Association for Behavior Analysis International

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42nd Annual Convention; Downtown Chicago, IL; 2016

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Symposium #96
Diet and Exercise: Behavior-Analytic Interventions for All Ages
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Crystal Ballroom B, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: CBM/PRA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Jessica Gamba (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Discussant: Jennifer Klapatch (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Abstract: As part of thesis research in pursuit of efficient, easily-implemented interventions, the primary investigators presenting in this symposium completed studies targeting healthy food choices of children ages 3-8 and physical therapy exercises of typically-developing adults. In the first study, children’s selection of healthy foods over less-healthy alternatives was established through differential reinforcement procedures. Once the healthy choices maintained in the experimental setting on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement, generalization probes were conducted in the participants’ homes or schools. When necessary, sessions in the natural environment were conducted to help ensure maintenance of healthy choices over time. The second study included in this symposium investigated the effects of self-monitoring and public posting in a private social media group on the number of physical therapy exercise repetitions completed by four adults. Three participants’ completion of exercises increased following intervention, with varying degrees of experimental control. Taken together, these studies demonstrate the effectiveness of simple, socially significant interventions in establishing and maintaining healthy behavior across populations.
Keyword(s): differential reinforcement, public posting, schedule fading, self-monitoring
 
The Effects of Differential Reinforcement on Food Preferences of Children
SONIA LEVY (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology), Jessica Gamba (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology), Jennifer Klapatch (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of differential reinforcement on food choices of children. This study included participants who were both typically developing and those who are diagnosed with a developmental disability, including autism. This study was an extension of previous research involving the differential reinforcement procedures described by both Stark et al. (1986) and Allison et al. (2012) with the fading procedure, generalization, and maintenance techniques used by Valdimarsdottir et al. (2010). After the behavior was successfully maintained by an intermittent schedule of reinforcement, generalization probes were conducted in the participants’ natural environment (i.e., home or school). When necessary, training sessions in the natural environment were conducted to ensure proper maintenance of healthy snack choices over time. A follow-up probe was conducted to assess maintenance. All of the participants’ responses of selecting and consuming the healthy food option experienced an increase in level once vocal praise and social physical attention became contingent on that response. In addition, all three of the participants who reached the generalization phase of the study demonstrated generalization of the skill when implemented with their parents.
 

The Effects of Adding Public Posting to a Treatment Package that Includes a Social Media Group Page and Self-monitoring on Improving Excercise Compliance for Patients Formerly in Physical Therapy

LAUREN KANTE (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology), Fawna Stockwell (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology), Diana J. Walker (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Abstract:

This study investigated the effects of self-monitoring and use of a private social media group to publicly post exercise session results on the number of physical therapy exercise repetitions completed by four adults who had previously been in physical therapy. A Facebook? group was used throughout the study, and to post daily and weekly data on exercise repetitions during intervention. The study used an ABAB design, in which baseline (A) consisted of access to the Facebook group page and self-monitoring, and reporting exercise data to the researcher by sending before- and after-exercise photos via text message. The intervention (B) consisted of the same plus public posting of exercise data by the experimenter on the Facebook? group page. Two participants' data increased from baseline to the intervention phase, but the data did not demonstrate clear experimental control. One additional participant showed improvement late in the study, and the other never reported any exercise throughout the study. Although results do not demonstrate a clear functional relation between public posting and physical therapy exercise, the self-monitoring and performance-reporting procedures bear further investigation.

 

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