Counseling Psychology Master's Theses

Conditional relations among abstract stimuli: outcomes from three procedures- variations of Go/no-Go and Match-to-Sample

Kimberly M. Walter — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:53:16 PDT

Match-to-sample procedures (MTS) are often implemented to train conditional relations and to test for emergent relations among arbitrary stimuli. In 2007, Debert, Matos, and McIlvane evaluated if a single-key procedure (go/no-go) could be an alternative to the traditional MTS procedures to teach conditional discriminations and to test for emergent relations in humans. The current study replicated and extended Debert et al. The acquisition of conditional relations and the emergence of derived relations with arbitrary stimuli were compared using three different procedures: go/no-go, go/no-go with printed words "yes" and "no" as a component, and MTS. Three typically developing women, age 23-25,...

Generalization of audience control over verbal repertoires: a systematic replication

Holly Louise Vassar — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:11:48 PDT

Skinner (1957) described audience control as, "the selection of which repertoire to use under the conditional control of the present audience". Little research has been conducted on audience control in children with developmental disabilities. A systematic replication of Silverman et al. (1986) was conducted with modifications including the use of culturally specific stimuli and training using visual stimuli only. One typical adult and 1 child with autism participated. Visual-visual match-to-sample procedures were used to first establish audience classes and then to establish response repertoires under the control of 1 member of each audience class (the "teacher"). The formation of functional...

Reducing vocal stereotypy through an antecedent and consequence intervention package

Kari Anne Dunlop — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:34:17 PDT

Stereotypy is an interfering behavior often observed in individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present study examined the effects of an antecedent and consequence intervention package, including a visual cue card paired with verbal instructions and a trade-in opportunity, on the rates of vocal stereotypy in a student with ASD. The study made use of an alternating treatment design. Results indicated that the treatment package was effective in reducing vocal stereotypy during the red-card sessions. Follow-up probes and anecdotal information indicate that the treatment results were maintained over time and that the treatment required minimal training to...

The role of the defined response in equivalence relations: an extension of Braga-Kenyon et al. (unpublished)

Angela Kay Irwin — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:16:26 PDT

The present study involved 3 typically developing adults and sought to (a) extend the findings of Braga-Kenyon et al., (b) further investigate if defined responses are included as components of the equivalence class, and (c) determine whether equivalence relations can arise from 3-term contingencies. Participants were exposed to four conditions: pretest, training with feedback, training with no feedback, and posttest. The pretest confirmed that there were no pre-existing relations among the experimental stimuli used in this study. During training conditions (with & without feedback), matching to sample trials were presented to establish six pairs of arbitrary relations each involving one...

An analysis of remedial trials on math skill acquisition

Ashley Nicole Weimar — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:23:09 PST

The purpose of the present study was to compare rates of multiplication fact acquisition in a control condition with two other remedial trial conditions. The participants were two school-aged children with autism. During a pretest, the participants were presented with flashcards containing unsolved multiplication facts and were asked to solve the problems. Problems which were solved incorrectly were considered unknown and were randomly assigned to the three training conditions. During training, praise was delivered contingent on correct responding across all conditions. In the baseline condition (differential reinforcement), an error produced no consequences. In both remedial trial conditions, incorrect responses resulted...

Comparing the effects of sight word acquisition interventions with brief experimental analysis in two children with brain injuries

John Racine — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:16:06 PST

This study describes the use of a brief experimental analysis (BEA) in comparing rates of sight word acquisition. Two individuals with brain injuries, in a school setting, were presented with five different sight word acquisition interventions in an alternating treatments experimental design. Interventions included repeated readings, phonics, contingent reinforcement, flashcards with corresponding pictures, and a control condition. Prior to the BEA formal preference and reinforcer assessments were conducted, with the high-preference stimuli being used in the contingent reinforcement condition. For the first participant, the repeated readings intervention produced the highest rates of correct responding. For the second participant, the repeated...

Effects of mastery criteria on maintenance skills in students with developmental disabilities

Shawn F. Vieira — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 06:10:30 PST

Skills of students with developmental disabilities are often considered learned once they have achieved a mastery criterion. Teachers often assign an arbitrary criterion to determine whether a student has demonstrated sufficient learning of a skill, however, little research has been done on the maintenance of learned skills of students' with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a high and low mastery criteria on the maintenance of a receptive identification task. Three adolescents diagnosed with developmental disabilities participated in the study. Participant 1 achieved both the low and high criteria as designed. Participants 2...

Comparison of reinforcement alone and in comparison with redirection for treating automatically-reinforced motor stereotypy

Gesell Gavidia — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:35:18 PST

Response interruption and redirection (RIRD) alone and in combination with reinforcement-based interventions have been effective in reducing automatically-reinforced stereotypy. However, it is unclear whether differential reinforcement of an alternative behavior (DRA) alone would be effective in decreasing stereotypy. In addition, it is unclear whether the combination of DRA and redirection may affect appropriate alternative responding. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of DRA alone and in combination with RIRD as treatment for stereotypy while measuring collateral effects on accuracy and rate of completion of appropriate alternative behavior. Three individuals, with an autism spectrum disorder, who...

A comparison of methods for teaching object lmitation: in-vivo versus video modeling

Amy Nicole Wick — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 07:22:26 PST

The rate at which a 2-year-old child with an autism spectrum disorder acquired imitation of actions with objects was compared across two instructional formats: video modeling (VM) and in-vivo modeling (IM). Four sets of four stimuli were organized into 2 x 2 instructional matrices. Each set was composed of 2 actions with objects to be taught and 2 to be tested subsequently for recombinative generalization (RG). Two stimulus sets were taught using a video model, and 2 stimulus sets were taught using an in-vivo model. Both instructional formats were effective. In the first pair of stimulus sets IM led to...

