An ABAB reversal design was employed to evaluate the effect of differential reinforcement of low (DRL) frequency behavior as an interdependent group contingency on the frequency of vocal disruptions of five males, 6-14-years old, diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The results showed lower frequencies of vocal disruptions during…

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, the etiology of which has not been clearly determined yet. There is increasing evidence that synaptic and dendritic changes are involved in the etiology of ASD. The aim of this study is to determine whether serum Thrombospondin-1 and Thrombospondin-2 differ between ASD…

Machiavellianism is an antisocial interpersonal style involving the use of manipulative, deceptive, and coercive behaviors in the pursuit of self-interest. Although widely studied as a "dark" personality trait in adults, relatively little is known about the developmental correlates of Machiavellian tendencies earlier in life. The present…

Preschool teachers in a small county in a southern state are among a growing number of teachers who have expressed concern about not having the skills needed to support young children with challenging behaviors. The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) teaching pyramid was developed to help preschool teachers…

Student misbehavior is a significant occupational stressor for educators, with numerous emotional consequences threatening their mental well-being. However, research to date has failed to study the behavioral consequences of student misbehavior among teachers, as such stressors may lead to counterproductive workplace behaviors (CWB) that could…

Inhibition (a temperamental profile characterized by elevated levels of avoidance behaviors) is associated with increased likelihood for developing anxiety and depression, whereas exuberance (a temperamental profile characterized by elevated levels of approach behaviors) is associated with increased likelihood for developing externalizing…

Cyber-slacking interrupts classroom teaching and learning activities and is associated with poor academic performance. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aimed to investigate whether both cognitive (i.e., attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control) and affective (i.e., fear of missing out [FoMO]) factors…

Young children with early emotional, behavioral, and regulatory problems are at risk for long-term behavioral and academic challenges. This study examined the associations between O-classroom quality (i.e. emotional, organizational, and instructional supports) and problem behavior in six-year-old children who attend preschool. A correlation study…

Parent rating scales are used at increasing rates across disciplines to track child development and determine diagnoses/needs. This study explored relationships among parental stress and the validity of parents' ratings of their child's behaviors. Participants include children who were referred for assessment of behavioral, social-emotional, and…

This dissertation addresses the problem of practice of the high rate of employees in financial organizations clicking on phishing links, positioning their companies at risk of a data incident or breach. The financial sector was the most breached industry in 2022 (Schwartz, 2022) and was impacted the most by malicious phishing emails (Trellix…

There has been an increasing number of students being referred to mental health services due to behavioral problems they exhibit at school. Behavioral and social concerns impede academic success for the individual child as well as their classroom peers. Many factors can contribute to challenging behaviors in early childhood students within rural…

Psychosocial competencies; such as prosocial behaviors, compliance with authority, attention regulation, independence, and emotional regulation; play a crucial role in child development. Higher levels of these competencies in childhood are linked to fewer behavior problems, while deficits in these competencies can predict future problem behaviors.…

Parents' cultural beliefs are associated with their children's socialization and development. Researchers have examined these associations through the lens of parents' ethnotheories, which refer to parents' implicit beliefs about children's developmentally appropriate behavior. In contrast to prior work focused on parents' ethnotheories of…

This preregistered, longitudinal study examined how much adolescents value and integrate their parents' and peers' attitudes into their own attitudes from early to middle adolescence. Across three waves, participants (N = 172, 91 female, 11-16 years across three waves; 439 data points) decided whether to pay money to learn their parents' or peers'…

The use of a screening tool for school-wide screening of internalizing symptoms is an important strategy for early identification and prevention of more serious and impairing emotional and behavioral health problems in adolescents. However, threshold cut-off scores determined for screening tools may not be suitable for all populations. Using a…