Research Interests

I am interested in evaluating interventions aimed at having a positive impact in three areas: 1) Increasing safe practices and reducing workplace injuries and illnesses and improve employee well-being, 2) Improving adherence to best practices and service delivery in healthcare settings, and, 3) Understanding and promoting communication in work environments. More recently, we have incorporated technology-based solutions into our work. My lab conducts translational lab research as well as small and large scale applied research.

Current Funded Projects

Project Title: Understanding the behavior therapist shortage in Florida and charting a path forward
Funding Agency: Florida Developmental Disabilities Council
MPIs: Dr. Kerri Peters, Dr. Yany Leon, Dr. Nicole Gravina
Grant staff: Dr. Janelle Bacotti, Kacie McGarry, and Angie VanArdsdale

Project Title: ROAMM-EHR: Pilot trial of a real-time symptom surveillance system for post-discharge surgical patients
Funding Agency: NIH/NIA R21
PIs: Dr. Manini and Dr. Rashid; My role: Co-I

Project Title: Wearable technology infrastructure to enhance capabilities for real-time, online assessment and mobility (ROAMM) of intervening health events in older adults
Funding Agency: NIH/NIA R21/R33
PIs: Dr. Manini and Dr. Ranka; My role: Co-I

Project Title: Improving clinical safety practices through training and feedback
Private Contract
PI: Nicole Gravina

Project Title: Designing instructional materials to support faculty in teaching organizational behavior management as part of a verified course sequence
Funding Agency: Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

2024

Nastasi, J. A., Greene, V., Te, P. J., & Gravina, N. (2024). “Everybody needs to take a break”: A qualitative analysis of registered behavior technicians’ experiences with taking breaks at work. Behavior Analysis in Practice. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00973-7

McCafferty, K. E., Wilder, D., Gravina, N., Bible, L., & Ferguson, R. (2024). Comparing teaching with tactile guidance to video modeling with self-evaluative video feedback to train medical skills. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Matey, N., Espericueta Luna, W. A., Gravina, N. (2024). The effects of performance improvement on feedback accuracy and omission. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2024.2345627

2023

Barrios, E. L., Polcz, V. E., Hensley, S. E., Sarosi Jr., G. A., Mohr, A. M., Loftus, T. J., Upchurch, G. R., Sumfest, J. M., Efron, P. A., Dunleavy, K., Bible, L. E., Terracina, K. P., A-Mansour, M. R., & Gravina, N. (2023). A narrative review of ergonomic problems, principles, and potential solutions in surgical operations. Surgery, 174(2), 214-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surg.2023.04.003
*Featured in Stitches Newsletter – an international newsletter that highlights important research relevant for surgeons

Nastasi, J. A., Tassistro, I. B., & Gravina, N. E. (2023). Breaks and productivity: An exploratory analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 56(3), 539-548https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.995
*Featured in Wiley’s Research Headlines Newsletter and translated into other languages and on Inside JABA on the Behavior Observation Podcast

Gravina, N., King, A., & Wine, B. (2023). Finding a meaningful career in organizational behavior management. Behavior Analysis in Practice. Advanced online publication.

Gravina, N., Nastasi, J., Espericueta Luna, W. E., & Simmons, D. (2023). Instructional activities to enhance teaching organizational behavior management. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. (Early view). https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2023.2248114 (special section on teaching OBM)

Rafacz, S., Gravina, N., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., Ludwig, L., Sleiman, A., Johnson, D., & Brand, D. (2023). Guidance and recommendations for developing an introductory graduate-level OBM course. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2023.2252800 (special section on teaching OBM)

Simmons, D. E., Gravina, N., Sleiman, A., & Kronfli, F. R. (2023). Using web-based behavioral skills training to teach online interview skills to college students. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Early View. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2023.2219466

Sleiman, A. A., Portillo, D., & Gravina, N. (2023). An evaluation of teach-back method for training new skills. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 56(1), 117-130. http://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.966

Gravina, N., Sleiman, A., & Alvero, A. (2023). Organizational behavior management in higher education. A. DeSouza & D. Crone-Todd (Eds.). Behavior analysis in higher education: Teaching and supervision. Vernon Press. (Book chapter)

2022

Radhakrishnan, N. S., Lukose, K., Cartwright, R., Sleiman, A., Matey, N., Lim, D., LeGault, T., Pollard, S., Gravina, N., & Southwick. F. (2022). The prospective application of the interdisciplinary bedside rounding checklist “TEMP” is associated with reduced infections and length of hospital stay. BMJ Open Quality, 11, e002045. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2022-002045

Luke, M., Gravina, N., & Urlich, R. (2022). Ten environmental-sustainability initiatives for human-service organizations to implement. Behavior Analysis in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00770-0

