Association for Behavior Analysis International

Join the Health, Sports & Fitness SIG for the Soldier Field 10-Mile Run on Saturday, May 25, 2019. The race starts at 7am at Soldier Field. Register at https://www.soldierfield10.com/. Packet pick-up is available the week leading up to the race and we may be able to arrange a group packet pick-up. On race day either meet-up with us in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Chicago at 6am and we will 1) walk/jog over to the race, 2) uber over or 3) you can meet us at the start of the race at 6:45am. Let us know you’ll join us by RSVPing for the event on Facebook or email hsf.abai@gmail.com

PiYo is an athletic hybrid workout that combines the mind/body practices of yoga and Pilates with principles of strength training, conditioning and dynamic movement. PiYo is a fun and challenging class that will torch calories, build endurance, tone muscles, improve balance, and increase flexibility all in one high intensity/low impact workout. The class is great for beginners as well as elite athletes. It achieves this by offering variations, modifications and range of motions for every fitness level.

SABA Award for Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis: Kurt Salzinger: The Consummate Behaviorist in the Lab and at Home

This award will be accepted by Dr. Salzinger's wife, Deanna Chitayat.

The health problems that result from our own behavior will increasingly become among the most important challenges to health. For example, alarming increases are already being observed in addiction, obesity, and medication non-adherence. However, efforts to improve these conditions and disorders are hindered by the poor efficacy of most of our treatments. This lack of efficacy, I would argue, results from insufficient understanding of the controlling variables. This is a unique opportunity for those interested in basic science and the underlying theory to make important contributions as translational researchers. I will illustrate these unique opportunities with the application of behavioral economics to important health behaviors.

Dr. Warren Bickel joined the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute in 2011 and serves as Director of the Addiction Recovery Research Center and Co-Director of the Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to research and scholarship achievements, Dr. Bickel was recently awarded the Virginia Tech Carilion Behavioral Health Research Endowed Professorship. He has taught and led research programs at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Vermont, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.  NIH has funded Dr. Bickel’s work continuously since 1987. Dr. Bickel is an accomplished scholar and researcher whose accolades include receipt of the 2011 APA International Don Hake Translational Research Distinguished Contributions to Basic Research Award and the 2012 Brady-Schuster Award for Outstanding Behavioral Science Research in Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse, Division 28 of the American Psychological Association.  Dr. Bickel was honored to be the recipient of the 2016 Nathan B. Eddy Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. Dr. Bickel was Editor of the journal, Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, has co-edited five books, and has published over 400 papers and chapters. Dr. Bickel’s work is frequently cited and receives national and international recognition.

To make the exhortation "change the world with behavior analysis" a concrete reality, we need the behavior analyst figure to be known, well-estimated and respected by civil society and governmental institutions. At the beginning, we tried to get this approaching the insiders (especially psychologists and educators) to convince them of the goodness of our scientific and evidence-based approach, in order to increase the number of professionals.

Past failures. Unfortunately, to achieve this result we chose to act mainly in universities and public schools, through the publication and spread of experimental research articles and books addressed to psychologists and educators, not to mention all the presentations in congresses and conferences. In time this strategy turned out to be ineffective. In fact, in many countries still nowadays, despite thousands of debates and explanations, only few patients with special needs benefit from ABA treatments, as well as only few companies benefit from performance management, as well as only few hospitals benefit from behavior-based safety, and so on. To demonstrate this, in several countries still there is no law about, or in favor of, behavioral technologies.

A new successful strategy. Starting from the late ‘90s, a small group of ABA practitioners and scientists changed approach in order to get better results in the spread of behavior analysis. They chose to teach ABA to final users rather than to intermediaries (psychologists and educators) and so they started introducing ABA to new categories of professionals as dentists, managers, engineers, medical doctors and industrial safety consultants. The principles and methods of marketing were used to involve new professional categories and, in this way, always more users started to ask to the politicians for more behavior analysis.This unusual strategy demonstrated to be astonishingly better than the previous one. In recent years, in fact, politicians that used to be deaf to the effectiveness proofs brought about by behavior analysts started to care and to pay attention to the demands of professional categories (made by citizens and then voters). Many final users are now demanding for more ABA in their work environment. About this, a list of the actions required to replicate our experience will be presented.

The “ultimate strategy”. Even if the aforementioned marketing-of-a-science tactics are powerful, a faster and more comprehensive strategy it’s in place currently. Our present aim is to influence the state laws writing process in order to change the behaviors of all the stakeholders at the same time. State laws are in fact nothing but conditional statements that, specifying an antecedent, a behavior to be performed, and a consequence (usually a punishment for non-compliance), with the help of prominent judges and politicians could boost a national-level ABA capillary dissemination. Results of this last strategy application will be presented too.

Fabio Tosolin is the behavior analyst and consultant that since the ‘80s has been introducing, spreading and applying Behavior Analysis and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) principles both in Italy and Europe. In 1985, he founded his own consulting company, FT&A, that is specialized in Performance Management, Learning Technologies and Behavior-Based Safety (B-BS), for the last of which he’s also a referent of European level. His company counts hundreds of PM and B-BS processes implemented in plants and construction sites in Italy and around the world. He is currently professor of Human Factor in HSEQ Management at the Safety Engineering Master’s Degree course, Faculty of Industrial Processes, at Polytechnic of Milano and president of the Italian Associate Chapter of ABAI, made of both the oldest and largest Italian Behavior Analysis Scientific Societies (AARBA and AIAMC). Since 2003 he’s also chair of the European Scientific Conference on OBM, PM & B-BS, held by AARBA.

Founded in 1960, Oregon Research Institute (ORI) is a non-profit, independent, behavioral sciences research center with an international reputation as a leader in research to help people lead healthier lives. ORI scientists embody the belief that the solutions to many of society’s most pressing health and social issues lie in our ability to understand and influence human behavior. ORI researchers apply fundamental behavior analysis and behavior change principles to develop and scientifically evaluate evidence-based interventions to promote health and wellbeing and to prevent and/or treat important behavioral health problems. ORI’s research focuses on (a) promoting healthy child development through interventions to improve parenting skills in at-risk families, improve school environments and instructional practices, and improve peer environments in and outside of school; (b) promoting psychological health through interventions to prevent and treat depression and eating disorders; (c) promoting physical health through interventions to improve diet and exercise throughout the lifespan and to reduce obesity; (d) preventing and treating substance abuse, through interventions focused on nicotine, alcohol, opioids, marijuana, and other drugs, and (e) implementing and disseminating evidence-based behavioral interventions into real-world settings, such as schools, healthcare settings, service agencies, whole communities, and public policy. ORI is funded by research grants from the National Institutes of Health and Institute on Education Sciences, and has 43 scientists and 50 active research projects. ORI is committed to scientific freedom and scientific excellence and provides a collegial and supportive research community for early career scientists and seasoned researchers alike.

Carol Metzler, Ph.D., received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oregon. Dr. Metzler is a Senior Scientist and the Science Director at Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, Oregon. As a scientist at ORI, she conducts research on parenting practices and child development, and evaluates the efficacy of family interventions for reducing or preventing behavior problems in children. She is particularly interested in research on promoting a public health framework for improving parenting practices and in evaluating the effects of delivering parenting information through non-clinical technology-based approaches. She is currently involved in projects to develop and evaluate technology-based approaches to providing parents of young children with parenting education and support, through video and the internet, and to integrate these parenting programs into pediatric primary care. In addition, Dr. Metzler is also engaged in efforts to summarize what is known about evidence-based programs for children and families and to investigate how these programs can be effectively moved into practice through better integration of science, practice, and policy. As Science Director at ORI, Dr. Metzler works to build awareness of the research done at ORI, build collaborative partnerships between ORI and other research and practice entities, recruit new scientists to ORI, and ensure that ORI continues to provide an optimally supportive environment for world-class behavioral research.

Regardless of the enormous body of literature on corruption, some social scientists claim it lacks contingency analysis. The concept of contingency as used by behaviour analysts is the fulcrum of behavioural analysis. However, the skimming of available research reveals scarcity of behaviour analytic works on corruption. In this paper, we examine the behavioural processes accompanying corrupt practices during a public officer-citizen interface and the persistence of petty corruption in Ghana from a behaviour analytic perspective. Using three studies, the authors demonstrate how some conceptual tools of behaviour analysis can improve our understanding of corruption as behavioural and cultural phenomena. The explanatory models employed are advanced as alternatives to theories that attribute corruption to personality traits. Corruption characterised by non-linear behaviours, with complex sets of concurrent contingencies taking place in complex social environments, is examined with the technical construct metacontingency. Such an analysis enhances the principal-agent theory, which social scientists employ to examine corruption as social episodes. The construct of macrocontingency is posited as an alternative to the barrel of rotten apple theory. The authors call for basic behaviour research to help understand corruption, which is one of the critical social issues of the twenty-first century.

In cognitive and developmental psychology, executive function refers to repertoires related to goal-directed behavior such as attention, inhibition, working memory, flexibility, emotional self-regulation, problem solving, organization, planning, and time management; and skills deficits in these areas have been attributed to the frontal cortex of the brain. From a behavioral perspective, all executive functions involve behaviors which should be able to be strengthened using behavioral principles of learning. For example, according to Skinner, self-control involves two repertoires of behavior: (a) the controlled self, involving normal, ongoing behavior and (b) the controlling self, involving behavior one has learned to control normal behavior. Children with autism have been documented to display deficits in executive function skills. This symposium presents recent research related to teaching executive function skills to children and adolescents with autism. The first paper presents the effects of a treatment package on teaching planning skills. The second paper evaluates procedures for teaching adolescents with beginning time management skills, such as making, following, and adjusting their personal schedules. The final paper presents data investigating the effects of procedures for teaching problem-solving skills.

BCBAs and other certified or licensed professionals

It has been demonstrated that many individuals with autism present with significant deficits as it relates to various executive functioning skills. Difficulties with planning in particular have been well documented in the literature; however, little research exists seeking to remedy such deficits in the behavioral repertoire of learners with autism. With the use of a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design, the current paper examines the acquisition of planning skills with adolescents with autism. Participants with little to no planning abilities were taught to identify a desired outcome in relation to a given activity, the steps and materials needed to complete the given activity, his or her progress toward completion of the plan, and to subsequently complete the plan and specified activity across multiple exemplars. Results indicate the acquisition of planning skills by the participants and will be discussed in terms of the utility of the present procedures within research-practitioner settings. Suggestions for future research and interventions for individuals with autism will be provided.

A dearth of research exists for teaching adolescents with autism to engage in beginning time management skills. This study used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effects of a treatment package consisting of multiple exemplar training, error correction, self-monitoring, and reinforcement for teaching adolescents with autism to make and follow schedules. Results from the first two participants demonstrated that they learned to make, adjust, and follow schedules. During posttraining, performance levels remained high even when various components of the treatment package were removed.

This study evaluated the effect of the “Bump Inspector” Treatment Package on conflict resolution skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Three children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ages 6 and 7, were selected for this study due to prior reports of conflict resolution difficulty and deficits involving flexibility. For this study, a multiple baseline design across participants was used to determine if the intervention increased conflict resolution skills and corresponding actions. Results from the one participant showed completed thus far show that the “Bump Inspector” Treatment Package increased conflict resolution skills in the participant. Findings from the social validity questionnaire revealed that parents of this participant saw clear increases in conflict resolution skills and corresponding action behaviors and that the child seemed to have more courage and independence in the scenarios requiring flexibility.

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence involves the presentation of high-p instructions followed by the presentation of a low-probability (low-p) instruction. Researchers have used this procedure to increase compliance across a variety of behaviours, including academic skills, social skills, medical tasks, and food acceptance. Given the broad applicability of this procedure, it is important to identify the procedural variables within the high-p instructional sequence that produce the most meaningful outcomes. The first presentation will compare 2 iterations of the high-p instructional sequence, high-p with a preferred food on a spoon and high-p with an empty spoon, to increase food consumption. The second presentation will (a) compare the effectiveness ofpraise versus edibles as the consequence for compliance with high-p instructions and (b) determine if the number of high-p instructions can be faded from 3 to fewer instructions. Both papers will be discussed within the context of clinical implications and suggestions for future research.

Graduate students

Teachers and coaches

Behavior Analysts

1. Describe the variables of the high-probability instructional sequence that influence the effectiveness.
2. Describe the application of the high-probability instructional sequence to increase food consumption
3. Describe the application of the high-probability instructional sequence within a multicomponent treatment package.

Food selectivity is defined as a child or youth refusing to eat a sufficient variety of foods based on type, texture, or other dimensions (e.g., colour, packaging). It can have a substantial negative impact on family stress, child nutrition and health, and can lead to inappropriate mealtime behaviours. The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence is a non-intrusive procedure that involves the presentation of three high-p instructions followed by the presentation of one low-probability instruction. To date, only eight studies – with mixed findings – have examined the effectiveness of the high-p instructional sequence to increase young children's consumption of food. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of two iterations of the high-p instructional sequence, high-p with a preferred food on a spoon and high-p with an empty spoon, to increase food consumption in two children with autism spectrum disorder and food selectivity using a multielement design within a reversal design.

To replicate and extend previous research on the high probability request sequence, the first research question was: What are the effects of praise versus edibles as the consequence for responses to high-p requests? In a reversal design with a child with CHARGE Syndrome, there was initial but not sustained experimental control demonstrating higher responding with edibles compared to praise. The second research question was: To what extent can high-p requests be faded from 3 to fewer per low-p request? After demonstrating experimental control with 3 high-p requests, an attempt to fade to 2 high-p requests failed. In a final analysis, experimental control was demonstrated by providing varied reinforcement in the form of videos identified in presession preference assessments. In 20% of sessions, IOA was a mean of 99.1% for high-p requests (range, 93.3% to 100%) and 100% for low-p requests. Results are discussed in terms of continually assessing motivating operations.

This symposium presents recent research related to teaching perspective-taking skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The first paper analyzes the effects of in-vivo teaching procedures, multiple exemplar training, and a visual perspective teaching procedure in a multiple-probe across participants design to teach children with ASD, with limited language repertoires, to view the visual perspective of others. The second paper presents data on teaching children with ASD the perspective-taking skill of identifying what they and others know and do not know, and to explain how their knowledge was obtained or why it was not obtained via sensory perspective-taking (i.e., seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling, etc.), within a multiple baseline across participants design. The final paper evaluates the effects of video-based instruction on teaching a generalized problem solving strategy within and across false-belief categories for shared and differing perspective-taking with individuals with ASD in a multiple-probe across participants design.

BCBAs and other certified or licensed professionals.

A prerequisite skill related to the development of perspective taking skills is recognizing that others may have access to different visual information, which is known as visual perspective taking (Howlin, Baron-Cohen, & Hadwin, 1999). There is limited behavior analytic research on methods to teach children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) visual perspective taking. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effects of in-vivo teaching procedures, multiple exemplar training, and a visual perspective teaching procedure in a multiple-probe across participants design to teach children with ASD to view the perspective of others. Four experimenter-defined categories (i.e., line of sight, item appearance, array appearance, and item rotation) were used to teach perspective taking skills. The results demonstrated low levels of visual perspective taking in the baseline conditions with participants quickly demonstrating mastery criterion after intervention was introduced. Interobserver-agreement and procedure integrity data were taken on at least 50% of the sessions across all conditions and were 90% or better. This study contributed to the existing literature by providing more information on procedures for teaching visual perspective taking to children with ASD that have limited language repertoires.

Perspective-taking skills such as predicting the future behavior of others based upon their beliefs and creating false beliefs in others for the purpose of adaptive deceptive behaviors such as keeping secrets and surprises and bluffing during games requires one to be able to identify what information others know and do not know (e.g., she does not know we are having a surprise birthday party for her, so she thinks nobody remembers her birthday). The current study evaluated the effects of a multiple exemplar training package that included rules, error correction, and reinforcement on teaching children with autism to identify and explain information that is known and unknown to themselves and others based on each individual’s perspective across the five senses (i.e., she knows or does not know because she can or cannot see, taste, feel, hear, or smell the relevant stimulus). Results of this study thus far indicate that the treatment package was effective in teaching the first of three participants to identify known and unknown information of self and others, as well as how such knowledge was obtained or why it was not obtained. Furthermore, generalization across untrained stimuli and people was observed during posttraining.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of using video-based instruction to teach a generalized problem-solving strategy for perspective taking. Specifically, four participants with autism spectrum disorder were taught (a) a rule and when to use it to assist in the identification of shared or differing information and (b) to use that information to respond to perspective taking questions embedded in videos. Multiple exemplars of shared and differing perspective scenarios were used to promote differential responding to shared and differing perspective tasks, and generalized problem solving within and across false-belief categories (i.e., false identity, unexpected location, misidentified object). Responses were assessed during in-vivo probes of false-belief and shared-belief tasks. After learning the problem-solving strategy, all four participants responded correctly to trained and novel shared- and false-belief tasks. Strategy used generalized to within and across category video and in-vivo probes. Generalization was also observed in everyday contexts.

Instructive feedback (IF) is an effective strategy for increasing the efficiency of instruction. When presented within a discrete trial format, prompting and reinforcement are provided based on the learner’s response to primary targets, and no programmed consequences are provided based on the learner’s response to secondary targets. Several variations of IF have been evaluated in the literature and the effectiveness of these variations may relate to the underlying behavioral mechanisms that contribute to the effectiveness of IF. The studies in this symposium will examine the effectiveness of variations of IF and discuss how variations may relate to the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of targets exposed to IF. In the first study, Tullis and colleagues evaluated two arrangements of IF – one in which secondary targets were presented before a praise statement and one in which secondary targets were presented after a praise statement. Kopchak and colleagues examined two forms of IF. In one form, secondary targets and probes shared similar words. In the other form, secondary targets and probe questions did not share similar words. Zemantic and colleagues examined the effect of context by comparing the presentation of secondary targets in an instructional setting and a novel setting.

The content would be appropriate for practitioners to apply to clinical practice and graduate students.

Although typical discrete trial instruction procedures are effective for teaching tacts to children with autism, they are often time consuming. Using a secondary targets procedure can help increase instructional efficiency. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of two variations of a secondary targets procedure on the acquisition of auditory tacts by children with autism. In one variation of the procedure, the secondary target expansion phrase and the probe question contained shared features (i.e., similar words). In the other variation, the secondary target expansion phrase and the probe question did not contain shared features (i.e., no similar words). In addition, the emergence of listener and speaker categorization were evaluated. All three participants learned to correctly tact the auditory stimuli (i.e., the primary targets). Participant 1 responded correctly to probe questions for only the shared features condition. Participant 2 responded correctly to probe questions for both the shared features and no shared features conditions. Participant 3 did not respond correctly to probe questions for either of the conditions. Listener categorization scores were higher than baseline levels for all participants following tact training. Speaker categorization scores were higher than baseline levels for Participants 1 and 2.

Instructive feedback involves including extra stimuli (i.e., secondary targets) within instructional trials in order to increase the efficiency of instruction. No programmed consequences are provided based on the learners’ response to secondary targets. A number of behavioral mechanisms may play a role in the effectiveness and efficiency of instructive feedback, including the context. The current study evaluated the effect of context on the acquisition of secondary targets taught through instructive feedback in an instructional (high demand) and novel (low demand) context for two children with autism spectrum disorder. Both participants acquired secondary targets when presented in a high demand context when presented with primary targets. However, in the absence of primary targets, the low demand context was more effective and efficient for one participant, whereas the high demand context was more effective and efficient for the other participant. Both participants demonstrated generalized responding to novel therapists and untrained Wh-questions. Responding also maintained during probes conducted 2- and 4- weeks post mastery. Future directions for research and clinical applications of instructive feedback procedures are discussed.

Elif Tekin Iftar, Ph.D, is a professor in Special Education at Anadolu University in Turkey. Dr. Tekin-Iftar received her Ph.D. degree in 1999 from Anadolu University. During her doctorate studies she received a scholarship from Turkish Academy of Sciences and pursued part of her doctoral education at University of Kentucky. Dr. Tekin-Iftar received her full professorship in 2009. She served as a director of Research Institute for the Handicapped in Anadolu University between 2007-2014. Her current research and clinical interest include the behavioral treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities, single case experimental research methods, and professional development. Dr. Tekin-Iftar received Distinguished Young Scientist Award and Scholarship from Turkish Academy of Sciences in 2003. Dr. Tekin-Iftar has published over 25 international peer-reviewed journal articles, over 20 book chapters, coauthored a book, and served as editors in three books named as Single Case Research Methods in Educational and Behavioral Sciences, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Educating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her research has been published in Exceptional Children, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Journal of Special Education, Research in Developmental Disabilities, and Autism. Dr. Tekin-Iftar currently serves on the editorial board for Exceptional Children. Dr. Tekin-Iftar teaches research methods in education, applied behavior analysis and single case experimental designs at graduate levels. She served as supervisors for many doctoral students in Turkey. She founded Association for Behavior Analysis Turkey (ABATurkey) Chapter as an affiliation of Association for the Behavior Analysis International and she serves as president of ABA Turkey. She founded a graduate program entitled as “Applied Behavior Analysis in Autism” which is the first and only program in its kind in Turkey. She received a postdoctoral scholarship from The Scientific and Research Council of Turkey and visited University of North Caroline in Charlotte for a year. She is the mother of two daughters.

