University of Waikato
School of Psychology
Learning, Behaviour, and Welfare Research Unit
Annual Report 2012
In 2012 staff and students at the Learning, Behaviour and Welfare Research Unit involved in
research with animals met weekly as a group both to discuss ongoing research and for formal
research presentations. Research students met with their supervisors once per week for individual
supervision.
In 2012 research was undertaken with humans, dogs, hens and possums. Research topics included
timing, behavioural economics, choice and preference, mathematical principles of reinforcement,
and the concept of the operant
2012 was a productive year for the Learning, Behaviour and Welfare Research Unit. Seven students
completed their Masters Theses in 2012. Twelve students who were undertaking their masters theses
research in 2012 continued into 2013 and eight students continued working on their PhD research
into 2013. Members of this Unit had eleven papers accepted in peer-reviewed journals and they
were involved in twenty-seven conference presentations. The details of this work and the names of
students involved are given below.
Staff actively involved in the unit in 2012 were Assoc Prof Bizo, Prof Foster, Dr McEwan and Dr
Sargisson. Dr Starkey continued to contribute to the supervision of research students in the Unit.
Publications
Doolan, K. E., & Bizo, L. A. (in press) Reinforced behavioural variability in humans.
Psychological Record
Grace, R. C., Sargisson, R. J., & White, K. G. (2012). Evidence for a Magnitude Effect in Temporal
Discounting with Pigeons. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes,
38, 102-108.
Harris, A., Foster, T. M., Levine, J., & Temple, W. (2012). Effects of a Signaled Delay to
Reinforcement in the Previous and Upcoming Ratios on Between-Ratio Pausing in
Fixed-Ratio Schedules Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 98, 295-309.
Jones, A. R., Bizo. L. A., & Foster, T. M. (2012). Domestic hen chicks’ conditioned place
preferences for sound. Behavioural Processes, 89, 30-35.
Kinloch, J., M., McEwan, J. S. A., & Foster, T. M. (2013) Matching-to-Sample and
Stimulus Pairing Observation Procedures in Stimulus Equivalence: The Effects of
Number of Trials and Stimulus Arrangement. Psychological Record. 63, 157-174.
Sargisson, R. J., & McLean, I. G. (in press). Investigating children's play preferences and safety in
New Zealand playgrounds. Children, Youth and Environments.
Sargisson, R. J., & McLean, I. G. (2012). Use of nature by children in New Zealand playgrounds.
Children, Youth and Environments, 22, 144-163.
Sargisson, R. J., Hunt, S., Hanlen, P., Smith, K., & Hamerton, H. (2012). Volunteering: A
community response to the Rena oil spill in New Zealand. Journal of Contingencies and
Crisis Management, 20(4), 208-218. DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12001
Sargisson, R. J., McLean, I. G., Brown, J., & Bach, H. (2012). Environmental determinants of
landmine detection by dogs: Findings from a large-scale study in Afghanistan. Journal of
ERW and Mine Action, 16.2, 74-80.
Sargisson, R. J., Stanley, P., & de Candole, R. (in press). Efficacy of several quantitative
screening assessments to identify new entrant children with potential difficulties. New
Zealand Journal of Educational Studies.
Stanley, P. & Sargisson, R. J. (2012). Systems of service delivery: A resilience perspective.
Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 29, 129-140.
Conference presentations
Bizo, L. A., & White, K. G. Temporal Control of Behavior: Effects of Trial Duration and
Rate of Reinforcement on Discrimination. Paper presented at the 37th annual
convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Seattle, May 2012.
Bizo, L., Lockhart, R., McHugh, M., Foster, T. M., & McEwan, J. Response Resurgence in
the Peak Procedure. Paper presented at the 9th annual convention of the New Zealand
Association for Behaviour Analysis, Wellington, August 2012.
Browne, Clare M., Starkey, Nicola J, Foster T Mary, & McEwan, James S. What Dog
Owners Read: A Review of Best-selling Books. The 3rd Canine Science Forum,
Barcelona, Spain, July 25-27, 2012. 30.
