Many individuals with developmental disabilities do not develop vocal repertoires. Thus, teaching the use of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device is imperative. A speech-generating device (SGD) is an example of an AAC that is universally understood. Individuals with developmental disabilities have been taught to communicate using such device. Teaching caregivers to conduct communication training with their children may be one to way to foster communication in an individual’s natural environment. Thus, the purpose of this study was to extend previous research by using behavioral skills training (BST) to teach caregivers to implement SGD-based mand training using an adapted training sequence. Additionally, we evaluated whether training caregivers to implement mand training with their children resulted in an increase of independent mands in their children. This study found that BST was effective in teaching caregivers to implement SGD-based mand training with their children. Additionally, independent mands increased from pre-training to post-training observations for two children.

Researchers have found children who are homeless are twice as likely to develop learning disabilities when compared with non-homeless children and three times as likely to develop emotional and behavioral problems (Bessuk et al., 2014). Additionally, homeless children are more likely to have deficits in regards to social skills (DiBiase & Waddell, 1995; National Child Traumatic Stress Network Homelessness and Extreme Poverty Working Group, 2005), however no known research has specifically explored increasing social skill deficits among homeless children. The purpose of the current research was to a) extend the research on using technology to teach social skills to homeless children and b) examine the efficacy of using the Let’s Be Social application (Everyday Speech, 2015) to teach social skills with the addition of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) if needed. The results of this study showed that participants demonstrated substantial increases in all three social skills after the BST intervention. With the exception of one participant, Sandy, whose baseline levels for one behavior (sharing) met criteria for the skill and did not need further intervention.

Few studies have proposed or evaluated methods to teach telling time. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of differential reinforcement of student responding in the form of response cards to teach three middle school students with intellectual disability to tell time. Participants worked through six training phases. Results showed that correct responding increased from pre-assessment (range of 5.71-14.29% correct) to post-assessment (range of 85-100% correct). Preliminary evidence shows promise in the application of these procedures to teach telling time to middle school students with intellectual disability.

No description available.

A study into the factors that affect power in an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) design were examined. Four factors - sample size, significance level, dependent variable-covariate correlations and homogeneity of regression - were varied in a population study. Results indicate that power increased when the dependent variable-covariate correlations increased and when sample size increased. Power also increased when a less stringent alpha level was used. Homogeneity of regression did not effect power. Implications and recommendations for the applied researcher are discussed.

Sports research in behavior analysis is becoming increasingly popular. As the proliferation of research continues, multiple interventions have been shown to help enhance sports-related performance. However, different intervention components are rarely if ever used alone, which has created a limitation with the current body of research. To begin to address this limitation, this study had three experiments to evaluate some different components of video recording procedures and behavioral skills training (BST) to facilitate performance enhancement. Experiment 1 separated video modeling and video feedback to see which component best improved pitching form in Little League baseball players. Experiment 2 evaluated video self-evaluation and video feedback to evaluate which component best improved swing form of recreational golfers. Experiment 3 separated the different antecedent and consequence components of BST (instruction and feedback) to see which component best improved safe-tackling form in Pop-Warner football players. Results showed that consequent interventions were more effective than antecedent interventions. We discuss the importance of the results to current literature, and how they might guide future research.

No description available.

Four types of schedule interactions have been defined: positive contrast, negative contrast, positive induction, and negative induction. Most work has centered on the necessary conditions for positive contrast. One position states that a reduction in reinforcement frequency is necessary; the other view states that a reduction in response rate is necessary. Neither view can account for the occurrence of induction. The present experiment tests the hypothesis that stimulus control effects the occurrence of either contrast or induction. Three pigeons were trained to respond for primary reinforcement (strong stimulus control condition), and three pigeons were trained to respond for conditioned reinforcement (weak stimulus control condition). A response rate decrease was caused by changing the schedule of reinforcement from MULT EXT, VI 1-min, EXT, VI 1-min to MULT VI 1-min, VI 1-min, VI 1-min, VI 1-min for primary reinforcement birds, and to MULT (Chain VI 1-min, VI 1-min), (CHAIN VI 1-min, VI 1-min for conditioned reinforcement birds. Negative contract was observed for all birds receiving primary reinforcement, but positive induction occurred for two of three birds receiving conditioned reinforcement. In the next phase a response rate decrease was caused by changing the schedule to MULT VI 1-min, VI 1-min, DRO 20-sec, VI 1-min for primary reinforcement birds , and to MULT (CHAIN VI 1-min), VI 1-min, CHAIN DRO 20-sec , VI 1-min) for conditioned reinforcement birds. Two of the primary reinforcement birds showed positive contrast, while the third showed negative induction. Two of the conditioned reinforcement birds showed negative induction, while the third showed no effect. Gradients of stimulus control showed no difference between the groups due to the prolonged training before testing for stimulus control. It was concluded that differential amounts of stimulus control can account for the differences in the schedule interactions in this experiment and those observed in previous research.

Past research has shown that there are many factors that influence projective test responses. This is especially true of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Certain variables that have been found to influence the TAT response were studied in this experiment. These variables included the subjects’ scores on purported measures of the personality trait of aggression, and various parameters of the TAT cards themselves. This experiment included three studies which investigated the relationship between test measures of aggression and aggressive behavior. The three studies were conducted concurrently using the same subject population: forty-two male inmates at the Oregon State Penitentiary. They were divided into two groups of aggressiveness according to the crime they had committed; 21 inmates had committed aggressive crimes and 21 inmates had committed non-aggressive crimes. The subjects wrote stories for eight TAT cards; completed a questionnaire including items of aggression, guilt, and defensiveness; and provided personal information such as age, educational level, and amount of time in prison.

A treatment program was designed to enable subjects to lose weight through the use of self-confrontation as described in Saslow (1969), and the use of the General Relationship Improvement of the Human Development Institute (HDI), Berlin and Wyckoff (1964). Self-confrontation is a programmed rehearsal of a specific problem by one person alone, for a five-minute period. The rehearsal, or self-confrontation is to be as vivid as possible, intellectually, emotionally, visually and physically. The General Relationship Improvement Program is a 10-week text, worked in pairs, which is aimed at better intrapsychic and interpersonal communication and understanding. Four matched groups were used in the study. Group I, N=10, used nutritional information. Group II: N=8, used the HDI program. Group III: N=9, used the self-confrontation technique. Group IV: N=12, used a combination of the self-confrontation technique and the HDI program. The mean weight losses were as follows: Group I: 1.25 lb. Group II: 2.75 lb. Group III: 10.89 lb. Group IV: 5.91 lb. Approximately 6 hours of experimenter time were spent in actual contact with the subjects. Only 2 weights were recorded by her, the first and the final. The others weights were self-recorded. The study was designed to continue for 12 weeks.