“Safety skills” is an umbrella term consisting of a wide variety of skills. Research has shown that all children have the risk of being injured perhaps fatally because of the intentional and unintentional accidents. Children with autism spectrum disorder face two or three times the risk of injury or abuse compared with those of their same age peers. Ensuring children’s safety is, and should always be, a concern for parents, teachers, and society. However, it is well-documented that teaching safety skills to children with autism spectrum disorder is often neglected both clinically and experimentally. In a relatively new study, it is indicated that (a) although parents and teachers found safety skills instruction important and necessary, they use natural occurrences as teaching opportunities and prevention behaviors rather than providing systematic instruction and (b) neither parents nor teachers have enough knowledge and experience for teaching safety skills (Sirin & Tekin-Iftar, 2016). However, research has shown that when taught systematically, children with autism spectrum disorder could acquire safety skills and perform them over time and across persons and settings. During the presentation, Turkish parents and teachers’ opinions about teaching safety skills to children with autism spectrum disorder and a series of research studies investigating the effectiveness of prompting strategies, videomodelling, and Social Stories in teaching safety skills will be shared with the audience. Implications of these research studies will be discussed.

Behavior analysts; Psychologists; Special education teachers; Graduate students.

Behavioral treatments for chronic pain have amassed an impressive and progressive record of success. As with any area of clinical science, challenges and shortcomings have also been identified. These include difficulties in maintaining clinical effectiveness from clinical trials into large scale implementation efforts, unclear identification of specific intervention components that are clearly linked to improved adaptive outcomes, and lack of clarity with regard to the necessary and active ingredients of effective treatment. Overall, these problems highlight the practical difficulty of translating research into practice. They also helpfully illuminate several potential avenues for improvement, including the need for: (1) a precise delineation of what constitutes treatment success and differentiates it from treatment failure, (2) lucidity in the specification of processes by which treatment is hypothesized to work followed by explicit tests of these hypotheses, and (3) methods to promote the generalization and continuance of within-treatment adaptive behavioral changes to the non-treatment environment. This presentation will describe Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as one potential model that can aid in helpfully progressing down these avenues. In particular, the potential for augmenting patient behavior that displays an open, accepting, and non-struggling response to pain will be highlighted, as this area perhaps differs most markedly from other approaches where a primary focus may be on better management of pain and distress. Furthermore, the importance of identifying important and meaningful areas of living to pursue with pain present will be evaluated, as this has the potential to naturally promote generalization and longevity of treatment gains. Based on the data presented, it seems feasible for individuals with complex and potentially disabling pain to respond to that pain with acceptance and willingness, choose important areas of living that are of personal relevance, and take effective action to improve quality of life. Importantly, these responses are possible when pain is low, but crucially also when pain is elevated or even at its maximum.

Clinicians and researchers working with chronic physical health conditions or who are interested in such conditions.

Physical activity is a key factor in numerous important health outcomes; however, research reveals a concerning worldwide trend of physical inactivity (Guthold, Stevens, Riley & Bull, 2018). The World Health Organization (WHO; 2018) estimates that physical inactivity contributes to 3.2 million deaths per year, making it the fourth leading risk factor for mortality. Despite well-publicized recommendations from health organizations (e.g., WHO, Centers for Disease Control) and an increase in access to fitness-related technology (e.g., fitness trackers), these trends of sedentary behavior have not improved since 2001, and more than one in four adults worldwide fail to meet recommended levels of activity (Guthold et al., 2018). On a positive note, advances in technology present an opportunity for behavior analysts to extend behavior-change techniques to an important health-related behavior. Presenters from three different research labs will share outcomes from behavioral interventions employing goal-setting, incentives, and technology for increasing physical activity in adults.

The target audience for this symposium is behavior analysts who are researchers or practitioners and are interested in using technology to facilitate interventions with health-related target behavior and/or are interested in using incentive-based interventions for increasing physical activity.

Globally, only 25% of adults engage in enough regular physical activity (PA) for overall wellness (World Health Organization, 2018). Despite the substantial health benefits of PA, populations with intellectual disabilities (ID) are substantially inactive, even more so than their typically-developing peers. Recent research suggests approximately 90% of adults with disabilities are not active enough (Oviedo et. al, 2017; Ptomey et al., 2017). In consideration of these findings, the goal of the current study was to use a treatment package to increase the daily PA of adults with ID living in community-based settings. The treatment package included a Fitbit® to measure and monitor overall PA, goal-setting, one-on-one “coaching” sessions, and incentives contingent on meeting a pre-established physical activity goal. Due to the extreme sedentary nature of adults with ID, physical health benefits (e.g., weight loss, decreased blood pressure, lower heart rate) from increased PA may take an extended period of time to manifest. As such, any potential increases in quality of life (e.g., affect, mood, preference) that may occur in the meantime will also be measured. Findings of this study, recommendations for ongoing interventions, applications to other settings, and limitations will be discussed.

Physically inactive adults are at a greater risk of developing noncommunicable diseases (e.g., stroke, cancer, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes) and premature death compared to their physically active peers. Consequently, physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Previous research has investigated the use of contingency management interventions (e.g., contracts, lotteries) to increase physical activity in adults. In the current study, we randomly assigned participants to one of three groups (i.e., contingency management, noncontingent reinforcement, or self-monitoring). Participants wore Fitbit® Alta HR fitness trackers, which provided data on various indicators of increased physical activity, such as calorie burn, steps, and active minutes. The goal of the current study was to further investigate the use of contingency management interventions to increase physical activity in adults.

Gamification is the application of game elements, such as points and competitions, to real life - and behavior analysts did it for years without thinking of it in this manner. When video games became immensely popular, gamification reached whole new scholarly levels as well. Some behavior analysis principles have long been incorporated, and that continues to be the case. Compared to health and education, sustainability gamification is more recent, but just as critical. What can behavior analysts working in sustainability learn from the current state of the field of gamification? What can we contribute? In this symposium, we survey the field, examine some sustainability examples, offer suggestions, and provide perspective on gamification in the context of other sustainability/climate change initiatives.

Behavior analysts at all levels

Competing Stimulus Assessments (CSA) have been used across a number of client populations, behavioral functions, and topographies of problem behavior. The growing body of research, however, has localized most applications and demonstrations of related treatment effectiveness to intensive service delivery settings. As is the case with other behavioral technologies, CSAs should be further examined in settings such homes, community venues, and schools. Such demonstrations may be useful in enhancing the external validity of the CSA and ensuring they can be carried out accurately and efficiently. Utilizing established methodology, we carried out CSAs with multiple adolescents with development disabilities attending a private school for individuals with specialized education needs. Across participants, target behaviors encompassed multiple functions and topographies. CSA procedures were successfully implemented in the educational setting and within the confines of the students’ daily school schedule. Results also included successful identification of competing stimuli for the participants; furthermore, decreased rates of problem behavior followed treatment. Procedures and results will be further discussed in the context of CSA innovations and behavioral assessment treatment transportability.

The target audiences for this talk include practitioners who serve individuals with developmental disabilities in home, community, or school settings; and researchers who are focused on or who are interested in focusing on examining assessment and treatment procedures outside of intensive, more controlled settings.

Many individuals with developmental disabilities experience deficits with communication and social function to such an extent that treatment and services focus heavily communication training. Individuals with developmental disabilities also often experience greater behavioral dysfunction than other populations, which can produce behavior that interferes with skills training, home life, and school activities (Gurney, McPheeters, & Davis, 2006; Dekker, Koot, Ende, & Verhulst, 2002). Due to the extent it interfered with skills training and posed health complications, problem behavior (mouthing, rumination, pica, and motor stereotypy) maintained by automatic reinforcement was assessed for 4 individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities. Competing stimulus assessments were conducted and revealed multiple stimuli that competed with problem behavior, after which related treatment was devised and carried out by educational staff (teachers and teacher assistants) during each participant’s school day. The training of educational staff on assessment and intervention rationale, treatment implementation, and data collection are also discussed.

As schools witness what behavior analysts are capable of doing, they are hiring behavior analysts in increasing numbers to help develop and evaluation interventions with students experiencing behavior and academic problems. In some cases, behavior analysts are delivering direct services, a professional role for which they are well prepared. In a lot of cases, however, schools are calling on behavior analysts to serve as consultants, which is a new role for many of us. A consultant serves in an indirect role by trying to help someone else (e.g., a teacher) help a third party (the student). A consultant typically has no authority over the consultee, but must engage the consultee in such a way that their combined efforts empower the teacher to improve students’ academic achievement and behavioral self-control. The purpose of this presentation will be to help behavior analysts adapt their assessment and instruction/intervention skills to a school-based consultative role. I will present research-based strategies for (a) how to efficiently embed functional assessment principles and practices in the consultation process, and (b) manage the contingencies under which teachers are operating to maximize effectiveness.

Behavior analysts practicing in schools

The technology of graphic display (whether in paper format or electronic) is fundamental for communication in behavior analysis. It has been claimed in the past (and in recent studies) that a standardized display should be adopted because variety in graphing practices can introduce additional interpretation error and slow down communication. However, if given the same set of data, won’t behavior analysts (trained in the same techniques), graph it in the same way? If they do, then the call for standardization may be moot--at least within the field of behavior analysis. The current presentation will examine and interpret results from a non-experimental sample of graphic displays collected from an audience at an ABA professional conference. The audience was asked to graph the same set of 10 raw data entries, and a total of 42 graphs were submitted from audience members. This presentation will describe the submitted graphs as they relate to the argument for standardizing technology of graphic display.

Privacy has been identified as a primary concern among stakeholders (service recipients, advocates, administrators, family) when using technology (e.g., video cameras, motion sensors, intercoms) to provide residential services to individuals in need. We conducted a study that distributed a survey to agencies that provide services (e.g., clinical; recreational) and resources (e.g., advocacy groups) to people with various types of disabilities (e.g., physical, sensory, intellectual, developmental) across the United States. The purpose of this study was to ask multiple stakeholders (i.e., staff, volunteers, advocates, clients) to rate their levels of concern about the privacy of individuals with disabilities when receiving services via smart homes. We analyzed the data for 209 respondents. The results for the survey lead to several recommendations about how smart-home service providers can use technology in a way that promotes client privacy, while maintaining safe and secure living conditions. In addition, we make a number of suggestions for how remote staff (i.e., individuals monitoring the information gathered by technology) can assist in the process of ensuring client privacy.

Behavior analysis is on the cusp of a major change in the way we think about our most fundamental process: Reinforcement. Whereas the law of effect stipulates that reinforcers control behavior because of their special function in increasing a behavior’s strength, an alternative approach casts reinforcers as stimuli with current value to the organism, but no unique function in changing behavior. Under this approach, behavior is controlled by relations between stimuli, depending on the affordances and dispositions of the organism. This tutorial explores some of the data that has led us to change the way we understand control by current environmental conditions. First, the tutorial examines some of the evidence for prospective control, when reinforcers are absent, or temporally distant, or when reinforcer effects are inconsistent with strengthening. Next, I explore how quantitative models can provide a testable explanation of control by the likely future, as extrapolated from the past. Finally, the tutorial considers the implications of a shift from understanding control in terms of retrospective response-reinforcer pairings to prospection on the basis of the perceived structure of the environment, and argues that in conjunction with quantitative models, prospective control need not invoke an inner organism.

This talk is aimed at behavior analysts interested in new ways to measure and describe apparently changes in behavior, and/or in new approaches to understanding how reinforcers affect behavior.

Sarah Cowie obtained her Ph.D. in 2014 at the University of Auckland, under the supervision of Professor Michael Davison and Dr. Douglas Elliffe. Since graduating with her Ph.D., Sarah’s research has explored how past experience translates into control by the present and the likely future.

The papers in this symposium are about teaching complex verbal behavior to individuals with various ability levels. The first paper presents an instructional program aimed at teaching children with autism to understand metaphors. The second paper describes teaching children to mand for information via observational learning. The third paper involves teaching applied behavior analysis to non-ABA professionals.

ABA practitioners, graduate students, non-ABA professionals, academic researchers (applied researchers)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an instruction on the acquisition and generalization of metaphor understanding for children with autism spectrum disorder. Three students (two boys, one girl, 5 to 8 years old) participated in this study. A combination of a multiple probe design across two behaviors and three participants was used. The metaphors were categorized by topography: the metaphors involving physical features and the metaphors involving abstract properties. The instruction consisted of intraverbal training with picture prompts. The results indicated that the instruction was effective to establish the acquisition and generalization of metaphor understanding for the two students who completed the entire study. They also maintained the acquired metaphors up to 2 months following the completion of the instruction.

The PEAK-DT curriculum utilizes discrete trial teaching methods to establish a wide variety of basic and verbal skills, but these methods may not be required to teach skills with more advanced learners or to target sporadic missing skills. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a behavioral skills training procedure on extended social interactions which combined skill targets across six PEAK-DT programs.During baseline, a 14 year old boy diagnosed with autism attempted to start a conversation (1), tell a joke (2), and engage in conversations to get to know someone better (3) and talk about what he and a partner were doing (4), completing few steps in each interaction type.Administered sequentially across interaction types, a behavioral skills training intervention consisting of instructions, video modeling, feedback, and rehearsal produced steady acquisition, mastery, and maintenance of all four interaction types.The results demonstrated mastery of responses in PEAK-DT programs 1A- Eye Contact, 6B- Greetings and Farewells, 13O- Intermediate Intraverbals, 14M- Advanced Intraverbals, 14T- Verbal Report: Tacting Behavior, and 14Y- Telling a Joke, suggesting that behavioral skills training may be useful in training sporadic missing skills.

Nearly a quarter of individuals with a diagnosis of autism, remain non vocal-verbal even after 8 years of age (Lord, Risi, & Pickles, 2004; Wodka, Mathy & Kalb, 2013) and those with speech impairments and minimal verbal skills have less favorable outcomes in life (Anderson,2007). A 6-year 8 months study (2010-2016) with children with autism (n=126) was successful in inducing 7 first instances of speech in 105 (83%) of the participants, Awasthi (2017), using Mand and Intraverbal Training procedures. Drawn from this large cohort study, the first 3 studies in this symposium offer newer perspectives on the technologies that minimize the number of children remaining non-vocal, and reviews its effect on older non-vocal children. Details on the form of 734 first speech instances as words and syllables are also discussed. The fourth study, building upon previous research from behavioral sciences and Speech Language Pathology literature Presents video self-monitoring to improve procedural integrity in speech production training.

Behavior Analysts and Speech Language Pathologists

The current study spanning 6 years and 8 months, reviews the technologies developed for the emergence of speech in non-vocal children with autism and examines the effectiveness of sign mand training and intraverbal training and the role of stimulus stimulus pairing and motivating operations in inducing first instances of speech in non-vocal children on the autism spectrum. A total of 126 non-vocal children between the ages 1.4 years to 13.5 years participated in 4 experiments that used delayed non-concurrent multiple baseline design across subjects. The technologies were effective in inducing first instances of speech in 83% participants. The time to vocalization, vocals across operants, type of vocal emergence, age of vocalization and the relative successes of the technologies used are explored.

A 6-year 8 months study (2010-2016) with children with autism (n=126) was successful in inducing 7 first instances of speech in 105 (83%) of the participants (Awasthi, 2017). This retrospective study examines a) the form of speech emergence (syllables, word approximations, words) in this large cohort and b) the form of emergence under different stimulus conditions. A total 735 first instances of speech were recorded (first 7 vocals of each participant). Of these, initial vocals emerged as words in 341 instances (46%) and as word approximations or syllables in 394 (54%). When speech emerged as mands, 66% were words and only 34% were word approximations or syllables. The percentages were 57% and 43% respectively for intraverbal fill ins. With part echoic-part mands, only 19% were words and 81% were word approximations or syllables. Sounds that started with /b/, /m/, /p/, /c / /k/ and /o/ accounted for 54% of the first instances of speech. These results suggest a pattern of speech emergence in children with a diagnosis of autism undergoing behavioral interventions for speech emergence. Identifying, recording and classifying the type of emergence could help with clinical decision making for further interventions and serve as a starting point for new lines of research.

Non-vocal-verbal children with Autism, aged between 1.8 years to 13.5 years participated in a large cohort study (n=126) spanning 6 years and 8 months, that was successful in inducing first instances of speech using mand and intraverbal training procedures in 105 (83%) participants, Awasthi (2017). Of these, 7 were older children with autism (8y 2m to 13y 5m). Of these 6 acquired first instances of speech while 1 left the study thirty weeks into intervention. Vocals emerged for 3 with mand training alone, 2 with delayed addition of intraverbal training and for 1 with simultaneous introduction of both. Of the 6 who were successful, the first speech instance emerged within 30 days of intervention with 4 but took more than 150 days with 2 others. The mean days to acquisition of all 7 instances of speech was 181 days (range 58 days to 359 days) taking an average of 25 days/ vocal. A recast of their data in 2 non-concurrent, delayed, MBL graph format confirms the effectiveness of these interventions in inducing first instances of speech in older non-vocal children with autism.

Contingency management (CM) promotes drug abstinence using monetary incentives contingent upon drug negative urine samples, but only about half or fewer of substance users exposed to CM respond by initiating abstinence. Thus, there is a need to understand individual differences in abstinence initiation. We are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating whether the medication bupropion (Wellbutrin®) enhances response to CM for cocaine abstinence among methadone patients with cocaine use disorders. Data collection for the effects of medication is ongoing, but we have conducted preliminary analyses to determine whether individuals who initiate early abstinence differ systematically from individuals who fail to initiate early abstinence. Thus far, 25% of the sample achieved six consecutive cocaine-negative urines within the first six weeks of CM (i.e., prior to randomization; early abstainers). Early abstainers were not distinguishable from other participants according to cocaine use disorder severity, demographics, or performance on neurocognitive assessments. Early abstainers showed significantly greater proportion of cocaine-negative urine samples post-randomization relative to those who did not initiate early abstinence. These data emphasize that considerable and persistent differences exist in response to CM. In addition, cocaine use disorder severity, demographics, and other baseline characteristics may be insufficient to predict early abstinence during CM.

Attendance at cardiac rehabilitation significantly reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality following a cardiac event. However, certain populations of patients, such as lower-socioeconomic status patients, are unlikely to attend or complete the recommended course of rehabilitation. In a clinical trial, 130 participants were randomized to either usual care control or to earn incentives on an escalating schedule for completing up to 36 outpatient rehabilitation sessions. Incentivized participants completed significantly more sessions of cardiac rehabilitation and were twice as likely to complete the program. In this secondary analysis of the trial, we estimated the impact of the intervention on ED, Inpatient and Outpatient expenditures, number of visits and length of stay (LOS). Group differences were evaluated 12 months after patients’ qualifying event. Expenditures were modeled using a two-part model (TPM), since we expected that the probability of incurring any expenditure was independent of the amount of expenditure; number of visits and LOS were modeled by using negative binomial regressions. Models controlled for sociodemographic factors, smoking status, and severity of illness. Preliminary results indicate that the intervention group had, compared to the control group, lower mean expenditures for ED and outpatient, but not inpatient services.

Children with feeding disorders may pack or expel food when they lack the oral-motor skills, the motivation, or both to swallow. Utensil manipulation such as presenting bites on the tongue with a Nuk or flipped spoon is a treatment that researchers generally implement after these behaviors emerge. One exception is Wilkins et al., (2014) because they implemented utensil manipulation during initial treatment of pediatric feeding disorders. In the current study, we extended previous utensil-manipulation studies by comparing the effects of (a) upright-spoon presentation; (b) Nuk presentation; and (c) flipped-spoon presentation on 2 product measures of swallowing, 15- and 30-s mouth clean, and expulsion during the initial treatment of feeding disorders with 5 children. We also monitored lip closure during upright-spoon presentation and following bite deposit in all conditions to evaluate whether utensil manipulation corresponded with improvements in this oral-motor skill. Nuk presentation produced the highest levels of 15-s mouth clean and the lowest rates of expels relative to upright-spoon presentation and flipped-spoon presentation across children. We discuss the data in terms of potential reasons why utensil manipulation improved feeding behavior and how measures of oral-motor skills might predict the necessity of utensil manipulation during initial treatment.

Previous literature supports the use of demand fading in conjunction with differential reinforcement of alternative behavior to increase food consumption and mitigate potential emotional responding often observed in escape extinction of inappropriate mealtime behavior (Dolezal, 2006). However, demand fading can occur across many dimensions (e.g., bite placement, bolus size, bite quantity; Kerwin Ahearn, Eicher, & Burd, 1995; Knox, Rue, Wildenger, Lamb, & Luiselli, 2012; Penrod, Gardella, & Fernand, 2012). It is unclear which dimension is the most effective and efficient to fade along to increase consumption and decrease inappropriate mealtime behavior. We used a combined multielement and reversal design to assess the effects of demand fading across bite placement and bolus size plus differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, with and without escape extinction, on compliance and inappropriate mealtime behavior. So far, results indicated that compliance increased across both demand fading dimensions only after we added escape extinction. Initial rates of inappropriate mealtime behavior were lower across both demand fading dimensions with escape extinction compared to escape extinction alone, suggesting that demand fading can help attenuate some potential side effects of escape extinction. Implications of incorporating demand fading into escape extinction are discussed.

The clinical significance of lip closure as it relates to pediatric feeding disorders has not yet been empirically evaluated. From an oral motor perspective, in typically developing infants, lip closure helps to keep food within the mouth, and the skill becomes more efficient as the child develops (Carruth & Skinner, 2002). Unfortunately, this behavior does not always emerge in children with feeding disorders, as they do not follow an age-typical eating progression. This may result in an “open mouth posture” when depositing food. It is unclear whether this behavior is actually an avoidance response or a result of limited oral motor skills. For children with limited oral motor capabilities, this may also result in higher levels of expulsion and/or packing (Wilkins et al., 2014; Sharp, Harker, & Jaquess, 2010). Previous researchers have demonstrated that antecedent manipulations such as an alternative bite placement on the middle of the tongue may compensate for these deficits (Girolami, Boscoe, & Roscoe, 2007). However, bite placement alone does not necessarily address the issue of poor lip closure. Therefore, increasing lip closure may be an alternative antecedent manipulation that may also compensate for a lack of oral motor capabilities. In the current study, we successfully increased lip closure and decreased biting on the spoon in a 6-year old boy with a feeding disorder using physical guidance and fading. As a result of this manipulation, we were able to increase oral intake and decrease tube feedings.

