Association for Behavior Analysis International

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of varying the signaling and the spatial location (order and place of occurrence) of no contingent stimuli events over differential adjustment. Nine rats were exposed to three experimental conditions that were characterized by the manipulation of the spatial coordinates in which water (contextualizing stimulus) was delivered using a Fixed Time 20s schedule. In Phase 1 water was delivered only in a spatial location. In Phase 2 the water was delivered in three different spatial locations in sequential order while in Phase 3 was delivered in random order. Three groups were differentiated depending on the signaling conditions (contextualized stimulus): (1) without signaling, (2) variable spatial contiguity between signal and water, (3) spatial contiguity between signal and water. The results suggest that the differential adjustment is affected by: (a) the consistency of the occurrence of stimuli in fixed spatial coordinates through time; (b) the conjoint occurrence of signal and water delivery location; and (c) the spatial contiguity between these stimuli. Several measurement units to identify the differential adjustment related to contextual function were proposed.

Despite the efficacy of reinforcement-based procedures for increasing appropriate behaviors, there is still reluctance to adopt them, especially within educational settings. This reluctance is due to a popular Social Theory concept called the Overjustification Effect. Researchers have suggested that reinforcement procedures reduce intrinsic motivation to perform a behavior after reinforcement has been terminated. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine the prevalence and magnitude of the overjustification effect when token reinforcement is withheld following a period of reinforcement. There have been additional suggestions that the expectancy of rewards increases the likelihood of the overjustification effect; therefore, this study also compared expected and unexpected reinforcement conditions. A reversal design was used to analyze the experimental conditions in which undergraduate students were presented with basic math problems under different reinforcement contingencies. The overjustification effect was observed in 2 of the 12 participants (once in the unexpected condition; once in the expected condition). Overall, the results of the study did not show a significant prevalence of the overjustification effect, and there does not appear to be a difference as to the expectancy of rewards.

This descriptive study aimed to demonstrate the utility of metacontingency as a unit of analysis for determining the effect of family support on the juvenile offenders' success in meeting treatment goals. One juvenile offender (male), one sibling (male), and their mother were included as participants. Analysis of the juvenile's institutional records and interviews were employed. The records indicated that the quality of the family interactions, return to school, and making new friends (considered as aggregate products), were achieved as intervention goals. The analysis of the interviews was based on the recurrence of coordinated behaviors. The results indicated that: a) most of the interlocking behavioral contingencies were related to the aggregate products, b) most of the interlocking behavioral contingencies associated with the parent and juvenile interactions demonstrated instances of rule establishment and mutual support, c) most of the IBCs associated with juvenile and sibling interactions demonstrated instances of the two having fun together and sharing information about their daily activities. The results suggested that the parameters of multiple measures of aggregate products, produced by the recurrence of coordinated behaviors were useful in the analysis of family interactions that contributed to juvenile offender's treatment goals.

The EPA estimates that 250 million tons of solid waste were produced in the U.S. in 2010 (EPA, 2011). Although some of this is recovered through recycling, a significant amount of recyclable material continues to end up in landfills and dumps, to the detriment of the environment. Many institutions such as universities, where a large number of people gather on a daily basis, have adopted recycling programs as part of efforts to increase environmental sustainability. The amount of recyclable materials disposed of in trash bins and recycling receptacles was measured in classrooms located on two different floors of a university building. Building on previous recycling research, we evaluated the effects of bin proximity (placing recycling bins in the classrooms) and informational signs (visual cues about what items to recycle) on levels of recycling, using a reversal design. Although the amount of recyclable material being thrown in the trash cans decreased with the introduction of the bins and the signs, the amount of material being recycled was not enough to account for this change. Interpretations of this finding and suggestions for future researchers are discussed.

Anxiety is a normal emotional and physiological response to feeling threatened, it involves emotional components, physiological and cognitive. These can be important causes in the loss of motivation towards learning and poor performance in the students. The objective of this research was compare the physiological, cognitive and Behavioral anxiety between students of Biology, Medicine, Dentistry, Psychology, Nursing Career. To 120 voluntary students of both sexes: were applied to the Inventory of Situations and Answers to them of Anxiety (ISRA: Tobal and Cano Vindel, 1986), that the general level of anxiety evaluates: cognitive, physiological and motor components. The results demonstrated a greater level of cognitive anxiety in the students of Biology, compared with the other professionals careers. The lowest level of anxiety was present in psychology students. It is inferred, what would imply to recognize the importance of the effects of the anxiety on the scholastic yield in the students. It is concluded that the stage at which anxiety arises has implications for stages of processing will create cognitive deficits, some limitations in their concentration and attention abilities.

