Student Scholarship

Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Job Hiring Potential

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Job Hiring Potential Troyer, Jack Despite federal anti-discrimination protections covering many marginalized populations, socioeconomic status (SES) remains legally unprotected and understudied as a source of bias. Drawing on social signaling theory, status characteristics theory, and implicit bias theory, this study examined whether SES signals embedded in fabricated resumes influenced perceived hireability across the business, computer science, and nursing fields. A community sample (n = 96) completed a 2 (SES: High, Low) x 3 (Field) within-subjects survey evaluating three matched resume pairs (six resumes total) on hireability and perceived SES. More participants correctly identified the SES of each resume than not, although two resumes had “Can’t Tell” as the highest frequency response. Paired-sample t-tests revealed a significant hiring advantage for high-SES business resumes (t(95) = 2.01, p < 0.05, d = 0.21) with no significant differences in computer science or nursing. A large main effect of field was observed (F(2,190) = 38.92, p < .001), while the SES x Field interaction was not significant. McNemar tests revealed directional differences in SES perception accuracy, with low-SES signals more recognizable in business (p < .05) and high-SES more recognizable in nursing (p < .05). A mixed-effects regression found no significant association between conscious SES perceptions and hireability, suggesting that the bias operates implicitly. These findings extend theory to SES-based hiring evaluations and established field contexts as a moderator of class signal legibility. These findings underscore the need for further research on SES-based discrimination and structural hiring interventions to protect against discrimination based on socioeconomic background.

A Response Disequilibrium Approach to Escape and Avoidance

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A Response Disequilibrium Approach to Escape and Avoidance Sivertsen, Michael Response Disequilibrium Theory (RDT) offers a novel framework for analyzing negative reinforcement, and therefore, escape-avoidance behavior in humans. Timberlake and Allison (1974) approximated an RDT approach to negative reinforcement, while Heth and Warren (1981) designed a procedure to test it. Participants in Heth and Warren could terminate audio or visual stimuli as a form of escape-avoidance behavior. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend Heth and Warren with a modern-day computer apparatus that included social media advertisements (Ads) and TikTok videos (Vids). The research question in the current study asked: Is there an escape-avoidance equilibrium that an individual will defend during conditions of response deficit or excess? A counterbalanced multi-treatment ABACA design was used to measure Ads and Vids termination durations in baseline (A) and during conditions of response deficit (B) and excess (C). Response deficit restricted access to Ads termination while response excess provided an overabundance of Vids termination. Both Ads and Vids played simultaneously during all conditions. Eight undergraduate students were recruited from Salem State University’s research participant system. Five of eight participants showed escape-avoidance equilibriums for terminating more Ads than Vids, while three of eight had an equilibrium for simultaneous play of Ads and Vids with minimal termination. Escape-avoidance behavior increased in the response deficit and decreased in the response excess condition. The observed reduction in escape-avoidance behaviors could be socially significant and provide practitioners ways to ameliorate negatively reinforced behavioral disorders.

The Wonders of Incontinence

Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The Wonders of Incontinence Madrid, Luiz

A Behavior Analytic Approach to De-Escalation: Behavioral Skills Training for Undergraduate Student Leadership

Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

A Behavior Analytic Approach to De-Escalation: Behavioral Skills Training for Undergraduate Student Leadership Chalon, Cassandra In a higher education setting, undergraduate student leaders can be seen as beneficial support for others affiliated with the campus environment both through verbal and interpersonal interactions with peers. Proposed in this paper is a conceptual model evaluating the interlocking behavioral contingencies (IBCs) through operant and respondent processes. Additionally, this paper evaluates the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) in teaching undergraduate student leaders de-escalation strategies relevant to higher education settings. Three participants engaged in baseline and post-intervention (post-BST) role-play scenarios for six targeted behavioral strategies. Results indicated BST increased or maintained levels of strategy utilization in participants as well as improvement of provision of university resources despite existing knowledge of the intended use of each resource. This suggests that BST is an effective means of teaching behaviors related to de-escalation in the higher education setting and may support broader applications in campus conflict management.