<p> Mindfulness-based interventions are becoming increasingly popular with clinicians and researchers. While there is a rapidly increasing number of mindfulness-based intervention outcomes reported in scientific journals of medicine and psychology (Burke, 2010; Krasner, 2004), the descriptions and definitions of mindfulness are not entirely consistent across investigators (Brown, Ryan, &amp; Creswell, 2007; Williams, 2010), and do not lend themselves to scientific analysis (Hayes &amp; Shenk, 2004). A behavior-analytic approach to this subject may provide the foundation for a scientific analysis of mindfulness phenomena. For example, Diller and Lattal (2008) suggested that mindful behavior might be shaped by the methods that Ray (1969) used to demonstrate the acquisition of selective attention with rhesus monkeys. Thus, the present investigation replicated the methods used by Ray (1969) with verbally sophisticated human participants and discusses the findings as they relate to a behavior analytic interpretation of mindfulness phenomena.</p>

<p> Individuals that struggle with inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity experience difficulties in several life domains including struggles in academia (Biederman, Monuteaux et al., 2004), interpersonal relationships (e.g., Friedman et al., 2003), marital satisfaction (e.g., Eakin et al., 2004), and occupational performance (e.g., Barkley et al., 2008). In spite of a history of academic and social failures, many individuals with ADHD maintain a self-protective bias in which they maintain high self-evaluations of causal efficacy (Owens et al., 2007). This may contribute to greater levels of inattention, impulsivity, and resulting dysfunction, as self-evaluation is rule-governed rather than a result of self-awareness and discrimination. This study aimed to examine how derived causal efficacy might impact inattention and impulsivity. Participants completed a series of Go/NoGo tasks with and without contextual cues that had derived causal efficacy functions through their relations with discriminative stimuli for high or low rates of responding. The impact of derived causal efficacy was then examined in terms of errors of omission (inattention) and errors of commission (impulsivity). Implications for behavioral interventions for ADHD were discussed.</p>

<p>There is a growing amount of research evaluating behavioral approaches for skill acquisition in sports. Few of these studies have focused on yoga and skill acquisition. There is a need for a low effort yet effective way to teach yoga postures to individuals who do not take private yoga classes and may practice at home. This study evaluated the effects of using a picture-based task analysis and self-evaluation on the skill acquisition of yoga postures. A multiple baseline across yoga postures was used. During the task analyses intervention, the participants received a task analysis, performed the posture, and scored the task analysis upon the completion of the posture. Results showed that the task-analysis and self-evaluation increased the accuracy of all the poses.

No description available.

No description available.

<p> The family Corivdae, which includes crows and ravens, contains arguably some of the most intelligent species the animal kingdom has to offer. Separated from primates by at least 252 million years of evolution, birds bear striking physiological differences from mammals, while displaying similar intellectual abilities. This apparent convergent evolution of intelligence sheds light on what could possibly be a universal phenomenon. While many excellent studies show the abilities of corvids, the majority of them test only captive subjects. This study tested the capabilities of both captive and wild ravens, from three different species. The first portion of the study tested which of the four solutions offered wild ravens would choose when solving a Multi-Access Box. The second portion of the study tested the performance of wild and captive ravens when solving a Multi-Latch Box. The nine raven subjects were split into four different levels of enculturation based on their known histories. Two wild common ravens (<i>Corvus corax</i>) on the campus of the University of Arizona were level 1, four wild common ravens in the parking lot of a United States Forest Service parking lot were level 2, two captive and trained Chihuahuan ravens (<i>Corvus cryptoleucus</i>) from the Raptor Free Flight program at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum comprised level 3, and one captive and trained white-necked raven (<i>Corvus albicollis </i>) made level 4. It is possible to run trials with completely wild and free birds. It was found that ravens prefer direct methods of obtaining food, such as opening doors and pulling strings, instead of tool use. It was also found that while the relationship between enculturation level and success solving a puzzle was not linear, captive birds were the best solvers. The data given here suggest that captivity, training and enrichment history, and enculturation should all be considered when performing cognitive studies with animals.</p>

