Poster Abstracts
Using AI to Enhance Translational Science: Convergence between a Date Purchasing Task and the Sexual Desire Inventory-2
Hailey R. Stephens, Jackson L. Sevin, and Anna Kate Edgemon
University of Mississippi
Translational Research
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur at the highest rates among adolescents and emerging adults, with risky sexual health behaviors contributing to their spread. Behavioral economic approaches, such as purchasing tasks, offer a framework for quantifying sexual motivation and decision-making. The present study evaluated sexual health behaviors among undergraduate students using a brief Date Purchasing Task (DPT) and examined correspondence with self-reported sexual desire on the Sexual Desire Inventory–2 (SDI-2). Participants completed a rank-order preference assessment of artificial intelligence–generated images to identify high-, medium-, and low-preferred potential partners, then completed three preference-specific DPTs and the SDI-2. Demand metrics (i.e., intensity, α, and breakpoint) were derived using the exponentiated model. Preliminary analyses indicated higher demand for high-preferred partners relative to moderate- and low-preferred partners, and moderate-to-strong positive correlations between SDI-2 scores and demand intensity for high- and moderate-preference conditions. Findings support the utility of integrating psychometric and behavioral economic measures to assess sexual desire and demand, offering a translational approach for understanding risky sexual health behaviors among emerging adults.
An Evaluation of Behavioral Demand for Various Snack Foods Among
Undergraduates
Jackson Sevin, Anna Kate Edgemon
University of Mississippi
Translational Research
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified obesity as an epidemic over 25 years ago in 1999. This epidemic warrants investigation due to the adverse health outcomes associated with obesity. For example, obesity may increase the likelihood of stroke, some cancers, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Previous research evaluating the determinants of obesity indicates increases in the quantity of calories in the food supply may have contributed to this epidemic, among other environmental factors. Health during emerging adulthood sets a trajectory for health across later adulthood. Thus, emerging adulthood presents an important period for improving nutritional knowledge and food selections. The present study builds upon previous research assaying nutritional selections among emerging adults using an approach rooted in behavioral economics. In Part 1 of the study, participants completed preference assessments for high and low-energy-density snack foods. Then participants completed corresponding commodity purchasing tasks for their high and low preferred snack food in each energy density category. In Part 2, these tasks are completed again with a different selection of foods alongside the Yale Food Addiction Questionnaire. Researchers compared metrics of behavioral demand within group across preference and energy density categories. Findings and implications for future research are discussed.
Effects of Interviewer Behavior on Adult Responding in Analog Forensic Interviews
Samantha L. Moon, Amina Boukhris, & P. Raymond Joslyn
West Virginia University
Applied Research
Few behavioral studies have examined the effects of interviewer behavior on interviewee
responding, and they were all conducted with children. Insufficient research in this area limits our understanding of underlying behavioral processes and precludes the establishment of effective methods for studying them. In the current study, we examined the effects of interviewer behavior on the accuracy of seven adult interviewees. Participants viewed brief videos depicting a crime and answered yes or no questions that were unbiased and direct (i.e., baseline) or “adversarial” (i.e., the interviewer asked leading questions and delivered reprimands for correct responses and praise for incorrect responses). While some participants’ responses were undifferentiated, others gave more inaccurate responses and more frequently changed their answers from correct to incorrect during adversarial questioning. Prolonged exposure to each condition yielded greater experimental control than rapid alternation, indicating that responding under these conditions may be susceptible to sequence or carryover effects.
