Association for Behavior Analysis International

The Association for Behavior Analysis International® (ABAI) is a nonprofit membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and practice.

Search

42nd Annual Convention; Downtown Chicago, IL; 2016

Program by Continuing Education Events: Sunday, May 29, 2016


 

Special Event #15
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Opening Event and Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis Awards Ceremony
Sunday, May 29, 2016
8:00 AM–9:20 AM
Grand Ballroom, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Instruction Level: Basic
Keyword(s): Opening Event, SABA Awards
Chair: Linda J. Parrott Hayes (University of Nevada, Reno)
CE Instructor: Linda J. Parrott Hayes, Ph.D.
 

SABA Award for Distinguished Service: Behavior Analysis: A Consilient Future

Abstract:

Modern behavior analysis must be consilient to prosper as a discipline. E. O. Wilson wrote, "The love of complexity without reductionism makes art; the love of complexity with reductionism makes science." Necessarily our science will profit from integrating reductionistic and artistic elements in the service of answering significant questions about behavior and addressing behavioral and other psychological challenges facing humanity. Over his career Dr. Thompson has been fortunate to use such strategies for basic theoretical matters concerning the integration of behavior, as well as applied problems in pharmacology, architecture, development of children with autism, and making the lives of people with disabilities better.

 
TRAVIS THOMPSON (University of Minnesota)
 
Dr. Travis Thompson received his doctoral training in psychology at the University of Minnesota and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Maryland with Joseph V. Brady and at Cambridge University (UK) with Robert Hinde. His earliest work dealt with the relations among concepts from behavior analysis, ethology, and pharmacology. He was director of the John F. Kennedy Center for Human Development at Vanderbilt University and Smith Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Kansas Medical Center before returning to Minnesota in 2003. Dr. Thompson co-authored, with Charles R. Schuster, the first textbook in behavioral pharmacology and has done basic and applied interdisciplinary research in developmental disabilities, including genetics, pharmacology, and neuroscience. He was involved in developing one of the first large-scale behavioral intervention programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and for the past several years has directed home-based early intervention services for young children with autism in Minnesota. Dr. Thompson's publications include 225 articles and chapters and 29 books. A total of 48 doctoral students have completed their training under his mentorship. He has received numerous awards, including the APA Division 1 (Society for General Psychology) Ernest Hilgard Award, Division 25's Don Hake Award, and the Division 33 (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) Edgar Doll Award. He is a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International.
 

SABA Award for International Dissemination of Behavioral Analysis: A Behavior-Analytic World View

Abstract:

What started in the late 1920s at Harvard University as a small research project of a young graduate student involving several rats, some Rube Goldberg-like apparatus, and a handful of home-made food pellets is quite different today. Behavior analysis has grown in numbers, knowledge, and impact, and we have changed in composition. We have become, and continue to become even more of an international movement. This presentation comprises a brief historical analysis of some of the variables that have contributed to this internationalization of behavior analysis. They include seminal individuals crossing the oceans in all directions to bring and take behavior analysis to the four corners of the earth; scientific, conceptual, and application developments within the discipline; broader cultural events and technological developments; and personal contacts and exchanges of ideas among behavior analysts from different countries. The breeching of obstacles such as economic and resource limitations, perceived cultural incompatibilities with a behavior-analytic world view, language barriers, entrenched competing world views, and physical distance has required persistence, dedication, commitment, and ingenuity, but our internationalization has great momentum. Indeed this internationalization is essential to our future well-being.

 
KENNON ANDY LATTAL (West Virginia University)
 
Andy is Centennial Professor of Psychology at West Virginia University, where he has taught and conducted research for the last 44 years, although his colleagues have suggested that it is really more like 5 years, he is out of the country so frequently! His sojourns include two sabbatical years at the University of Lille, France (including one as a Fulbright Research Fellow); appointments as a Fellow of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, a Global Professor at Keio University in Tokyo, a Visiting Professor at the Jordan University of Science and Technology; and as a Visiting Scholar at the Universities of Brasilia and São Paulo in Brazil, the National Autonomous University and the University of Guadalajara in Mexico; and University College London. When he has been in Morgantown he has hosted and mentored sabbatical visitors and students from universities in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, France, Japan, and Mexico, and has been the doctoral advisor of several international students at WVU. One outcome of these collaborations has been some 30 co-authored research publications with international scholars. Another is service on the editorial boards of three international journals, including three terms as the English Language Editor of the Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis. Through his many and diverse activities in the world arena, Andy has served as a behavior-analytic ambassador carrying in his portfolio outstanding teaching, scientific acumen, and good will in promoting the international development of our discipline.
 

SABA Award for Scientific Translation: Forty Years of Research: Doing a Lot, Learning a Little

Abstract:

Dr. Poling’s first publication appeared in 1976 and since that time he has conducted basic, translational, and applied research in several areas, resulting in publications in more than 50 different journals. This presentation will overview what he has learned regarding how to succeed as a researcher. Topics to be considered include selecting topics to study, being steadfastly pragmatic, persisting in the face of apparent failure, working successfully with other people, securing funds to support projects, writing well, publishing articles, and evaluating one’s own work.

 
ALAN D. POLING (Western Michigan University)
 
Dr. Alan Poling is Professor of Psychology at Western Michigan University. He received his BA from Alderson-Broaddus College, his MA from West Virginia University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. A Fellow of Divisions 3, 25, and 28 of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Poling has published 12 books and roughly 350 articles and book chapters and served as the research advisor of 35 Ph.D. recipients. They, and he, have conducted research and done conceptual work in several areas, including behavioral pharmacology, clinical psychopharmacology (with special emphasis on the effects of psychotropic drugs in people with developmental disabilities), applied behavior analysis, gender issues, animal welfare, quantitative analysis, learning processes, and research methods. Dr. Poling was recognized as a Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Western Michigan University in 1996 and as a Distinguished Alumnus of West Virginia University in 1999. In 2003, he received the Western Michigan University College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Achievement in Research and Creative Activity Award. In 2016, he will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Association of Behavior Analysis, a Translational Research Award from the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and an International Humanitarian Award from the American Psychological Association.
 

SABA Award: Enduring Programmatic Contributions in Behavior Analysis: University of California, Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center

Abstract:

We begin with a video example of children with autism in the 1960s, chained to their beds, receiving electric shocks, etc.; and then move on to a video example from modern times showing a child receiving a motivational pivotal response treatment. The emphasis here is on the power of programmatic research, with successive scientific findings building on each other to accomplish extremely dramatic results for improving the symptoms of autism. We will also discuss areas that still are in desperate need of research and intervention, such as parent stress, co-morbid disabilities, sex education, and employment.

 
LYNN KERN KOEGEL (University of California, Santa Barbara), ROBERT L. KOEGEL (University of California, Santa Barbara)
 
Lynn Kern Koegel, Ph.D., is the Clinical Director of the Koegel Autism Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has been active in the development of programs to improve communication in children with autism, including the development of first words, development of grammatical structures, and pragmatics. Dr. Koegel is co-author and co-editor of major textbooks on autism and positive behavioral support and is co-author of the bestselling book Overcoming Autism: Finding the Answers, Strategies, and Hope That Can Transform a Child’s Life (Penguin, 2004). In addition to her published books and articles in the area of communication and language development, she has developed and published procedures and field manuals in the area of self-management and functional analysis that are used in school districts throughout the United States and have been translated in most major languages used throughout the world. Dr. Lynn Koegel is actively involved in providing support and intervention services in school districts, both locally in California and throughout the United States. Dr. Koegel, and her husband Robert, were awarded the first annual recipient of the Sesame Street Children’s Television Workshop Award for brightening the lives of children. She has also been featured in news reports on television stations throughout the United States and has appeared on episodes of the internationally broadcast ABC television series Supernanny
 
Robert Koegel, Ph.D., has focused his career on autism, specializing in language intervention, family support, and school integration. He has published more than 200 articles and papers relating to the treatment of autism. He is the founding editor of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. Models of his procedures have been used in public schools and in parent education programs throughout California, across the United States, and in other countries. He has trained health care and special education leaders in the United States and abroad. Dr. Koegel and his wife, Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel, are the developers of Pivotal Response Treatment, which focuses on motivation. They were the recipients of the first annual Children’s Television Workshop Sesame Street Award for Brightening the Lives of Children and the first annual Autism Speaks Award for Science and Research. The University of California, Santa Barbara, received a $2.35 million gift to expand the physical space of its autism center, which was renamed the Koegel Autism Center in recognition of the Koegels’ work on behalf of children with autism, and a large gift from the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation to start the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Asperger Center, which is now part of the Koegel Autism Center.
 

SABA Award for Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in the Mass Media: Why Doesn't the World Appreciate ABA?

Abstract:

Almost every major challenge in the world today can be seen as a failure to appropriately shape behavior, including chronic disease, economic inequality, violence and climate change. Why, then, isn't the proven science and practice of benignly shaping behavior widely embraced by the public and all our institutions? The problem is that the public clings to emotional appeal, and ABA bristles with data, evidence and rationalism. Therein lies a communications challenge on which rest not only the prospects for the field, but those for the human race.

 
DAVID H. FREEDMAN (Journalist)
 
David H. Freedman is a contributing editor at The Atlantic, a contributor to Scientific American, and a consulting editor for Harvard's Brigham & Women's Hospital, and has at various times written regularly for The New York Times, Science, Newsweek, Discover, Forbes and Inc. He is the author of five books, the most recent of which is WRONG, about the problems with the published findings of medical scientists and other experts. Much of his current work is related to the roles of policy, industry and journalism in addressing health-related behavior change, as well as to the improvement of healthcare systems globally. He has served as a consulting journalist to several major academic medical centers, including Johns Hopkins, NYU and McGill University, and is the founding editor of a forthcoming global healthcare information resource. He received a Bachelor's degree in physics from Oberlin College. 
 
Target Audience:

Licensed psychologists, BCBAs, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: Pending.
 