This symposium will address advanced topics in the stimulus control of behavior in the experimental and applied domains. All presentations, two experimental and two applied, investigated how a variety of stimulus conditions impacted the formation of stimulus classes under. The first presentation manipulated the physical properties of stimuli to form generalized equivalence classes (money equivalences) to induce new applied repertoires (purchasing skills) that emerged in novel settings. The second presentation compared contingent and non-contingent reinforcement during errorless instruction and determined that the influence of a “hidden contingency” accounted for errorless learning in the absence of contingent reinforcement. The third presentation evaluated different training modalities on the subsequent formation of equivalence classes. The results suggested that stimulus control topography coherence theory may require revision. Finally, the fourth presentation investigated whether or not prompts used during training entered into equivalence classes and expanded those classes. The results indicated that class-specific prompts became members of relevant classes and could be used to efficiently expand those classes. The outcomes of these studies are discussed in terms of the development of novel forms of stimulus control and improving the efficacy of instruction of complex behavior.

Graduate students conducting research in the areas of complex stimulus control and derived relational responding; Individuals designing instruction for children with and without autism and developmental disabilities,

This experiment explored how training influenced the formation of 3-node 5-member equivalence classes during the simultaneous protocol. The baseline relations were established concurrently (CONC) or serially (SER) on a trial and error basis, or serially and “errorlessly” with a constructed response matching to sample procedure (CRMTS). After training, test blocks were administered to measure class formation. Test blocks trials contained all baseline relations and probes for symmetry, transitivity, and equivalence. The error percentages while acquiring the baseline relations were highest during concurrent training, lower during serial training, and lowest during constructed response training. Yet, similar percentages of participants formed classes in each training condition. Thus, the likelihood of equivalence class formation under the simultaneous protocol was not influenced by training modality or prevalence of errors during baseline acquisition. In addition, transient stimulus control topographies that emerged during training did not subsequently resurge during testing, thus, their resurgence did not account for failed class formation. Because the error and resurgence findings were not consistent with stimulus control topography coherence theory, it might have to be revised to accommodate to the data reported in this experiment.

This study tested the effects of teaching textual responses (reading) or spelling responses on the emergence of untaught repertoires. Dependent measures were the number of correct untaught (a) textual responses, (b) written spelling responses, (c) vocal segmentations for untaught words, and (d) vocally blending phonemes into a composite word. In Experiment I, participants were taught to vocally segment the component phonemes in 5-word subsets of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. Results showed increased correct responses after acquiring vocal segmentation. Experiment 2 tested for abstraction of responding to consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant (CCVC) words. Pre-experimental probes indicated that the responses to CVC words established in Experiment 1 had not abstracted to words containing CVCC words. Results of the intervention showed that acquisition of vocal segmentation responses for CCVC words resulted in participants emitting correct responses across all topographies. Implications for vocal segmentation instruction are discussed.

Establishing reading as a conditioned reinforcer has increased reading motivation, facilitated acquisition of sight words, and improved reading comprehension for children with and without disabilities. The current paper presents two studies designed to examine the effects of a book conditioning intervention on establishing books as conditioned reinforcers for one elementary and two middle school students who did not select or engage with books during free choice time. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effects of book conditioning on the following dependent variables: a) percentage of intervals that a student engaged with books, b) correct responses to reading comprehension questions, and c) if books reinforced the acquisition of sight words. Results demonstrated that book engagement increased and that books reinforced the acquisition of sight words for participants. Results are discussed in terms of the applications of this research to reading motivation.

Delay and probability discounting refer to the devaluation of an outcome as a function of the delay or probability with which the outcome occurs. Discounting rates inform researchers how people make decisions and have been shown to differ between individuals with unhealthy patterns of behavior and control groups. But, everyday choices are not devoid of context and many questions remain about what choice is sensitive to across contexts. This series of talks examines how discounting can be influenced by one’s previous history and current state of access to the commodity under consideration. In addition, these talks highlight novel discounting methodology and data analytic approaches that may allow researchers to better understand what discounting looks like across different groups. Populations discussed will be women with food insecurities, MTurk participants, and the classic undergraduate student. Topics discussed will be amount/delay sensitivity to alcohol; how the size of one’s bank account and intermixing gains and losses influences discounting; and classic population comparisons in discounting rates. Together, the talks that comprise this symposium highlight advances in: methods for measuring discounting, group differences in discounting, and analytic techniques to understand discounting.

Graduate students in behavior analysis; Behavior analysts working in feeding; behavior analysts working with substance abuse populations

Food insecurity, or inconsistent access to foods that meet nutritional needs, has been linked to delay discounting for money, a behavioral measure of impulsivity. The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in delay and probability discounting for food and money outcomes in women with varying levels of food insecurity. Ninety-two women were recruited from a community sample. Participants completed delay and probability discounting tasks for food and money, food security measures, and measures of demographic and health-related variables. Results revealed that food insecure individuals showed significantly higher rates of delay discounting for both food and money compared to food secure individuals. No significant differences were found with probability discounting. These results indicate food insecure individuals are relatively more impulsive for food and money than those of food secure status but not necessarily different in risk-taking. In addition, impulsive behavior may be an underlying mechanism of obesity-related health outcomes in food insecure populations.

Heavy alcohol use on college campuses is a major concern, as it can result in academic problems, assault, alcohol use disorders, and death. One hallmark of excessive drinking is elevated discounting rates of alcohol compared to money. Differences in discounting rates could be due to differences in sensitivity to magnitude of rewards and/or delay. Recent analytic techniques may provide a better understanding of these behavioral mechanisms, and their effects on choice. We used the multilevel modeling technique to evaluate discounting of alcohol and money with undergraduate college students. This approach examines group and individual discounting rates simultaneously using a multilevel logistic regression and nonlinear models. It has been recommended for use, as it is sensitive to magnitudes of reward and relative delay, which are considered separate contributors to choice. We found subjects had differential sensitivity to reward magnitude and delay when discounting of alcohol compared to money. Findings suggest these analytic techniques may lead to the enhanced understanding of these behavioral processes needed to successfully target and decrease alcohol consumption on college campuses.

Previous studies have investigated how drastic changes to income influence delay discounting (e.g. Bickel et al., 2016). Additionally, while researchers have investigated how choices change as a function of the absolute magnitude of an outcome (e.g. Green et al., 1999), no studies have investigated how choices change as a function of magnitude relative to the amount in a participant’s bank. We investigated how endowing participants with a bank of varying amounts influenced choice within delay discounting tasks. 60 undergraduate psychology students completed 4 delay discounting tasks. Each task presented one of two different amounts for the delayed choice alternative (i.e., $3000 and $500,000). In addition, each task presented one of two relative bank amounts (i.e., 1/4 or 4 times the delayed amount). Discounting of the delayed amount was significantly greater when the bank amount was smaller than the delayed amount (e.g. $750 bank; $3,000 delayed amount) only in the small delayed amount ($3,000) condition. When the delayed outcome magnitude was large ($500,000), the bank amount did not have a statistically significant effect on discounting. Our results suggest contrived economic context influences participants’ choices under conditions in which an outcome is delayed.

Children with autism have deficits in language, communication, social interaction, and perspective taking skills. Storytelling integrates this cluster of skills as it requires an understanding of narrative structure, the use of complex sentences, and it naturally occurs in social contexts. For example, narratives have been used to teach children with autism to tell personal experience narratives (Favot et al., 2018), increase the complexity of the sentences used to tell stories (Petersen et al., 2016), and to take another’s perspective (Gillam et al., 2015). We will present a summary of the currently available data-based research that used storytelling activities to teach various skills to children with autism, many of which are published in non-behavior analytic journals. The results of the systematic review will be discussed while giving special attention to the specific teaching procedures used to promote storytelling, the dependable variables (e.g., social skills, academic skills, perspective taking, and communication skills), and the methodological rigor used to investigate the effect of the intervention. Implications will be discussed as they pertain to academic and social programming for children with autism and directions for future behavior analytic research.

Women’s issues in behavior analysis are widely regarded, today, as having had a resurgence (e.g., the Women in Behavior Analysis Conferences). The resurgence is important. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are the basis of a well-functioning organizations and societies -- ones that are likely to survive. However, the assertion about the resurgence lacks evidence. Our presentation offers some evidence. We present the results of a content analysis of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) conference programs between 1975 and 2018 (e.g., women’s committees, special interest groups, symposia, presentations). Given the recent evidence (e.g., 2015-present), the resurgence is real, but is not at a higher level of activism than during the first 15 years of the ABAI conferences. Next, we offer an analysis of the early and later activism – and lack thereof in between -- based on the contributions of specific individuals (e.g., Judy Favell, Elsie Pinkston) and cultural changes (e.g., the second wave of the feminist movement; the Equal Rights Amendment, the #MeToo movement). Finally, we consider how past practices might inform and be adopted selectively to advance a currently more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community of women in behavior analysis, in the ABAI organization, and in society at large.

In complex social interaction and relationships, it is common for individuals to “become offended,” hurt, or insulted by a speaker’s verbal behavior. This type of event commonly occurs across all types of relationships and can cause great distress for those involved, making it worth investigating from a behavioral perspective. To do so, there are a number of features to explore. First, an understanding of the relevant variables that allow the speaker’s verbal behavior to be responded to as if it were “offensive.” A few examples of variables that contribute to this are relationship-specific contingencies, situational variables, frequency, nonverbal behaviors, paralinguistic features, and content (Toney & Hayes, 2017). Since none of these features are unconditioned aversive stimuli, the conditioning that allows for the development of these stimulus functions should be investigated. Second, it is important to consider the function of becoming offended. Traditionally, such an analysis is overlooked as attention is primarily given to the speaker’s offensive behavior. Yet, behaviors involved in becoming offended operate within their own separate contingencies that are worth investigating. In this paper, the author will explore relevant features and issues of this type of interaction and discuss potential ways a behavior-analytic approach could benefit our understanding.

Applied behavior analysis is concerned with improving or solving socially relevant problems (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968; Fisher, Groff, & Roane, 2011). A socially relevant problem for service organizations and training institutions is ensuring employees and trainees acquire minimum competency to meet job expectations and to be eligible for employment. The purpose of this symposium is to provide examples of behavior analytic training applications in applied and university settings. The first paper provides an example of how behavior analytic training strategies were incorporated into a state mandated medication administration training. The number of organizational medication errors, number of opportunities to pass a written exam, and number of opportunities to pass a competency exam were examined to determine training outcomes. The second paper provides an example of an organizational training to improve outcomes of a functional behavior assessment. The third paper provides an example of university supported training for special educators to conduct trial-based functional analyses and develop function-based supports. The fourth paper provides an example of training for university students learning to conduct functional analyses.

Practitioners, educators, and administrators who design and implement employee and university training programs specific to behavior analysis.

Melmark is a multi-state human service provider with premier private special education schools, professional development, training, and research centers. Training at Melmark is designed to increase the professional skills of employees, which in turn increases life outcomes for the individuals we support. Melmark trains based upon the principles of competency based instruction, performance-based instruction (Brethower & Smalley, 1998) and behavioral skills training (BST; Reid, Rollyson & Parsons, 2012). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of added material (i.e., 8-hours of video-based instruction), increased opportunities to respond during the training (i.e., fluency-timings, guided notes), and behavior skills training. Additionally, employees observing competency of the medication administration process were retrained using principles of fluency-based methods, active student responding, and behavior skills training. The outcomes of the trainings are discussed in light of medication errors, testing, as well as initial and maintenance observations. Impact on the organization will also be discussed.

This study explored methods for training behavior analysis students to conduct functional analyses. Students (n=5) in a behavior analysis graduate program were first taught to conduct one condition of a trial-based latency functional analysis using three 30-minute sessions including instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Performance following training was significantly better than baseline measures, however the criterion for competency was not met for all participants. Students (n=3) that did not demonstrate competency with the behavioral skills training alone were then provided 3 additional 10 minute training sessions using TAGTeach methodology. This additional training was sufficient for all students to attain competency. The same treatment integrity checklist used during training was then used to check for generalization in the students’ applied settings. All students (n=5) performed at mastery criterion under applied settings. Results indicate that behavioral skills training combined with TAGTeach training may be an effective way of training graduate students to conduct complex behavior analytic analyses.

Physical activity is one of the most critical actions Americans can take to improve overall health. Despite the wide range of health benefits physical activity can provide, it is estimated that more than 60% of U.S. adults do not reach the recommended amount of weekly physical activity and 25% do not engage in any physical activity. Effective intervention is needed to increase physical activity in U.S. adults. This study examines the effects of self-monitoring, peer-monitoring, and peer yoked contingency on physical activity in adults. The study is currently in progress and results have not been determined at this time.

There has been growing interest in the representation of women and other minorities in the field of behavior analysis given the inception of the Women in Behavior Analysis conference and the special issue on Women in Behavior Analysis published in Behavior Analysis in Practice, an ABAI-affiliated journal. This symposium reports data regarding representation of women in academia within behavior analysis by examining research productivity and publicly available salaries. The first paper entitled, “Participation of Women in Behavior Analysis Research: Some Recent and Relevant Data,” reports an increasing trend of women publishing in major behavior analytic journals compared to historical data. The second paper, “The Gender Pay Gap for Behavior Analysis Faculty: It’s Big and Bad,” reports a shocking discrepancy amongst female and male professors employed at ABAI-accredited universities based in the United States relative to other disciplines. We discuss implications of these findings for women in academia and in the field of behavior analysis.

Professors, graduate students, instructors of behavior analysis, and supervisors of individuals pursuing behavior analytic certification

Pain is a classic or, perhaps, rather a modern scientific conundrum. It is, by definition, a subjective experience. One of the confusing or difficult problems comes about by reducing the experience to a singular objective entity that can be quantified. How and why this is done will be discussed in two ways. One in relation to contemporary accounts of basic pain research agendas and what seems like the (re)discovery of the brain and conditioning (respondent, operant) mechanisms. The other by placing the issue in the applied context of trying to reliably and validity measure pain experience in individuals with communicative difficulties associated with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Behavioral scientists; practitioners providing services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Application of basic statistical measures (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA) to single-subject designs have been a source of conflict in Behavior Analysis because, in part, these tests aggregate behavioral variability across subjects and time, eliminating much of the data that behavior analysts find important. Multilevel modeling (MLM) is a statistical technique that addresses these concerns and is commonly used when data are naturally clustered (e.g., student clusters in classrooms, which are also clustered in various schools across a district). With MLM, the value of a statistical parameter for a specific case depends on the levels of the each cluster for that case. A single subject can serve as a cluster of data and, therefore, MLM can provide subject-by-subject predictions. In a single-subject or small-n design, statistical comparisons based on the IVs of interest are enhanced when the models have already accounted for intrasubject variability. In theoretical modeling of behavior, subject-by-subject model parameters can be obtained while simultaneously accounting for group-level patterns in the data. This tutorial will demonstrate using MLM to analyze experimental data from a single subject design and also to conduct subject level model fitting. The analyses will be conducted in R, a popular, free software package for statistical analyses.

Researchers, research-practitioners, students

Dr. DeHart received his B.A. and Ph.D. from Utah State University under the mentorship of Dr. Amy Odum. In July of 2017, he began his current position as a post-doctoral fellow with Dr. Warren Bickel at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. Dr. DeHart’s primary research interests include the behavioral economics of addiction and other health behaviors including cigarette smoking and obesity as well as the application of advanced statistical methods to behavioral data. His early research investigated novel methods of reducing impulsive choice using framing and financial education and his dissertation applied structural equation modeling to better understand the effects of delay length and outcome magnitude on delay discounting. His current research interests are twofold. First, he is interested in measuring the abuse liability of different risky products including tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes and how demand for those products can be changed using public-health narratives. Second, he is interested in understanding the relationship of delay discounting to various health behaviors. In this line, he has applied advanced statistical methods including structural equation modeling, machine learning algorithms, and mixed-effects modeling. Dr. DeHart’s work has been recognized by various popular media outlets including the Wall Street Journal and he currently serves on the editorial board for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Jonathan E. Friedel is a research psychologist in the Bioanalytics Branch at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. As part of the Organizational and Behavioral Research Team, he works on several grant funded projects focused on worker safety in laboratory workers, distracted driving, and data analytics for organizations using behavior based safety. He is currently the primary investigator for a grant funded project designed to use behavioral economics to quantify the factors that affect safety-related decision making in small businesses. He obtained his PhD in experimental psychology from Utah State University where he focused on delay discounting and behavioral economics. He obtained a MS in Behavior Analysis from University of North Texas.  

The collection of studies in this symposium will explore behavior analytic teaching procedures across a variety of populations. First, Ashley Greer will present a descriptive analysis examining the various forms of verbal behavior and how children with autism are all attempting to communicate with their mothers regardless of their level of verbal behavior. As a result, parents of children without vocal verbal behavior require parent behavior analytic training tailored to their child's verbal developmental repertoires rather than their chronological age to ensure all communicative opportunities are captured. Second, Kathy Matthews will discuss the effects of implementing behavior analytic teaching procedures in a urban high school to decrease disruptive behaviors. Finally, Benigno Alonso-Alvarez will present a study demonstrating the effects of two behavior analytic procedures to teach Spanish-speaking children with autism article-noun tacts.

A descriptive analysis on the emission of vocal and non-vocal social/verbal interactions between 35 preschool-aged-children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their mothers was conducted. Using pre-recorded videos of 5-min isolated free-play sessions between the dyads, each occurrence of verbal behavior emitted between the mother and child rotating across listener and speaker responses were transduced. Individual initiated conversational units (speaker-listener-speaker rotations) were isolated across each session. These data were statistically analyzed with previously collected data: child's level of verbal behavior in accordance with multiple verbal behavior assessments, the Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2) severity, and the Vineland-3 Adaptive Behavior Scales-Third Edition (VABS-3) scores. Correlations were demonstrated across all assessments. The results did not show a significant difference between the child's level of verbal behavior and the number of child-initiated conversational units emitted with the mother. The differences were, however, indicated across the child's form of verbal behavior -- vocal, non-lexical, and non-vocal verbal behavior. Results are interpreted as parents of children without vocal verbal behavior require parent training tailored to their child's verbal developmental repertoires rather than their chronological age to ensure all communicative opportunities are captured.

We evaluated two procedures for teaching two Spanish-speaking children with ASD to tact masculine and feminine items following the rules that masculine nouns ended in “-o” must be accompanied by the article “el”, and feminine nouns ended in “-a” must be accompanied by the article “la.” First, we used a multiple exemplar instruction procedure with echoic prompts. We taught the children to emit article-noun tacts for several exemplars of masculine and feminine items, and then we evaluated whether they emitted appropriate article-noun tacts for new items. This procedure was effective for one child. For the other child, we implemented a new procedure with 3 steps. In Step 1, we established intraverbal control by the endings “-o” and “-a” over “el” and “la”. We presented masculine and feminine nouns as antecedent stimuli and reinforced the responses “el + noun” for masculine nouns, and “la + noun” for feminine names. In Step 2, we used intraverbal prompts for teaching article-noun tacts. For instance, we presented a strawberry as antecedent stimulus and the intraverbal prompt “fresa” (strawberry, in Spanish). We reinforced the tact “la fresa.” In Step 3, we removed the intraverbal prompts. This procedure was effective with the second child.

Skinner (1957) defined the tact as a verbal response under the functional control of a nonverbal antecedent stimulus due to a history of generalized conditioned reinforcement. However, control by nonverbal stimuli over vocal verbal responses often emerges in the apparent absence of prior reinforcement. This phenomenon has been documented, for example, in research on on receptive-to-expressive generalization, stimulus pairing observation procedures, and instructive feedback, and it requires explanation in an operant account of language. It is commonly proposed that undocumented reinforcement of overt or covert echoic responses in the presence of the nonverbal stimulus plays a role in emergent tact control. In this presentation I will review research from my own lab and others that has addressed this hypothesis by measuring or manipulating the occurrence of echoic responses during learning trials. I will evaluate the extent to which the results support a functional role of echoic responding in emergent tact control and discuss alternative explanations of the phenomenon, including relational operants and stimulus correlation effects.

Behavior analysts; scientists

Research and practice related to function-based interventions for problem behavior have evolved significantly since behavior analysts began working with children with problem behavior. One example is the synthesis of establishing operations and reinforcers in both functional and treatment analyses. The current symposium will focus on examples of the effects of synthesized reinforcement contingencies, and will present data related to (a) efficient analysis and treatment processes conducted in a school setting, (b) the application of a skills-based treatment package without extinction to reduce severe problem behavior, (c) a treatment model in which children and/or parents are continuously provided the choice of participating in treatment or leaving the therapeutic context, and (d) training parents to teach their children functional life skills in an effort to minimize emerging problem behavior and prevent severe problem behavior.

Behavior analysis practitioners, researchers, and educators.

Many individuals diagnosed with autism demonstrate deficits in verbal, academic, and imitation skills. Various programs have been developed to improve these skills; however, it is important to ensure that these programs are effective, socially valid, and produce generalizable repertoires. Study 1 reviewed the literature on teaching imitation in 20 studies with a total of 166 participants with autism. The authors found that contingent imitation may improve skills adjacent to imitation including language, play, and joint attention. Study 2 addressed the adaptive skill of using a debit card with adolescents. After using multiple exemplars, the participants generalized the skill to the community over a four week period. Study 3 evaluated a recently developed error correction program for discrete trial instruction that involved losing opportunities to earn more-preferred items following a mistake. Not only was the program found to efficiently improve mastery of targeted tasks, it was also preferred by participants and caregivers. Instructor error during discrete trial instruction, such as delays to reinforcer delivery, can also impact skill acquisition of the student. In Study 4, the authors systematically manipulated different delays to reinforcement across multiple reinforcer classes to evaluate the effects of programmed treatment integrity failure. These studies provide evidence for multiple programs that can be used to build skills for those diagnosed with autism.

