A computer-assisted language intervention program called Fast ForWord(R) (Scientific Learning Corporation, 1998) has received a great deal of attention over the past few years. The Scientific Learning Corporation claims that the use of Fast ForWord will improve students' language, reading and learning skills, leading to improved communication skills and increased self-esteem in and out of the classroom. Researchers have explored the effects of Fast ForWord training on reading and spoken language. However, little research has examined the effects on student's reading level and FFW scores when a reinforcement system is used in conjunction with FFW. This study was conducted in an effort to evaluate the effectiveness of a reinforcement system on increasing daily scores of students participating in the Fast ForWord Language Computer Program. An ABABAB reversal design was used to examine the effects of a reinforcement systems with six participants participating in the Fast Forword Language Program. Across the skills examined with the six participants, the results did not clearly demonstrate an effect for the reinforcement system. Implications for future research are discussed.

Finding of previous research has shown that disruptive behavior can impair students’ academic success (Pierce, Reid, & Epstein, 2004), as well as increase teacher’s stress level (Westling, 2010). Class Pass Intervention (CPI) is a Tier 2 intervention designed to decrease disruptive behavior and increase academic engagement, however, thus far research on the effects of CPI has been limited to typically developing elementary and high school students with escape and attention-maintained problem behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to replicate and extend previous research on the effects of CPI on problem behavior and academic engagement however with students whose problem behavior was multiply-maintained. The study used a multiple baseline design to assess experimental control. In the current study, CPI led to a decrease in problem behavior and increase in academic engagement for two students with ADHD and one student at risk of ADHD, all of whom engaged in problem behavior maintained by escape, access to attention, or both. In addition, results of a social validity assessment completed with teachers and students indicated that the intervention was effective and easy, respectively.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T10:55:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luciana Martins Soares.pdf: 6149797 bytes, checksum: 7b62e95f2fb71974c5c913ff0947646d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-01-30 / The aim of this work was to evaluate the application of a protocol of ambulatorial intervention, based in the Bobath neuro-developmental concept, associate or not it domiciliary intervention and/or use of positive reinforcement in twelve children with cerebral palsy level I, III and IV of the GMFCS (System of classification of the gross motor function). They had been used, the GMFM (Measure of gross motor function) and the postural evaluation, for evaluation of the children. The study it occurred in a period of six weeks. The final result showed that had positive answer the application of the protocol of ambulatorial intervention it independently of the type of association. The association of the protocol with the domiciliary intervention showed was better. Already the results of the association of the positive reinforcement to the interventions had not been conclusive. / O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a aplicação de um protocolo de intervenção ambulatorial, baseado no conceito neuroevolutivo Bobath, associado ou não a intervenção domiciliar e/ou uso de reforço positivo em doze crianças com paralisia cerebral nível I, III e IV do GMFCS (Sistema de classificação da função motora grossa). Foram utilizados, o GMFM (Medida de função motora grossa) e a avaliação postural, para avaliação das crianças. O estudo ocorreu num período de seis semanas. O resultado final mostrou que houve uma resposta positiva na aplicação do protocolo de intervenção ambulatorial independentemente do tipo de associação. A associação do protocolo com a intervenção domiciliar mostrou o melhor resultado. Já os resultados da associação do reforço positivo às intervenções não foram conclusivos.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:17:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andre Thiago Saconatto.pdf: 1335559 bytes, checksum: 26f7f51bb4867b698b5040f981b17a2b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The goal of this study was to create a experimental analogue of negative reinforcement in metacontingencies. To achieve this goal, were carried out two experiments which used academic students as participants which were distributed in generations of three subjects each and the most ancient one in the experimental session was exchanged by a naive one throughout the experiment and each exchange was caracterized as a generation change. Each participant had to perform a task, which was to insert numbers from zero to nine in the empty boxes on the program s screen. In the first experiment the points were obtained through positive reinforcement, the criterion to obtain points were that the sum of the numbers inserted by the participants with the numbers presented by the program resulted in a uneven number in each of the columns. The bonus operated in a negative reinforcement analogue, the criterion which avoided the bonus loss were that the sum of the numbers inserted by the participant, in the last two generations, a extinction phase was conducted. In the