Objective: Both aerobic exercise and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) improve depression, but perceptions of their credibility and efficacy are underexplored. These perceptions can contribute to treatment seeking and outcome. A previous online sample ranging in age and education rated a combined treatment higher than individual components and…

The current pilot study tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a combined group cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise intervention (CBT+E), as compared to treatment as usual (TAU) for managing anxiety and mood symptoms in university students. Participants were 16 undergraduate students with at least mild anxiety, depression, or…

Physical exercise has shown the potential to reduce stereotypic behaviors. The current investigation conducted three meta-analyses on the effects of physical exercise on stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism. Study 1 produced four aggregate score studies (n = 54) that included nine effect sizes ranging from d = -0.85 to 0.31. Study 1…

Antecedent exercise (AE) is an intervention used to promote moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and improve subsequent behavior in non-exercise contexts. We used withdrawal and multitreatment single case research designs to compare the effects of baseline, AE alone, and AE + visual supports condition. Two preschool-age boys participated in this…

Considerable evidence has shown that physical exercise could be an effective treatment in reducing stereotypical autism spectrum disorder (ASD) behaviors in children. The present study seeks to examine the underlying mechanism by considering the theoretical operant nature of stereotypy. Children with ASD (n = 30) who exhibited hand-flapping and…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder in which individuals experience deficits in communication, restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, as well as social interaction and reciprocity (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). For adolescents with autism, anxiety often interferes with these symptoms making them…

Background: The aim of this study was to develop a mindful eating intervention and evaluate potential changes in selected outcomes. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping was used to guide the curriculum development and selection of evaluation measures. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of…

There is a growing body of evidence to support the benefits of physical activity on children's cognitions and behavior. Although children with ADHD are known to be at risk for deficits in cognitive processing, specifically executive functioning which controls the organization, regulation, and planning of behavior, little evidence exists about the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an Internet-based behavioral intervention for physical activity (PA) promotion among secondary school students. It was hypothesized that the Internet-based PA promotion program could increase the PA levels of secondary school students. The action research approach together with…

Background: We evaluated the 12-month effects of the COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) Healthy Lifestyles TEEN (Thinking, Emotions, Exercise, Nutrition) program versus an attention control program (Healthy Teens) on overweight/obesity and depressive symptoms in high school adolescents. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled…

Autism is currently one of the most prominent and widely discussed human conditions. Its increased prevalence has intensified the demand for effective educational and therapeutic services, and intervention science is providing mounting evidence about practices that positively impact outcomes. The purpose of this report is to describe a set of…

Some individuals with developmental disabilities and emotional disorders may engage in challenging behavior that can result in the use of aversive procedures and/or seclusion from typically developing peers. They may also engage in low levels of physical activity. One way to decrease challenging behaviors while increasing overall levels of…

We evaluated antecedent exercise for treating the automatically reinforced problem behavior of 4 individuals with autism. We conducted preference assessments to identify leisure and exercise items that were associated with high levels of engagement and low levels of problem behavior. Next, we conducted three 3-component multiple-schedule…

Purpose of the Study: Stanford's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) has been proven to increase patients' ability to manage distress. We describe how we replicated CDSMP in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Design and Methods: We used the "track changes" tool to deconstruct CDSMP into its various components…

The behavioral processes of weight reduction are poorly understood, and responses to treatments based primarily on caloric restriction have been unfavorable. A theory-based path derived from proposed relations of physical activity, changes in psychological factors, and weight loss was separately tested with women with Class I and Class II obesity…