Excessive video play has been well documented over the course of the last decade. So much so that newest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; APA, 2013) has included excessive video gaming as disorder categorized as internet gaming disorder. To date, several researchers have designed assessments to evaluate excessive video game play based on the previous editions and current editions of the DSM. However, these assessments primarily measure the criterion established in these manuals, instead of measuring the maintaining function of the video game play. The field of applied behavior analysis has been utilizing functional assessments for the last 30 years and has showed evidence of effective results across different populations and environments. Therefore, the purpose of this proposed study is to validate an indirect functional assessment entitled the Video Game Functional Assessment-Revised (VGFA-R) by means of conducting content, construct and criterion related validity.

The purpose of this study was to determine which of 3 instructional activities, when combined with behavioral skills training (BST) was the most effective at eliciting prosocial behaviors, decreasing maladaptive behaviors, and increasing the occurrence of a target social skill. Additionally, this study sought to determine if this model of group intervention (combining BST with various activities) was an effective approach at addressing social skills deficits of elementary-aged children. Four children, ages 6 to 8 years old, participated in this study, which took place at a university-based school psychology services clinic in the Southeastern United States. Overall, results of this study were variable in that different instructional activities impacted dependent variables in different ways for each participant. When comparing the 3 instructional activities, there were minimal differences in the impact each had on the display of prosocial and maladaptive behaviors. However, parents of the participants in this study reported that this social skills intervention was acceptable and beneficial at addressing social skill deficits in children. Similarly, the participants themselves reported that they liked coming to the group, made new friends in this group, and that they would be happy if they could keep coming to this group. Overall, the findings of this study revealed implications about the inclusion of activities into group social skill intervention sessions as well as the utility of this model of group intervention delivery. Limitations to this study as well as recommendations for future research in this area are discussed.

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To effectively implement climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration activities in the southern US, nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowner participation is necessary because of the significant number of acres of forest land under their ownership. This study intended to develop a typology of NIPF landowners based on their reasons of owning forestland, assess their attitude toward climate change and carbon sequestration, and evaluate their participation behavior toward forest carbon sequestration in the southern US. A mail survey of NIPF landowners in the southern US was used to collect the data necessary for this study. Study results indicated that landowners in the southern US could be segmented into multi-objective, timber and amenity oriented landowners; and landowner groups differed in terms of their ownership characteristics, management behavior, and interest toward forest carbon sequestration. Additionally, the southern landowner attitudes toward climate change and carbon sequestration could be grouped into positive, negative, and undecided types; with the undecided group composing the largest proportion of landowners. However, few landowners indicated having a good understanding of forest carbon sequestration, indicating the need for more education and outreach activities in this region. In addition, landowner willingness to participate in carbon sequestration practices was different when such practices were more profitable, revenue neutral or less profitable than timber management only. Although many landowners would require a significant profit to participate in carbon sequestration programs, others would participate with little or no incentives. Those having recreational goals for their property were the most likely landowners to participate in carbon sequestration. Similarly, positive attitudes toward climate change (i.e., with a belief that climate change is scientifically proven) and a good understanding of forest carbon sequestration positively affected landowner participation in forest carbon sequestration. Economic implementation of climate change policy could be achieved by designing education, incentives, or assistance programs to connect with recreational goal landowners in the southern US.

The purpose of this study was to examine the emergence of convergent intraverbals through prerequisite skills training identified by Sundberg and Sundberg (2011) and assessed by DeSouza and colleagues (2019). Further, the study explored the emergence of convergent intraverbals amongst individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through several variations of prerequisite skills training and to determine if fewer than all four prerequisite skills could facilitate the emergence of convergent intraverbals. Two children, ages 13 to 15 years old, participated in the study, which took place at a university-based school psychology services clinic in the Southeastern United States. Results suggest the sequence of prerequisite skills training identified by previous literature can facilitate the emergence of convergent intraverbals in individuals diagnosed with ASD. However, based on the results of the study, there is little evidence to support the notion that training these prerequisite skills in a varying sequence can facilitate the emergence of convergent intraverbals. Overall, the findings of this study revealed several implications about facilitating the emergence of convergent intraverbals with individuals with ASD. Limitations to this study as well as recommendations for future research in this area are discussed.

Parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder experience many stressors in their lives, including managing problem behaviors of their child. Parent training can effectively teach parents strategies to manage noncompliant behaviors; however, many parents spend months on wait lists before accessing this service. This study investigated the preliminary effects of both an expert-led and parent-led training for wait-listed parents. Thirteen parents of children currently on a waitlist to receive behavioral analytic services participated; most were highly educated, all were white and married. The study used a pyramidal training approach: a professional instructed one group of participants while a participant volunteer instructed the second group. Participants completed a training on several behavior management techniques. Training was conducted in a manner plausible for community clinics to implement. Checklists and direct observations of trainee behavior were taken to observe fidelity of training. Data were also collected using parent self-report measures using Likert-scales to report on their own behavior as well as their child’s behavior. Participants from both groups reported decreases in child noncompliant behavior and increases in parent self-efficacy, confidence and consistency in administering behavior management techniques, indicating that both expert-led and parent-led training are effective in decreasing reported noncompliant behavior and increasing parent-reported self-efficacy. Clinics and communities should seek to implement similar programs to address wait-list issues; using a pyramidal parent training module may allow more parents to access information in a more efficient fashion. Further research should be conducted on larger groups and additional levels of pyramidal training.

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