Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2003. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 64-01, Section: B, page: 0402. Chair: Cynthia Rosengard.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2003. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 64-01, Section: B, page: 0403.

<p> Modeling, a process by which a learned behavior is observed and imitated, has been demonstrated to be effective in the acquisition of skills. Several factors appear to enhance or detract from the effect a model has on subsequent observer behavior and contradictory findings have been reported based on the type of model used. A less explored factor is the impact of correct and incorrect models as often employed in parent training packages when teaching skills that are to be acquired by the observer. To further investigate, the current study compared the effectiveness of correct and incorrect video models using an empirically supported treatment for child behavior problems: The Incredible Years. Using a fairly minimal, and mostly remote intervention 5 out of 6 participants improved from baseline sessions. Several areas of future research are presented for modeling and parent training to assess effectiveness of model types and treatment programs used.</p>

abstract: Previous research suggests that the relation between sport participation and alcohol use is positive, but small in size. Few explanations for this positive relation have been empirically tested. Theories denote that the relation between sport participation and alcohol use is explained by peers and that the relation varies based on the models adolescents are exposed to. This study tested mediators (popularity and friends' alcohol use) and moderators (sport-focus, teammates' alcohol use, gender, popularity, and friends' alcohol use) for the relation between sport participation and alcohol use. Analyses were conducted through path models in Mplus v5.1. The sample included 48,390 adolescents (mean age=15.8 years; 51% female) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. In the self-administered in-school questionnaire, adolescents reported on their activity participation, alcohol use, friendship nominations, and demographic characteristics. Friend indicators were based on friends' self-reported alcohol use. Results suggested that popularity mediated, but did not moderate the relation between sport participation and alcohol use. In contrast, friends' alcohol use moderated, but did not mediate this relation. The relation was positive and strongest for sport-focused adolescents, and for adolescents whose teammates and sport friends used high levels of alcohol. The findings of this study suggest athletes are at an elevated risk for alcohol use, but not all athletes drink. Peers are important predictors, such that, sport participation may be related to alcohol use, partially, because it promotes adolescents' social status. The sport context is also important, such that, athletes are more likely to use alcohol if they are highly involved in sports, and they have sport friends and teammates who drink. Specific types of athletes, such as popular athletes, should be targeted for alcohol use interventions. Intervention programs should also be designed to capture specific aspects of the sport context, such as teams without no tolerance substance use policies, and highly competitive or stressful sports. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Family and Human Development 2011

