Journal of applied behavior analysis最新文献

There is a growing body of research examining the efficacy of teaching a foreign language using procedures that would lead to generative learning. This study assessed the acquisition of foreign tacts and the emergence of bidirectional intraverbal responses (native-foreign and foreign-native) as a function of target stimulus preference. Three children learned to tact two sets of pictures (low- and high-preferred targets) presented in an adapted alternating-treatments design. Emergent intraverbal responses were evaluated across both directions before and after instruction. The results showed that all participants met the mastery and emergence criteria for the high-preferred stimulus set in fewer trial blocks than for the low-preferred stimulus set. The high-preferred set also yielded greater emergence of all intraverbal relations. The results replicated previous findings in that tact instruction was effective in producing emergent intraverbal responding. Moreover, our data suggest that preference for targets is an important variable to ensuring optimal foreign language learning.

Synchronous schedules of reinforcement align the onset and offset of the response with the onset and offset of the reinforcer. In this study, we used a multiple-baseline-across-classes and reversal design to determine the effects of a synchronous reinforcement schedule, arranged as an interdependent group contingency, on time spent following rules and disruptive classroom behavior during independent work periods in three elementary classes: two first-grade classes and one fourth-grade class. Additionally, we compared the effects of a synchronous reinforcement schedule with those of a continuous noncontingent schedule in the fourth-grade class. The synchronous schedule increased students' time spent following rules and decreased disruptive classroom behavior across all classes. Furthermore, noncontingent delivery of those stimuli did not produce changes in behavior relative to baseline. Students in the two first-grade classes reported preferring the synchronous reinforcement condition to baseline. Students in the fourth-grade class reported preferring the noncontingent access condition.

The experimenters compared the relative utility of two types of pretreatment assessments, the competing-stimulus assessment (CSA) and the paired-stimulus preference assessment (PSPA), for identifying items to treat automatically reinforced challenging behavior. Five individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who exhibited automatically reinforced challenging behavior participated. The relative efficacy of the CSA item and the PSPA item were compared during two treatment evaluations: noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). NCR reduced challenging behavior for four of the five participants. For three of these participants, the CSA item was more efficacious than the PSPA item; CSA and PSPA items were equally efficacious for the remaining participants. For two participants, DRO decreased challenging behavior and there were minimal differences in treatment efficacy across CSA and PSPA items. Implications for the utility of the CSA and the PSPA as pretreatment assessments in treatment development are discussed.

Researchers have reported that children engage in pretend play that reflects the conventional activities of their environment (i.e., learned-combinations play). In contrast, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display fewer and less varied play behaviors. Research on teaching pretend play to children with ASD often involves prompting and reinforcing scripted responses. Although effective, these procedures may be limited because they can produce rigid, rote play rather than pretend play reenacting real-life events. This study evaluated the effects of teaching actions with real objects on the emergence of generalized learned-combinations play with three children with ASD. Overall, teaching children actions using real objects facilitated generalization of those actions with toys. We provide future directions for research when limited generalization is observed with some toys. Additionally, we discuss the implications of automatic reinforcement and the motivating operation in relation to our findings.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder commonly exhibit vocal stereotypy, and this behavior may be targeted for treatment when it competes with daily tasks, disrupts the environment, or leads to reduced independence. Previous research has shown that access to music reduces vocal stereotypy. However, treatment evaluations typically occur during play or low-stimulation conditions; therefore, the effectiveness and compatibility of music with daily tasks are less known. We measured levels of vocal stereotypy and on-task behavior during independent activities for three participants. Using a reversal design, we evaluated the effects of music played via headphones on dependent measures. We extended the analysis to typical classroom activities and conducted treatment preference assessments. The results indicated that access to music reduced vocal stereotypy across multiple settings and activities. Additionally, increases in on-task behavior were observed for two of three participants. All participants preferred to engage with tasks while listening to music.

Children on the autism spectrum tend to consume fewer healthy foods than typically developing children. Given the negative effects of unhealthy eating, it is important to increase healthy food selection. The current study examined whether manipulating the delay to reinforcement would increase healthy food selection in a concurrent-operants assessment. During the concurrent-operants assessment, participants chose between a snack and a fruit and the researchers systematically added a delay to the snack to switch the allocation of responding from the snack to the fruit. The results showed that one participant's response allocation switched from the snack to the fruit at a delay of 30 s and two participants' response allocation switched at the 60-s delay. This suggests that manipulating the delay to reinforcement may increase healthy food selection for some children on the autism spectrum.

Researchers have shown that behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training are effective for teaching firearm safety skills to children. Within the safety skills literature, there is evidence that manualized interventions are effective for teaching parents and teachers to conduct BST. An approach that has not been evaluated for teaching safety skills is interactive computerized training (ICT). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate an ICT program with three Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) who provided services to clients with autism spectrum disorder. In the final phase, the BCBAs implemented firearm safety skills training with their clients. Overall, the BCBAs implemented the safety skills training protocol with high fidelity during post-ICT assessments and rated the ICT program positively.

The testing effect is a well-established phenomenon in cognitive psychology that refers to enhanced long-term retention of information due to active recalling through testing. Following a cross-disciplinary translation of the testing effect into behavioral principles, we systematically replicated the previous findings in a behavior-analytic context while evaluating the effects of the number of quiz questions on college students' exam performance and other academic behaviors. Students in an upper-level behavior analysis course participated. Using a within-subject experimental design in which the participants served as their own control, we compared their exam performance and academic behaviors, such as class participation and out-of-class studying, across three conditions: (a) no quizzes, (b) 5-question quizzes, and (c) 10-question quizzes. Quizzes improved exam performance and some academic behaviors, successfully replicating the testing effect in a behavior-analytic context. However, the number of quiz questions did not influence the improvements. Implications of the results and future research are discussed.

Differential observing responses (DORs) are additional response requirements used to promote orientation to a stimulus in a discrimination task. Farber and Dickson (2023) recently provided a DOR taxonomy, and these authors reported that no prior research has compared the effects of distinct DOR requirements. We compared the effects of two DOR requirements on textual responding by five children exhibiting reading deficits. Participants read a daily word list and were required to emit DORs that involved matching the compound or individual elements of the target stimulus. When a word was unknown, emitting the condition-specific DOR resulted in a tablet-produced echoic prompt. The DOR that required matching of the individual elements met the acquisition criterion in the fewest days for four participants but was not preferred by any participant. Implications for DORs in a problem-solving paradigm and conditions contributing to their efficacy are considered.

We conducted a scoping review on the consecutive controlled case series (CCCS) methodology (Hagopian, 2020). The CCCS is an approach to studying functional relations across a series of consecutive cases that share common features. We identified and reviewed 76 studies that used CCCS methodology. Most of these (a) were retrospective CCCS studies that incorporated most of the CCCS elements that were identified by Hagopian (2020), (b) involved child participants with autism spectrum disorder or an intellectual disability, and (c) evaluated the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior within specialized clinical settings. The sample sizes ranged from 3 to 269 participants, with a median of 20 participants. We discuss current trends, gaps in the literature, and implications for statements of the generality of behavioral procedures.