O presente trabalho teve por objetivo investigar o efeito de descrições verbais, acompanhadas ou não de operantes autoclíticos, sobre o desempenho de participantes adultos, em uma tarefa de escolha. Para isto, um delineamento de escolhas concorrentes foi planejado, sendo observado o padrão de preferência de cada participante entre alternativas de reforçamento menor e imediato ou maior e atrasado, durante um jogo de computador. Uma vez estabelecida a preferência, descrições verbais foram introduzidas, sendo avaliado se a inclusão de operantes verbais autoclíticos favoreceria ou não o controle pela descrição, verificado a partir da emissão de respostas contrárias ao padrão inicialmente estabelecido. Os resultados apontam que um padrão de preferência por reforçadores maiores e atrasados foi mais facilmente instalado do que a preferência por reforçadores menores e imediatos, quando um reforçador monetário foi utilizado. Para sete dos quinze participantes, a introdução das descrições produziu a reversão do padrão de preferência inicialmente estabelecido, independente da direção em que as escolhas estivessem sendo inicialmente realizadas. Quanto ao efeito produzido pela inclusão dos autoclíticos observa-se que, independente do tipo de autoclíticos apresentado (qualificador positivo X qualificador negativo), descrições acompanhadas por autoclíticos evocaram respostas de escolha dos participantes, particularmente entre aqueles que tivessem demonstraram preferência inicial por reforçamento maior e atrasado. Diante de descrições acompanhadas por operantes verbais autoclíticos o aumento no tempo para emissão da resposta também foi observado, sendo este efeito acentuado na presença dos qualificadores negativos. / The present study aimed to investigate the effect of verbal descriptions with or without autoclitic operants, upon the performance of adult participants in a choice task. To achieve it, a concurrent schedule design was planned, in which it was observed the preference pattern of each participant between the alternative of smaller and immediate reinforcement or large and delayed, during a computer game. Once the preference was established, verbal descriptions were introduced, and it was analyzed if the inclusion of autoclitic verbal operants would promote or not the control of the description, checked by the emission of responses contraries to the patter previously established. The results points to a major facility in the establishment of pattern of preference for larger and delayed reinforcers than smaller and immediate, when a financial reinforcer was used. Seven of the fifteen participants reverted their patter of preference with the inclusion of verbal descriptions, independently of the inicial preference pattern. On the effect produced by the inclusion of autoclitic it is noticed that independently of the type of autoclitic presented (positive qualifier X negative qualifier), descriptions accompanied by autoclitic evoked the choice responses, specially between those participants who demonstrated initial preference for large and delayed reinforcer. Once an autoclitic verbal operant was accompanying the descriptions, it was observed an increase in time for the emission of the response, which was even higher in the presence of negative qualifiers.

Parents with children diagnosed with autism face a variety of stressors. The typical approach to dealing with these stressors is pathological which focuses on the problem by attempting to eliminate or alleviate the stressors through counseling, behavioral therapy, tutoring, and/or drugs. The purpose of the current study was to assess an alternative approach, a constructional one, which focuses on solutions by teaching 3 parents to analyze their life, formulate goals, and develop programs to reach their goals building off of their strengths and assets. The by-product is the reduction or elimination of the stressors. The results suggest that the use of a constructional program is very effective in helping parents develop a new repertoire that will ultimately improve their overall quality of life.

