Texas A&M University

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Brittney worked at Texas A&M University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant

Hanover Research

Content Analyst

Brittney worked at Hanover Research as a Content Analyst

An investigation on using serious gaming to study human decision making in engineering contexts

Design Science

An investigation on using serious gaming to study human decision making in engineering contexts

Design Science

The fish stick: An easy-to-use classroom training apparatus for fish

Psychological Reports

Abstract The fish stick is an easy-to-use device for conditioning fish under classroom conditions. It is constructed from inexpensive plastic pipe available at most hardware stores and uses electronic components available at retail electronics outlets. Fish press a nipple for baby food which can be brought under stimulus control using lights, vibratory cues, or both. The fish stick is suitable for inquiry-based experiences in courses on the psychology of learning or comparative psychology. Data are presented using a continuous reinforcement schedule and discrimination learning. Students report that the fish are easy to train and enjoy the hands-on experience.

An investigation on using serious gaming to study human decision making in engineering contexts

Design Science

The fish stick: An easy-to-use classroom training apparatus for fish

Psychological Reports

Abstract The fish stick is an easy-to-use device for conditioning fish under classroom conditions. It is constructed from inexpensive plastic pipe available at most hardware stores and uses electronic components available at retail electronics outlets. Fish press a nipple for baby food which can be brought under stimulus control using lights, vibratory cues, or both. The fish stick is suitable for inquiry-based experiences in courses on the psychology of learning or comparative psychology. Data are presented using a continuous reinforcement schedule and discrimination learning. Students report that the fish are easy to train and enjoy the hands-on experience.

Counterfactual thought.

In K. Sweeny & M. L. Robbins (Eds.), The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology: Volume II, The Social Bases of Health Behavior.

An investigation on using serious gaming to study human decision making in engineering contexts

Design Science

The fish stick: An easy-to-use classroom training apparatus for fish

Psychological Reports

Abstract The fish stick is an easy-to-use device for conditioning fish under classroom conditions. It is constructed from inexpensive plastic pipe available at most hardware stores and uses electronic components available at retail electronics outlets. Fish press a nipple for baby food which can be brought under stimulus control using lights, vibratory cues, or both. The fish stick is suitable for inquiry-based experiences in courses on the psychology of learning or comparative psychology. Data are presented using a continuous reinforcement schedule and discrimination learning. Students report that the fish are easy to train and enjoy the hands-on experience.

Counterfactual thought.

In K. Sweeny & M. L. Robbins (Eds.), The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology: Volume II, The Social Bases of Health Behavior.

Evaluative categorization: Finer discernment of preferred objects.

Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology

Abstract Past research showed that people draw finer categorical distinctions for liked than disliked objects, such that a wine lover, for example, sees greater detail and nuance among types of wine than does a non-lover. In the present research, a similar pattern was found in evaluative categorization (i.e., distinguishing between “somewhat liked” vs. “liked” vs. “greatly liked” etc.). Across 5 experiments, respondents used finer evaluative distinctions (operationalized as more versus fewer response options in a rating scale) when conveying attitudes about liked versus disliked items. This effect extended to the level of mental representation and was moderated by need for cognition, indicating the key role of elaboration (people elaborate more on liked vs. disliked objects). These findings imply the potential usefulness of unbalanced rating scales (i.e., containing more scale points on the positive than negative side) so that respondents may better express the nuances of their attitudes.

An investigation on using serious gaming to study human decision making in engineering contexts

Design Science

The fish stick: An easy-to-use classroom training apparatus for fish

Psychological Reports

Abstract The fish stick is an easy-to-use device for conditioning fish under classroom conditions. It is constructed from inexpensive plastic pipe available at most hardware stores and uses electronic components available at retail electronics outlets. Fish press a nipple for baby food which can be brought under stimulus control using lights, vibratory cues, or both. The fish stick is suitable for inquiry-based experiences in courses on the psychology of learning or comparative psychology. Data are presented using a continuous reinforcement schedule and discrimination learning. Students report that the fish are easy to train and enjoy the hands-on experience.

Counterfactual thought.

In K. Sweeny & M. L. Robbins (Eds.), The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology: Volume II, The Social Bases of Health Behavior.

Evaluative categorization: Finer discernment of preferred objects.

Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology

Abstract Past research showed that people draw finer categorical distinctions for liked than disliked objects, such that a wine lover, for example, sees greater detail and nuance among types of wine than does a non-lover. In the present research, a similar pattern was found in evaluative categorization (i.e., distinguishing between “somewhat liked” vs. “liked” vs. “greatly liked” etc.). Across 5 experiments, respondents used finer evaluative distinctions (operationalized as more versus fewer response options in a rating scale) when conveying attitudes about liked versus disliked items. This effect extended to the level of mental representation and was moderated by need for cognition, indicating the key role of elaboration (people elaborate more on liked vs. disliked objects). These findings imply the potential usefulness of unbalanced rating scales (i.e., containing more scale points on the positive than negative side) so that respondents may better express the nuances of their attitudes.

