University Programs
Science, Skinner, & Surf: Ph.D. and Master of Science in Psychology at UNCW
University of North Carolina Wilmington
At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, we are dedicated to providing a well-rounded educational experience in the experimental analysis of behavior whether your subjects are human or nonhuman, in the lab or in the natural setting, engage in excessive behavior or need behavior shaped. We have three tracks in our Master’s and PhD programs (ABA, Psychological Science, Neuroscience & Behavior) in which students can study behavior analysis. All students take core courses in psychology, including statistics and research methods, and in behavior analysis, including learning, small-n design, applied behavior analysis, and conceptual foundations. All students work closely with a faculty mentor to contribute to research including developing their own empirical thesis (Master’s) or dissertation (PhD). Students in our applied behavior analysis tracts take additional courses in clinical psychology and complete ABA practica. After graduating, the ABA students are eligible to sit for the BCBA certification exam. Students also participate in a weekly graduate seminar in advanced topics in behavior analysis, regional and state conferences, and in ABAI. The following programs are ABAI-accredited: M.S. in Psychology with a Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis, On-Campus and Ph.D. in Psychology with a Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis, On-Campus.
Links: PhD Program, MS Program
Behavior Analysis Ph.D. Program at West Virginia University
West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV)
The Behavior Analysis Ph.D. program at West Virginia University offers a rich history of scientific excellence and mentorship dating back to its founding in 1976 by Don Hake, Andy Lattal, Kent Parker, and Jim Shafer. Since then, the program has grown into one of the nation’s leading training sites in behavior analysis, awarding nearly one hundred doctoral degrees to students from across the United States and abroad. The faculty (Andy Lattal, Mike Perone, Karen Anderson, Claire St. Peter, Kathryn Kestner, Brennan Armshaw, and Ray Joslyn) represent a breadth of expertise spanning basic, applied, and translational research. Faculty have earned major university and professional teaching and research awards, serve as editors and associate editors of leading journals, and consistently contribute to advancing behavioral science through extramural research funding.
The mission of the program is to prepare scientists and practitioners who can advance understanding of the principles of behavior and apply those principles to socially significant problems. Students receive comprehensive training in the experimental, applied, and conceptual analysis of behavior through integrated coursework, mentored research, and practicum experiences. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in behavioral theory and research methodology while allowing students to emphasize basic or applied work. The program also offers the option to complete coursework required for Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification. WVU’s Behavior Analysis program is a recipient of the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis Award for Enduring Programmatic Contributions, reflecting its long-standing national and international impact.
Link: PhD Program
Undergraduate Research Experience: Translational Research in Behavior Science at WVU
West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV)
The NSF-Funded REU Site for Translational Research in Behavior Science at West Virginia University offers undergraduate students a hands-on, mentored research experience in experimental psychology. The program immerses participants in laboratory-based investigations that connect basic behavioral principles to issues of social significance. Students work alongside faculty mentors from WVU’s Behavior Analysis program to design and conduct research in areas such as behavioral pharmacology, relapse prevention, social behavior, and the development of effective behavioral interventions. Throughout the nine-week program, participants gain skills in scientific reasoning, research design, data analysis, communication, and collaboration. Structured activities include a three-day training in behavioral research methods, weekly seminars on contemporary issues in behavior science, multidisciplinary workshops, a physical computing lab, and a final research symposium. The REU Site aims to expand participation in behavioral science, particularly among students from groups underrepresented in STEM, and to prepare the next generation of researchers to translate discoveries from the laboratory to applications that improve lives.
