Advisor(s)
Gary Pace
Contributor(s)
Daniel Fienup, Katherine Gilligan
Date of Award
2009
Date Accepted
4-2009
Degree Grantor
Northeastern University
Degree Level
M.S.
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department or Academic Unit
Bouvé College of Health Sciences. Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology.
Keywords
Counseling psychology, Functional communication training, Schedule thinning
Subject Categories
People with disabilities, Learning disabled--Means of communication
Disciplines
Developmental Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Identifying antecedent events can reduce problem behavior by manipulating the environmental event that precedes the behavior. An antecedent procedure commonly used to reduce problem behavior by increasing adaptive responding in individuals with developmental disabilities is functional communication training (FCT). However, one challenge of employing FCT as a treatment is that reinforcement for appropriate communication may not always be immediate or possible in the natural environment. In the current study, we taught tolerance for delay of reinforcement through thinning the schedule of reinforcement during FCT. After conducting a functional analysis, FCT with extinction was used to teach an appropriate alternative response to gain access to tangible items. The schedule of reinforcement was then gradually thinned to 1 minute. Results revealed that schedule thinning during FCT with extinction is an effective method for teaching tolerance for delay of reinforcement.
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Rights Holder
Stephanie A. Orman
Permanent URL
Recommended Citation
Orman, Stephanie A., "Teaching tolerance for delay of reinforcement to reduce a tangibly motivated behavior" (2009). Counseling Psychology Master's Theses. Paper 7. http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d10018785
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