Association for Behavior Analysis International

Synchronous schedules of reinforcement are schedules that provide reinforcement at the same time as the desirable behavior is occurring. This symposium includes experiments evaluating music as a reinforcer in a synchronous schedule of reinforcement treadmill preparation, which utilized a mixed schedule of reinforcement involving five components. These components included baseline (or noncontingent music), three synchronous reinforcement components, and an extinction component. Baruni et al. utilized the preparation to evaluate college students' walking behavior. Results indicate schedule control emerged for 72% participants. Additionally, 77.8% of participants displayed considerable variability in walking speed during the extinction component. Sheridan et al. replicated and extended Baruni et al. by examining how the presence or absence of rules influenced speed. The results showed (a) the accurate rules group had the highest level of schedule-control responding, (b) the inaccurate rules group tended to demonstrate persistent rule-following, (c) the no rules group had little variability in speed across all the treadmill components, and (d) no significant between-group differences in extinction-induced responding. Walker et al. replicated and extended previous research by utilizing the preparation with adults with autism. Results found that schedule control was demonstrated in 20% of participants. Thus, researchers evaluated participant-selected music during the treadmill preparation and saw improvements in schedule control for all participants.

Background understanding of synchronous, mixed, and conjugate schedules of reinforcement

Pinkston et al. (2024) provided 17 participants their high preference (HP) music for increasing and decreasing their walking pace while on a treadmill. Results demonstrated that HP music produced schedule control of walking speed for 14 of 17 (82%) participants. In addition, Pinkston et al. found that 78.6% of participants whose walking showed schedule control also displayed variable responding during an extinction component. As an extension of the Pinkston et al. study, researchers in this study presented 25 participants with their HP music for walking on a treadmill during a five-component mixed schedule wherein the synchronous reinforcement components contained larger and non-overlapping bands for contacting the synchronous reinforcer. Results indicate schedule control emerged for 18 of 25 (72%) participants. In addition, 14 (77.8%) participants whose behavior showed schedule control also displayed considerable variability in walking speed during the extinction component. Furthermore, participants’ heart rates increased across the synchronous reinforcement components.

Investigating the effects of rules on schedule performance when access to a reinforcer covaries with a target response may increase our understanding of complex patterns of behavior that occur under continuously changing circumstances. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend previous research by examining how the presence or absence of rules influenced speed (MPS) on a treadmill using a synchronous schedule of reinforcement. First, participants (N =39) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: accurate rule, inaccurate rules, or no rules. Next, we identified each participant’s music genre preference prior to the treadmill condition. The treadmill condition consisted of five components: baseline, synchronous 1 (SYNC1), synchronous 2 (SYNC2), synchronous 3 (SYNC3), and extinction (EXT). Rules regarding the three SYNC conditions varied based on group assignment. The results show (a) the accurate rules group had the highest level of schedule-control responding across the three SYNC components, (b) the inaccurate rules group tended to demonstrate persistent rule-following, (c) the no rules group had little variability in speed (MPS) across all the treadmill components, and (d) no significant between-group differences in extinction-induced responding. Overall, the outcomes from this novel preparation provide first-steps toward examining the effects of rules on behavior with synchronous schedules of reinforcement. Recommended areas for future research are discussed.

Adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities experience additional barriers to engaging in regular physical activity compared to the general population. These individuals are also more likely to develop health conditions related to physical inactivity and obesity. Thus, extending research on treadmill preparations to individuals with ASD was a fundamental step in the application of the preparation to a population with an increased need for ways to promote engagement in physical activity. Music may serve as a reinforcer that may increase and maintain appropriate levels of physical activity to promote healthy living. Therefore, this study utilized a synchronous schedule of reinforcement to evaluate the effects of predetermined preferred music and self-identified preferred music. Predetermined music was selected by the researchers and deemed preferred through preference assessments during the session. Self-identified preferred music was music that participants listed as their top three favorite songs. Music was provided on a synchronous schedule of reinforcement where participants’ pace on the treadmill had to meet specific criteria to access the music. The results of this study found that participants’ pace showed stronger schedule control with the self-identified preferred music.