Link: REU Program
Behavior Analysis at MTSU
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) offers a masters degree focused on Behavior Analysis. The MA in Applied Research and Methodology Psychology, specializing in Behavior Analysis, is an excellent opportunity for students to receive an education in various areas of experimental psychology (e.g., behavioral neuroscience, developmental psychology, etc.), while also completing advanced behavior analysis coursework and gaining invaluable research experience. MTSU is an affordable option with the opportunity for paid graduate assistantships. Students will have a highly individualized experience, with small class sizes and one-on-one research mentoring from leading faculty in the field. The Murfreesboro area is home to numerous Applied Behavior Analysis agencies and schools where students can obtain supervised fieldwork experience hours. Murfreesboro is centrally located, less than an hour away from Nashville, the Music City. MTSU's Behavior Analysis curriculum has been approved as a Verified Course Sequence.
Link: MTSU
Research Posters
1. 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.
2. Percentile Schedules of Reinforcement in Applied Settings: A Systematic Literature Review
Ryleigh Rosta and 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.
3. Do the Adaptogenic Mushrooms, Cordyceps Militaris and Hericium Erinaceus, Produce Caffeine-like Discriminative-stimulus Effects?
Stephen J. Cullinan, Alexis A. Stanton, and 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.
4. Effects of Instructions on Response Accuracy During Forensic Interviews
Ciara Rodriguez, Ray Joslyn, Amina Boukhris, Alani Beauchamp, and 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.
5. Context Change Enhances Resurgence with Downshifts in Alternative Reinforcement
Avila-Rozo, D., Ritchey, C. M., Kuroda, T., and 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.
6. 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 and 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.
7. The Correspondence Between Caffeine Demand and Self-reported Sleep Duration and Quality
Daphne Kilbourne, Madison Ripa, Issac Senaca, and 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.
8. 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), and 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).
9. Effects of Response-independent Food Delivery During Timeout on Timeout Punishment
Haillie McDonough, Cory Toegel, and 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.
10. 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., and 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.
11. 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.
12. 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 and 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.
13. Extending Effects of the Good Behavior Game With Mixed Schedules
Amina Boukhris, M.S., Ray Joslyn, Ph.D., and 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.
14. 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.
15. What Did I Just Do?; Interspecies Social Discriminative Stimulus Control
Madison Harding, Braden Toler, and Kennon A. Lattal
West Virginia University
Basic Research
This presentation demonstrates an animal using social stimuli from another species to guide its behavior. The hypothesis is that a rat can correctly respond based on stimulus cues provided by a pigeon’s behavior. Two dyads consisting of a pigeon and a rat are being used. The rat and pigeon each work in adjacent chambers separated by a clear plastic partition. A trial begins with the pigeon pressing a foot treadle, which activates a red or green cue light. For example, the panel on the left has a red key light and if the cue light is also red then the pigeon must peck the left panel. The first peck of the pigeon activates a stimulus display in the rat’s chamber. The pigeon then continues to peck the key until the rat responds. The rat has a choice of responding on a vertical or horizontal lever. If the pigeon is pecking the front panel key, a response by the rat on the vertical lever is reinforced and if it is pecking on the back panel key, the rat’s horizontal lever response is reinforced. Once the rat makes a single response, the pigeon receives a reinforcer for the next peck, regardless of whether the rat has responded on the correct lever. The pigeons are performing their tasks at 100% accuracy. This project is significant for further research involving alternating the pigeon-rat pairs. I expect to have data completed for this project by March.
16. The Power of Biofeedback: An Exercise Based Investigation
Ola Barghouthi and Brennan Armshaw
West Virginia University
Translational Research
The Power of Biofeedback: An Exercise Based Investigation
Knee injuries are the leading cause of sport-related surgeries, with the knee joint accounting for the second most injured area of the body. Among these, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are both highly prevalent and extensively studied. Despite the volume of research on ACL injury and recovery, the use of surface electromyography (sEMG) as a rehabilitative tool remains underexplored. Quadriceps weakness particularly as it relates to the activation of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) is highly correlated with poor outcomes following ACL injury. As such, VMO activation and contraction intensity served as the primary outcomes measures in this translational study.
