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| VBC Sunday Poster Session |
| Sunday, May 25, 2025 |
| 1:00 PM–3:00 PM |
| Convention Center, Lower Level, Hall C |
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| 144. Assessing and Teaching Metaphorical Tact Extensions of Private Events and Scenarios Using Equivalence-Based Instruction (EBI) |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Applied Research |
| GENESIS OLIVAS (Mount Saint Mary's University), Kwadwo O. Britwum (Mount Saint Mary's University) |
| Abstract: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often face significant challenges in expressing their emotions and in responding to others' descriptions of their private events. Previous research has explored how to label emotions within specific contexts and focused on teaching children to label the private events of others. However, few studies have investigated how to teach children with ASD to produce complex tact extensions, such as metaphorical tacts related to private events. The current study developed an Equivalence-Based Instruction (EBI) procedure to teach autistic children to accurately tact metaphorical images of emotions while measuring the emergence of intraverbals in response to hypothetical scenarios. Participants were trained to relate three stimulus classes (A, B, C). A multiple baseline design across participants was employed in this study. After collecting baseline data on tacts of metaphorical pictures (A-B), discrete trial training (DTT) was implemented to teach the metaphorical tacts. Following mastery of A-B relations, baseline data were gathered to assess the correct matching of metaphorical stimuli to hypothetical scenarios (A-C). Match-to-sample training included least-to-most prompting and verbal instructive praise. Additionally, probes were conducted after three trial blocks to evaluate correct intraverbal responses when discussing a hypothetical scenario related to the subject’s emotions (C-B). The results offer significant implications for teaching tacts of private events to children with autism. |
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| 145. Applying Diversity Measures to the Analysis of Verbal Behavior |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Applied Research |
| GABRIEL LUKE ARMSHAW (University of North Texas), Lee Mason (Child Study Center at Cook Children's), Maria Jose Otero (Child Study Center, Cook Children's Hospital) |
| Discussant: Joseph M. Vedora (Evergreen Center) |
| Abstract: This study applies ecological diversity indices, commonly used in environmental science, to analyze verbal behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically, it uses Shannon entropy and beta diversity measures to assess the richness and abundance of verbal responses over time. The analysis is based on data from three experimental analyses of verbal operants, which assess the occurrence of four basic types of verbal behavior.
The results indicate that these biodiversity indices—beta diversity and Shannon entropy—are effective tools for measuring the variety and evenness of verbal behavior. They capture both the richness (variety) of the verbal repertoire and its distribution across different types of responses over time. This suggests that ecological diversity measures can offer a robust framework for understanding language development and evaluating intervention outcomes in children with ASD.
Overall, the study highlights the potential of integrating ecological models from the natural sciences into behavioral analysis, offering new insights into complex human behaviors like language. The approach may also be useful for more detailed investigations of verbal behavior across individuals and different interventions, advancing the study of language development in children with ASD. |
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| 146. Matrix Training in a Discrete Trial Context: Effects on Acquisition of Multiple Component Tact Skills |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Christina Scenna (University of Pittsburgh), JESSICA STAMPER (PaTTAN) |
| Abstract: This case study applies matrix training in a discrete trial instructional context targeting multiple component tacts of actions. Target selection using matrix training is a practical way to promote the emergence of flexible response combinations through an economy of instruction. Matrices, coupled with errorless, discrete trial teaching practices, allowed instructors to introduce instructional stimuli and targeted skills in a planful manner. As shown by both participants’ consistent acquisition of the directly trained skills and their generalization to novel stimuli, use of matrix training in discrete trial instructional contexts may benefit both teachers and learners. Both participants demonstrated consistent skill acquisition of the directly trained target skills and generalization of these skills to novel stimuli. Utilization of matrix training in a discrete trial context using errorless teaching procedures and a carefully crafted skill sequence facilitated efficient teaching and generalization. The given time-related constraints faced by both learners and instructors, these teaching and instructional design techniques are of potential benefit to both. |
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| 147. An Analysis of Verbal Behavior Within Public Health Prevention Messaging |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Theory |
| HELEN TECLE KIDANE (University of Nevada, Reno), Anna Ingeborg Petursdottir (University of Nevada, Reno), Jonathan A. Schulz (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Discussant: Joseph M. Vedora (Evergreen Center) |
