Increasing Active Student Responding in a University Applied Behavior Analysis Course: The Effect of Daily Assessment and Response Cards on End of Week Quiz Scores

The study compared the effects of daily assessment and response cards on average weekly quiz scores in an introduction to applied behavior analysis course. An alternating treatments design (Kazdin 1982, Single-case research designs. New York: Oxford University Press; Cooper et al. 2007, Applied behavior analysis. Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice Hall) was used to analyze the effects of response cards and daily assessment on average weekly quiz scores. Differential treatment effects were found between the daily assessment and response card conditions. When compared to baseline, students’ consistently earned higher quiz scores on end of week quizzes in the daily assessment condition. Response cards produced mixed results. More substantial effects were revealed when analyzing individual student performance. In some cases, twice as many students earned 90% or better when either response cards or daily assessment were used compared to baseline. We discuss the implications of these results for other content areas and student demographics.     

Stop and start control: A distinction within self‐control

A theoretical distinction within self‐control, between stop control and start control, was investigated in two studies. Study 1 consisted of a pilot study in which expert ratings of existing self‐control items were used to distinguish between stop and start control items and a confirmatory factor analyses of these items using a student sample (N = 474). Also, stop and start control were related to overall affect and behavioural outcomes. Stop control was negatively related to negative affect, whereas start control was positively related to positive affect. Study 2 (N = 226) replicated some of these findings; stop control was the best predictor (?) of smoking and alcohol consumption whereas start control was the best predictor (+) of exercising and studying. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

cTRAIN: A computer-aided training system developed in SuperCard for teaching skills using behavioral education principles

A computer-aided training program was developed in SuperCard and piloted with professional painters. Taking a modern programmed-instruction/behavioral-education approach, cTRAIN is structured as a series ofinformation sets. Each information set consists of a series of informationscreens (three to five recommended) followed by quiz screens (one to three recommended) structured as fourresponse multiple choice questions. Correct quiz responses produce positive feedback and continuation in the series, whereas incorrect responses result in “error“ feedback and return the student to the beginning of the information set to repeat the same information screens and the same quiz question. This report demonstrates a specific implementation, respiratory protection requirements, using the flexible cTRAIN system for developing training modules. Fifteen adults completed the respiratory protection program, demonstrating substantial and significant (p < .0001 by pairedt test) gains from baseline pretest (19.4 out of 30 questions) to the immediate posttest (28.1). Performance remained elevated (26.4) on a retest taken 1 week later.     

Effects of Guided Notes on University Students' Responding and Recall of Information

The present study assessed the effects of guided notes on student responding and accuracy of recall of lecture material in an undergraduate psychology class using multi-element design. Guided notes were administered for approximately half of the class sessions on a random schedule. Data were collected on the frequency of student responses and daily quizzes were administered to assess accuracy of recall of information presented in the lecture. Results indicated higher mean quiz scores and response frequencies during the guided notes condition. Social validity questionnaires administered to participants revealed satisfaction with results and procedures.     

Ethnic–Racial Socialization,Social Bonds,and College Student Substance Use

Using survey data from a diverse college student sample (N = 1,728), this study tested how three types of parental ethnic-racial socialization received during the respondents’ youth were indirectly associated with substance use through their impact on the development of social bonds. Cultural socialization and preparation for bias messages indirectly decreased substance use, while promotion of mistrust messages indirectly increased substance use. By-group analyses indicated some ethnic and gender differences. Overall, the findings point to the importance of examining ethnic-racial socialization as a multidimensional construct in relation to social bonds to understand its impact on young adult substance use.     

Supporting Generative Thinking About the Integer Number Line in Elementary Mathematics

This report provides evidence of the influence of a tutorial “communication game” on fifth graders’ generative understanding of the integer number line. Students matched for classroom and pretest score were randomly assigned to a tutorial (n = 19) and control group (n = 19). The tutorial group students played a 13-problem game in which student and tutor each were required to mark the same position on a number line but could not see one another's activities. To resolve discrepant solutions, tutor and student constructed agreements about number line principles and conventions to guide subsequent placements. Pre-/posttest contrasts showed that (a) tutorial students gained more than controls and (b) agreement use predicted gain. Analyses of micro-constructions during play revealed properties of student learning trajectories.     

The Effect of Response Cards on Participation and Weekly Quiz Scores of University Students Enrolled in Introductory Psychology Courses

Increasing student participation in college classrooms is an overlooked yet socially valid endeavor. The present study attempted to increase student participation, accuracy of responding, and weekly quiz scores, by incorporating student response-cards. Measures of social validity were also addressed. One hundred twenty university students in two sections of an introductory course served as participants. An augmented incomplete ABA reversal design was used to compare the effects of review questions with and without response-cards. Results suggest that response cards can increase participation as well as measures of learning, in this case quiz scores. Also, students rated the intervention positively on a consumer satisfaction rating scale. In addition to improving rates of student participation and quiz scores, response-cards positively impacted both students and the instructor's subjective experience in the classroom.     

