Research findings across a variety of samples (e.g., clinical, shelter, hospital) estimate that 31% to 84% of women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) exhibit symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study sought to further investigate the abuse-trauma link by examining the relationship between lifetime trauma exposure, type of abuse (i.e., physical, psychological), and perspective-taking abilities (i.e., here-there, now-then). The role of experiential avoidance in the development of PTSD symptoms was also examined. Results indicated that lifetime trauma exposure (β = .31) and psychological abuse (β = .34) were significant predictors of PTSD symptomatology. Additionally, analyses revealed that experiential avoidance (β = .65) was a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms that partially mediated the relationship between IPV and PTSD symptomatology. Implications of findings are discussed as well as future suggestions for research examining type of IPV and PTSD.

The current study evaluated the effects of discrete trial training versus the effects of relational training on the acquisition and retention of skills in four children with autism. Using a multiple baseline design across subjects, participants were trained on the skills sequencing from longest to shortest, discriminating full versus empty versus half empty, tacting “you” versus “I,” and responding to reasons why people cry. One of the four participants acquired and retained the skill. Many factors effected the results for the other three participants. Participant 2 never met mastery criteria with relational training procedures. Participant 3 learned PEAK programming four times faster than DTT, however, when using PEAK with the original target, 10 days were required to score all points opposed to the four days DTT required. Participant 4 displayed similar performance results using DTT and PEAK. Implications and limitations will be discussed.

The present study evaluated the effects of utilizing derived relational responding protocols to teach non-arbitrary frames of opposition, comparison and distinction to two children with autism across tactile, auditory, and olfactory sensory modalities. Both participants were successful in demonstrating accurate responding across all skill programs, which included the demonstration of transfers of stimulus function. The results for both participants suggest that the programs were effective in fostering skill acquisition among individuals with ASD using the relational frames of opposition, distinction, and comparison by utilizing stimuli with sensory qualities of tactile, olfactory, and auditory modalities respectively.

This study was developed to provide information about the relationship of principals' use of Bolman and Deal's (1991) four frame model of leadership to student achievement. The collection and analysis of student Florida Comprehensive Assessment Testing (FCAT) data over a 2 year period served as a measure to indicate whether or not an increase in reading mean scale score occurred from 2004 to 2005. Comparative analysis of both sets of data using multiple regressions was used to determine if there was a relationship between the self-reported leadership orientations of the principals and student achievement. In addition, the study was intended to contribute to the quantitative data produced concerning the use of the four frames, multi-framing and reframing by elementary and secondary leadership. Principals in this study were surveyed concerning their use of the structural, human resource, political and symbolic frames of leadership using the Leadership Orientations (Self) instrument constructed by Bolman and Deal (1990). The only restriction concerning usability of the returned survey was that the principal had to be at the same school during the 2004 and 2005 school years. Of the 52 surveys returned, 42 (73%) formed the population for this study. This study found that the human resource frame was used most often but that 59% of the elementary teachers and 93% of the secondary teachers multi-framed on a regular basis. The study also found that that the use of the political frame and symbolic frame has increased. The self-reported data indicated no difference in effectiveness as a leader or as a manager, unlike previous data which indicated that leaders and managers worked from different frames to effect organizational policies. The analysis of data also indicated that there was no difference in frame use between elementary and secondary principals. The data indicated no relationship between the principals' frame usage and student achievement as measured by increases in FCAT Reading mean scale scores for the years 2004 and 2005. The implications of this finding are that there are other variables than use of the four frame model that contribute to an increase in FCAT mean scale scores. These emergent factors within and without the organization that is the public school system transcend what the data show in this case. Based on the findings of this study and supported by the literature review, it appears that school organizations could benefit leadership practice and possibly student achievement by providing training in the political and symbolic frames. It might also be perceived from the data, which indicated no relationship between principals' frame usage and student achievement, that leadership might begin to foster awareness of how successful principals' identify emergent patterns in the system. This ability to guide the diverse and constantly changing educational landscape toward positive adjustments in the system may be best served by those who are most adept at multi-framing and reframing to ensure student achievement.

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This research presents a comparative case study between the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the United State’s invasion of Iraq in 2003. It specifically examines how the two interventions were framed by the political executives. Frame theory and a qualitative content analysis served as theoretical­ and methodological benchmarks to assess selected speeches and public statements delivered by president George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin, in order to detect similar motives and justification patterns for the armed occupations. Four distinct war frames emerged from the text material: prevention, common good, state liability and imposed war. The results demonstrate that state leaders are prone to strategically communicate their military ambitions and legitimize their policy agendas through corresponding framing processes.