Keyword(s): Opening Event, SABA Awards
 
 
Symposium #18
CE Offered: BACB — 
Ethics
Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism: A Latin America Case
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Roosevelt, Hyatt Regency, Bronze East
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Mapy Chavez Cueto (Alcanzando)
Discussant: Mapy Chavez Cueto (Alcanzando)
CE Instructor: Mapy Chavez Cueto Cueto, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Alcanzando is a not for profit organization that provides educational services based on the principles of applied behavior analysis to children with autism around the Spanish speaking world. This Symposium is meant to share the data from their services over the last 7 years.

Keyword(s): autism, early intervention, latin america, spanish
 

Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Services in Latin America

ANTUANETE CHAVEZ (Alcanzando), Mapy Chavez Cueto (Alcanzando), Sandra Granados (Alcanzando)
Abstract:

This presentation will discuss the Ethical and Cultural considerations that should be in place when providing early intervention behavioral services to children with autism in various Spanish speaking countries.

 

Strategies to Promote Appropriate Play Skills in Children Within the Autism Spectrum

SILVIA ESCOBAR (Alcanzando), Patricia Rojas (Alcanzando), Belen Rodriguez (Alcanzando), Elizabeth Rojas (Alcanzando), Jarume Angulo (Alcanzando)
Abstract:

Play and Social Skills are key necessary components to lead successful adult lives. This presentation will provide information regarding strategies that were found to be successful in teaching these skills to young children diagnosed in the Autism Spectrum in Peru.

 
 
Symposium #19
CE Offered: BACB
Assessment and Applications in Clinical Behavior Analysis
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Crystal Ballroom B, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: CBM/VBC; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Grayson Butcher (University of Louisiana, Lafayette)
Discussant: Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)
CE Instructor: Timothy M. Weil, Ph.D.
Abstract: The development of behavior analytic approaches in clinical areas other than intellectual and developmental disabilities began flourishing in the early 1970's and then dissipated in favor of alternative approaches that focused moreso on explanatory fictions and entity postulation to account for the behavior of individuals. Thankfully, the last decade has seen a resurgence in clinical behavior analysis with research and practice that focus' on these more mainstream areas typically dominated by clinical psychology but with efforts to remain behavior analytic at its roots. A primary approach to those suffering from behavioral and mental health issues is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy which brings behavior analytic principles and procedures into the mainstream and challenges the status quo. Generally, this approach posits that much suffering occurs due to relational responding and subsequent transformation of stimulus function which may bring aversive stimulation present wherever we may roam. In response to this, we are likely to engage in avoidant responding that restricts our contact with- and range of-reinforcers. This symposium will present on difficulties inherent in both building a coherent theoretical/scientific system to approach mainstream issues as well as practical difficulties in implementation of protocols while remaining within ethical and professional boundaries of applied behavior analysis. Data will be presented on applications within each talk.
Keyword(s): ACT, Clinical BA, Values, Verbal Behavior
 
Applying Behavior Analysis to Clinical Populations: A Case Study in Phobia
TIMOTHY M. WEIL (Tandem Behavioral Health & Wellness)
Abstract: Applications of behavior analysis in the area of phobias has a long history of success. Today, research is still conducted in the area of phobias that rely on therapies developed 40 years ago in behavior analysis. Added to these is an understanding of derived avoidance via relational framing and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a clinical approach to experiential avoidance of the verbal sort. This case study sought to remediate cynophobia, or rather, fear of dogs, in a 9-year-old boy. Avoidant behavior was reported to have emerged and persisted 7 years, with no known aversive experience prior to onset. Previous exposure interventions were unsuccessful in reducing the child’s fearful behaviors. This study sought to decrease the avoidant behavior of the child through graduated exposure, distraction, and a rule-based verbal behavior component. Results of the intervention utilizing a multiple-baseline across dogs design show decreasing proximity to both sized dogs and increasing duration of exposure through increasing task demands. Implications of the verbal intervention are discussed in the context of expanding interest, understanding, and application by behavior analysts.
 
Effectiveness of a Brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention to Increase Physical Therapy Adherence
ANN ROST (Missouri State University), Jennifer Ashley Battles (Missouri State)
Abstract: Compliance with physical therapy is one of the most salient difficulties physical therapists face with patients (Pisters, et. al., 2010). Methods to improve physical therapy adherence have only been mildly successful, and many modalities fail to address psychological components that effect compliance (Freidrich, et. al., 1998). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third wave behavior analytic therapy that emphasizes mindfulness, values, and psychological flexibility and has recently been utilized to influence health behavior change (Hayes, 2014; Butryn, et. al., 2011). The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief ACT intervention on physical therapy adherence including compliance with prescribed home exercises and attendance at sessions. Participants were recruited from a campus physical therapy clinic and had a variety of physical injuries. Utilizing a single-subjects design, participants complete four individual ACT therapy sessions after measuring physical therapy adherence for a baseline period. Data was collected for the entire duration each participant was in physical therapy, ranging from six to eight weeks. Additional questionnaires were administered prior to and following the ACT intervention that assessed values connectedness, mindfulness, psychological flexibility, distress tolerance, and pain acceptance. Implications for future research will be discussed.
 
 
Symposium #21
CE Offered: BACB — 
Ethics
The Ethics of Social Media: Regulations, Research, and Recommendations
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Vevey 1 & 2, Swissotel
Area: CSE/PRA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Michael F. Dorsey (Endicott College)
CE Instructor: Elizabeth C. Nulty, M.S.
Abstract:

In the age of the internet, organizations and business rely on a web presence for advertising. Companies post information on their websites including the type of services provided, the credentials of their owner and employees, and their contact information. Behavior analytic organizations are no different than any other business utilizing websites and social media websites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs), in an effort to boost referrals. There is no harm in behavior analytic organizations and business in maintaining websites for advertising purposes unless the rights of consumers are violated with regards to confidentiality, disclosures, and a misrepresentation of practice. The Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB), the American Psychological Association (APA), and HIPPA all have codes of conduct and/or regulations for professional behavior; however, many behavior analytic websites are in violation of these codes. Crucial changes in social media content are required in order for the consumers of behavior analysis to be protected. This symposium reviews the regulation from the BACB, APA, & HIPPA related to confidentiality and social media. A review of behavior analytic websites is discussed with regards to ethical violations based on the BACBs Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysis, followed by recommendations for avoiding future violations on behavior analytic websites.

Keyword(s): ethics, public policy, regulations, social media
 

A Review of the BACB, APA, and HIPPA Regulations Related to Social Media

SOLANDY FORTE (Endicott College/CCSN)
Abstract:

It is essential for behavior analyst to understand the regulations that guide our profession and ethical practices with regards to social media including organizational and business websites, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and blogs. Many businesses and organizations use social media as a means to increase advertising for client referrals through the use of testimonials. A major concern with the use of testimonials is the lack of confidentiality related to testimonials. The Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB), the American Psychological Association (APA), and HIPPA all have codes of conduct and/or regulations for professional behavior. While many of the regulations are comparable, subtle variations across each exist. This presentation compares and contrasts the regulations of BACB, APA, and HIPPA regarding professional behavior and the use of social media, as well as examines our obligation to follow such codes of conduct. A review of confidentiality standards is included, particularly around the use of written and video testimonials on websites.

 
A Review of Behavior Analysis Websites: A Research Project
ELIZABETH C. NULTY (Endicott College/CCSN)
Abstract: The Behavior Analysis Certification Board’s (BACB) Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysis goes into effect on January 1, 2016. The BACB’s new code includes several regulations that are applicable to social media sites including professional websites for behavior analysis organizations and their corresponding Facebook account, Twitter account, and blogs. The 15 specific BACB compliance codes that may apply to social media accounts are reviewed. This presentation includes an analysis of over 50 behavior analytic websites for organizations from across the country. Each website was reviewed for ethical violations on the 15 compliance codes (i.e., boundaries of competence, integrity and reputation of the profession, patient/therapist relationship or professional boundaries, multiple relationships and conflict of interest exploitative relationships, confidentiality, disclosures, behavior analytic assessment, affirming principles, avoiding false or deceptive statements, intellectual property, statements by others, media presentation, testimonials and advertising, confidentiality and BABC intellectual property, discouraging misrepresentation). The results of this study revealed that over half of the websites reviewed were found to have at least one ethical violation.
 
Recommendations for Prevention of Ethical Violations on Social Media Sites
KARI ANNE DUNLOP (Endicott College/HMEA)
Abstract: Although behavior analysts are responsible for understanding their ethical obligations from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB), many behavior analyst violate codes of professional conduct. A concern is the rate of ethical violation related to confidentiality and disclosures on the websites of behavior analytic organizations. With an increased use of web based advertising on social media (i.e., websites, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and blogs), behavior analysts must understand the how do develop social media sites without violating ethical standards. In a review of over 50 behavior analytic websites, over half were found to have at least one ethical violation according to the BACB’s Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysis. This presentation includes recommendations for those behavior analysts responsible for social media content on websites (i.e., organization and business websites, Facebook and Twitter Accounts, and blogs). Suggestions are also included for the BACB’s consideration: the development of social media guidelines that include specific continuing education on the subject of social media content in an effort to provide better guidance to behavior analytic community.
 