What motivates lay third parties to take sides in a conflict? Examining the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and side‐taking motives

Taking sides is one of the reactions available to third parties in handling a dispute. From the perspective of individual differences, this study was aimed at identifying lay third parties' motives for side taking and exploring their relations with the Big Five personality traits. We tested our assumptions using three samples: A Dutch student sample (n = 111), a Dutch employee sample (n = 101) and a Chinese student sample (n = 124). The findings revealed four types of side‐taking motives: Moral, relational, reward‐approaching and sanction‐avoiding motives. The results also showed that individuals' personality traits were relevant to the four types of side‐taking motives: Agreeableness was associated with the relational motive for side taking, and intellectual autonomy was associated with the reward‐approaching motive, the sanction‐avoiding motive and the relational motive for side taking. Implications and explanations of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Psychostimulant effects on academic and behavioral measures for ADHD junior high school students in a lecture format classroom

This study evaluated the effects of two doses of psychostimulants on nine ADHD students' performance in a classroom designed to be analogous to a junior high school American history class conducted during a summer treatment program. Double-bline, placebo-controlled assessment revealed significant and clinically important effects of psychostimulants on quiz and test performance, observations of attention and behavior during lectures, and teacher ratings, as well as accuracy on assignments completed during study hall. Analysis of individual differences revealed a 66% positive response rate. The implications for use of psychostimulants with ADHD young adolescents are discussed.This research was conducted while the second author was supported in part by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA06267) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA 05605). This study was conducted during the 1989 Summer Treatment Program (STP) conducted by the Attention Deficit Disorder Program at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. We thank WPIC for its support, as well as the ADD and STP program staffs for their helpful cooperation, particularly Kelly Davis, Karen Greenslade, Vincent Grudberg, Gray Vallano, and Mary Vodde-Hamilton.     

Corrected Feedback: A Procedure to Enhance Recall of Informed Consent to Research Among Substance Abusing Offenders

This study examined the efficacy of corrected feedback for improving consent recall throughout the course of an ongoing longitudinal study. Participants (N = 135) were randomly assigned to either a corrected feedback or a no-feedback control condition. Participants completed a consent quiz 2 weeks after consenting to the host study and at months 1, 2, and 3. The corrected feedback group received corrections to erroneous responses and the no-feedback control group did not. The feedback group displayed significantly greater recall overall and in specific content areas (i.e., procedures, protections, risks/benefits). Results support the use of corrected feedback for improving consent recall.     

Reflective Writing: Enhancing Students Cognitive Complexity Through Ethics Education

ABSTRACT

Counselors will inevitably encounter ethical dilemmas. Since they are expected to practice within the code of ethics, the skills to make an appropriate decision are necessary. It is generally agreed that the best place to start this training is in graduate school. More than a standard didactic approach is desired to address student attitudes, values, and beliefs while developing cognitive complexity. Creative approaches can address the specialized goals inherent in ethics education. This article reviews the use of a reflective writing assignment to guide students’ exploration of their values and beliefs when confronted with a value based ethical dilemma. The students’ writings demonstrate an increase in cognitive complexity because of this assignment.     

Students’ suggestions for eliminating bullying at a university

Students’ suggestions for how to eliminate bullying at universities were gathered as part of an e-questionnaire sent to each university student (N = 10,551) at a Finnish university. The suggestions (n = 2804) regarding how to address bullying at universities were divided into the following four classes: support (944), punishment (78), support and punishment (65), and no suggestions (1717). Further analysis concerning support revealed the following five categories according to Houses’ (1981) classification: instrumental/material support (n = 265), informational support (n = 263), emotional support (n = 139), and appraisal support (n = 69). In addition, there were 208 inexact suggestions regarding how to stop bullying. Analysis concerning resources for help revealed the following five categories: Finnish Students Health Service/student association/police/university priest (120), university teachers (49), other students/peer support (41) and administration (36). In this classification, there were 698 inexact suggestions. This is a sign of the difficulty in addressing bullying situations.     

