title: The effect of altering maintenance diet on demand for reinforcers.

authors: Jackson, Surrey Merryn Kate

subjects: establishing operations

abstract: Six hens’ preferences between whole grain wheat, commercial laying pellets and puffed wheat were assessed using a free-access procedure. Wheat was found to be the preferred food of three hens, pellets were preferred by one, puffed wheat was found to be not preferred by four, and two hens had no preference for any food. The hens were then maintained at 80% ± 10% of their free-feeding body weights by one of the three foods while responding under a progressive ratio schedule in which the response requirement doubled after each reinforcer. A session terminated after a hen had ceased responding for 300 s. All three foods were used as reinforcers and then the maintenance food was changed. Thus all three foods served as reinforcers with each of the three maintenance diets. Response rates, post-reinforcement pauses and demand functions (i.e., the relation between estimated consumption rate and response requirement) under each response requirement were examined. Performance was not affected systematically across hens by diet or reinforcer type. There were no systematic relations between the individual hen’s food preferences and any of the performance measures. The same hens were then maintained at 80% ± 10% of their free-feeding body weight by pellets and responded under fixed ratio schedules with the response requirement doubling each session until a hen received no reinforcers in a session. Sessions terminated after 40 reinforcers or 40 min. Each of the three foods served as the reinforcer for two series of the increasing fixed ratio schedules. The resulting demand functions did not differ over reinforcer type and no relation found between the type of reinforcer and the individual hen’s preferences. Performance (including the shape of the demand functions) was found to be similar under both the progressive and fixed ratio schedules. It is suggested that the provision of post-feed outside of the experimental sessions and the hen’s low body weights could explain why there was no difference in demand between conditions with different maintenance diets and reinforcer types.

text: The effect of altering maintenance diet on demand for reinforcers. Six hens’ preferences between whole grain wheat, commercial laying pellets and puffed wheat were assessed using a free-access procedure. Wheat was found to be the preferred food of three hens, pellets were preferred by one, puffed wheat was found to be not preferred by four, and two hens had no preference for any food. The hens were then maintained at 80% ± 10% of their free-feeding body weights by one of the three foods while responding under a progressive ratio schedule in which the response requirement doubled after each reinforcer. A session terminated after a hen had ceased responding for 300 s. All three foods were used as reinforcers and then the maintenance food was changed. Thus all three foods served as reinforcers with each of the three maintenance diets. Response rates, post-reinforcement pauses and demand functions (i.e., the relation between estimated consumption rate and response requirement) under each response requirement were examined. Performance was not affected systematically across hens by diet or reinforcer type. There were no systematic relations between the individual hen’s food preferences and any of the performance measures. The same hens were then maintained at 80% ± 10% of their free-feeding body weight by pellets and responded under fixed ratio schedules with the response requirement doubling each session until a hen received no reinforcers in a session. Sessions terminated after 40 reinforcers or 40 min. Each of the three foods served as the reinforcer for two series of the increasing fixed ratio schedules. The resulting demand functions did not differ over reinforcer type and no relation found between the type of reinforcer and the individual hen’s preferences. Performance (including the shape of the demand functions) was found to be similar under both the progressive and fixed ratio schedules. It is suggested that the provision of post-feed outside of the experimental sessions and the hen’s low body weights could explain why there was no difference in demand between conditions with different maintenance diets and reinforcer types.

year: 2011

title: Health and digital gaming: The benefits of a community of practice

authors: Schott, Gareth R.

subjects: community

abstract: Psychologists have a tendency to focus on the negative side of life. Our discipline has become preoccupied with illness rather than health. Where the media are concerned we explore the consequences of unhealthy messages for the population in general or young people in particular. This commentary breaks with tradition by outlining ways in which digital games can enhance health. Positive health consequences of gaming are explored in relation to surgical training and therapeutic interventions, physical exercise, health education and community participation.

text: Health and digital gaming: The benefits of a community of practice Psychologists have a tendency to focus on the negative side of life. Our discipline has become preoccupied with illness rather than health. Where the media are concerned we explore the consequences of unhealthy messages for the population in general or young people in particular. This commentary breaks with tradition by outlining ways in which digital games can enhance health. Positive health consequences of gaming are explored in relation to surgical training and therapeutic interventions, physical exercise, health education and community participation.

year: 2006

title: Mokopuna rising: Developing a best practice for early intervention in whanau violence

authors: Cooper, Erana

subjects: Maori

abstract: In a very difficult meeting, an extremely unpleasant man was concerned about the possible loss of his power and the continuation of his plans and dreams for the future. And I said, yeah well, you should be worried, because according to your philosophy, when you’re dead, you’re dead. But when I’m dead, my mokopuna will be rising. (Personal Communication, Rob Cooper, 2007) 
“Mokopuna Rising” is about claiming space for Maori to define best practice for reducing and avoiding whanau violence1 It is research in progress towards a PhD, being carried out with the Ngati Hine Health Trust, in Te Taitokerau (Northland).

text: Mokopuna rising: Developing a best practice for early intervention in whanau violence In a very difficult meeting, an extremely unpleasant man was concerned about the possible loss of his power and the continuation of his plans and dreams for the future. And I said, yeah well, you should be worried, because according to your philosophy, when you’re dead, you’re dead. But when I’m dead, my mokopuna will be rising. (Personal Communication, Rob Cooper, 2007) 
“Mokopuna Rising” is about claiming space for Maori to define best practice for reducing and avoiding whanau violence1 It is research in progress towards a PhD, being carried out with the Ngati Hine Health Trust, in Te Taitokerau (Northland).

year: 2008