The present study evaluated the effects of two biofeedback arrangements on VMO contraction intensity in a controlled exercise context. Using a within-subject design, the relative effectiveness of discrete feedback and conjugate feedback were compared among healthy college students performing isometric quadriceps contractions. Preliminary findings indicate that approximately half of participants (4 out of 9) produced greater VMO contractions during the conjugate feedback condition relative to the discrete feedback condition, with the remaining (4) participants showing no clear differences in performance across the two conditions. These findings provide initial evidence supporting the potential utility of conjugate feedback strategies in physical rehabilitation and lay the groundwork for future studies involving clinically compromised populations (I.E., ACL patients).
17. Effects of Infant Crying on Cortisol and Simulated Caregiving
Hannah Scott, Abbie R. Cooper, Claire C. St. Peter, Marissa M. Nicodemus, and Kathleen E. Morrison
West Virginia University
Basic Research
Procedures that involve potentially aversive contexts (e.g., extinction and punishment) have been described as stressful. However, few studies have evaluated whether potentially aversive contexts cause changes in cortisol, a stress-related hormone. For rats exposed to aversive contexts, inescapable events have been shown to increase cortisol levels and reduce responding compared to escapable events. In humans, increases in cortisol following inescapable events have also been observed; however, similar effects on behavior do not appear to have been replicated. To address this gap, we compared changes in humans’ simulated caregiving and cortisol during inescapable or escapable crying as an aversive context, using a group design. Both groups were tasked with caring for a simulated infant for 90 min, and salivary cortisol was collected before, during and after the session. During inescapable conditions, crying continued regardless of participant responding. During escapable conditions, crying was terminated during any caregiving. A linear mixed model indicated a significant Group × Time interaction (p < .001), showing that trajectories differed by group. For the escapable group, caregiving increased over the course of the experiment, whereas for the inescapable group, caregiving decreased over time. Although the effect was significant, the overall difference in caregiving was modest across groups. Cortisol decreased for both groups across time points. There was a slight, but non-significant, increase in salivary cortisol in the inescapable group compared to the escapable group. Our findings suggest that exposure to unavoidable aversives, such as crying, is not meaningfully stressful relative to negative reinforcement.
18. Comparing Reinforced Behavioral Responding in Rats with Random Number Generation Using 4-response Sequences on a Lag Schedule
Tristan Mitchell, Annie Galizio, Jay Hinnenkamp, Jubal Neal, Kaitlyn Thornsbury, McKenzie Sintic, Justin Yule, Josh Spencer, Erik Lindelof, and Sophie Duffy.
Middle Tennessee State University
Basic Research
In many situations, response variability can be adaptive. It has been suggested that variability can be directly increased through certain reinforcement contingencies; in a lag schedule, reinforcement is only delivered for responses that differ from recent responses. This study was aimed at establishing stimulus control of reinforced variability in rats using scents as discriminative stimuli. Six rats responded in a two-component multiple schedule, which required rats to respond variably in the presence of one scent (strawberry) and repetitively in the presence of a second scent (vanilla). After observing the scent, rats were required to make four-response sequences across two levers (LRLR). The variability component reinforced sequences based on a lag schedule, and the repeat component reinforced recent sequences. While some rats’ responding is differentiated across the components, only about half of the sequences made in the variability component are reinforced, and nearly all sequences in the repeat component are reinforced. Further testing with a random number generator revealed that random responding resulted in similar levels of reinforcement using the same response unit and lag contingency. Since extinction-induced variability is a confound for establishing reinforced variability, future experiments need to use methodologies that reinforce random responding at higher rates.
19. Exploring Factors Influencing the Relationship Between Caffeine and Pavlovian Conditioned Approach in Male Rats
Schmidt, G, Short, G., and Bradley, and C.