IMPORTANCE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a growing healthcare challenge that affects an estimated 1 in 68 children in the US. Early intervention can lead to improved long-term outcomes but access to these services is dependent on diagnosis. Diagnostic assessments are costly and time-consuming, making it impractical to conduct wide-scale assessments. Screening instruments such as the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2) have been developed to efficiently screen for children who should be referred for full clinical assessment. The validity of the SCQ and the SRS-2 autism screening instruments has not yet been tested in a predominantly urban low-income minority population with lower education levels and high immigrant/English as second language prevalence. Additionally, current research suggests that children with lower socioeconomic status and children in ethnic minority groups may be underdiagnosed with ASD, which underscores the importance of an effective screening method for these underrepresented groups. Minority children are typically diagnosed with ASD at a later age than white children, which leads to a delay in critical early intervention services. OBJECTIVE: We wish to examine the effects of age, gender, ethnicity, preterm birth, maternal primary language, maternal nativity, and maternal education on the validity of the SCQ-Current and the SRS-2 for pediatric patients at Boston Medical Center. A modified screening administration process was developed to account for the higher English as a second language speakers and lower-literacy rates in this population; as such, we are also examining the validity of the screening instruments when administered under this modified procedure. This study will also examine the ability of the two screening instruments to distinguish between autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, and other developmental delays. DESIGN: The SCQ-Current and the SRS-2 screening instruments were incorporated into the existing Children's Health Study, a subset of the Boston Birth Cohort. SETTING: Boston Medical Center pediatric outpatient clinics PARTICIPANTS: A total of 108 mother-child pairs completed the SCQ-Current and the SRS-2 between September 2014 and January 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: SCQ-Current Total score; SRS-2 Total raw score; Diagnosis status of autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, or other developmental delays. RESULTS: There were six cases of diagnosed autism spectrum disorder in our sample. Both screening measures were able to distinguish between ASD and non-ASD. The SCQ had a specificity of 0.833 and sensitivity of 0.892 at an optimal cut-off score of ≥ 11 (area under the curve =0.909). Boys, preterm/low-birth weight children, children of US-born mothers, and those with other developmental diagnoses were more likely to fail the SCQ, despite not having an ASD diagnosis. The SRS-2 had a specificity of 1.0 and sensitivity of 0.961 at an optimal cut-off score of ≥ 85 (0.971). Children of US-born mothers and those with other developmental diagnoses were more likely to fail the SRS-2, despite not having an ASD-diagnosis. The measures also showed good discriminative validity (area under the curve = 0.837 for SCQ, area under the curve = 0.94 for SRS-2) for ASD vs. intellectual disability/developmental delay, though not as strong as that for the entire sample. Child's age, ethnicity, maternal primary language, and maternal education did not affect the validity of the screening measures. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, the SCQ and the SRS-2 were valid for use in our predominantly low-income urban minority population with high preterm prevalence when combined with a modified administration process. Further research with larger sample size should be conducted to generalize these findings.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, as well as restricted behaviors and interests. Individuals with ASD also display higher incidence of comorbid medical conditions such as seizure disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and gastrointestinal issues. Accordingly, individuals with ASD often require more frequent medical encounters and utilize a wider range of services than those with normal development. Despite this increase in medical attention, there still exists a pervasive lack of knowledge on how to best care for this complex patient population. Even among well-equipped providers, the communicative impairments seen in ASD may complicate a patient’s ability to understand explanations and instructions provided by clinicians. Furthermore, hypersensitivities to auditory, visual, and other sensory stimuli common in the hospital setting may make it difficult for patients with ASD to tolerate necessary testing and/or treatment procedures. The ASD Friendly Ethnographic Study was designed with these concerns in mind, and aims to identify and describe barriers to care faced by patients with ASD as they seek outpatient treatment across several clinical departments at the Boston Medical Center (BMC). Unlike previous studies which have relied on self-reported assessments from parents and clinicians, our study employs ethnographic methods to observe firsthand how the hospital environment may exacerbate symptoms of ASD and compromise effective medical care for these patients. Our research team followed several ASD patients during visits at BMC and took detailed fieldnotes describing patient behavior, caregiver interaction, and provider response. Subsequent coding and analysis of these notes hopes to reveal the most meaningful barriers faced by patients with ASD, as well as techniques used to mediate or avoid these complications. We hope that further discussion of these results will inform best practices for treatment of ASD and guide future research on the subject. / 2018-08-10

abstract: PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify whether increased Pokémon GO use resulted in increased daily steps, compared to days when an individual did not play. In addition, this study examined Pokémon GO as a use case for for the study of gamification, particularly whether traditionally identified game mechanics in gamification literature were successfully identified as elements players enjoy when playing Pokémon GO. METHODS: A mixed methods approach, with 17 participants taking part in a daily physical activity tracking study and 14 participants participating in semi-structured interviews. In the use study, participant steps were tracked for one week using the Apple Health Kit application, and participants were also asked to provide daily answers to a variety of questions assessing game preferences and daily use of Pokémon GO - using the application called PACO. The semi-structured interviews examined self-reported physical activity, and asked questions pertaining to use of Pokémon GO, such as motivation to play. RESULTS: Results assessed by t-test indicate a small but non-significant trend towards increased steps taken on days when a participant played vs. did not play (t(72)=- .56, p=.57, mplay=5,0153220, mnonplay=4,5152,959). This was confirmed with a mixed model test showing that when controlling for time and participant’s baseline level of steps, there was no significant effect on steps/day. Results from the daily surveys and also the semi-structured interviews, indicated that nostalgia (i.e., catching ones’ favorite childhood Pokémon), was a strong motivator for many to play the game, which was counter to theoretical expectations. In line with previous theory, results suggested that operant conditioning principles appeared to be at work in terms of fostering game play use. DISCUSSION: Results of this study, which was a primarily hypothesis generating endeavor, indicated possible trends toward increased steps on days when a person plays Pokémon G), but - with such a small sample, and short-term length of study - no firm conclusions can be drawn. Further, results indicate the particular value of nostalgia as a driver towards game play for Pokémon GO. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness 2016

