Degree Level

The Power of One Reinforcer (open access)

The Power of One Reinforcer

Animal trainers use shaping to teach many behaviors. However, during shaping, the organism may engage in behaviors other than the target behavior or approximations to the target behavior. If the animal is engaged in other behaviors, the rate of reinforcement may decrease and the trainer may resort to what is sometimes referred to as a “desperation click.” That is, the trainer delivers one reinforcer for a behavior that is not a successive approximation to the target response. Anecdotal reports from trainers suggest that sometimes the animal continues to repeat this other behavior that received only one reinforcer, even in the absence of further reinforcement for that behavior. This study compared whether, during a one minute extinction period, participants spent more time engaged in a behavior that had been reinforced only once after a brief period of no reinforcement or in a behavior that had been reinforced multiple times. Participants, who were university students, played a tabletop game that involved touching and manipulating small objects. Five conditions were repeated twice for each participant: reinforcement for interacting with a training object alone, reinforcement for interacting with a training object with other objects present, reinforcement for interacting with a target object, one reinforcer …
Date: August 2013
Creator: Hunter, Mary E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Food Situation in Germany with the Accompanying Agricultural Background (open access)

The Food Situation in Germany with the Accompanying Agricultural Background

This thesis describes the early modern agricultural history of Germany and its relation to Nazi agricultural policies.
Date: August 1940
Creator: Jones, Chas. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Assessment of Fruit Offerings for 7Th and 8Th Grade Students in Texas (open access)

An Assessment of Fruit Offerings for 7Th and 8Th Grade Students in Texas

Childhood obesity in America is reaching epidemic proportions. This study explored whether daily online lunch menu information was sufficient to enable parents to advise their children about healthy and unhealthy menu choices in 350 Texas middle schools and whether online menu information strongly correlated with the descriptions of the offerings given by 52 school cafeteria managers in telephone interviews. Although schools are making efforts to describe their offerings, they are not vigorously taking advantage of the opportunity to aggressively inform or educate. They are not coding their descriptions in such a way as to explicitly brand food as healthy or unhealthy. They are also not labeling food as generally required by law for consumer services that provide food (except for the fresh produce that lines supermarket shelves). Instead, they only briefly describe what they are serving in the way of fruit in one or two word snippets. Finally, cafeteria managers’ online descriptions were inconsistent with what they described in interviews. Online and verbal descriptions were sometimes contradictory, raising questions about the accuracy of either type of description.
Date: August 2012
Creator: Paschal, Ryan Tyler
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of the Overt Teaching of the Monitor to Students of English as a Second Language (open access)

An Analysis of the Overt Teaching of the Monitor to Students of English as a Second Language

The overt teaching of the Monitor, or conscious rule awareness, to native Spanish-speaking ESL students was examined to note possible benefits to the students' oral English production. Native Spanish-speaking students of English (the experimental group) were taught an awareness of their ability to self-correct their spoken English. They were then compared to another group of native Spanish-speaking ESL students (the control group) in four areas: Ilyin Oral Interview score, total words produced, errors produced, and interference errors produced. The results of the study lend support to the theory that overt Monitor teaching could be beneficial to native Spanish-speaking students of English. The experimental group showed a significant gain in Ilyin scores and a significant reduction in the number of errors produced.
Date: August 1983
Creator: Conway, Jean (Priscilla Jean)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Human Rights and the Strategic Use of US Foreign Food Aid (open access)

Human Rights and the Strategic Use of US Foreign Food Aid

How does respect for human rights affect the disbursement of food aid by US foreign policymakers? Scholars analyzing foreign aid generally look at only total economic aid, military aid or a combination of both. However, for a more nuanced understanding of human rights as a determinant of foreign aid, the discrete foreign aid programs must be examined. By disentangling component-programs from total aid, this analysis demonstrates how human rights influence policymakers by allowing them to distribute food aid to human rights abusing countries. Consequently, policymakers can promote strategic objectives with food aid, while legally restricted from distributing other aid. The primary theoretical argument, which links increasing human rights abuse with increasing food aid, is supported by results from a Heckman model. This procedure models the two-stage decision-making process where foreign policymakers first, select countries for aid and then, distribute aid to those selected.
Date: December 2007
Creator: Fariss, Christopher J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Need for Co-Operation Among Independent Food Retailers of Denton, Texas (open access)