James Madison University
Basic Research
Caffeine is the most regularly used (>1/week) psychoactive substance by humans. However, caffeine is only readily self-administered in preclinical research when the drug is paired with an appetitive stimulus. To better understand the factors influencing caffeine’s effects on appetitively motivated behavior, we examined caffeine’s ability to alter conditioned motivational properties using a Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Paradigm. Thirty-six adult male rats were randomly assigned to one of six groups based on dose (0, 10, and 25 mg/kg) and CS-US pairings (paired, unpaired). Forty-minute conditioning sessions consisted of 24 exposures to an 8 second CS (lever+stimulus lights) and liquid dipper presentation of an aqueous sucrose solution (20% w/v). A truly random control procedure was used for unpaired conditioning groups. Lever deflections and head entries to the dipper receptacle were recorded during the CS presentation. After 20 days of conditioning and 10 days of pairing reversal, we explored environmental enrichment (paired-housing vs single housing) and US magnitude factors on pavlovian conditioned approach to a conditioned stimulus. While caffeine enhanced the acquisition of approach to a CS, the drug had no impact on asymptotic performance of approach behavior to a CS or US. In addition, a month of single-housing had no impact on conditioned approach behavior. The magnitude of the US (amount of sucrose solution) had the largest influence on approach to a CS.
20. Comparing Goal Setting Procedures During Math Fluency Intervention
Brooke Franks-Jacobucci, Mackenzie Fowler, and Dr. Catherine Williams
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Applied Research
Goal setting procedures have been shown to enhance students’ academic performance. The current study extends this research by evaluating the effects of various goal setting procedures to increase fluency in multiplication and division facts among school-aged children. Goal setting procedures were manipulated using an adapted alternating treatments design imbedded in an AB design. During baseline, participants complete three timings per day on three sets of multiplication facts. Throughout baseline, a goal is not set and reinforcement is earned through a token economy following all timings. During intervention, each set of multiplication facts is assigned to one of three goal conditions: an easy goal, a hard goal, and choose-your-own goal condition. During the hard goal condition, the goal is set as getting one more correct than the highest of the last 20 sessions in that condition (i.e., percentile schedule where k=20 of 20). During the easy goal condition, the goal is set as get one more correct than the lowest two of the last 20 sessions in that condition (i.e., percentile schedule where k=2 of 20). During the choose-your-own-goal condition, the participants choose whatever goal they want immediately before the session begins. The primary objective of this experiment is to identify which goal-setting procedure results in participants meeting terminal aim fastest. Preliminary results suggest that the hard goal and choose-your-own goal conditions are more effective and efficient than the easy goal condition.
21. 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.
22. From Consultation to Competence: Using Behavioral Skills Training to Improve Teacher Implementation of Behavior Analytic Practices
Cara Davis, Amanda Rissmeyer, Mercedez Machinski, Alex Renteria, Tristin Gravitte, and Emily Baxter
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Applied Research
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of behavioral skills training (BST) with teachers on skills to decrease maladaptive behavior in a group of preschool aged learners through in-vivo coaching methods. Behavior skills training is an evidence-based approach that has been used to train staff to implement behavior analytic procedures to reduce maladaptive behaviors. This specific study focuses on implementing BST and evaluating the effects through teacher's implementation of these skills during group circle time with preschool aged learners. Training and evaluation of skills was based on environmental design, setting a visual timer for the duration of circle time, providing reinforcement for desired behaviors, reviewing and modeling the rules and expectations of the classroom, providing learners with a schedule (first, then, etc.) of circle time, and using positive language. During this study we collected baseline data and post-training data. The results show that BST has been effective in increasing teacher's implementation of these skills to reduce maladaptive behaviors of preschool aged learners.
