The Experimental Analysis of Human Sexual Arousal: Some Recent Developments

Experimental analyses of human sexual arousal have been decidedly sparse. Recent developments in the analysis of derived relational responding, however, have opened the way for a modern behavior-analytic treatment of complex or “novel” human behavior, including specific instances of human sexual arousal. The current article examines some of these developments and their relevance to the analysis of emotional behavior, with a focus on sexual arousal. Recent research that has examined the acquisition of sexual stimulus functions within a relational frame paradigm is then outlined. Finally, a series of relational frame interpretations of a variety of human sexual arousal phenomena is offered

Diseño, implementación y análisis de sistemas de propulsión humana y dirección para vehículo solar

En el año 2014, el semillero de energías renovables del programa de Tecnología Mecánica desarrolló un vehículo solar de pruebas (figura 1), este estaba constituido por un sistema fotovoltaico (panel solar mono cristalino de 345 W, baterías de litio de 20Ah, etc) y por un motor eléctrico de 1200 W acoplado directamente a la rueda. El vehículo presentaba dificultades en su movilización debido a que el motor limitado en potencia no cumplía con una adecuada movilidad en el área urbana en cuanto a los requerimientos en pendientes. El vehículo no contaba con un buen sistema de dirección que garantizará el buen funcionamiento y estabilidad del mismo, debido a que el sistema implementado no se realizó acorde con la geometría del vehículo y los limitantes de espacio generaban problemas de funcionamiento y un buen desempeño. Este trabajo muestra la adaptación y mejoramiento del sistema de dirección y la implementación del sistema de tracción para hacer que el vehículo tenga un mejor desempeño

Exemplar Training and a Derived Transformation of Function in Accordance with Symmetry: II

The main purpose of the present study was to determine whether exemplar training in symmetry relations would readily facilitate the transformation of function in accordance with symmetry, when subjects were not provided with explicit name training. The study also examined whether pretraining that was formally similar to the symmetry test, but did not reinforce symmetry relations, would have the same facilitative effect as exemplar training. Sixteen children, aged between 4 and 5 years, were employed across three experiments (i.e., 4 children each in Experiments 1 and 2, and 8 children in Experiment 3). In Experiment 1, subjects were trained in an action-object conditional discrimination using familiar actions and objects (e.g., when the experimenter waved, choosing a toy car was reinforced, and when the experimenter clapped, choosing a doll was reinforced). Subjects were then exposed to a test for derived object-action symmetry relations (e.g., experimenter presents toy car-*child waves and experimenter presents doll-*child claps). Across subsequent sessions, a multiple-baseline design was used to introduce exemplar training (i.e., explicit symmetry training) for those subjects who failed the symmetry test. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1, except that the trained and tested relations were reversed (i.e., train object-action, test action-object relations). Experiment 3 replicated Experiment 1, except that subjects were exposed to object-action pretraining. Across Experiments 1 and 2, none of the 8 subjects show derived objectaction (Experiment 1) or action-object (Experiment 2) symmetry until they received explicit symmetry training. Pretraining objectaction responding in Experiment 3 appeared to facilitate symmetry, but only for 4 of the 8 subjects. For the 4 subjects who failed , symmetry emerged following exposure to exemplar training. Overall, the data are consistent with Relational Frame Theory

Developing a Procedure to Model the Establishment of Instructional Control

In a recent paper, we suggested that an agreed account of the referential properties of rules and instructions has yet to be developed (O’Hora & Barnes-Holmes, 2001). In order to address this fundamental issue, procedures are required that establish referential or 'specifying' properties in previously neutral stimuli. The present report summarizes the rationale for this research and outlines procedures that we are currently developing

The Continuity Strategy, Human Behavior, and Behavior Analysis

In behavior analysis, continuity refers to the assumption of a similarity of behavioral principles or processes between nonhumans and humans, which is often considered to be a fundamental postulate of the field. The present paper outlines a more recent view of the continuity assumption as an epistemological tool or research strategy. Researchers employing this strategy attempt to replicate with humans already-identified behavioral principles from nonhuman research prior to their application to socially relevant issues in natural settings. This form of the continuity strategy has flourished, despite demonstrable differences between nonhuman and human behavior, firstly in the study of performance on schedules of reinforcement and more recently in the study of derived stimulus relations. The implications of research on derived stimulus relations for the differing theoretical accounts of the continuity strategy are discussed