BCBAs, BCBA-Ds, BCaBAs, licensed psychologists, and other behavior analytic providers who need to learn different techniques for skill-building with clients diagnosed with autism.

Imitation training is a critical component of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs for children with autism. While extensive research has informed procedures for teaching imitation under tight instructional control, there are not comparable empirically-derived procedures for teaching imitation in the natural environment. Contingent imitation (i.e., the instructor imitating the child’s behavior) is a naturalistic strategy incorporated in reciprocal imitation training (RIT). The present review evaluated the literature using contingent imitation to teach imitation in children with autism across 20 studies, published across 14 journals, with a total of 166 participants with autism. Effects reported include increases to imitation (i.e., vocal, motor, object), language, play behaviors, and joint attention. A nonoverlapping points (NAP) treatment analysis indicated this research has produced variable effect sizes. However, more research is warranted, and directions for future research on contingent imitation are discussed. This review will apply a conceptual analysis of generalized imitative repertoires to its discussion of whether contingent imitation may facilitate skill acquisition and influence motivating variables.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate deficits in performing generalized responses that occur in natural environments. Previous research has discussed the importance of teaching adaptive skills to adolescents with ASD that generalize to the natural environment to increase independence throughout adulthood. To address such deficits, Horner and colleagues (1982) recommended using general-case analysis strategies to identify the full range of stimulus variations and required responses; then creating multiple teaching exemplars that facilitate for generalization of the target skill. To date, general-case analysis and multiple exemplar training have not been used to teach individuals with ASD to use a chip debit card. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to address limitations of previous studies that did not implement generalization strategies to teach adolescents with ASD adaptive skills. A multiple-probe design was used to demonstrate skill acquisition across teaching and generalization probe exemplars for three adolescents with ASD. Pre- and posttest probes were conducted at stores in the natural environment to assess generalized responding. All participants acquired the target skill following video modeling and multiple exemplar training, generalized their responding to the natural environment and maintained their responding during a four-week posttest probe.

Being able to do the right thing in the right context is an essential skill for every species. A fundamental learning process related to behaving appropriately is the capacity to engage in conditional discriminations. As with all forms of learning, many factors can influence conditional-discrimination performance. In this symposium, we will consider several variables influencing conditional-discrimination performance in pigeons and humans across both simple and conditional discriminations. The first presentation examined discrimination of the presence versus absence of prior reinforcement on the development of variable-response sequences in pigeons. The second presentation examined the effects of static versus dynamic samples during simple and conditional discriminations with humans. The third presentation examined the effects of comparison-set size on performance during auditory-visual conditional discriminations in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The final presentation examined the use of quantitative analyses to characterize error patterns during conditional discriminations in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Practitioners, teachers, applied researchers, translational researchers, and basic researchers

When teaching auditory-visual conditional discriminations, some of the available teaching strategies (e.g., blocked-trials procedures, conditional-only method) vary by number of comparison stimuli present during training. Sidman (1987) argued that instructors should include more than two comparison stimuli during training to reduce the likelihood of false positive or false negative results. However, researchers have yet to evaluate the effects of comparison size on acquisition of auditory-visual conditional discriminations. This study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching using sets of two, three, and four stimulus pairs, using an adapted alternating treatments design. Three children aged 3- and 6-years old, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, participated in the study. Experimenters taught 12 relations in each experimental condition. For one participant, the 3-array presentation was most efficient, and for the other participant, the 2-array presentation was most efficient. The results will be discussed in terms of clinical implications and directions for future research.

Effective training procedures for caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are essential for effective treatment. Additionally, improving efficiency and ease of access to this training through technological advancements will lead to quicker access to effective treatment. This symposium includes applied research on training technologies involving telehealth and virtual reality to increase access to effective assessment and intervention for children with ASD. The first two studies involve the use of telehealth in behavior skills training (BST) with real-time instruction and feedback. The first study focuses on training preference assessment methodology for staff working with children with ASD. The second study focuses on training intervention to decrease disruptive sleep behavior skills in parents of children with ASD. The second two studies involve the use of virtual reality in training skill acquisition (i.e., discrete trial training) and behavior reduction (i.e., functional communication training) procedures to pre-service and in-service teachers working with children with ASD. Discussion of results from both telehealth and virtual reality training studies will follow.

Target audience includes practitioners, researchers, and graduate students working with children with autism spectrum disorders interested in understanding advancements in technology related to training.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in sleep disruptive behavior (SDB). Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of treatments for SDB, including positive bedtime routines, bedtime passes, faded bedtime, and extinction (Freeman, 2006; Vriend, Corkum, Moon, & Smith, 2011). When training parents to manage SDB, it may be important for the therapist to coach parents and provide feedback on their use of the procedures immediately prior to, during, and following the child’s bedtime. Having a therapist in the home at night may be intrusive for the family and impracticable for the therapist. Telehealth technologies would allow therapists to provide immediate coaching and feedback to parents and to collect procedural integrity data without having to be physically present in the home. In this study, therapists remotely delivered components of behavior skills training to teach parents to implement individualized, function-based treatments for three children with autism who engaged in SDB. All of the children engaged in less SDB and slept longer after the parents implemented the treatment with high integrity. Parents indicated that they were satisfied with the telehealth treatment services. These findings replicate and extend the literature on the efficacy of telehealth technologies to train parents.

Effective, efficient, and accessible staff training procedures are needed to meet the service delivery demand for treating individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous research using behavioral skills training (BST) to remotely train staff to conduct preference assessments has been found to be effective, but required up to 6-hours of trainer time per trainee (Higgins, Luczynski, Carroll, Fisher, & Mudford (2017). The purpose of the present study looked to evaluate the effectiveness of delivering a single component of BST, real-time feedback, via telehealth to train newly hired early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) staff to conduct multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessments. A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline- across-participants design showed that remote real-time feedback was associated with short training time and minimal sessions to achieve mastery. Generalization and maintenance probes indicated these skills were transferable to other preference assessment stimuli and learners diagnosed with ASD. Social validity ratings indicated that this was a socially acceptable training procedure.

Effective training procedures include Behavioral Skills Training (BST) involving written and verbal instructions, modeling of the skill, rehearsal of the skill, and feedback on the performance. This training typically involves hours of in vivo experience in which trainees and students with ASD are exposed to risk (e.g., behavioral issues such as aggression, errors in teaching performance). Including BST in a virtual reality (VR) context involving virtual individuals with ASD characteristics and behaviors, may be an effective training method that reduces risk. The purpose of this study was to examine if training students to do functional communication training (FCT) in a VR environment is effective. We trained 13 college students to implement FCT for attention and escape functions using a virtual reality environment. Preliminary results show that VR BST was effective at increasing correct steps performed of FCT to mastery criterion levels with all participants. Future researchers should examine generalization and maintenance of these procedures.

Pediatric feeding disorders range in severity from mild selectivity to complete refusal. If left untreated, pediatric feeding disorders can result in serious health ramifications including malnutrition, growth delays, and developmental delays. In this symposium, we will describe treatments for disordered feeding that involve differential reinforcement, simultaneous presentation plus nonremoval of the spoon (NRS), synthesized reinforcement, and a variation of the finger prompt. Harrison and colleagues will present a study on the evaluation of how to best select an effective reinforcer for the treatment of food selectivity. McHugh and colleagues will present a study comparing a commonly used occupational therapy treatment (food chaining) to an empirically supported behavioral treatment (simultaneous presentation plus NRS) for the treatment of food selectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder. Gover and colleagues will present an extension of the use of shaping with synthesized reinforcers and partial extinction in treatment of pediatric food selectivity. Rubio and colleagues will present a study evaluating the efficacy and acceptability of a variation of the finger prompt to food refusal in children with feeding disorders.

Researchers and practitioners.

Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior is a widely used procedure to increase consumption of nonpreferred foods in children with food selectivity (e.g., Allison et al., 2012; Anderson & McMillan, 2001; Kern & Marder, 1996; Najdowski, Wallace, Doney, & Ghezzi, 2003). However, the types of reinforcing stimuli used varies across studies, including edibles, tangibles, attention, or a combination of edibles, tangibles, and attention. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the use of a progressive ratio reinforcer assessment to identify a reinforcer that will most effectively increase the acceptance of nonpreferred foods. First, we conducted a progressive ratio reinforcer assessment using an arbitrary task. Then, we evaluated the effects of differential reinforcement using an edible, a tangible, a type of attention, or a combination of the stimuli as the reinforcer. We compared the effects of each reinforcer to the outcome of the progressive ratio reinforcer assessment to determine if this assessment accurately predicts the most effective reinforcer to be used during treatment for individuals with food selectivity. Preliminary results suggest the progressive ratio reinforcer assessment predicted the most effective reinforcer to be used during differential reinforcement with food selectivity for one participant.

Feeding disorders can range from mild (e.g., food selectivity by taste or texture) to severe (e.g., total food refusal). If left untreated, feeding disorders can result in serious health ramifications, including malnutrition, growth delays, and developmental delays. Recent studies comparing commonly used occupational therapy (OT) treatments and empirically supported applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatments found that the ABA treatments were effective for all participants while the OT treatments were ineffective for all participants. We used a multielement design to compare a modified version of commonly used OT treatment, Food Chaining, and an empirically validated ABA treatment, simultaneous presentation plus nonremoval of the spoon, to treat the food selectivity of 2 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For both participants, consumption of the target foods only increased during the ABA-treatment condition. We subsequently faded the size of the preferred food within the simultaneous-presentation arrangement, moved to a sequential-presentation arrangement, and then thinned the schedule of reinforcement. We will discuss the results within the context of treatment implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research.

Gover, Hanley, Marcus, Ruppel, and Landa (in prep) described an assessment and treatment process addressing the food selectivity of five children with and without developmental disabilities. The process involved (a) indirectly and directly assessing food preference and problem behavior associated with mealtimes and (b) incorporating assessment results into a treatment process that relied on differential and synthesized reinforcement of successive approximates to eating. This paper extends that research by evaluating the process across novel populations including a group of three typically developing siblings using a group contingency and a young boy with autism who engaged in total food refusal and relied on a g-tube. Implications for practitioners and areas for future research will be discussed.

Driving gasoline powered cars contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants. This study used an ABAB reversal design to examine the effects of immediate feedback on non-ecofriendly driving behavior (i.e., hard braking, hard accelerating). An “Automatic” device was installed in each participant’s car to measure specific parameters of driving, including accelerating, braking, and fuel consumption. During the baseline condition participants received feedback after driving by logging in to the Automatic application on their smartphone. During the immediate condition participants received feedback from the “Automatic” device while driving. All three participants had an overall decrease in episodes of hard accelerations/hard brakes during the immediate feedback condition compared to the delayed feedback baseline condition.

Idling vehicles pollute the air around the vehicle and the exhaust can enter school buildings through air intakes, doors, and open windows. Children are especially vulnerable to vehicle emissions because of their developing lungs, smaller lung surface area, and higher inhalation rate. Emissions can lead to serious health conditions like asthma and allergies (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2003). Along with health conditions, idling vehicles also cause wasted fuel, wear and tear, and wasted money. Given these factors, we designed a study to decrease vehicle idling during school dismissal. We conducted a non-current multiple baseline design across three schools to evaluate the effects of a treatment package on the percentage of 10-s intervals during which vehicles were idling 15 minutes prior to dismissal. The treatment package consisted of providing drivers with a written policy and rationale along with verbal instructions as well as stimulus prompts in the form of “No Idling” signs placed on school grounds. Idling decreased across the three schools with the implementation of the treatment package, however data remained variable. The mean percentage of intervals scored with idling decreased from baseline to treatment. The importance of implementing behavior change for a sustainable world programs within schools will be discussed, as well as the challenges of such programs.

Coral bleaching negatively impacts the biodiversity and functioning of reef systems and has become a worldwide phenomenon. Benzophenone-3 (BP-3; oxybenzone) contributes to coral bleaching, decline of coral growth and death (Downs et al., 2015). Oxybenzone is also harmful algae, fish and mammals. Oxybenzone is commonly found in sunscreen lotions to protect against the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. Danovaro et al. (2008) reports that 6-000-14,000 tons of sunscreen is discharged into the coral reefs each year. The level of oxybenzone concentration deemed toxic to Hawai?I’s coral reefs is 62 parts per trillion (PPT). Downs et al (2015) tested levels of 700+ PPT. Hawai?i has banned the use of sunscreens containing oxybenzone effective 2021. This presentation will describe a project with dual goals of educating people and getting them to switch to mineral-based, oxybenzone-free sunscreen. Because there were not enough brands that communicated or connected with Hawai?ian culture, I decided to develop my own mineral sunscreen. After two years I successfully obtained FDA approval for Ko?a (Hawai’ian word for coral) sunscreen. To date, I have traded more than 80 free 2-oz. samples of Ko?a sunscreen for more than 150 bottles of reef killing sunscreen. I also organize sunscreen drop offs to ensure the reef killing sunscreen goes to the state-run incinerator and never make its way to the ocean and landfills.

Functional-analysis methodology allows researchers and clinicians to identify the functional variables maintaining severe destructive behavior (e.g.., self-injurious behavior). Several researchers have expanded upon Iwata et al.’s (1982/1994) initial functional-analysis paper to improve the efficacy and efficiency of functional-analysis procedures, including combining individual consequences (e.g., escape to attention) within test and control conditions (i.e., synthesized contingency analysis) as opposed to the traditional approach of evaluating individual contingencies (e.g., escape alone, attention alone). Recently, Hanley et al. (2014) detailed an approach to developing and assessing destructive behavior known as interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis, which uses caregiver or other stakeholder report and observation to inform the test and control conditions within the synthesized contingency analysis. Though several studies have shown that such an approach can result in brief assessments and clinically significant treatment effects (e.g., Jessel et al. 2018; Rose & Beaulieu, 2018), other studies have highlighted possible limitations to the methodology, such as including potentially irrelevant reinforcers during assessment and treatment (Fisher et al., 2016; Greer et al., in press). This symposium collects applied and translational comparisons of individual and synthesized contingencies from different research groups to further evaluate the correspondence between the approaches, including the benefits and limitations of each strategy.

The target audience for this symposium is comprised of researchers and clinicians who conduct functional analyses within their research and practice, or other behavior analysts who wish to learn about the potential benefits and and limitations of individual and synthesized contingency analyses.

Recent research on the interview informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) has extolled its benefits relative to traditional functional analysis (FA; e.g., efficiency; Slaton, Hanley, & Raftery, 2017) while other research has focused on its shortcomings (e.g., false-positive outcomes; Fisher, Greer, Romani, Zangrillo, & Owen, 2016). One limitation of prior comparisons is investigators could not ascertain with surety the true function(s) of the participants’ problem behavior for use as the criterion variable. We conducted a translational study to circumvent this limitation by training a specific function for a surrogate destructive behavior prior to conducting an FA and synthesized contingency analysis (SCA) of this response. The FA correctly identified the function of the target response in all six cases and produced no iatrogenic effects. The SCA produced differentiated results in all cases, and produced iatrogenic effects in three of six cases. We discuss these finding in terms the mechanisms that may promote iatrogenic effects.

As a sub-discipline of ABA Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) relies on applied research to drive new procedures and refine existing techniques. This symposium features data from four applied studies across a number of domains. Two presentations focus on different aspects of feedback: temporal location and building rapport. Another presentation will focus on a variation of token economies where guests provide tokens to employees. The last study examines a method using the principles of gamification to encourage professional development in line-level employees. Attendees of this symposium will be able to use the information presented to refine practice and generate new lines of research in OBM.

Practicing behavior analysts, researchers, and graduate students in OBM.

Treatment integrity, or the accurate implementation of procedures, is an important aspect of applied research and professional practice. If experimental procedures, interventions, or teaching programs are not implemented according to the procedures provided by a behavior analyst with high integrity, the progress a child makes may be slowed or not exist at all. The importance of high treatment integrity and risks of low treatment integrity are not news to behavior analysts; however, it is often difficult to conduct proper trainings due to limited resources and/or staff. For example, in a school with a large staff, it would be difficult to procure the funding for each to receive individualized training, but a group-based training may not provide the necessary information or practice to achieve high treatment integrity. In this symposium, we will present three training models (in-person, video modeling, pyramidal) which were used to increase treatment integrity with teachers, staff, and parents. We will discuss the success of the various training models along with the efficacy and efficiency of each.

Treatment integrity is of utmost importance in clinical practice. It is important that all staff, from brand-new Registered Behavior Technicians to more seasoned Board Certified Behavior Analysts, are implementing treatments consistently and accurately to maximize the potential progress of clients and students. However, due to issues such as staff ratios and/or location of RBTs and clients, it may be difficult to implement training using a face-to-face training model, such as the typical behavior skills training (BST) package. One option that may be particularly useful when the trainer is not able to be physically present is video modeling. The current study evaluated the use of video modeling with 3 newly employed RBTs to evaluate the accuracy of implementing a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). Results indicate 2 participants implemented the BIP with 100% accuracy after viewing the video modeling training, indicating improvement compared to baseline levels. After viewing the video modeling training, 1 participant’s accuracy remained variable; however, after receiving performance feedback, participant achieved 100% accuracy. All participants achieved 100% accuracy at the one-week follow-up probe.

Most pediatric feeding problems are maintained by negative reinforcement in the form of bite or meal termination. Nevertheless, escape extinction-based interventions have undesirable side effects (e.g., extinction-burst) which have motivated researchers to further develop and evaluate interventions that do not rely on escape extinction. The studies herein examined the evidence for the effects of the high-probability instructional sequence on feeding in children, and evaluated the effects of a full, hierarchically organized instructional sequence on generalized food consumption in a typically developing boy with food selectivity. In a final clinical case study, clinicians evaluated the effects of differential reinforcement of acceptance using high preferred foods on acceptance, gagging, and expulsion in both restricted- and free-operant arrangements for a boy with developmental delays. The evidence base for the high-probability instructional sequence suggests the intervention can improve feeding, but the authors call for further research to clarify when and for whom the intervention is effective. Delivering an instructional sequence in which the final step was consumption of a nonpreferred food, consumption of nonpreferred foods increased and the researchers observed generalization. In the clinical case study, differential reinforcement of acceptance with high preferred foods increased self-fed acceptance of nonpreferred foods and this improvement coincided with reductions in gagging and expulsion. These data will be discussed in the context of apparent trends in research on behavioral interventions for feeding problems over the last decade.

Researchers and practitioners focused on feeding interventions

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence is an intervention commonly used to increase compliance. It involves delivering a series of requests with a high probability of compliance prior to the delivery of a request with a low probability of compliance. Researchers have evaluated whether the high-p sequence can increase compliance with low probability (low-p) mealtime demands to consume nonpreferred foods in children with pediatric feeding disorders, for example, by delivering multiple high-p mealtime demands to consume a preferred food prior to the delivery of a low-p mealtime demand (e.g., to consume a bite of a nonpreferred food). The effects of the high-p sequence have varied across studies, and a systematic synthesis of the literature to guide practice and further research is lacking. We conducted a systematic multistep search and identified seven studies that met inclusion criteria. We then extracted data on participant and study characteristics and compared the literature to the 2014 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education. Preliminary results suggest that (a) the high-probability instructional sequence can improve compliance with low-p mealtime demands in young children with feeding disorders but more research is needed to clarify when and for whom the intervention is likely to be effective, (b) additional research should examine the effects of the high-p on feeding in older children or adults with disabilities as more intrusive procedure such as escape extinction-based procedures become inappropriate, and (c) the evidence does not meet the CEC’s standards for an evidence-based practice.

Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) with high-preferred food can improve feeding problems in children with autism and food selectivity. However, clinical case studies of the effects of DRA in the absence of escape extinction-based procedures such as the nonremoval of the spoon are limited, especially for free-operant feeding arrangements. The current clinical case study evaluated the effects of a Fixed-Ratio 1 schedule of DRA on acceptance of nonpreferred foods in a boy with developmental delays and food selectivity in clinic and home settings. We conducted the first treatment evaluation in a restricted operant arrangement targeting feeder-fed bites. We then incorporated mastered foods from the restricted operant arrangement into an evaluation of DRA for self-feeding in a free-operant arrangement. The results suggest that (a) DRA using high-preferred foods increased self-feeding of nonpreferred foods in a free-operant arrangement without escape extinction, (b) the effects generalized across foods, and (c) increased self-fed acceptance coincided with a reduction in expulsion and gagging.

Obesity rates in children who live in the United States have increased 17% in the past few decades and affects approximately 1/3 of U.S. children (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2012). Occurrence of obesity in children with disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), were found to be 40% higher than for children without disabilities (CDC, 2014; Hinckson et al. 2013; Curtin et al. 2010). Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is likely to reduce many risks associated with obesity in children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). The Observational System for Recording Physical Activity codes (OSRAC; Brown et al., 2009) was used to determine the lowest percent of MVPA across five different contexts (i.e., control, outdoor toys, indoor toys, empty field, fixed equipment) for three preschool children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Photographic activity schedules were used to increase the number of different activities completed and percent of MVPA in the two lowest responding contexts for all participants.