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo investigar o efeito de descrições verbais, acompanhadas ou não de operantes autoclíticos, sobre o desempenho de participantes adultos, em uma tarefa de escolha. Para isto, um delineamento de escolhas concorrentes foi planejado, sendo observado o padrão de preferência de cada participante entre alternativas de reforçamento menor e imediato ou maior e atrasado, durante um jogo de computador. Uma vez estabelecida a preferência, descrições verbais foram introduzidas, sendo avaliado se a inclusão de operantes verbais autoclíticos favoreceria ou não o controle pela descrição, verificado a partir da emissão de respostas contrárias ao padrão inicialmente estabelecido. Os resultados apontam que um padrão de preferência por reforçadores maiores e atrasados foi mais facilmente instalado do que a preferência por reforçadores menores e imediatos, quando um reforçador monetário foi utilizado. Para sete dos quinze participantes, a introdução das descrições produziu a reversão do padrão de preferência inicialmente estabelecido, independente da direção em que as escolhas estivessem sendo inicialmente realizadas. Quanto ao efeito produzido pela inclusão dos autoclíticos observa-se que, independente do tipo de autoclíticos apresentado (qualificador positivo X qualificador negativo), descrições acompanhadas por autoclíticos evocaram respostas de escolha dos participantes, particularmente entre aqueles que tivessem demonstraram preferência inicial por reforçamento maior e atrasado. Diante de descrições acompanhadas por operantes verbais autoclíticos o aumento no tempo para emissão da resposta também foi observado, sendo este efeito acentuado na presença dos qualificadores negativos. / The present study aimed to investigate the effect of verbal descriptions with or without autoclitic operants, upon the performance of adult participants in a choice task. To achieve it, a concurrent schedule design was planned, in which it was observed the preference pattern of each participant between the alternative of smaller and immediate reinforcement or large and delayed, during a computer game. Once the preference was established, verbal descriptions were introduced, and it was analyzed if the inclusion of autoclitic verbal operants would promote or not the control of the description, checked by the emission of responses contraries to the patter previously established. The results points to a major facility in the establishment of pattern of preference for larger and delayed reinforcers than smaller and immediate, when a financial reinforcer was used. Seven of the fifteen participants reverted their patter of preference with the inclusion of verbal descriptions, independently of the inicial preference pattern. On the effect produced by the inclusion of autoclitic it is noticed that independently of the type of autoclitic presented (positive qualifier X negative qualifier), descriptions accompanied by autoclitic evoked the choice responses, specially between those participants who demonstrated initial preference for large and delayed reinforcer. Once an autoclitic verbal operant was accompanying the descriptions, it was observed an increase in time for the emission of the response, which was even higher in the presence of negative qualifiers.

Self-control has been defined as the ability to override or alter an automatic response. Past research has suggested that those who are higher in the personality trait neuroticism display poorer self-control. Based on theory suggesting that self-control is a limited resource, the present study attempts to explain the relationship between neuroticism and self-control. Understanding that neuroticism is characterized by emotional instability, it follows that individuals high in neuroticism must exert more self-control in managing their negative moods, thus leaving them depleted for future acts of self-control. Participants (n = 84) completed measures of trait self-control, engaged in an emotional regulation task, and then completed measures of state self-control, affect, and rumination. Results revealed no significant effect of emotional regulation on state self-control, nor a significant effect of neuroticism on state self-control. The implications of these findings are discussed.

abstract: Criminological theories have long incorporated personality traits as key explanatory factors and have generally relied on assumptions of trait stability. However, growing evidence from a variety of fields including criminology, psychology, and neurobiology is demonstrating that personality traits are malleable over the life-course, and substantial individual variation exists in the developmental patterns of personality traits over time. This research is forcing criminologists to consider how and why “enduring” individual characteristics may change over the life course in ways that are meaningfully related to offending. Two traits that have been consistently linked to offending and conflated in key criminological theories (i.e. Gottfredson and Hirschi’s self-control theory), impulsivity and sensation seeking, have recently been shown to be independent personality traits with different normative maturational timetables and biological underpinnings. This dissertation extends this work by examining developmental patterns of impulsivity and sensation seeking and social sources of variation in these traits with the Family and Community Health Survey, a longitudinal data set that consists of approximately 900 African American youth and their families followed from late childhood to their late-twenties. Multiple longitudinal modeling methods are employed (hierarchical linear modeling and group-based trajectory modeling) to address this research agenda. Results from this dissertation lead to four broad conclusions. First, and in support of existing research, there is substantial variability in developmental trajectories of impulsivity and sensation seeking. Average developmental trajectories of these traits greatly mask the degree of individual variability in developmental patterns that exists. Second, social factors are significantly associated with levels of impulsivity and sensation seeking. Socio-environmental experiences characterized by hostility and unsupportiveness are generally associated with elevated levels of impulsivity and sensation seeking while socio-environmental experiences characterized by warmth and supportiveness are associated with lower levels of impulsivity and sensation seeking. Third, sex differences in developmental patterns of impulsivity are nonexistent while sex differences in developmental patterns of sensation seeking are significant. Finally, with few exceptions, predictors of trait levels operate in a general fashion such the same factors typically explain both male and female trait levels and produce similar effects on impulsivity and sensation seeking. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Criminology and Criminal Justice 2019

