O objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar variáveis relevantes no ensino de leitura via o paradigma de equivalência, sobretudo na emergência do controle por unidades menores e leitura recombinativa. Por meio do software EQUIV foram ensinadas relações entre a palavra ditada e impressa (AC) e entre a palavra ditada e a respectiva figura (AB); em seguida eram testadas (1) as relações de equivalência entre figura-palavra impressa (BC) e palavra impressa-figura (CB), e (2) a leitura de novas palavras, formadas pela recombinação das unidades menores presentes nas palavras ensinadas previamente. A variável manipulada na presente pesquisa foi a solicitação para emissão de um comportamento textual nos treinos com tentativas AC. Oito crianças (quatro no grupo controle) participaram do programa, com 21 fases experimentais divididas em quatro tipos básicos: Pré-Teste , Pré-Treino, Treinos e Testes (04 palavras eram ensinadas, 08 ensinadas e testadas e 04 apenas testadas). Depois de aprenderem três conjuntos formados por quatro palavras (compostas por letras e sílabas sistematicamente recombinadas), os participantes mostraram aquisição de leitura com compreensão de palavras e sílabas, recombinação de unidades menores e leitura recombinativa em performances próximas de 100% de acertos. Os Pré e Pós-testes também mostraram que todos os participantes foram capazes de desenvolver o repertório de nomear palavras e sílabas as quais não eram capazes de nomear anteriormente. Entretanto, a comparação entre dois grupos (controle e experimental) sugeriu que a emissão de comportamento textual durante a tarefa não foi uma variável crítica sobre a emergência do controle por unidades menores e leitura recombinativa, já que os resultados foram estatisticamente semelhantes. Conclui-se que, conforme apontam os estudos prévios de Hübner e Hübner e Matos, o número de conjuntos de palavras treinado (o que envolve o treino de múltiplos exemplares) e a forma como as unidades menores que a palavra são recombinadas sistematicamente ao longo do procedimento são as variáveis mais importantes envolvidas na leitura recombinativa e no controle por unidades menores. / The objective of the present study was to verify relevant variables in the teaching of reading through equivalence paradigm, mainly in the emergence of the control by minimal units emergence and recombinative reading. Using the EQUIV software, relations between oral-printed word (AC) and between the oral word-picture were taught (AB). After that, were tested: (1) relations between picture-printed word (BC) and between printed word-picture (CB); and (2) the reading of novel words, which are composed by the minimal units of the words taught previously. The variable manipulated on the present research was a textual behavior request in the AC training trials. Eight children (four on control group) participated in the program, which consists of 21 experimental phases divided in four basic types: pre-test, pre-training, training and tests (04 words were taught, 08 words were taught and tested and 04 words were only tested). After learning three sets of 04 words (composed by letters and syllables systematic recombined), participants showed acquisition of reading comprehension with word and syllable, recombination of minimal units and recombinative reading in closer to 100% correct performances. Pretests and posttests showed that all participants developed the repertoire of oral naming words and syllables that they weren\'t able to name before. Nevertheless, comparison between the two groups suggested that textual behavior request wasn\'t a critical variable over the emergence of control by minimal units and recombinative reading, since both results are statistically similar. It seems to be, according to Hübner and Matos and Hübner previous studies, that the number of word sets trained (which involves multiple exemplars training) and the systematic recombination of minimal units used during procedure are the most important variables involved in recombinative reading and minimal units control.

Abstract The activity of neurons is critically dependent upon the suite of voltage-dependent ion channels expressed in their membranes. In particular, voltage-gated K+ channels are extremely diverse in their function, contributing to the regulation of distinct aspects of neuronal activity by shaping the voltage responses. In this study the role of K+ channels in neural coding is investigated in Drosophila photoreceptors by using biophysical models with parameters derived from the electrophysiological experiments. Due to their biophysical properties, the Shaker channels attenuate the fast transients and amplify the slower signal components, enabling photoreceptors to use their voltage range more effectively. Slow delayed rectifier channels, shown to be encoded by the Shab gene, activate at high light intensities, thereby attenuating the light-induced depolarization and preventing response saturation. Activation of Shab channels also reduces the membrane time constant making it possible to encode faster events. Interactions between the voltage-gated K+ channels and the currents generated by the light induced conductance (LIC) were investigated during naturalistic stimulation in wild type and Shaker mutant photoreceptors. It is shown that in addition to eliminating the Shaker current, the mutation increased the Shab current and affected the current flowing through the LIC. Part of these changes could be attributed to direct feedback from the Shaker channels via the membrane potential. However, it is suggested that also other changes may occur in the LIC due to mutation in K+ channels, possibly during photoreceptor development. Comparison of the Shaker and Shab mutant photoreceptors with the wild type revealed that a concurrent decrease in the steady-state input resistance followed from deletion of the voltage-gated K+ channels. This allowed partial compensation of the compression and saturation caused by the loss of Shaker channels and it maintained the characteristics of the light-voltage relationship in Shab mutant photoreceptors. However, wild type properties were not fully restored in either mutant. Indeed, decreased input resistance results in reduced efficiency of neural processing, assessed by the metabolic cost of information. Results of this study demonstrate the importance of the voltage-gated K+ channels for neural coding precision and highlight the robustness of neuronal information processing gained through regulation of the electrical properties.