 
Symposium #22
CE Offered: BACB
Current Applications of Applied Behavior Analysis in the Military and Veteran Community
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Montreux, Swissotel
Area: CSE/CBM; Domain: Translational
Chair: Kent A. Corso (NCR Behavioral Health, LLC)
CE Instructor: Kent A. Corso, Psy.D.
Abstract: The current applications of applied behavior analysis (ABA) discussed in this symposium call attention to many of the social issues inherent in the practice of ABA with members of the military and veteran population. All presenters address the social significance of each problem they discuss, while explaining the potential benefits that ABA poses in understanding these problems and deriving potential behavioral solutions. The proposed solutions and future directions are intended to improve human social functioning within the military and veteran community, while also improving how those outside the community understand this population. Each author discusses issues ranging from the assessment and intervention of traumatic brain injury to the functional analysis of gambling within this population. Finally, there is a discussion about the greater civilian community’s perceptions of the military and law enforcement community and how this is influenced by recent controversial media reports of lethal use of force among police officers.
Keyword(s): gambling, law enforcement, military/veteran, TBI
 

Investigating Relationships Among Veterans' Service Experiences, Functions of Behavior, and Problem Gambling

SETH W. WHITING (Yale University), Marc Potenza (Yale University), Sherry McKee (Yale University), Carolyn Mazure (Yale University), Rani Hoff (Department of Veterans Affairs)
Abstract:

Gambling disorder is more common in military veterans than in the general population, but little is known about how military experiences affect gambling behavior. The present study investigated relationships among military service factors, problem gambling, and functions of gambling behavior in veterans. Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (n=738) completed the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory which measured environmental factors and experiences pre-, peri-, and post-deployment, and other clinical assessments. A subset (N=156) completed the Gambling Functional Assessment (GFA). Approximately 4.2% of veterans indicated at-risk or probable pathological gambling (ARPG) and showed greater probabilities of escape-related conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, substance dependence, panic disorder, and depression. For service experiences, those with ARPG reported higher general harassment during deployment, and lower social support and more stressful life events post-deployment. The GFA most frequently identified attention and tangible functions for gambling, and the rate of escape-maintained gambling mirrored the rate of ARPG. The study suggests problem gambling is a significant concern among veterans is related to several aspects of veteran experiences. How behavior analysis can contribute to treatment in this population via functional analyses and function-based interventions will be discussed.

 

Further Development of a Verbal Behavior-Based Assessment Instrument for Military and Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury

THEODORE A. HOCH (George Mason University), Kent A. Corso (NCR Behavioral Health, LLC)
Abstract:

To date there have been 327,299 diagnoses of traumatic brain injury (TBI) since the wars began in 2001 (Congressional Research Report, 2015). Current methods of assessing TBI include neuropsychological assessment batteries which adequately reveal areas of deficit in language functioning. Yet these methods are not closely tied to the therapies used during rehabilitation, which include: speech and language pathology services; rest, relaxation, and avoidance of stress and substances. By contrast, verbal behavior assessments have been used to measure the functioning of operant learning channels in other populations and yield more specific information about possible interventions for rehabilitation. Given the absence of verbal behavior assessment and intervention tools for typically developing individuals, the authors present data on the first phase of development of the Verbal Operant Channel Assessment of Learning for Military and Veterans (VOCAL-MilVet). The authors connect current neuropsychological diagnostic terms with verbal behavior terminology. Next, the authors explain the results of administering the pilot instrument to a sample of veterans with and without TBI, while presenting specific items which characterize the various channels assessed by the instrument. Finally, implications for future instrument development and intervention for TBI are discussed.

 

Law Enforcement and Media Reports: Discrepancies and Social Implications

Amy D. Wiech (ABC Group, Inc. Hawaii), JAMES MEADOR (Grand Canyon University), Kent A. Corso (NCR Behavioral Health, LLC)
Abstract:

Police force occurs in less than 1.5% of police-citizen contacts (Miller, 2015). Yet, high profile deadly force incidents such as the Michael Brown and Freddie Gray shootings have sparked national debates and public outcry. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) includes the human behaviors of media consumption and opinion formation, which bear social relevance on other behaviors such as voting, political activism, and other social behavior (Cooper, Heron and Heward, 2007). This study examines the recent trends in media coverage of lethal use of force and the known patterns of police lethal use of force using the standard celeration chart. The authors contend that media reports of lethal conflict between law enforcement and suspects are discrepant from the raw data of these trends. These same relationships are observed on celeration charts as many media reports erroneously portray these lethal encounters as unlawful. The authors discuss the negative impact that these media reports bear on the social exchanges and overall perception between the police and the public (Bolgiano, Banks, and Patterson, 2015). The authors suggest several behavior analytic solutions to improve perceptions, encourage objective assessment of media coverage, and improve relations between police and the community at large.

 
 
Invited Tutorial #23
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
SQAB Tutorial: Reducing Impulsivity: Current Knowledge & Future Directions
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Lucerne, Swissotel
Area: EAB; Domain: Service Delivery
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Gregory J. Madden, Ph.D.
Chair: Amy Odum (Utah State University)
Presenting Authors: : GREGORY J. MADDEN (Utah State University), JILLIAN RUNG (Utah State University)
Abstract:

Steeply discounting the value of delayed outcomes is robustly correlated with addictions and poor health decision-making. Longitudinal studies suggest that this form of impulsivity precedes and predicts acquisition of substance use, and animal studies reveal a similar pattern. Despite the evidence that delay discounting is a trait, this tutorial will review studies that have discovered methods for decreasing impulsive choice. We will discuss procedures that produce acute, context-dependent effects (e.g., framing effects), and when these may prove useful in positively influencing human decision making. We will also discuss learning-based procedures that have proven effective in humans (e.g., delay fading and working memory training) and nonhumans (e.g., interval-timing or delay-exposure training) in reducing impulsive choice. Finally, we will discuss practicality issues that will need to be addressed if learning-based approaches are going to impact human behavior. We will not discuss effects of drugs or neurological manipulations on impulsive choice.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Licensed psychologists, certified behavior analysts, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the event, the participant will be able to: (1) define delay discounting and discuss why it is of relevance to health decision-making; (2) discuss the direction in which it is therapeutic to change delay discounting; (3) discuss the methods that have proven successful in changing delay discounting among humans and among non-humans.
 
GREGORY J. MADDEN (Utah State University), JILLIAN RUNG (Utah State University)
Dr. Madden received his training from the University of North Texas, West Virginia University, and the University of Vermont. Dr. Madden's research is largely focused on the behavioral economics of addiction and health decision-making. His early research documented extreme impulsivity in individuals addicted to illicit drugs and cigarettes. Later research revealed that impulsive decision-making predicted cocaine self-administration in rats. His current work explores methods that may be used to therapeutically reduce impulsivity. Dr. Madden's second, line of research explores game-based behavioral-economic approaches to influencing children's health decision-making. These research endeavors have been supported with more than $4 million in grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the US Department of Agriculture. Dr. Madden frequently serves on NIH grant-review panels, he has published more than 70 papers in 25 different journals, and his peer-reviewed publications have been cited more than 4,500 times. From 2011 until 2015, he served as the Editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. He has edited two books including the two-volume APA Handbook of Behavior Analysis. He is currently co-writing an introductory behavior analysis textbook.
Jillian Rung completed her BA at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and is completing her third year of graduate training at Utah State University. Her previous work involved decision-making in dynamic environments, and her current research involves the environmental determinants of impulsivity and how processes, such as reward valuation, affect impulsive decision-making. Jillian has served as ad-hoc reviewer for the APA Graduate Student Association’s Basic Psychological Science Grant, and has also guest reviewed for several journals such as the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, and Cognition. When she finishes her Ph.D., she plans to continue her research on impulsive-decision making, with the goal of developing preventative behavioral training and treatment programs for addictions and related behavioral maladies.
Keyword(s): Delay disounting, Impulsivity
 
 
Panel #24
CE Offered: BACB — 
Ethics
An Inquisition of Facilitated Communication
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Regency Ballroom A, Hyatt Regency, Gold West
Area: EDC/PRA; Domain: Translational
CE Instructor: Jason Travers, Ph.D.
Chair: Jason Travers (University of Kansas)
JAMES T. TODD (Eastern Michigan University)
GINA GREEN (Association of Professional Behavior Analysts)
CHRISTOPHER HURLEY (Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C.)
Abstract: Facilitated communication, also known as "supported typing" and "rapid prompting method”, are becoming increasingly popular. To date, no evidence exists for the validity of either of these methods and facilitated communication remains clearly refuted. Despite proclamations to the contrary, no person has become an independent author of thoughts via these methods. Nonetheless, both methods have been endorsed by various professionals, parents, advocacy groups, government agencies, and university faculty. A growing anti-ABA sentiment stems largely from allegations made by users of these methods and have been disseminated by academic journals, professional and research conferences, and online media. Given facilitated communication is classified as potentially harmful, simply listing it (and others) as a method for professionals to avoid appears only a partially effective prophylactic. Professional behavior analysts may better adhere to their ethical obligation to abstain from unproven practices if prepared to recognize and respond to arguments from proponents of pseudoscientific and disproven interventions. Accordingly, an inquisition of panelists will be conducted to reveal common tactics used by proponents of facilitated communication. Panelists will respond to unrehearsed lines of questioning to demonstrate ways to respond to arguments for this and other disproven or controversial interventions.
Keyword(s): Autism, Communication, Developmental Disabilities, Ethics
 
 
Symposium #25
CE Offered: BACB
Extensions of Research on Common Classroom Behavior Management Procedures
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Regency Ballroom B, Hyatt Regency, Gold West
Area: EDC; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Claudia L. Dozier (The University of Kansas)
CE Instructor: Claudia L. Dozier, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Previous research has suggested the efficacy of various classroom behavior management procedures for decreasing disruptive behavior and increasing appropriate behavior in classroom environments. In this symposium, three research studies will be presented that extend research on some of these common classroom procedures including the Good Behavior Game, descriptive praise, and token economies. Christopher Rubow will present research on procedural variations of the Good Behavior Game to increase intervention efficacy, treatment integrity, student engagement, and acceptability of the intervention. Bertilde Kamana will present research comparing the efficacy of and preference for descriptive and general praise for teaching new skills to young children. Erica Jowett Hirst will present research evaluating the influence of net token opportunity within the context of differential reinforcement versus response cost token economy procedures.

Keyword(s): classroom management, descriptive praise, GBG, token economy
 

Using ClassDojo and Merits to Improve Implementation and Outcomes of the Good Behavior Game

CHRISTOPHER RUBOW (University of Florida), Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida)
Abstract:

The Good Behavior Game is an effective classroom behavior management procedure, and procedural variations may make it more feasible and effective. In five second- to sixth-grade classrooms in an alternative school for students with emotional/behavioral disorders, we investigated the effects of the standard Good Behavior Game (Barrish, Saunders, & Wolf, 1969) and the Good Behavior Game with procedural variations that involved training staff to implement the Game using a free online/mobile classroom behavior management platform, ClassDojo. Additionally, we added a merits component to the Game to increase student engagement. Results indicated the Good Behavior Game reduced disruption, increased teacher praise, and reduced teacher reprimands, but had little impact on student engagement; however, engagement increased when we added merits to the Game. For teachers using the standard Good Behavior Game, implementing the Game via ClassDojo significantly improved treatment integrity and outcomes. Treatment effects maintained throughout the entire school year for both classrooms that participated from September through May. Social validity measures from both teachers and students indicated strong preferences for ClassDojo and merits over the standard Good Behavior Game. Data from all classrooms strongly suggested the Good Behavior Game plus merits, implemented via ClassDojo, was the most effective and preferred intervention.