The Need for Co-Operation Among Independent Food Retailers of Denton, Texas

It has become more and more evident that independent food retailers must co-ordinate their individual efforts if they are to gain an operating efficiency paralleling that of the corporate multiple-unit or chain system. Such co-ordination largely has taken three courses: (1) group buying clubs, (2) wholesale- sponsored voluntary chains, and (3) retailer-owned co-operative warehouses. It is the last of these that this study suggests as the most appropriate course for Denton independent retailers.
Date: June 1942
Creator: Cook, Herschell D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Assessing the Role of Smaller Format Retailers on the Food Desert Landscape in Dallas, Texas (open access)

Assessing the Role of Smaller Format Retailers on the Food Desert Landscape in Dallas, Texas

Many policy and business decisions regarding food deserts in the U.S. are based on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) definition of a food desert. This definition only includes large/national chain grocery retailers, based on the assumption that these major retailers are the only affordable sources of food contributing to balanced diets. As alternative distribution channels, including smaller stores, start to include groceries in their product offering, the need to consider the role of other businesses in the food retailing environment should be addressed. This thesis assesses the role of smaller format grocery retailers (small local grocers, convenience stores, gas stations, dollar stores, and drug stores) in shaping the food desert landscape in Dallas, Texas. The analysis evaluates the products offered in these stores, and then identifies the difference these stores make when included in the USDA analysis. This was done by collecting in-store data to determine the variety of products offered, the affordability of those products, and the overall healthfulness of the store. In addition, the gaps in supply and demand were identified in the USDA-defined food deserts in order to identify the impact any smaller format retailer may have. The findings suggest that, overall, smaller format retailers …
Date: May 2013
Creator: Regan, Amanda D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Influence of Social Comprehension on the Adjustment of College Students (open access)

The Influence of Social Comprehension on the Adjustment of College Students

The purpose of this investigation is to extend the study of the influence of social comprehension on the adjustment of college students by (1) determining the adjustment progress of students in the social fundamentals classes, and (2) comparing the adjustment progress of men and women in these home economics classes with the progress of men and women in other subject-matter fields.
Date: August 1953
Creator: Randolph, Vannie Lee
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Composition Program for Accelerated High School Students (open access)

A Composition Program for Accelerated High School Students

Since so many aids are available to help the teacher in the actual process of writing, this study will concentrate on the various ways in which other benefits, such as heightened awareness, educated imagination, increased self-esteem, and improved critical judgment, can be integrated into a composition class for accelerated students.
Date: August 1969
Creator: Reynolds, Grover A.
System: The UNT Digital Library

The Importance of Authenticity of Atmospheric Theming to Revisit Intention of Food and Beverage Venues in Theme Parks

Atmospheric theming is the use of the sensory experience in connection to a theme. The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of atmospherics with theming and their effects on customer behavior in food and beverage operations of a theme park. The official research questions developed for this study include: Does the impact of the authenticity of atmospheric theming influence an effect on revisit intention? Does the type of theme (land's theme or venue's theme) influence the effect of visitor revisit intention? These questions guided the current research in previously non-evaluated fields of study. This study used the Mehrabian–Russel (M-R) model to create a new research model. In the current study, atmospheric theming was the stimuli, emotional value was the emotional response, and visitor revisit intentions was the behavioral intention. Restaurant image was added to the model to obtain a cognitive reason.The results from the multiple regression indicated that all hypotheses were accepted. Restaurant image had a positive influence on both authenticity variables, and both authenticity variables had a positive influence on emotional value. Finally, emotional value was found to have a positive influence on revisit intention. These results indicated that atmospheric theming influenced revisit intention through emotional …
Date: May 2020
Creator: O'Dell, Billy Ray
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Proposed Plan to Teach College Students How to Tune Pianos (open access)