23. Impacts of Response Rate and Tolerance on Time-window Analyses
Kailin E. Spencer, Olivia B. Harvey, and Claire C. St. Peter
West Virginia University, Department of Psychology
Translational Research
When using a time-window algorithm, interobserver agreement (or, if true values are known, accuracy) is calculated by identifying the extent to which two independent observers scored the same events within a specified period, called the tolerance. Mudford et al. (2009) recommended a ±2-s tolerance to balance stringency and leniency. However, those findings were with responses that were not equally distributed. In the current study, we used a within-subject parametric design to evaluate effects of six tolerances on time-window calculations for discrete, equally distributed data. Eight participants recorded target responses from video vignettes by pressing a key on a computer. The target response was the child actor saying “no.” Rates of the target response varied across videos (1, 5, 15, and 25/minute). We used a time-window algorithm to compare data collected by the participants to known true values, yielding an accuracy percentage. The calculation was repeated across six tolerance sizes (±0s, 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s). Regardless of tolerance, accuracy was lowest for the videos with 1 response/min compared to other rates. As tolerance size increased, so did accuracy. Accuracy increased between the ±0s and 1s tolerance, but not for tolerances larger than ±1s, which deviates from previous findings.
24. Comparing Gemini Pro 2.5’s Variability Performance to a Random Number Generator
McKenzie Sintic, Jay Hinnenkamp, and Ann Galizio
Middle Tennessee State University
Basic Research
Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly used for creative pursuits. How variably an organism behaves is one measure that researchers have used to study creativity, with high levels of variability being representative of more creativity. The goal of present study was to quantify the variability of Gemini Pro 2.5 LLM’s responding and to compare it to the performance of a Random Number Generator (RNG). To assess variability, Gemini was given the instruction “You have a left lever, ‘L’ and a right lever, ‘R’. Pull the levers 8 times” 50 times (400 different sequences of individual “L” and “R” responses) to generate a session of data. No further instructions or feedback were given, except for in a “Forget” condition, where Gemini was instructed not to reference the previous chat history in the same thread before the start of the fourth session. Across repeated sessions and multiple replications Gemini produced sequences of responding that were initially moderately variable and then became highly repetitive. During “Forget” condition, Gemini’s response variability increased but quickly decreased. Uncertainty values (U-values), a measure for quantifying the amount of variability in responding, ranged from 0.13 to 0.52 in Gemini and from 0.66 to 0.70 in the RNG. The poster will discuss these findings, their implications for theories of variability, and future potential interventions for increasing variability in LLMs.
25. Evaluating a Ruleg Sequence to Teach Concepts in Data Visualization Literacy
Mackenzie Fowler, Catherine Williams, Brooke Franks-Jacobucci, and Rebecca Barba
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Applied Research
Recent research demonstrated that a specific sequence of rules and carefully selected examples and nonexamples reliably produced errorless conceptual learning. This sequence, known as RULEG instruction consists of 1) presenting the features a stimulus must-have to be a member of a conceptual class, 2) presenting the features that can change without impacting it membership to a conceptual class, and 3) presenting a set of examples and nonexamples. This set consists of at least two examples with can-have features that differ in as many ways as possible. And one nonexample for each must-have feature, such that each nonexample has the same can-have features as the example but lacks exactly one must-have feature. However, the previous research was conducted in a laboratory setting while teaching an arbitrary concept. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the use of RULEG instruction to teach two concepts related to data visualization literacy in a undergraduate research methods course. Results showed that the lesson not only supported students’ conceptual understanding but also helped them learn the concept more quickly than an existing best-practice lesson. These findings also suggest that using structured content analysis and learning outcome-specific templates such as RULEG instruction can make it easier for instructors to develop lessons that are both efficient and effective.
26. Investigating the Impact of Scent Stimuli That Uniquely Predict Food and No Food on Rats’ Choices for Probabilistic Food in the Concurrent-chains Procedure.
