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Home / Research

Behavior Analysis Research at Pacific

Graduate students at Pacific are actively engaged in research and regularly present and local and national conferences and publish in some of the most respected journals in the field. All students are required to conduct an empirical thesis and most become actively engaged in collaborative research with faculty.

A list of faculty research interests can be found on the Faculty page.

View abstracts of recent student theses >>

Sample Faculty and Student Publications
Bold indicates student author

Hustyi, K. M., Normand, M. P., & Larson, T. A. (accepted pending revisions). Shaping physical activity in obese pre-school children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Normand, M. P., & Beaulieu, L. (accepted pending revisions). Further evaluation of response-independent delivery of preferred stimuli on child compliance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Normand, M. P., Kestner, K.M., & Jessel, J. (in press). An analysis of treatment failure with the high-p instruction sequence. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Normand, M. P., & Osborne, M. R. (2010). Promoting healthier food choices by college students using individualized dietary feedback. Behavioral Interventions, 25, 183-190. [abstract]

Lafrance, D., Wilder, D. A., Normand, M. P., & Squires, J. L. (2009). Extending the assessment of functions of vocalizations in children with limited verbal repertoires. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 25, 19-32 . [abstract]

Normand, M. P. (2009). Much ado about nothing? Some comments on B.F. Skinner’s definition of verbal behavior. The Behavior Analyst, 32, 185-190. [abstract]

Donaldson, J. M., & Normand, M. P. (2009). Increasing calorie expenditure through task-clarification, self-monitoring, goal-setting, and feedback. Behavioral Interventions, 24, 73-83. [abstract]

Normand, M. P. (2008). Increasing physical activity through self-monitoring, goal-setting, and feedback. Behavioral Interventions, 23, 227-236. [abstract]

Normand, M. P. (2008). Science, skepticism, and applied behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1, 42-49.

Zuluaga, C. A., & Normand, M. P. (2008). Evaluation of the high-probability instruction sequence with and without programmed reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41, 453-457. [abstract]

Normand, M. P., Severtson, E.S., & Beavers, G. A. (2008). A functional analysis of non-vocal verbal behavior of a young child with autism. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 24, 63-67. [abstract]

Normand, M., & Dallery, J. (2007). Mercury rising: Exposing the vaccine-autism myth. Skeptic, 13, 32-36.

Martinez-Diaz, J., Freeman, T., Normand, M., & Heron, T. (2007). Ethical practice of applied behavior analysis. In J. Cooper, T. Heron, & W. Heward, Applied Behavior Analysis (2nd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Merrill.

Bullock, C., & Normand, M. P. (2006). The effects of a high-probability instruction sequence and response-independent reinforcer delivery on child compliance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39, 495-499. [abstract]

Sample Faculty and Student Presentations
Bold indicates student author

Normand, M. P. (2009, November). The nature-nurture debate and behavior analysis: Heritability, heredity, and behavior. Keynote Address presented at the Fresno State University Applied Behavior Analysis Conference, Fresno, CA.

Normand, M. P. (2009, November). Battling the bulge: Behavior analysis in health and fitness. Invited colloquium presented at Fresno State University, Department of Psychology, Fresno, CA.

Normand, M. P. (2009, October). Behavior analysis in health and fitness: Promoting physical activity. Paper presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Amherst, MA.

Larson, T. A., Normand, M. P., Hustyi, K. M., & Greenberg, S. (2009, October). The development and validation of physical activity measurement systems. Paper presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Amherst, MA.

Hustyi, K. M., Normand, M. P., Larson, T. A., & Greenberg, S. (2009, October). Shaping physical activity in obese and overweight children using percentile schedules. Paper presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Amherst, MA.

Hustyi, K. M., Machado, M., & Normand, M. P. (2009, October). Infant sign training and functional analysis. Poster presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Amherst, MA.

Kunavatana, S. S., & Normand, M. P. (2009, October). Rapid treatment analysis for compliance. Poster presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Amherst, MA.

Kunavatana, S. S., Normand, M. P., Larson, T., & Jensen, S. (2009, October). Assessing the effectiveness of a parent-training model through direct measurement of parent behavior change. Poster presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Amherst, MA.

Hanley, G., & Normand, M. (2009, June). Reinforcement in clinical practice: Identifying and evaluating reinforcing items and activities. Workshop conducted at the University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA.

Kestner, K. M., Normand, M., & Jessel, J. (2009, May). An analysis of treatment failure with the high-p instruction sequence. Poster presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis, International, Phoenix, AZ.

Baum, W., Normand, M., Schlinger, H., & Sidener, D. (2009, May). Behavior analysis of rule-governed behavior: Contrasting views. Moderator of panel discussion at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis, International, Phoenix, AZ.