Association for Behavior Analysis International

This study examined the correlations and predictive variables for a three-choice discounting task at assess what components influence selection when there are more than two choices. Twenty-two participants (5 males, 17 females) were offered the choice between a smaller amount now, a larger amount in 6 months, and a probability of getting 1000 dollars in a year. Correlation analyses revealed a large correlation between the difference between money now and six months for selecting the now and six-month choice. Multiple regression analyses showed that the percent chance of receiving $1,000 was only significantly predicted selection of the 1-year option. All main effects were predictive of selecting six months. Selection of now was significantly predicted by the amount now and the interaction between the amount now and in six months as well as the interaction between the percent chance and difference between the amount now and six months. These findings underscore the interplay of three choices with the incorporation of future probabilities in decision-making related to temporal discounting.

Understanding the relation between delayed reinforcement and stimulus control in timing increases our comprehension of the conditions, maximizing or reducing reinforcement effectiveness. Delayed reinforcement reduces stimulus control where time is the discriminative stimulus; this has been observed in Fixed Intervals, the Peak Procedure, and Temporal Bisection. The aim was to observe the effect of reinforcement delay in the Free Operant Psychophysical Procedure (FOPP) because no studies have been conducted using FOPP. Ten male Wistar rats were used. The sessions comprised 75 trials with two response alternatives (E1 vs. E2). Responding to E1 was reinforced during the first half of a 60-second trial, and responding to E2 was extinguished. For the last half of the trial, the contingency was reversed. In the first condition, baseline, reinforced responses followed two independent VI 60 s. In the second phase, an unsignaled delay to reinforcement of 6 s was implemented, and the VI was changed to 54 s to keep the rate of reinforcement constant. In the third phase, the baseline was reinstated. Results show that the response rate decreased with delayed reinforcement, and the psychometric curve changed. This result is consistent with previous reports where delayed reinforcement decreases temporal control of behavior.

This self-management project aimed to increase daily physical activity for a four-year-old labradoodle, Roxy, and her owner, Deina Escribano, to promote mutual physical health and strengthen their reinforcing bond. Using a multiple treatment reversal design, the study evaluated the effectiveness of two reinforcement conditions--differential reinforcement with small treats versus full-sized treats or two treats--on Roxy's daily active minutes. Her daily active minutes were measured using a GPS-enabled activity tracker built-in to Roxy's collar; the tracker is affiliated with an smartphone app called "Tractive" which was used as the main data recording method. Antecedent interventions induced placing Roxy's leash visibly by the front door, creating scheduled alerts in my phone, pre-walk rituals, and varying walk routes to encourage engagement. Activity data was recorded daily from baseline to treatment phases, with reversals to baseline to assess functional control. Results demonstrated a significant increase in Roxy's active minutes during treatment phases, particularly under the full reinforcement condition relying on the auditory cues, when compared to baseline conditions. Differential reinforcement with small treats showed moderate effectiveness. The combination of antecedents and reinforcement strategies consistently supported higher activity levels. Findings highlight the practical application of behavioral analytic principles in enhancing human-animal relationships and improving health outcomes. This study contributes to the literature on self-management and applied behavioral analysis, offering a framework for integrating behavioral strategies with technology for improving health and overall quality of life.

Forty adults (M = 36.55, SD = 10.43) were assigned to one of four experimental conditions. Groups 1 and 2 trained with high-valenced stimuli (e.g., “love” and “hate”), while Groups 3 and 4 used low-valenced stimuli (e.g., “warm” and “cool”). Groups 1 and 3 trained with a coordination frame (e.g., “eget” = “love/warm”), and Groups 2 and 4 with an opposition frame (e.g., “eget” = opposite of “love/warm”). The Affective Slider measured stimulus function transformations, with responses aligning to expected preconditioned relations. Conditioned stimuli (“eget” and “lorp”) were later used to form new 1-node, 3-member networks. All groups successfully acquired trained relations, with statistically significant different rates for A-B (p = 0.0154) and B-C (p = 0.0001) training but not mixed training (p = 0.3010) or tested relations (p = 0.4308). Results indicate that stimuli conditioned with frames of coordination and opposition can function effectively as consequent events, with high-valenced stimuli outperforming low-valenced ones.