Percentile Schedules of Reinforcement in Applied Settings: A Systematic Literature Review
Ryleigh Rosta, Dr. Brennan Armshaw
West Virginia University
Applied Research
Shaping, while vital in the acquisition of new behaviors, has limitations. It requires time, highly trained practitioners who can identify subtle changes in behavior, and immediate reinforcement. To mitigate these issues, the percentile schedule of reinforcement was derived from the basic principles of shaping. Percentile schedules of reinforcement use the mathematical equation, k= (m+1) (w-1), to formally determine subsequent response criterion within an organism's current behavioral repertoire. These procedures have been used in the applied setting but have largely been underemployed. Thus, the goal of the current systematic literature review was to investigate the effectiveness of percentile schedules in applied settings as well as provide future directions for researchers. Specifically, we sought to (1) identify best practice for the use of percentile schedules in an applied context and (2) understand if the inclusion of percentile schedules to otherwise standard shaping procedures were successful in shaping target behaviors. Variable results suggested contextual factors may modulate the effectiveness of percentile schedules of reinforcement in an applied setting.
Do the Adaptogenic Mushrooms, Cordyceps Militaris and Hericium Erinaceus, Produce Caffeine-like Discriminative-Stimulus Effects?
Stephen J. Cullinan, Alexis A. Stanton, & Karen G. Anderson
West Virginia University
Basic Research
Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed drugs in the United States, but its excessive consumption increases the risk of heart disease, sleep problems, and anxiety. In response to these issues, there has been a rise in efforts to find safer alternatives to caffeine while maintaining similar subjective effects. The adaptogenic mushrooms, cordyceps and lion’s mane, are claimed to have similar energy and mood-enhancing effects as caffeine, however, there is limited research that directly compares their effects to caffeine. Drug-discrimination paradigms, in which rats are trained to discriminate between caffeine and saline, may be used to compare the discriminative-stimulus effects of these mushroom extracts to those of caffeine. After discrimination was established, rats were given varying doses of caffeine and mushroom extracts to produce dose-response generalization gradients. Substitution of mushroom extracts for caffeine, effects on response rates, and relative potency, as determined by ED50s, will be presented and discussed.
Effects of Instructions on Response Accuracy During Forensic Interviews
Ciara Rodriguez, Ray Joslyn, Amina Boukhris, Alani Beauchamp, & Khin Aye
West Virginia University
Applied Research
Forensic interviews may provide critical information during criminal investigations. During these interviews, children are asked to recall and describe previous experiences. Previous research suggests that children are susceptible to the behavior of the interviewer (e.g., leading questions, repetition, instructions). In the first experiment, children watched episodes of Scooby Doo and were asked questions about the video. They were then led to either the correct or incorrect answer, and response accuracy was assessed. Experiment 2 was similar, but the participants were also instructed to answer correctly regardless of whether the experimenter led them to the incorrect answer. In experiment 1, participant responding to interviewer behavior was highly idiosyncratic, and only one participant was sensitive to interviewer behavior. In experiment 2, both participants were sensitive to interviewer behavior. Participants were also sensitive to experimenter-delivered instructions but not parent/guardian-delivered instructions. Differences in responding may be due to differences in children’s social reinforcement histories.
Context change enhances resurgence with downshifts in alternative reinforcement
Avila-Rozo, D., Ritchey, C. M., Kuroda, T., & Podlesnik, C. A.
University of Florida
Basic Research
Enhanced resurgence refers to conditions in which both renewal and resurgence are evaluated simultaneously. In the present study, we evaluated whether downshifts in reinforcement rate for the alternative response in Phase 3 affected the magnitude of enhanced resurgence under an ABA-renewal procedure. During Phase 1, target response (R1) was reinforced with a variable-interval (VI) 2 s in context A. During Phase 2, R1 was extinguished, and the alternative (R2) was reinforced with a VI 2 s in context B. During Phase 3, groups experienced a maintained (VI 2 s) or downshifted (VI 6 s, 18 s, extinction) R2-reinforcer rate. R1 consistently increased with the context change but was greater with larger downshifts in R2-reinforcer rates.