A comparison of methods for marking correct responses in matching to sample

Kara Schmidt — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:38:16 PDT

Recently acoustical markers have been investigated as conditioned reinforcers used in the shaping of appropriate behavior and independent living skills. However, more research on the exact function of the acoustical marker, and its use in modifying human behavior is warranted. The current study attempted to teach 3 participants to match 6 different sets of arbitrary stimuli. Each set correlated with one of three conditions. These conditions included a TAG (a clicking noise) paired with an edible, the spoken word "good" paired with an edible, and edible only. One of these 3 consequences was provided upon a correct matching response. Each...

The use of video modeling to increase food acceptance

Stefanie Allen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:20 PST

A common problem in children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder is limited food intake. There is no published research to date that includes video modeling to increase food acceptance in a participant's home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use video modeling to increase food acceptance by one child in his home. A multiple-baseline design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of video modeling on increasing food acceptance. Video modeling was effective in increasing food acceptance with this one participant in his home. The results of this study suggest that this treatment program was responsible for the observed...

Teaching tolerance for delay of reinforcement to reduce a tangibly motivated behavior

Stephanie A. Orman — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:19 PST

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...

The evaluation of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) and functional communication training (FCT) on the rates of attention-maintained perseverative speech

Rachel Kaye — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:19 PST

Many children with developmental disabilities also demonstrate delays in communication. These delays have been demonstrated in all aspects of communication, including skills such as manding, tacting and other social communication. Many of these children also evidence atypical speech patterns such as perseverative speech. This study evaluated the effects of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) and functional communication training (FCT) on rates of perseverative speech maintained by attention. Results showed that both procedures were effective in reducing problem behavior, however, manding only occurred in the FCT condition. It appears as though an extinction component was in part responsible for the behavior change, and...

Novel therapist effects on the functional analysis attention condition

Natalie Baron DeNardo — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:18 PST

A functional analysis is one method used to assess the variable or variables that maintain maladaptive behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the familiarity of the therapist influenced the results in the attention condition. A novel therapist and familiar therapist alternated turns conducting the functional analysis for each participant. The results indicated that for two participants, the attention condition results were undifferentiated for the novel and familiar therapists. For the third participant, however, results were differentiated and the targeted behavior occurred more frequently for the familiar therapist. These results suggested that the familiarity of...

Scene video modeling and point of view video modeling : a direct comparison of procedures and an investigation of possible video modeling pre-requisite skills

Erin Bridget Burke — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:18 PST

Video modeling has been used to teach individuals with developmental disabilities and autism to complete various tasks such as play (Hine & Wolery, 2006), self-help (Shipley-Benamou, Lutzker, Taubman, 2002) leisure (Stromer, Kimball, Kinney, & Taylor, 2006) and academics (Charlop & Milstein, 1989). Research suggests video modeling may be more effective than other methods for teaching a variety of skills (Charlop-Christy, Le, & Freeman, 2000). The purpose of this paper is to compare the use of two common forms of video modeling to teach a play skill routine. Additionally, the author sought to identify pre-requisite skills associated with effective learning from...

Determining the reinforcing value of social consequences and establishing social consequences as reinforcers

Hilary A. Gibson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:17 PST

A reinforcer assessment of social consequences was conducted to determine the pre-pairing reinforcing value of two social stimuli, praise and back pats. A pairing procedure and an SD procedure were evaluated to determine which, if either, would effectively condition social consequences as effective reinforcers. One child with autism participated in the study. It was determined that prior to conditioning neither social stimulus functioned as a reinforcer. Social consequences were not effectively conditioned as reinforcers using the pairing procedure, however praise and back pats may have been conditioned as weak reinforcers using the SD procedure.

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Acquisition when reinforcement is delayed

Stefanie Fillers — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:16 PST

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of two types of markers during delays to reinforcement. The participants were two male adolescents with autism. During a pretest, the participants were asked to label pictures showing specific actions. Twelve action pictures were identified that the participants could not correctly label. Correct labeling was then taught in a delayed reinforcement paradigm in which reinforcement for correct responding was delayed by 5 secs. Within in this paradigm, the participants were exposed to 3 conditions.: clicker, correct, and control. Four different actions were associated with each condition. During the clicker...

An analysis and treatment of chronic thumb sucking and chronic hair pulling

Jennifer Molly Derderian — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:16 PST

Thumb sucking often occurs with other habit disorders such as hair pulling. There have been several suggested relationships between thumb sucking and hair pulling, including that thumb sucking is an establishing operation for hair pulling. In the current study a 12-year-old girl with Cri du Chat Syndrome engaged in chronic bi-lateral thumb sucking and chronic hair pulling. Classroom data suggested that thumb sucking and hair pulling occurred simultaneously, thus the purpose of the study was three-fold, 1) Identify the function of thumb sucking, 2) Identify the relationship between thumb sucking and hair pulling, and 3) Assess the direct effects of...

A comparison of reinforcing effects and preference assessment techniques

R. Keller MacMath II — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:15 PST

A challenge faced by many educators of individuals with developmental delays is the identification of potentially reinforcing stimuli. Reinforcing stimuli are an essential component in the education of those with special needs. Researchers in the field of applied behavior analysis have developed several methods to identify potentially reinforcing stimuli. Research on brief preference assessment has demonstrated this to be a reliable means of identifying potentially reinforcing stimuli. The present study is an attempt to replicate DeLeon et al. (2001) demonstrating that daily brief assessments may be useful in capturing daily shifts in preference. Results of the present study support DeLeon...