With the growth of fashion consumption through websites and e-tailers, the question of when and why consumers engage in shopping without the intent to purchase has gained new relevance. A novel framework for understanding this phenomenon comes from studies examining the neural basis of aesthetic appreciation. Previous studies in neuroaesthetics have identified brain regions associated with value and reward, including the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), as involved during attractiveness judgments even when no physical product is consumed. Along with research demonstrating that attractive stimuli can serve as economic incentives to motivate behavior, these results suggest that the experience of aesthetic appreciation can have value in and of itself, similar to the hedonic value previously proposed to explain shopping without the intent to purchase. The proposed study examines whether fashion browsing can be considered a type of aesthetic experience. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be used to measure neural activation as female subjects (N=50) view fashion images. If fashion browsing is a type of aesthetic experience, we would expect it serve as an economic incentive and motivate work. Additionally, the NAcc and VMPFC during browsing should show increasing activation with increasing attractiveness of fashion content. Individual differences in self-reported fashion browsing behavior will correlate with the degree of neural differentiation to fashion content such that individuals who spend more time per week browsing will have higher BOLD signal NAcc and VMPFC activation during the experimental task. Fashion browsing as an aesthetic experience could serve as a crucial mechanism to develop a greater understanding of an important aspect of the consumer shopping experience.

The marriage of perspectives from behavioral economic theory and learning theory has the potential to advance an understanding of substance use and substance use disorder. Behavioral economic demand is a central concept to this interdisciplinary approach. Evaluating demand in the laboratory and clinic can improve previous research on the relative reinforcing effects of drugs by accounting for the multi-dimensional nature of reinforcement rather than viewing reinforcement as a unitary construct. Recent advances in the commodity purchase task methodology have further simplified the measurement of demand values in human participants. This dissertation project presents a programmatic series of studies designed to demonstrate the utility of using a behavioral economic demand framework and the purchase task methodology for understanding substance use disorder through basic and applied science research. Experiments are presented spanning a continuum from theoretical and methodological development to longitudinal work and clinical application. These experiments demonstrate three key conclusions regarding behavioral economic demand. First, behavioral economic demand provides a reliable and valid measure of drug valuation that is applicable to varied drug types and participant populations. Second, behavioral economic demand is a stimulus-selective measure specifically reflecting valuation for the commodity under study. Third, behavioral economic demand provides incremental information about substance use in the laboratory and clinical setting above and beyond traditional measures of reinforcer valuation and other behavioral economic variables. These findings collectively highlight the benefits of behavioral economic demand and provide an important platform for future work in addiction science.

Co-users of alcohol and nicotine are the largest group of polysubstance users worldwide. Although pharmacotherapies are available for alcohol (EtOH) or tobacco use disorders individually, it may be possible to develop a single pharmacotherapy to treat heavy drinking tobacco smokers through capitalizing on the commonalities in their mechanisms of action. Towards this goal, several models of concurrent access to EtOH and nicotine were explored as potential preclinical models of co-use using female alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Additionally, potential pharmacotherapeutics for the treatment of EtOH and nicotine co-use disorder were tested using different variations of our model. Treatments tested included (1) varenicline, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist with high affinity for the α4β2* subtype; (2) r-bPiDI, a subtype-selective antagonist at α6β2* nAChRs; (3) (R)-modafinil, an atypical inhibitor of the dopamine transporter (DAT); and (4) naltrexone, a clinically available µ-opioid receptor antagonist used to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). Results from the current dissertation show success in developing a translational animal model in female P rats for co-use of EtOH and nicotine under which pharmacologically relevant levels of both EtOH consumption and nicotine intake are achieved. Additionally, our model was successfully used in testing potential pharmacotherapeutics for the treatment of EtOH and nicotine co-use disorder. Although none of the drugs tested were effective as a monotherapy, results from testing the known smoking cessation agent varenicline and the known AUD treatment naltrexone indicate that our model is effective for selectively measuring changes in EtOH and nicotine intake separately, which suggests the beneficial utility of this model for future treatment research. Furthermore, by applying behavioral economic principles to our findings, we found that EtOH acts as an economic substitute for nicotine. Additionally, our behavioral economic analyses revealed that when the cost of nicotine is changed via response requirements vs dose per infusion, there are differences in the elasticity of demand for concurrently available EtOH and nicotine. Finally, the relatively flat consumption curve for EtOH following varenicline pretreatment suggests that pretreatment with varenicline acts to disrupt the relationship between EtOH and nicotine such that EtOH no longer acts as an economic substitute for nicotine.

