Mirela Cengher, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

 

Contact Information:

Email:        cengher@umbc.edu    

Office:        Math/Psych 303  

Phone:       410-455-2525  

Fax:            410-455-1055  

Lab:            Sondheim Hall 411 & 511

Website:    https://www.abaatumbc.com/

Education:

Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 2019

Ph.D. – The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, 2017

Office Hours:

Tuesday
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Thursday
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM


Area of Study:

Psychology, Behavior Analysis

Research Interests:

The overarching theme of Dr. Cengher’s research is the development of effective procedures to enhance learning in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Dr. Cengher is specifically interested in variables that influence language development and other complex skills (e.g., concept formation), as well as functional assessment and treatment of problem behavior.

Courses Taught:

Learning (PSYC 210)

Behavior Analysis in Schools (PSYC 601)

Verbal Behavior (PSYC 662)

Graduate Research and Training Opportunities:

Accepting Graduate Students?

Graduate students will have multiple opportunities to develop research projects, to participate in manuscript preparation for publication, to participate in grant writing, to attend and present at professional conferences, and to develop leadership skills while working with team members at various stages of their academic development. As an advisor, my main objective is to help students develop a repertoire of skills that will make them well-rounded researchers or scientist practitioners.

Undergraduate Research and Training Opportunities:

YES:  Undergraduate opportunities available

Undergraduate students can learn about science by conducting research, collecting data, and analyzing data. Students will have opportunities to participate in manuscript preparation for publication and to present at conferences. Given appropriate research experience in the lab, students can also conduct independent research projects. Students will receive mentorship on being competitive candidates for graduate school, choosing appropriate graduate programs, and general career development.

Graduate Program Affiliation(s):

Applied Developmental Psychology

Human Services Psychology

Selected Publications:

Cengher, M., Bowman, M.*, Shawler, L., Ceribo-Singh, M.* (2022). Motivating operations and mands for information: a systematic review. Behavioral Interventions, 37(3), 864-886. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1893

Shawler, L., Cengher, M., & Miguel, C. F. (2022). Establishing derived reinforcers via stimulus equivalence. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 117(2), 180-200, https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.739

Cengher, M., O’Connor, J. T., & Strohmeier, C. W. (2022). Assessment and treatment of problem behavior maintained by escape from attention. Behavioral Interventions, 37(2), 204-221, https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1838

Cengher, M., & Strohmeier, C. W. (2021). Behavioral assessment and treatment of aerophagia. Clinical Case Studies, 21(3), 249-265, https://doi.org/10.1177%2F15346501211064584

Cortez, M., da Silva, L., Cengher, M., Mazzoca, R., & Miguel, C. F. (2021). Teaching a small vocabulary to children using tact and listener instruction with a prompt delay. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 249-263, https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.885.

Cengher, M.Clayborne, J. C., Crouch, A. E., & O’Connor, J. T. (2021). Assessment and treatment of selective mutism in a child with autism spectrum disorder. Clinical Case Studies, 20(3), 248-264. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F153465012098345

Cengher, M., Clayborne, J. C., & O’Connor, J. (2020). When attention is not a reinforcer: assessment and treatment of escape from attention. Behavioral Interventions, 36(1), 21-39. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.175

Cengher, M. & Fienup, D. M. (2020). Presession attention affects the acquisition of tacts and intraverbals. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(3), 1742-1767https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.657

Cengher, M., Kim, J. Y& Fienup, D. M. (2020). A review of prompt-fading procedures: Part II. Parametric and component analyses. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 32, 553-574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-019-09711-2

Cengher, M., Ramazon N. H., & Strohmeier, C. W. (2019). Using extinction to increase behavior: capitalizing on extinction-induced response variability to establish mands with autoclitic frames. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Advance online publication. http://doi.org/ 10.1007/s40616-019-00118-w

Cengher, M. & Fienup, D. M. (accepted). The effects of presession attention on the acquisition of tacts and intraverbals. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Cengher, M., & Fienup, D. M. (accepted). A review of prompt-fading procedures: Part II. Parametric and component analyses. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities.

Cengher, M., Budd, A., Farrel, N., & Fienup, D. M. (2018). A review of prompt-fading procedures: Implications for selecting effective and efficient prompting strategies. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 30, 155-173. doi: 10.1007/s10882-017-9575-8

Ward-Horner, J. C., Cengher, M., Ross, R. K., & Fienup, D. M.  (2017). Arranging response requirements and the distribution of reinforcers: A brief review of preference and outcomes. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50, 181-185. doi: 10.1002/jaba.350

Cengher, M., Shamoun, K., Moss, P., Roll, D., Feliciano, G., & Fienup, D. M. (2015).  A comparison of the effects of two prompt-fading strategies on skill acquisition in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9, 115-125. doi: 10.1007/s40617-015-0096-6

Cengher, M., Jones, E. A., & Fienup, D. M.  (2014). The effects of presession attention on tacting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47, 176-180. doi: 10.1002/jaba.83

CengherCV