Expansion of the Operant Class: A Comparison Study of Functional
Communication Training Approaches to Investigate Resurgence Mitigation
Amanda Rissmeyer, Cara Davis, Sophia Walsh, Pablo Velosa & Dr. Emily L. Baxter
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Applied Research
Resurgence is the recurrence of a previously reinforced response following a change to less favorable reinforcement conditions for an alternative response. The present study involved a three-phase resurgence procedure within a pairwise design that investigated the effects of single-response Functional Communication Training (FCT) in which one alternative functional communication response (FCR) was trained, to the effects of Serial FCT, where three alternative FCRs were trained, within a resurgence test. Participants included 2 typically developing, and 2 neurodiverse learners, all of whom attended a private preschool program. In Phase 1, the target response was reinforced on a fixed-ratio (FR) 1 schedule. During Phase 2, single-response and Serial FCT were compared using a pairwise design. In the single-response FCT condition, a single FCR was trained and reinforced until independent responding was stable. In the Serial FCT condition, learners were trained across three different FCRs in sequential order. The first response was trained until independent responding was stable. Extinction was then applied to that response, while the next FCR in the sequence was trained and reinforced. In Phase 3, following the acquisition of all FCRs across conditions, the target response & FCRs were placed on extinction. Results and implications will be further discussed.
The Correspondence Between Caffeine Demand and Self-Reported Sleep Duration and Quality
Daphne Kilbourne, Madison Ripa, Issac Senaca, Wendy Donlin Washington
UNCW
Translational Research
Caffeine is a staple in many Americans’ daily lives, though negative side effects are often overlooked. For example, caffeine may disrupt sleep patterns with the potential to cause or exacerbate insomnia. However, the relationship between caffeine demand and sleep is not widely investigated. This study measures caffeine demand through Hypothetical Purchase Tasks (HPTs) to explore correlations between caffeine consumption and sleep quality/duration. Two types of HPTs were implemented: Quantitative HPTs (QHPTs) and Probability HPTs (PHPTs) to compare which HPT model best represented caffeine demand. Metrics derived from these tasks are used to characterize the reinforcing value of caffeine in different scenarios. The cost of the commodity varies, and reported consumption is measured. HPTs generate demand curves and key metrics, including intensity (Q₀), maximum expenditure (Oₘₐₓ), the price point for maximum expenditure (Pₘₐₓ), the price at which consumption drops to zero, and elasticity (α), which measures sensitivity to price changes. Self-reported sleep quality and duration were quantified by presenting Likert scales. Correlational analyses examined relationships between caffeine demand measures and reported sleep patterns. Based on the proportion of systematic data and model fit, the QHPT seemed to provide a better model for caffeine demand. Behavioral health implications will be discussed.
Parametric Evaluation of Response-Cost Magnitude of Alternative Responding with and without Extinction on Resurgence of Target Responding
Angel M. Villalobos (a), Carolyn M. Ritchey (b), Carla N. Martinez-Perez (a), Matthew Lamperski (a), Toshikazu Kuroda (c), & Christopher A. Podlesnik (a)
(a) University of Florida
(b) Georgia Southeastern University
(c) Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International
Basic Research
Resurgence is the return of a previously reinforced and extinguished target response when conditions worsen for alternative reinforcement. Previous within-subject research showed resurgence of target responding increased with greater punishment magnitude of alternative responding in rats. The present experiments examined resurgence when worsening alternative conditions by parametrically manipulating response-cost punishment of alternative responding across groups in humans. During Phase 1, target button-pressing was reinforced with points under a variable-interval 2-sec schedule. During Phase 2, target responding was extinguished and alternative responding was reinforced under the same schedule. During Phase 3, a response-cost contingency was introduced without or with extinction for alternative responding in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Across groups, participants lost 1, 100, 320 or 1000 points for alternative responding. In Experiment 1, the higher-magnitude response costs produced greater resurgence than the lower-magnitude response costs, but resurgence was negatively correlated with reinforcer rates. In Experiment 2, resurgence was greater with a 100-point response cost than with 320-point response cost, but did not differ among the 100-, 1000-, and 1-point response-cost magnitudes. These findings extend previous research showing (1) punishment as a worsening condition inducing resurgence in humans, (2) an ordinal correspondence between punishment-magnitude and resurgence when alternative reinforcement is available (Experiment 1), and (3) the absence of an additive effect of extinction and punishment on resurgence (Experiment 2).