Jubal Neal, Jay Hinnenkamp, Ann Galizio, Tristan Mitchell, Kaitlyn Thornsbury, Jordan Field, Krish Patel, Josh Spencer, McKenzie Sintic, Erik Lindelof, Avery Johnson, and Justin Yule
Middle Tennessee State University
Basic Research
Research with rats and pigeons has shown that they will choose an alternative that results in less overall food when it contains a signal about when that food will be delivered. The goal of the present two experiments was to (1) manipulate the predictability of the stimulus preceding food on the low-probability alternative, and (2) to add a stimulus that uniquely predicted no food on the low-probability alternative to investigate how these two manipulations impact female rats' choices. In Experiment 1, when a scent stimulus that had previously only predicted the delivery of food was also used to predict no food, 4 of 5 rats shifted their preference from the low-probability alternative to the high-probability alternative. This preference reversed in 3 of 4 rats when the scent once again only predicted food on the low-probability alternative. In Experiment 2, when a scent was added to the low-probability alternative that uniquely predicted no food, it had no replicable effects in 4 of the 5 rats. The findings from these two rat studies will be compared to those from pigeon research, and implications for choice theories will be discussed.
27. Operationalizing Human Operant Behavior That Occurs During Extinction
Maya Pointer, Isabella Warren, Rebeca Barba-Karg, Alex Renteria, Isabel Rosa-Irizarry, and Emily Baxter
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Translational Research
There are certain patterns of responding that are expected during resurgence-based human operant research. For example, during an extinction phase that immediately precedes reinforcement of an alternative response, we expect to see the target behavior initially increase (i.e., resurge) and then steadily decrease over time or sessions. Our lab is currently comparing behavioral relapse procedures using both in-person and virtual reality environments. To better understand participant behavior during extinction, we are identifying, defining, and measuring the extraneous behavior participants engage in other than target and alternative behaviors during in-vivo and virtual reality sessions. This analysis will help us to understand how participants allocate their behavior when they are not receiving reinforcement and will help us identify manipulations to use in future research to emulate more typical response patterns that are commonly observed in non-human animal basic and human applied research.
28. A Comparison of In-vivo and Virtual Reality Contexts in Human Operant Resurgence Procedures with College Students
Rebeca S. Barba-Karg, Dr. Ellie Ebrahimi, and Dr. Emily Baxter
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Basic Research
Human operant resurgence procedures do not always produce clear examples of resurgence. Two potential reasons for this are a lack of motivation to acquire the contrived reinforcers and a lack of sensitivity to the schedule of reinforcement. One potential solution is to use virtual reality (VR) to create a human operant chamber. For this study we compared participants’ responses to target and alternative operanda and levels of resurgence when engaging in the same task in a VR and In-Vivo contexts. A typical three phase resurgence procedure was used. Participants were asked to place ping-pong balls in baskets to earn points. The baskets served as the response operanda. The VR context was an almost to scale replication of the In-Vivo context. For each participant all three phases were experienced in one continuous 15-minute session. We expected to find differences in responding and in resurgence levels between the VR and In-vivo contexts.
29. Effects of Interviewer Behavior on Adult Responding in Analog Forensic Interviews
Samantha L. Moon, Amina Boukhris, and 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.
30. How Competition Influences Physical Activity Exergaming in Adults and Children
Leah Cahoon, Taryn Saunders, and Dr. Carole Van Camp
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Applied Research
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that adults obtain 30 minutes and children obtain 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily (CDC, 2023). There has been a lack of adults and children reaching this physical activity recommendation, leading to an increased risk for chronic diseases in the United States. As technology is advancing, exergaming can become an effective way to improve physical activity for individuals, with competition evoking one’s motivation to exercise at an effective level. Individualized heart rate assessments (IHRA) were conducted to determine a participant’s physical activity levels as indicated by their heart rate (HR). While playing in the virtual reality (VR) headset game, Beat Saber, participants’ HRs were assessed under two conditions with an individual HR goal: competition with their previous HRs (self-competition) and competition with an unknowingly fake participant’s HR (other-competition). The current study resulted in the utilization of competition on physical activity improvement within individuals, as indicated by HR.