Cette thèse porte sur la motivation ou engagement cognitif de l’étudiant vietnamien dans ses études. Selon le constat de plusieurs universitaires, au début, une grande partie d’étudiants s’engagent dans leurs études avec de très bons résultats, mais au fil des ans, la motivation des étudiants décroît sensiblement et le non-engagement tend à augmenter progressivement. Selon la littérature scientifique, la motivation d’un apprenant est intrinsèque mais influencée par bon nombre de facteurs externes. Dans le contexte socio-éducatif du Vietnam, ce travail cherche à répondre à deux questions suivantes : (i) Entre les deux groupes de facteurs pédagogiques et sociaux, lequel expliquerait le mieux le découragement de l’étudiant dans ses études ? (ii) Si ces deux groupes ont chacun des influences importantes, quels éléments de chaque groupe expliqueraient le mieux ce découragement ? Pour ce faire, nous effectuons 32 entretiens semi-directifs auprès des étudiants de 3e et de 4e année (Licence) en S.H.S et 6 auprès des enseignants. Les résultats de l’enquête, à travers l’analyse plutôt qualitative des données, montrent que les deux groupes de facteurs en question ont chacun des influences sur la démotivation de l’étudiant, et que les facteurs sociaux l’emportent légèrement sur les facteurs pédagogiques. Ces résultats identifient également huit éléments démotivants d’ordre pédagogique et social les plus puissants sur lesquels les analyses profondes menées permettent de conclure que le non-engagement de l’étudiant dans ses études est la conséquence inéluctable des erreurs systémiques gisant en profondeur de la gouvernance de l’éducation et de la société. / This dissertation explores Vietnamese students’ motivation or engagement in their studies. Many university lecturers notice that initially a great proportion of students are active in their learning and achieve high results. However, their motivation dropped sharply over time, and the disengagement from learning increased gradually. According to the literature, a learner’s motivation is intrinsic, but it can be affected by a number of external factors. Situated within Vietnam’s socio-educational context, this dissertation answers the two following questions: (i) Between the two groups of pedagogical and social factors, which one can best explain students’ demotivation in their studies ?(ii) If both groups have significant influences, what factors in each group can cause students’ demotivation ? To answer the questions, 32 semi-structured interviews with third- and fourth- year students majoring in humanities and social sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) and 6 with lecturers were conducted. The results, mainly through the qualitative analysis of the collected data, showed that both aforementioned groups of factors affected students’ learning demotivation, with the social factors outweighing the pedagogical factors. The results also revealed eight pedagogical and social factors that contributed to causing learning demotivation the most. The results also indicated that students’ learning disengagement was an inevitable consequence of systematic errors having existed in educational and social management mechanism.