The Continuity Strategy, Human Behavior, and Behavior Analysis

In behavior analysis, continuity refers to the assumption of a similarity of behavioral principles or processes between nonhumans and humans, which is often considered to be a fundamental postulate of the field. The present paper outlines a more recent view of the continuity assumption as an epistemological tool or research strategy. Researchers employing this strategy attempt to replicate with humans already-identified behavioral principles from nonhuman research prior to their application to socially relevant issues in natural settings. This form of the continuity strategy has flourished, despite demonstrable differences between nonhuman and human behavior, firstly in the study of performance on schedules of reinforcement and more recently in the study of derived stimulus relations. The implications of research on derived stimulus relations for the differing theoretical accounts of the continuity strategy are discussed

Relational frame theory: A new paradigm for the analysis of social behavior

Recent developments in the analysis of derived relational responding, under the rubric of relational frame theory, have brought several complex language and cognitive phenomena within the empirical reach of the experimental analysis of behavior. The current paper provides an outline of relational frame theory as a new approach to the analysis of language, cognition, and complex behavior more generally. Relational frame theory, it is argued, also provides a suitable paradigm for the analysis of a wide variety of social behavior that is mediated by language. Recent empirical evidence and theoretical interpretations are provided in support of the relational frame approach to social behavior

Oligomerization of Levoglucosan in Proxies of Biomass Burning Aerosols

Biomass burning aerosols play an important role in the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere and therefore, affect global climate. Biomass burning aerosols are generally aqueous and have a strong saccharidic component due to the combustion and pyrolysis of cellulose, a major component of foliar fuel. This class of aerosol is known to affect both the absorption and scatter of solar radiation. Also, biomass burning aerosols contribute to cloud formation through their action as cloud-condensation nuclei. Many questions exist about the chemical speciation and chemical aging of biomass burning aerosols and how this affects their atmospheric properties and ultimately, global climate. Also, knowledge of the chemical components of these aerosols is important in the search for chemical tracers that can give information about the point or regional source, fuel type, and age of a biomass burning aerosol parcel. Levoglucosan was chosen for these studies as a model compound for biomass burning aerosols because of its high measured concentrations in aerosol samples. Levoglucosan often dominates the aerosol composition by mass. In this dissertation, laboratory proxy systems were developed to study the solution-phase chemistry of levoglucosan with common atmospheric reactants found in biomass burning aerosols (i.e. H+, •OH). To mimic these natural conditions, acid chemistry was studied using sulfuric acid in water (pH=4.5). The hydroxyl radical (•OH) was produced by the Fenton reaction which consists of iron, hydrogen peroxide and acid (H2SO4) in aqueous solvent. For studies in aqueous sulfuric acid, oligomers of levoglucosan were measured by matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). A rational mechanism is proposed based on both the acid-catalyzed cationic ring-opening of levoglucosan and nucleophilic attack of ROH from levoglucosan on the hemi-acetal carbon to produce pyranose oligomers through the formation of glycosidic bonds. Oligomer formation is further supported by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Reactions of levoglucosan with •OH produced from Fenton chemistry were studied in solution. Two modes of oligomerization (2000 u) were observed for reaction times between 1 and 7 days using MALDI-TOF-MS and laser desorption ionization (LDI) TOF-MS. Single-mass unit continuum mass distributions with dominant -2 u patterns were measured and superimposed by a +176/+162 u oligomer series. This latter oligomer pattern was attributed to a Criegee rearrangement (+14 u) of levoglucosan, initiated by •OH, forming a lactone (176 u). The acid-catalyzed reaction of any ROH from levoglucosan (+162 u) forms an ester through transesterification of the lactone functionality, whereupon propagation forms polyesters. Proposed products and chemical mechanisms are suggested as sources and precursors of humic-like substances (HULIS), which are known to possess a large saccharic component and are possibly formed from biomass burning aerosols. These products could also serve as secondary tracers, giving further information on the source and age of the aerosol