Date of Award

4-2019

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Psychological Science

Program

Other

Program

Applied Behavior Analysis

First Advisor/Chairperson

Dr. Jacob Daar

Abstract

The overall world population is aging. One of the most prevalent age-related diseases is dementia. Dementia is a disease that affects remembering behaviors which in turn affects every aspect of an individual’s quality of life. Currently there is no cure for dementia, however treatment success encompasses increasing the time that an individual can function independently as well as slowing the rate of the decline. Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) has been used effectively with older adults to regulate emotions and to formulate new values. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how an ACT intervention would improve both immediate and delayed tacts. Results indicated that all three participants had improved scores on immediate and delayed tacts. Two of the three participants improved on the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination, while one participant had a one-point decline. All individuals either remained stable or improved on the mindfulness awareness scores. This study expands upon the limited research available on the utility of ACT on adults with dementia. Implications of this study suggest that ACT may be a beneficial intervention to prolong remembering behaviors in individuals who have been diagnosed with dementia.

Access Type

NMU Users Only

Justification for Restricting Access

I have restricted it to NMU users only as a second segment to this study involving research is ongoing and I am seeking future publication.

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