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| Health, Sport, and Fitness Special Interest Group (SIG) Grant Recipients: Exciting New Areas of Research |
| Monday, May 26, 2025 |
| 9:00 AM–9:50 AM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 158 AB |
| Area: CSS; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Andrea Murray (BCBA-D) |
| Discussant: Bryon Miller (University of South Florida) |
| CE Instructor: Andrea Murray, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: This symposium will include four recently completed projects by the 2022 and 2023 Behavior Analysis in Health, Sport, and Fitness Special Interest Group (HSF SIG) research grant recipients. The purpose of the HSF SIG Small Research Grant is to support experimental research that demonstrates the application of behavior analysis to address human behavior in the areas of health, sport, or fitness. Additional goals of this program are to disseminate behavior analytic research and practice and to expand research opportunities for students of behavior analysis. The first presentation will describe a study that used TAGTeach to teach beginner yoga skills. The second presentation will discuss an evaluation of steps per minute thresholds for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The third presentation will analyze the effects of self-management on portion control consumption. The fourth presentation will review self-management and exercise adherence. Following the presentations, the Discussant will provide general commentary on individual presentations and discuss how the studies help advance the research within the areas of health, sport, and fitness. Recipients of the 2026 HSF SIG Small Research Grant will be announced at the end of the session. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): fitness, health, physical activity, self-monitoring |
| Target Audience: graduate students, researchers, behavior analysts interested in the application of behavior analysis to health, sport, and fitness |
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to identify at least three behavior analytic strategies used to promote skill acquisition or behavior change in the areas of health, sport, or fitness, based on the research presented.
2. Participants will be able to describe the specific outcomes of using the specific beahvioral interventions as demonstrated in the studies.
3. Participants will be able to evaluate how the presented research advances the application of behavior analysis in health, sport, and fitness. |
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| Investigating the Efficacy of TAGTeach to Teach Yoga Among College Students |
| KAITLYN WYLLIE (Georgia Southern University), Jennifer Wertalik (Georgia Southern University- Armstrong) |
| Abstract: Recent data suggests a concerning increase in mental health challenges among college students. Untreated mental health conditions can have significant negative consequences on college students’ lives such as poor academic performance, hindered social relationships, reduced quality of life, and increased risk of substance abuse. Yoga may offer a potential option to help tackle mental health problems among college students. TAGteach (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance) offers an intervention package that has been shown to improve performance in areas of sports and athletic activities. However, to date only one study has investigated the use of TAGteach with yoga instruction (Ennett et al., 2020). The current study systematically replicated Ennett and colleagues (2020) by examining the effects of TAGteach to teach beginner yoga poses to college students. We compared two error-correction procedures: standard TAGteach and TAGteach with reduced practice, to assess the impact on skill acquisition, maintenance, and generalization. This presentation will discuss results and provide practical recommendations for applying TAGteach within health and wellness programs, as well as provide directions for future research. |
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| Evaluation of Individualized Steps per Minute Thresholds for Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity in Children and Adults |
| AUSTIN SPEARS (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Sophia Barsanti (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Leah Cahoon (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Taryn Saunders (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Carole M. Van Camp (University of North Carolina Wilmington) |
| Abstract: Current U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are not being met by the majority of the population. Behavioral interventions aimed at increasing physical activity (PA) have sought to address this by focusing on increasing metrics such as steps or heart rate (HR) to levels assumed to be indicative of engagement in MVPA, but the guidelines utilized are often based on standardized recommendations which fail to account for individual variation in physical fitness and anthropometrics. A study by Van Camp et al. (2021) evaluated the use of an individualized heart rate assessment (IHRA) procedure to determine individualized HR zones for light, moderate, and vigorous PA in children. This study aimed to replicate the procedure described by Van Camp et al. (2021) with both children and adults and to extend this prior research by using the IHRA to determine individualized steps per min thresholds for light, moderate, and vigorous PA. |
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| The Effects of Self-Management on Portion Control Consumption |
| AMBER LAMPERT (Florida Institute of Technology; Acorn Health), Jonathan K Fernand (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: The National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states overeating is the most frequent cause of obesity. Obesity is a leading cause of preventable deaths and disabilities in the U.S. (Huber et al., 2015). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9 in 10 people do not consume enough fruits and vegetables. Overeating and consumption of calorie-dense foods have resulted in 20% of children aged 2-19 and 42% of adults being diagnosed with obesity, increasing their risks of resulting complications from this deadly disease (CDC, 2022). As a result, obesity is estimated to shorten the overall life expectancy of an individual by 5 to 20 years (Trucil et al., 2015; Hausman et al., 2014). This study examines the effects of self-management on portion control consumption adding additional self-management components in each phase. The phases the participants took part in were baseline, written instructions, self-management of food groups, and goal setting. This step-by-step process has assisted in understanding the critical components needed in self-management to monitor portion size consumption across meals. |
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