Humans possess great capacity for behavioral change, but decades of research shows that our ability to make optimal choices and to change are limited. Since traditional information and education-based interventions show only modest benefits on compliance regarding healthier choices whether it is transmission of infectious diseases, overweight or ethical behavior a “unity of knowledge” might be needed. It is also essential to manage behavioral change at all scales – from individuals to small groups to large populations to cope with our society`s challenges. These presentations aim to build a bridge between behavior analysis and behavioral economics and span behavioral community intervention from a “simple nudge” to increase infection protection to public policy and cultural changes and its ethical concerns. The first study investigates whether a picture of observing eyes will increase cleaning behavior. In the second study both prompting and feedback are used to increase hygienic behavior and the third study investigates ethical behavior in the banking industry.

The public’s trust in the UK banking system (as in other industries worldwide) has been slowly recovering since the 2008-2009 financial crisis and the subsequent economic recession. The Banking Standards Board (BSB) was created to raise ethical behaviors and trustworthiness in this industry. Between 2016-2018, BSB conducted surveys, interviews and focus groups with thousands of employees from all banking sectors and hierarchical levels. The result is a comprehensive dataset of employees’ self-reported perceptions on nine topics, including honesty, respect, competence, accountability, among others. In 2018, the Insights unit was created to deepen these investigations through experiments and interventions. Such development, however, requires clear and evidence-based functional analyses on the interlocking behavioral contingencies in this industry. To advance on this goal, BSB’s dataset was contrasted with the eight normative criteria proposed by the Corporate Ethical Virtues Model (Kaptein 1998; 2008): clarity, congruency of supervisors, congruency of management, feasibility, supportability, transparency, discussability, and sanctionability. This exercise identified areas in which further investigations and interventions have the greatest potential to succeed and increase ethical cultures in the UK banking system.

Missouri Division of Developmental Disabilities is addressing the shortage qualified behavior analysts, increasingly challenging behaviors and continued emphasis on positive, person-centered supports that improve quality of life through an organizational behavior management approach. Three systemic level interventions applying behavioral principles on a meta-level to a state system of services for intellectual disabilities will be discussed. These systemic interventions involve data, systems and practices to improve outcomes for individuals and services, especially Applied Behavior Analysis services across multiple providers, regions and situations. Thinking and applying behavior analysis on a meta-level is sometimes confusing and difficult, these projects utilize a public health, three tiered prevention model, and are demonstrating significant results. The projects involve prevention of crisis and problem behaviors through increasing implementation of strategies aimed at improving quality of life by service agencies, state level interventions that maximize limited skilled resources and evaluate easily available population data and variables, and the use of peer review to improve behavioral services at an individual level.

Intermediate and Advanced behavior analysts involved in administration or management or who are interested in working at a governmental level.

The public health model that emphasizes prevention and the overall health of a public rather than emphasizing the poor health of one, or poor health issues specifically. In contrast, traditional healthcare focuses on the health of one individual. The model addresses strategies and practices that maintain the health of the public and works to increase these as a primary prevention effort. We suggest that ABA tends to align with traditional healthcare in that a large effort in training new practitioners and in the provision of services focuses on deviant or problem behaviors rather than conditions necessary for healthy and desirable behaviors. The Missouri Division of Developmental Disabilities has adopted the public health model to focus on practices or services that result in higher quality of life for individuals and developing state level systems to promote and maintain these. Implementation science informs us as to the necessary efforts and conditions that change momentary interventions to “a way we do business”. Data for agencies adopting the process at a high degree of fidelity suggests that broad scope strategies can reduce behavior problems in the agency to a significant degree.

State systems such as Developmental Disabilities and Intellectual Disabilities spend a significant portion of the allotted funding on relatively few individuals who have significant challenges and needs. Approaching this issue with the public health model is helpful in moving efforts towards large-scale interventions maximizing limited resources. These include efforts such as implementing systemic changes like improved data collection and analysis, sharing data strategically, targeted training, intensive review of restrictive strategies and peer review committees. Missouri’s process of behavioral system analysis and systemic interventions will be discussed and the data for the past two years will be shared.

Peer review committees can effectively provide consultative feedback that both improves the behavior support for the person and quality of services in general. Missouri Division of Developmental Disabilities has a voluntary peer review committee. This process involves community behavior analysts reviewing plans and data using a standard checklist for individuals in high-risk categories. Data from this process includes the items on the checklist missed and post review changes in high-risk outcomes. Data for the checklist and commonly missing elements will be reviewed. The checklist items will be demonstrated as best practice standards referenced to ABA literature and BACB and state funding agency requirements. The data suggest that peer review improves both the plans and reduces the likelihood of an individual continuing to experience high-risk outcomes.

Bi-directional naming (BiN) is a verbal behavior cusp. Initially, listener and speaker behavior are acquired independently and BiN represents the joining of listener and speaker repertoires. In this symposium, three papers will discuss the sources and outcomes of BiN. The first two papers describe experiences that induce BiN. Hotchkiss, Karanian, and Fienup analyzed two intensities of a tact protocol and the effects on inducing BiN. Hawkins, Gautreaux, and Chiesa examined the effects of a history of multiple exemplar instruction on joint incidental BiN. The third paper examined the outcomes of a BiN repertoire. Longano, Harms, Wilczewski, and Ishikawa examined the acquisition of novel tacts under direct instruction and incidental learning conditions and found faster acquisition during incidental learning opportunities.

participants interested in learning about the sources and outcomes of bi-directional naming, or the joining of speaker and listener repertoires

Joint Incidental Bidirectional Naming (Hawkins, Gautreaux, & Chiesa, 2018) is a subtype of Common Bidirectional Naming (Miguel, 2016). Joint Incidental Bidirectional Naming is defined as the emergence of both untaught listener behaviour and untaught speaker behaviour following an incidental language experience providing the names of novel items. No direct teaching is involved in the acquisition of the names of these novel items. We evaluated the effectiveness of Multiple Exemplar Instruction (MEI) on the induction of Joint Incidental Bidirectional Naming with a group of ten older children and young adults, aged 6-18 years, diagnosed with autism and a learning disability. A multiple probe design was used to test for the acquisition of Joint Incidental Bidirectional Naming. One participant acquired Joint Incidental Bidirectional Naming following the MEI procedure. Four participants met the criteria for Joint Incidental Bidirectional Naming prior to the MEI procedure being implemented. Five participants did not meet the criteria for Joint Incidental Bidirectional Naming post-MEI intervention. The potential of tests producing false negative scores and the effects of multiple testing were discussed. It was also suggested that additional prerequisite behavioural cusps may need to be present prior to implementing procedures to induce Joint Incidental Bidirectional Naming.

We investigated the rate of tact acquisition under two experimental conditions, direct tact instruction and the presentation of Naming experiences. Two experiments were conducted using ABAB design counterbalanced across nine participants. Under the direct tact instruction condition, instructors presented a picture, without a verbal antecedent, and delivered social praise contingent on correct responses and a correction procedure (prompting the correct response and representing the picture) contingent on incorrection response. During the naming experiences phases, the instructors presented the picture and said the name of the picture while the participants were attending to the picture. After, we conducted probes to determine if the participants acquired the tacts presented during the naming experiences. Results from both Experiments showed faster rates of acquisition under the naming experience conditions. Participants with Unilateral naming and/or Bidirectional Naming acquired language in the form of tacts at higher rates incidental, whereas, the participants who did not demonstrate Unilateral naming did not.

Decades of behavioral economic research has clearly converged on a simple truth: Delay of reinforcement impacts choice. This consistent relation is important because individuals suffering from impulse control disorders such as drug addiction, problem gambling, and obesity consistently show response patterns such that delays of reinforcement disproportionately impact their choice. As such research efforts have begun to shift towards mitigating the effect of delays on individuals choices. Despite considerable efforts, however, our understanding of the mechanisms driving these choices remains incomplete. Improving our understanding of these mechanisms may facilitate future efforts to lessen the impact of delays on individuals' choice. The present symposium includes three talks focused on mechanisms by which delays of reinforcement may impact choice. Specifically, talks will be presented on 1) unit price modifications which accommodate patterns of rats' response allocation (i.e., switching) between alternatives in dynamic environment , 2) an examination of effects of delay exposure training on the rats' propensity to escape the experimental situation (i.e., delay aversion), and 3) effects of delay exposure training on animal models of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders' tolerance for increasing delays and dopamine function

The three talks in this symposium describe studies in which equivalence-based instruction (EBI) was used to teach classes of animal features, food portion estimation, and verbal operant academic content. The first study was a replication and extension of O’Neill, Rehfeldt, Ninness, Muñoz, & Mellor (2015). Computer EBI was compared to studying from flash cards to teach Skinner’s verbal operants to college students. In the second study, which was an extension of prior studies in which EBI was used to teach portion estimation of food items, non-food items were used during training to increase portion-size estimation accuracy. Preferred and non-preferred foods were used to assess generalization of portion-size estimation accuracy. In the third study, which was a replication of Keintz, Miguel, Kao, and Finn (2011), EBI was used to teach three classes of animal features and to evaluate the emergence of visual-visual and auditory-visual relations and speaker behavior by children with autism spectrum disorder. Together, the three studies in this symposium extend the content domains and procedures that can be used to establish equivalence classes of relevant content.

The target audience is practitioners who work with children with autism, and those who use equivalence-based instruction to teach socially relevant content.

The present study compared the effects of computer-based stimulus equivalence-based instruction (EBI) to that of studying from flash cards to teach Skinner’s verbal operants. Ten undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in an introductory course in Applied Behavior Analysis served as participants. One group was exposed to EBI and a comparison group studied a set of flash cards with all the stimuli presorted into correct groups. Four classes of verbal operants (mand, tact, intraverbal, and echoic) were taught. Each class consisted of 4 stimulus members (name of the term, a colloquial definition, formal definition, and vignettes). Generalization of class-consistent responding was assessed for participants in both groups via a series of sorting tasks, written tests, and computer-based matching tests. Both IOA and treatment integrity data were at least 99%. The results of this study showed that participants of both the EBI group and the flash cards group formed classes across all testing formats. The results of this study did not align with past research in showing efficiency of EBI compared to studying pre-sorted flash cards in establishing academic skills with advanced learners. Overall the EBI group performed at a level that was 10-15% above that of the control group.

Researchers have previously taught individuals how to more accurately estimate portion-sizes of foods using equivalence-based instruction (EBI). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether non-food items could be used during training to increase portion-size estimation accuracy. Preferred and non-preferred foods were used to assess generalization of portion-size estimation accuracy. Foods were identified through an assessment and varied per participant. Two non-food items were used for training and one novel non-food item was used to assess for generalization of portion-size accuracy. Three classes of stimuli were taught using EBI (i.e., ¼ cup, ½ cup, and 1 cup). The members of each class were represented by portion-size measurement aids, amounts on paper plates, and measuring cups. All participants more accurately estimated each portion-size of non-food items after training sessions. Accurate estimation also generalized to preferred and non-preferred foods for all participants. IOA and procedural data were at least 99%.

The purpose of this study was to replicate Keintz, Miguel, Kao, and Finn (2011) by evaluating the effects of EBI on emergence of visual-visual and auditory-visual relations and speaker behavior by children with autism spectrum disorder. We extended Keintz et al. by evaluating a many-to-one training structure, evaluating the emergence of auditory-auditory relations, and teaching language skills commonly targeted in early intensive behavioral intervention with early learners. Specifically, we taught three 4-member classes of stimuli: donkey (Class 1), seal (Class 2), and cricket (Class 3). Members of each class were the pictures of the creature (Stimulus A), creature’s spoken name (Stimulus B), sounds made by the creature (Stimulus C) and pictures of the creature’s habitats (Stimulus D). Results for all participants increased from low levels during baseline sessions to 86% or higher following EBI. Emergence of speaker behavior was also observed for all participants (i.e., tacts of pictures, tacts of sounds, intraverbals related to sounds and habitats, intraverbal fill-ins, echoics). Interobserver agreement for listener and speaker pretests across all three participants ranged from 94%-100%. Interobserver agreement for teaching relations and listener/speaker post-tests across all three participants was 100%. Percentage of correct implementation of the teaching/training procedures was 100%.

This symposium includes three data-based presentations focused on applying behavior-analytic procedures in higher education settings. All presentations will focus on improving student performance in the classroom through the use of active teaching strategies and creative assignments. In the first presentation, Daniel Wagner will present a comparison of a novel assignment and a traditional assignment to increase undergraduate behavior analysis students’ performance on quizzes and their dissemination skills. Next, Christopher Le will present a comparison of preprinted and write-on response cards in an undergraduate applied behavior analysis course on exam scores, learning gains, and participation. Finally, Kendra Guinness will present an evaluation of the effects of a personalized system of instruction including self-paced tutorials comprised of instructions, video models, practice, and feedback on students’ accuracy in APA formatting. Each presentation will address implications for the behavior analytic teaching strategies in the classroom.

BCBAs, Faculty, Educators

Though many have argued that behavior analysts should be trained as behavioral translators, translating our science and technology to others in a way that disseminates what our field has to offer (Foxx, 1985, 1996; Lindsley, 1991; Morris, 1985; Reed, 2014; Schlinger, 2014), little research identifying how to teach such repertoires exists. In this study, we designed the Giving ABA Away assignment to begin to teach this dissemination repertoire to undergraduate students in behavior analysis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of this dissemination assignment, in which students were asked to describe a behavioral concept to a layperson audience, in comparison to a more traditional assignment. This study utilized a counterbalanced within groups design with pre- and post-assignment evaluations to assess student comprehension of the concepts and dissemination skills. Results showed positive effects of the dissemination assignment on student learning outcomes as compared to the traditional assignment. Implications for educators will be discussed.

Formatting documents according the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines is an essential but difficult skill for undergraduate psychology students. Undergraduate faculty report that their students make frequent APA formatting errors in a variety of domains including citations, quotations, and headers (Mandernach, Zafonte, & Taylor, 2016). The current study evaluated the effects of a personalized system of instruction (PSI) on the accuracy of APA formatting with undergraduate students using a multiple probe design across four units (title page, abstract, body, and references). Participants completed self-paced tutorials comprised of textual instructions, a video model, multiple practice opportunities, and immediate feedback. Results thus far indicate that after low to moderate levels of accuracy in baseline, accuracy rose to high levels immediately following training. Generalization was also measured by evaluating the APA formatting accuracy of actual lab reports the participants submitted in an introductory psychology class. Interobserver agreement was recorded for 33% of sessions (M = 89%; range, 73%-100%). Social validity with students and faculty will be discussed.

Creativity is a beautiful, some believe unexplainable phenomenon: from the song that makes use cry, to the movie that makes us excited, to the painting that makes us ponder, and to the comedian that makes us laugh. Mentalistic and innate accounts of creativity often suggest it is a something one possesses or expresses. What makes this account appealing is that creativity does not describe behavior, instead it describes an outcome of behavior. It describes a unique solution or an effect on an audience; the behaviors which produce that effect are how creativity is expressed. An alternative approach is offered here that examines some of the behavior-environmental relations that may account for those behavioral outcomes considered creative. What is occurring during the creative process that reinforces the artist’s behavior during the act of creating? This presentation will begin to answer this question by drawing upon the work and training of improvisational comedians who have developed methods and conceptual principles that allow anyone to perform on stage to “create” a scene, even with no prior history. Contingency adduction, successive approximations, extended tacts will be shown to be fundamental components of at least some “creative acts.”

This panel will be a discussion of Dr. Jonathan Friedel and Dr. Brady DeHart’s SQAB Tutorial on the utility of statistics in behavior analysis.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Behavioral interventions for pain typically target individuals and when loved ones are involved, their roles are often conceptualized as information providers or reinforcers of pain behaviors. At the same time, a growing literature on supportive behaviors such as partner responsiveness, emotional validation, and empathy has suggested that interventions may be more effective if these types of behaviors are incorporated into treatment. Dr. Cano will provide an overview of correlational and experimental research on empathic behaviors in pain and describe a new intervention for couples that is based on this research. Evidence of intervention feasibility and acceptability will also be presented to describe the challenges of intervention development. Finally, Dr. Cano will share a set of lessons learned to inform work aimed at bridging the gap between basic behavioral and clinical intervention research.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

The number of certified behavior analysts in mainland China is increasing at a drastic pace every year. Despite this growth, its nature of service delivery, the focus of target service recipients, and the presence of a comprehensive professional standards make behavior analysis a developing profession that is unlike others in China. In this critical phase of development, practitioners’ adherence to ethical and professional standards becomes an even more critical key for its future success. While it is important to understand the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts, one must demonstrate the interpretation of this Code through everyday practice. In a country with a vast diversity in beliefs, customs, and other cultural variables, this interpretation may not be apparent at times. The central theme for this symposium is working with practitioners in mainland, China. From a theoretical perspective, the presenters will first illustrate the ethical challenges that behavior analysts may face while providing services in a variety of settings in China. The audience will then learn about two empirical studies that demonstrate the use of data-based decision making to guide practitioners’ service delivery in the context of direct teaching and supervision in mainland, China.

Undergraduate, graduate, or practitioners in the field of behavior analysis

Over the past decade, educational and therapeutic services driven by Applied Behavior Analysis has gained more and more attention in mainland, China, particularly in the area of treatment for autism. Despite this increase in recognition and acceptance, the quality of service for students with special needs varies drastically across settings. This variation is caused by a need for more quality training courses, current misunderstanding toward students with special needs and their educators, and the availability of alternative, and often nonscientific treatment options. Behavior analysts provide services under clear and comprehensive professional and ethical guidelines. However, when cultural variations come into play, practitioners may require additional guidance with decision making during service delivery. From a conceptual analysis of behavioral perspective, this presentation will focus on the ethical challenges that behavior analysts may encounter while working in different educational and therapeutic setting in China. Potential directions and recommendations for future research and practice will also be discussed.

The emerging Western model of professional training and service delivery in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) leads to a continuous debate between universal designs and localized decisions in China, a country with over 75,000 preschools with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Sun & Allison, 2010; Zhang & Ji, 2005), who receive alarmingly uneven service quality given the high demand of treatment (Xu, Yang, Ji, Xu, & Wang, 2014). Even for those who claim the use of ABA procedures in teaching receptive labeling, one of the fundamental skills for preschoolers, the decision-making process is not typically based on data, but is rather on routines or personal preferences. In this study, two discrimination methods were compared in teaching students with autism. The first method is simple conditional discrimination (SCD), which involves a total of nine steps to gradually increase task difficulty over time. The second method is conditional only discrimination method (COD), which includes presenting the target task from the onset of the intervention (Grow, Carr, Kodak, Jostad, & Kisamore 2011). The data suggested COD resulted in more efficient acquisition while SCD fostered gradual improvement. The results provide data driven guidance for Chinese ABA practitioners in the decision making process of ASD program design.

We present the effects of behavior analytic interventions that resulted in increased supervisor and technician expertise and an analysis of organizational intervention components. The data show that the implementation of a rule governed organizational system to train clinicians supports increases in academic literacy, communication and social skills for pre-school and elementary age clients diagnosed with autism and related communication disabilities in 1:1 settings. In this model, the data generated through measurement of each individual’s responses drive the system. Clinicians are trained through modules that provide in situ opportunities specifically related to the accurate implementation of clients’ programs, choice of strategies and tactics, materials and selection of new objectives. Supervisors collaborate across clinics to improve the accuracy of the feedback delivered during Teacher Performance Rate and Accuracy (TPRA) observations for verbal development protocols. Researchers report more complex data analyses, improved verbal behavior about the science, and increases in rate of learning for the clients taught using a Rule Governed Algorithm which included a Verbal Behavior about the Science Protocol package. We analyze organizational components, discuss relevant measures to consider within the organization, and present meaningful client and staff outcomes when considering a systems approach using data-driven procedures and interlocking contingencies.

BCBAs and Program Supervisors

ABA service providers recognize the need for effective operating procedures and supervision practices that produce quality outcomes. Complex interactions between supervisors and supervisees should result in effective treatment through accurate instruction and delivery of behavioral interventions. The CABAS® model is a data-driven, research-based system that takes into account the interdependent relationship between teachers, students and their parents, and school supervisory personnel, whose primary function is to train and mentor teachers to continually apply the principles and tactics of the science of behavior to ensure student success (Singer-Dudek, Speckman, & Nuzzolo, 2010). We sought to develop a standardized system of individualized instruction for administrators, students and clinicians utilizing components of the CABAS® model in a private ABA clinic and develop a measurement system to develop the quality of the product. We implemented Learn Units, TPRAs, a Decision protocol, the VBDR assessment, developmental protocols and performance-based modules. This data collection describes the components implemented, a procedural analysis of systems implemented, data analysis for staff and clients and future considerations regarding data driven operating procedures.

Skinner remarked that verbal responses are “true” or “objective” when the correspondence with a stimulating situation is sharply maintained. Lanza, Starr, & Skinner (1982) developed an “animal model” for the study of variables involved in correspondence: a pigeon “reported” to another about the color of a hidden disc, by pecking a specific key. Having access to the color, the experimenter could investigate contingencies leading to distorted reports. This presentation will address a series of studies with human participants recently conducted in our lab, with variations in this method. Participants reported about previous behavior or played card games in which they reported the value of their cards. A recent study developed a videogame with different audiences asking about the participant’s previous behavior. Several independent variables have been investigated. Correspondence was enhanced by reinforcement of corresponding responses, punishment of non-corresponding responses, probability of response checking, and modelling of corresponding reports by confederates. Non-corresponding reports increased with reinforcement for specific reports (reinforcing reports of correct responses regardless of correspondence), punitive audiences, and modelling of non-corresponding responses by confederates. This series of studies has progressively refined experimental methods and increased the range of variables investigated, contributing to clarify the determinants of correspondence.

Researchers or students interested in basic and translational research on verbal behavior.

Meet presenters to discuss their research, ask questions, or just say "hi."

