When teaching leisure isn't enough: increasing preference for leisure activities by embedding natural reinforcers

Document Type

Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree

M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis

Date Completed

2019

First Committee Member

Bancroft, Stacie

Second Committee Member

Hanley, Gregory

Third Committee Member

Karsina, Allen

Abstract

"Assessing preference for newly acquired leisure activities can be helpful in predicting whether clients are likely to initiate or independently engage with leisure activities once learned. Earlier research on developing leisure repertoires has focused primarily on teaching appropriate engagement with new activities without assessing preference. The purpose of the current study was to increase preference for and appropriate engagement with leisure activities. Participants included two individuals diagnosed with autism, aged 13 and 21 years old, enrolled in a residential program. During Phase 1, we evaluated the effect of teaching 4 complex leisure activities to mastery on preference for those activities, using an engagement-based preference assessment. If learning how to engage appropriately with each activity did not increase preference, then we proceeded to Phase 2, in which we embedded preferred stimuli determined to commonly co-occur with each target leisure activity. We used a multiple baseline design across activities to examine the effects of teaching or additional interventions on preference and appropriate engagement with activities. Results show that teaching alone did not increase appropriate engagement for 7 of the 8 targeted activities across 2 participants in Phase 1. In Phase 2, after embedding preferred and commonly co-occurring stimuli within target activities, appropriate engagement for 4 of the remaining 7 activities increased. Contingent removal of embedded stimuli for activity cessation was effective in increasing engagement with the final 3 activities for one participant. The results of the current study suggest that embedding preferred stimulus conditions that are likely to occur during appropriate engagement in a leisure activity can increase preference for that activity. Implications for practice are discussed."

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