The present study used a basic behavioral paradigm derived from Relational Frame Theory (RFT), a contemporary behavioral account of language and cognition, to validate principle-based definitions of the cognitive interventions of defusion and reappraisal. Ninety-one participants first underwent an RFT learning paradigm that established symbolically generalized avoidance. Participants were then randomized to a defusion, reappraisal, or control condition. The main outcomes were equivalence responding—indicative of the trained relational network and analogous to the content of cognition—and avoidance—analogous to the behavioral impact of cognition. Defusion and reappraisal significantly reduced avoidance responding, providing support for the hypothesis that these interventions target the behavior of relational framing. Mediation analyses, conducted on an exploratory basis, revealed differences between the mechanisms of defusion and reappraisal and provided preliminary support for the classification of these interventions as a functional context intervention and a relational context intervention, respectively.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra M. Stith / This investigation explored a relatively understudied aspect of mindfulness: the experience of ninth graders in a public school classroom who practice a brief, daily mindfulness activity. The mixed-method study utilized both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Semi-structured interviews investigated the experience of those students and gleaned further information surrounding the question, ―What was the experience of mindfulness like for you?‖ The data from these interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis and was cross-coded by two outside researchers not part of the data collection. This study also explored the effects of classroom mindfulness activities through the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (Greco, Dew, & Baer, 2005). The participating students and a control group of students within the same school building and subject area took the measure before and after the study to determine the effects, if any, of participating in classroom mindfulness activities on adolescent mindfulness. These results were analyzed using paired sample T-tests using SPSS software. Results from both the interviews and the survey showed that students participating in the mindfulness activities had a consistently positive experience with the mindfulness exercise and increased their level of mindfulness. While unfamiliar with mindfulness at the beginning of the study, students in the experimental condition reported they found the experience beneficial in terms of personal growth, classroom environment, and adaption to other areas of their life. Any negative experiences concerning the mindfulness exercises centered around the initial unfamiliarity with mindfulness and specific components of one exercise. These results were further confirmed by the entries in a daily journal kept by the teacher.

Through examining the variables that contribute to the natural process of language and cognition, a promising path is paved for researchers to identify the variables that influence higher order skills, such as perspective taking, empathy and altruism. The current study implemented the PEAK Relational Training System Transformation Module Pre-Assessment Expressive portion (PEAK-T PA) as an objective behavior measure of relational framing complexity. Two additional self-report assessments were used with all subjects, including a multi-dimensional measure of empathy, referred to as the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ). A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between PEAK-T PA scores and IRI subscale scores. Additional Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine a relationship between PEAK-T scores and VLQ scores. A statistically significant relationship was determined between one of the relational frame subareas of the PEAK-T PA and the perspective taking IRI subscale scores. Results, limitations and future research areas associated with relational framing abilities are discussed.

Sweden has received critique from international organizations for its discrimination of indigenous rights. Even though there are conflicts taking place on the Swedish side of Sápmi, where the Sami people are fighting for their human rights as an indigenous people, there is at same time little or no research done on conflicts involving the Sami population, especially in the north of Sweden. Located on the Swedish side of Sápmi the Sami village Girjas has filed a lawsuit against the Swedish government for the hunting and fishing rights on the reindeer husbandry area of the Sami village territory. This lawsuit has led to a conflict that has been frequently discussed by the media. By applying Gray’s frame theory; “framebased resistance to collaboration”, this study aims to analyse the different stakeholders’ preferences and to focus on media´s framing of the conflict in order to deconstruct the issue and lay forward the affected stakeholders’ preferences, identity, characterisation and willingness to collaboration. The results of this study show that even though the conflict is being framed as polarized, attempts to reframing in order to aim for successful collaborations are starting to take place in the media. Moreover, the media perspective on the conflict has shifted from fuelling arguments from both sides of the conflict into embracing the Sami perspective by highlighting issues for the Sami population and criticizing discriminating and colonial norms held by the Swedish government and authorities. This result could mean that a postcolonial perspective has stated to dominate the media due to the fact that higher awareness and interest in the  Sami population’s fight for self-determination is developing in the public arena.