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Transfer of stimulus control is an essential feature of many acquisition procedures, such as in errorless learning, fading, treatments for prompt dependence, and skill learning. Learning new behavioral skills often involves the transfer of stimulus control from discriminative stimuli present during early training to new endogenous cues that gain stimulus control with extended practice, often leading to skill autonomy. Four studies examined how behavioral skills may become autonomous by developing reliable practice cues when the originally predictive cues were modified or eliminated. As exteroceptive cues were degraded and eliminated over four successive phases using multiple schedules, pigeons solved the discrimination problem by transferring stimulus control to other available exteroceptive and endogenous cues. By measuring and comparing conditional discriminations in signaled vs. unsignaled components, we quantified the degree of stimulus control and measured changes in discriminative control across sessions. The final phase eliminated all discriminative stimuli. Pigeons achieved autonomy by ingeniously developing a new behavioral skill that could always yield reinforcement, but not via the transfer of stimulus control observed in Phases 1-3. Transfer of stimulus control to other available exteroceptive and endogenous cues is one process that may lead to skill autonomy, but it’s not the only one.

This study compared operant behavior on fixed ratio (FR) and random ratio (RR) food reinforcement schedules in enriched and non-enriched female Sprague-Dawley rats. The enriched rats were given post-session access to enrichment objects and other rats; non-enriched rats were kept in standard housing. Demand functions were generated for all subjects under both FR and RR schedules, with schedule order counterbalanced across subjects. Rats from the enriched group consistently responded at higher rates and at higher prices than did rats from the non-enriched group. Additionally, non-enriched rats showed the typical schedule difference, with higher levels of responding on RR than comparable FR schedules. Such differences were absent for enriched rats. For enriched rats, there was correlation between response rates on the FR schedule and social dominance in the enrichment setting. The results both join with other findings on the facilitative behavioral effects of enrichment, and add a much-needed level of quantitative rigor to the analysis of enrichment effects.

Obesity is one of the most prevalent behavioral disorders in the United States affecting approximately 40% of the adult population. Nearly 93.3 million individuals suffer from aversive clinical issues comorbid with obesity, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Currently, the role of motivating operations (MO), or the stimulus control that alters the value of a commodity, in obesity is unknown. Further, present technology used to explore genetic and behavioral interactions in obesity remains subpar. Fatty Zucker rats are widely used to model and test genetic obesity as they are Leptin-deficient; Leptin being a chemical mediator of energy balance and food intake suppressor. In this study, a reversal design was used to analyze the effects of deprivation on food motivated responding using 6 fatty and lean Zucker rats. Motivation was assessed via lever-pressing demand tasks following baseline (deprivation) and experimental condition (satiation). Data analysis suggests elevated food motivation in the fatty rats across many work requirements despite food satiation. This is significant as it addresses the role of MOs in genetic obesity and provides potential behavioral targets to address satiation and obesity.

Prior research has shown that responding can be maintained under concurrent food and social reinforcement in rats, but little is known about interactions between these reinforcers. In the present study, we approached the problem from a behavioral economic perspective, using demand-curve methods to analyze interactions between food and social reinforcement. Four rats were given repeated choices between food and 10-s of social access to a familiar rat on concurrent schedules. Social access was arranged by lifting a door to a restraint, within which the partner rat was held. The price of social access was held constant at fixed ratio (FR) 1 across all conditions, while the price of food was systematically increased from FR 1 to FR 64. Of interest was cross-price elasticity, or demand for social reinforcement as a function of changes in the price of food reinforcement. Food responding was maintained at lower to moderate prices but declined to low levels at higher prices. Social responding was relatively constant at the lower to moderate food prices but increased when food responding dropped at the higher FR food prices, suggesting a substitutable relationship. The methods show promise as a way to quantify interactions between qualitatively different reinforcers.

Some problematic human behavior occurs when a single choice produces consequences that include both reinforcing and aversive outcomes. The present experiment explored this type of choice situation with rats by investigating how the value of an immediate food reinforcer followed by a shock changes as a function of the delay to the shock. The rats chose between two food pellets delivered immediately and followed by delayed shock, and two food pellets delivered alone after a delay. Within each condition, the delay to food was adjusted based on the rats’ previous choices until both consequences were chosen equally often and the delay to food was stable. At this “indifference point,” the delayed food was equal in value to the immediate food followed by shock. Across conditions, the delay to shock was manipulated. Generally, the shock devalued the immediate food to the greatest extent when the delay to shock was short, and the effects of shock weakened as the delay was raised in a pattern resembling a hyperbola. The finding that effects of aversive events on choice are weakened by delay parallels research on temporal discounting of positive reinforcers.

We describe the implementation of five different measures of behavior: directionality, vigor, preference, variation and persistence to analyze and represent the effect of food delivery according to Fixed-Ratio and Fixed-Interval schedules of reinforcement. The subjects were 4 rats, divided in two groups. We used an enlarged experimental chamber of 92 cm x 92 cm with three levers and one food dispenser. Responses on any lever produced reinforcers according to the current schedule. In different phases, the location of levers (on the same or different walls) and schedule of reinforcement (Fixed Ratio-1 or Fixed Interval-30s) varied. We found that the five measures of behavior were sensitive to the current schedule of reinforcement and that changes in some of those dimensions did not correlate with changes in other measures of behavior. The importance of analyzing different dimensions of behavior and thinking of new forms of representing behavioral data will be discussed.

Sexual behavior and feeding have been described separately without specifying the interaction of both under the same contingencies. It has been affirmed that the analogous behavioral repertoires described in both behaviors could be to the manipulation of the same variables. The purpose is to analyze sexual and feeding behavior through the manipulation of reinforcement parameters: magnitude, delay and novel sexual stimulation. Four experiments were designed that are logically concatenated. In Experiment 1, the effect of a novel sexual stimulation on sexual behavior and feeding will be described. In Experiment 2, the effect of the deprivation of sexual activity will be analyzed according to the receptivity of the females. Experiment 3 will describe sexual behavior based on Lee's Body Mass Index and Experiment 4 will compare the copulatory efficacy of standard males versus a common male rat. The design of the experiments follows the Mixed Factorial Design, fully covering the sources of internal disability and obtaining external validity, show effect and interaction of the manipulated variables. The contribution consists in showing the generality of the principles of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior to the case of sexual behavior and its interaction with food, two basic behavioral repertoires common to all organisms.

The empirical evidence about the use of different reinforcers still does not clearly show its replaceability. In the present study the effect of four reinforcers on feeding behavior in rats is described throughout three independent experiments. In Experiment 1 rats were food deprived and rolled pellets were delivered. In Experiment 2 the rats were water deprived and 0.10ml of water was delivered. For both experiments a CRF on a lever was used to feed rats during one-hour of experimental sessions. In Experiment 3 rats were food-deprived and industrial pellets or tapioca was delivered according to a VI 10, 20 or 30 seconds on successive experimental phases. The temporal distribution for all the reinforcers used was similar to the typical patterns for food commonly used in experimental chambers. Response rate was higher for industrial pellets, followed by tapioca, rolled pellets and water, in this order. These findings suggest that it is feasible to replace the traditionally used industrial pellets by cheaper ones to generate evidence comparable with both, operant and motivation literature. It is analyzed the usefulness of cheaper reinforcers with different palatability.

Behavioral variability has been proposed as a dimension of operant behavior that is vulnerable to environmental manipulations. For example, it has been demonstrated that variability of 4-lever press sequences can be affected by dopamine drugs such as amphetamines and SKF-38393. In a previous experiment, we tested the effects of over-the-counter energy drinks on variability of rats sequential responding. Three rats were trained on a procedure similar to that of Neuringer (1991) and Pesek et al. (2011) where sequences of four level presses were reinforced if they were novel compared to the past eight response sequences, referred to as a lag 8 condition. While the OTC energy drink Red Bull did not appear to have any discernible effects on U (entropy – the variability of emitted sequences), a control component from the experiment was missing. In this experiment, we will directly replicate those of Pesek et al. (2011) using a multiple schedule which includes a control condition. In addition, we will provide doses of energy drinks determined by body surface rather than weight, as indicated by current literature.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an in vitro fertilization (IVF) method that involves the direct delivery of spermatozoon into the ooplasm of an egg. Since its introduction in 1992, ICSI has grown in popularity and is now the most commonly used IVF method worldwide. Despite this, some concerns have arisen regarding the procedure, namely that it circumvents natural sperm selection at the level of conception and could therefore lead to adverse postnatal outcomes. These concerns have led researchers to begin investigating ICSI outcomes in both humans and mouse models. This poster describes the first stage of an interdisciplinary collaboration in which we investigated operant learning in ICSI mice. First generation ICSI mice (n = 26) and naturally-conceived controls (n = 28) were compared across a battery of operant conditioning procedures: nose poke acquisition, a discrimination task, a do-not-match-to-position (DNMTP) recognition memory task, and retention assessments to measure the extent to which DNMTP performance was maintained across longer periods of time. The main finding was differences between ICSI and same-sex controls in nose poke acquisition and the discrimination task performance. We consider the implications of these initial findings for further behavioral research with ICSI mice.

The availability heuristic (reliance on recent events or information for decision making) is a systematic bias in human cognition. Few studies have been conducted to determine if the availability heuristic impacts risky decisions or if animals utilize such heuristics. This experiment sought to determine if recent events influenced risk sensitivity in rats. Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a Win and Loss Group. Both groups chose between a constant option that delivered 2 100% sugar pellets following a 3 s delay (p = 1.0)and a variable option that delivered 2 pellets 100% sugar pellets after a 1 s or 5 s delay (p = .5). In the Win Group (n = 10) subjects experienced a run of good luck or short delays prior to choices while the Loss Group (n = 10) experience a run of bad luck or long delays prior to choice. No statistically significant difference in choice was observed between groups (see Figure 1). These findings indicate that recent events or the availability heuristic do not drive variable or risky decision making. Rather, data is best described by the sequential choice model, which predicts that animals make choices in a chronological manner as they encounter different choice options.

This research has the purpose to investigate the influence of the use, chronic and acute, of caffeine in insight learning process on albino Wistar rats. The research was divided on six stages: 1) Discriminative training to signalize reinforcer availability; 2) an open field test; 3) a pre-test with each animal in the experimental cage; Then the animals will be divided into three groups, a control group (GC), an acute-use caffeine group (GCA) and a chronic-use caffeine group (GCC), each one with four animals; 4) consists on an independently training of dig and climbs repertoire; 5) individuals of each group were displayed to a puzzle that needed previous learned repertoire to be solved; 6) they were placed on the open field teste for the second time. Results shown that in the training stage all group had similar results, although GCC showed a better result on both repertoires then GCA. On GCC group all subjects were able to solve the problem, but in the GC and GCA only two animals solved the problem. Overall the acute-use of caffeine may produce a better performance on problem solving situations and it also can affect some process of learning.

Operant responding may habituate (decreased responsiveness over time) or sensitize (increased responsiveness over time) to repeatedly-presented reinforcers (McSweeney & Murphy, 2014). These within-session changes have been studied as they relate to broader behaviors such as addiction and food intake. 16 male Wistar rats were classified as either sign-trackers (n = 8) or goal-trackers (n = 8) in a Pavlovian conditioning task and then trained on a variable interval 7.5-s schedule of reinforcement. Groups did not differ in habituation, sensitization, or response rates when food restricted. Free-feeding decreased responding similarly in the two groups and did not affect habituation or sensitization. Additionally, because of previously documented increases in sensitization caused by aversive stimuli, 6 subjects were tested the day of a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. Within-session patterns of responding differed significantly between the day of the earthquake and the previous day F(29, 145) = 2.23, p = .001, with larger increases and smaller decreases observed after the earthquake. Taken together the current results are consistent with previous findings that (1) within-session decreases in operant responding are attributable to habituation rather than satiety, and (2) aversive stimulation can increase responsiveness to unrelated stimuli, including positive reinforcers.

Delay discounting is sometimes discussed as a trait variable – a pre-existing characteristic people bring to a situation. A trait approach suggests an association between discounting across outcomes characteristics (e.g., amount, commodity, and gain/loss). A trait approach would predict related, but not necessarily equivalent, discounting across characteristics. In contrast, a specificity approach suggests people do not possess an underlying discounting trait and there should be little-to-no relationship between discounting across outcome characteristics. In this study, we used traditional quantitative analyses and machine learning to describe data obtained from 23 cocaine- and 24 never-using individuals. Participants completed 16 total discounting tasks spanning: gains and losses; money, health, and cocaine; and, amounts of $10, $100, and $1000. When traditional models incorporate independent parameters for amount, commodity, gain/loss, and discount rate, we found that a single discount parameter described discounting well only across amounts, but not across the other domains (commodity, gain/loss). In contrast, machine learning suggested a single discounting parameter could describe discounting well across all domains.

In probability discounting research, comparing real and hypothetical outcomes has mixed results. Furthermore, it seems necessary a test that asserts the understanding of the probability concept before the discounting tasks. The aim of this study was to compare the probability discounting (i.e., choose for probabilistic bigger rewards vs. certain smaller rewards) with real and hypothetical outcomes. Thirty-two teenagers (12-15 years old) participated. First, a condition for training the probability and certainty concept was conducted. The probability discounting tasks followed an adjusting amount procedure. Four trials were used in five levels of probability: 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 90%. The standard amount was 16. The real outcomes were programmed in a video-game. In one option the smaller certain reward was delivered (i.e., medals and trophies). In the other option, a tombola was presented, and the reward was delivered or not depend on the probability programmed. The hypothetical probabilities and rewards were programmed in a traditional probability discounting task. The order presentation of the probabilities and each task were randomized. In both tasks, higher adjustment was observed with hyperboloid (R2> .80) than hyperbolic model. No differences were found between tasks. Video-games could facilitate the identification of risk-taking in a target population.

It has been found that people with obesity tend to choose smaller-immediate amounts of money instead of greater-delayed ones, which reflects impulsive instead of self-controlled behavior according to the delay-discounting procedure. In previous studies conducted in the laboratory of the authors, the relation between the participants’ weight and their delay-discounting rates for different kinds of consumable rewards was shown. Globally, teenagers with higher body mass index (BMI) showed more self-controlled behavior, measured with delay-discounting rates, for soda and fast food than for water and healthy food, respectively. However, different results were found with body fat percentage (BFP). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the generality of the delay-discounting findings of our previous studies, with adults and with both health indices, BMI and BFP. Sixty-one adults between 18 and 50 years old were exposed to a delay-discounting task, which tested five rewards that varied in its calorie level: water, soda, healthy food, fast food, and money as a control. The amounts of the rewards were varied according to an adjusting-amount procedure. The results were like those of our previous studies; that is, adults with higher weight showed more self-controlled behavior, measured with delay-discounting rates, for soda and fast food than for water, healthy food, and even money. These results were similar for both, BMI and BFP and contribute to the study of self-control as a state behavior, which changes according to features of both rewards and participants.

Progressive ratio (PR) schedules are often used to identify the value of a reinforcer, which is often defined by the point at which an organism stops responding. This point, the breakpoint, however, can be impacted by procedural considerations such as the starting response requirement, the algorithm used for increasing the response requirement, the rate of reinforcement, the criteria for identifying the breakpoint, and the context in which the PR schedule is arranged. The current presentation uses PR schedules to assesses the effectiveness of two putative reinforcers for completing a ratio requirement under varying contexts. Manipulations such as the response required to access the reinforcer and the use of a progress bar are focused on primarily and are assessed through measuring the total responses emitted and the total ratios completed per reinforcer. Results suggest that contextual variables such as the progress bar and response type impacts measurement of the reinforcer value.

A number of nonoverlap methods to calculate treatment effect estimates have been developed for single-subject experimental research studies. Although extant literature contains several studies comparing some of these methods with each other and visual analysis, there is no study in the literature investigating most of the available nonoverlap methods in a single study using same graphs and visual analysts. Purpose of our study was to compare 12 commonly-used nonoverlap methods with each other and visual analysis. Data were obtained from 25 studies focused on embedded instruction and schema-based instruction and included a total of 101 graphs. Treatment effect estimates using 12 nonoverlap methods were calculated for each graph by hand or using an online calculator. Five experts conducted visual analysis of each graph. Results showed that strong agreements existed between visual analysis and Percentage of Nonoverlapping Data (PND), TauNOVLAP, and Tau-U when raw data were analyzed, and PND, Percentage Of Non-Overlapping Corrected Data (PNCD), and Percentage of Data Exceeding a Median Trend (PEM-T) when categorized data were analyzed. Among 12 methods investigated, PND had the highest agreement rate with visual analysis, followed by PEM-T, Percentage of All Nonoverlapping Data (PAND), PNCD, Improvement Rate Difference, Nonoverlap of All Pairs, and TauNOVLAP. Overall, visual analysis appeared to be more conservative as most nonoverlap methods overestimated treatment effect. Additional research is needed to replicate findings of the present study.

Schizophrenia involves debilitating and pervasive symptoms that can cause the persons manifesting them significant functional impairments in nearly every aspect of their lives. Traditionally, schizophrenia is considered a primarily biological presentation, which is reflected in the use of antipsychotics as the most preferred therapeutic intervention. Alternative to the biomedical model, “psychotic” behavior patterns can be conceptualized as the presence of behavioral excesses and/or deficits that are maintained by social positive, negative, and/or automatic-sensory reinforcement rather than relevant neurochemical, neuroanatomical or gene abnormalities. By contextualizing an individual’s verbal or motoric bizarre behavior, oppositional responses, perseverative or hallucinatory speech, and stereotypies employing functional analytic methodology, behavior analysts can destigmatize the persons behavior and develop effective interventions, such as social skills training, that improve the impairments while simultaneously addressing limitations of the pharmacotherapeutic treatments. Functionally-based treatments support the idea that the primary goal should not be reducing symptomatology, but rather increasing the frequency of alternative more functional behaviors. Most importantly, they reinforce the view that schizophrenia can be sufficiently understood when considering the purpose behaviors serve in the person’s environment.

The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) periodically publishes articles meant to summarize an aspect of the journal as it relates to the broad mission of “publishing research about applications of the experimental analysis of behavior to problems of social importance.” Journal editors review and shape the work of authors, and in so doing, influence the journal’s direction and quality. They also serve as authors themselves contributing to the body of knowledge within a field. Mathews (1997) illuminated the role of editors of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis by analyzing the annual publication rates of 55 editors and associate editors, which showed an increasing trend of postdoctoral experience and greater number of publications prior to appointment as editors. The current paper extends the previous analysis over the subsequent two decades, including 44 editors, adds editor alma mater and gender, and allows multiple comparisons between the original work and current project.

Behavior analysts employ a function-based approach to the analysis of behavior. Responses are defined not by their topography, but by the relations that exist between individual responses and environmental variables. This kind of functional categorization has been fundamental to the development of an effective science of behavior. Although behavior analysts have established a conceptual system that allows for the categorization of many behavioral responses, some classes of behavior require further examination. Of specific interest is the notion of generalized operant classes. Typically defined by the observation of responding in untrained contexts, it appears that this term has been used in a variety of ways. A review of published literature shows that generalized response classes are invoked in the explanation of complex behavior (imitation, match-to-sample, language) for which first-order environmental variables may provide a more precise account. To begin, this poster will analyze the functional use of the terms “generalized” and “higher-order” response class. In addition, the poster will provide alternative accounts based on the concepts of atomic behavioral repertoires and abstracted stimulus dimensions.

One of the eminent standards set by Sidman’s (1960) Tactics of Scientific Research for behavioral research was to avoid inferential statistics in the form of null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST). Foster, Jarema, and Poling (1999) documented a growing trend in reporting of such inferential statistics in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB) through 1995. Zimmermann, Watkins, and Poling (2015) confirmed the trends into the 2010s. The present study examined articles appearing in JEAB volumes from 2011 to 2018 for use and reporting of NHST, species, and experimental design. Results show continued high reporting of between-subject designs (8-38% across the years), experiments with human participants (17-50%), and increasingly high reporting of NHST in Small-N design studies (24-60%). Whereas the former findings are consistent with previous predictions by Foster et al. and Zimmermann et al., the latter finding has not been reported previously. As we did not examine their appropriateness, it remains unclear what is behind this new trend of combining NHST with Small-N designs.

Skinner discussed a type of controlling response that has an effect on the probability response that follows. In his work The Technology of Teaching (1968), he termed this response as precurrent behavior, which he describes as a type of behavior that functions to make subsequent behavior more effective. Polson & Parsons (1994) further emphasized that this type of behavior does not produce the reinforcer itself but produces stimuli that affect the likelihood of behavior that follows, and therefore increases the likelihood of behavior resulting in reinforcement. Though most research about this operant pertains to precurrent behavior in the acquisition of problem solving skills, it can also play an important role in the acquisition and maintenance of precursor behavior that precedes problem behavior. In this conceptual analysis, we will review empirical literature on the topic as well as define the core features of precurrent behavior, discuss the altering effects precurrent behavior has on the current operant being observed, and discuss how precursor behavior that precedes problem behavior may be maintained by a precurrent operant contingency.

Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) has long been a model organism in genetics research. Behavioral genetics research with these organisms has relied on the use of neural activation or negative reinforcement by use of aversive stimulation (heat) to analyze behavioral contingencies and the effects of organisms’ phylogenetic endowments. Additionally existent research has required the constraint of the organism in a flight chamber. Optical neural activation of reward pathways has been demonstrated. However both of these paradigms prevent evaluation of naturalistic responding in the context of positive reinforcement contingencies. Drosophila melanogaster’s status as model organism in other fields like genetics means the ability to demonstrate positive reinforcement and schedule control with this organism will help to contextualize modern behavior analytic models alongside her sister sciences. Presented will be this laboratories initial designs, successes and failures at designing an operant chamber which permits free response to positive reinforcement. While the organism’s size and lifespan and present problems for traditional operant chamber design we hope that our designs open avenues for positive reinforcement research.