SHORT- AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF CONTINGENCY MANAGED INSTRUCTION ON LOW,MEDIUM, AND HIGH GPA STUDENTS1

Undergraduate students had been assigned to a contingency managed course or a conventional lecture course (Du Nann and Fernald, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1976, 9 , 373–374). Two years later, some 35% (N = 86) of the original classes responded to a letter offering them $2.00 to participate in a study of their educational experiences. These students completed a multiple-choice test on material from the course, and answered questions about activities and attitudes that might have been affected by the experience in Introductory Psychology. In the contingency management course 2 yr past, students were tested each week on a chapter of textbook material with 10-item multiple-choice quizzes. The course employed a modified “Doomsday Contingency”, requiring each student to achieve 80% mastery on one of the four weekly quizzes or drop the course. Quizzes were given in small groups and scored individually, while the student stood near, by an undergraduate proctor assigned to that group. The proctor was asked to show interest in the students' quiz performances, help clear up difficult areas, and develop a friendly working relationship with each student. While many students passed the quiz on the first attempt, others were given individual tutoring, so that no one was in fact forced to drop the course. In addition to the weekly quiz assignment, students in the contingency managed group were asked to attend one lecture each week. While the contingency management course procedures had much in common with PSI (Keller, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1968, 1 , 79–89), several departures made them unique. First, self-pacing was curtailed because students were required to master one unit per week or drop the course. Second, proctors met with students in small groups, usually giving individual tutoring only to those students who did not pass the quiz on the first attempt. Finally, students were asked to attend one lecture per week. Students in the conventional lecture group were not asked to pass weekly quizzes, but instead attended three 50-min lectures each week. Two of these lectures followed the textbook material closely, while the third, which was also attended by students from the contingency management course, covered material only indirectly related to the text. This partition of lecture content allowed material to be similar across the two instructional groups. Although students in the lecture condition were told they could obtain copies of the quizzes, few of them did so. Course grades were determined by scores on two 45-item multiple-choice hourly exams, each covering half the semester material (each worth 25%), and by a 90-item final exam, which served as a measure of short-term retention. Before analyzing the follow-up data, several characteristics of the returning students were compared to determine the comparability of the sample from the two original classes. Most important, both attrition and the current mean GPAs of students from the two classes were very similar. These considerations, and others, suggested there was no systematic sampling bias to confound comparisons of student performance. A 2 (contingency management versus traditional lecture) by 3 (high, medium, and low GPA) analysis of variance was computed on the course final-exam scores and the follow-up measures. Instructional procedure and GPA interacted on the final exam such that low and medium GPA students performed significantly better under contingency management, but there was no significant effect of instructional procedure with high GPA students. On the 2-yr retention measures, students from the contingency management course performed significantly (p < 0.01) better on items drawn from quizzes used in their original course, and marginally better (p < 0.10) on items drawn from the final exams, but no interactions with GPA appeared. Furthermore, instructional method produced no significant main effects or interaction with how many students became majors or minors in psychology, how many psychology courses were later taken, how many books in psychology were reported to have been read, or on students' evaluation of the interest and importance of psychology.     

Profiles of adversity and resilience resources: A latent class analysis of two samples

Adversities refer to events that are characterized by perceived or actual threat to human functioning. Often considered deleterious for health and well-being, recent work supports an alternative picture of the effects of adversity on human functioning, such that a moderate amount of adversity – when compared with none or high levels – can be beneficial. We extend this body of work in the current study by considering the breadth or type of adversities experienced simultaneously (referred to as polyadversity), with a focus on individual profiles of lifetime adversities. Latent class analysis was employed to explore different configurations of lifetime adversity experiences in two independent samples and examine how these latent classes differed with regard to resilience resources (i.e., optimism, hope, self-efficacy, and bounce-back ability). University students (N = 348) and members from the broader community (N = 1,506) completed measures of lifetime adversity exposure and resilience resources. Three polyadversity classes were revealed in each sample, with both producing a high and a low polyadversity class. The third class differed between samples; in the student sample, this class represented experiences of vicarious adversity, whereas in the community sample, it represented moderate levels of exposure to adversity. Support for the adaptive nature of a moderate amount of adversity exposure was found in the community sample but not in the student sample. This study produces initial evidence of how lifetime adversity experiences group together and how class membership is related to resilience resources.     

A preliminary analysis of the effects of response cards on student performance and participation in an upper division university course

We evaluated the effects of response cards on student quiz scores and participation in an upper division undergraduate course at a small, private university. Results showed that response cards increased both quiz scores and student participation. In addition, a measure of the social validity of the response-card procedure suggested that students approved of the use of the cards.     

Conversations about religious education

The wide‐ranging field of theory about religious education may be thought of as a series of ongoing and at times overlapping conversations (Foster, 2003 Foster, C. (2003). Where shall we sit? The vocational conversation of a religious educator. Religious Education, 98(3): pp. 311–330[Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]), each most meaningful within its own context, whether this context is educational, ecclesial or societal. This paper begins by mapping these conversations, then uses them as a lens through which to view the perceptions of 57 student teachers of religious education, as they describe critical incidents that occurred for them in their teaching practice. In this way it is possible to see where, in the ongoing conversations about religious education, the student teachers' perceptions fall. This brings insights to theory development in religious education, and the educational as well as social factors that influence it. Along the way the task requires a discussion of the role of reflective techniques in promoting teacher thinking, and an explanation of the processes through which the student teachers' perceptions were collected. A critical analysis of the student teachers' thinking about religious education concludes the paper and sets direction for further research.     