A Proposed Plan to Teach College Students How to Tune Pianos

It is the belief of many tuners that the best education for the young tuner is to do apprentice work in a piano factory where he must learn all the construction of the piano from the frame work of the case to the final setting of the tuning pins. It appears that most tuners are men now in the late forties to late fifties and were either factory-trained or apprentice-trained by an experienced tuner. The situation has changed and the apprenticeship method of training professional men such as lawyers and physicians has long since been discarded as a method of education. It is now the generally accepted plan to go to a college or university where such specialized training is given or offered under the direction and tutelage of specialists, and where students learn other essential subjects, the knowledge of which is necessary to the success of any educated man or woman.
Date: August 1945
Creator: Truax, Glenn A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Utopia : An Idea-centered Activity for Accelerated Twelfth Grade Students (open access)

Utopia : An Idea-centered Activity for Accelerated Twelfth Grade Students

Through the ages dissatisfaction with his environment has provoked man to envision the ideal or "utopian" setting which would be more to his liking. The discontent of today's youth with the world it has inherited echoes the complaints of past generations and yet is of particular significance and relevance to the twelfth grade student soon to enter the college community where protests are becoming increasingly more articulate and effective. Established institutions and behavior codes are challenged with impunity although critics charge that such dissent is irresponsible and unsupported by positive, alternative proposals for improvement.
Date: January 1970
Creator: Hull, Mary F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Vocabulary Banks and Scripts on Native English-speaking Students’ Acquisition of Italian (open access)

A Comparison of Vocabulary Banks and Scripts on Native English-speaking Students’ Acquisition of Italian

The study applied behavior analytic principles to foreign language instruction in a college classroom. Two study methods, vocabulary banks and scripts, were compared by assessing the effects on Italian language acquisition, retention, and generalization. Results indicate that students without prior exposure to Italian engaged in more exchanges and emitted more words in script tests compared to vocabulary bank tests. Participants with at least two classes in Italian prior to the study engaged in more exchanges and emitted more words during vocabulary bank tests. Data suggest that different teaching strategies may work for different learners. More research is needed to determine efficient teaching methods and how to ascertain which approaches work best for learners with different histories.
Date: May 2012
Creator: Dean, Brittany L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
To Determine the Correct Organization, Content, and Method of a Course of Marital Relations for Senior High School Students (open access)

To Determine the Correct Organization, Content, and Method of a Course of Marital Relations for Senior High School Students

It is the purpose of this study to determine the correct organization, content, and method of a course on marital relations for senior high school students. The organization, content, and method are to be determined by the needs and interests of the individuals concerned; educational theory, psychology, and philosophy; and medical, clinical, and research science.
Date: June 1940
Creator: Yost, Thelma Chitwood
System: The UNT Digital Library
Some Innovations in an Oral Approach to Teaching English to Spanish-Speaking Students: Eighth Grade Level (open access)

Some Innovations in an Oral Approach to Teaching English to Spanish-Speaking Students: Eighth Grade Level

The aim of this thesis is to suggest how some of the trends mentioned above may be incorporated into a program to help the eighth grade Spanish-speaking student in a predominately English-speaking school, to help the student who has not only given up the idea of getting an education himself, but is considered by his teachers "too late" to reach.
Date: January 1970
Creator: Woolsey, Normada L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Two Semester Life Science Syllabus for Use in Texas Public Schools with Seventh Grade Students (open access)

A Two Semester Life Science Syllabus for Use in Texas Public Schools with Seventh Grade Students