 

A Comparison of the Effects of Descriptive Praise and General Praise for Acquisition in Preschool-Age Children

BERTILDE U KAMANA (University of Kansas), Claudia L. Dozier (The University of Kansas), Jessica Foster Juanico (The University of Kansas), Elizabeth Foley (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

Delivering praise for correct responding is common practice in behavioral instructional programs (e.g., Gable & Shores, 1980; Goetz & Bear, 1973). Descriptive praise refers to praise in which the individuals behavior is explicitly identified (Polick, Carr, & Hanney, 2012), whereas general praise refers to the mere affirmation of correctness in an individuals responding (Brophy, 1981). Descriptive praise is often recommended over general praise with teaching both typically developing children (National Association for Education of Young Children [NEAYC], 2009) and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD; Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith, & McLean, 2005). Therefore, we extended research by isolating the type of praise delivered in the context of acquisition of novel tacts in preschool-age children and comparing the effects of these different types of praise. Results showed that descriptive praise was somewhat more effective for several participants; however, for the majority of participants, similar rates of acquisition occurred across the two types of praise. In these latter cases, results suggest that mere exposure to the correct response may have influenced acquisition. Finally, we assessed child preference for the different types of praise; preliminary results suggest no different preference for the two types of praise.

 

Evaluation of the Influence of Net Token Opportunity on the Efficacy of and Preference for Reinforcement and Response Cost in Token Economies

ERICA JOWETT HIRST (Southern Illinois University), Claudia L. Dozier (The University of Kansas), Jessica Foster Juanico (The University of Kansas), Bertilde U Kamana (University of Kansas), Amy M. Harper (Trumpet Behavioral Health)
Abstract:

Results regarding the efficacy of and preference for differential reinforcement (DR) and response cost (RC) within token economies have been inconsistent (e.g., Brent & Routh, 1978; Donaldson et al., 2014; Tanol et al., 2010). Therefore, it is possible that certain variables may influence the efficacy of and preference for the two procedures. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether varying the opportunity for net tokens influences the effectiveness of or preference for these procedures. Results showed that when the opportunity for net tokens was equal, DRA and RC were similarly effective for increasing on-task behavior for the majority of preschool-age participants, and preference was idiosyncratic. When the opportunity for net tokens was unequal, all participants engaged in similar increases in on-task behavior. However, when DRA resulted in more opportunity for net tokens, all participants preferred DRA; whereas, when RC resulted in the opportunity for net tokens, preferences were idiosyncratic.

 
 
Symposium #26
CE Offered: BACB
Refinement of Reinforcement Techniques in Organizational Behavior Management
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Vevey 3 & 4, Swissotel
Area: OBM; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Byron J. Wine (Florida Institute of Technology)
Discussant: Byron J. Wine (Florida Institute of Technology)
CE Instructor: Byron J. Wine, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This symposium presents two studies that examine aspects of reinforcement in Organizational Behavior Management. The first study investigates the effects of different payout percentages in lottery systems. The second study examines the effects of delayed reinforcer delivery on responding. Issues related to applied reinforcement systems for employees will be discussed.

Keyword(s): Lotteries, OBM, Reward Delay
 

Further Effects of Lottery Odds on Responding: Experimental and Practical Applications

ANITA LI (Western Michigan University), Byron J. Wine (Florida Institute of Technology), Leigh Edgerton (Florida Institute of Tech), Emily Inzana (Florida Institute of Technology), Eli T. Newcomb (The Faison School for Autism)
Abstract:

Lotteries are a commonly used intervention in Organizational Behavior Management. Although common, there are many permutations of lotteries used in the literature and they are often combined with other interventions. One key variable that may influence the effectiveness of lotteries are the odds that the lottery will pay out to those who earn entry. Experiment 1 in the current investigation extended literature concerning how thin the odds of winning could become while maintaining responding. Experiment 2 used the results from the analog setting of experiment 1 and applied the lowest effective percent chance of winning to an applied problem faced by a human service organization.

 
Effects of Reward Delay on Staff Performance
ADRIANA FOX (Florida Institute of Technology/Connecticut Center for Child Development), Byron J. Wine (Florida Institute of Technology)
Abstract: In the Organizational Behavior Management literature rewards are not always delivered immediately when they are earned. This study examined the effects of four common delays (no delay, 4 days, 7 days, 1 month) on employee responding. The implications of various delays will be discussed.
 
 
Panel #27
CE Offered: BACB — 
Supervision
Gateway Back Into the Community: Using ABA to Transition Institutionalized Individuals to Community-Based Care
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Columbus Hall CD, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: PRA/DDA; Domain: Translational
CE Instructor: Rishi Chelminski, M.S.
Chair: Rishi Chelminski (Services for the UnderServed)
VIVIAN A. ATTANASIO (Service for the UnderServed)
JOSEPH O'KEEFE (Services for the UnderServed)
JAYRESA SASS (Services for the UnderServed)
Abstract:

Starting with the Olmstead decision of 1999, and accelerated by the nationwide transition to Managed Care, mental health institutions across the country are shuttering. States are under increasing pressure to move individuals out of such institutions and into community-based settings. If an individual engages in severe challenging behavior, executing this transition can be prohibitively difficult and dangerous. In 2014, one New York City agency was awarded a federal grant to integrate advanced care coordination and ABA-based practices into adult residential services. The agency applied this grant to assist the state of New York in the closure of a large mental health institution. Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Registered Behavioral Technicians were tapped to support the work of a newly-assigned interdisciplinary clinical team. In many cases, results were immediate; Challenging behaviors that had persisted for decades under the mental institution's previous auspices were drastically reduced in both frequency and intensity. Over the course of the next 15 months, the individuals in this facility were gradually moved to community-based housing. The discussants will reflect on the strengths and pitfalls of this approach to transition, as well as the overall potential for generalizing these results to other treatment settings.

Keyword(s): Adult Services, Care Coordination, Developmental Disabilities, Implementation
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #29
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

A Functional-Cognitive Framework for Cooperation Between Functional and Cognitive Researchers and Practitioners

Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Grand Ballroom AB, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: VBC; Domain: Theory
Instruction Level: Basic
CE Instructor: Barbara E. Esch, Ph.D.
Chair: Barbara E. Esch (Esch Behavior Consultants, LLC)
JAN DE HOUWER (Ghent University), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (Ghent University), Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (Ghent University), Sean Hughes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth)
After receiving his PhD from the University of Leuven (Belgium) in 1997, Jan De Houwer was a Lecturer at the University of Southampton (UK) from 1998 to 2001. Since 2001, he works at Ghent University (Belgium) where he heads the Learning and Implicit Processes Laboratory. His research is related to the manner in which spontaneous (automatic) preferences are learned and can be measured. Regarding the learning of preferences, he focuses on the role of stimulus pairings (associative learning). With regard to the measurement of preferences, he developed new reaction time measures and examined the processes underlying various measures. Jan De Houwer (co-)authored more than 250 publications in international journals including Psychological Bulletin and Behavioral and Brain Sciences. He was co-editor of the journal Cognition and Emotion and is a member of the editorial board of several journals including Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Psychological Bulletin, and Personality and Social Psychology Review.
Abstract:

Functional (e.g., Skinnerian) and cognitive approaches in psychology are often seen as competing and mutually exclusive. We argue that although both types of approaches have fundamentally different aims, they are situated at different levels of explanation and can therefore be mutually supportive. More specifically, whereas functional research on the environmental determinants of behavior can help constrain cognitive theories about the mental processes that mediate environment-behavior relations, cognitive research can highlight new empirical phenomena that could help functional researchers to refine behavioral principles and their conceptual or theoretical analyses. We then highlight two implications of our framework for psychotherapy and research on human cognition. First, the framework clarifies the relation between behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Second, it sheds new light on the study of rule-governed behavior.

Target Audience:

Licensed psychologists, certified behavior analysts, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to: (1) understand cognitive and functional psychology as fundamentally different but not mutually exclusive approaches in psychology; (2) understand the functional-cognitive framework for psychological research as a framework for interactions between cognitive and functional psychology; (3) identify potential benefits of a possible cooperation between cognitive and functional psychology.
 