Browne, Clare M., Lord, Sarah, A., Starkey, Nicola J., Foster, T. Mary, & McEwan, James
S. Delayed Reinforcement – Does it Affect Learning? The 3rd Canine Science Forum,
Barcelona, Spain, July 25-27, 2012. 30.
Browne C., Starkey, N, Foster T. M., & McEwan J. The impact of delayed reinforcement on
learning in dogs. Paper presented at the 9th annual convention of the New Zealand
Association for Behaviour Analysis, Wellington, August 2012.
Cameron, K. E., Bizo L. A., & Starkey N. J. Behavioural Economics of Food Choices of the
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Paper presented at the 37th annual
convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Seattle, May 2012.
Cotton, M., McEwan, J. & Foster, T. M. Catania’s concept of the operant Paper presented at
the 9th annual convention of the New Zealand Association for Behaviour Analysis,
Wellington, August 2012.
Doolan, K., Bizo L. A., & McEwan, J. S. Reinforced Behavioral Variability and Sequence
Learning Across Species. Paper presented at the 37th annual convention of the
Association for Behavior Analysis, Seattle, May 2012.
Doolan, K., Bizo, L., & McEwan, J. Reinforced Variability and Sequence Learning in Hens,
Possums and Humans. Paper presented at the 9th annual convention of the New
Zealand Association for Behaviour Analysis, Wellington, August 2012.
Foster, T. M., Harris A. & Levine J. Some effects of signalled delays to reinforcement on
performance under FR schedules. Paper presented at the 9th annual convention of the
New Zealand Association for Behaviour Analysis, Wellington, August 2012.
Goldsmith, M. Foster T M. & James, McEwan J. Choosing to choose. Poster presented at
the 9th annual convention of the New Zealand Association for Behaviour Analysis,
Wellington, August 2012.
Kong, X., McEwan, J. S., Foster, T. M., & Bizo L. A. An Analysis of the Impact of
Reinforcement on Behavioral Variability Across Multiple Dimensions. Paper presented at
the 37th annual convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Seattle, May
2012.
Kong, X., McEwan, J. S., Foster, T. M., & Bizo L. A. Examining the Effect of Reinforcement on
Behaviour Variability over Multiple Dimensions in Humans. Paper presented at the 9th
annual convention of the New Zealand Association for Behaviour Analysis,
Wellington, August 2012.
Jackson, S. M. K., Foster, T. M., McEwan, J. S., & Bizo, L. A. Can type of maintenance diet act
as an establishing operation to change demand for reinforcers with hens? Poster
presented at the 37th annual convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis,
Seattle, May 2012.
Jackson, S., Bizo, L., Foster, M., McEwan, J. Motivating Operations and Animal Welfare.
Paper presented at the 9th annual convention of the New Zealand Association for
Behaviour Analysis, Wellington, August 2012. Joshua A. Levine, Toby Gwynne
Campbell, James McEwan, & Therese Mary Foster. Fluency: Effects of Fast Practice
on Learning Outcomes
Jones, A. R, Bizo, L. A., & Foster, T. M. Using concurrent-chains to assess sound preference:
An alternative to concurrent schedules. Poster presented at the 35th annual conference of
the Society of the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior, Seattle, May 2012.
Jones, A. R., Foster, T. M., & Bizo, L. A. The Effect of Sounds on Domestic Hens’ Behaviour
Under Concurrent and Concurrent-Chain Schedules. Paper presented at the 37th annual
convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Seattle, May 2012.
Levine, J.A. Campbell, T. G., McEwan, J. & Foster. T. M. Fluency: Effects of Fast Practice on
Learning Outcomes. Paper presented at the 37th annual convention of the Association
for Behavior Analysis, Seattle, May 2012.
