participants generalized the three tacts learned through a specific stimulus mode to the remaining stimulus modes. One week after the generalization test, all participants generalized to all novel 3D objects.

Behavior analysts have had much success in affecting behavior change with individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities as well as those who would be considered typically developing with a variety of intervention strategies; most of which involve affecting direct acting contingencies. However, the realm of language-based psychopathology has just begun to be addressed within the field through language based, or indirect acting strategies. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is based on the concept of derived stimulus relations and allows for a behavior analytic treatment of language-based psychopathology. The current study was intended to test the efficacy of a brief protocol-delivered ACT intervention with individuals who smoke marijuana. Oral swab drug screens were the primary dependent variable, along with the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQ-II). All six ACT components were taught to each subject using a set list of metaphors and exercises and was assessed using a concurrent/non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design. Results indicate that the brief protocol impacted levels of marijuana consumption with all three participants and that their self-reported levels of struggle (via the AAQ-II) lessened over the course of the training.

The present study examined the effectiveness of a self-instructional package for teaching discrete-trials teaching (DTT) to Applied Behaviour Analysis tutors at the St.Amant Applied Behaviour Analysis Program for Children with Autism. A modified multiple- baseline design across participants was used, and replicated six times. An AB design was used for one participant. The training package include a self-instructional manual, video demonstrations, and self-practice. Participants required an average of 3 hours and 56 minutes to master the manual. Eleven of the 13 participants achieved the mastery criterion during the post-training assessment. Mean DTT accuracy increased from 46.2% to 85.5% (a statistically significant increase). One tutor participated in a generalization phase with a child with autism, and their DTT accuracy averaged 80.1%. The results suggest that the self-instructional package appears to be an effective tool for teaching newly-hired tutors to conduct DTT.

A persistent difficulty in the field of psychology is identifying which individuals are at the greatest risk for suicide. Veterans of the US Military are at elevated risk for suicide as compared to the general population. One approach for designating tiers of risk is applying the “Suicide Index Score” to discriminate individuals based upon their reported wish to live (WTL) and wish to die (WTD; Kovacs & Beck, 1977). Brown, Steer, Henriques, and Beck (2005) demonstrated those who indicated a complete WTD and no WTL were at greatest risk to die. The current study expanded on previous research by using this approach with a highly elevated at-risk population of suicidal veterans. Participants for this study included 93 suicidal veterans hospitalized at the Robley Rex Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The WTL and WTD items from the Scale for Suicidal Ideation-Current were used to create two quasi-independent groups: WTL/Ambivalent and WTD. The following outcome measures were included as dependent variables: Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale, Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Outcome Questionnaire-45.2, Suicide Attempt and Self-Injury Count, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Drug Abuse Screening Test, and the Stages of Change Questionnaire, as well as the Suicidal Ideation, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Insomnia items on the Common Data Elements. T-tests were used to examine patient characteristics for continuous outcomes and chi-square analyses were used for nominal outcomes; however, no group differences were found. T-tests were then used to measure between-group differences on the dependent variables. Individuals classified in the WTD group reported significantly higher levels of thwarted belongingness t(91) = 2.89, p = .00, acquired capability t(91) = 2.64, p = .01, suicidal ideation, t(91) = 3.51, p < .001, and posttraumatic stress t(91) = 2.53, p = .01. Furthermore, a negative binomial regression was used for count outcomes and results revealed that those in the WTD group also reported significantly greater accounts of suicide attempts (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.08; standard error [SE] = 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-3.77; p = .02) and non-suicidal self-injury (IRR = 3.49; SE = 0.69; 95% CI 2.36-5.16; p < .001).

A replication of the Carter and Craig (1975) investigation comparing the “conceptual peg” and “relational connective” explanations as to the effectiveness of an interaction imagery strategy in paired-associate learning was performed with the suggested changes in methodology. These changes included training the subjects and presenting the stimulus and response nouns on separate screens rather than visually side-by-side. In addition, two separation imagery strategies were investigated so that the nouns were visualized on opposite sides of the imaginary visual field or on opposite walls of an imaginary room. An interaction imagery strategy, a separation imagery—space strategy, a separation imagery—wall strategy, and an overt repetition strategy were compared in terms of performance on a stimulus recognition-response recall task within a paired-associate stimulus interference situation. Pairs of synonyms were employed as stimulus components in the learning trial to produce stimulus interference. In the recognition-recall trial, subjects were presented a list of stimulus and control nouns, and were asked to indicate which nouns had appeared during the learning trial (stimulus recognition) and hwat had been paired with each one (response recall). The results were similar to those found in the Carter and Craig (1975) investigation in that the interaction imagery strategy was found to result in significantly greater response recall than the separation imagery strategies and the overt repetition strategy. Also, the imagery strategies resulted in greater stimulus recognition than the overt repetition strategy. Again, the conceptual peg hypothesis was supported. In contrast with Carter and Craig (1975), the separation imagery strategy was found to be the least effective strategy in response recall and the most effective strategy in stimulus recognition. It appeared that the trained subjects were more successful in employing the instructed strategies and that the conflicting separation imagery data could be attributed to this. There was no significant effect for mode of presentation in either response recall or stimulus recognition. A ceiling effect was indicated from the stimulus recognition data.