Nastasi, J. A., Crowe, A., & Gravina, N. E. (2022). Reporting demographic variables in JOBM and JAP: A comparison and call to action. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 43(1), 50-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2022.2082624

DePaulo, J., Gravina, N. E., Harvey, C., & Crosland, K. (2022). “Get on the line”: Improving pass naming in collegiate women’s lacrosse using negative reinforcement and prompting. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 22(3), 318-324. https://doi/org/10.1037/bar0000252

2021

Acui, J., Vladescu, J., Reeves, K., & Gravina, N. (2021). Teaching hands-only CPR using behavioral skills training. Behavioral Interventions, 36(4), 832-846. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1820

Gravina, N., Sleiman, A., Southwick, F., Matey, N., Harlan, E., Lukose, K., Hack, G., & Radakrishnan, N. (2021). Increasing adherence to a standardized rounding procedure in two hospital in-patient units. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(4), 1514-1525. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.865

Lipschultz, J., Wilder, D., Curry, S. M, Cruz, N. J., Luong, N., & Gravina, N. (2021).The effects of feedback accuracy and trainer rules on performance during an analogue task. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 41(3), 215-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2021.1903646

Matey, N., Sleiman, A., Nastasi, J., Richard, E., & Gravina, N. (2021).Varying reactions to feedback and their effects on observer accuracy and attrition. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(3), 1188-1198. https://doi.org/ 10.1002/jaba.840

Matey, N., Gravina, N.,Davis, B., George, R_., & Rosbrook, T_. (2021). Increasing productivity in a manufacturing setting using daily process walks. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 41(2), 182-193. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/01608061.2021.1897058

Gravina, N., Nastasi, J., & Austin, J. (2021). Assessment of employee performance.Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 41(2), 124-149. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2020.1869136

Felde, A., Haggerty, K., Sleiman, A. A., & Gravina, N. (2021). Reducing response effort to improve employee preparedness in a human service organization. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14, 198-202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00512-0

Alligood, C. A., & Gravina, N. (2021). Branching out: Finding success in new areas of practice. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14, 283-289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00483-2

Wilder, D., Cymbal, D., & Gravina, N. (2021). Performance management in organizations. R. Houmanfar, M. Fryling, and M. Alavosius (Eds.), Applied behavior science in organizations: Consilience of historical and emerging trends in organizational behavior management. Association for Behavior Analysis International. (book chapter)

Gravina, N., & Matey, N. (2021). Safety and injury prevention in human service organizations. J. Luiselli, R. M. Gardner, F. L. Bird, & H. Miguire (Eds.). Organizational behavior management (OBM) approaches for intellectual and developmental disabilities. Taylor & Francis. (book chapter)

Wilder, D. A., & Gravina, N. (2021). Organizational behavior management. W. Fisher, C. Piazza, and H. Roane (Eds.). Handbook of applied behavior analysis, 2nd Edition. Guilford Press. (book chapter)

2020

Nastasi, J., Simmons, D., & Gravina, N. (2020). Has OBM found its heart? An assessment of procedural acceptability trends in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 41(1), 64-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2020.1853000

Sleiman, A., Sigurjonsdottir, S., Kieland, A., Gage, N., & Gravina, N. (2020). A quantitative review of performance feedback in organizational settings (1998-2018). Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 40(3-4), 303-332. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2020.1823300

Gravina, N., Nastasi, J., Sleiman, A., Matey, N., & Simmons, D. (2020). Behavioral strategies for reducing disease transmission in the workplace. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(4), 1935-1954. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.779

Sleiman, A., Gravina, N., Robinson, T., & Podlesnik, C. (2020). The role of effort in shifting preference for feedback stimuli. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 40(1-2), 30-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2020.1746471

Sleiman, A., Matey, N., & Gravina, N. (2020). Ranking of the most prolific authors, universities, and organizations in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 40(1-2), 82-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2020.1746726

 Vergason, C., & Gravina, N. (2020). Using a guest-delivered token economy to increase employee-guest interactions at a zoo. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(1), 422-430. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.599

2019

Gravina, N., Sleiman, A.*, & Matey, N.*  (2019). Participation of women in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 39, 227-236.

*Cruz, N., Wilder, D., *Phillabaum, C., *Thomas, R, *Cusick, M., & Gravina, N. (2019). Further evaluation of the performance diagnostic checklist-safety (PDC-Safety). Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 39, 266-279.

*Matey, N., Gravina, N.,*Rajagopal, S., & Betz, A.  (2019). The effects of a feedback delivery requirement on accuracy of observations.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 39, 247-256.

*Curry, S., Gravina, N., *Sleiman, A., & Richard, E. (2019).  Evaluating the effects of rapport building behaviors on performance and discretionary effort.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 39, 213-226.

