The B. F. Skinner Foundation sponsored this award for graduate student research. Typically two awards of $500 each were available each year, with winners given the award at our annual conference. See past recipients below.
Purpose of the Award
Congratulations to the 2019 Award Winner!Karina Zhelezoglo California State University, Sacramento Paper: The Use of Auditory Visual Successive Matching to Sample to Establish Cross Modal Equivalence Classes Advisor: Caio Miguel, Ph.D., BCBA-D |
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Past Recipients - Congratulations! (top)2018JeNell Patricia Flanagan California State University, Sacramento Paper: The Examination of Modeling Positive and Negative Reinforcement Effects on Food Selectivity Advisor: Dr. Becky Penrod Nicholas L. Vitale California State University, Fresno Paper: Dishabituation of Operant Responding in Preschool Aged Children Advisor: Dr. Marianne Jackson 2017 Catherine Copsey California State University, Sacramento Paper: Using Behavior Skills Training to Teach Fall Prevention Skills Following Acquired Brain Injury Advisor: Megan Heinicke, PhD, BCBA-D Amanda Chastain California State University, Sacramento Paper: The Role of Class-Consistent versus Class-Inconsistent Verbal Statements on the Establishment of Equivalence Classes Advisor: Caio Miguel, PhD, BCBA-D 2016 Careen Meyer “The Effects of Listener Training on the Emergence of Analogical Reasoning” - CSU Sacramento under advisement of Dr. Caio Miguel Emily Darcey “An Evaluation of Matrix Training to Teach College Students Piano Notes and Rhythms” - CSU Sacramento under advisement of Dr. Caio Miguel |
2015 Charisse Lantaya California State University, Sacramento An Evaluation of Successive Matching-to-Sample in the Development of Emergent Stimulus Relations |
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| 2015 Anthony Oliver University of the Pacific Evaluation and Correspondence of Informant Assessments and Functional Analyses Completed by Practitioners References Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Hall, S. S. (2005). Comparing descriptive, experimental, and informant-based assessments of problem behaviors. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 26, 514-526. Iwata, B. A., DeLeon, I. G., & Roscoe, E. M. (2013). Reliability and validity of the functional analysis screening tool. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 271-284. Iwata, B. A., Dorsey, M. F., Slifer, K. J., Bauman, K. E., & Richman, G. S. (1994). Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 197-209. (Reprinted from Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 2, 3-20, 1982) Smith, C. M., Smith, R. G., Dracobly, J. D., & Pace, A. P. (2012). Multiple-respondent anecdotal assessments: An analysis of interrater agreement and correspondence with analogue assessment outcomes. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45, 779-795. |
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| 2014 Candice Hansard California State University, Northridge Video Modeling to Train Individuals References Graff, R. B., & Karsten, A. M. (2012). Evaluation of a self-instruction package for conducting stimulus preference assessments. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45(1), 69-82. Shapiro, M., Mendoza, M., & Kazemi, E. (2013). Maximizing supervisors' efficiency: The use of enhanced written instructions to teach undergraduates to implement a stimulus preference assessment. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology, California State University, Northridge. |
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| 2013 Marnie Shapiro California State University, Northridge Maximizing Supervisors' Efficiency: The Use of Enhanced Written Instructions to Teach Undergraduates to Implement a Stimulus Preference Assessment Training of staff to implement preference assessments is of paramount importance because the efficacy of behavior change programs depends upon staffs' ability to identify stimuli that may function as reinforcers for individual consumers (Paramore & Higbee, 2005). Therefore researchers have developed effective and efficient supervisor-facilitated training strategies that incorporate a combination of verbal or written instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and/or feedback to teach staff to implement preference assessments with procedural fidelity (Roscoe & Fisher, 2008). However, due to time constraints and staff to supervisor ratios, recent research efforts have focused on developing training packages that maximize a supervisor's efficiency in field. Graff & Karsten (2012) were the first researchers to test the efficacy of a self-instructional package (i.e., enhanced written instructions) that did not require feedback by a supervisor in order for staff to meet the mastery criterion. The authors noted that although the use of a self-instructional package resulted in successful outcomes, it is difficult to determine if their enhanced written instructions would be as effective if the authors had not first exposed participants to the methods sections of Fisher et al. (1992) and DeLeon & Iwata (1996) at baseline. Thus, the purpose of my study is to replicate the methods used by Graff & Karsten (2012) and to extend and correct for the authors' self-disclosed limitation. At baseline, I