second experiment, the poins operated on negative reinforcement, the criterion which avoid the point loss were the same criterion which produced points in the first experiment. The bonus operated in a positive reinforcement analogue, the criterion which produced bonus was the same which avoided the bonus loss in the first experiment. The selection by/of metacontingencies occurred in the seventh generation on the first experiment and on the first generation on the second experiment. In both experiments in the extinction phases the interlocking contingencies which was selected did not occurred / O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar um análogo experimental de reforçamento negativo em metacontingências. Foram realizados dois experimentos com participantes universitários que foram distribuídos em gerações de três participantes cada e o participante mais antigo na sessão experimental era substituído por um participante ingênuo ao longo do experimento, e cada troca caracterizava uma mudança de geração. A tarefa de cada participante era inserir números de 0 a 9 nas janelas vazias na tela do programa. No primeiro experimento os pontos eram obtidos via reforçamento positivo, o critério para obtenção de pontos era que a soma dos números inseridos pelos participantes com os apresentados pelo programa fosse um número ímpar em cada uma das colunas. O bônus funcionava em um análogo de reforçamento negativo, o critério para que o bônus não fosse perdido foi a soma dos números digitados pelo participante da linhagem da esquerda tinha que ser menor que a soma dos números digitados pelo participante da linhagem do centro que deveria ser menor que a soma dos números digitados pelo participante da linhagem da direita, nas duas últimas gerações foram realizados fases de extinção. No segundo experimento, os pontos funcionavam em reforçamento negativo, o critério que evitava a perda de pontos foi o mesmo critério que produzia os pontos no primeiro experimento. Os bônus eram obtidos por um análogo de reforçamento positivo, o critério para obtenção de bônus era o mesmo que evitava a perda de bônus no primeiro experimento, neste experimento também foram conduzidos fases de extinção nas últimas gerações. A seleção de\por metacontingências ocorreu na sétima geração no experimento 1 e na primeira geração no experimento 2. Em ambos os experimentos nas fases de extinção o entrelaçamento selecionado deixou de ocorrer

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:17:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Patricia Nogueira Azevedo.pdf: 3065901 bytes, checksum: 01828ef21534ce60a06f95f4854b6812 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Plan contingencies of reinforcement in the school context involves a number of variables that must be analyzed and taken into account. Therefore, invest in the analysis of contingencies that produce effective teaching that can assist teachers in the exercise of its function becomes essential. This work aimed to investigate the effects of contingencies of positive reinforcement and punishment / negative reinforcement on the answer of children in arithmetic activities. The participants were eight students of 1st and 2nd years of elementary school. To perform the experiment was developed a computer application, with which participants perform arithmetic accounts (addition or subtraction) of two digits, no loan. The participants were divided randomly into four groups of two participants each, which underwent four experimental conditions, two baselines - addition or subtraction operations without reinforcement - and two experimental conditions - Positive Reinforcement with addition operation or Positive Reinforcement with subtraction operation and Negative Reinforcement with addition operation or Negative Reinforcement with subtraction operation. The number of accounts held and the amount of hits and misses of each participant in each session were assessed. The results showed that both contingency positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement can produce changes in the answer of the participants, that is, children learn when subjected to two types of contingencies tested in this study, it is not possible to claim that one produces better results than the other in terms of student learning. There was also an increase in the number of hits as much as the addition of the subtraction operations independently of the contingency effect. Identifies the need for more work to research the relationship between teaching conditions and their products, which can help in the development of new teaching procedures that favor learning / Planejar contingências de reforçamento no contexto escolar envolve uma série de variáveis que devem ser analisadas e levadas em consideração. Para tanto, investir na análise de contingências que produzam ensino efetivo que possa auxiliar professores no exercício de sua função torna-se imprescindível. Este trabalho teve o objetivo de investigar os efeitos de contingências de reforçamento positivo e de punição/reforçamento negativo sobre o responder de crianças em atividades de aritmética. Participaram da pesquisa oito alunos de 1º e 2º anos do ensino fundamental. Para realização do experimento foi desenvolvido um aplicativo de computador, com o qual os participantes realizam contas aritméticas (operações de soma ou subtração) de dois dígitos, sem empréstimo. Os participantes foram divididos, de forma aleatória, em quatro grupos de dois participantes cada, que passaram por quatro condições experimentais, sendo duas linhas de base - Operações de Soma ou Subtração sem reforçamento - e duas condições experimentais - Reforçamento Positivo com Operação de Soma ou Reforçamento Positivo com Operação de Subtração e Reforçamento Negativo com Operação de Soma ou Reforçamento Negativo com Operação de Subtração. Foram avaliadas a quantidade de contas realizadas e a quantidade de acertos e erros de cada participante a cada sessão. Os resultados demonstraram que tanto contingências de reforçamento positivo quanto negativo podem produzir alterações no responder dos participantes, ou seja, as crianças aprendem quando submetidas aos dois tipos de contingências testadas neste estudo, não sendo possível a afirmação de que uma delas produza melhores resultados do que a outra em termos da aprendizagem dos alunos. Verificou-se, também, um aumento no número de acertos tanto nas operações de soma quanto de subtração, independentemente da contingência em efeito. Identifica-se a necessidade de mais trabalhos que pesquisem a relação entre as contingências de ensino e seus produtos, o que pode ajudar no desenvolvimento de novos procedimentos de ensino que favoreçam o aprendizado

Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2018-04-20T17:07:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Gleidson Gabriel da Cruz.pdf: 1860995 bytes, checksum: 98f07f18dc37491c5f84df19580d783b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-20T17:07:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gleidson Gabriel da Cruz.pdf: 1860995 bytes, checksum: 98f07f18dc37491c5f84df19580d783b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-01 / An important discussion in the Behavior Analysis refers to the use of positive reinforcement and aversive control in learning vvith matching to sample tasks. The purpose of this study vvas to verify the effect of negative and positive reinforcement in learning. Twenty-three children between the ages of six and eight participated in this research experiment. Three conditions vvere established to bring consequence from the participants in the activities: positive reinforcement (SR+), negative reinforcement (SR- ), and both arrangement (SR+SR-), based on the consequences for the correct response in the training conditions, but punishment and extinction vvere also programmed for the incorrect responses. Videos vvere used as a reinforce during the study. In the tasks vvith positive reinforcement, the videos’ focus and volume vvere improved every time the participant selected the correct stimulus. In the tasks vvith negative reinforcement, every time the participant selected the correct stimulus, it avoided the deprivation of focus and volume in the video for the subsequent response. In the experimental activities that vvere taught vvith positive and negative reinforcement, the tvvo contingencies operated. The experimental task vvas based on matching to sample, vvith the objective of teaching the relations Chinese Symbol (A), written vvord (B), and image (C) and testing (symmetry, transitivity, and equivalence relations. The stimuli set (animais, number, and States) vvere used to teach relations (AB-AC, BA-CA, BC-CB). The participants vvere submitted to all experimental conditions. The experimental stages vvere pre-training, pre-test, training, post-test, and follow-up sixty days after the tests. The results shovved that the condition vvith SR- achieved the learning criteria vvith the fevvest number of trials, follovved by conditioning vvith SR+SR-, and SR+. In general terms, the results allovv for nevv inquiries both for positive reinforcement and aversive control. / Uma discussão importante na Análise do Comportamento refere-se aos efeitos do uso de reforço positivo e do controle aversivo na aprendizagem. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar o efeito do reforço negativo e positivo no aprendizado de relações arbitrárias em tarefa de escolha de acordo com o modelo. Participaram da pesquisa 23 crianças com idades entre seis e oito anos. Três condições foram delineadas para consequenciar as respostas dos participantes nos treinos: reforço positivo (SR +), reforço negativo (SR -), ou combinação de ambos (SR + SR - ) tendo como base as consequências apresentadas para as respostas corretas nos treinos, além de outras consequências de punição ou extinção programadas respostas incorretas. Foi feita uma avaliação de reforçadores em escolha forçada. Nas tarefas que foram ensinadas com reforço positivo, os vídeos melhoravam o foco e volume sempre que o participante selecionava o estímulo correto. Para as atividades com reforço negativo, sempre que o participante selecionava o estimulo correto, evitava com que o vídeo perdesse foco e volume para a resposta subsequente. Nas atividades experimentais que foram ensinadas com reforço positivo e negativo, as duas contingências estavam em vigor. Utilizou-se de tarefas experimentais de escolha de acordo com o modelo, com o objetivo de ensinar as relações entre Simbolo chinês ( A) e palavra escrita (B) e entre o simbolo e uma imagem (C) e testar relações de simetria, transitividade e equivalência. Três conjuntos de estímulos (animais, números e estados) foram utilizados no ensino das relações (AB-AC, BA-CA, BC-CB). Os participantes passaram por todas as condições experimentais. As fases experimentais foram, pré-treino, pré-teste, treino, pós-teste e follow-up com 60 dias. Os resultados demonstram que a condição com S-, os participantes atingiram o critério de aprendizagem mais rápido e com menor número de tentativas, seguida pela condição SR+SR-, e SR+. De maneira geral, os resultados possibilitam que novos procedimentos de investigação, possam ser delineados, tanto para a condição de reforço, tanto para condição de controle aversivo P+, P- SR-.