31. Examination of a Novel Probability-based Hypothetical Purchase Task for Cigarettes and E-cigarettes
Madeleine G. Mason, Laura E. Bruckner, Allison N. Tegge, Tracy T. Smith, Jeffrey S. Stein, Warren K. Bickel, and Roberta Freitas-Lemos
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion
Translational Research
Purpose: Behavioral economic measures of demand for substances are used to estimate their reinforcing efficacy. The cigarette purchase task (CPT), recently adapted for e-cigarettes (e-CPT), is a validated and efficient tool for measuring nicotine demand. This study a) compared a quantity-based and a novel probability-based purchase task for cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and b) examined whether demand elasticity (sensitivity to price changes) derived from each task was associated with nicotine dependence.
Methods: Adult cigarette smokers and dual cigarette/e-cigarette users (n = 123) completed two hypothetical purchase tasks each for cigarettes and e-cigarettes, one in which they indicated the quantity of a product they would purchase and one in which they indicated the probability that they would purchase a single unit of a product across a range of prices. Demand curves were fitted to the data using an exponentiated equation. Spearman correlations tested associations between elasticity and scores on the Heaviness of Smoking Index for cigarettes (HSI) and e-cigarettes (e-HSI).
Results: For both products, demand metrics from the quantity and probability tasks were significantly correlated. Demand elasticity from the quantity-based CPT was significantly correlated with HSI scores (r = -0.20, p < .05). The correlation between elasticity from the quantity-based e-CPT and e-HSI scores approached significance (r = -.22, p = .10). Neither probability task was significantly correlated with HSI scores.
Conclusions: This study replicated prior work validating the quantity-based CPT. For the probability tasks, correlations with HSI were small (r’s = -.13 to -.02) and nonsignificant, suggesting that these tasks measure differences in tobacco product valuation that are not related to heaviness of smoking or vaping.
32. Assessing Sexual Motivation and Partner Preference in Rats: Methodologies, Limitations, and Future Directions
Kaitlyn Thornsbury, Annie Galizio, and Jay Hinnenkamp
Middle Tennessee State University
Translational Research
Research on human sexual behavior is essential for advancing understanding of sexual health, promoting psychological well-being, and informing the prevention and treatment of sexual disorders. However, ethical and methodological constraints limit the scope of direct human investigation. Consequently, animal models have become invaluable tools for examining the underlying mechanisms of sexual behavior. Research on sexual motivation in rats examines how preferences for sexual versus social stimuli are expressed through approach and copulatory behaviors (Le Moëne & Ågmo, 2019). Procedures for studying these preferences employ a range of methodological approaches, differing in the behaviors assessed (approach versus copulatory), the choice paradigms implemented (single versus concurrent), and the testing apparatuses utilized (e.g., open field, operant chamber, or runway; Le Moëne & Ågmo, 2019; Nofrey et al., 2008). This poster reviews existing methods for measuring sexual motivation and partner preference in rats, evaluates their strengths and limitations, and highlights areas in the literature that warrant further investigation. Future research directions to address these gaps are recommended.
33. Matching Examples and Nonexamples Expedites Conceptual Learning
Lane O. Williams, Rebecca E. Woodard, Mackenzie R. Fowler, Brooke A. Franks-Jacobucci, and Catherine L. Williams
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Basic Research
Conceptual learning involves identifying novel examples and nonexamples of a concept. Although differential reinforcement has been proven in effectively teaching concepts, the stimuli use during differential reinforcement impacts learning outcomes. When concepts are defined by shared physical features, stimuli can be described in terms of must-have features (features that must be present for a stimulus to be an example) and can-have features (features that do not impact whether a stimulus is an example). Matched examples and nonexamples have identical can-have features so that only must-have features differ. The present study examined how using matched examples and nonexamples impacted conceptual learning. College students were taught two arbitrary concepts: one with matched examples and nonexamples and one with unmatched stimuli. Participants made fewer errors and completed practice faster following practice with matched examples and nonexamples relative to practice with unmatched examples and nonexamples. Both conditions produced similar conceptual learning but matching examples and nonexamples produced this learning faster. These findings provide a procedure for selecting stimuli in concept acquisition and have implications for both classroom and laboratory settings.
34. 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, and 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.
35. 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, and 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.