Thesis (B.A. Hons. 1973) from the Department of Psychology, University of Adelaide.

Thesis (B.A. (Hons.)), Department of Psychology, University of Adelaide, 1971.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sensory awareness training on self-actualization in a personal growth group. The null hypothesis pertained to the differences in self-actualization between treatment and control groups as measured by the Inner Directedness Scale of the Personal Orientation Inventory.The subjects were undergraduate students from a Midwest university who volunteered to participate in a Personal Growth Group. Based on their time availability, a.m. or p.m., the sample of 116 subjects was randomly assigned to four treatment, four control, or two reserve groups, so as to maintain proportional samples of females and males. Because of attrition prior to the group experience, some reserve subjects were randomly assigned to some treatment and control groups so that the final sample was composed of 88 subjects (57 females and 31 males). Forty-four of these subjects experienced one of four treatment groups (10 or 12 subjects per group) and the other 44 subjects experienced one of four control groups (10 or 12 subjects per group).Both experimental and control groups were one and one-half hour long personal growth groups designed to develop human potential, increase awareness of self and others, and to increase skills in interpersonal relationships. The difference between the groups was that the treatment groups received instructions which stressed, emphasized, and sought to stimulate aspects of sensory awareness, while the control group instructions minimized sensory awareness experiences.Immediately following the group session, all subjects were administered the Personal Orientation Inventory. The instruments were scored and the differences between the average raw scores of the Inner Directedness Scale of the POI were subjected to a univariate analysis of variance, with the differences considered significant at the .05 level. Preliminary to testing the null hypothesis, all other main effects had been controlled and computed F value for effect due to interaction between groups and sex (F = .329, p< .568) was not significant.control groups as measured by the I Scale of the POI. Therefore, it is concluded that, using this one and one-half hour scripted personal growth group approach, the sensory awareness. training did riot produce a significant positive change in self-actualization as measured by the aforementionedThe computed F value for the group effect (F = 1.273, p < .263) was not significant. Therefore, the null hypothesis—There will be no significant difference between the experimental and control group subjects’ average raw scores on the Inner Directedness Scale of the Personal Orientation Inventory, controlling for any effects due to fascilitator, time, and sex—was not rejected.Analysis of the data indicated that there was no significant difference in self-actualization between the experimental and control groups as measured by the I Scale of the POI. Therefore, it is concluded that, using this one and one-half hour scripted personal growth group approach, the sensory awareness training did not produce a significant positive change in self-actualization as measured by the aforementioned instrument scale. Use of the pre-structured script disallowed flexibility of sensory awareness training activities. The group members had to "flow" with the script, rather than the script "flow" to meet the needs of the group.Data was also collected through subjects completing a questionnaire concerning their reactions to the group experience. These secondary data were descriptive in nature and were not treated statistically. An analysis of these data indicated that both experimental and control group subjects valued the growth group experience and expanded their human potentials, especially in the areas of self and other awareness. Finally, these data indicated there may have been a lack of process difference between the experimental and control groups. Specifically, some aspects of sensory awareness training might have been reduced further in the control groups.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Today, advances in wireless sensor networks are making it possible to capture large amounts of information about a person and their interaction within their home environment. However, what is missing is how to ensure the security of the collected data and its use to alter human behavior for positive benefit. In this research, exploration was conducted involving the "infrastructure" and "intelligence" aspects of a wireless sensor network through a Behavior Modification Sensor System. First was to understand how a secure wireless sensor network could be established through the symmetric distribution of keys (the securing of the infrastructure), and it involves the mathematical analysis of a novel key pre-distribution scheme. Second explores via field testing the "intelligence" level of the system. This was meant to support the generation of persuasive messages built from the integration of a person's physiological and living pattern data in persuading physical activity behavior change associated with daily walking steps. This system was used by an elderly female in a three-month study. Findings regarding the "infrastructure" or the novel key pre-distribution scheme in comparison to three popular key distribution methods indicates that it offers greater network resiliency to security threats (i.e., 1/2^32 times lower), better memory utilization (i.e., 53.9% less), but higher energy consumption (i.e., 2% higher) than its comparison group. Findings from the "intelligence" level of the research posit that using a person's physiological and living pattern data may allow for more "information rich" and stronger persuasive messages. Findings indicate that the study participant was able to change and improve her average daily walking steps by 61% over a pre-treatment period. As the study participant increased her physical activity, changes in her living pattern were also observed (e.g., time spent watching television decreased while time spent engaged in walking increased by an average of 15 minutes per day). Reinforcement of these findings were noted between a pre and post-study survey that indicated the study participant moved from a contemplation stage of change where physical activity engagement was intended but not acted upon to an action stage of change where physical activity engagement dominated the new behavior.

The present study was designed to investigate the role of sensory extinction and sensory reinforcement in the moti- vation of self-injurious behavior. The intervention was based on the assumption that each subject's SIB behavior was motivated by the sensory consequences of the behavior. A pre- assessment phase was used to select appropriate sensory ex- tinction devices and sensory reinforcing toys, although no appropriate sensory toys could be identified. Thus, treat- ment consisted solely of sensory extinction using a reversal design. Results showed that the sensory extinction devices reduced tactile stimulation of face slapping and pica for two developmentally disabled adults. Maintenance of treat- ment gains was programmed by fading the device both on the unit and in the experimental setting. This procedure was minimally successful in achieving long term reduction in SIB.