Opioid Withdrawal Severity and Duration after Treatment with Morphine alone or Morphine/Ketamine Mixtures in Male and Female Rats
Jakob Schmit, Ellen Benz, Carson Convery, Rishika Kuntamukkla, Emily Stover, Charlotte Young, Erika Germinario, Amelia Mosier, Payton Johnson, Lucy Kohara, Vanessa Minervini PhD
Creighton University, Department of Psychological Sciences
Basic Research
Opioids are a gold-standard treatment for moderate to severe pain. However, opioids have significant side effects such as addiction and withdrawal symptoms. Safer medications for treating pain are needed. One approach is to use drug mixtures (opioid/non-opioid), such as morphine and ketamine. Our laboratory found that small doses of morphine with small doses of ketamine in a mixture treat pain as well as large doses of either drug given alone. It is important to determine the potential adverse effects of a morphine/ketamine mixture. The current study determined withdrawal severity after opioid dependence was engendered by twice daily injections of either morphine alone or a morphine/ketamine mixture for 19 days in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Naltrexone was then administered to precipitate opioid withdrawal; withdrawal symptoms were observed and recorded for 5 days. Results showed that withdrawal severity and duration were similar for both rats receiving morphine alone and rats receiving the morphine/ketamine mixture. Additionally, with respect to sex difference, in males but not females receiving the morphine/ketamine mixture, body weight recovered more rapidly as compared to rats receiving morphine alone. Overall, ketamine is not only more effective at relieving pain when administered in combination with morphine but also produces no additional adverse effects compared to morphine alone. Future experiments should aim to compare other adverse effects, such as the abuse liability, of a morphine/ketamine mixture.
Effects of Response-Independent Food Delivery During Timeout on Timeout Punishment
Haillie McDonough, Cory Toegel, & Forrest Toegel
Northern Michigan University
Basic Research
A timeout is a signaled, response-dependent, and time-limited period in which the prevailing schedule of reinforcement is suspended. Timeouts are one of the most frequently used punishment procedures in clinical and parental practices. Even though timeout punishment is a common practice, recent research suggests that implementation errors, fidelity failures, occur at high rates in practice. The present study evaluated how failures in procedural fidelity alter the efficacy of timeout as a punisher by exposing rats to conditions in which response-independent reinforcers were provided during timeouts. During baseline conditions, no timeouts were delivered and rats’ lever-pressing produced food reinforcers according to a Variable-Interval (VI) 30 s schedule. During timeout conditions, the VI reinforcement schedule remained in effect, and 30-s timeouts were overlaid according to a Variable-Ratio (VR) 2 schedule. Across timeout conditions, pellets either were not delivered or were delivered response-independently according to one of the following Variable-Time (VT) schedules: VT 10 s, VT 15 s, VT 30 s, VT 60 s, or VT 120 s. Results indicate that degrading the fidelity of the timeout by delivering response-independent food reinforcers during timeouts reduced the effectiveness of timeout punishment and in some cases turned the timeouts into reinforcers.
Effects of Retatrutide on Cocaine Reinforcement in Rats
Benz, E., Schmit, J., Convery, C., Germinario, E., Incontro, Y., Johnson, P., Kohara, L., Kuntamukkla, R., Moser, A., Reinhard, K., Stover, E., Young, C., & Minervini, V.