Cost-effective laboratory exercises to teach principles in the comparative analysis of behavior.

Journal of Behavioral and Neuroscience Research

The principles of the comparative analysis of behavior are as relevant now as it was in the time of Charles Darwin, George Romanes, and C. Lloyd Morgan. This article presents class exercises using animal and human action figures to provide students with hands-on experience demonstrating the importance of such principles and issues as classification, identification of independent and dependent variables, systematic variation, differences between homologies and analogies, the value of making valid comparisons, the importance of ethics, and the role of environmental and subject variables in the interpretation of species differences. Students are presented with a prescribed sequence of action figures differing in, for example, gender, race, and species. Initially, a single figure is presented and students asked to consider various questions. A second figure is added which they must compare to the first. A third figure is subsequently presented and so on until the end of the exercise. The figures we have used include men, women, children, rats, pigeons, elephants, and assorted invertebrates. Students report that the exercise is effective in helping them acquire skills in experimental design and issues related to conducting comparisons. They also report that the exercise is difficult because it tests their assumptions at each level of comparison.

An investigation on using serious gaming to study human decision making in engineering contexts

Design Science

The fish stick: An easy-to-use classroom training apparatus for fish

Psychological Reports

Abstract The fish stick is an easy-to-use device for conditioning fish under classroom conditions. It is constructed from inexpensive plastic pipe available at most hardware stores and uses electronic components available at retail electronics outlets. Fish press a nipple for baby food which can be brought under stimulus control using lights, vibratory cues, or both. The fish stick is suitable for inquiry-based experiences in courses on the psychology of learning or comparative psychology. Data are presented using a continuous reinforcement schedule and discrimination learning. Students report that the fish are easy to train and enjoy the hands-on experience.

Counterfactual thought.

In K. Sweeny & M. L. Robbins (Eds.), The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology: Volume II, The Social Bases of Health Behavior.

Evaluative categorization: Finer discernment of preferred objects.

Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology

Abstract Past research showed that people draw finer categorical distinctions for liked than disliked objects, such that a wine lover, for example, sees greater detail and nuance among types of wine than does a non-lover. In the present research, a similar pattern was found in evaluative categorization (i.e., distinguishing between “somewhat liked” vs. “liked” vs. “greatly liked” etc.). Across 5 experiments, respondents used finer evaluative distinctions (operationalized as more versus fewer response options in a rating scale) when conveying attitudes about liked versus disliked items. This effect extended to the level of mental representation and was moderated by need for cognition, indicating the key role of elaboration (people elaborate more on liked vs. disliked objects). These findings imply the potential usefulness of unbalanced rating scales (i.e., containing more scale points on the positive than negative side) so that respondents may better express the nuances of their attitudes.

Cost-effective laboratory exercises to teach principles in the comparative analysis of behavior.

Journal of Behavioral and Neuroscience Research

The principles of the comparative analysis of behavior are as relevant now as it was in the time of Charles Darwin, George Romanes, and C. Lloyd Morgan. This article presents class exercises using animal and human action figures to provide students with hands-on experience demonstrating the importance of such principles and issues as classification, identification of independent and dependent variables, systematic variation, differences between homologies and analogies, the value of making valid comparisons, the importance of ethics, and the role of environmental and subject variables in the interpretation of species differences. Students are presented with a prescribed sequence of action figures differing in, for example, gender, race, and species. Initially, a single figure is presented and students asked to consider various questions. A second figure is added which they must compare to the first. A third figure is subsequently presented and so on until the end of the exercise. The figures we have used include men, women, children, rats, pigeons, elephants, and assorted invertebrates. Students report that the exercise is effective in helping them acquire skills in experimental design and issues related to conducting comparisons. They also report that the exercise is difficult because it tests their assumptions at each level of comparison.

Motivational differences in seeking out evaluative categorization information.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

ABSTRACT Previous research shows that people draw finer evaluative distinctions when rating liked versus disliked objects (e.g., wanting a 5-point scale to evaluate liked cuisines and a 3-point scale to rate disliked cuisines). Known as the preference-categorization effect, this pattern may exist not only in how individuals form evaluative distinctions but also in how individuals seek out evaluative information. The current research presents three experiments that examine motivational differences in evaluative information seeking (rating scales and attributes). Experiment 1 found that freedom of choice (the ability to avoid undesirable stimuli) and sensitivity to punishment (as measured by the Behavior Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System [BIS/BAS] scale) influenced preferences for desirable and undesirable evaluative information in a health-related decision. Experiment 2 examined choice optimization, finding that maximizers prefer finer evaluative information for both liked and disliked options in a consumer task. Experiment 3 found that this pattern generalizes to another type of evaluative categorization, attributes.

