No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Eighteen rats were divided into equal groups which received three different food deprivation procedures: 23 hour deprivation, maintenance at 80% of pre-experimental weights, or fixed daily food allotments of 10 grams. The rats were then given two training sessions with an unearned food source and 15 training sessions earning an identical food source by pressing a lever. Training was followed by three days of choice testing. There were no significant differences between groups in preference for earned rewards during choice testing in degrees of weight loss. However, a correlation comparing propensity to work for pellets with body weight deficit over the last eight training days was significant (p < .05). Group correlations of weight loss with propensity to barpress resulted in significance only for the fixed intake animals (p .05). The significant relationship between weight loss and operant performance is consistent with the earlier findings of Bolles (1965). The timed deprivation group had the greatest range in level of weight deficit and the percentage body weight group had the least. These findings indicate that maintaining animals at a designated percentage of their normal body weight produces less within group variance in the level of weight deficit than the more popular method of timed deprivation.

The present study investigated the effects of manipulated feedback concerning examination performance on locus of control beliefs. Brecher and Denmark (1972) found that students given manipulated feedback concerning results of a recent examination exhibited a significant increase in their I-E scores. In the present study, 84 students enrolled in one of three classes of a lower level, undergraduate Psychology course at Western Kentucky University, taught by the same instructor, were used as subjects. These subjects were administered the I-E Scale and about one month later took a regularly scheduled examination over course material. The first clans session after the exam, the instructor informed one class that they all had performed very poorly on the exam, and another class he told that they all had done very well. Beth classes were re-administered the I -E Scale immediately, and after completion of this were riven the true results of their exam. The third class was not told of their exam results but were re-administered the I -E Scale. The chances In the pre- and posttest scores of all three groups were analyzed by the use of a one-way analysis of variance. No significant differences were found.

Research has shown that some students benefit more from certain instructional modes than do others (Harper, 1973; Allen, Giat, and Cherney, 1974; Doty, 1967). A personalized system of instruction and the traditional lecture-discussion format were used as alternate modes of instruction in the present study. This study used locus of control and mode of instruction, along with mental ability, to increase predictability of course performance. Predictability was not increased by these variables. Results of a regression analysis showed that only a total of 11.6% of the variance in final course grades could be accounted for by the predictor variables (i.e. locus of control, mode of instruction, and mental ability". Possible confounding factors include different individual teaching styles, different textbooks, and quantity of reinforcement given to the students for progress. Further research in which these variables are controlled may indicate different results.

This study examined whether the number of available play materials (toys) affected the occurrence of sharing behavior in preschool children. Eighteen four- and five-year-old children were assigned by age and gender to six same-sexed groups of three children each and were observed during three, 10-minute observation sessions. All groups were observed playing with one toy, two toys, and three toys. The children's play activities with the toy(s) were videotaped, and a behavioral coding system was developed to record those behaviors. The effect of toy condition on the sharing categories of Asked-for-Share, Partial Share, Overall Share (a category combining the highly correlated behaviors of Asked-for-Share and Spontaneous Share), and Spontaneous Share was analyzed. Age and gender were found to be unrelated to sharing. Only the effect of toy condition on Overall Share was statistically significant. Further analysis revealed that the three-toy condition affected the occurrence of Overall Share by reducing the amount of sharing. Implications for further research were discussed.

No description available.

Suicide and non-suicidal self-injury are concerning and prevalent phenomena in the United States; as a result, much research has been undertaken in order to investigate these topics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015a). Although the exploration of risk factors is a common approach, other novel approaches have been developed in order to better understand self-directed violence (Klonsky & May, 2013). One of these is a focus on functions served by these behaviors, which is theorized to contribute to grasping their etiologies and help provide effective treatment (Glenn & Klonsky, 2011). Another approach is investigating implicit cognition and selfassociations’ influences on the development of self-directed violence (Glashouwer et al, 2010). The current study expanded on previous research by using these two novel approaches simultaneously, and measuring the association between the functional aspects of self-directed violence and the Suicide Implicit Association Test. Participants for this study included 32 adolescent inpatients hospitalized at River Valley Behavioral Health Hospital. The Suicide Implicit Association Test served as the independent variable in this study. The following measures served as dependent variables: the Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury, the Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire, and the Suicide Attempt Self-Injury Interview. Regression analyses revealed non-significant associations for both intrapersonal (β=1.44, S.E.=.91, p=.13) and interpersonal (β=.004, S.E.=.5, p=.99) functions. Poisson regression analyses revealed non-significant associations for both intrapersonal (β=.01, S.E.=.21, p=.97, CI:-.41, .42) and interpersonal (β=.60, S.E.=.51, p=.24, 95% CI:-.40, 1.60) functions. A logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between Suicide Implicit Association Test scores and number of previous suicide attempts, and this revealed a high odds ratio [OR =4.56, 95% CI: .36, 57.76]. Poisson regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between Suicide Implicit Association Test scores and the frequency of previous non-suicidal self-injury, and this revealed a significant positive association (β=.99, S.E.=.07, p=.00, 95% CI:.86, 1.13). Poisson regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between Suicide Implicit Association Test scores and the severity of previous suicidal ideation, and this revealed a significant positive association (β=1.09, S.E.=.23, p=.00, 95% CI: .65, 1.54).

Introduction: An active area of tobacco regulatory science research focuses on examining the effects of varying the nicotine content of cigarettes as part of a potential national policy to lower their nicotine content levels to reduce addiction potential. The present study examines differences in the behavioral effects of reduced nicotine content cigarettes related to their menthol status. Menthol is the only cigarette flavoring that is still legally permissible according to Food and Drug administration regulations. Methods: Participants were 26 current adult smokers from three populations especially vulnerable to tobacco use and addiction (economically disadvantaged women, opioid-dependent individuals, individuals with affective disorders) dichotomized as menthol (n=11) or non-menthol (n=15) smokers. Participants completed 14 experimental sessions following acute smoking abstinence (CO<50% baseline level). Across sessions, participants smoked four Spectrum research cigarettes (22nd Century Group, Clarence, NY) with varying nicotine content levels (0.4mg/g, 2.4 mg/g, 5.2 mg/g, 15.8 mg/g) or their usual brand cigarette. Research cigarettes were mentholated or non-mentholated corresponding to participants usual brand. Upon completion of smoking, participants completed tasks measuring reinforcing efficacy, subjective effects, topography, and withdrawal and craving measures. Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance was used for all analyses (p<.05). Results: Main effects of menthol status, as well as interactions of nicotine dose and menthol were noted across subscales of subjective effects and direct assessments of reinforcing efficacy. Usual brand mentholated cigarettes produced a profile of equal or greater relative reinforcing effects than usual brand non-mentholated cigarettes, while mentholated research cigarettes produced a profile of effects that fell below (i.e., lower relative reinforcing effects compared to usual brand or non-mentholated cigarettes) those of non-mentholated research cigarettes. Conclusions: Mentholated research cigarettes produce a lower profile of reinforcing and subjective effects, without discernible differences in smoking topography. The potential impact of mentholation on reinforcing efficacy and subjective effects should be considered when using Spectrum research cigarettes.