Association for Behavior Analysis International

I review the latest research on the evolutionary relationships of dogs at the level of species and breeds. I briefly review the concept of, and evidence for, behavioral genetics in dogs before developing two basic principles of behavior: 1) species- (or breed-) typical behavior developed under evolutionary pressures and 2) the interaction of genes and environment, bringing in the role of experience and learning, to develop a modern ethological view of dog behavior. I then illustrate these principles with examples from comparative research on wolf and dog behavior and on breed-specific patterns in innate and learned behavior in dogs. Finally, I demonstrate the implications of evolutionary history, genetics and the environment for interpreting the social dynamics of domestic dogs. My goal is to illustrate a modern view of animal behavior which is intensely integrative, drawing together many disciplines including genetics, physiology, endocrinology, neurobiology, learning theory, and ethology under the organizing laws of evolution.

Interest in behavioral activation (BA) in the treatment of depression has gained worldwide acceptance and re-invigorated interest in a behavioral rather than a cognitive conceptualization of depression. According to the basic premise of the behavioral model, depression results from low rates of response-contingent positive reinforcement or increased rates of punishment. For vulnerable individuals such reinforcement contingencies may be correlated with low mood and other “symptoms” of depression. Individuals then respond to the symptoms in understandable ways to avoid bad feelings or responsibilities, but get stuck in a cycle of inertia that is negatively reinforced. As a treatment for depression, behavioral activation (BA) is based on this model, and the goal of BA is to reverse the “downward spiral” and help individuals to engage in activities that may serve an antidepressant function. The principles of BA can apply to problems other than depression, however, and may be used to modify avoidance behaviors in general. This presentation will review the potential use of BA as a transdiagnostic method for helping clients to engage in activities that will increase the likelihood that approach behaviors, rather than avoidance, will be reinforced leading to more productivity and satisfaction.

#none#

I will present an overview of work by my research group exploring the development and evaluation of sensor-driven mobile health technologies for measuring and motivating health-related behavior. We are creating prototype technologies that use context-aware sensing to empower people with information by presenting it in timely, tailored ways via home and mobile computing devices. I will outline our general approach showing examples of technologies developed in pilot projects, with a special focus on an effort to develop a new open-source tool for measuring physical activity type, duration, intensity, and location on common mobile phones for population scale health studies. This activity measurement system, and others we are working on using common mobile phones, provide new ways to create what are known as persuasive technologies using positive reinforcement and tailored, just-in-time messaging.

Professor Erica Chenoweth discusses her book with Maria Stephan, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. In this groundbreaking book, the authors find that between 1900 and 2006, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts. Attracting impressive support from citizens that helps separate regimes from their main sources of power, these campaigns have produced remarkable results. In this talk, Chenoweth details the factors enabling such campaigns to succeed; and, at times, causing them to fail. She discusses how higher levels of participation contribute to enhanced resilience, a greater probability of tactical innovation, increased opportunity for civic disruption (and therefore less incentive for the regime to maintain the status quo), and shifts in loyalty among opponents' erstwhile supporters, including members of the military establishment. Successful nonviolent resistance movements tend to usher in more durable and internally peaceful democracies, which are less likely to regress into civil war. Chenoweth originally and systematically compares violent and nonviolent outcomes in different historical periods and geographical contexts, debunking the myth that violence occurs because of structural and environmental factors and is necessary to achieve certain political goals. Instead, she argues that violent insurgency is rarely justifiable on strategic grounds. Chenoweth will conclude her presentation by discussing the implications of this research for ongoing conflicts around the world.