An investigation on using serious gaming to study human decision making in engineering contexts

Design Science

The fish stick: An easy-to-use classroom training apparatus for fish

Psychological Reports

Abstract The fish stick is an easy-to-use device for conditioning fish under classroom conditions. It is constructed from inexpensive plastic pipe available at most hardware stores and uses electronic components available at retail electronics outlets. Fish press a nipple for baby food which can be brought under stimulus control using lights, vibratory cues, or both. The fish stick is suitable for inquiry-based experiences in courses on the psychology of learning or comparative psychology. Data are presented using a continuous reinforcement schedule and discrimination learning. Students report that the fish are easy to train and enjoy the hands-on experience.

Counterfactual thought.

In K. Sweeny & M. L. Robbins (Eds.), The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology: Volume II, The Social Bases of Health Behavior.

Evaluative categorization: Finer discernment of preferred objects.

Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology

Abstract Past research showed that people draw finer categorical distinctions for liked than disliked objects, such that a wine lover, for example, sees greater detail and nuance among types of wine than does a non-lover. In the present research, a similar pattern was found in evaluative categorization (i.e., distinguishing between “somewhat liked” vs. “liked” vs. “greatly liked” etc.). Across 5 experiments, respondents used finer evaluative distinctions (operationalized as more versus fewer response options in a rating scale) when conveying attitudes about liked versus disliked items. This effect extended to the level of mental representation and was moderated by need for cognition, indicating the key role of elaboration (people elaborate more on liked vs. disliked objects). These findings imply the potential usefulness of unbalanced rating scales (i.e., containing more scale points on the positive than negative side) so that respondents may better express the nuances of their attitudes.

Cost-effective laboratory exercises to teach principles in the comparative analysis of behavior.

Journal of Behavioral and Neuroscience Research

The principles of the comparative analysis of behavior are as relevant now as it was in the time of Charles Darwin, George Romanes, and C. Lloyd Morgan. This article presents class exercises using animal and human action figures to provide students with hands-on experience demonstrating the importance of such principles and issues as classification, identification of independent and dependent variables, systematic variation, differences between homologies and analogies, the value of making valid comparisons, the importance of ethics, and the role of environmental and subject variables in the interpretation of species differences. Students are presented with a prescribed sequence of action figures differing in, for example, gender, race, and species. Initially, a single figure is presented and students asked to consider various questions. A second figure is added which they must compare to the first. A third figure is subsequently presented and so on until the end of the exercise. The figures we have used include men, women, children, rats, pigeons, elephants, and assorted invertebrates. Students report that the exercise is effective in helping them acquire skills in experimental design and issues related to conducting comparisons. They also report that the exercise is difficult because it tests their assumptions at each level of comparison.

Motivational differences in seeking out evaluative categorization information.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

ABSTRACT Previous research shows that people draw finer evaluative distinctions when rating liked versus disliked objects (e.g., wanting a 5-point scale to evaluate liked cuisines and a 3-point scale to rate disliked cuisines). Known as the preference-categorization effect, this pattern may exist not only in how individuals form evaluative distinctions but also in how individuals seek out evaluative information. The current research presents three experiments that examine motivational differences in evaluative information seeking (rating scales and attributes). Experiment 1 found that freedom of choice (the ability to avoid undesirable stimuli) and sensitivity to punishment (as measured by the Behavior Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System [BIS/BAS] scale) influenced preferences for desirable and undesirable evaluative information in a health-related decision. Experiment 2 examined choice optimization, finding that maximizers prefer finer evaluative information for both liked and disliked options in a consumer task. Experiment 3 found that this pattern generalizes to another type of evaluative categorization, attributes.

The role of counterfactual thinking on attitudes toward ADHD medication use.

Substance Use and Misuse

ABSTRACT Objective: Despite serious health risks, attitudes toward Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication use in college students remain favorable. Given the robust link between attitudes and behavior (e.g., the Theory of Planned Behavior), it is important to understand how these attitudes are developed and maintained. The current study examined the role of counterfactual, or “what if”’ thinking as a mechanism for the development of attitudes toward ADHD medications. Method: All participants (n = 190) were asked to read either a positive or negative scenario regarding ADHD medication misuse and rate their attitudes toward the behavior; half of the participants were also asked to generate counterfactuals prior to rating their attitudes. Results: Results suggest that scenario valence influenced the direction of counterfactual statements. Further, through the generation of upward counterfactuals, the negative scenario elicited more positive attitudes toward ADHD medication misuse. Conclusions: Based on limited prior research, it is suggested that upward counterfactuals may allow individuals to explain away the misuse of ADHD medication and avoid negative emotions such as guilt and shame related to current or prior ADHD medication misuse. In sum, additional research is needed to confirm preliminary findings that suggest counterfactual thinking could be a precursor to ADHD medication misuse.