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| Resurrecting 'My Lovely' |
| Monday, May 26, 2014 |
| 4:00 PM–4:50 PM |
| W176b (McCormick Place Convention Center) |
| Area: EAB/TBA; Domain: Basic Research |
| Chair: Charles T. Merbitz (Behavior Development Solutions) |
| Discussant: Charles T. Merbitz (Behavior Development Solutions) |
| CE Instructor: Melissa Nosik, M.S. |
| Abstract: In 1976, Skinner said farewell to the cumulative record in a moving piece title ‘Farewell my Lovely’. However, there are still incredibly important things within our science that can only be shown in an important way on the cumulative record. Some things such as distractibility and "attention" are moment-to-moment and really can only be seen with the cumulative record. Even brief timings charted on the Standard Celeration Chart will just show decrements, but not in the way that a continuous performance or frequency that is then influenced by the introduction of potentially competing stimuli. There are some things that only continuous monitoring of behavior frequencies can show, and as our instrumentation gets better, there becomes a need to introduce this technology back into our science, and even maybe our clinical and educational practices. Included in this symposium are two basic research studies that use the cumulative record in new ways and demonstrate the power and its importance to our science. |
| Keyword(s): Cumulative Record, Distractors, Immediate Feedback |
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| A Basic Evaluation of Distraction |
| MELISSA NOSIK (University of Nevada, Reno), Carl V. Binder (The Performance Thinking Network), W. Larry Williams (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Abstract: In this study, we use a laboratory preparation to evaluate the effects of distraction on performance under varying conditions. “Distraction” occurs when there is suppression in the frequency of a response. There are often contextual stimuli in our environment that we might consider just “noise” and have no prior or specific stimulus control that prompt responding. There are also stimuli that prompt observing responses but not a directly competing response. The current study specifically is aimed at the investigation of types of distracting stimuli which exert stimulus control that prompts directly competing responses that interrupt responding and those which prompt observing responses but do not necessarily prompt a competing response. Variables most difficult to control in previous research on distraction are those in the natural environment; within which training approaches are validated when successful under those conditions. This laboratory preparation uses sensitive measurement systems such as the Standard Celeration Chart and the cumulative record to observe moment to moment responding as distractions are introduced. It also allows for quantitative evaluations across and within different modalities of distractors. |
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Effects of Immediate Feedback on Responding Demonstrated on the Standard Celeration Chart and the Cumulative Record |
| ALISON SZARKO (University of Nevada, Reno), Melissa Nosik (University of Nevada, Reno), Carl V. Binder (The Performance Thinking Network), W. Larry Williams (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Abstract: Performance feedback has been a topic discussed within the behavior analytic literature for many years. In the current study, we used the Standard Celeration Chart and the Cumulative Record to show moment to moment responding when immediate feedback was introduced during training participants to perfectly accurate performance on a paired associate task sequence. Participants data showed minimal response suppression when immediate feedback was introduced after performance had very few errors. However, demonstrations of normative aims also occurred faster when immediate feedback was present from the beginning of training. The impact of immediate feedback on moment-to-moment performance is incredibly important because it allows the research to see the exact moment that performance is impacted by variables or stimuli introduced to enhance the performance. The data gathered within this study show a definite, orderly impact on the cumulative record and provide further evidence to support the use of this tool in behavior analytic research. |
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