A large constraint placed on operant research with nonhuman organisms is the existing apparatuses which investigators use. These constraints may be purposeful, as with Skinner’s boxes, which were originally meant to control for confounding variables as best as possible. But many experiments are ran with prototypical Skinner boxes simply out of convention, instead of out of sensitivity towards the potential influence of confounding variables. An unfortunate side-effect of this is that many researchers—at least those fortunate enough to still have animal laboratories—feel obligated to spend a large amount of money on pre-made chambers to ask any number of research questions. The time and effort it would take to create one’s own chamber—or variations on it—may seem immense and overwhelming. However, work within the NRRL laboratory at the University of North Texas over the past year has indicated that it is feasible to build and program one’s own chamber cheaply. Additionally, our lab has created a “supercage” capable of housing at least a dozen rats that allows for social enrichment and the examination of nonlinear contingencies.

Massed trial instruction (MTI) and task interspersal (TI) are frequently used variations of discrete trial training. Available research suggests that TI is less efficient in facilitating response acquisition than MTI but has not yet addressed which procedure facilitates better maintenance of skills. The present study was designed to compare MTI and TI with respect to response acquisition and maintenance. Parents selected two skill sets. Four children were taught targets from skill 1. Skill 2 was taught using MTI and TI. TI also used targets from skill 1. All targets within skill 1 were probed prior to each session. Acquisition of skill 2 and maintenance of skill 1 during MTI versus TI were compared using an alternating treatments design. Data collection is ongoing but will be completed by December 1st. Results thus far replicate previous findings that TI produces slower acquisition than MTI (Figure 1). Results also suggest both procedures may produce equivalent maintenance (Figure 2). Final conclusions will be made when all data are collected. Implications for behavioral programming will be discussed.

Feedback is critical for learning (Hattie & Timperly, 2007), however, many times students with disabilities struggle to obtain or understand the feedback they are given. The purpose of this poster is to disseminate findings of a systematic literature review designed to determine the effects of interventions designed to recruit feedback or praise. Authors will discuss identified articles, and results from the synthesis, including participant demographics and characteristics of interventions. Additionally, authors will discuss whether the literature meets the quality indicators set forth by the Council for Exceptional Children to determine whether this is an evidence-based practice.

This study examined the effects of using positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement to increase appropriate question-asking in a 10-year old student. A functional assessment suggested an escape to tangible function to off task behaviours in the classroom. The study used visual, gestural, and verbal prompts to encourage appropriate question-asking behaviours to reduce work avoidance. Question/body-break cards were placed on the student’s desk and the student was encouraged to use these cards to request body breaks or ask questions throughout the day. As the child progressed the cards were reduced. The intervention took place over a 5-day period. The student’s appropriate question-asking behaviour accelerated from 0.3 instances per minute to 1.5 instances per minute. The question-asking/body break cards became a desired item to the student, increasing the probability of success for the intervention. The student’s average off-task behaviour decreased from 12.1 instances per minute to 9.4 instances per minute. The question-asking/body break cards became a conditioned reinforcer, and the student began to economize the use of the cards. These findings support the use of positive reinforcement of appropriate question-asking behaviours and their beneficial impact on a student’s relationship with educators and on future academic success.

Although lying is a major concern for many caregivers (Alwin, 1989; Gervais, Tremblay, Desmarais-Gervais, & Vitaro, 2000), there is little behavior analytic research on effective, practical interventions. Studies have shown that a moral story, instruction, or rule implying reinforcers for honesty produced statistically significant improvements in children admitting a transgression (Lee et al., 2014; Talwar, Arruda, & Yachison, 2015; Talwar, Yachison, & Leduc, 2016). We evaluated an intervention package comprised of this moral story, instruction, and rule in combination with praising honest reports when reinforcement favored lying. A failure to replicate the initial increase in honesty using this treatment package in a reversal design was observed for one participant. To date, using the logic of a multiple baseline design across participants, the intervention package has shown increases in honest reports. We are in the process of further evaluating the within-subject reliability of our current findings. Moreover, we are evaluating reinforcement of correspondence (i.e., Differential Reinforcement of Honesty) as an alternative intervention to increase honesty.

Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) have shown to be a successful intervention for improving classroom behavior for students considered to display challenging behaviors. DBRCs have been used for students with emotional/ behavioral disorder in an effort to improve academic and social outcomes. Few studies have examined the use of DBRCs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Even fewer studies have examined the intersection of young (i.e., early childhood) students with IDD in extended school year settings (ESY). The authors examined the effectiveness of DBRCs for young students with IDD in ESY settings. The research questions were: 1. Are DBRCs an effective intervention for improving behavior during ESY services for young students with IDD? 2. Can teachers of young students with IDD effectively implement DBRCs as a behavior intervention during ESY services?

Students who are identified deaf/hard of hearing struggle with social skills largely because of their limited access to a social community with whom they can interact fluently (Cawthon et al., 2015; Shogren, 2013). For example, if a student is fluent with American Sign Language (ASL) but spends most of the day interacting with hearing peers who use vocal speech to converse, communication breakdowns may cause frustration. Video modeling is an effective strategy for teaching a variety of skills and social behaviors. Video modeling has its origins in Bandura’s (1977) theory of social learning. The approach is for participants to view appropriate behaviors exhibited by peer models. This study used a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effects of video modeling to teach coping strategies to students identified as DHH. Students were taught different coping strategies to use throughout the day. Percent of opportunities data was taken on the number of opportunities a student had to engage in a coping strategy versus how many times they engaged in a coping strategy. Results of visual and Tau-U analyses indicated increases in the use of coping strategies after the intervention was implemented. Social validity measures indicated the students enjoyed the intervention.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) with peer models on the interactive play with students with moderate to severe disabilities in the classroom. Four students with disabilities and four typically developing students participated in this study. Two separate multiple baseline designs across participants were used in this study. The first multiple baseline design focused on the accuracy of peer models’ implementation of the play intervention steps, and the second focused on the students with multiple disabilities and the percent of intervals of interactive play. In the first intervention phase, experimenters used BST to teach peer models to implement three interactive play activities with target students. During the second intervention phase, peer models implemented the previously mastered procedural steps using picture task analyses as cues in order to teach target students to engage in interactive play activities.

This review addresses the use of peer-mediated interventions (PMI) to promote social interaction between early childhood students with disabilities and their peers (aged 3 to 8). The purpose of this review is to (a) identify the characteristics and components of peer-mediated social interaction interventions, (b) evaluate the effectiveness of PMI by conducting an analysis of research designs and intervention results, and (c) suggest directions for future research. This review includes 13 English language peer-reviewed studies published between 2008 and 2018 and will highlight the increasing contributions of recent research to this field. The method for search process was aligned with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. Preliminary results indicate participants in the majority of the reviewed studies demonstrated an increase in social interaction (e.g., initiations, responses, and continuation) when peer training occurred. This poster will also present limitations of reviewed research, directions for future research, and implications for practice.

We followed sixteen male high-school students practicing a short game "tailored" for the purpose of this study once per week throughout a full semester. Students were placed in four stations, each containing an equal number of items (e.g., bean bags). The game challenges participants to collect as many objects as they can from other stations within a limited time frame and to place these objects in their own station. When this brief game ends, the number of objects inside the boundaries of each station determines the score of the game and the winning team. Rules of the game were manipulated through four different "difficulty domains": Duration, Intensity, Complexity and Distracters during performance. Dependent variable was students' misbehavior. A multielement design showed that the highest levels of misbehavior occurred during intensity sessions, a pattern that became more pronounced as the task prolonged. The poster presents the game structure, data reflecting the variability of misbehavior rates across the different versions and recommendation for implementing the game for assessment as well as treatment purposes.

In a setting where all students in the classroom are diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), teachers are often faced with frequent disruptive behaviors, highlighting the need for effective classroom management strategies to promote student on-task behavior and decrease disruptive behavior. Given that students with EBD often lack appropriate social skills, as well as frequently emit challenging behavior, combining group contingency and positive peer reporting interventions may represent an efficient way to address student needs and promote positive student outcomes. It was hypothesized that students would benefit from the structured opportunity to discuss positive behaviors and to practice prosocial skills, while also working to earn rewards through a randomized dependent group contingency to improve behavior. An ABAB design across three classrooms was implemented in an alternative school setting with students in first through sixth grade students diagnosed with EBD. Results indicated an increase in engagement and decrease in disruptive behavior during intervention phases. There was also a decrease in negative peer interactions and an increase in positive peer interactions during intervention phases. Given high interobserver agreement, adherence data, and clear changes in behavior across phases, I have a high degree of confidence that the intervention led to behavior change.

Problem behavior in children with an autism diagnosis can be a barrier to successfully participating in an inclusive setting with same-aged peers. It can also prevent children with autism from creating meaningful relationships and friendships with their peers. For this study, we introduced three yoked-contingency protocols in to an inclusive Kindergarten classroom to determine their effectiveness at reducing problem behaviors for a student with autism. The participants are nine students in a kindergarten classroom at a private day school between the ages of five and six years old; one of whom has an autism diagnosis. The protocols introduced in the classroom were SLR (Social Listener Reinforcement), Peer Tutoring, and Empathy Training. The protocols were run in small groups of two peers at a time. The protocols were run until our target peer with autism had reached predetermined mastery criteria. The problem behaviors that were measured included: inappropriate comments, aggression, uncooperative behavior, yelling, non-functional vocalizations, crying, and physical stereotypy. Data is currently continuing on two of the three protocols, but to date we have noted a decrease or low rates in the student’s occurrence of aggression, crying, uncooperative behavior, and physical stereotypy, and non-functional vocalizations.

Schools often provide emotion-regulation intervention support prior to or after behavior incidents occur. However, there is a lack of research on school-based interventions used in-vivo during pre-curser behaviors (e.g., off-task behavior and increased heart rate) to decrease the likelihood of more severe problem behavior. This study used an ABABCBC design to analyze the effectiveness of self-monitoring behavior and physiology in addition to several emotion-regulation lessons from the Zones of Regulation curriculum. Interval time sampling recording was used to track students' on-task, non-disruptive off-task, and disruptive off-task behaviors. After a baseline phase, portions of the Zones of Regulation curriculum were taught to help students learn how to identify, categorize, and regulate their emotions. In the first intervention phase, students self-monitored their behavior and physiology (i.e., heart rate). In the second intervention phase, students participated in the same self-monitoring intervention while wearing a heart rate monitor smartwatch set to vibrate when their heart rate rose above average resting rate. Findings suggest self-monitoring classroom behavior and self-monitoring heart rate helped students increase on-task behavior and reduce off-task behaviors, and the addition of smartwatch heart rate notifications had little influence on student behavior.

Normative data can help educators identify atypical behavior, develop goals for underperforming students, and evaluate social validity outcomes for children following intervention. However, most published data on the normative “behavior” of school children is in fact collected through indirect rating scale measures. This lack of direct observation or use of standard dimensions of behavior could lead to imprecise assessment and goals, and does not lend itself to the application of behavior analysis. This poster will describe duration data of attending to teaching materials, frequency of verbal operants used in response to teaching materials, duration of independent and peer play, and rate of corrections provided by a teacher. These data were taken from five different preschools and one first grade classroom on the island of O’ahu. Children observed were presumably neuro-typical. It is recommended to increase the number of subjects within current demographics and expand data collection to other age groups.

Alternative seating is an environmental arrangement with limited evidence for individuals with developmental disabilities. Educators are often asked to incorporate strategies despite empirical evidence. Alternative seating is one strategy with limited evidence for individuals with DD commonly found in classrooms. The current study examined the effects alternative seating versus traditional seating of on task behavior and problem behavior for four elementary school students.

When a token economy is not appearing to create the desired degree of motivation and reinforcement of desired behaviors for its targeted elementary school students, the 'automatic' response of "Just go get better backup reinforcers!" is often not an option, and arguably, shouldn't be. Other aspects, including individual components, and the strengths of associations between behavior, token, and backup should be assessed systematically. Similarly, the extra effort of assessing for, in a systematic fashion, alternate (especially non-material, no cost) backup reinforcers can identify intangible social and attention based reinforcers that middle school kids might actually really want far more than yet another plastic spider ring or cartoon character pencil sharpener. This poster presents a framework for systematically evaluating the salience of tokens and back up reinforcers currently in use in an elementary school token economy, prompting teacher ideas for additional tokens and reinforcers to add, and improving the impact of both the new and currently used ones. Noteworthy aspects of THIS proposed framework include integration of systematic guidelines for such evaluation, including those in Foxx's fundamental "Increasing Behaviors.." text, the "Components, Connections, Consequences, and Context" model, as well as the fundamental "Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence" 3 part contingency, Donabedian's "Structure-Process-Outcome" model, and behavioral analysis modifications of Haddon's Injury Control Strategies and Matrix. Additionally, and very importantly, this rubric is powered by its grounding in and development by the perspectives of the middle school student first author.

Anxiety is a multi-component construct involving affective states (e.g., subjective fear), cognitions (e.g., thoughts, beliefs) behavioral patterns (avoidance), and associated physiological arousal (e.g., increased heart rate, changes in respiration patterns) (Moskowitz et. al 2017). Behavior analysts frequently rely on direct observation measures to quantify observable behaviors associated with anxiety, agitation, and/or stress for individuals with limited verbal skills (e.g., increased rocking, change in tone of vocalizations) while also attending to environmental variables associated with anxiety or stress. Although direct observation is effective for identifying behavioral manifestations of anxiety, this type of measurement may result in incomplete information as anxiety and stress are internal states that may not be accessible through direct observation. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and utility of using wearable biomarker devices, combined with functional assessment screening and behavioral observations, to develop interventions to increase the coping and self-management skills of high school students who experience significant anxiety. We identified five high school students, with a diagnosed anxiety disorder, who were reported by their teachers and therapists as engaging in challenging behavior associated with anxiety. We then conducted an initial screening using the Functional Assessment Screening Tool (Iwata et al.2013) and the Functional Assessment Interview ()’Neill et al., 1997). We then conducted direct observations using an adapted version of the Functional Assessment Direct Observation Form (O’Neill et al., 1997). In addition, each participant wore a Spire device and an Empatica E4 Wrist band to monitor and record physiological indicators of stress and anxiety. We then combined data from behavioral observations with data form the wearable devices to 1) determine if each participants challenging behavior was associated with physiological indicators of anxiety and 2) develop an appropriate function-based intervention in collaboration with the school-based team. Data from the wearable devices indicated that two of the five participants showed increases in physiological indicators of stress and anxiety that were associated the occurrence of target behaviors. Interventions for these two individuals were implemented in the contact of an alternating treatments design. The intervention consisted of a calming activity using a visual app with the Spire device. Both participants were prompted to use the app at the beginning of class periods and activities associated increases physiological indicators of anxiety. The participants were also prompted to use the calming app whenever they experienced anxiety. Although both students used the consistently and independently, neither showed a decrease in physiological indicators of anxiety. In fact, one participant showed an increase in levels of anxiety on days he used the app. The results suggest that wearable devices may be a useful tool in identifying situations in which school-age students experience significant levels of anxiety. However, more research is needed to identify effective interventions for these individuals.

Disruptive behaviors such as elopement, calling-out, and aggression are often a major barrier to instruction in preschool classrooms. One widely used class-wide behavior management system built around an interdependent group contingency is Class-Wide Functionally-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT). To date, the first author has only been able to find one study on CW-FIT used in a preschool setting, by Jolstead et al. (2017), which found a therapeutic change in on-task behavior and rates of teacher praise statements and reprimands. The current study used a withdrawal design to evaluate the effectiveness of CW-FIT in a preschool classroom in both large and small group settings on both on-task student behavior and teacher praise and reprimand behaviors. Using visual data analysis consistent with single-case design, results suggested that the implementation of CW-FIT increased on-task group behavior in both the large and small group settings. Results for rates of teacher’s praise and reprimand statements were, however, variable for the two settings. Limitations are also discussed.

Task interspersal (TI) is a discrete trial training variant in which a number of mastered targets are presented prior to each acquisition target. Previous studies have demonstrated that TI leads to increased learning relative to massed trial training as measured by the number of sessions required for mastery. Recent literature however has suggested that, given the amount of time necessary to conduct additional trials of mastered targets, TI is less efficient when examining overall time spent in instruction. Given its procedural similarity to the high-p sequence, TI may serve to increase the probability of responding for children with high rates of escape, and thus be more efficient for this group of individuals by increasing time on task. Very little research has examined the effects of TI on escape maintained behavior, however. The present study compared TI to massed trial training using a parallel treatments design for two children with high rates of escape behavior during instruction. Initial data indicated that escape maintained behavior decreased during TI; however, escape decreased to low levels across both conditions during subsequent acquisition targets. Implications for future research on TI and escape maintained behavior will be discussed.

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Developmental Delay (DD) have difficulty with communication. Caregivers, such as parents, often spend a great deal of effort understanding their children and helping them to communicate. Behavior Skills Training (BST) is a didactic instruction procedure that includes the following steps: instructions, modeling, role-play, and feedback. Research has shown that BST is an effective method for training caregivers such as parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals. This study examined the effects of BST on parent implementation of a constant time delay (CTD) procedure for her three children (ages 2-6) with autism or developmental delay. The experimenter trained the mother to use CTD to teach her children to tact pictures. The mother of the three participants was diagnosed with an intellectual disability (ID). Results of the study suggest BST was effective for training the parent to implement the BST steps correctly and was effective for improving each child’s tacting skills.

There is limited research evaluating strategies being used to train pre-service behavior analysts. A review of the literature was conducted to identify studies that examine the effects of teaching strategies on pre-service behavior analysts acquisition of behavior analytic skills. Studies were included if participants were graduate students training to become behavior analysts, the dependent variable was a behavior analytic skill, a single-case research design was used, and individual participant data was reported. A systematic search identified seven studies that met the aforementioned inclusion criteria. The purposes of this review were to: 1) identify and summarize literature on training pre-service behavior analysts, (2) evaluate the quality of existing literature by applying the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) single-case research design standards to the included studies, and (3) obtain an effect size of the strategies that met the WWC single-case research design standards. Results of the included analyses are summarized and implications for future research are discussed.

Recently, applied behavior analysis (ABA) has seen dramatic increases in university training programs, experimental and applied research studies, and certified practitioners (Burning Glass, 2015; Carr & Nosik, 2017; Deochand & Fuqua, 2016), mirroring increasing nation-wide demand for credentialed behavior analysts (BACB, 2018). However, little research focuses on understanding our professional workforce, including their introductions to the discipline. Behavior analysts across Pennsylvania (n = 98) completed an in-depth quantitative and qualitative survey. Several researchers conducted both the analysis and coding, and measures were taken to ensure sufficient accuracy. Questions focused on a variety of issues/experiences, including their own pivotal experiences with ABA and motivating factors for becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Results highlight that behavior analysts are introduced to the field through working with clients, professional trainings, and during undergraduate or graduate coursework. After learning about the field, the respondents described career opportunities, a desire to gain both knowledge and skills, a connection with the science and practical applications of ABA, and enjoyment of the work and clients as key in pursing their BCBA. The results from study provide important preliminary information about our workforce and the professional and personal experiences which brought them to the field.

Recent empirical research and special issues have focused on determining appropriate training program ranking metrics, including faculty productivity and pass rates. Arguably, an important way to judge the quality of a training program is by talking with its graduates. Field leaders have recognized the critical importance of student voice in understanding program quality (Iwata, 2015). However, to date no research has focused on understanding the program or supervision experiences of our behavior professionals. A mixed-methods survey was send to over 1,200 behavior analysts across Pennsylvania to understand a variety of professional issues, including questions about their program selection considerations, and strengths and needs of their training program. The respondents (n = 98) also described the type(s), strengths, and needs of their supervision experiences and supervisors. Results from this survey are still being analyzed; however, preliminary findings suggest that future behavior analysts select their training program based on location/convenience, program reputation, and specific program characteristics (e.g., able to work while completing the program). Results from this survey will add an important missing voice into our fields’ conversations regarding training program quality and can provide critically important information for those responsible for training the next generation of behavior analysts.

Wraparound professionals are typically masters-level service providers who work with individuals with autism in home and community settings. However, as this study shows, some may lack the necessary skills to do so using applied behavioral analytic (ABA) strategies. This study discusses a competency-based training designed to bridge this gap. At the present time, eight participants have received training on how to define behavior, write behavioral goals, and collect and analyze behavioral data visually. Twenty more professionals are projected to complete the training by the end of the project. Preliminary results show that prior to training on average most participants score at 34% competency level. Currently, after fully training two participants, the average competency level increases to 84%. Likewise, participants and administrators report greater satisfaction with this approach as compared to traditional training.

Students in an undergraduate applied behavior analysis (ABA) course were asked to develop and implement a behavioral self-management program in which they pinpointed a single target behavior within one of six dimensions of wellbeing. Students were provided with instruction on ABA principles and strategies and received guidance from the course instructor while crafting action plans for their behavior change projects. The purpose of this project was to enhance students' learning experience while learning the basic principles of behavior analysis. Students were asked to apply ABA principles in order to demonstrate their ability to effectively use self-management strategies to change their own behavior, as well as evaluate the effectiveness of their behavior change strategies. This poster will illustrate the step-by-step process through which the course instructor guided students, share data-based results from individual student projects, as well as share a summary of students' reflections on their experiences and students' perceptions of their ability to use what they learned in the course in future behavior change applications.