Functional analyses (FAs) are a common tool used in the assessment and treatment of severe problem behaviors and often occur in the context of clinical settings with unfamiliar, trained staff. Previous research suggests that inconsistent outcomes can emerge when caregivers with an existing history of seeing their child’s challenging behavior are trained to implement the assessment in place of clinical staff. The purpose of the current study was to expand on existing literature by comparing FA implemented by clinical staff and caregivers in the context of a clinical setting. Results demonstrate that efficient identification of function and differentiated rates of problem behavior given the inclusion of caregivers during assessment may vary based on the child’s existing history of responding with those caregivers. Implications of results for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Public safety radio dispatchers incontrovertibly have to manage multiple tasks at any given time, from relaying lifesaving information to field units, to simultaneously overseeing several monitors and keeping up with the radio transmissions in a timely manner. Interestingly, however, the underlying cognitive abilities necessitated for performing such tasks have not been thoroughly investigated. To begin understanding the cognitive faculties that underlie dispatching tasks, we gauged cognitive ability measures relevant to dispatcher duties and introduced Working Memory Capacity (WMC) as underlying the differentiation on performance. The four general dispatcher cognitive factors identified by Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) literature, were Reasoning, Perceptual, Memory, and Verbal. This study substantiated the relationship that higher WMC had on increased performance of the four factors; WMC was a strong predictor of overall cognitive task accuracy. This study also measured dispatcher abilities detached from any dispatcher-like duties, to better explore the cognitive underpinnings without the confound of dispatcher-like tasks within the measures. High and low WMC group comparisons also revealed accuracy differences in cognitive abilities, task switching costs, and dual-task interference. Overall, this study provides support for WMC’s executive functioning as a key underlying mechanism determining dispatcher cognitive ability level.

Aims: Untreated opioid use disorder (OUD) is associated with overdose, premature death and infectious disease, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C (HCV). While prior studies have shown that educational interventions are associated with improvements in HIV and HCV knowledge and reductions in risk behaviors, those examined to date have typically been time- and resource-intensive. We recently developed an HIV+HCV Education intervention which aims to improve HIV and HCV knowledge in a single visit using an automated iPad platform. In this project, we examined its ability, using a within-subject evaluation, to improve knowledge of HIV and HCV transmission and risks among adults with OUD. Methods: Participants were 25 adults with OUD who were enrolled in a 12-week randomized trial evaluating the efficacy of an Interim Buprenorphine Treatment (IBT) for reducing illicit opioid use while awaiting entry into community-based opioid treatment. Participants completed a baseline HIV+HCV knowledge assessment (Pre-Test) followed by corrective feedback, both administered via iPad. They then completed an interactive HIV flipbook and animated HCV video, also on iPad, followed by a second administration of the knowledge assessment (Post-Test). Finally, to evaluate whether any changes in knowledge persisted over time, the HIV+HCV assessment was administered again at 4 and 12 weeks following study intake. Results: At baseline (Pre-Test), participants answered 69% and 65% of items correctly on the HIV and HCV assessments, respectively. After completing the educational intervention, participants answered 86% of items correctly on both the HIV and HCV assessments (p’s<.001). These improvements in knowledge also persisted throughout the three-month study, with scores at Week 4 and 12 timepoints significantly greater than baseline (p’s<.001). Conclusion: An HIV+Hepatitis Education intervention delivered via a portable, automated iPad platform may produce significant and persistent improvements in HIV and HCV knowledge among adults with OUD. These data provide additional support for the use of mobile educational interventions for enhancing HIV and HCV knowledge in individuals at elevated risk for infectious disease. Support: This trial was supported by NIDA R34 DA3730385 (Sigmon) with additional support by NIDA T32 DA007242 (Higgins).

For over forty years ability grouping has been of professional concern to educators in the United States (Reisner, 1936). There have been fundamental changes in educational theory and practice during that time, one of which is the recognition that educational practices must adjust to individual differences. The interpretation of "equal opportunity" in education has gradually changed from meaning the same methods, standards, and course content for all children, to meaning the full opportunity for each child to develop his own potential in a school program suited to his individual capacities and needs. The interpersonal relationships and social development of school children have received an increasing amount of attention as we have come to realize the pervasive effect they have on educational objectives and as optimal social adjustment has itself become one of these objectives. As Brumbaugh (1960, p. 99) has pointed out: Mental health and social adjustment are words to conjure with when there is discussion about separate grouping. A half century ago, the fear was that stigma would attach to a child in a special class for those with below average intelligence. It is now replaced by anxiety lest those at the other end of the scale would have feelings of superiority and become egotistical little snobs. There are enough studies of children in such classes to indicate that this does not happen but there is also some evidence that there are concomitant effects which are used to oppose ability grouping on a "social segregation" argument. Taba et al. (1952) as an example of this point of view write: Of special interest for intergroup education is the fact that the static single bases for grouping have almost always fixed homogeneity simultaneously along lines of socioeconomic status, race, and religious background. For example, any type of ability grouping also inadervertently introduces segregation by economic class, race, and neighborhood. Because of their cultural handicaps, children from deviant backgrounds tend to be at the bottom of the heap, as far as school achievement is concerned. Hence, in ability grouping, they are thrown together and separated from other children.... This segregation, of course, prevents learning common culture by association with other children. The stigma attached to the lower ability groups further destroys motivation and self-respect, Thus, a basis is built for both physical and psychological isolation. (pp. 138-1939)