The objective of the research was examined a combined approach of manipulating reinforcer dimensions and delay fading to promote the development of self-control with 10 children with obesity. First, was administered a brief computer-based assessment to determine the relative influence of reinforcer rate (R), reinforcer quality (Q), reinforcer immediacy (I), and effort (E) on the students choices between concurrently presented math problems (additions) associated with healthy food. During each session, one of these dimensions was placed in direct competition with another dimension (e.g., RvI involving math problem alternatives associated with high-rate delayed reinforcement vs. low-rate immediate reinforcement), with all possible pairs of dimensions presented across the six assessment conditions (RvQ, RvI, RvE, QvI, QvE, IvE). The assessment revealed that the choices of all children were most influenced by immediacy of reinforcement and reinforcer rate reflecting impulsivity. Then implemented a self-control training procedure in which reinforcer immediacy competed with another influential dimension (RvI or QvI), and the delay associated with the higher rate or quality reinforcer alternative was progressively increased. The students allocated the majority of their time to the a alternatives yielding more frequent (high-rate) or preferred (high-quality) reinforcement despite delays of up to 24 hr. The assessment showed that self-control transferred across untrained dimensions of reinforcement and also showed changes in the choice of unhealthy to healthy food.

A selection of behavior-analytic journals were reviewed for "OCD" in article titles, abstracts, and keywords. Following identification of "OCD," the described behaviors with respect to the diagnosis were evaluated. The authors sought to identify common behaviors correlated with the diagnoses within the literature, as well as common interventions and the respective effects. The authors also discuss the role of behavior analysis in the treatment of OCD and how the role might be demonstrated in the literature.

Feeding disorders are multifaceted with behavioral components often contributing to the development and continuation of food refusal. In these cases, behavioral interventions are effective in treating feeding problems, even when medical and/or oral motor components are also associated with these difficulties. Although behavioral interventions for feeding problems are frequently employed with children with autism, they are less commonly discussed for children with cerebral palsy (CP), likely due to medical and/or oral motor components involved. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of using behavioral interventions to address feeding difficulties in children with autism and children with CP. Forty-five children ages 1 to 12 years who were enrolled in an intensive feeding program between 2003 and 2013 participated. Behavioral treatment components were similar across groups, predominately consisting of escape extinction (e.g., nonremoval of the spoon) and positive reinforcement. For both groups, behavioral treatment was similarly effective in increasing gram consumption and food textures, and in decreasing inappropriate mealtime behavior and negative vocalizations. A high percentage of individualized goals were also met by both groups. In summary, behavioral interventions for food refusal are effective for children with CP with behavioral refusal, just as they are for children with autism.

Functional analysis methodology, specifically experimental manipulations of antecedent and consequent events, are the gold standard for assessment of problem behaviors in the field. Such analyses are typically completed in analog settings separate from the individuals natural environment. However, there may be limitations to conducting functional analyses in analog settings. Some schools or settings (e.g., home) may not have access to an analog setting or may not be able to create the specialized environmental conditions typically employed in an analog setting. The analog setting may be so distinctly different from the individuals natural setting that the assessment may fail to evoke the behavior. Conversely, the analog setting might evoke other novel behaviors that were not anticipated. The present study evaluated alternative assessment procedures for one student for whom the analog functional analysis failed to yield conclusive results. Implications for clinicians and strategies for assessing problem behaviors within a natural setting are discussed.