We extended Mitteer, Greer, Fisher, and Cohrs (2018) by examining the effects of a video model on inputting data into GraphPad Prism, which is a necessary skill for graph construction. We also replicated Mitteer et al. by examining the effects of a graphing video model with each participant following acquisition of data input. We used a concurrent multiple-baseline-across-skills design with two behavior technicians to assess input and graphing skills separately prior to and during access to relevant video models. We evaluated the generality of the training procedures by assessing both skills during input-plus-graphing sessions without access to the video models. The video models resulted in mastery of input and graphing skills when assessed individually. We observed training effects generalize to input-plus-graphing sessions once behavior technicians experienced all relevant video models. These results suggest that individuals should view both input and graphing video models prior to depicting single-case design data in Prism but that these skills can maintain at high levels of accuracy without continued access to the training materials.

In this research the psychological aspects that participate in a teaching-learning situation are analyzed and discussed. That is, the modes of language, as a medium of conventional contact and the abilities, aptitudes and competencies. The functional contact emphasizes the psychological phenomenon, as an activity defined from an individual and at least one object or another individual; the individual is not separable, as part of the relationship of the other entities. The term contact, as a logical category, specifies the means that makes the functional relationship possible. Sixteen children of both sexes of the fifth grade with and without special education requirements from a public elementary school participated in the study analyzed. An intrasubject design was used with a diagnostic test, initial test, intervention phase and a final test. The analysis of the psychological dimension in a teaching-learning situation can be an alternative to transfer from a traditional conception that emphasizes the products and results, to another centered on interdependent relationships in which the complementary modes of language (speaking-listening, reading-writing, observing-pointing/gesturing), are integrated as multimodal episodes and make possible the interaction between people, actions, objects and events pertinent to the situation.

This research aims to find a suitable replacement for rats in experimental behavior analysis discipline on undergraduate courses. To achieve this objective the game Portal 2 ® test chamber creation tool has been utilized on naive psychology students as a way to teach them basic behavior analysis concepts, such as modeling, all the participants had to solve a questionnaire before and after the experiment as well as attend to theoretical classes, then they were divided into two groups one of them had practical modeling and extinction classes with a Portal 2 ® test chamber created by the authors and the other had a standard approach with Wistar rats and Skinner boxes. The results showed that both groups had similar results on their post-test which may classify Portal 2 ® test chambers as a suitable alternative to traditional teaching on experimental behavior analysis.

Criminal behavior is a persistent social problem. Nationally, nearly 68% of individuals released from prison return within three years (National Institutes of Justice, 2014). There is increased interest, including by researchers and federal agencies (e.g., National Institute of Justice) to examine the neurocognitive deficits of offenders. However, additional research advancing the science and practice of examining decisions to commit or abstain from crime, is needed. Individuals who have been convicted of criminal offenses often have co-morbidities or co-occurring conditions such as alcohol and substance abuse, disease, and/or mental illness (Jaffe, Huang, & Hser, 2012). Behavioral economics provides a promising approach for evaluating a variety of reinforcer pathologies including substance abuse, problem gambling, alcohol abuse, and obesity (see, MacKillop, et al. 2011). However, few studies have specifically examined behavioral economics methodology with individuals who have been convicted of criminal offenses. In the present study, participants were recruited from a community-based re-entry program in Kansas City, Missouri. Participants completed computerized assessments including a delay discounting task. Data are presented on delay discounting rates among different types of offenders. Delayed discounting values were analyzed based on offender types including violent offenses, non-violent offenses, sex offenses, and drug offenses. Based on pilot-testing of the computerized assessment, overall the hyperboloid functions seemingly fit the data well for the discounting of money by individuals who had been convicted of multiple offenses (r2=.94), or committed more severe crimes such as sex (r2=.90) and drug-related (r2=.89) offenses. The monetary valuation for sex, drug, and multiple offenses decreases with the delay in time. Additionally, it was found that criminal offenders, particularly those with more severe offenses, displayed similar patterns of delay discounting as identified in previous studies for other maladaptive behaviors (e.g., drug use, gambling). The lessons learned and practical recommendations for advancing behavioral economic research toward reducing criminal behavior and recidivism are presented.

Increases in the use of alternative, unsupported treatments have been observed in multiple countries, including the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom (Eisenburg, Davis, et al., 1998; Coulter & Willis, 2004; Segar, 2011). When used as an alternative to empirically-supported treatments, these treatments represent a suboptimal use of time and resources. Using the Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) platform, this study evaluated the demand for an empirically-supported treatment for child behavior problems with and without the availability of an alternative, treatment option unsupported by research. Participants were caregivers who endorsed difficulties with child behavior and a willingness to pursue behavioral treatment. Preliminary results indicated that a high degree of caregivers elected to substitute an evidence-based treatment for an alternative, unsupported treatment to varying degrees. These findings represent a novel extension of the applied behavioral economic framework and support continued efforts to use operant demand methodology to inform policy regarding evidence-based treatments.

Delay discounting has been shown to be related to psychological flexibility, social discounting, and substance-use disorders, suggesting that addiction and social processes are related. While relations between delay discounting and the valuation of various commodities have been extensively examined, relations between such commodities and social discounting have not. This study aims to assess such relations, primarily those between social discounting, delay discounting, psychological flexibility, and valuations of food, alcohol and firearms. Eighty U.S. adult participants were recruited using Amazon MTURK and administered questionnaires using Qualtrics. Adjusting-amount procedures were used to measure delay discounting, social discounting, and commodity valuations (i.e., where participants had to choose between an adjusting, smaller amount of money for anything or a fixed, larger gift card for a particular class of commodities). Social discounting was also measured using a monetary-choice questionnaire and a novel slider assessment procedure. Results support previous findings between delay and social discounting and magnitude effects on commodity valuation. However, the tendency for shallow social discounters to value firearms higher than steeper discounters and the lack of relation between delay discounting and firearm valuation suggests important differences between the two forms of discounting and further contextualizes the utility of such procedures.

Most questionnaires in the game fields were developed based on experiences and opinions, limiting their usage in terms of understanding human behaviors and identifying effective factors to make game successful. The purpose of this study is developing a new scale for game developers based on learning theory, in order to identify game elements that affect game behaviors among users. Through previous research analysis, interviewing game experts and applying ABC framework based on learning theory to items, total of 46 items were developed: 10 items of natural rewards from playing games, 13 items of reward systems within games, 23 items of game design and construct element. And, 450 adult participants ages from 20 to 49 completed the questionnaires for the games they were familiar with. The exploratory factor analysis showed two factors (intrinsic and extrinsic reinforcement) in natural rewards, three factors (predictable reward, unpredictable reward, and punishment) in reward systems, and three factors (game management, influencing, and game design) in game design and components. The confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indices (CFI, TLI and RMSEA). Also, internal consistency falls in the acceptable range. These indices indicate that the new scale is a reliable and valid instrument. Finally, implications were discussed.

Behavioral skills training has been shown to teach firearm safety skills to children (Miltenberger et al., 2004), to teach blackjack skills to adults (Speelman, Whiting, & Dixon, 2015), and to teach accurate pouring to college students (Hankla, Kohn, & Normand, 2017). Behavioral skills training may also be effective for teaching interview skills to adolescents who have been adjudicated. Improved interview skills in this population may result in future employment, leading to decreased likelihood of recidivism (Visher & Courtney, 2007; Visher, Debus, & Yahner, 2008; Yahner & Visher, 2008) and increased access to reinforcers such as social interactions and income. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of BST to improve the interview skills of adolescents who had been adjudicated. Effects of BST were evaluated in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across behaviors design. Procedures implemented were adapted from Stocco, Thompson, Hart, and Soriano (2017).

There is an increasing awareness of the imbalance of power that exists between men and women, exemplified by wage gaps, lower incidence of women CEOs, and prevalence of sexual harassment towards women in all settings. Sexual harassment is a prevalent problem in the workplace, despite the availability of harassment trainings required in many companies. Because behavior analysts have the expertise to change behavior, general societal problems such as sexual harassment can and should be addressed by behavior analysts. This poster will review research on sexual harassment trainings done in institutions. A small amount of research has examined perceptions of the effectiveness of trainings, but insufficient research has been done on how trainings decrease sexual harassment behaviors. Based on the research and common procedures for trainings on sexual harassment, limitations will be addressed and directions for future research will be presented. Potential improvements for sexual harassment training procedures, based on proven behavioral training procedures in other areas, will be discussed and proposed.

Disruptive behavior in childhood and adolescence requires immediate attention due to the high incidence of this behavior and its direct association with aggressiveness and antisocial behavior. The purpose of this research was to apply a behavior modification program for disruptive behavior in adolescents and adults. The participants are five adolescents from a youth integration center and five adults in the south-southeast regional justice center. Record sheets are used for the occurrence of behaviors and an application for a mobile device for behavioral registration. The initial records operationalist the disruptive behaviors of the program and were carried out by two observers who met at least 80% of agreement. A stimulus preference evaluation was conducted and subsequently a multiple baseline design consisting of a behavioral contract and token economy. The program lasted four weeks and a follow-up phase. The predicted results include the decrease in disruptive behavior after the intervention in both groups. The results will be discussed in relation to the importance of intervening on disruptive behaviors in populations that are difficult to access and with behavioral problems such as aggression and addictions. Identify strategies and early intervention for this type of behavior will be proposed.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist (PDC) is a tool developed to identify the environmental variables that affect poor employee performance. Research has supported the utility of the PDC across a variety of settings and, more recently, the Performance Diagnostic Checklist – Human Services (PDC-HS) was created to address the need for such a tool specifically in human services settings. We identified three staff members that exhibited a need for improvement in their performance during in-home applied behavior analysis sessions. The PDC-HS was administered with 2 supervisors to assess the variables that may have affected poor performance in the area of functional communication training by staff that those supervisors were responsible for. The PDC-HS identified that Behavioral Skills Training (BST) would be an appropriate intervention for all participants. BST was evaluated to determine its effectiveness in improving employee performance. Data collection is ongoing, but the initial results suggest that BST may be effective and that other intervention components may be needed for individual staff.

Within the human services field, staff are required to do a variety of tasks while still caring for children. High levels of fidelity across tasks is essential to student outcomes. Self-monitoring coupled with supervision has been effective in managing staff performance (Richmond, Riordan, Reiss, Pyles, and Baily, 1988). The current study examined the impact of self-monitoring and supervisory checks on the completion of IEP objectives across two classrooms. During baseline, focus sheets were provided to staff in the absence of self-monitoring or supervisory checks. Moderate levels of completion were observed across both classrooms. During intervention, staff were required to record completed IEP objectives on a focus sheet across each student. Staff then computed the percentage of completed programs over the week period and turned in focus sheets to the supervisor. Results of the intervention indicated that self-monitoring and supervisory checks are adequate to improve and maintain high rates of IEP completion. Levels of completion again dropped during a reversal phase. Interobserver agreement was conducted across 71% of sessions and averaged 100%. Future investigations might include a component analysis to see if self-monitoring alone or systematic fading of supervisory checks would maintain high levels of completion.

Behavior Skills Training (BST) has been demonstrated to be an effective method in training staff to perform skills with high fidelity in a relatively short amount of time. In the current study, three components of Direct Instruction (DI) were trained using BST. The participants were two classroom instructors with prior experience implementing DI with students with autism. The targets for staff training were accuracy with signal delivery, error correction, and reinforcer delivery. BST was provided to the participants for each component skill and a multiple baseline design across skills was used to evaluate the effects of BST. Generalization probes were conducted with a student with autism during baseline and after mastery with each skill was demonstrated. BST rapidly increased staff performance across skills with generalization demonstrated during classroom probes. This study extends the use of BST to implementation of DI and the results suggest that BST delivered in role-play scenarios resulted in improved teacher performance of the targeted skills in generalization probes with students.

Burnout literature remains inconclusive due to variable methods and few study/result replications (Skirrow & Hatton, 2007). The purposes of this systematic review were threefold: 1) to determine the trend of direct care staff (staff) burnout since 2004; 2) to identify and review the correlates of burnout and effective treatment interventions and; 3) to identify the current gaps in the literature. This systematic review followed the inclusion criteria and graphing procedures by Skirrow and Hatton (2007). The 37 studies included mean subscale scores from the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 1996), recruited staff who worked directly with adults with disabilities, and were written in English. Results show that personal accomplishment (M = 32.22; range = 4.88-43.7) has increased, emotional exhaustion (M = 17.19; range = 2.09-28.12) has remained stable, and depersonalization (M = 4.74; range = 0.67-11.1) has decreased since 2004. These results suggest that burnout among staff has decreased overtime. Further analyses are still in progress, therefore correlates, effective treatments, gaps, and future directions for research will be discussed on the poster. Understanding correlates of burnout, effective treatment strategies, and gaps in the literature is important to develop a best practice for preventing and treating burnout in staff.

The purpose of this study was to train a behavior therapist to code video examples of the primary verbal operants (e.g. mand, tact, echoic, and intraverbal). Using Train to Code© software, the participant progressed through an automated seven-level training program which systematically faded out prompts. Pre-test and post-test consisted of a printed worksheet with 32 statements in multiple choice format. Prior to beginning coding, the participant was exposed to definitions (e.g. auditory and textual) for each operant. During training, the participant responded by coding each video exemplar with a keystroke and the software automatically advanced and remediated training levels according to set criteria. Pre-test results indicated the participant was able to code mand and echoic statements with 100% accuracy, but only 32% accuracy on tact and intraverbal trials. Training results, thus far, demonstrated that the participant accurately coded 262 of 337 trials (78% accuracy) across the first three faded prompt levels across two sessions. A post-test probe after level 3 suggested modest improvement with tact and intraverbal coding (50% accuracy) and continued demonstration of 100% accuracy on mand and echoic exemplars. Preliminary results provide implications for the efficacy of automated training programs to teach behavior analytic concepts.

Children's Postinfectious Autoimmune Encephalopathy (CPAE) is a condition where an infection triggers an autoimmune reaction which can affect neurological function, mood, and behavior. It has been suggested that behavioral interventions may decrease the frequency of disruptive, aggressive, or oppositional behaviors in children diagnosed with CPAE disorders, despite the onset of symptoms relating to bio-behavioral influence (Thienemann et al., 2017). The current study was threefold: 1.) The Function of Behavior - Medical Screening Tool (FOB-MED) was utilized in a clinic setting to determine a hypothesized function of a child’s behavior diagnosed with CPAE and Autism Spectrum Disorder. 2.) A brief functional analysis (BFA) of challenging behavior was conducted to confirm the function identified by the FOB-MED, and 3.) function-based treatment was provided in the home setting with care providers. Data demonstrated the frequency of challenging behaviors pre and post interventions. The current study examines the impact of both biological and behavioral interventions for a child dually diagnosed with CPAE and ASD, adding to the limited available research for this population.

The Children's Postinfectious Autoimmune Encephalopathy (CPAE) Center of Excellence at The University of Arizona assesses children for Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Syndrome Associated with Streptococcal Infection (PANDAS). Although medical treatments can be crucial in alleviating symptoms, research has suggested that psychological and behavioral interventions are also beneficial both in the acute and chronic stages of illness, due to the bio-behavioral influences that arise (Thienemann et al., 2017). A total of 62 children are summarized, with 48 children (ages 4 to 17) receiving a diagnosis of PANS/PANDAS/CPAE. The Function of Behavior – Medical Screening Tool (FOB-MED), a brief screener for medical settings, was utilized to determine the function of patients’ behaviors for efficiency. Data indicated comparable functions of behavior (i.e. attention, tangible/preferred activities, escape, and automatic) across groups (see table) with some variations. The current data indicates that children with a PANS/PANDAS diagnosis may benefit from comparable, function-based interventions as other children. Treatment acceptability data were also collected via the TARF-R. Thus, the FOB-MED can assist practitioners with screening and identifying functions of challenging behavior, and more effectively provide brief treatment recommendations to families in primary care settings.

The Function of Behavior – MEDICAL Screening Tool (FOB-MED) was developed to streamline a functional behavior assessment administered by medical professionals. A functional analysis can take approximately two hours for a professional to conduct (Roane, Ringdahl, & Falcomata, 2015), but the FOB-MED only takes fifteen minutes to complete and can identify hypothesized function of behavior (i.e. escape, automatic, tangible, attention). It is administered by a medical professional (i.e. nurse, nurse practitioner, pediatrician) in interview format and consists of eight questions. In the current study, after the FOB-MED was administered, a functional analysis was conducted to establish comparative validity between the results (FOB-MED results to an in-vivo Functional Analysis of challenging behavior). The results for children in diverse medical settings were compared. These initial results indicate matched functions (validity) between the hypothesized function from the FOB-MED and the confirmed function through an in-vivo functional analysis. As validity data for the FOB-MED tool is established over time, the tool can be used in medical settings by primary care professionals to help focus efforts on function-based intervention.

Several studies have related neuropsychological impairments with behavioral, cognitive, emotional and personality disorders derived from chronic drug-use. Research on executive functions has contributed to the neuropsychological understanding of the frontal lobe. The damage of this area implies problems in the control and regulation of behavior. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare performance patterns in three cognitive tasks (Shifting, Updating and Inhibition) and six tasks of delay discounting of monetary gains and losses considering three magnitudes (3000, 6000, 9000) for each condition in adolescents and adults with moderate and severe dependence and their contrast with control group. We worked with 20 adolescents and 20 adults (20 drug-users and 20 controls), the control subjects were in school environments, while the clinical sample was in treatment centers for problems of drug use and behavior. A positive correlation was found among delay discounting gains, shifting and updating tasks, whereas inhibition task and delay discounting of losses were correlated. A magnitude effect was found for the delay discounting gains and not for the losses in both groups. Low performance was observed in the shifting, updating tasks, and steeply delay discounting in drug users. These findings suggest that discounting tasks could be associated with the same executive function process as shifting and updating tasks, which converts the discount into an objective indicator that could suggests alterations of the frontal lobe.

Tinnitus affects approximately 1 in 10 Americans. However, traditional treatment approaches have shown limited efficacy. This study combines the concepts of lateral inhibition and positive reinforcement learning in an innovative way to alleviate tinnitus. Lateral inhibition is a phenomenon where neurons activated by their characteristic frequency will not only exhibit enhanced excitatory response to that frequency, but will also have an inhibitory influence on surrounding neurons. Lateral inhibition-based mechanisms have been targeted for modulating tinnitus perception and N1m response to the tinnitus frequency.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of providing positive reinforcement to tinnitus subjects when they respond to sound stimuli centered 1/8th octave away from their tinnitus frequency. We hypothesize that this training will reinforce neuroplasticity and provide relief from tinnitus. Preliminary behavioral and neural data are presented.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the Intensive Tact Instruction (ITI) on the ability related to social interactions. The participants of the study were three 5-year-old males with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Busan, South Korea. For this study, a multiple probe design across participants was used to identify a potential functional relationship between independent and dependent variables. As an independent variable, the Intensive Tact Instruction (ITI) was implemented in which 100 additional tact Learn Units were presented in addition to the mean number of daily Learn Units received by the participants. The social interaction was measured as a primary dependent variable which consisted of initiative and responsive social behaviors (e.g., joint attention/activity, tacts, mands, etc.). The dependent variable was measured in two non-instructional settings: hallway and play. The result indicated that the dependent variable significantly increased during the post-intervention probes comparing to the pre-intervention probes. These results suggest that the Intensive Tact Instruction (ITI) is effective to improve the social interaction of the participants with ASD.

Independent tacting is an essential repertoire of verbal behavior that many students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder are missing. There is ample research on teaching tacts to students with ASD, but far fewer on examining effective tactics for increasing the rate of acquisition of tacts therefore, we conducted an experiment using an A-B-A-B reversal design with counterbalanced conditions to compare the effects of specific versus non-specific praise on the rate of tact acquisition. Specific praise, where the name of the stimulus was repeated, and non-specific praise, general praise, was delivered as a consequence when participants correctly tacted. Researchers also used the specific name of the tact during the correction procedure. The experiment is still underway, but the data indicate there are no differences between the use of specific and non-specific praise on the acquisition of tacts. Participant attendance and setting events were a limitation of this study. Future research should be conducted to determine whether the level of verbal behavior or having BiDirectional Naming influences the rate of acquisition of tacts.

Stimulus-stimulus pairing is a procedure intended to produce vocalizations in children with language delays, especially those for whom standard echoic training failed. The procedure was effective in some studies, partially effective in others and ineffective in some. Two groups of variables might explain such mixed results, characteristics of participants and procedural variables. This study aimed to investigate the effects of vocal pattern during pairings over frequency of novel vocalizations. Participated 3 girls and 6 boys with autism, 2 to 8 yo. Procedure included a pre-assessment screening for existing vocalizations, a baseline session and 10 treatment sessions. In baseline session, 2 vocal sounds were presented in a 1-minute VI schedule without pairing, 5 times each. In treatment, the same sounds were paired with preferred items or social stimulation. Procedure was ineffective for 5 participants (AG, DV, LA, MA, RA) and partially effective for 4 (DA, JV, LN and LP). For those whom the procedure was partially effective, differential results on the vocal pattern during pairings were not consistent. Previous studies used motherese pattern relying on the premise this pattern would have conditioned value due to pairings in early childhood. These results does not support this assumption for children with autism.

Previous research has proven that stimulus-stimulus pairing is an effective form of intervention for increasing vocalizations. However, few research studies replicate variables used during stimulus-stimulus pairing (SSP) in order to create a systematic and technological method of implementation for SSP. This research study evaluated the effects of varying the number of presentations of target sounds presented during stimulus-stimulus pairing to bring echoics under echoic control, replicating similar variables of Miliotis et al. (2014). Two conditions, three presentations of a target sound and one presentation of a target sound, were compared using multiple baseline across two participants. The results of the study concluded that 1 presentation sound produced higher rates of producing echoics brought under echoic control.