 
Symposium #30
CE Offered: BACB
An Evaluation of Prompting and Error Correction Procedures
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Grand Ballroom EF, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/PRA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Sandra L. Harris (Rutgers University)
Discussant: John James McEachin (Autism Partnership)
CE Instructor: Joseph H. Cihon, M.S.
Abstract: Prompting and error correction are two essential components of teaching which can result in rapid behavior change. Despite the effectiveness of these procedures, there are numerous questions which remain to be addressed by researchers. These questions include what variables make error correction the most effective, how effective are various prompt types, and what is the most effective prompting systems. This symposium includes four different papers which examine several variables affecting the effectiveness of prompting and/or error correction. The first presentation explores parameters of error correction as it relates to learning. The second presentation discusses the comparison of two different prompting procedures to teach expressive labels to individuals diagnosed with ASD. The third presentation evaluated the effectiveness of positional prompts on increasing receptive labeling. The final presentation includes data from a randomized control trial comparing three different prompt systems for teaching expressive labels. Practical implications and future research will be discussed. The discussant will provide further considerations on how this research can be used in clinical settings and what is needed in future research.
Keyword(s): error correction, multiple prompts, positional prompt
 
Using an Abbreviated Assessment to Compare the Effectiveness of Different Error-Correction Procedures on Skill Acquisition
JENNIFER OWSIANY (West Virginia University), Regina A. Carroll (West Virginia University), Jessica Cheatham (West Virginia University)
Abstract: Previous research supports the use of a variety of error-correction procedures to facilitate skill acquisition during discrete trial instruction. At present there is no quick and easy way for caregivers to determine which error-correction procedure is most effective for an individual learner. In the current study we used an abbreviated assessment to rapidly compare the effects of error-correction procedures on skill acquisition for three children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. First, we conducted an abbreviated assessment exposing participants to 36 to 60 trials of each error correction procedure. Next, we conducted validation assessments and compared the effectiveness of the different error-correction procedures. Finally, we assessed participants’ preference for the different error-correction procedures using a concurrent-chains assessment. Overall these findings suggest that an abbreviated assessment consisting of 36 to 60 trials may be a useful tool for identifying the most effective error-correction procedure for individual learners diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
 
Evaluation of Multiple Alternative Prompts During Tact Training
ADITT ALCALAY (Autism Partnership), Joseph H. Cihon (Autism Partnership Foundation), Justin B. Leaf (Autism Partnership Foundation), Ronald Leaf (Autism Partnership Foundation), John James McEachin (Autism Partnership), Mitchell T. Taubman (Autism Partnership)
Abstract: Prompting is an essential component of discrete trial teaching and can be used to help promote language development. Today, there are multiple prompt types teachers can use to promote language and can include full vocal prompts, partial vocal prompts, and written prompts. This study compared two methods of fading prompts while teaching expressive labels to three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The first method involved use of an echoic prompt and prompt fading procedure. The second method involved providing multiple alternative answers and fading by increasing the difficulty of the discrimination. The results of an adapted alternating-treatments design indicated that both procedures were effective relative to a no-intervention control condition. The use of multiple alternatives did not increase error rates or teaching time compared to using an echoic prompt. Furthermore, all of the children responded more accurately during maintenance probes for labels taught using the multiple-alternative prompt. Both clinical implications and areas for future research will be discussed during the presentation.
 
An Evaluation of Various Prompting Systems: A Randomized Control Trial
JOSEPH H. CIHON (Autism Partnership Foundation), Justin B. Leaf (Autism Partnership Foundation), Ronald Leaf (Autism Partnership Foundation), John James McEachin (Autism Partnership), Mitchell T. Taubman (Autism Partnership)
Abstract: Prompting is an essential component of discrete trial teaching. Researchers have developed prompting systems which essentially act as rules for when a teacher should provide and/or fade a prompt. To date, there are multiple prompting systems which have been evaluated in empirical research and implemented within clinical practice. These prompting systems include: no-no prompting, simultaneous prompting, least to most prompting, most to least prompting, constant time delay, and flexible prompt fading. This study we compared the use of three prompting systems (i.e., most-to-least prompting, constant time delay, and flexible prompt fading) to teach expressive labels of cartoon characters for 30 individuals diagnosed with ASD. The researchers utilized a randomized control group design to evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the three prompting procedures. The data will be discussed in terms of statistical significance of effectiveness and efficiency between the three prompting strategies. Additionally, single-subject data will also be presented to provide an analysis of individual performance. Both clinical implications and areas for future research will be discussed during the presentation.
 

The Effectiveness of Positional Prompts for Teaching Receptive Labels to Individuals Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder

KEVIN MILLER (Autism Partnership Foundation), Joseph H. Cihon (Autism Partnership Foundation), Justin B. Leaf (Autism Partnership Foundation), Ronald Leaf (Autism Partnership Foundation), John James McEachin (Autism Partnership), Mitchell T. Taubman (Autism Partnership)
Abstract:

There are multiple prompting methods with which a teacher can use to teach children diagnosed with autism to correctly label pictures. These can include, but are not limited to, full physical, partial physical, gestural, and reduction of the field prompts. Teachers can also utilize positional prompts to promote correct responding by placing the correct target closer to the learner. Positional prompts have been described by professionals in curriculum books and explored within various clinical studies. Despite the widespread use of positional prompts several professionals have recommended against their use citing the possibility of establishing faulty stimulus control. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of positional prompts to teach six children diagnosed with autism receptive labels (i.e., nine cartoon or comic book characters). The results of a multiple baseline across behaviors indicated that positional prompts were effective for some participants and ineffective for others. The potential variables responsible for the outcomes will be discussed when analyzing the data collected for each participant. Both practical implications and future areas of research will be described.

 
 
Symposium #31
CE Offered: BACB
Treatment of Problem Behavior Without Extinction
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Columbus Hall KL, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Kimberly Sloman (Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers University)
Discussant: SungWoo Kahng (University of Missouri)
CE Instructor: Kimberly Sloman, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This symposium includes four papers on the assesssment and treatment of problem behavior in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder without the use of extinction. The first presentation by Clelia Deltour describes the assessment and treatment of problem behavior during activity transitions using differential reinforcement of appropriate behavior without extinction. The second presentation by Zoe Newman will describe a comparison of positive and negative reinforcement of approrpiate requests in the treatment of problem behavior maintained by escape from social situations, without extinction. The third presentation by Rebecca Schulman will describe an evaluation of the effects of within activity choices on escape-maintained problem behavior, without the use of extinction. The fourth paper by Chelsea Fleck will describe the treatment of meal refusal by manipulation of meal preference and modified protective equipment. Dr. SungWoo Kahng will serve as discussant.

Keyword(s): Escape, Functional Analysis, Problem Behavior, Without Extinction
 

Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior Occurring During Activity Transitions

CLELIA GARANCE DELTOUR (New England Center for Children), Stacy Cohen (New England Center for Children), William H. Ahearn (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

Children with autism often present with difficulties during transitions (Davis, 1987). It is therefore important to develop procedures for assessing and treating problem behavior during transitions. The purpose of the present study was to replicate McCord, Thomson, and Iwata (2001) by developing and conducting an assessment and intervention for the transition-related problem behavior of two participants with disabilities. Following some pre-assessment analyses, we conducted a functional analysis of problem behavior during transitions between activities. The results suggested that problem behavior occurred in transitions involving a worsening in activity preference, for example terminating a preferred or neutral activity and initiating a non-preferred activity. Finally, we examined the effectiveness of an intervention consisting of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction on the problem behavior occurring during the transitions identified as problematic. The results suggested that differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction effectively decreased problem behavior in all targeted activity transitions. Future directions will be discussed. Interobserver Agreement (IOA) was collected for at least 30% of all trials and averaged over 90% for all scored responses.

 

Comparison of Positive and Negative Reinforcement in the Treatment of Problem Behavior Maintained by Escape From Social Interactions

ZOE NEWMAN (University of Florida), Allen J. Karsina (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

Some individuals diagnosed with autism and related disabilities engage in dangerous behavior when presented with social demands. We compared the efficacy and social validity of differential positive and negative reinforcement in the treatment of problem behavior maintained by escape from social interactions. We conducted latency functional analyses of aggression in a 16-year-old male individual diagnosed with autism and Landau-Kleffner syndrome. The results of the initial analogue analysis were inconclusive, therefore we conducted a modified analysis that included a control and test for verbal attention and physical proximity. After determining aggression was maintained by social avoidance in the form of physical proximity, we compared the use of positive reinforcement (requests for food) and negative reinforcement (requests to be alone) using a reversal design. Results indicate both procedures were equally effective in reducing rates of problem behavior to zero without the use of extinction. Social validity was assessed through surveys of caregivers and the participant's preference, and caregivers were satisfied with the procedures and the results. Generalization of treatment effects was assessed by extending the procedures to caregivers using a multiple-baseline design, and effectiveness of treatment was replicated across all caregivers. Overall, subject was able to engage in appropriate social interactions in order to access functional and arbitrary reinforcers as an alternative to aggression.

 
Effects of Within Activity Choice Interventions on Escape-Maintained Problem Behavior
REBECCA SCHULMAN (Rutgers University), Kimberly Sloman (Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers University)
Abstract: Historically, individuals with developmental disabilities have been given few opportunities to make choices in their daily lives across various contexts. However, research has shown that not only are individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) capable of making choices, but that choice-making interventions can be effective in reducing problem behavior and increasing appropriate behavior. To date, studies have evaluated the effects of across-activity choices (e.g., order of demands) on problem behavior and task engagement. Within activity choices (e.g., choice of materials, work location) has not been evaluated in isolation. The current study assessed the effects of providing within-activity choice for individuals who exhibited escape maintained problem behavior, with and without extinction. Results showed idiosyncratic effects of the within-activity choice across two participants in terms of rates of problem behavior, task engagement, and preference for the choice-making intervention.
 
Treating Meal Refusal Related to Competing Protective Equipment
CHELSEA R. FLECK (Western New England University), Jason C. Bourret (New England Center for Children)
Abstract: Individuals diagnosed with autism and related disabilities often engage in self-injurious behavior that can create tissue damage. Protective equipment is sometimes used to decrease the severity of tissue damage when self-injury occurs. However, wearing protective equipment may be incompatible with some forms of adaptive behavior, such as meal consumption. The purpose of this analysis was to identify a treatment for meal refusal in a child diagnosed with autism who wore protective gloves to prevent tissue damage from face pinching. A second participant, also diagnosed with autism, wore protective gloves and arm splints. Two treatments were evaluated: one involved manipulation of the reinforcing efficacy of the meal (HP Meal), and the other allowed continued access to protective equipment during meal presentation (Modified Equipment). Both treatments produced increases in meal consumption for the first participant, and an additional differential reinforcement manipulation (HP Meal + DRA) was necessary to produce increases in eating in the second participant. Interobserver agreement was collected for 37.7% of sessions with 100% agreement.
 
 
Symposium #32
CE Offered: BACB
Non-Vocal to Verbal: Improving Verbal Behavior in Children With Autism
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Randolph, Hyatt Regency, Bronze East
Area: AUT/VBC; Domain: Translational
Chair: Joyce C. Tu (Center for Behavioral Sciences, Inc.)
Discussant: Caio F. Miguel (California State University, Sacramento)
CE Instructor: Vincent Joseph Carbone, Ph.D.
Abstract:

A typically developing 2 year old would be saying sentences with 2 to 4 words. A 4 year old would have a vocabulary of over 1000 words and be able to put together sentences of 4 or 5 words (Mannheim, 2015) . Significant proportions of children with autism do not acquire functional speech and remain non vocal even until age 9 or later. The studies in this symposium demosntrate effectiveness of specific behavioral technologies, namely sign mand training with prompts with and without delays and intraverbal training in inducing first instances of speech and in increasing vocal responding in children with autism. An additional study assessed tact-mand transfer in 7 early learners with autism, established this abstract relation in participants for whom it was initially absent, and concluded that functional independence (absence of tact-mand transfer) may often be a temporary aspect of an early learner's repertoire.