Despite an abundance of research on interventions to improve social skills of young children with intellectual disabilities (ID), there is limited research on interventions aimed at improving social skills of adults with ID. The purpose of this single-subject study was to evaluate the outcomes of the Behavioral Opportunities for Social Skills (BOSS) teaching program for adults with ID. The theoretical framework for this study was Skinner's operant conditioning which incorporates the principles of applied behavior analysis, reinforcement, and operant extinction. After direct support professionals were trained in the BOSS teaching program, research questions were used to determine (a) changes in the frequency of praise statements given by direct support professionals to adults with ID; (b) differences in the frequency of cooperative and polite behaviors of adults with ID; and (c) increases or decreases in the frequency of challenging behaviors exhibited by adults with ID. A multiple-baseline design across participants and settings was used to evaluate the behavioral changes. Prosocial behaviors of 3 adults with ID and 3 direct support professionals' delivery of specific praise statements showed visually discernable increases and large effect sizes (ES -?¥ 0.92). The outcomes of this study contribute to positive social change as demonstrated by the positive behavioral changes achieved by the adults with ID who increased their prosocial behaviors and the direct support professionals who increased their delivery of specific praise statements following the implementation of the BOSS teaching program.

Whilst there has been a recent increase in interest in using positive reinforcement training for laboratory-housed primates, there remains a reluctance to put into practice training programmes. Much of this reticence seems to stem from lack of expertise in the running of training programmes, and a perception that training requires a large time investment, with concurrent staff costs. The aim of this thesis was to provide practical recommendations for the use of training programmes in laboratories, providing primate users and carestaff with background information needed to successfully implement training programmes whilst improving the welfare of the animals in their care. Training was carried out with two species, cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) and common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in three different research laboratories to ensure practicability was as wide ranging as possible. Training success and the time investment required were closely related to the primate's temperament, most notably an individual's willingness to interact with humans, in both common marmosets and cynomolgus macaques. Age and sex however had no effect on an individual's trainability. The training of common marmosets was more successful than that with cynomolgus macaques, possibly due to differences in early experience and socialisation. Positive reinforcement training helped both species to cope with the stress of cage change or cleaning, with the monkeys showing less anxiety-related behaviour following the training programme than before. Involving two trainers in the training process did not affect the speed at which common marmosets learned to cooperate with transport box training, but behavioural observations showed that initial training sessions with a new trainer led to animals experiencing some anxiety. This however was relatively transient. Whilst the training of common marmosets to cooperate with hand capture was possible, there seemed little benefit in doing so as the monkeys did not show a reduced behavioural or physiological stress response to trained capture as compared to hand capture prior to training. However strong evidence was found that following both training and positive human interactions the marmosets coped better with capture and stress was reduced. It is recommended that an increased use of early socialisation would benefit laboratory-housed primates, and would also help improve the success of training. Further, the time investment required shows that training is practicable in the laboratory for both species, and that positive reinforcement training is an important way of improving their welfare likely through reducing boredom and fear.