Given the recent theoretical emphasis on the process of performance rating (e.g., Landy & Farr, 1980), a test of the suggestion that better raters may use different rating processes than poorer raters was implemented. Specifically, this study was designed to determine if more accurate raters use a systematically different rating strategy than less accurate raters. Accuracy, the proximity of a rating to the ratee’s true score, was operationalized by differential accuracy (Cronbach, 1955), while rating strategies were determined through a policy capturing method (e.g., Zedeck & Kafry, 1977). Seventh-three subjects rated a series of videotapes, developed by Borman (e.g. Borman, 1977), of performances with known true scores. A subject’s ratings on a particular dimension were correlated with the true scores for that dimension (across ratees) to provide each subject’s differential accuracy score for that particular dimension. Then, dimensional differential accuracy ratings were converted z scores (using Fisher’s r to z conversion) and the mean of each subject’s dimensional accuracy ratings was calculated and used as his/her summary accuracy indices. The policy capturing segment of the study required subjects to provide an overall performance rating for 100 hypothetical performance profiles. The subject’s overall ratings were then regressed on the hypothetical performance profiles, providing for each subject a regression equation reflecting his/her particular rating strategy. The variables from each subject’s regression equation used to reflect his/her rating strategy were then correlated with that subject’s accuracy ratings. The results indicated more accurate raters were no more consistent in using their individual rating strategies than less accurate raters, nor did they use information from more performance dimensions than less accurate raters. Also, there was no correlation between the accuracy with which a dimension was rated and the relative weight given that dimension when providing an overall rating. Given the lack of significant relationships between the accuracy of rating and measures of rating strategy, it was suggested that the effect of other rating process variables (e.g. observation and memory processes) on accuracy be examined.

The present study examined the effectiveness of a self-instructional package for teaching discrete-trials teaching (DTT) to Applied Behaviour Analysis tutors at the St.Amant Applied Behaviour Analysis Program for Children with Autism. A modified multiple- baseline design across participants was used, and replicated six times. An AB design was used for one participant. The training package include a self-instructional manual, video demonstrations, and self-practice. Participants required an average of 3 hours and 56 minutes to master the manual. Eleven of the 13 participants achieved the mastery criterion during the post-training assessment. Mean DTT accuracy increased from 46.2% to 85.5% (a statistically significant increase). One tutor participated in a generalization phase with a child with autism, and their DTT accuracy averaged 80.1%. The results suggest that the self-instructional package appears to be an effective tool for teaching newly-hired tutors to conduct DTT.

Advertising is a ubiquitous and substantial influence in consumerism, prompting psychological decision-making processes and behavioral consumerism. Selective marketing, advertising, and merchandising can only be successful when the processes within populations are identified and modified to fit the consumer. This paper examines psychological concepts surrounding the complex variables of decision-making. It will discuss relevant literature and empirical evidence that are imperative to further studies of behavioral consumerism. Such concepts that will be examined include: the elaboration likelihood model, regulatory focus theory, paradox of choice, as well as consumer variables such as influences of personality and maximizers versus satisficers. It then addresses these concepts through the lens of advertising and merchandising, and explores effective applications for behavioral persuasion and the implications for retailers.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive lifelong developmental delay with a prevalence of 1 in 68 children. This growing epidemic occurs for unspecified causes and researchers continue to explore evidence-based treatments available. Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a parent training program, initially developed for implementation with typically-developing children. PCIT has shown effectiveness in increasing child compliance, minimizing disruptive problem, improving parent-child relationship satisfaction, and communication. The present study investigated the efficacy of PCIT as an evidence-based practice (EBP) for children with ASD by implementing a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across three participants. Results indicated socially significant increases in child compliance, decreases in aberrant behavior, rapid acquisition and maintenance of acquired parenting skills, as well as improved parent-child relationship satisfaction. This study aimed to replicate previous research measuring the effectiveness of PCIT with children with ASD.

This was a single-case study which evaluated the effects of PEAK-T on two children with Autism. A total of 6 programs were trained between the two participants using a Multiple Baseline Design across skills. This evaluation was conducted using the subtest materials provided in the PEAK-T modules and through full assessments. The assessments were used to identify the appropriate skill level of each participant and they were used to evaluate whether the skills were maintained. The participants had no prior exposure to any of the PEAK-T programs as demonstrated by the participants baseline scores. The results of the study showed that programming of multiple exemplars resulted in acquisition of novel skills in both participants and that the skills were maintained. Both Participants demonstrated mastery of their programs and a total of 4 programs between two participants were added to the participants repertoire.