Neshausen, L. M., McEwan, J. S., & Bizo, L. A. Effects of Schedules of Reinforcement on the
Variability of Location. Paper presented at the 9th annual convention of the New
Zealand Association for Behaviour Analysis, Wellington, August 2012.
Noorland, J. Foster, M. T., & Messick, E. Errorless compliance training with children with
special needs in New Zealand. Presented at the 37th annual convention of the
Association for Behavior Analysis, Seattle, May 2012.
Railton, R., Foster, T.M. & Temple, W. (2012). Investigations of picture/object equivalence and
vision in hens. . Presented at the 37th annual convention of the Association for Behavior
Analysis, Seattle, May 2012.
Railton, R., Foster, T.M., & Temple, W. (2012). Do hens view photographs as substitutes for real
objects? 46th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology, Vienna, Austria, 31
July - 4 August.
Sargisson, R. J., Hamerton, H., Hunt, S., Smith, K., & Hanlen, P. (2012). Volunteering after the
Rena oil spill: What can we learn? Presented at the Inquire Inspire Research Symposium,
Tauranga, March 2012.
Stanley, C., Bizo, L., & McEwan, J. Timing in Possums: Accounting for Resurgence in the
Peak Procedure. Poster presented at the 9th annual convention of the New Zealand
Association for Behaviour Analysis, Wellington, August 2012.
Stanley, P. & Sargisson, R. J. (2012). How do educational psychologists obtain their clients and how
can we make referrals more equitable? Presented at the 5th Educational Psychology Forum,
Auckland, November 2012.
Stuart, S., Bizo, L., & McEwan, J. Effects of a Delay to Reinforcement and Inter-trial
Interval on Fixed-Ratio Schedule Performance. Poster presented at the 9th annual
convention of the New Zealand Association for Behaviour Analysis, Wellington,
August 2012.
Neshausen, L. M., McEwan, J. S., & Bizo, L. A. Effects of Schedules of Reinforcement on
Behavioural Variability. Paper presented at the 37th annual convention of the
Association for Behavior Analysis, Seattle, May 2012.
Grants
Sargisson, R. J. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Waikato, grant in the
amount of $8,651.00 to support research project titled Strengths and Needs in the Early
Years 2012
PhD Students in 2012 and ongoing into 2013
Clare Browne - Learning and delayed reinforcement with dogs
Kristie Cameron – Taste Preferences of the Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus Vulpecula)
Kathleen Doolan - Operant Variability and Sequence Learning
Surrey Jackson - An Investigation into Establishing (Motivating) Operations
Kitt Kong - An Analysis of the Impact of Reinforcement on Behaviour Variability
Joshua Levine – The effects of rate building on retention with hens
Leanne Neshausen - Schedules of Reinforcement: Effects on Behaviour
Morton Osborne - An examination of teacher – pupil interactions in the classroom
Louisa Salmon – Bullying and Resilience (Student enrolled at Southern Cross University –
Bizo holds an adjunct Senior Lecturer Position there and is a co-supervisor)
Master Thesis Students - completed in 2012
Sarah Lord - Dog Behaviour Effects of Delay to Reinforcement
Lauren Haylee Scafturis - Signalled delay to reinforcement in delayed matching to sample
Mark. McHugh - Determinants of timing performance on the peak procedure'.
Krystal Staples - The Role of Differential Outcomes on Gambling Behaviour
Ian Raymond Cronin - Possum Food Preferences Under Progressive-Ratio and ConcurrentSchedules of Reinforcement.
Toby Gwynne Campbell - Effect of Response rates on Non-Distracted and distracted
conditional discrimination performance
Maree Cotton - An investigation of Catania's concept of the operant.
Masters Thesis students - ongoing into 2013
Louise Hay
Karmen Ngatai
Yi Zhang
Micaela Goldsmith
Laura Schroeder
Jessica Kelmere
Stuart Stacey
Christophe Stanley
Sarah Hoogstraten
Emily James
Demelza Crawford
Margaret Burch
Psychology Honours Projects completed in 2012
Courtney Good,
Nina Rakei,