Differential reinforcement of prompted versus unprompted responses

Document Type

Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree

M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis

Date Completed

2012

First Committee Member

Ahearn, William

Second Committee Member

Graff, Richard

Third Committee Member

Karsten, Amanda

Abstract

"Little research has been conducted on the effect of differential reinforcement on skill acquisition with children with autism. Recent research suggests that the use of differential reinforcement contingencies can be more effective method than differential reinforcement. This study attempted to examine the effects of differential reinforcement of prompted and unprompted responses to increase independent responding and acquisition rates in 2 children with autism in learning objectives specified on their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Assessments were conducted to determine high and low preference reinforcers for each participant. The delivery of tokens was identified via a reinforcer assessment as producing the highest level of responding while reinforcers associated with lower levels of responding varied for each participant (i.e., preferred edible for one participant and tokens plus preferred edible for the other). An alternating treatments design was used to assess the effects of differential reinforcement of prompted versus unprompted responding on acquisition on the learning objectives. Correct responses, both prompted and unprompted, in the nondifferential reinforcement (NDR) condition were followed by the highest preference reinforcer. In the differential reinforcement (DR) condition, correct prompted responses were followed by the low preference reinforcer while correct unprompted responses were followed by the high preference reinforcer. Both participants reached mastery criteria in the NDR condition prior to the differential reinforcement condition. Results of the present study indicated that differential reinforcement contingencies were not a more effective method of teaching these 2 children with autism."

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