<p> Shelter dogs with problem behavior may have trouble getting adopted or may be euthanized. However, there are few studies that have used behavioral assessment and treatments for problem behavior of shelter dogs. Some studies have used functional analyses to determine function of behavior with nonhuman animals, including dogs. However, it is unclear whether the functions tested in those functional analyses approximate the natural contingencies in the environment that the animals live. This study conducted a descriptive analysis to identify environmental variables that occur with problem behavior of shelter dogs. Six dogs housed at a local animal shelter participated in the study. The observations were analyzed and used to determine the temporal proximity of stimuli to problem behavior. Results demonstrated that descriptive analyses are useful in identifying stimuli occurring in the natural environment that are not otherwise used in typical functional analysis conditions. Possible limitations and future research are discussed.</p>

<p>Few scales exist to measure greed; researchers remain unclear if perceptions of greed vary based on situational factors. Thus, the researcher developed a greed survey, completed by 48 adults, to determine if willingness to participate in or overlook greedy behaviors varies by situation. Across the survey?s greed scenarios, respondents perceived greed 63%-89% of the time, suggesting that perceptions of greed vary based on situational factors. Furthermore, 17% reported that the scenarios did not definitively indicate, but only possibly indicated, greedy behaviors. Only 3 subjects failed to rate at least one scenario with uncertainty, suggesting that most attended to situational factors in assessing greediness. Subjects were more certain in assessing behaviors? morality than greed, again suggesting that greed assessments are situationally moderated. Collectively, results suggest that for most people, whether or not an action is perceived as greedy depends on the situation and not merely on the action itself. In contrast, only 10-15% of subjects indicated that their feelings about persons/organizations would affect their likelihood of engaging in greed behaviors; that they would be less likely to engage in greed behaviors if this would cause material harm to others; and that their decisions to engage in greed behaviors would depend on their own needs. Thus, results further indicate that, for only a minority of persons, willingness to participate in greed behaviors varies based on situation. These findings contribute to the science of greed by clearly indicating that most persons assess the presence of greed using situational modifiers and not merely an action in itself, but that only a small percentage of persons would engage in greedy behaviors because of situational factors.

Potentially, the chronic pain condition can damage individuals, their families and society. Coping is a mechanism that has been proposed to help individuals maintain adaptive levels of functioning despite their chronic pain condition. With chronic pain being the condition of interest, this study explored the relationship between coping and adjustment. Of secondary interest was to examine the degree to which those individuals who identify Pain as their primary stressor differ from those who identify a Non-Pain stressor as primary. / Ninety one patients with chronic pain conditions were administered the Revised Ways of Coping Checklist, the Multidimensional Pain Inventory, and a demographics questionnaire. A multivariate multiple regression revealed that coping strategies accounted for approximately 32% of the variance of adjustment dimensions. Separate multiple regression analyses showed that the multivariate relationship can be attributed to the relationships between the five coping strategies and the dimensions of Affective Distress and Activity. Finally, a significant relationship was found between the coping strategy of Wishful Thinking and the adjustment dimension of Affective Distress. / In order to further understand the relationship between coping and adjustment, a canonical correlation was also conducted. One significant root emerged that was comprised of the coping strategies Blame Self, Wishful Thinking, and Avoidance that all loaded positively on the root and the adjustment dimensions of Affective Distress, that also loaded positively, and Support and Activity that loaded negatively. / Two separate multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were conducted to address the second research question regarding the differences between those individuals who identify Pain as their primary stressor from those that identify a Non-Pain stressor as primary. The overall MANOVAs comparing the groups were not significant, thus, the two groups did not appear to differ in terms of both coping and adjustment. / The findings were interpreted from a cognitive-behavioral perspective. From a research perspective the results shed light on the complex condition of chronic pain. From a practitioner point of view, they may provide guidance in the treatment of individuals in pain. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-08, Section: B, page: 3574. / Major Professor: F. Donald Kelly. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.

This dissertation offers a theoretical explanation for information technology implementation failure based on a learned helplessness approach to individual resistance. Numerous propositions and theories have often neglected the specific causes associated with why people resist technology at the micro-level. This dissertation has four purposes. The first is to review separately the literatures which have addressed information technology implementation failure and learned helplessness. The second is to integrate these two literatures into a theoretical perspective which addresses the failure/success of information technology through individual resistance/acceptance. The third is to present a research model which can be tested in a field setting involving an information technology implementation, and address the specific reasons why individuals resist or accept the technology. The fourth is to discuss the results of this research, including its limitations and to propose future research directions in the area of information technology implementation research. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-01, Section: B, page: 0479. / Major Professor: Mark J. Martinko. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.