Posttest performances after two forms of Web-based tutorial instruction were compared. Both forms were designed to teach students to identify musical compositions that typify Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century music. The first treatment condition was a series of Web pages with text and accompanying hyperlinks to musical selections matched to the text. In this condition, students read and listened at their own discretion -- without Web software program restrictions. The second treatment contained exactly the same text and musical selections, but students in this condition read the text in small portions while being required to fill in missing words in the text presented. No time constraints were placed on participants. The essential difference between the conditions was 1) movement with the instruction content without restriction, and 2) advancement through the program being dependent upon correct responses to the text material (which included discriminative responding to accompanying musical examples). A statistically significant difference between pretest and posttest was found in both experimental conditions, but a difference in posttest scores between the two conditions was not found. Implications of the study and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Alcohol abuse disorders (AUD) represent a serious worldwide health problem with far reaching social, financial, and interpersonal implications. One of the most devastating facets of these disorders is the propensity to relapse following periods of abstinence. Ethanol withdrawal (EWD) is believed to promote relapse by increasing anxiety and craving, and may contribute to the development of cognitive decline associated with long-term dependence. Clinical data suggest that stress also plays a main role in both the development of AUD as well as relapse to drinking. As a physiological stressor, EtOH elevates levels of stress hormones (cortisol in humans, corticosterone (CORT) in the rat). Both CORT and EtOH have been shown to alter the composition, function, and activity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, and in particular, the NR2B subunit of this receptor. These alterations have been suggested to mediate EWD, which may negatively impact abstinence rates. This synergistic interaction between EtOH and CORT may present a therapeutic target for the treatment of EWD. In fact, data suggest that blocking the glucocorticoid receptor, which is a main target for CORT, with RU-486 could promote abstinence, as treatment with the drug has been shown to reduce consumption and the development dependence, as well as the severity of EWD and the cognitive deficits following EWD. However, these latter effects have not been validated in models of voluntary EtOH consumption. As there is considerable evidence that active versus passive intake can significantly impact neuroadaptations to ethanol this is an important consideration. These studies sought to characterize consumption and evaluate the development of dependence in a chronic voluntary model of intermittent access (IA) to EtOH. CORT plasma levels and protein expression of the glucocorticoid and NR2B receptors were measured during and/or following exposure. Finally, to assess the role of CORT in EtOH consumption and the development of dependence, the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist ORG-34517 was administered during access to EtOH. IA access to 20% EtOH produced varying levels of consumption (2.0-6.7g/kg/24hr exposure) and blood EtOH levels (6.3-116.9 mg/dl), but did not significantly affect food consumption or weight gain. Baseline CORT levels were found to be predictive of subsequent EtOH consumption and levels of consumption were sufficient to elevate CORT levels following one hour of EtOH exposure. Further, IA to EtOH was sufficient to produce dependence, as measured by elevations in the acoustic startle reflex following 26 hours and five days of withdrawal. No alteration in protein expression was observed regarding either the NR2B or glucocorticoid receptors and exposure to ORG-34517 had no effect on consumption or withdrawal.

Can a common facial cosmetic procedure buffer against the negative impact of adverse social interactions? This pilot tested the hypothesis that an injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) to the corrugator supercilii muscles used in anger, compared to a placebo injection to the same location, will reduce the impact of social rejection on mood, self-esteem, control, meaningful existence, and aggression. Freezing facial musculature was hypothesized to alter the first physical signal of negative emotional reactions, thereby reducing the impact of social rejection on distress and aggression. This was the first study using Botox to examine the effects of reduced facial feedback on felt emotions during social interactions. While the findings in this pilot were not statistically significant, a trend in the data suggests that the effect was in the opposite direction of the prediction such that participants in the Botox (vs. saline) condition experienced greater feelings of rejection. Further investigation is needed.