Keyword(s): Inducing vocalization, Prompt Delay, sign-mand, Tact-mand transfer
 

Inducing Vocalization in Non-Vocal Children With Autism

SMITA AWASTHI (Queen's University Belfast), Sridhar Aravamudhan (Behavior Momentum India), Karola Dillenburger (Queen's University Belfast)
Abstract:

The current study spanning 5 years examines the effectiveness of sign mand training with vocal prompts and intraverbal training in inducing first instances of speech in non-vocal children on the autism spectrum. These technologies leverage the power of motivating operations. A total of 91 non-vocal children between the ages of 1.5 to 13 years participated in the study that uses several multiple baseline design sub-studies across subjects. The interventions were carried out in 6 centers across 4 cities in India. 81.6% of children below the age of 6 years became vocal and the success rate was 87% in children between 6-13 years. Vocals emerged as mands, echoics and intraverbals in 23%, 24% and 21% respectively of the 75 who acquired vocals. 64% of the children acquired their first vocal within 180 days. Both the technologies were effective in inducing first instances of speech in 82.4% of the participants. The time to vocalization and the stimulus conditions under which they emerged are explored.

 

Increasing the Vocal Responding of Children With Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

VINCENT JOSEPH CARBONE (Carbone Clinic)
Abstract:

Some reports estimate that approximately one-third to one-half of individuals with autism do not use speech functionally (National Research Council, 2001). The high incidence of non-vocal persons with autism has lead parents, educators, and clinicians to search for procedures that may facilitate the development of vocal responding and potentially lead to effective vocal verbal behavior repertoires. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of manual sign mand training combined with time delay and vocal prompting procedures on the production of vocal responses in non-vocal children with developmental disabilities. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to verify the effectiveness of this intervention. All participants showed increases in vocal production following the implementation of the independent variables.

 

Assessing and Establishing an Abstract Relation Between Tacts and Mands in Early Learners With Autism

GENAE HALL (Behavior Analysis and Intervention Services), Jennifer Elia (Behavior Analysis Center for Autism), Mark L. Sundberg (Sundberg and Associates)
Abstract:

The present study replicated and extended Hall & Sundberg (1987) by first assessing tact-mand transfer in 7 early learners with autism (4 vocal, 3 signing plus vocal), ranging from 3.6-5.8 years of age. All participants met VB MAPP entry criteria of tacting at least 4 items and manding at least 4 visible, but 0 missing items via the interrupted chain procedure. For each participant, the study targeted 3 tact-mand response forms for each of 3 chains of behavior (9 total) and probed mands after all tacts were trained to criterion. If 0/9 untrained mands emerged, a participant was considered nave with respect to tact-mand transfer and received mand training on targets previously trained as tacts--a version of multiple exemplar instruction. After each mand was trained, remaining untrained mands were probed to assess the point of transfer. Results showed that untrained mands emerged after direct mand training on 4-5 targets with 2 participants, 1 target with 3 participants and 0 targets with 2 participants. Findings from participants requiring multiple exemplar instruction replicate those of Hall & Sundberg, and suggest that functional independence (absence of tact-mand transfer) is a temporary aspect of the learners repertoire rather than a static entity.

 

Role of Intraverbal Training in Inducing First Instances of Speech in Non-Vocal Children With Autism

SRIDHAR ARAVAMUDHAN (Behavior Momentum India), Smita Awasthi (Association for Behavior Analysis of India), Karola Dillenburger (Queen's University Belfast)
Abstract:

A variety of technologies such as Echoic training, Shaping, Antecedent Rapid Motor Imitation sequence, Stimulus Stimulus Pairing (SSP) procedures and Mand training with and without time delay continue to be studied for their effectiveness in increasing vocalizations in children with autism. Intraverbal fill-in training with rhymes, fun and contextual fill-ins builds anticipation and excitement creating opportunities for vocals to be emitted under the control of specific verbal stimuli. In the current study spanning 5 years involving simultaneous administration of sign mand training with vocal prompts and intraverbal fill in training to children with no vocal-verbal repertoire, the latter was found valuable in inducing first instances of speech in non-vocal children with autism. Of the 91 children, each serving as a single subject, first instances of speech were induced successfully in 75 and of these, 51 had at least one vocal emerge during intraverbal training. 16 participants had vocals emerge predominantly under intraverbal fill- in training. Inter observer agreement was taken for every specific vocal acquired for every participant and was at 100% throughout the study. The role of motivating operations in intraverbal fill-in training and comparisons with vocals emerging as echoics and mands during implementation of intervention package are explored

 
 
Symposium #33
CE Offered: BACB
Translational Investigations With Individuals With Autism: Token Economies, Resurgence, and Response Variability
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Columbus Hall EF, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT; Domain: Translational
Chair: Megan A. Boyle (Missouri State University)
Discussant: Chata A. Dickson (New England Center for Children)
CE Instructor: Megan A. Boyle, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This symposium will present investigations that incorporated findings from basic research to design evaluations of clinical interventions with individuals with autism. Findings from basic research have recently begun to be recognized as valuable sources of information to researchers interested in applied problems. Procedures and results from basic research are interpreted in ways that further the conceptual understanding of behavior change. Using procedures from basic research may allow translational and applied researchers to determine how to increase the effectiveness of clinical interventions. The first investigation incorporates basic-research findings on token and tandem schedules of reinforcement to compare methods of increasing compliance and decreasing escape-maintained problem behavior. Two investigations in this symposium incorporate basic-research findings on resurgence to investigate methods to decrease the likelihood that problem behavior will recur following successful implementation of FCT. The fourth study incorporates basic research on lag schedules of reinforcement to increase the variability in vocal mands. The importance of translational research will be highlighted throughout.

Keyword(s): FCT, Resurgence, Token Economies, Translational Research
 
Comparison of Token and Tandem Reinforcement Schedules in the Treatment of Escape-Maintained Problem Behavior
MEGAN A. BOYLE (Missouri State University), Mary Elizabeth Daniels (Missouri State University), Stephanie L. Aholt (Missouri State University), Alexandra Beckman (Missouri State University), Ginny Keenan (Missouri State University)
Abstract: Token economies are widely used, research-based interventions for the treatment of problem behavior (e.g., in increasing compliance). However, few studies have compared the effectiveness of token economies to other reinforcement-based procedures. Results from basic and translational investigations suggest that second-order schedules of reinforcement that deliver stimulus changes for the completion of each response requirement in the schedule (e.g., token delivery in token schedules) produce longer pre-ratio pauses and slower rates of responding in the initial schedule requirements or links than in corresponding second-order schedules that do NOT involve stimulus changes for the completion of each response requirement (e.g., tandem reinforcement schedules). It could therefore be the case that token economies are relatively less effective than single-schedule (i.e., "back-up" reinforcement only, without token delivery) reinforcement procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare token and tandem reinforcement schedules (identical with the exception of token delivery) in the treatment of escape-maintained problem behavior with two children with autism. A functional analysis was conducted that confirmed that both subjects emitted escape-maintained problem behavior. A multiple schedule was implemented to compare token and tandem schedules with respect to compliance, pre-ratio pausing, and problem behavior. Results thus far suggest that tokens are not superior in any measure.
 
Increasing Communication Under Conditions in Which the Resurgence of Problem Behavior is Probable: Applications of Serial FCT
SARAH SHAW (Vanderbilt), Joseph Michael Lambert (Vanderbilt University), Kate Chazin (Vanderbilt), Lillian Stiff (Vanderbilt University), Nealetta Houchins-Juarez (Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Behavior Analysis Consulting Services), Danielle Bartlemay (Vanderbilt University)
Abstract: During the maintenance stages of functional communication training (FCT), failure to reinforce mands could result in a resurgence of problem behavior. Recent translational work on arbitrary human responses suggests that incorporating multiple-mand instruction into a serial-training format may increase the probability of a recency effect, and a reversion of response resurgence (both desirable outcomes when mands are the most recently reinforced responses prior to extinction). However, when procedures were replicated with socially significant human behavior (i.e., problem behavior and mands), primacy was consistently observed and no manding resurged for one participant. In the current investigation, we modified the serial-FCT program and evaluated the probability of mand resurgence and response variability when functional reinforcement was temporarily unavailable.
 
Further Evaluation of the Resurgence of Problem Behavior
OLIVIA GRATZ (Saint Louis University), Alyssa N. Wilson (Saint Louis University)
Abstract: Resurgence is the recurrence of a previously reinforced, extinguished response. To date, little is known regarding the extent to which three members of a response class will resurge. The purpose of the current study was to examine the extent to which members of a response class will resurge under periods of extinction. Four school-aged children (M = 9, SD = 3.37) diagnosed with Intellectual Disabilities (including Autism), and extensive histories of problem behavior, participated in the study. Researchers utilized a linear strip design to evaluate the level of resurgence after systematically providing and withdrawing reinforcement for engagement in problem behavior or precursors to problem behavior and two topographically different, functionally equivalent responses (e.g., hand raising, signing, and/or handing a picture of the preferred item to the researcher). Resurgence of problem behavior and precursors to problem behavior were observed in all children during all extinction sessions. However, functionally equivalent communicative responses did not resurge during extinction. Results suggest that resurgence may occur for one (but not all) of the responses within the same response-class.
 

