Graduate students must complete a thesis research project as part of their Master’s degree. Sometimes, theses are later also submitted to academic journals for publication. Below you can find information about all of the ORCA thesis projects, as well as journal articles that have been published as a result of ORCA projects and research.
Published Articles
Equines do not live for grass alone: Training equines using social interaction as a reinforcer
Maasa Nishimuta, Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Sean Michael Will, and Mary Hunter (2022)
Some detrimental effects of conditioned reinforcement on the maintenance of dog behavior
Pamela L. Peiris and Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (2022)
Constructional fear treatment: Teaching fearful shelter dogs to approach and interact with a novel person
Morgan Katz and Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (2022)
Reducing the occurrence of mouthing and jumping in a dog through conditional discrimination training
Matthew A. Davidson and Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (2022)
The power of one reinforcer: The effect of a single reinforcer in the context of shaping
Mary Hunter and Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (2019)
Can Dogs Learn Concepts The Same Way We Do? Concept Formation in a German Shepherd
Erica N. Feuerbacher and Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (2017)
Functional analysis and treatment of self-injury in a captive olive baboon
Nicole R. Dorey, Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Richard Smith, and Bryan Lovelace (2009)
Teaching dogs the clicker way
Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (2007)
A two-choice preference assessment with five cotton-top tamarins
Eduardo J. Fernandez, Nicole R. Dorey, and Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (2004)
Loading the problem loader- The effects of target training and shaping on trailer-loading behavior of horses
Dawnery Ferguson and Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (2001)
ORCA Master’s Theses
A Safe and Fast Deworming Procedure for Horses
Jessica Ward (2022)
Stimulus Control Effects of Changes in Schedules of Reinforcement
Awab Abdel-Jalil (2020)
What Comes Up? Analyzing Patterns of Resurgence using PORTL
Sarah Sumner (2020)
Development and Disruption of Collateral Behavior and DRL Performances: A PORTL Exploration
Leah Herzog (2020)
Equines Do Not Live for Grass Alone: Teaching Equines with Social Interaction
Maasa Nishimuta (2020)
Finding Out How to Teach the Operant Quadrant: Content and Error Analysis
Jessica Auzenne (2020)
A Shaping Procedure for Introducing Horses to Clipping
Alison Hardaway (2019)
Induced Water Drinking during a Discrete Trial Procedure Using a Variable-Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement with a Canine
Tracy Frier (2018)
Reinforcing Variability Produces Stereotypic Behavior
Andrew Kieta (2017)
A Constructional Approach to Establishing and Maintaining Calm Canine Behavior
Chase Owens (2017)
Using Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement to Decrease Behavior
Ashlyn Palmer (2017)
When to Say It: Establishing a Verbal Cue
Emily Rulla (2017)
Constructional Fear Treatment for Dogs in Shelters
Morgan Katz (2016)
Oral Syringe Training Animals: Indiscriminable and Discriminable Punishment Contingencies
Emilie Erickson (2013)
The power of one reinforcer
Mary Hunter (2013)
The effects of training history on retention and reacquisition of stimulus control
Katie Tucker (2013)
The Effects of Increasing Rates of Reinforcement Through an Alternative Fluent Behavior on the Acquisition and Extinction of Behavior in Dogs
Laura E. Coulter (2012)
Reducing Undesirable Behavior with Stimulus Control
Matt Alan Davison (2012)
What Are They Learning: a Study of Errors Produced During Behavior Acquisition Utilizing Two Prompting Procedures with a Cat
Robin Lynn Beasley (2012)
Fearful to Friendly (F2F): a Constructional Fear Treatment for Domestic Cats Using a Negative Reinforcement Shaping Procedure in a Home Setting
Angela Drake Rentfro (2012)
Induced “motivation”
April Melissa Becker (2011)
A Stimulus Control Analysis of Imprinting in a Human-Reared Pigeon
Christopher A. Varnon (2011)
Can Positive Reinforcement Overcome Fear? An Investigation of Competing Contingencies
Becky Kunkel (2011)
The Effects of Jackpots on Responding and Choice in Two Domestic Dogs
Kristy Lynn Muir (2010)
Breaking accidental behavior chains
Debra Gayle McKnight (2010)
The captive animal activity tracking system: A systematic method for the continuous evaluation of captive animal welfare
Katie Kalafut (2009)
Natural concepts in the domestic dog
Erica Nan Feuerbacher (2009)
Effects of click + continuous food vs. click + intermittent food on the maintenance of dog behavior
Pamela L. Wennmacher (2007)
The effects of combining positive and negative reinforcement during training
Nicole A. Murrey (2007)
A constructional canine aggression treatment: Using a negative reinforcement shaping procedure with dogs in home and community settings
Kellie Sisson Snider (2007)
Topographical analysis of reinforcement produced variability: Generalizations across settings and contingencies
Francisco Gomez (2007)
Shaping cows’ approach to humans using positive and negative reinforcement
Melissa L. Morehead (2005)
Functional analysis and elimination of SIB in an olive baboon (Papio hamadryas anubis)
Nicole R. Dorey (2004)
An 8-step program: Shaping and fixed-time food delivery effects on several approximations and undesired responses in goats
Eduardo J. Fernandez (2003)
Loading the Problem Loader: The Effects of Target Training and Shaping on Trailer Loading Behavior of Horses in a Natural Setting
Dawnery Ferguson (2000)