The present study determined how object-based alignment effects are influenced by the arrangement of the stimuli and response options. It is well established that the magnitude of these effects differ depending on the mode of responding. This finding has often been used to support claims that viewing photograph images of graspable objects can automatically trigger motor representations, regardless of the intentions of the observer. Our findings instead suggest that the distinction between response modes is primarily a difference in response discriminability. More importantly, it was found that this influence of response discriminability works in a completely opposite manner, dependent on the technique used to center the frying pan stimuli. Pixel-centered stimuli produced a handle-based alignment effect that was enhanced under conditions of high response discriminability. Object-centered stimuli produced a body-based alignment effect that was diminished under conditions of high-response discriminability. These findings provide overwhelming evidence that qualitatively different principles govern the alignment effect found with pixel-centered and object-centered stimuli. Crucially, these finding also provide strong evidence against the notion that motor representations are triggered by images of graspable objects in the absence of an intention to act. / Graduate

This work investigated the effects of various stressors on auditory speech processing using speech-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR). This work was carried out in three distinct studies: (1) the effects of stimulus rate and noise on the speech-evoked ABR, (2) the effects of direct, early, and later-arriving speech reflections on the speech-evoked ABR, and (3) the effects of self-masking and overlap masking in a reverberant environment using speech-evoked ABR. Results from the first study indicate a complex interaction of fast stimulus rate and noise on the speech-evoked ABR. In particular, dissociation was found between electrophysiological responses to the envelope and the responses to the temporal fine structure or transient waves. The main finding from the second study is that direct sound and early reflections produce similar speech-evoked ABR, while the response to late reverberation shows different characteristics. Results from the third study indicate that severe reverberation significantly weakened the ABR when compared to anechoic or moderate reverberation, while moderate reverberation significantly enhanced the ABR when compared to anechoic speech. Overall, the new findings from this research shed light on the effects of stressors such as noise, increased stimulus rate, and reverberation. Up until now, these effects have mostly been studied perceptually. Our research demonstrates that these effects can be studied electrophysiologically using speech-evoked brainstem responses. This method of investigation permits the probing of particular stages of the auditory pathway and evaluating how neural activity in response to specific elements of speech, such as the fundamental frequency and formants, is affected by different stressors.

Behavior analysts refer to a decrease in response rate following repeated, contingent presentations of a reinforcing stimulus as a product of satiation. Other evidence suggests that these decreases may often be due to habituation to the sensory properties of the reinforcing stimulus. The investigation reported here sought to determine whether decreases in operant responding by 3 adults with developmental disabilities were due to satiation or habituation. During baseline, participants placed poker chips into a container, and no reinforcement was available. Within subsequent phases, participants received diet lemon-lime soda on a fixed-ratio (FR) schedule of reinforcement. In one condition, the color of the soda was constant throughout the session, and in another condition food coloring was added several minutes into the session. Results for at least 2 participants indicated that: (a) soda functioned as a reinforcer for placing poker chips in the can; (b) response rates decreased within the session to baseline levels; and (c) response rates increased following a change in the color of the soda within the session. Results for the third participant were less clear. The results support the argument made by other researchers that the terms habituation (a weakening of a behavior following contact with the reinforcing stimulus) and stimulus specificity (a strengthening of a behavior following a change in the reinforcing stimulus) may be more appropriate descriptors of within-session changes in responding. The factors associated with habituation and satiation, as well as both basic and applied research examples, are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in the stimulus value of the Bender Gestalt designs. It is concerned with both differences in structural values and affective values of the nine figures. The investigation is primarily concerned with the reliability of such differences, and secondarily with the general nature of the differences in stimulus value.