abstract: Health care in the United States has been undergoing significant changes since the 2010 passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. One of the outcomes of this policy was an attempt to bring physical health care and behavioral health care together in an effort to provide more coordinated care for patients. This change created an opportunity to improve the quality of care for patients, and as a result reduce high cost emergency service that could be prevented through better maintenance of chronic conditions. Three studies were conducted to examine challenges behavioral health agencies face in implementing two models of coordinated care (co-located and fully integrated), staff and organization capacity and needs, and patient service utilization by model of care coordination. The first study used site visits and interviews to capture the challenges faced by agencies. Results from this study indicated that behavioral health agencies faced a number of challenges in providing coordinated care including financial barriers, regulations, information sharing, inadequate technology, and provider training needs. The second study used a staff survey to assess agency and staff capacity and needs in providing coordinated care. The results from this study found differences in capacity based on model of coordination in multiple dimensions related to inter-agency coordination and communication, role clarity, and team cohesion. The third study examined patient service utilization for outpatient visits, inpatient visits, and emergency visits. The results indicated that patients receiving care from co-located agencies were more likely to have at least one encounter in each of the three service utilization categories compared to patients at fully integrated agencies. Overall, the three studies suggest that agencies that have or will implement models of coordinated care face significant barriers that may impact the sustainability or feasibility of such care. Given the findings on patient service utilization, it seems that coordinated care has great potential for patient level outcomes which makes addressing agency barriers even more critical. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Social Work 2017

abstract: Real time project management has been underutilized as a tool to help youth grow personally and professionally. The thesis Real Time Project Management (PM) for Youth from Low Income Single Parent Households develops a study that seeks to result in a higher percentage of youth attending and completing college. The concept is to have youth from low income single parent households work as project managers each summer doing real time small projects for private companies. The youth would start at age 14 and conclude at age 18. They would do five summers of project management, managing small projects each summer while learning not only about project risks, budgets, scheduling, resources, supply chain logistics and relationships that each project encompasses, but also about communication skills, mathematics and science, selfdiscipline and professional behavior, and teamwork. This thesis develops and details the Real Time Project Management for Youth from Low Income Single Parent Households concept and introduces a potential structure and path for its testing and implementation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Construction Management 2018

<p> The present study attempted to establish a flashing or solid red light as a surrogate conditioned motivating operation (CMO-S) by pairing the light with the unconditioned motivating operation (UMO) of heat. The effects of the red light were assessed by an ABAB reversal design for three participants and an ABA reversal design for one participant. Baseline sessions consisted of presenting the red light in the absence of the UMO of heat to assess for any behavioral effects of the red light before and after pairing with the UMO of heat. Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) was recorded for all participants as an indirect measure of sweating. Additional dependent variables and the ambient temperature for each participant&rsquo;s UMO of heat were identified through a temperature and response assessment. The additional dependent variable was drinking water for Participants 2&ndash;4 and throat clearing for Participant 1. Results suggest that the flashing red light may have been conditioned as a CMO-S for Participants 2 and 3. Participant 4 did not consume any water during any baseline session, suggesting that the solid red light did not function as a CMO-S after pairing. Results for Participant 1 suggests that throat clearing was controlled by additional unknown variables and was not evoked by the UMO of heat. Results potentially supporting the CMO-S should be interpreted cautiously given study limitations involving temperature control and the extent that the UMO of heat was clearly demonstrated for each participant. </p><p>