Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Behavioral response testing'

A set of stimuli comprises an equivalence class if the three relations of reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity are present (Sidman & Tailby, 1982). Although behaviorological researchers have suggested that the training and testing sequence may affect equivalence class formation, this has not been studied directly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of two different arrangements of training and testing on the formation of classes of equivalent stimuli. Five middle school students were taught eight conditional discriminations with four classes of stimuli, three stimuli per class (A1B1C1, A2B2C2, A3B3C3, and A4B4C4). A fifth class of stimuli, A5B5C5, was used as control stimuli. Experimental stimuli consisted of five chemical elements, with three attributes per element (name, symbol, and atomic number). The formation of three-member equivalence classes was evaluated by testing students for symmetrical and transitive conditional discriminations involved in the training relations. Two phase arrangements were used with each student. Phase Arrangement I (incorporating n-stage testing) was as follows: (a) AM; (b) B1C1; (c) A1B1 and B1C1 mixed together; (d) test (A1C1, C1A1, A5C5, and C5A5); (e) AM; (f) B2C2; (g) A2B2 and B2C2 mixed together; (h) test (A2C2, C2A2, A5C5, and C5A5); (i) AM, B1C1, AM, and B2C2 all mixed together; and (j) test (AlCl, C1A1, A2C2, C2A2, A5C5, and C5A5). Phase Arrangement II was similar, except that test phases (d) and (h) were eliminated. Stimulus classes A3B3C3 and A4B4C4 were arranged analogously to provide a counterbalanced design. One student performed equally well on equivalence tests with both phase arrangements. Two students performed slightly better on equivalence tests with intermediate testing. One student's performance on equivalence tests demonstrated no equivalence class formation with n-stage testing and much more accurate, although varied, responding with intermediate testing. A 5th student who did not meet the pretest requirements for the study was nevertheless allowed to complete the experimental tasks because his test results were unusual. His first test score was far below chance level, but scores improved with subsequent testing. The results suggest that an intermediate testing arrangement may decrease intersubject variability and, for some individuals, may improve equivalence test performance.
Department of Special Education

This study investigates the constructs of Derivation and Complexity and how they relate to latency. Derivation and Complexity are theoretical constructs that have been posited as two of the main factors in differences in latency to responding in implicit measures such as the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) and the Implicit Association Task (IAT). This study trained participants to relate two groups of novel stimuli in a linear fashion and then tested their latency to responding to derived relations (relations based on previously trained relations, but not directly trained themselves). The study then analyzed participant's latency to responding after dividing the responses based on derivation, complexity, and phase. The study found a significant relationship between phase and latency (p=.01), derivation and latency (p=.01), and complexity and latency (p=.04). This indicates that brief, immediate relational responses are influenced by both derivation and complexity as well as practice responding and these variables should be considered in future investigations into implicit attitudes.

The design of interface elements in geotechnical engineering traditionally involves empiricism and lacks a solid fundamental underpinning based on the controlling mechanisms. These design shortcomings exist due to deficiencies in the fundamental understanding of geotechnical interface behaviors and the lack of test methods and devices available to directly measure interface properties in situ. The current work strives to improve the state of geotechnical knowledge and design with regard to interface behavior through fundamental laboratory studies and the development and use of a new in situ testing device. The current investigations are focused across a range of scales from micromechanical interactions to full scale field implementation. A series of laboratory investigations at the micromechanical level have been performed, specifically aimed at investigating the mechanisms controlling granular interactions against conventional and textured friction sleeves, and hook and loop type interactions present within textured geomembrane - geotextile systems. Additionally, a new in situ testing device has been designed and developed, the Multi Piezo Friction Attachment (MPFA), to allow for the characterization of geotechnical interface properties in situ within the context of an effective stress framework. The MPFA simultaneously provides four independent measures of interface friction (f

Repair of DNA damage is one of the most important processes undergone in a dividing cell. This is a two-part study undertaken to better understand some of the proteins involved in the sensing and repair of DNA damage in Drosophila melanogaster. The first portion of this experiment followed two Drosophila Rad51 paralogs, dmRad51D and dmXRRC2, and using constructs tagged with GFP, found that they entered the nucleus in response to drug induced DNA damage. Approximately one hour after the induction of DNA damage via bleomycin, dmRad51D and dmXRCC2 entered the nucleus of the Drosophila culture cells, where they remained for the next three to four hours. Following this period in the nucleus, the cells were visualized moving back into the cytosol. The second portion of this experiment was concerned with the four Drosophila Rad51 paralogs (dmRad51 D, dmXRCC2, Spn B, and Spn D) and two paralogs from Homo sapiens (hsRad51 D and dmRad51 D) and their interactions.

