Story of establishing stimulus control

Document Type

Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree

M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis

Date Completed

2022

First Committee Member

Johnson, Cammarie

Second Committee Member

Dube, William V.

Third Committee Member

Pinkston, Jonathan

Abstract

"The effects of a signaled differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) procedure versus a differential reinforcement of an alternative behavior (DRA) procedure on levels of motor stereotypy, and the collateral effects on task engagement were evaluated using a multiple schedule within a multielement and reversal design. Two S- components, with a DRO or DRA contingency were quasi-randomly alternated with an S+ component with no programmed consequences for stereotypy or task engagement. Each component was associated with distinctive stimuli. In S- components, a brief hands-down procedure or a verbal reprimand, “Stop,” was implemented contingent on stereotypy. In the S- (DRO), task engagement was ignored, and reinforcement was delivered upon a predetermined duration without stereotypy. In the S- (DRA), reinforcement was delivered contingent upon task engagement. Throughout the study, changes were made to the treatment protocol to aid in the establishment of stimulus control. The results showed evidence of stimulus control of stereotypy by the antecedent stimuli associated with both S- components, with the lowest levels of and longest latencies to stereotypy and the most engagement in the S- (DRA) condition. Probe sessions in which certain antecedent stimuli were removed and then reinstated suggested that stimulus control was exerted by a combination of the antecedent stimuli."

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