Creighton University Department of Psychology
Basic Research
As the rates of obesity continue to increase in the United States, there is a focus on Type 2 diabetes and weight-loss drugs. Studies have shown that the same mechanisms integral to the regulation of food intake may also impact voluntary drug consumption and seeking behavior through shared neural mechanisms. Thus, other potential uses for this class of medication might include treating substance abuse disorders. Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications for the treatment of stimulant use disorder, including cocaine use disorder. Retatrutide, a GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptor agonist might show promise given what is known about this class of medications. The impact of retatrutide on the reinforcing effects of the stimulant drug cocaine (0.32 mg/kg/infusion) in rats was determined. Rats chose between an intravenous infusion of the stimulant cocaine + food pellet via lever press on lever A or a food pellet alone via lever press on lever B. Each rat received a weekly injection of retatrutide (0.01 – 1 mg/kg). Before retatrutide treatment, rats preferred cocaine + a pellet compared to a pellet alone, and retatrutide modestly decreased preference for cocaine. Individual subject variability was observed in the onset of the effect, duration of the effect, and magnitude of the effect. Retatrutide modestly decreased cocaine preference in rats and may be a potential treatment for cocaine use disorder.
The Effects of Delayed Reinforcement on Resurgence: A Systematic Replication of Jarmolowicz & Lattal (2014) Using Human Participants
Sophia Nevarez
University of Kansas
Translational Research
Resurgence of a previously extinguished behavior has been shown to occur when reinforcement for an alternative behavior worsens in some way. Jarmolowicz and Lattal (2014) observed the effects of adding a delay to the alternative reinforcement in pigeons. The current study replicated this with a human participant by training a target behavior and an alternative behavior, then later implementing extinction for the target behavior and adding a delay to the alternative reinforcement. An unsignaled delay of either 1s or 3s was added to the alternative reinforcement, and resurgence was observed during the first implementation of the 3s delay. These findings are consistent with previous literature showing that a gradual downshift in key dimensions of reinforcement can mitigate the occurrence of resurgence. Practical implications are discussed.
Using Multiple Schedules to Examine Renewal and Reinstatement
Rebecca Collins, Skylar Murphy, Taylor Lewis, Elizabeth Persuitte, Allyson Williams, Zoe Dorman, Hadley Quigg, Kylie Quann, Kate Bruce & Mark Galizio
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Basic Research
Previous literature has shown inconsistent results when examining the effects of responding in various renewal paradigms and combinations of relapse paradigms. However, these inconsistencies have been observed using between-groups designs and might be clarified by drawing within-subject comparisons using animals. The present study examined rats’ relapse responding in two renewal paradigms (ABA and ABC renewal) using within-session contextual changes and then tested for reinstatement. In Phase 1, three rats were trained to left nose-poke in the presence of a distinct odor (Apricot). In Phase 2, that response was placed on extinction in a different context (Bubblegum). In Phase 3, extinction continued, but three odors alternated within the session: scents Apricot, Bubblegum, and a completely novel scent, Cinnamon. In Phase 4, the three odors continued to alternate within the session and responses in each component remained on extinction, however, noncontingent delivery of food was delivered within the intercomponent interval preceding each component. For one rat, left-nose poking renewed in the presence of scent Apricot, but not scents Bubblegum or Cinnamon in Phase 3. For the other two rats, no such renewal occurred in Phase 3 in the presence of any scent. In Phase 4, during combined renewal-reinstatement tests all rats demonstrated increased levels of responding to all scents, with one rat responding the most to scent Apricot, another rat responding the most to scent Bubblegum, and the last responding the most to scent Cinnamon. Within-subject replications of the procedure using different scents are currently being conducted.