The problem of using a state adopted textbook written to apply to a large body of students with varying interests and needs was overcome by using a detailed syllabus that arranged course content in a meaningful sequence that appealed to student interest. The outlined syllabus prepared a two semester life science curriculum to be used by the teacher to guide lesson planning. Both semesters were divided into three units each. Materials included in the syllabus were given to actual student groups in real classroom settings. Since hands on learning was an important part of classroom instruction, two laboratory sections were included in the appendices to be used with the syllabus.
Date: May 1995
Creator: Edwards, Gail G. (Gail Graham)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Exploratory User Research for a Website that Provides Resources for Educators of American Indian Students in Higher Education (open access)

Exploratory User Research for a Website that Provides Resources for Educators of American Indian Students in Higher Education

Several studies have indicated that American Indian students in the United States higher education system confront unique challenges that derive from a legacy of colonialism and assimilationist policies (Huff 1997). Several scholars, American Indian and non-Native alike, have explored the effects of this history upon students in higher education (Brayboy 2004; Guillory and Wolverton 2008; Waterman and Lindley 2013). Very few, however, have explored the role of the educators of American Indian students, and most of the literature focuses on K-12 educational settings (McCarty and Lee 2014; Yong and Hoffman 2014). This thesis examines exploratory user research conducted to generate a foundational understanding of educators of American Indian students in higher education. Utilizing methods from design anthropology and user experience, semi-structured interviews and think-aloud sessions were conducted, almost exclusively virtually, for 17 participants. This research was conducted for a client, Fire & Associates, as part of the applied thesis process. Findings revealed a complex web of needs for educators of American Indian students in higher education related to teaching diverse students, the use of media and technology in the classroom, and the process of networking among other educators. The research culminated in content and design implications for the Fire & …
Date: December 2016
Creator: Roth, Heather S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of a Workbook for Business Mathematics Based on the Needs of Students of Business at North Texas State Teachers College (open access)

Development of a Workbook for Business Mathematics Based on the Needs of Students of Business at North Texas State Teachers College

The problem of this study is to determine the needs of students who are majoring in business and to design a workbook that will best prepare these students for the business courses offered at North Texas State Teachers College and for the problems of everyday life.
Date: 1947
Creator: Williams, Walter Maxey
System: The UNT Digital Library
Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating an Online Instructional Program to Teach Students to Evaluate Systemic Social Issues Using a Matrix Analysis (open access)

Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating an Online Instructional Program to Teach Students to Evaluate Systemic Social Issues Using a Matrix Analysis

This research aimed to determine the effects of an online training program on the accurate articulation of the concepts and elements needed to conduct a matrix analysis, the accuracy with which participants embedded these elements in a matrix analysis diagram, and the qualitative value of those elements. The development of the online training program was completed through a series of recursive steps. First, four literature searches regarding the matrix analysis, its foundational concepts, and underlying theoretical frameworks; systems analysis; culturo-behavior science; behavior analytic approaches to education; wicked and super wicked problems; and behavioral community psychology were conducted. Second, a tentative list of definitions for each element that collectively forms a matrix analysis was formed used to complete a component-composite analysis for each of the elements, and to determine the component skills individuals would need to develop to complete a matrix analysis and corresponding diagram. The component-composite analysis served as the basis for the general outline of the training program and the structure for the development of the training program presentations, activities, and assessments using Google Classroom. The online training program was piloted with 17 individuals enrolled in a graduate level course on behavioral systems analysis. Following the pilot of the …
Date: December 2022
Creator: Smith, Michaela M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Differential Perception of Poverty and Upper Income Areas Within the City Limits of Dallas, Texas, by Students in Areas Identified as Poverty and Upper Income (open access)

Differential Perception of Poverty and Upper Income Areas Within the City Limits of Dallas, Texas, by Students in Areas Identified as Poverty and Upper Income

