An assessment of token value and effectiveness: A replication.

The purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic replication of Fiske et al. (2015) to extend the behavior-analytic literature on token reinforcement. Specifically, the researchers addressed several of the limitations of Fiske et al.

"Other" behavior and the DRO: The roles of extinction and reinforcement.

Jessel et al. (2015) provided some evidence to suggest that "other" behavior is strengthened in the differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). The present study is a systematic replication of the Jessel et al.

Assessing factors that influence young children's food preferences and choices.

Researchers have identified an unbalanced diet as a key risk factor in the etiology of many chronic diseases (World Health Organization, ). Although researchers have found that numerous factors influence children's food choices, no assessment exists to identify these factors. In Experiment 1, we established preliminary empirical evidence of children's preferences for healthier and less-healthy foods, and found that 16 of 21 children preferred less-healthy foods to healthier foods.

A component analysis of toilet-training procedures recommended for young children.

We evaluated the combined and sequential effects of 3 toilet-training procedures recommended for use with young children: (a) underwear, (b) a dense sit schedule, and (c) differential reinforcement. A total of 20 children participated. Classroom teachers implemented a toilet-training package consisting of all 3 procedures with 6 children.

An evaluation of the effects of access duration on preference assessment outcomes.

We evaluated the extent to which access duration during stimulus preference assessments affects preschool-age children's preferences for leisure items. Results demonstrated that rankings for highly preferred items remained similar across both short- and long-access durations; however, overall preference hierarchies remained more similar across administrations of long-access-duration assessments than short-access-duration assessments.

Latency of response during the functional analysis of elopement.

Elopement is a dangerous behavior sometimes exhibited by individuals with intellectual disabilities. We conducted trial-based functional analyses in which latency was the index of elopement for 2 students. Two unobtrusive safety monitors were placed outside the building to eliminate potential confounding caused by having to retrieve a student.

Functional analysis and treatment of problem behavior in early education classrooms.

We conducted functional analyses (FA) with 4 typically developing preschool children during ongoing classroom activities and evaluated treatments that were based on FA results. Results of each child's FA suggested social-positive reinforcement functions, and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior plus time-out was effective in decreasing problem behavior and increasing appropriate behavior. We discuss the utility of classroom-based FAs and potential compromises to experimental control.

A comparison of the effects of brief rules, a timer, and preferred toys on self-control.

Some children make impulsive choices (i.e., choose a small but immediate reinforcer over a large but delayed reinforcer).

Analysis of self-recording in self-management interventions for stereotypy.

Most treatments for stereotypy involve arrangements of antecedent or consequent events that are imposed entirely by a therapist. By contrast, results of some studies suggest that self-recording, a common component of self-management interventions, might be an effective and efficient way to reduce stereotypy. Because the procedure typically has included instructions to refrain from stereotypy, self-recording of the absence of stereotypy, and differential reinforcement of accurate recording, it is unclear which element or combination of elements produces reductions in stereotypy.

Response latency as an index of response strength during functional analyses of problem behavior.

Dependent variables in research on problem behavior typically are based on measures of response repetition, but these measures may be problematic when behavior poses high risk or when its occurrence terminates a session. We examined response latency as the index of behavior during assessment. In Experiment 1, we compared response rate and latency to the first response under acquisition and maintenance conditions.

The effects of response effort on safe performance by therapists at an autism treatment facility.

The effects of response effort on safe behaviors (i.e., glove wearing, hand sanitizing, and electrical outlet replacement) exhibited by therapists at an autism treatment center were examined.

Functional analysis and treatment of rumination using fixed-time delivery of a flavor spray.

A functional analysis suggested that rumination exhibited by an adult with autism was maintained by automatic reinforcement. Next, a preference assessment with three flavor sprays (i.e.

Analysis of response repetition as an error-correction strategy during sight-word reading.

A great deal is known about the effects of positive reinforcement on response acquisition; by contrast, much less research has been conducted on contingencies applied to errors. We examined the effects of response repetition as an error-correction procedure on the sight-word reading performance of 11 adults with developmental disabilities. Study 1 compared single-response (SR) repetition and multiple-response (MR) repetition, and results showed that all 6 participants acquired more sight words with the MR procedure.

Assessing preferences for positive and negative reinforcement during treatment of destructive behavior with functional communication training.

Results of prior studies (e.g. [J.