| Abstract: The field of public health aims to protect the health of all people and the communities in which they live. The 10 Essential Public Health Services (EPHS) is a framework for the activities that public health systems should engage in to support communities. One of these 10 services involves communicating effectively to inform and educate. An example of this is the dissemination of campaigns to promote healthy behaviors and prevent unhealthy behaviors. This method of intervention is inherently verbal, and an analysis of the overall framing used in campaigns may allow for a better understanding of the effects of rules on engaging in healthy behavior. Different behavior analytic interpretations of language and verbal behavior will be discussed in the context of anti-tobacco mass media messaging campaigns, namely Relational Frame Theory (RFT) and Skinnerian Verbal Behavior theory. Other language and messaging theories used in public health (e.g., Prospect theory) will also be discussed. This poster will compare and contrast these theories, explain from a behavior analytic standpoint how effective campaigns may be conceptually explained, and discuss experimental methods of studying messaging that could lead to refinements and improve public health. |
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| 148. Emergence of Multiply Controlled Responses to WH-Questions |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Applied Research |
| JESSIE NAEGELE (University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute), Toni Rose Agana (University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute), Nicole M. Rodriguez (University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute), Heidi Heyden (University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute) |
| Abstract: Answering WH questions is generally conceptualized as an intraverbal response. However, some forms of answering WH- questions may be better described as a multiply controlled verbal operant, controlled by both antecedent verbal stimuli and specific features or aspects of the environment. Bondy et al. (2004) used the term intraverbal-tacting to describe differential responses to questions (e.g., “What’s he doing?” “Who’s this?”) regarding some dimension of a nonverbal stimuli (e.g., picture). This study explores the emergence of intraverbal tacts in children with autism spectrum disorder in response to WH-questions. Building on previous research (e.g., Rodriguez et al., 2022; Aragon et al., 2024), we investigate whether teaching component skills such as element tacts and intraverbal categorization facilitates the emergence of multiply controlled verbal responses. When presented a picture scene (e.g., Mickey eating at the beach), we asked questions like "Who?", "Where?", and "What doing?". We replicated and extended procedures from prior studies, focusing on joint control when participants learned component skills but did not initially produce intraverbal tacts. Our findings indicate that teaching these component skills may be sufficient for the emergence of multiply controlled intraverbal tacts in answering WH-questions. |
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| 149. Cross-Modal Transfer in Braille: Establishing Tactile Reading Through Identity Matching-to-Sample With Compound Stimuli |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Basic Research |
| DANIELA ROCHA-JURADO (Universidade de São Paulo), Celina Tanaka (Universidade de São Paulo), Roberto Soares Pessoa Neto (Universidade de São Paulo, USP), Paula Debert (University of Sao Paulo) |
| Discussant: Joseph M. Vedora (Evergreen Center) |
| Abstract: This paper aimed to develop a systematic procedure employing Identity Matching to Sample (IMTS) with compound stimuli for teaching the Braille alphabet to literate adults. The experiments sought to assess whether this procedure would facilitate cross-modal transfer in the reading of Braille words from printed to tactile modalities. Seven participants engaged in a training condition that established the identity relation between compound stimuli representing Latin and Braille letters (CD-CD). Subsequently, the emergence of identity (C-D), transitivity (B-D), and transfer to tactile Braille reading (C-E) relations was tested. All participants demonstrated the emergence of non-trained relations, successfully transferring their learning to the tactile modality. The results of this experiment suggest that the IMTS procedure with compound stimuli enables the emergence of non-trained relations among class stimuli and facilitates cross-modal transfer. Additionally, the findings indicate that, after learning a limited number of letters, participants were able to identify other letters, suggesting a recombinative reading process among sets of letters. |
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| 150. Improving Collegiate Esports Performance Through Behavior Analysis: Reducing Negative Talk for Better Play |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Service Delivery |
| ADRIENNE MARIE LAFOND (Florida Institute of Technology), James Arnold Riswick-Estelle (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: The purpose of this project is to enhance the in-game performance of collegiate esports players using behavior analytic techniques. The dependent variable, negative talk, is defined as any self-critical or non-constructive verbal—vocal or textual—behavior that typically lacks actionable direction and follows an in-game mistake or challenging situation. Data collection is focused on the rate of player communication and the function of their verbal behaviors with the in-game objectives during game phases. Graduate-level behavior technicians and Board Certified Behavior Analysts will use differential reinforcement to establish a discriminative stimulus to signal players when and how to adjust their gameplay mechanics, promoting on-task behavior, and improving decision-making while reducing nonproductive behaviors like negative talk (e.g., “I whiffed, my bad”). Although the intervention is ongoing, potential results demonstrate an improvement of in-game communication. Social validity measures will continue to be gathered throughout the intervention to showcase social significance and the technique's effectiveness. While there is currently a paucity of behavior analytic research in this area, there is promise in the use of ABA interventions for improving performance in esports players, providing a foundation for future performance enhancement studies in competitive gaming. |
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