Effects of a Lag Schedule of Reinforcement With Progressive Time Delay on Variability in Vocal Mand Topographies Emitted by Children With Autism

BRYANT C. SILBAUGH (The University of Texas at Austin, Special Education Department), Raechal Ferguson (University of Texas at Austin), Terry S. Falcomata (The University of Texas at Austin)
Abstract:

Reinforcement of operant variability may have clinical utility in the treatment of repetitive and stereotyped behavior (RSB). For example, studies have shown lag schedules of reinforcement can replace RSB with variability in the verbal and play behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The need for additional work in this area is highlighted by recent advances in the behavior analytic conceptualization of RSB as a problem with invariance and calls from researchers in behavioral neuroscience for more translational studies of operant variability. This study is a translational extension of lag schedules to vocal mand training. A multiple baseline across behaviors with embedded reversal design was utilized to evaluate the effects of a procedure consisting of a combined lag schedule of reinforcement and progressive time delay on operant variability of otherwise repetitive vocal mand topographies of children with autism. Two participants have completed the study. The procedure replaced topographically repetitive patterns of vocal manding with topographically variant vocal manding. Some limitations of the current study and implications for future research will be discussed.

 
 
Symposium #34
CE Offered: BACB
Applications and Refinements of Functional Communication Training and Related Procedures in the Treatment of Problem Behaviors
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Columbus Hall GH, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Amanda Zangrillo (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Discussant: Henry S. Roane (Upstate Medical University)
CE Instructor: Amanda Zangrillo, Psy.D.
Abstract: Differential reinforcement procedures (e.g., functional communication training; FCT) and other related procedures (e.g., noncontingent reinforcement; NCR) are commonly used approaches in the treatment of problem behaviors. In this symposium, we will present a series of empirical investigations examining extensions and refinements of the effects of FCT and other related procedures in the treatment of problem behavior. The paper by Owen and colleagues extends the findings of DeRosa et al. by comparing limited versus extended EO exposures during FCT across one response topography (i.e., a card touch). The paper by Mead and colleagues evaluates the relative contributions of teaching a variety of appropriate requests on the development of problem behavior when shifting from a continuous to an intermittent schedule of reinforcement. Slocum et al., evaluate a signaled, reinforcer-thinning procedure during NCR to reduce severe problem behavior maintained by social-positive reinforcement. Finally, The paper by Kopleman et al., evaluates the effectiveness of parent-implemented FCT within a randomized clinical trial. The overall theme and implications of these for empirical studies will be discussed and summarized by Dr. Henry Roane.
Keyword(s): Functional Communication, Noncontingent Reinforcement
 

The Effects of Limited Versus Extended Establishing-Operation Exposure During Functional Communication Training

TODD M. OWEN (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Wayne W. Fisher (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Brian D. Greer (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Daniel R. Mitteer (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Patrick Romani (University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado), Andresa A. De Souza (University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Treatments for problem behavior often include teaching an alternative response to access a functional reinforcer (i.e., functional communication training; FCT), while simultaneously withholding reinforcement for problem behavior (i.e., extinction; Tiger, Hanley, & Bruzek, 2008). Initially, the individual is immediately prompted to engage in the alternative response, thus limiting their exposure to the relevant establishing operation (EO) for problem behavior. DeRosa, Fisher, and Steege (2015) compared rates of problem behavior and the rate of acquisition of the functional communication response (FCR) when participants used either a vocal or card-based (e.g., exchange, touch) FCR. Use of the card-based FCR resulted in quicker acquisition of the response, less bursting in rates of problem behavior, as well as larger and more rapid reductions in problem behavior. DeRosa et al. proposed that these differences were likely the result of limited (card-based FCR) and extended (vocal FCR) exposure to the relevant EO for problem behavior. In the current study, we extended the findings of Derosa et al. by comparing limited versus extended EO exposure during FCT across one response topography (i.e., a card touch). Results suggest that limiting EO exposure can result in a larger and more rapid reductions in problem behavior during FCT.

 
Effects of Appropriate Request Repertoire Size on the Development of Problem Behavior
SARAH C. MEAD (University of Florida), Brian A. Iwata (University of Florida), Leah Julia Koehler (University of Florida)
Abstract: Decades of research have shown that one effective approach to the treatment of problem behavior consists of teaching a socially-appropriate request as a replacement behavior. However, the preventive effects of acquiring a repertoire of appropriate alternative responses have not been established. That is, would teaching a variety of appropriate requests for a reinforcer actually prevent the onset of problem behavior that otherwise might develop? We conducted a translational investigation to determine if teaching a larger repertoire of appropriate requests (mands) prior to shifting from a continuous to an intermittent schedule of reinforcement would prevent the development of problem behavior. Six preschool-aged children, all of whom were diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability or developmental delay, participated in the project. Results provide preliminary evidence that teaching a large variety of appropriate requests may serve as a preventive factor against the onset of problem behavior. Clinical implications of the findings will be discussed.
 

Evaluating a Reinforcer-Thinning Procedure to Reduce Severe Problem Behavior Maintained by Social-Positive Reinforcement

SARAH K. SLOCUM (Rollins College), Emma Grauerholz-Fisher (University of Florida), Kerri P. Peters (University of Florida), Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida)
Abstract:

Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) is a function-based treatment often used to reduce problem behavior. We evaluated a specific application of an NCR procedure which involved providing three subjects with continuous access to the functional reinforcer initially and slowly increasing the amount of time subjects experienced the unavailability of the reinforcer (i.e., extinction). Periods of extinction were signaled with a colored card, and a rule about the card was presented at the beginning of each session. This procedure relates to FCT because the signaled extinction period is analogous to those used in multiple-schedule FCT research. Results show immediate and substantial reductions in aggression for all three subjects.

 
A Randomized Clinical Trial of Functional Communication Training
Todd G. Kopelman (The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics), DAVID P. WACKER (The University of Iowa), Alyssa N. Suess (University of Iowa), Scott D. Lindgren (The University of Iowa)
Abstract: Functional communication training (FCT) is a widely used approach in the treatment of problem behavior. The purpose of this federally funded project was to evaluate the effectiveness of FCT within a randomized clinical trial (RCT). 38 young children with autism who engaged in problem behavior participated. The children’s parents conducted the sessions within their homes with coaching provided by behavior analysts via telehealth. Following completion of a functional analysis, function-based FCT programs were implemented for all participants. Participants were assigned to one of two groups following the functional analysis. Participants assigned to the immediate group started FCT immediately following the baseline extinction sessions. Participants assigned to the delayed group (control group) were delayed from starting FCT for three months and completed baseline extinction sessions once per month during the wait period. Results showed that participants in both groups engaged in high levels of problem behavior before FCT (Time 1). Problem behavior was reduced substantially only after FCT had been implemented with participants in the immediate (Time 2) and delayed (Time 3) groups. Treatment results maintained for both groups during a 6-month follow-up visit (Time 4). This federally funded project provided the first RCT of FCT, and the results support the use of FCT to treat problem behavior.
 
 
Symposium #35
CE Offered: BACB
Current Status and Future Directions of Headsprout Early Reading and Headsprout Reading Comprehension for Individuals With Autism and Intellectual Disabilities
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Columbus Hall IJ, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/EDC; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Julie L. Thompson (Michigan State University)
Discussant: Janet S. Twyman (University of Massachusetts Medical School; Center on Innovations in Learning)
CE Instructor: Julie L. Thompson, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities often require an explicit, systematic approach to reading in order to acquire literacy skills. Recently, a handful of studies have explored Headsprout@ Early Reading and Headsprout Reading comprehension to teach literacy skills to individuals with autism, developmental, and intellectual disabilities with promising results. The Headsprout programs are online behavior analytic programs that provide explicit, systematic reading instruction. The proposed session includes reports on four recent studies: (a) an investigation of Headsprout Reading Comprehension on answering comprehension questions by children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities; (b) a study examining the effects of Headsprout Early Reading on early literacy skills of adult offenders with intellectual disability, (c) an investigation of contingent reinforcement and match-to-sample training on the fluency and independence of children with ASD using Headsprout Early Reading, and (d) a study exploring the use of contingent reinforcement plus physical prompting and prompt fading on progression through Headsprout Early Reading by children with ASD who were minimally vocal. Taken together, results of these four studies indicate that Headsprout Early Reading and Headsprout Reading Comprehension demonstrate promise as an approach to teaching early literacy and comprehension to individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities.

Keyword(s): Autism, computer-assisted instruction, Headsprout, Intellectual Disability
 

Evaluating the Use of Headsprout Reading Comprehension With Children With Mild to Moderate Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

CORINNA F. GRINDLE (University of Wales Bangor), J. Carl Hughes (Bangor University), Olivia Kurzeja (Step by Step Academy), Richard P. Hastings (University of Warwick), Rina Cianfaglione (Positive Behaviour Solutions UK)
Abstract:

Headsprout Reading Comprehension (HRC) is an online program that teaches learners to answer reading comprehension questions in four categories: literal comprehension, inferential comprehension, main idea (summative) comprehension, and derived meaning (vocabulary) comprehension. These skills are notoriously difficult for many children who present with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). The present study evaluated and investigated the use of HRC with six children with IDD. The research used a single subject pre/post test design. A number of standardised tests were taken prior to and following HRC to assess the effects on the participants key reading repertoires, including reading comprehension and to assess possible links between improved reading comprehension and auditory comprehension. Results are discussed with reference to improved reading and auditory comprehension in this population and the practical strategies required to support children with IDD in order that they may benefit from the HRC program.

 

Evaluating the Use of Headsprout Early Reading With Adult Offenders With Mild Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

DAVID O'SULLIVAN (n/a), Corinna F. Grindle (University of Wales Bangor), J. Carl Hughes (Bangor University)
Abstract:

Headsprout Early Reading (HER) is an online program, developed for children, that teaches learners basic reading skills. Several studies have found HER to be effective with typically developing children and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The program has not yet been evaluated with an adult population. The present study evaluated the feasibility of using HER with two adult offenders with mild intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in a secure hospital. The research used a single subject pre/post test design with two standardised literacy tests completed at baseline prior to HER, one during, and one following HER to assess the effects on the participants reading skills. A measure of reading self-concept was also completed. An additional component to this research design was the inclusion of two treatment as usual control participants who were assessed at the same points but did not complete the program. Results are positive in terms of the feasibility of running the program and improved reading skills and self-concept scores for both treatment participants. Results are discussed in the context of the limitations with the current research design and challenges relating to the fidelity of implementation.

