Journal of applied behavior analysis最新文献

Efficient, low-cost approaches for disseminating evidence-based training on behavior-analytic interventions to professionals outside of North America are needed to address the scarcity of available services. This study evaluated the effectiveness and acceptability of computer-based instruction for training professionals in Nigeria to conduct pairwise functional analyses of challenging behavior. Six professionals demonstrated high levels of procedural fidelity during role-play and in situ sessions with children after completing a self-paced computer-based instruction program that provided multiple opportunities for active responding and included culturally relevant content. Results extend prior research on virtual training of functional analysis implementation by incorporating a broader range of dependent variables (e.g., graphing, data interpretation) and delivering a fully asynchronous program. Results have implications for the further development of technologies to scale up the reach of behavior analysis services. Issues related to ensuring that asynchronous programs are delivered in an ethically responsible manner are discussed.

Identifying objective ways to measure a therapist's physiological responding when encountering challenging behavior has the potential to guide future work in staff performance, well-being, and retention. The current technical report summarizes controlled measures of therapists' electrodermal activity (EDA) while implementing functional analyses of challenging behavior. The technology used to monitor EDA, analyses relevant to EDA in the context of challenging behavior, and technical barriers related to the use of these measures are discussed. Preliminary data from three therapists suggested that indicators of acute physiological arousal are present in functional analyses, particularly surrounding occurrences of challenging behavior. Support for the further development of these technologies is provided.

Children with feeding difficulties often engage in expulsion (i.e., spitting out) of liquid. Expulsion is problematic because it limits the volume of liquid that a child will consume. Researchers have used re-presentation as an embedded component of escape extinction to treat expel. Although studies have demonstrated that re-presentation can effectively reduce expel, it is unclear whether it should always be included with escape-extinction-based treatments. We describe a program evaluation project designed to examine the effects of re-presentation on liquid expulsion for children with severe feeding difficulties. We conducted a prospective consecutive controlled case series to compare the effects of a function-based treatment with and without re-presentation and reported on the outcomes obtained for 17 children. Various patterns of responding emerged across participants. However, re-presentation resulted in the greatest increases in mouth clean (i.e., swallowing) and lowest levels of expel for 10 participants. We discuss implications for research and practice.

Although many studies have focused on teaching components of reading (blending, fluency), fewer studies have evaluated how children become interested in looking at and engaging with books. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a continuous reinforcement procedure on children's preference for engaging with books using a concurrent multiple-probe-across-participants design. The procedure involved providing rich social interactions and reinforcers when children engaged with books. Across two experiments and six preschool participants with disabilities, we observed children who rarely engaged with books before the intervention shift their preference to book engagement following the intervention. These outcomes were observed both in the intervention and naturalistic play settings, including during maintenance probes. Additionally, in Experiment 2, children's performance task behavior increased when books were presented as a consequence during a performance task. The outcomes are discussed in terms of promoting preference for book stimuli in the context of typical and instructional contexts.

Workers frequently engage in nonneutral body postures that increase their risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to extend previous research by evaluating whether the provision of information plus artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced video feedback could improve manufacturing workers' postural behavior. Four metal manufacturing workers participated in this study. This study's dependent variable was the percentage of time a participant's target body part spent in low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk ergonomic positions. This study used a nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design across three participants and a nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design across two target responses with one participant. The results showed that three out of four participants' postural behavior improved following the provision of information plus AI-enhanced video feedback. Additionally, an occupational therapist independently evaluated participants' postural behavior before and following the intervention using a validated ergonomic assessment. The occupational therapist's independent ergonomic evaluations corroborated that participants' postural behavior improved.

Researchers have examined differences between free- and restricted-operant teaching arrangements while equating response and reinforcement rates. Preliminary data suggest that nonhuman organisms acquire novel discriminations more quickly under free-operant arrangements (Hachiya & Ito, 1991). In contrast, Bulla et al. (2024) found that humans learned novel discriminations more efficiently under restricted-operant arrangements. This study systematically replicates Bulla et al. (2024). We taught participants to say the corresponding numeral 0–10 for Hindi, Eastern Arabic, and Mandarin numbers. We assigned each number set to a free-operant, restricted-operant, or control teaching arrangement. The study assessed the effects of each arrangement across two phases: (1) acquisition and (2) frequency building. Additionally, data were collected on measures of fluency outcomes. Results suggest that participants acquired novel discriminations more quickly under restricted-operant arrangements. No major differences emerged in fluency outcomes when response–reinforcer relations remained equal. Procedural modifications are discussed to clarify distinctions between basic and translational findings.

Recent research has demonstrated the utility of recording and reinforcing appropriate behavior during functional analyses. We compared two contingency arrangements across repeated bias and sensitivity evaluations (BASEs), one that equated the contingencies for appropriate and challenging behavior (i.e., symmetrical contingencies) and another that only provided reinforcement for challenging behavior (i.e., asymmetrical contingencies). Six neurotypical children were recruited, and behavior was recorded on a Neutral to Severe Behavior Scale. We evaluated sensitivity to different types of establishing operations (EOs) and response bias toward appropriate versus challenging behavior for each participant. Greater sensitivity to EOs was observed under symmetrical contingencies, but more instances of severe challenging behavior were captured by asymmetrical contingencies. Bias toward challenging behavior was evident in both contingency arrangements. Results suggest that BASEs implementing symmetrical and asymmetrical contingencies could help identify risk factors for challenging behavior and inform preventive strategies.

Prior research has identified the potential dangers associated with challenging behavior, specifically self-injurious behavior, and has thus highlighted the need to employ protective procedures to ensure the safety of individuals with self-injurious behavior. Although protective procedures can sometimes suppress responding, some small-n studies suggest they can also elucidate or unmask social functions when the initial functional analysis indicates that challenging behavior is only automatically maintained. However, large-scale studies of functional analysis outcomes indicate that co-occurring automatically and socially maintained challenging behavior is relatively uncommon. We conducted a retrospective consecutive case series study to describe a set of procedures to unmask social functions when the initial functional analysis indicated an automatic function. Results suggest that protective procedures unmasked social functions in 26.32% of cases.

The Step it UP! Game, a modified version of the Good Behavior Game (GBG), has previously been shown to increase physical activity levels among elementary school children and adults with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to compare a novel modification of the GBG targeting physical activity, the Don't Stop! Game, with the Step it UP! Game. Participants included 14 young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Three conditions were alternated randomly within a multielement design: baseline, Step it UP! Game (in which the team with the most steps wins a prize), and Don't Stop! Game (in which the team with the fewest demerits for standing still wins a prize). All 14 participants had higher steps per minute during intervention conditions relative to baseline, but the degree of difference between intervention conditions differed across participants. The Don't Stop! Game was preferred by more participants.

Masked visual analysis (MVA) was developed to complement traditional visual analysis (TVA) and control for Type I error rates. Researchers have empirically tested MVA with generated data and simulated decisions. Our purpose was to evaluate the performance of MVA with real data and human raters. We asked visual analysts who had published at least one single-case research article (n = 36) to evaluate nine multiple-baseline-design-across-participants graphs. Graphs representing different target behaviors were displayed in masked and unmasked presentations. We evaluated the reliability and validity of MVA and TVA. Agreement within each method was similar to that reported in previous studies on visual analysis (MVA ICC = 0.625; TVA ICC = 0.579). Between the two methods, at least 75% of raters' decisions corresponded for six of nine graphs. We discuss the implications of incorporating MVA and future research on analytic methods for single-case experimental designs.