Research confirms that the effects of choice making on various parameters of behavior such as engagement, affect, and problem behavior (Cole & Levinson, 2002; Vaughn & Horner, 1997). Stimulus preference assessment methods frequently assist behavior analysts in identifying a variety of stimulus that can serve as potential reinforcers used in adaptive or education training programs (Daily III, Wells, Swanger-Gagne, Carr, Kunz and Taylor, 2009). DeLeon and Iwata (1996) indicate that a Multiple Stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment can accomplish it in an efficient manner. The study was completed to investigate the preference values of digital and non-digital items for children with Autism using standard behavioral analytic strategies. Four school-age students with Autism participated in the study. All participants participated in a day program in Paris (France) where they received at least 20 hours of one to one intensive behavioral treatment. Informed consent from the students family was obtained. In this study, procedures were similar to those reported by DeLeon and Iwata (1996). The dependent measure consisted of a stimulus selection response, which the observer recorded when a student chose an item from the horizontal array of 8 items: 2 digital tablets and 6 age appropriate toys. Moreover, the study made possible to compare the two digital items (a Nabi and an Ipad tablets). In this study, choice refers to the act of selecting an item or activity from an array of options at a particular moment in time (Romaniuk & Miltenberger, 2001). The experimenter told the student that he/she would be able to choose activities during the break. Following each selection, the experimenter removed the chosen activity and rearranged the remaining activities, which reduce the possibility that selections might be made based on the position of the item. This procedure was followed until there was only one item on the table. Ten sessions were completed on separate days within 15 days. For each student, the median rank for each activity across the ten sessions was chosen as an indication of individual preference for that activity. In summary, this study supports the research of MSWO as an efficient way of identifying potential reinforcers and indicates that the selected Nabi tablet can be a high-preferred item for children with Autism, considering aspects of design, cost benefit and durability.

Early intensive behavioural intervention has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing symptoms of autism, and increasing functional skills in children with autism spectrum disorders. This study will assess the effects of one year of centre-based ABA services for 20 children between the ages of 24 months and 6 years 11 months across different measures: childrens academics, behaviour, and adaptive skills, as well as parental stress. It is hypothesized that following one year of intervention, differences will be seen across the measures.

For adults with developmental disabilities, acquisition of vocational skills is one of the most important factors in successful transition into the community (Gerhardt & Lainer, 2010). Compliance is an important component to learning and participating in vocational tasks. Differential reinforcement has been supported as an effective treatment in the pediatric population for increasing adaptive behaviors, but research has not been extended to the adult population (Fischetti et al., 2012). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of differential reinforcement to increase compliance. The participant is a 26 year old male diagnosed with Autism in a transitional campus for adults with severe problem behavior. He currently has limited communication, minimal community access, lack of safety awareness, and is not attending vocational program. These challenges have lead to serious injury and a highly restrictive environment. Based upon the serious nature of current challenges and a history of unsuccessful interventions, a treatment to increase compliance was initiated. Sessions consisted of presentation of highly preferred edibles on an FR1 schedule contingent upon compliance. An ABAB design was used measuring percentage of compliance, and interobserver agreement was taken during 84% of sessions. Data demonstrates that treatment successfully increased the percentage of compliance.

Teaching students with autism the necessary academic strategies that increase on-task behaviors, skill acquisitions, and completion of tasks are essential in assisting students to successfully participate in their least restrictive environments. (Harris, Graham, Mason, & Saddler 2002; Mason, Harris, & Graham 2011; Glaser & Brunstein 2007). A functional based assessment (FBA) was conducted on three students with autism who engaged in escape-motivated behavior during written expression activities. A written expression strategy, POW+TREE was employed to teach to the function of escape. POW+TREE, teaches the students to organize their writing thoughts by following the mnemonic of: Pick my ideas, Organize my notes, Write and say more, then the acronym of TREE was taught: Topic Sentence, Multiple Reasons, Explaining and Ending the writing piece (Harris, Graham & Mason, 2002). A self-monitoring strategy was also employed to assist with attention to task and asking for assistance when needed during the written expression assignments. An ABAB withdrawal design was employed with all three students. Participant One increased his on-task behavior from 41% to 82%; Participant Two increased his on-task behavior from 20% to 90%; and Participant Three increased his on-task behavior from 44% to 89%.

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) are commonly used procedures for reducing aggressive behaviors in individuals with autism (Repp & Deitz, 1974;Borrero, J.C., Vollmer, T.R., & Wright, C.S., 2002). Although both procedures have been shown to be effective when used separately, there is a paucity of research that examined their effectiveness in combination. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of DRO and DRA separately and in combination in reducing aggression in students with autism. Aggression during pre and post treatment was examined in eight students. Percent change in aggression suggests that the DRO alone was most effective in reducing aggression. The results also show that there was little difference in percent change of aggression between DRA alone and the combination of DRA and DRO as treatment. Based on the results of the present study, consideration for future research is also discussed.