"The purpose of this study is to describe the differential perception of poverty and upper income areas in Dallas. Groups of students with contrasting socioeconomic backgrounds were included in the study. Their perceptions were analyzed as a function of their socieconomic backgrounds...A map of the city using postal zone divisions and some census tract divisions was constructed. Definitions of poverty and upper income areas were established on the basis of U.S. Census data and statistics from the State Welfare Department in Dallas. Students from a North Dallas prepatory school and a poverty area high school were asked to mark maps to show locations of areas of poverty and wealth...The study concludes that prep school students show both local and cosmopolitan orientations to the city of Dallas, while poverty area students are most aware of their own neighborhood."-- leaf [1].
Date: December 1971
Creator: Milam, Mary Justina
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Negotiations in Agriculture: A Comparative Study of the U.S. and the EC (open access)

Trade Negotiations in Agriculture: A Comparative Study of the U.S. and the EC

This study applies Destler's institutional counterweights to Putnam's two-level analysis, substituting Liberal Institutionalism and Realism for internationalism and isolationism, in a comparative case study of the roles played by the U.S. and the EC in multilateral trade negotiations in agriculture under the aegis of the General Agreement for Tariffs and Trade during the first half of the Uruguay Round. Using game theory as an analytical tool in the process, this present study demonstrates that a clear pattern emerges in which stages of cooperation and deadlock can be easily anticipated in games of Chicken and Prisoners' Dilemma in accordance with various but predictable levels of institutional influence.
Date: December 1994
Creator: Gordon, H. William (Harold William)
System: The UNT Digital Library

An In-Depth Look at Community Gardens: Practices that Support Community Garden Longevity

Current food production methods in the United States contribute to environmental degradation as well as food insecurity. Food production by means of community gardens has the potential to reduce the deleterious effects of current production methods. However, many community gardens face challenges that hinder their longevity, thereby reducing the likelihood of the support they might provide for environmentally sustainable food production and decreased food insecurity for community members. A behavioral systems science approach was combined with ethnographic research methods, matrix analysis, and a literature review regarding best practices for community gardens to study the cultural practices of three established community gardens in the southwest region of the US. The results of the analyses conducted are presented in terms of recommendations to support each target community garden's sustainability. Recommendations regarding future research include environmental manipulations to identify functional relations and potential outcome measures for improving the longevity of community gardens are provided.
Date: August 2020
Creator: Cran, Stephanie
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the W P A Lunches Served in a Rural Consolidated School During the Year 1941-42 (open access)

A Study of the W P A Lunches Served in a Rural Consolidated School During the Year 1941-42

The purpose of this study is to follow the W P A lunch program in the Williams High School District of Brown County, Texas during the school year 1941-1942, and the effect of this program upon the height, weight, attendance and grades of the children participating.
Date: 1942
Creator: Newton, Emma Pearl Saunders
System: The UNT Digital Library

Building a Digital Twin of the University of North Texas Using LiDAR and GIS Data

Digital twins are virtual renditions of the actual world that include real-world assets, connections, activities, and processes. Recent developments in technologies play a key role in advancing the digital twin concept in urban planning, designing, and monitoring. Moreover, the latest developments in remote sensing technology have resulted in accurate city-scale light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, which can be used to represent urban objects (buildings, vegetation, roads, and utilities), enabling the creation of digital twin of urban landscapes. This study aims to build a digital twin of the University of North Texas (UNT) using LiDAR and GIS data. In this research, LiDAR point clouds are used to create 3D building and vegetation modeling along with other GIS data (bicycle racks and parking areas) in creating a digital twin model. 3D Basemap solutions of ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online Scene Viewer, respectively, are used to create an initial 3D urban model and build the ultimate digital twin of UNT. The emergency management floorplans of UNT buildings are incorporated into the digital twin to increase emergency management efficiency. Moreover, solar power potential for individual buildings at UNT has been estimated using the Digital Surface Model (DSM) and integrated into the digital twin …
Date: December 2023
Creator: Bhattacharjee, Shwarnali
System: The UNT Digital Library