Cheat and you Lose! Don’t Cheat and you Lose! Reflections and Analysis of Accounting Student Data

During 2012 students enrolled in a Master’s management accounting unit were invited to complete a compulsory class quiz, which was arranged to include a mild form of deception allowing them an opportunity to cheat. Prior to the test students were coached concerning the importance of the ICMA code of ethical conduct, which formed the basis of the quiz. Following the test, students were made aware of the deception and asked to judge the propriety of their actions using a research instrument based on moral intensity theory (Jones in The Academy of Management Review, 16(2), 366–395, 1991). Academic dishonesty, in its many forms is endemic in universities and in this study a significant number of students take advantage of an opportunity to maximise test scores and earn an advertised reward by cheating. Others adopted a virtuous position and opted not to use the information. As reported from an earlier investigation, Woodbine and Amirthalingam (2013) again demonstrate the effect of cognitive dissonance (Festinger 1957) although previously the research instrument did not clearly differentiate between respondent types. A logistic regression of subsequent data establishes that high achievers (in terms of their test scores) are more likely to take advantage of the disclosed information to maximise scores and that this is somewhat offset by aspects of their moral character. Immediately following the field experiment, students met to reflect on their actions. A summary of their responses is provided, which tends to support prior evidence that many are somewhat blasé in their attitude to this form of opportunistic behaviour. These findings have ramifications in terms of the way tertiary institutions emphasise academic excellence before moral development, while acting to manage the incidence of misbehaviour.     

The lived experiences of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in relation to exercise

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of people diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Seven active exercisers with MS participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their exercise experiences since diagnosis. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Smith?&?Osborn, 2003 Smith, JA and Osborn, M. 2003. “Interpretive phenomenological analysis”. In Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods, Edited by: Smith, JA. 51–80. London: Sage.  [Google Scholar]). Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The results and interpretations of narratives revealed a number of functional limitations due to the severity of MS symptoms, which were found to have a major effect on the ability of the participants to exercise. Furthermore, psychological problems and the heightened behavioural adjustments to the progressive disability led to re-appraisal of ability to exercise. Previous, relevant exercise experience made participants more determined to continue to be able to exercise after diagnosis. The wider exercise experience narratives were related to concerns about safety, dependability on others to overcome the challenges, and potential environmental hazards. The loss of spontaneous opportunities to exercise because of these actual and perceived barriers was key to this population. This research highlighted the need to rethink the health and social service arrangements in relation to exercise provision for individuals with MS.     

Putting evidence‐based claims to the test: A multi‐site classroom study of retrieval practice and spaced practice

Retrieval practice and spacing out studying help increase learning. Introductory Psychology students at nine colleges/universities took quizzes with more (RP+) or less (RP?) retrieval practice and more (SP+) or less (SP?) spacing between quizzes. We compared (N = 351) scores on class exams and on a standardized test. We also measured key student variables (e.g., depth of processing). GPA predicted a significant portion of variance in exam scores, R² = 0.05, F(1, 204) = 10.84, p = 0.001. We found a main effect for retrieval practice and a significant retrieval by spacing practice interaction, R² = 0.28, F(3, 201) = 27.38, p < 0.001. Students using SP+, as well as those with SP? and RP?, scored higher than students using SP? and RP+. In practice, closer attention needs to be paid to quiz and exam content overlap and the duration within which repetition is used.     

Further Insight and Additional Inference Methods for Polynomial Regression Applied to the Analysis of Congruence

In their seminal paper, Edwards and Parry (1993) Edwards, J. R. and Parry, M. E. 1993. On the use of polynomial regression equations as an alternative to difference scores in organizational research. Academy of Management Journal, 36: 1577–1613. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] presented the polynomial regression as a better alternative to applying difference score in the study of congruence. Although this method is increasingly applied in congruence research, its complexity relative to other methods for assessing congruence (e.g., difference score methods) was one of the main claims against its use. The objective of this work is to gain additional insight into the use of polynomial regression in the area of social and behavioral sciences. First, we elaborate on the meaning and the inference based on the coefficients obtained by applying polynomial regression and explain the mathematical terms that are used to describe response surfaces. Then, we introduce additional inference methods and illustrate their application on a real-life example from the area of supportive exchanges using data collected by the Smithers Institute at Cornell University (supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). Our work is aimed to provide a guide to researchers who apply polynomial regression in order to assess the effect of congruence between two constructs and enable better understanding and interpretation of the results obtained.