will randomly assign participants to one of two baseline conditions. In the replication condition, three participants will receive Graff & Karsten's (2012) modified version of the methods section from Fisher et al. (1992). In the extension condition, I will simulate a baseline condition to approximate a real life setting (Iwata et al., 2000). Namely, the remaining three participants will receive instructions on a piece of paper that specify that they need to determine a consumer's preference. I hypothesize that participants will reach the mastery criterion independent of the type of instructions given at baseline. Results from this study may contribute to a body of scientific knowledge which can improve training and supervision procedures used in applied behavior analysis. References DeLeon, I. G., & Iwata, B. A. (1996). Evaluation of a multiple-stimulus presentation format for assessing reinforcer preferences. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29(4), 519-533. Fisher, W., Piazza, C. C., Bowman, L. G., Hagopian, L. P., Owens, J. C., & Slevin, I. (1992). A comparison of two approaches for identifying reinforcers for persons with severe and profound disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25(2), 491-498. Graff, R. B., & Karsten, A. M. (2012). Evaluation of a self-instruction package for conducting stimulus preference assessments. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45(1), 69-82. Iwata, B. A., Wallace, M. D., Kahng, S., Lindberg, J. S., Roscoe, E. M., Conners, J., Hanley, J., Thompson G. P., Thompson, R. H., & Worsdell, A. S. (2000). Skill acquisition in the implementation of functional analysis methodology. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33(2), 181-194. Paramore, N. W., & Higbee, T. S. (2005). An evaluation of a brief multiple-stimulus preference assessment with adolescents with emotional-behavioral disorders in an educational setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 38(3), 399-403. Roscoe, E. M., & Fisher, W. W. (2008). Evaluation of an efficient method for training staff to implement stimulus preference assessments. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41(2), 249-254. |
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| 2012 Jonathan Fernand California State University, Sacramento The Effect of Choice Between Non-preferred Foods on the Food Consumption of Individuals with Food Selectivity Given the previous research on the advantageous effects of providing choices on noncompliance to demands and escape-maintained behavior (Powell & Nelson, 1997; Romaniuk et al., 2002) as well as the limited research on providing choices within a feeding context (Cooper et al., 1995), the purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effect of providing a choice between non-preferred edible items on the food consumption and problematic mealtime behaviors of individuals with food selectivity. Further, this study aims to assess the importance of the preference for items within a choice array when used as a treatment for food selectivity as well as evaluate, if necessary, the role of choice as an antecedent manipulation in mediating the negative side effects induced by escape extinction (i.e., nonremoval of the spoon procedure). Results of this study will help to develop future research regarding the implementation of antecedent interventions as an alternative to consequence-based interventions for the treatment of food selectivity. Future studies will be able to use the current research as a preliminary foundation in examining alterations to choice components on the food consumption of individuals with feeding disorders. Finally, the outcome of this experiment may impact how clinicians utilize choice components when treating food-related problem behavior. References Cooper, L. J., Wacker, D. P., McComas, J. J., Brown, K., Peck, S. M., Richman, D., Drew, J., Frischmeyer, P., & Millard, T. (1995). Use of component analyses to identify active variables in treatment packages for children with feeding disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28(2), 139-153. Powell, S., & Nelson, B. (1997). Effects of choosing academic assignments on a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30(1), 181-183. Romaniuk, C., Miltenberger, R., Conyers, C., Jenner, N., Jurgens, M., & Ringenberg, C. (2002). The influence of activity choice on problem behaviors maintained by escape extinction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35(4), 349-362. |
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| 2012 Bryon Miller University of the Pacific Behavioral Assessment of Physical Activity in Young Children The prevalence of people who are classified as overweight and obese in the United States is currently at epidemic proportions, with an adult and child combined overweight and obesity prevalence at 68% and 32%, respectively (Flegal, Carroll, Ogden, & Curtin, 2010). Physical activity is a class of observable behavior and therefore amenable to the seven dimensions of behavioral analysis as outlined by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968, 1987). The current study will replicate and extend Larson, Hustyi, Normand, and Morley (2011) by evaluating an antecedent based functional analysis for physical activity in both solitary and group contexts. Additionally, a concurrent chains procedure will be used to assess activity preference in order to identify possible counter therapeutic activity preferences (Hanley, Tiger, Ingvarsson, & Cammilleri, 2009). Results of the current study will further validate the functional assessment methodology, through the replication of Larson et al. (2011). Additionally, the current study will attempt to generalize the findings of Hanley et al. (2009) to outdoor activities commonly available in primary education institutions. The results obtained from this study will further extend research on function-based assessments of physical activity, and will be used to inform subsequent interventions to increase physical activity. References Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1), 91-97. Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1987). Some still-current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 20(4), 313-327. Flegal, K. M., Carroll, M. D., Ogden, C. L., & Curtin, L. R. (2010). Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2008. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303(3), 235-241. Hanley, G. P., Tiger, J. H., Ingvarsson, E. T., & Cammilleri, A. P. (2009). Influencing preschoolers' free-play activity preferences: An evaluation of satiation and embedded reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(1), 33-41. Larson, T. A., Hustyi, K. M., Morley, A. J., & Normand, M. P. (2011). The effect of outdoor activity context and group composition on physical activity in preschool children. Manuscript in preparation. |
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| 2011 Sean Blumberg University of the Pacific The Effect of Parent Modeling on the Rate of Food Consumption in Children The purpose of the current study is to experimentally assess the effect of modeling by a parent on a child's food consumption rate during snack time. The current research seeks to expand upon a series of prior studies assessing modeling effects on drinking behavior in adults (Caudill & Marlatt, 1975; DeRicco, 1978; DeRicco & Garlington, 1977), eating behavior in adults (Rosenthal & Marx, 1979; Rosenthal & McSweeney, 1979), and a several non-experimental studies assessing modeling influences on the eating behavior of children (Birch, 1980; Hendy, 2002; Salvy, Coelho, Kieffer, & Epstein, 2007; Salvy, Kieffer, & Epstein, 2008). No previous study has experimentally demonstrated a modeling effect for food consumption with children. The current study will adopt several features from prior research and use of a within-subject ABCBC reversal design with baseline, accelerated, and decelerated consumption modeling conditions. References Birch, L. L. (1980). Effects of peer models' food choices and eating behaviors on preschoolers' food preferences. Child Development, 51(2), 489-496. Caudill, B. D., & Marlatt, G. A. (1975). Modeling influences in social drinking: An experimental analogue. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 43(3), 405-415. DeRicco, D. A., (1978). Effects of peer majority on drinking rate. Addictive Behaviors, 3(1), 29-34. DeRicco, D. A., & Garlington W. K. (1977). The effect of modeling and disclosure of experimenter's intent on drinking rate of college students. Addictive Behaviors, 2(2-3), 135-139. Hendy, H. M. (2002). Effectiveness of trained peer models to encourage food acceptance in preschool children. Appetite, 39(3), 217-225. Rosenthal, B., & Marx, R. D. (1979). Modeling influences on the eating behavior of successful and unsuccessful dieters and untreated normal weight individuals. Addictive Behaviors, 4(3), 215-221. Rosenthal, B., & McSweeney, F. K. (1979). Modeling influences on eating behavior. Addictive Behaviors, 4(3), 205-214. Salvy, S. J., Coelho, J. S., Kieffer, E., & Epstein, L. H. (2007). Effects of social contexts on overweight and normal-weight children's food intake. Physiology & Behavior, 92(5), 840-846. Salvy, S. J., Kieffer, E., & Epstein, L. H. (2008). Effects of social context on overweight and normal-weight children's food selection. Eating Behaviors, 9(2), 190-196. |
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| 2010 Lesley A. Macpherson California State University, Sacramento A Comparison of Response Interruption and Redirection on Vocal and Motor Stereotypy Stereotypy has been defined as repetitive vocal or motor behaviors that are noncontextual with invariant topographies (LaGrow & Repp, 1984). Stereotypy can be exhibited by both typically and nontypically developing individuals; however, stereotypy exhibited by individuals with developmental disabilities has been found to be detrimental in a variety of areas. Consequently, a large body of literature has examined interventions to reduce levels of stereotypic behaviors. For example, both reinforcement and a variety of punishment procedures have been implemented to redirect and block stereotypic behaviors. Specifically, Ahearn, Clark, MacDonald, and Chung (2007) implemented a treatment package consisting of response interruption and redirection (RIRD) and reinforcement for appropriate vocalizations, as a method to successfully reduce vocal stereotypy in children with autism. Moreover, concomitant increases in appropriate vocalizations were also reported. Nevertheless, only two studies have utilized this treatment package as a method for