Griffin, M., Gravina, N., *Matey, N., Wine, B., & Pritchard, J.  (2019). Using weekly scorecards to improve performance of behavior technicians across two locations.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 39, 280-292.

Li, A., Gravina, N., Pritchard, J., & Poling, A.  (2019). Examining the gender pay gap for academics in behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice. Advanced online publication.

Gravina, N., *King, A., & Austin, J.  (2019). Coaching leaders to use behavioral science to improve safety.  Safety Science, 112, 66-70.

Gravina, N., & *King, A. (2019).  Key lessons from the teaching-family model for organizational behavior management: A commentary on Fixen and Blasé. Perspectives on Behavioral Science, 42, 213-221.

2018

*King, A., & Gravina, N., & *Sleiman, A. (2018).  An evaluation of the role of reactivity in the observer effect.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Advanced online publication.

*DePaulo, J., Gravina, N., & Harvey, C. A. (2018). Using a behavioral intervention to improve performance of a women’s college lacrosse team.  Behavior Analysis in Practice. Advanced Online Publication.

Gravina, N., *Villacorta, J., *Albert, K., *Clark, R. J., *Curry, S., & Wilder, D.  (2018).  A quantitative review of organizational behavior management research in human service settings.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 38,  191-224.

Gravina, N., & Austin, J. (2018).  The consultant workshop model in a human service setting. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 38, 244-257.

*Kelley, D., & Gravina, N.  (2018). Every minute counts: Using the science of behavior to reduce wait times in an emergency department.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 38, 234-243.

*Kelley, D., & Gravina, N.  (2018). A new paradigm in healthcare: An open door for OBM.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 38(1), 73-89.   DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2017.1325824

2004-2017

Gravina, N., Cummins, B., & Austin, J.  (2017). Leadership’s role in process safety: An understanding of behavioral science among managers is needed.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 37(3-4), 316-331. DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2017.1340925

Gravina, N., Loewy, S., Rice, A., & Austin, J. (2013). Using self-monitoring and intensive accuracy training to improve safe postural performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management 33(1), 68-76. DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2012.729397

Gravina, N. & Siers, B. P. (2011). Square pegs and round holes: Ruminations on the relationship between performance appraisal and performance management. Invited article for Journal of Organization Behavior Management (31)4, 277-287.  DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2011.619418

Fante, R., Gravina, N., Betz, A., & Austin, J. (2010). Structural and treatment analyses of safe and at-risk behaviors and postures performed by pharmacy employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 30(4), 325-228.  DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2010.520143

Gravina, N. E., & Cunningham, T. R. (2010). Check this out: A book review of The Checklist Manifesto. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,30(3), 271-277.  DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2010.499035

Rice, A., Austin, J., & Gravina, N.  (2009). Increasing customer service behaviors with task clarification and managerial feedback.   Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(3), 665-669.  DOI: 10/1901/jaba.2009.42-665.

Gravina, N., Austin, J, Schroedter, L., & Loewy, S.  (2008).  The effects of self-monitoring on safe postural performance.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 28(4), 238-259.  DOI: 10.1080/01608060802454825

Gravina, N., VanWagner, M., & Austin, J. (2008).   Increasing physical therapy equipment preparation behaviors using task clarification, graphic feedback and modification of work environment. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 28(2), 110-122.  DOI: 10.1080/01608060802100931

Fante, R., Gravina, N., & Austin, J. (2007). A brief descriptive analysis and demonstration of the effects of peer observations on postural behaviors of pharmacy employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 27(2), 15-25.  DOI: 10.1300/J075v27n02_02

Gravina, N., Hazel, D., & Austin, J.  (2007).  Evaluating the effects of workstation changes, the Rollermouse keyboard and behavioral safety on performance in an office setting.  Work:  A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, & Rehabilitation, 29, 245-253.

Austin, J., Hackett, S., Gravina, N., & Lebbon, A. (2006).  The effects of prompting and feedback on drivers’ stopping at stop signs.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39(1), 117-121.  DOI: 10.1901/jaba.2006.49-04

Austin, J., Weatherly, N., & Gravina, N.  (2005). Using task clarification, graphic feedback, and verbal feedback to increase closing task completion in a privately owned restaurant.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 38(1), 117-120.  DOI: 10.1901/jaba.2005.159-03

Gravina, N., Wilder, D., White, H., & Fabian, T.  (2004).  Signing in as a function of odds of winning a daily raffle.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 24(4), 31-42.  DOI: 10.1300/J075v24n24_02

Recent Honors and Awards

2021 OBM Network Outstanding Contribution Award
2019 APA Division 13 Early Career Innovation Award in Consulting Psychology