Increasing functional engagement and reducing stereotypy using competing stimuli following an augmented competing stimulus assessment
Document Type
Thesis
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Degree
M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis
Date Completed
2021
First Committee Member
Ahearn, William H.
Second Committee Member
Roscoe, Eileen M.
Third Committee Member
Henley, Amy J.
Abstract
"Research has demonstrated that a competing stimulus assessment (CSA) can identify stimuli which compete with automatically maintained behavior (Piazza et al., 1998/2000). However, stimuli provided noncontingently may not effectively compete if participants fail to engage, or make contact with, the item. Jennett et al. (2011) modified the CSA procedure to incorporate prompted engagement and response blocking. The success of their procedural variations was used to augment the competing stimulus assessment (A-CSA) which also introduced a more stringent definition of item engagement (Hagopian et al., 2020). Limited research has been conducted on increasing functional engagement and decreasing stereotypy using modified CSA procedures. The purpose of the current study was to examine procedural variations for producing functional engagement using effective competing stimuli (ECS) when also targeting stereotypy. The A-CSA was used to identify effective competing stimuli. An ABABACAC design was used to compare the effects of rotating access to ECSs (B) and prompting functional engagement (C). Both procedures effectively decreased stereotypy and increased functional engagement. For one of the two participants prompting functional engagement was necessary for a clinically significant outcome."
Recommended Citation
Li Volsi, Catlyn A., "Increasing functional engagement and reducing stereotypy using competing stimuli following an augmented competing stimulus assessment" (2021). Master’s Theses - College of Arts and Sciences. 142.
https://digitalcommons.wne.edu/castheses/142
