Comparison of differential reinforcement procedures of treating automatically reinforced behavior

Document Type

Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree

M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis

Date Completed

2013

First Committee Member

Thompson, Rachel

Second Committee Member

Roscoe, Eileen

Third Committee Member

Sassi, Jessica

Abstract

"Children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit stereotypy that can be socially stigmatizing and interfere with learning objectives (LaGrow & Repp, 1984). Although differential reinforcement procedures have been found effective for treating stereotypy, they are often combined with multiple treatment components, making it difficult to determine their independent effects (e.g., Favell, McGimsey, & Schell, 1982; Iwata et al., 2001; Taylor, Hoch, & Weissman, 2005; Tiger, Fisher, & Bouxsein, 2009; Vollmer, Marcus, & LeBlanc, 1994; Wacker et al., 1990). The purpose of this study was to evaluate two differential reinforcement interventions, differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) when they are implemented independently, for two participants. No reinforcement baseline, DRA, and DRO conditions were evaluated using multielement and reversal designs. Results indicated DRA was more effective for decreasing motor stereotypy, increasing productivity, and increasing engagement for two participants."

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