Behavioral Science
A Review of the Literature on Positive Reinforcement and Outcomes Among Children with Autism
Leymis Alfonso Marquez
Positive reinforcement is a widely used intervention for supporting learning and behavior in children with autism. This literature review examined the evidence base for its impact on task completion, learning outcomes, and school readiness among children with autism between the ages of 4 and 10 years. The objective was to determine whether positive reinforcement is an effective evidence-based intervention for improving these outcomes. A literature search was conducted using PubMed to identify peer-reviewed studies that examined positive reinforcement in educational and therapeutic settings. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed to evaluate outcomes related to task completion, learning outcomes, and school readiness. Across the reviewed studies, positive reinforcement was consistently associated with improved task completion and better learning outcomes. Several studies also reported improvements in communication, classroom participation, and reductions in challenging behaviors, supporting children's readiness for school environments. Although intervention methods and outcome measures varied, the overall findings support positive reinforcement as an effective evidence-based practice for children with autism. These findings suggest that educators, therapists, and caregivers should continue incorporating positive reinforcement into individualized intervention plans to promote learning, independence, and school readiness. Future research should compare different reinforcement strategies and examine their long-term effectiveness across educational settings. I would like to thank Samantha Martin, Program Director of the McNair Scholars Program; Ashley Pierre, Program Coordinator; and my faculty mentor, Aaliyah Gray, Ph.D., from the Center for Women's and Gender Studies at Florida International University, for their guidance, encouragement, and support throughout this research project.
The Relationship Between Perceived Group Norm Strength and Individual Conformity
Miquel Wilthew Vanegas
This study investigated the relationship between group norm strength and individual conformity. The initial hypothesis was that, as group norm strength increases, individual conformity would increase as a result. To test this, an anonymous online survey was conducted in which participating college students were randomly assigned to one of three groups (high group norm strength, moderate group norm strength, or low group norm strength) and were provided with corresponding scenarios and follow-up questions to determine their levels of conformity in the given hypothetical situations. One-way between-subjects analyses of variance were conducted for both the average likelihood of conformity and the average conformity scale scores. The results showed there was no significant difference between the conformity levels, thus failing to support the initial hypothesis. This outcome was likely the result of the low-stake nature of the hypothetical scenarios, participant bias in the responses, and the relatively small sample size. Future research on this topic should be conducted with real groups consisting of participants and actors to act out the scenarios in real-time and observe whether group norms directly influence individual conformity in those instances. All acknowledgements go to Lamar University, the Department of Psychology, and the McNair Scholars Program. Special thanks go out to Pamela Comer, Director of the McNair Scholars Program, and Dr. Raymond Doe, the research faculty mentor, for their continued support and guidance throughout the study.
Keywords: Conformity, Norms, Groups, Interaction, Compliance.
Bystander Intervention and Intimate Partner Violence in Corpus Christi: Community Confidence, Barriers, and the Role of Safety Perception
Felomena Gonzalez
Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a significant public health and criminal justice issue, yet many incidents go unreported because bystanders lack the confidence or knowledge to intervene. Existing bystander intervention research has primarily focused on college populations, leaving limited understanding of community-based, predominantly Latinx populations in South Texas. This study examines bystander confidence, perceptions of community safety, and barriers to help-seeking among youth and adults in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is hypothesized that cultural barriers, stigma, and fear of not being believed will be the most frequently reported barriers among Hispanic and Latino respondents.
This study uses a secondary analysis of de-identified data from the 2024 Program Purple Door Community Needs Assessment, a survey of community members in Nueces County. Analyses include descriptive statistics and bivariate comparisons (chi-square tests and independent-samples t-tests) to examine how bystander confidence and perceived barriers differ by exposure to violence and demographic characteristics.
Expected findings will identify key factors associated with bystander readiness and the most common barriers preventing individuals from seeking or offering help. The findings from this study will inform culturally responsive violence prevention programming and community outreach initiatives for Purple Door while contributing to the literature on IPV prevention in Latinx communities. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of targeted bystander intervention programs developed from these findings and examine their long-term impact on community safety and help-seeking behaviors.