Extending Effects of the Good Behavior Game with Mixed Schedules
Amina Boukhris, M.S., Ray Joslyn, Ph.D., Ciara Rodriguez
West Virginia University
Applied Research
Student disruptive behavior in the classroom can adversely affect both students and teachers. The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a well-established classroom management strategy used to reduce disruption. However, its use remains limited due to implementation barriers reported by teachers, such as effort associated with delivering feedback, and the limited generalization of the GBG effects to times when the game is not in place. The current study had two main objectives: (a) to evaluate whether a modified version of the GBG implemented as a mixed-schedule could reduce student disruption as effectively as the standard version, and (b) to examine if the effects of the mixed-schedule GBG extended to periods in which the game was not in place. Both versions of the GBG were implemented in two elementary school classrooms. Results showed that the mixed-schedule GBG produced reductions in overall disruption only in one classroom, while standard GBG was effective in both classrooms. Teachers and students preferred the standard GBG over the mixed-schedule GBG. Further research should investigate the effectiveness of mixed schedules in group contingencies and continue to evaluate the individual role of each component of the GBG to improve contextual fit and reduce implementation barriers.
Functional Equivalence in Rats: Differential Acquisition of Novel Functions for Class Members and Non-Members
Taylor K. Lewis, Skylar Murphy, Elizabeth Persuitte, Allyson Williams, Rebecca Collins, Zoe Dorman, Hadley Quigg, Madeleine G. Mason, Katherine Bruce, & Mark Galizio
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Basic Research
Evidence for equivalence class formation in nonhuman animals has been limited, likely due to constraints of the conditional discrimination procedures typically used to study symbolic behavior in humans. Vaughan (1988) proposed an alternative approach, in which simple discriminations are trained and contingencies assigned to two arbitrary stimulus sets (a positive and negative set) are repeatedly reversed. This method produces rapid shifts in responding to newly reversed contingencies after presentation of only a few set members. Recent studies using olfactory stimuli have demonstrated this performance in rats, providing evidence of functional equivalence classes. However, the flexibility of these classes may also be of interest, as human symbolic behavior shows transfer of a wide range of functions. In the present study, rats were trained to nose-poke in the presence of odors in a positive set (X1-X4) and to withhold responding to odors in the negative set (Y1-Y4). After repeated reversals demonstrated class formation, a novel left/right nose-poke discrimination was trained to one member of each set (left for X1; right for Y1). Rate of acquisition of this new response was then assessed with untrained class members (e.g., X2, Y2) and with novel, non-class members (e.g., A, B). Rats acquired the novel left/right response more rapidly with class members than with novel odors. These results extend previous findings by demonstrating transfer of a newly trained function across class members, indicating that functional equivalence classes in rats may share the flexible nature of symbolic behavior in humans.
Visuo-Tactile Incrementing NMTS in Rats: Generalized Matching and the Effect of Multiple Comparisons
Kylie Quann, Luke Cain, Mark Galizio, and Kate Bruce
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Basic Research
The 3D Span Task (3DST), a modified version of the Odor Span Task (OST), assesses visuo-tactile discrimination learning in rodents. Using an incrementing non-match-to-sample paradigm, this procedure serves as a translational model for investigating working memory deficits associated with neurocognitive disorders. Two Sprague-Dawley rats (one male, T2; one female, Z4) were trained with unique 3D stimuli (Legos) and required to remember the stimuli within, but not between, sessions. Training began with seven exemplars, with the set size increasing by two stimuli once rats achieved an average accuracy of 85% or higher across three consecutive sessions, up to a maximum of 17 shapes. Generalization was tested using novel 3D and odor stimuli, and task difficulty was manipulated by varying the number of comparison stimuli (three or five) on four randomly interspersed probe trials in a 17-trial session. Eight sessions of each probe type were conducted. Performance varied across rats and probe conditions as Z4 achieved 55% accuracy with novel 3D stimuli and 90% with novel odors, while T2 reached 90% on novel 3D trials. On 3-choice probe trials, Z4 performed at 87.5% accuracy compared to T2 at 68.8%. Accuracy declined under 5-choice conditions, with Z4 performing at 75% and T2 at ~30%. Performance decreased as the number of comparison stimuli increased, indicating higher task demands with greater memory load. These findings support the 3DST as a potential model for evaluating visuo-tactile discrimination learning for working memory and suggest future research to explore the individual differences in performance among rats.