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| 2005 ABA Tutorial: The Utility of Teaching Self-Control and Tolerance for Delayed Reinforcement to Persons with Disabilities |
| Monday, May 30, 2005 |
| 2:30 PM–3:20 PM |
| International North (2nd floor) |
| Area: DDA; Domain: Theory |
| Chair: Kent Johnson (Morningside Academy) |
| Presenting Authors: : MARK R. DIXON (Southern Illinois University) |
| Abstract: Many advances have been made in the basic operant laboratory towards understanding delayed reinforcement and how non-optimal preferences for sooner smaller reinforcers can be reversed. Such choices, between smaller immediate and larger delayed reinforcers can be seen everywhere in clinical settings. When a client chooses to engage in a problem behavior for the immediate small reinforcer of escape from a demand versus engaging in a life enhancing behavior for the larger delayed reinforcer of successful rehabilitation he/she is making a non-optimal choice. However, easy applications of basic principles can alter these initial preferences dramatically. Unfortunately, applied behavior analysts do not frequently capitalize on adopting techniques that teach tolerance for delayed reinforcers. The present tutorial will trace the various developments on altering response allocations from sooner smaller reinforcers to larger delayed reinforcers and illustrate the utility of application for various clinical populations. Data will be presented demonstrating changes in persons with developmental disabilities, autism, mental-illness, and traumatic brain injuries. Implications for greater synthesis between basic laboratory research and successful clinical interventions will be discussed. |
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| MARK R. DIXON (Southern Illinois University) |
 Dr. Dixon holds a Ph.D. (1998) and a M.A. (1996) in Psychology from the University of Nevada and his B.A. (1993) in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has authored 55 journal articles, 5 book chapters, 2 books and over 200 papers and presentations in a variety of areas including choice and self-control, verbal behavior, gambling, organizational effectiveness, computer programming for psychological research, and developmental disabilities. Dr. Dixon is currently the coordinator for the Behavior Analysis and Therapy Graduate Training Program at Southern Illinois University and is also the director of the Behavioral Consultation Group - a service project designed to place graduate students in human service agencies as behavior analysts or organizational consultants. He is a current editorial board member of The Behavior Analyst, the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Some of Mark's current research projects include designing of effective behavioral interventions for persons with acquired brain injuries using delayed reinforcement training techniques and examining the choice variables involved in maintaining or terminating gambling behavior. Mark’s research on self-control and delayed reinforcement has been repeatedly published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. |
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