stereotypy reduction. Results of these studies have suggested that the topography of the demands to interrupt and redirect must match the topography of stereotypy to successfully reduce. Therefore, the current investigation will replicate Ahearn et al. and extend his findings to individuals who engage in either vocal or motor stereotypy. Specifically, both vocal and motor RIRD procedures will be compared to determine whether the topography of demands must match the topography of the stereotypic behavior. Likewise, concomitant increases in appropriate behaviors will also be reported. Results from these comparisons will reveal the necessity of providing topographically similar demands as incompatible responses and whether they produce behavioral contrast. References Ahearn, W. H., Clark, K. M., MacDonald, R. P. F., & Chung, B. (2007). Assessing and treating vocal stereotypy in children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(2), 263-275. LaGrow, S. J., & Repp, A. C. (1984). Stereotypic responding: A review of intervention research. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 88(6), 595-609. |
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| 2010 Marla D. Saltzman The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles An Evaluation of Multiple Exemplar Training on the Emergence of Reverse Foreign-Language Intraverbals and Listener Responding The intraverbal is defined as a verbal response under the control of an antecedent verbal stimulus, with no point to point correspondence with that stimulus (Skinner, 1957/2002) In many intraverbal relations, the stimulus and response may be reversed, resulting in two relations; an original intraverbal (e.g., responding, "mesa," given the verbal stimulus, "table") and a reversal (e.g., responding, "table," given the verbal stimulus, "mesa"). Though some educators may expect to see emergence of reverse intraverbals following original intraverbal training, results of the few studies in this area suggest that a history of multiple exemplar training (MET) with both original and reverse intraverbals may be required for the emergence of such relations. The purpose of the present investigation is to examine the effects of two types of foreign-language intraverbal training on the emergence reverse intraverbals and foreign-language listener responding. Participants will be six typically developing, English-speaking preschool aged children with little history with the French language. In the original intraverbal training condition, children will be taught to emit French names of objects given their spoken English names. In the multiple exemplar training condition, children will be taught both English-French and corresponding French-English intraverbal relations. A multiple baseline design across participants will be used to examine the effects of original and multiple exemplar intraverbal training on the emergence of reverse (French-English) intraverbals and French listener responding. It is hoped that the findings and implications of this investigation will be of use, not only to those concerned with second language instruction, but to general and special educators of students of all ages concerned with establishing bidirectional intraverbal relations. References Skinner, B. F. (2002). Verbal behavior. Cambridge, MA: B. F. Skinner Foundation. (Original work published 1957) |
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| 2009 Jared Coon California State University, Sacramento The Role of Increased Exposure to and Reinforcement History with Transfer of Stimulus Control Procedures to Teach Intraverbal Behavior The intraverbal was described by Skinner (1957/2002) as an elementary verbal operant controlled by verbal discriminative stimuli and has no point-to-point correspondence with the preceding verbal stimulus. Methods used to directly train intraverbal behavior have used tact, echoic, and textual prompts to successfully transfer control to the desired antecedent verbal stimulus. However, only a few studies have compared the effectiveness of differing stimulus prompts to teach intraverbal responses. The results of these studies have been mixed suggesting the possibility that previous exposure to specific prompt types may play a role in determining which prompt type will be most effective in facilitating transfer of control to teach intraverbal responses. The current research will investigate the effects of controlled overexposure and longer reinforcement history associated with an initially less effective prompt type (i.e. tact vs. echoic) using a single-subject multielement design. Results from an initial comparison of tact and echoic prompts to teach two sets of intraverbal responses will reveal which prompting method is more efficient. In a second phase, the prompt type shown to be less expeditious will then be used to train additional sets of intraverbal responses. Finally, both prompt methods will again be utilized to teach novel sets of intraverbal responses and number of trails to criterion measured. Results of this final training session will reveal whether the overtraining condition would alter the efficacy of each prompting procedure method to teach intraverbal responses. References Skinner, B. F. (2002). Verbal behavior. Cambridge, MA: B. F. Skinner Foundation. (Original work published 1957) |
