Association for Behavior Analysis International

Vaccine hesitancy is a diffused psychological phenomenon, and it has been addressed in several studies. Its effects bear several consequences for public health, for example in terms of population immunization and intensive-care unit pressure. Communication campaigns, mass- and social media play an important role and have a responsibility towards users’ likelihood to vaccinate or show hesitancy. Previous studies found that how information is communicated exerts an influence on agents’ choices and decisions, although the information is the same and should not influence their preferences. To inquire about this phenomenon in the context of the current pandemic, we hypothesized that highlighting different aspects of data available on the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines would influence people’s perceptions of the vaccine and their willingness to be vaccinated. We administered two versions of a survey to a convenience sample of students of three universities in Italy. In the first version, salience was placed on the effectiveness of the vaccine in terms of reducing the probability of infection. In the second version, salience was placed on the probability of hospitalization after being infected with Covid- 19. The results confirmed our hypothesis. We discuss the implications of these findings for the development of behaviorally informed public policies.

Problem gambling can cause significant harm to a person and to the people in their lives. If gambling disorder is developed, some individuals can lose control of their gambling even when it causes significant problems in their lives (American Psychiatric Association, 2021). Most research surrounding gambling is done using slot machines, and while these results have been found to generalize with few differences, the field of video poker and poker in general is understudied. Research has shown that persistence in poker can be predicted by frequency of winning (Witts and Lyons, 2013). The maintaining of gambling through persistence being reinforced influences addiction. The current study set out to measure simulated gambling behavior with a video poker program in a laboratory setting. A program that allowed experimenters to manipulate win schedules and tracked information about the games played was used. The goal of this study was to examine persistence in play under different schedules of wins, to see if a relation between frequent win schedules and persistence can be predicted and influenced. If persistence is manipulable, this can further be used to develop a test rule-based education or intervention programs.

Schools have adopted various security measures to address school crime, such as the deployment of School Resource Officers (SROs). Critics argue that SROs contribute to a "school-to-prison pipeline" by implementing harsh legal responses to minor offenses, disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and disabled students. However, little is known about SROs in general, and data specific to Alaskan public schools have not been reported. One barrier to gathering information on Alaskan SROs is the absence of a measurement plan focused on variables reported federally and independently by other states. The purpose of this project is to use the extent literature to conceptualize a descriptive assessment designed to (1) identify where, with whom, and how SROs are used in Alaskan public schools; (2) compare the training methods and responsibilities of SROs in Alaskan public schools to current best-practice recommendations; (3) evaluate the influence of SROs on school crime and victimization in Alaska; and (4) evaluate the influence of SROs on administrator, teacher, caregiver, and student perceptions of the acceptability, effectiveness, and legitimacy of SROs in Alaskan public schools. Literature-informed recommendations for targets, definitions, data collection methods, reliability measures, and design will also be provided.

Universities in America are some of the most diverse areas in the country, offering ample opportunities for intercultural interaction. Positive cross-cultural interaction provides students with invaluable skill development and being culturally literate that will benefit them in school and their future career, but also benefit the building of a more inclusive society (Fozdar 2016). Relational Density Theory (RDT; Belisle & Dixon, 2020) may allow for modeling of relational perspectives of US college students towards international students from countries that frequently send students to study in the US. In the present study, participants completed a multidimensional scaling procedure relating individuals from those countries with positive and negative approachability characteristics. Participants then completed a willingness scale, rating their willingness to engage in interaction with individuals from each of the countries. Results showed strong preference to engage with other domestic students than international students. Amongst the countries that frequently send international students to the US, countries geographically close to the US rated higher on willingness and closest to positive approachability characteristics. Furthermore, countries that send the most international students to the US are amongst the lowest rated in terms of willingness and approachability. Results suggest higher density towards countries geographically located in North America, and higher density among countries located outside of North America. These findings show a good baseline for future research on relational networks involving intercultural interaction. Results also provide insight to how individuals relate different countries to positive and negative approachability characteristics, showing up potential risk groups amongst international students for non-interaction.

Most data on the prevalence and adverse consequences of college student drinking are from self-report surveys, which require respondents to be skilled at defining and identifying standard drinks. Unfortunately, reliability and validity of these data are questionable because college students are typically unable to do either with any accuracy. Some researchers (White et al., 2005) suggest we can improve self-reports and data validity by providing college students with feedback on the accuracy of their free-pours. However, evidence for this is limited because few researchers have evaluated the effects of feedback on observable behavior (e.g., free-pour) or used repeated measures, and nearly all studies report aggregate data. We replicated White et al. using a single-case design and repeated measures (N=12). Results showed feedback improved the accuracy of college students’ free-pours of standard servings of beer containing 5% alcohol by volume (ABV) but did not change their self-report. Additionally, aggregate data (means) did not accurately represent most individual data points; this has important implications regarding our understanding of college student drinking, assessments of interventions, and public health policy.