Thesis (MSc (Physiological Sciences))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
Early adverse life events appear to increase the susceptibility of developing psychiatric disorders later in life. The molecular mechanisms involved in the development of pathological behaviour remain unclear. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and alterations in neurotrophic factors have been implicated.

Many rivers are affected by man-induced regulations of stream-flow. The effects of these on the instream biota have been studied widely and it is generally accepted that assessment tools for the management of regulated rivers are of vital importance. In particular predictive instream habitat models like the Physical Habitat Simulation Model (PHABSIM) have become popular for this purpose with users world-wide. These models predict discharge-related changes in instream habitat availability for target species by modelling the hydraulic geometry of the river reach on the one and the microhabitat preferences of the species on the other side. Despite their popularity, validation studies for this approach have met many difficulties which are mostly related to the biological part of the model, the habitat preference curves. A review of these studies undertaken here reveals that very little information has been published on two main assumptions of the models: 1. The habitat preference of a species is independent of stream discharge 2. The habitat preference of a species is independent of the species population density Most validation studies are undertaken in field situations. As such they frequently have had problems relating to sampling the microhabitat use consistently, a lack of experimental control and variations in other secondary variables. It was thus decided to conduct controlled experiments in a large indoor flume. Young-of-year Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) caught in a nearby stream were stocked into pool-riffle sequences, landscaped within a natural substrate, in observation areas of 3.6 metres length and 1 metre width. Microhabitat use of fish was recorded at three different discharges within a 15-fold discharge variation. It was found that the mean column velocity preference of the juvenile salmon, calculated by the standard method, varied largely, mainly due to a shift of preference for low water velocities. "Weighted usable area" (WUA) calculations, the final output of instream habitat models, varied up to two-fold due to these differences in preference. Habitat preference also varied with population density. Fish preferred the riffle habitat at low population density and the pool habitat during high population density. Fish used higher mean column velocities during low population density. There are hence fundamental problems related to the approach of using density functions as preference indices as is commonly done for building habitat preference curves, because of a bias for habitat availability. A new approach using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is taken by comparing the microhabitat conditions fish experience at their chosen positions with the conditions fish would have experienced had they maintained the positions used at the other discharges. It was found that fish adjusted their positions towards significantly different microhabitats between low flow positions and the positions at the other two flows. This research demonstrates how microhabitat use and preference of wild-caught juvenile salmon varied with discharge and population density in a large near-natural flume. The error introduced by these variations to instream habitat model predictions was large. It confirms that habitat preference curves built as density functions on empirical fish observation data are bound to misrepresent the overall habitat requirements of a species life stage which in the case of juvenile salmon appeared wide and flexible over the range of discharge.

Mozzarella cheese is currently the highest consumed cheese in the United States. The popularity of mozzarella cheese is typically attributed to the high consumption rates of pizza cheese and string cheese; both of which are low moisture part skim (LMPS) mozzarella cheese. A single serving of LMPS mozzarella cheese contains approximately 8% of the daily value (DV) for sodium, a mineral which is currently consumed in excess among most Americans. On average, one in three Americans has hypertension. This condition is strongly associated with excessive sodium intake, and it is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke in the United States. Considering the popularity of LMPS mozzarella cheese, its sodium content, and the alarmingly high rates of hypertension among the American population, mozzarella cheese appears to be a product worth pursuing for sodium reduction. Salt (NaCl) provides several key benefits to cheese including: flavor enhancement, preservation, moisture control, and syneresis; thus reducing its concentration in cheese can result in multiple quality concerns. Previous research has investigated the effects of lower sodium in a variety of cheeses including: cheddar, feta, and imitation cheese. Typical methods for reducing sodium content in cheese include reduction of NaCl alone to a level which is still acceptable or partial substitution of NaCl with salt replacers including KCl. For assessing the consumer acceptability of low sodium cheeses, researchers have typically employed the use of traditional hedonic, preference, and ranking questions; however, consumer scientists have recently suggested the benefits of asking consumers questions which go beyond typical acceptability questions. Purchase intent and decision making have been associated with consumer emotions, and perhaps by better understanding consumer emotions toward nutritional alternative foods, including low sodium mozzarella cheese, a more successful low sodium cheese can be developed. The current study implemented a series of tests to progressively understand the role NaCl plays in mozzarella cheese and consumer opinion of low sodium cheese. A series of traditional sensory tests, including triangle, duo-trio, and hedonic tests, were performed to determine a sensory transparent antimicrobial and a consumer acceptable salt replacer. Based upon this sequence of tests, a single antimicrobial (SEA-i F75) and concentration (0.275%) were selected in addition to the most consistently preferred salt replacer in a low sodium mozzarella cheese system; however, the most preferred salt replacer was dependent upon the type of mozzarella cheese (direct acid or bacteria cultured). In order to address the potentially limited information from traditional sensory testing, a novel method for evaluating emotions was developed. The IMET (Image Measurement of Emotion and Texture) method utilized consumer provided images of emotions, researcher generated emotion images, and emotion words (the current industry standard) to aid in emotion testing, and the use of texture images and texture words (industry standard) for texture assessment. The IMET method was tested and validated across three commercial food product categories: orange soda, dairy beverages, and convenience cheeses. The IMET study indicated consumer selected emotion images were less variable than emotion words in a positive emotion, but the words only method was less variable in a negative emotion. Additionally, subjects were more likely to use images of themselves for positive emotions, and images of others for the negative emotions. After validation of the IMET method, the consumer emotion images method was used in conjunction with consumer acceptability testing and instrumental texture analysis in non-commercial low sodium mozzarella cheese. This study indicated the full sodium cheese was consistently liked most, followed by the 100% KCl cheese sample. Additionally, cheese with higher hedonic scores had increased changes in the positive emotions, while the disliked products had increased changes in the negative emotions across the eating experience. The instrumental texture analysis resulted in significant textural differences between the eight samples tested, and samples with higher mean scores for all texture attributes were associated with having higher mean hedonic scores. The studies performed in this thesis are important contributions for better understanding the role of NaCl in LMPS mozzarella cheese, and the consumer’s perception and potential acceptance of this nutritional alternative product. Additionally, the development of a novel emotion testing method may impact how researchers ask consumer questions, conduct consumer research, and investigate the effects of images on emotion testing with consumers.

Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Psychological Sciences
Laura A. Brannon
The current research investigated strategies to reduce cell phone use while driving. Anti-distracted driving campaigns, which typically communicate risk information and target driver behavior, may produce limited effects because people tend to underestimate their risk from this behavior (e.g., Schlehofer et al., 2010). Study 1 compared the effects of messages targeting drivers to messages targeting non-drivers in order to examine the potential of discouraging people from having cell phone communication with others who are driving. Some anti-distracted driving campaigns have emphasized the potential harm to both the driver and others, but whether one approach (self-oriented or other-oriented messaging) is more persuasive than the other has not been examined empirically. Study 1 compared messages that were self-oriented, other-oriented, or neutral in terms of who could be affected by cell phone use while driving. Although cell phone use while driving generally is perceived as dangerous, people may make justifications for engaging in the behavior on at least some occasions, and these justifications may override the influence of risk knowledge on behavior. Consistent with inoculation theory (McGuire, 1961), if given the opportunity to practice refuting these justifications in a controlled setting, people will be more likely to defend themselves against justifications to engage in cell phone use while driving. Thus, Study 1 tested the prediction that participation in an inoculation task would reduce the likelihood of cell phone use while driving. Results from Study 1 suggested an advantage of targeting non-driving participants of cell phone conversations to enhance efforts for reducing on-the-road cell phone use. Study 1 also demonstrated a positive effect of inoculation, but primarily for behavior of non-driving participants of cell phone conversations. In addition to overconfidence in ability to avoid risk, habitual tendencies also may impede the influence of risk communication campaigns (Bayer & Campbell, 2012). Study 2 investigated the potential of mindfulness-based and implementation intentions techniques for helping people overcome habitual responses to their cell phone when doing so is inappropriate or inconvenient. Results indicated that pairing mindfulness-based training with risk information may be significantly more effective than risk information alone at inhibiting inappropriate cell phone use.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Losing a job or a significant other are examples of incentive shifts that result in negative emotional reactions. The occurrence of negative life events is associated with increased drinking, and alleviation of negative emotions has been cited as a drinking motive for individuals with problematic drinking patterns (Keyes et al., 2011; Adams et al., 2012). Further, there is evidence that certain genotypes drink alcohol in response to stressful negative life events (Blomeyer et al., 2008; Covault et al., 2007). It is possible that shared genetic factors contribute to both alcohol drinking and emotional reactivity, but there is a critical need for this relationship to be understood. The first aim of this proposal will use an incentive downshift paradigm to address whether emotional reactivity is elevated in mice predisposed to drink alcohol. The second aim of this proposal will address if reactivity to an incentive shift can result in rash action using a differential reinforcement of low rates of responding task, and whether this response is also associated with a predisposition for high drinking. The third aim of this proposal will investigate if experimenter administered ethanol reduces contrast effects, and if an incentive shift increases ethanol consumption in a high drinking line. The overall goal of this proposal is to investigate whether reactivity to incentive shift is an important mechanism underlying alcohol drinking in these mice, and the role an incentive shift may play in producing rash action and influencing ethanol consumption.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
This study examined the roles of commitment and attributions in uninvolved partner responses to imagined sexual infidelity. Undergraduate students (N = 298) in dating relationships participated in a hypothetical sexual infidelity scenario in which they imagined their romantic partner engaged in sexual intercourse with someone else. Measured-variable path analysis was used to evaluate the predictive ability of commitment and attributions on negative emotional responses and predicted relationship continuation. The hypothesized conceptual model demonstrated poor fit to sample data. Through exploratory model building, an alternative model was generated that demonstrated good fit to sample data. A subset of commitment, investment, predicted negative affect. In addition, attributions predicted predictions of relationship continuation. Negative emotional responses were highly endorsed on a validated measure for emotional responses, the PANAS-X (Watson & Clark, 1994). Further, study findings highlight the importance of the use of a compliance check in assessing successful participant completion of imagined infidelity scenario. Unique study contributions include directions for further conceptual model development for this area of research as well as support for the use of compliance checks and careful selection of infidelity scenario.