Zoological institutions emphasise the importance of excelling in the areas of animal welfare, conservation, education, and research, not only to better the lives of the animals under their care, but to also influence the general population in the pursuit to conserve the natural world. As a result, zoo life is anything but simple. This research project monitored the lives of a captive group of chimpanzees over a two-and-a-half-year period, during which time we explored four research topics while assessing the development of a cognitive research programme and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) introductions in a zoo: welfare, cognition, public engagement with science, and animal management. The project’s use of touchscreen technology and on-exhibit research was the first of its kind for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo. As a result, the researchers placed a great deal of importance not only on assessing the welfare of the chimpanzees throughout training and testing phases, but also assessing the public’s perception of cognitive research being conducted through an internationally broadcast documentary about the project. In the short duration of the project, these research naïve chimpanzees did not fully grasp the concept of video selection in our free-choice activity, but overall, the introduction of a cognitive research programme did not compromise welfare, and the chimpanzees’ repeated interest suggests that chimpanzees found the research to be reinforcing. Partly funded by the BBC, the Chimpcam Project was shown in the UK (broadcast January 2010) and in a variety of other countries, including the United States and Canada (on Animal Planet in 2011). The broadcast allowed us to gather information over the internet on the wider public’s perception of conducting research with great apes in zoos, to complement data collected on visitors to the exhibit itself. Our assessment of the documentary’s impact on public perception showed that it had a positive influence on perceptions of zoo research, scientists, welfare, and the importance of choice for animals. During this research project, a new group of chimpanzees arrived in Edinburgh as part of the international breeding programme for western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus). As the zoo’s focus switched to helping the two chimpanzee groups merge into one, we took the opportunity to apply psychological research to this context, namely the use of video as a research tool and the recognition of the importance of individual differences in response to challenge. The project maintained the cognition and welfare focus by using video introductions (allowing the chimpanzees to watch video footage of the individuals they were about to meet and track the formation of other sub-groups). In addition, personality ratings and chimpanzee behaviour during the visual access period (an animal management technique used prior to physical introductions where the groups could see each other without physical contact) were collected to examine the efficacy of these measures in guiding introductions in order to reduce risk. Personality ratings and behaviours observed during the video introductions could predict the chimpanzees’ behaviour during the physical introductions, however, the visual access period had no predictive power. The welfare implications of the introduction process were also assessed and suggested that: the choice of location (i.e. options of where to be) was more important than the total amount of available space; having individuals removed from your group was more stressful than having individuals added; self-directed behaviour (SDB) performance was context-specific where rubbing significantly increased during periods of uncertainty that were not necessarily negatively valenced; regurgitation and reingestion (R/R) decreased over time; and both in-group members and those of high ranks spent more time grooming others. Overall our data indicate that the chimpanzees coped well with both cognitive challenges and social upheaval during introductions. Despite being regularly studied in captivity and in the wild, chimpanzees have a great deal more to teach us about their world. In order to provide the best welfare for the chimpanzees in our care, we need to understand how research and management practices affect their lives and how the public interpret what we do as researchers. By understanding these aspects of their world, we can better serve those in captivity and influence public opinion on the importance of conserving those in the wild.

Submitted by CLÉVERSON WESLEY CAVALCANTI null (cleversomagico@bol.com.br) on 2017-09-22T15:21:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Cléverson Wesley Cavalcanti - Dissertação de Mestrado - Profmat - Feira Matemágica.pdf: 59628461 bytes, checksum: a9fb17366d59cf9c3842dc317b23949d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Monique Sasaki (sayumi_sasaki@hotmail.com) on 2017-09-27T18:48:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 cavalcanti_cw_me_sjrp.pdf: 59628461 bytes, checksum: a9fb17366d59cf9c3842dc317b23949d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-27T18:48:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 cavalcanti_cw_me_sjrp.pdf: 59628461 bytes, checksum: a9fb17366d59cf9c3842dc317b23949d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Neste trabalho apresentamos a discussão, a fundamentação teórica, a organização e a implementação de uma feira de interação e exposição matemática no âmbito escolar, denominada Feira Matemágica. Apresentamos a discussão dos resultados obtidos através da implementação da feira em uma escola do interior do Estado de São Paulo, demonstrando os ganhos de aprendizagem dos alunos com relação a conceitos matemáticos abstratos que estão presentes na matriz curricular. Apresentamos também um roteiro detalhado para implementação do Projeto Feira Matemágica em escolas de Ensino Fundamental e Médio. / In this work we present the discussion, the theoretical foundation, the organization and the implementation of a fair of interaction and mathematical exposition in the school environment, called Mathematical Fair. We present the discussion of the results obtained through the implementation of the fair in a school in the interior of the State of São Paulo, demonstrating students' learning gains in relation to abstract mathematical concepts that are present in the curricular matrix. We also present a detailed script for the implementation of the Matemágica Fair Project in primary and secondary schools.