Document Type

Dissertation

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree

PhD in Behavior Analysis

Dissertation Defense Date

2023

First Committee Member

Zarcone, Jennifer R.

Second Committee Member

Thompson, Rachel H.

Third Committee Member

Roscoe, Eileen M.

Additional Committee Member(s)

Bourret, Jason C.

Abstract

"Wearing protective equipment (PE) is a safety practice commonly used in professions involving heightened risk in the workplace. These include therapists employed in settings that assess and treat severe problem behavior. PE is clothing or adapted equipment a therapist wears to increase safety by preventing or mitigating injury. Considerations for when, how, and why to apply PE vary across clients, organizations, and the level of clinical expertise available. Study 1 surveyed 27 employees of a university outpatient clinic regarding their use and perceptions of therapist PE. While participants felt it increased safety, they provided more reasons why they chose not to wear PE with clients. Study 2 evaluated the effects of PE on participant safety in sessions, replicating each client’s preassessment functional analysis using participant choice, prescribed PE, and no PE conditions. The adapted Initial Behavior Assessment and Protective Equipment Decision Key prescribed PE following direct observation of the participant-choice condition. The results showed that the prescribed PE provided more contact-site protection than the PE the participants chose. The rate of client target behavior was variable across conditions, and minimal response allocation to unprotected sites occurred when participants wore PE. Participants sustained minimal and only minor injuries during Study 2. Evaluating skin conductance responses recorded throughout the analysis as physiological indicators of participant stress provided insight into the effects of PE and target responses beyond physical injury. Compared to baseline sessions, more participant stress responses occurred during the analysis, most of which were in test sessions."

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