title: Differential Reinforcement of Low-Rate Behaviour In The Brush Tail Possum  Explicit Alternative Responses During Differential  Reinforcement of Low-Rate Responding

authors: King, Thea Turora

subjects: DRL

abstract: Differential reinforcement of low rate responding (DRL) can be defined as withholding reinforcement until probability of a target behaviour has decreased to a particular criterion. Typically, the DRL lowers the overall rate of a specific target response by incrementally increasing the time interval between responses and delivering reinforcement contingent upon a response occurring at or above the specified time interval. The present study parametrically examined six brush tail possum’s performance on DRL to investigate in the first instance whether or not the possums could perform on DRL and if so, how well they could do at the task. The study also sought to investigate if DRL performance could be improved, by providing a second response lever as an explicit option to perform an alternative behaviour. Two Experiments were carried out. In Experiment 1, possums were expected to perform on a DRL schedule with one response lever (DRL lever) that produced access to food. In Experiment 2, a second response lever was available independent to the DRL lever and accessible for the duration of the experiment. The second lever provided no access to food. The possums were expected to respond on the second lever during the time delays (inter response time (IRT)) to assist mediating the time interval. Initial inspections of the data in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 showed the possums performed efficiently on the DRL schedule up to around 15-s. Closer inspection of mean IRT data showed more unsuccessful responses than successful responses at around DRL 10-s and higher. Most of the possums maintained consistent responding below the DRL but sustained enough responding above the DRL to go on to higher DRL criterions. In spite of the larger number of unsuccessful responses some of the possums still failed to reach higher DRL criterions. Further inspection of the procedure revealed that at longer DRL as long as the possums had enough time (in days) to obtain the required number of reinforcers to meet the DRL, the procedure would automatically increment to the next DRL criterion giving the impression that they were able to perform the DRL. Furthermore, excessively long IRT were reinforced in the procedure. The provision of a second response lever in Experiment 2 was of no consequence contrary to expectations. This thesis purports that possums did not respond to the DRL contingencies and that performance that appears as if they did respond was an accidental by-product of the procedural arrangement.

text: Differential Reinforcement of Low-Rate Behaviour In The Brush Tail Possum  Explicit Alternative Responses During Differential  Reinforcement of Low-Rate Responding Differential reinforcement of low rate responding (DRL) can be defined as withholding reinforcement until probability of a target behaviour has decreased to a particular criterion. Typically, the DRL lowers the overall rate of a specific target response by incrementally increasing the time interval between responses and delivering reinforcement contingent upon a response occurring at or above the specified time interval. The present study parametrically examined six brush tail possum’s performance on DRL to investigate in the first instance whether or not the possums could perform on DRL and if so, how well they could do at the task. The study also sought to investigate if DRL performance could be improved, by providing a second response lever as an explicit option to perform an alternative behaviour. Two Experiments were carried out. In Experiment 1, possums were expected to perform on a DRL schedule with one response lever (DRL lever) that produced access to food. In Experiment 2, a second response lever was available independent to the DRL lever and accessible for the duration of the experiment. The second lever provided no access to food. The possums were expected to respond on the second lever during the time delays (inter response time (IRT)) to assist mediating the time interval. Initial inspections of the data in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 showed the possums performed efficiently on the DRL schedule up to around 15-s. Closer inspection of mean IRT data showed more unsuccessful responses than successful responses at around DRL 10-s and higher. Most of the possums maintained consistent responding below the DRL but sustained enough responding above the DRL to go on to higher DRL criterions. In spite of the larger number of unsuccessful responses some of the possums still failed to reach higher DRL criterions. Further inspection of the procedure revealed that at longer DRL as long as the possums had enough time (in days) to obtain the required number of reinforcers to meet the DRL, the procedure would automatically increment to the next DRL criterion giving the impression that they were able to perform the DRL. Furthermore, excessively long IRT were reinforced in the procedure. The provision of a second response lever in Experiment 2 was of no consequence contrary to expectations. This thesis purports that possums did not respond to the DRL contingencies and that performance that appears as if they did respond was an accidental by-product of the procedural arrangement.

year: 2017

title: Movement on hidden faults within the Hamilton Basin

authors: Moon, Vicki G.

abstract: In May last year Drs Moon and de Lange presented evidence at a School of Science Seminar for the presence of faulting within the surface deposits of the Hamilton Basin, and speculated on the presence of 4 fault zones that may have been active during the last 250,000 years. Since then, with the support of an EQC grant and funding from the Waikato Regional Council, further progress has been made on identifying the location of hidden faults. The results of shallow seismic and initial resistivity surveys indicate more than 20 faults cross the Waikato River, and combined with LiDAR data, the evidence shows that some have been active during the last 16,000 years. Data from oil, gas and coal exploration surveys of the deeper geology of the basin combined with the surface data have shown a pattern of normal listric faults extending from the basement to the surface, which explain the pattern of low hills within the basin. Sites for more intensive investigations using resistivity, GPR, and trenching have been identified, which will be used to determine the faulting history and better constrain the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes for seismic hazard assessment.

text: Movement on hidden faults within the Hamilton Basin In May last year Drs Moon and de Lange presented evidence at a School of Science Seminar for the presence of faulting within the surface deposits of the Hamilton Basin, and speculated on the presence of 4 fault zones that may have been active during the last 250,000 years. Since then, with the support of an EQC grant and funding from the Waikato Regional Council, further progress has been made on identifying the location of hidden faults. The results of shallow seismic and initial resistivity surveys indicate more than 20 faults cross the Waikato River, and combined with LiDAR data, the evidence shows that some have been active during the last 16,000 years. Data from oil, gas and coal exploration surveys of the deeper geology of the basin combined with the surface data have shown a pattern of normal listric faults extending from the basement to the surface, which explain the pattern of low hills within the basin. Sites for more intensive investigations using resistivity, GPR, and trenching have been identified, which will be used to determine the faulting history and better constrain the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes for seismic hazard assessment.

year: 2016-09-09

title: Ngā Tuakiri o te Tangata: Being Māori in Early Childhood Education

authors: Rameka, Lesley Kay

abstract: Before the arrival of Europeans in Aotearoa, New Zealand and their subsequent settlement in the 1800s, there was no concept of a Māori identity. Over time, however, as a result of rapid colonisation, Māori became a minority population in New Zealand. Consequently, the term Māori as normal or usual, began to lose its meaning (Webber, 2008), and another meaning began to emerge based on contrasts with the Pākehā settler population. This paper explores the complex and increasingly diverse nature of Māori identities in contemporary Aotearoa/New Zealand, including contemporary early childhood contexts. It discusses the importance of negotiating the terrains of cultural knowledge, values and understandings in order to define what ‘being Māori’ means for teachers and children in an increasingly diverse and complex settings.

text: Ngā Tuakiri o te Tangata: Being Māori in Early Childhood Education Before the arrival of Europeans in Aotearoa, New Zealand and their subsequent settlement in the 1800s, there was no concept of a Māori identity. Over time, however, as a result of rapid colonisation, Māori became a minority population in New Zealand. Consequently, the term Māori as normal or usual, began to lose its meaning (Webber, 2008), and another meaning began to emerge based on contrasts with the Pākehā settler population. This paper explores the complex and increasingly diverse nature of Māori identities in contemporary Aotearoa/New Zealand, including contemporary early childhood contexts. It discusses the importance of negotiating the terrains of cultural knowledge, values and understandings in order to define what ‘being Māori’ means for teachers and children in an increasingly diverse and complex settings.

year: 2016