Association for Behavior Analysis International

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41st Annual Convention; San Antonio, TX; 2015

Event Details


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Symposium #414
The Effects of Different Variables on Preference for Choice-Making Opportunities
Monday, May 25, 2015
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
207A (CC)
Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Courtney Laudont (University of Houston-Clear Lake)
Discussant: Lindsay M. Knapp (St. Cloud State University)
Abstract:

Providing choices as an antecedent manipulation has been effective for decreasing problem behavior and increasing appropriate behavior, and has become a popular treatment option across many settings. One reason providing choices may be so effective it that choice-making opportunities are reinforcing in itself. In fact, previous research has shown that many populations have a preference for choice-making opportunities; however, it is possible that some variables associated with choices (type of reinforcers or task presented) may be an important variable for determining that preference. It may be that, depending on the preference of the different stimuli, a preference for choice-making opportunities may be more evident. In the current symposium, researchers will discuss how they replicated and extended previous research by evaluating whether the preference level of the reinforcers available or the tasks presented has an effect on typically developing children�s preference for choice-making opportunities.

Keyword(s): choice, preference, reinforcer, task
 

An Evaluation of the Effects of Task Preference on the Value of Choice in Typically Developing Preschool Children

ROCIO CUEVAS (Pennsylvania State University), Julie A. Ackerlund Brandt (St Cloud State University)
Abstract:

Providing choices has been a successful intervention for increasing appropriate and decreasing inappropriate behaviors in work and classroom settings; however, the mechanism responsible for this success is unknown. Choice may be a preferred condition, in and of itself, and that preference may decrease the how aversive an individual may find a work environment. If this is true, the opportunity to choose may be more valuable in situations in which less-preferred tasks are available. The current study replicated and extended previous research on the reinforcing value of choice by evaluating the effects of task preference in isolation to determine if there is an effect on participants preference for making choices. Results suggest that when the tasks presented are of moderate- and low-preference, the participant selected the child-choice option at a high frequency and at a more moderate frequency when the tasks presented were high-preferred. This indicates that although being given the opportunity to choose is a reinforcer across contexts, it may be more valuable in situations in which the tasks are less-preferred.

 

An Evaluation of the Effects of Reinforcer Preference on the Value of Choice in Typically Developing Preschool Children

MEGAN RHETT (Penn State Harrisburg), Julie A. Ackerlund Brandt (St Cloud State University)
Abstract:

Recent research on choice has shown that it, in itself, is a reinforcer. However, there is little research on variables that may affect the reinforcing efficacy of it. One variable may be the preference level of the reinforcers provided. Providing choices may be more reinforcing, or only reinforcing, if the items provided are high-preferred items. The current study replicated and extended previous research on the reinforcing value of choice by evaluating the effects of reinforcer preference in isolation to determine if there is an effect on participants preference for making choices. Results suggest that when the reinforcers presented are of moderate- and low-preference, the participant selected the child-choice option at a high frequency and at a low frequency when the reinforcers presented were high-preferred. This indicates that choosing may be more valuable in situations in which the reinforcers provided are less-preferred. One reason may be that when low- and moderate-preferred items are available, the participant has learned the act of choosing their reinforcer increases the likelihood that the reinforcer consumed will be better than when someone chooses for them.

 

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