Adjacent precast, prestressed box beam bridges have a history of poor performance and have been observed to exhibit common types of deterioration including longitudinal cracking, concrete spalling, and deterioration of the concrete top flange. The nature of these types of deterioration leads to uncertainty of the extent and effect of deterioration on structural behavior. Due to limitations in previous research and understanding of the strength of deteriorated box beam bridges, conservative assumptions are being made for the assessment and load rating of these bridges. Furthermore, the design of new box beam bridges, which can offer an efficient and economical solution, is often discouraged due to poor past performance. Therefore, the objective of this research is to develop improved recommendations for the inspection, load rating, and design of adjacent box beam bridges. Through a series of bridge inspections, deteriorated box beams were identified and acquired for experimental testing. The extent of corrosion was determined through visual inspection, non-destructive evaluation, and destructive evaluation. Non-destructive tests (NDT) included the use of connectionless electrical pulse response analysis (CEPRA), ground penetrating radar (GPR), and half-cell potentials. The deteriorated capacity was determined through structural testing, and an analysis procedure was developed to estimate deteriorated behavior. A rehabilitation procedure was also developed to restore load transfer of adjacent beams in cases where shear key failures are suspected. Based on the understanding of deterioration developed through study of deteriorated adjacent box beam bridges, improved inspection and load rating procedure are provided along with design recommendations for the next generation of box beam bridges.

Education and its associated resources continue to be unequally administered and delivered in the United States. All stakeholders in the education of the nation‘s children—parents, teachers, unions, school administrators, principals, community members and students, should be concerned with the inequities which abound in the country‘s education system African American male cohorts are particularly vulnerable in the US population as they face a series of challenges that continue to threaten their achievement, including those students who are academically gifted. The purpose of this study was to examine and interpret the philosophy, ideology, and educational practices of five teachers of African American males in gifted and talented programs in an urban secondary school. The following research questions guided the study: (a) How do teachers describe factors that promote achievement with African American males in Gifted and Talented Programs? (b) How do the life experiences of teachers influence their advocacy for African American males in Gifted and Talented Programs? (c) How do Gifted and Talented teachers of African American males participate in and influence identification and referrals of African American males in Gifted and Talented Programs? The naturalistic paradigm of inquiry guided the study to collect and analyze data. The participant sample consisted of five teachers of African American males in gifted and talented programs in an urban secondary school. In addition to a detailed review of the literature related to this population, data came from in-depth interviews and classroom observations. Data from the audio recorded and transcribed (verbatim) were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Some of the major findings reveal that the educational demographic landscape in the US and in Texas in particular highlights an underrepresentation of African Americans, and especially African American males in gifted and talented education. The themes that emerged from the study reveal that valuable insight can be gained from teachers of this cohort which can inform educational practice and policy. The teachers reported to be working hard for the success of all students and not just those from minoritized backgrounds. Nonetheless, all five teachers were committed to believing that all of their students had the potential to be successful, albeit some with more challenges than others. Their experiences and backgrounds frame their ideologies and in turn the way in which they teach and interact with these learners. It is important to note that despite these differences and diversity in their racial/ethnic backgrounds, each teacher reflects deep commitment and passion for these learners. The overall goal reported by the participants is to encourage creative problem solving, to develop content mastery, to serve as a role model for their students, regardless of racial or ethnic background. Ultimately, they believe that these are the keys to the success of all students, and particularly for African American male gifted and talented middle school students.