The overarching goal of this study was to examine whether perceptions of others’ free will would differ depending on perceiver race as well as target race. The current study proposed that such a racial bias may be one mechanism by which racial disparities in medical treatment recommendations arise. By bridging findings from four different lines of research (i.e., the literatures on racial health and medical treatment disparities, racial bias, free will beliefs, and social identity), it was hypothesized that: (1) participants would perceive greater amounts of free will for a hypothetical racial ingroup patient than an outgroup patient; (2) such effect would be moderated by participant racial identity and/or racial bias, such that greater racial identity and/or ingroup racial bias would result in greater differences in racial ingroup vs. racial outgroup members’ free will; and (3) greater perception of the patient free will would indirectly affect treatment recommendation for the patient through increased perceived patient self-control. In order to test these hypotheses, the study used a 2 (Participant race: Black vs. White) x 2 (Target race: Black vs. White) x Continuous (Racial Identity/Racial Attitudes) between-subjects design, in which target race was manipulated experimentally. The results indicated that Black participants’ perceptions of patient free will was moderated by both racial identity and racial bias. Specifically, those who weakly identified with their racial group perceived a greater amount of free will in the White target patient than the Black target patient. Also, Black participants who displayed pro-White racial bias, a greater amount of free in the White target patient than the Black target patient. These moderating effects of racial identity/racial bias were not found for the White participants. Also, patient free will had an indirect effect on treatment recommendation by way of perceived patient self-control, such that perceived free positively predicted the more rigorous of two treatments. Limitations of the current research include the undergraduate college student sample, the use of a general measure of racial identity, and the use of the old IAT algorithm. Future work should examine empirically whether findings from the present study can be generalized to provider samples.

The goals of present study were: (a) to examine associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and telomere length during childhood using ACE composite scores both with and without “new” adversities (i.e., parental death and poverty), and (b) to determine if ACEs indirectly affect telomere length through children’s self-regulatory abilities (i.e., effortful control and self-control). The analytic sample consisted of national data from teachers, biological parents, and their children (N = 2,527; Mage = 9.35, SD = .36 years; 52% male; 45% Black). Results from linear regression analyses revealed a statistically significant main effect of updated (but not traditional) ACEs on child telomere length, controlling for hypothesized covariates, although the additional amount of variance explained by ACEs was negligible. Results from mediation analyses revealed an indirect effect of ACEs on child telomere length through self-control, assessed via a teacher-reported Social Skills Rating System, but not effortful control. While longitudinal studies are needed to strengthen claims of causation, the present study clarifies the association between ACEs and telomere length during middle childhood, and identifies a pathway from ACEs to changes in telomere length that should be explored further.

Narcissism has increased in the past 3 decades. Entitlement is a component of narcissism, and substantial research indicates that entitlement is associated with negative behaviors such as aggression, relationship conflict, incivility, and unreasonable expectations in the workplace, learning environments, and relationships. Despite such findings, factors such as self-control, work ethic, and self-efficacy that might explain the variance in entitlement in adolescents has received little investigation. Social cognitive theory indicates that continuous reciprocal relationships exist between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. The study employed cross-sectional survey research to gather data from 118 students in Grades 10, 11, and 12 in the United States. A multiple regression was used to investigate whether each of self-control, as measured by the Self-Control Scale; work ethic, as measured by the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile-Short Form; and self-efficacy, as measured by the General Self-Efficacy Scale, explained unique variance in the criterion variable entitlement, as measured by the Psychological Entitlement Scale, and a correlational analysis was used to examine the relationships between the variables. Self-control and work ethic displayed statistically significant negative correlations with entitlement, and each explained unique variance in entitlement. Self-efficacy was not a predictor of entitlement. The findings indicate that parents, teachers, and practitioners should design interventions aimed to increase work ethic and increase self-control to curb entitlement and its negative effects.

Three treatments designed to reduce the consumption of alcohol by native American high school students were assessed and compared. Selfreferred and staff-referred clients were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: (1) alcohol education and a peer-assisted selfcontrol procedure, (2) a peer-assisted self-control procedure, and (3) a self-monitoring only procedure. All three treatments were conducted by trained peer counselors for 14 weeks. The alcohol education and peer-assisted self-control and the peer-assisted self-control demonstrated reductions in peak blood alcohol concentration, frequency of drinking incidents, and alcohol consumption. The self-monitoring only group demonstrated changes only in frequency of drinking incidents. No significant differences were found between the three treatment programs. Alcohol knowledge was found not to differ between groups and was not found to be related to changes in any of the drinking parameters. Selfesteem changes were found to be highest for Group 2 and were found to relate to changes in all the drinking parameters. Permissive versus abstinence attitudes were not found to differ between groups, but for all subjects higher abstinence attitude scores were found to be significantly related to decreases in peak blood alcohol concentration.