Date of Award
Summer 2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Douglas Woods
Second Advisor
Tiffany Kodak
Third Advisor
James Hoelzle
Abstract
Tics are rapid, recurrent, sudden movements or vocalizations. Recent research has found that (a) children can suppress tics for short durations if this suppression is reinforced, (b) suppression can lead to stress, and (c) the suppression of tics can lead to simultaneous activities being disrupted. The present study attempts to replicate and extend prior findings. An attempt was made to replicate the finding that tics can be suppressed using a DRO procedure and that suppression leads to stress. The experiment then investigated whether the suppression of tics led to a reduction in the ability to speak. Four conditions were compared: BL (participant did not engage in conversation and did not suppress tics), TALK (participant engaged in conversation and did not suppress tics), SUP (participant suppressed tics and no conversation took place) and SUP + TALK (participant engaged in conversation and suppressed tics). Three children with Tourette syndrome took part in the study. Results replicated earlier research that tics can be suppressed using a DRO procedure but failed to replicate earlier studies showing that suppression led to greater perceived stress. The results also suggested that suppressing tics limited the participants’ ability to speak. Implications for these findings are discussed, as are directions for future research.