This study compared results of two experiments that tested transfer of function in stimulus equivalence classes in a task dissimilar to (in Experiment I) and similar to (in Experiment II) the task that trained functional responding. Eleven students from UNT participated in return for monetary compensation. Phase 1 and 2 were identical in the two experiments, in which they established stimulus equivalence classes and functional responding, respectively. Each experiment then used different tasks in the third phase to test differential responding. Only participants in Experiment II demonstrated consistent transfer of function. Results are discussed in terms of how task similarity may function as a type of contextual control when there is limited experience with the task.

Hälsoproblemen relaterat till rökning är ett problem som kräver många liv årligen och är ett problem i Sverige, liksom många andra delar i världen. Avmarknadsföring är en av flera lösningarpå detta problem. Målet med avmarknadsföring är att sträva mot regleringar och förändringar fö ratt uppnå mer hälsosamma och socialt hållbara val i samhället. Med hjälp avmarknadsföringsmixen även kallad 4P som används i klassisk marknadsföringsteori kan detta måluppnås och kommer i denna uppsats tas upp som en avmarknadsföringsstrategi av rökning. Olika avmarknadsföringsstrategier har tagits fram med syftet att avråda konsumenterna från att fortsätta röka och den existerande forskning som har gjorts i andra länder har byggts upp av kvantitativaundersökningar med fokus på att undersöka individens beteende såsom attityd och rökvanor tillföljd av avmarknadsföring av cigarettpaket. Denna studie ämnar skapa ökad förståelse till varförkonsumenter röker och hur avmarknadsföring av cigaretter kan påverka konsumenternas beteende i form av reaktion, attityd och köpbeslut genom att studera hur avmarknadsföring av cigaretterpåverkar konsumenter i Sverige. För att uppnå detta har en kvalitativ undersökning gjorts med stödoch vägledning av modellen om konsumentens stimulus-respons samt utforskar i konceptetavmarknadsföring och dess strategier. Modellen om konsumentens stimulus-respons bygger påhur extern stimulans påverkar konsumenter och de olika faktorerna som påverkar konsumentslutgiltiga köpbeslut. Empirin i denna undersökning bygger på semi-strukturerade intervjuer med ett icke slumpmässigturval av respondenter och en intervjuguide som följer specifika fråge teman med avsikt att lösastudiens syfte. Den kvalitativa undersökningen har resulterat i identifiering av faktorer som delsger förklaring till konsumenternas anledningar om varför rökvanor startades men även förklaringartill varför konsumenter väljer att fortsätta röka trots information om rökningens effekter. I analysen lyfter författarna fram de faktorer som har stor påverkan på konsumenternas rökvanoroch beteende gentemot avmarknadsföring av cigaretter i Sverige. Genom den insamlade empirin har forskarna upptäckt att beroende och vanor har stor påverkan på konsuments beteende gentemotden externa stimulansen från avmarknadsföringen. En uppdaterad teori med grund från modellen om konsumentens stimulus-responsmodell presenteras för att ge bättre förståelse för konsumenternas påverkan av avmarknadsföring av cigaretter och som möjligtvis även är applicerbar på andra produkter där det finns risk för beroende. Denna uppdaterade teori är denna kvalitativa studiens bidrag till forskning och kan agera som föregångare till en kvantitativ studieom avmarknadsföring av cigaretter i Sverige.

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.

When teaching discriminations, many researchers and practitioners recommend presenting multiple examples of both the correct and incorrect stimuli. To test this suggestion, we compared two procedures for presenting multiple examples. In one, multiple examples across trials (ME, Across), one correct (S+) and one incorrect (S-) stimulus were presented each trial; examples then changed across trials. In another procedure, multiple examples within trials (ME, Within), three stimuli (either 2 S+'s and 1 S-, or 1 S+ and 2 S-'s) were presented each trial; examples again changed across trials. Two experiments were conducted to test these procedures. The first procedure used a non-fading program to teach discrimination; the second used a fading procedure. In the first experiment, we taught 10 persons to identify words under these two procedures. The former procedure was superior in acquisition; the latter procedure, however, was better under generalization for most participants. In the second experiment, we presented the two procedures within a fading paradigm. The results replicated those in Experiment 1: ME, Across was better for acquisition, but ME, Within was better for generalization. Results were discussed and follow-up studies suggested.