 

Mediating Access to Headsprout Early Reading for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

JOSHUA PLAVNICK (Michigan State University), Julie L. Thompson (Michigan State University), M. Y. Savana Bak (Michigan State University)
Abstract:

Many children with autism spectrum disorder require instructional programs that simultaneously address academic content, interfering behavior, and potential gaps in prerequisite skills for a given curriculum. This study examined the impact of an intervention package consisting of contingent reinforcement and match-to-sample training on the independent progression of 3 children with autism spectrum disorder through Headsprout Early Reading, a behavior analytic online reading program. A multiple baseline across participants design was used to examine the effects of the intervention package on participants' correct interactions per minute and total episodes completed. Transfer of training to oral reading of companion print books was also assessed. All participants demonstrated an increase in correct interactions per minute. Two participants learned to independently complete a Headsprout Early Reading episode each day and could orally read companion print books. The results suggest individualized behavior analytic programs can support the use of Headsprout Early Reading as a computer-based reading program for some children with autism spectrum disorders.

 

Supporting Progression Through Headsprout Early Reading using Systematic Prompt Fading

JULIE L. THOMPSON (Michigan State University), M. Y. Savana Bak (Michigan State University), Joshua Plavnick (Michigan State University)
Abstract:

Recent research has indicated that children with autism spectrum disorder who are minimally vocal can independently access Headsprout Early Reading when provided with a token economy system for behavioral support. This study examined the effects of contingent reinforcement plus most-to-least physical prompting and prompt fading on progression through Headsprout by four elementary-aged children with autism spectrum disorder. A multiple baseline across participants design was used to examine the effects of the intervention package on the cumulative number of segments completed. Performance on Woodcock Johnson early reading tests were also assessed as pre- and post-test measures. All participants demonstrated an increase in number of segments completed per session. One participate was able to progress through Headsprout with contingent reinforcement only. Three participants required prompting for correct answers and two of these three were able to correctly respond with minimal-to-no support by the end of the study. All participants demonstrated an increased performance on the Woodcock Johnson assessments. The results suggest that some children with ASD may benefit from physical prompting for correct answers during Headsprout Early Reading. The range of responses across all participants suggests that a multi-tiered approach to support progression through Headsprout may be needed.

 
 
Symposium #36
CE Offered: BACB
Further Exploration of Trial-Based Functional Analysis
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Grand Ballroom CD South, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Cynthia M. Anderson (Appalachian State University)
Discussant: Jennifer L. Austin (University of South Wales)
CE Instructor: Cynthia M. Anderson, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Trial-based functional analysis has been shown to be a viable method of identifying operant function. The TBFA is particularly useful when time is limited or the intensity of the response precludes conducting a more traditional functional analysis. In this symposium we explore several research questions surrounding use of TBFA. Two papers extend TBFA to home settings for the first time. Both Gerow et al. and Standish et al. trained parents to implement the TBFA. Gerow et al. used behavioral skills training to teach parents to implement the TBFA and matched interventions to results of the TBFA. All parents implemented the assessment with fidelity and documented a functional relation between intervention implementation and child outcomes. More specifically, FCT-based interventions were used resulting in reductions in problem behavior and increases in alternative responses. Standish et al. also trained parents to implement the TBFA using behavioral skills training. Standish et al. explored effects of different variations of TBFA seen in the literature including (a) segment duration, (b) use of control segments, and (c) number of trials conducted. Some variability was found however, in general, results support briefer (60 s) segments, use of a post-control only, and using stability criterion to determine when the TBFA is complete. Next, Sellars et al. explored methods for training residential care providers in implementation of TBFA with a particular focus on maintenance over time. They successfully trained direct are staff to implement the TBFA and, for five of six participants, skills were maintained after training however only one participant went on to use the TBFA. XXX Finally, Dr. Jennifer Austin will serve as discussant for this study, exploring ramifications of each study separately and directions for TBFA--and functional analysis more generally--in the future. .

Keyword(s): functional anlaysis, parent training, problem behavior, Trial-based
 

Effects of A Performance Management Package on Sustained Implementation of Trial-Based Functional Analyses in Adult Residential and Day Programs Following Training

SHAWNEE D. COLLINS (Chrysalis), Tyra P. Sellers (Utah State University)
Abstract:

Clinicians working with individuals with developmental disabilities frequently conduct functional analyses (FA) to determine the function of problem behavior and to facilitate the development of an intervention plan to reduce problem behavior. One version of FA methodology, the trial based functional analysis (TBFA), is a viable alternative to a traditional FA when resources are limited. Researchers have demonstrated that teachers and residential staff can be trained to effectively implement TBFAs. However, to date, no studies have looked at the maintenance of implementation following training, or if additional supports (e.g., added coaching/performance feedback, incentive systems) are needed to ensure sustained use of the skill. This study examined the effects of a post-workshop training performance management intervention package of goal setting with data reporting, coaching, and incentives on the implementation of trial-based functional analyses (TBFA) by behavior clinicians in adult residential and day settings. Five of the six participants demonstrated increased implementation of TBFAs only after the performance management intervention was introduced. One participant implemented TBFAs following the workshop training.

 
Evaluation of Methodological Variables Affecting Outcomes of the Trial-Based Functional Analysis
CASSANDRA STANDISH (Appalachian State University), Cecilia Smith (Appalachian State University), Cynthia M. Anderson (Appalachian State University)
Abstract: Prior studies suggest that trial-based functional analyses (TBFA) can be used to identify the function of problem behaviors for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To date, there have been 16 published studies concerning TBFAs, however, across these studies there have been several variations in the procedures that appear to have been decided upon somewhat arbitrarily. For example, of the 16 studies, eight used a control segment after the test segment; five used a control segment prior to the test segment; one randomized the order of the test and control segments; and two studies used a control both before and after the test segment. Additionally, the number of trials conducted per test condition has varied between 3 and 20 trials. Despite the variation in the number of trials conducted, it appears as if researcher decided upon the number of trials to conduct prior to the TBFA, rather than using a stability criterion. The purpose of this study is to (a) examine patterns of responding in pre and post-control segments to determine if either or both are necessary and (b) evaluate response patterns within and across test conditions to determine if using stability criterion might be more appropriate to use when determining the number of trials to conduct. This study is also distinguished from prior studies in that primary caregivers will implement the TBFA in the homes of the children. Three children with developmental and intellectual disabilities participated in this study. At least one function was identified for two of the three participants. Of the two TBFAs in which a function was identified, both showed problem behavior occurring multiple times in the test and post-control segments; there was only one instance of problem behavior in the pre-control segments across all three participants.This suggests that there may have been carry-over effects occurring. For the two TBFAs in which a function was identified, a stable pattern of responding emerged prior to the termination of the TBFA, suggesting that a stability criterion could be a viable measure to use to decide when to terminate the TBFA. Finally, for both of the TBFAs in which a function was identified, a similar pattern of responding was found to occur when each segment was evaluated at 120-s and 60-s, suggesting that the segment could be conducted for only 60-s and capture the function of the problem behavior.
 

Functional Analysis of Elopement in Naturalistic and Contrived Settings

Mindy Christine Scheithauer (Marcus Autism Center; Emory University), STEPHANIE L. KINCAID (Marcus Autism Center), Joanna Lomas Mevers (Marcus Autism Center; Emory University), Mirari Elcoro (Armstrong State University), Nathan Call (Marcus Autism Center; Emory University)
Abstract:

Elopement is a high-risk behavior, as individuals who run away may encounter life-threatening situations (e.g., getting hit by a car). Prior functional analyses of elopement reported in the literature have been conducted in a variety of settings ranging from highly-controlled settings to naturalistic settings such as the classroom or playground. However, assessments conducted in these settings have not been compared within the same individual to determine if similar results are acquired across settings. We conducted trial-based functional analyses (FA) of the elopement of 2 children diagnosed with autism in both naturalistic (i.e., a classroom, playroom, and general unit of a day treatment clinic) and contrived (i.e., 2 adjoining session rooms) using a latency measure. Results were compared across settings. Additionally, results of the trial-based FA were compared with a subsequent FA that used a rate measure similar to Piazza and colleagues (1997). Correspondence among assessment methods, limitations of each assessment, and implications of the assessment results for treatment will be discussed.

 

Parent-Implemented Trial-Based Functional Analysis Matched to Treatment With Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

STEPHANIE GEROW (Texas A&M University), Mandy J. Rispoli (Purdue University), Lisa Rodriguez Sanchez (Texas A&M University), Emily Gregori` (Texas A&M University)
Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a parent-implemented trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) in accurately identifying the function of challenging behavior in the home setting. Three young boys with autism and their mothers participated in the study. The mothers implemented a TBFA with coaching from a behavior consultant. TBFA procedures were adapted from Bloom, Iwata, Fritz, Roscoe, and Carreau (2011) to increase contextual fit and to capture typical parent-child interactions within home settings. With coaching, all parents were able to implement the TBFA with high fidelity. TBFA results were matched to a functional communication training (FCT) intervention and evaluated using a multiple baseline design across parent-child dyads. Following parent training, parents accurately implemented FCT, child challenging behavior decreased, and childrens use of the alternative communication response increased. These results speak to the promise of parent-implemented TBFA in identifying social functions of challenging behavior. Implications for research and practice will be presented.

 
 
Symposium #37
CE Offered: BACB
Incorporating Client Preference Into Intervention Design: Using the Results of Preference Assessments to Inform Practice
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Grand Suite 3, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: DDA/EDC; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Hannah Geiger (University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee)
Discussant: Joel Eric Ringdahl (University of Georgia)
CE Instructor: Joel Eric Ringdahl, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Preference assessments were initially designed to identify potential reinforcers for use in behavioral programming. However, as these procedures have become more refined, researchers have begun asking questions of more subtle aspects of interventions that can affect the efficacy and social validity of interventions with the consumers who experience them. The current symposium provides four examples that investigate the role of client preference for reinforcer gain vs. loss, reinforcer distribution vs. accumulation, and the relative ratio of work to reinforcement (i.e., unit price). These studies combine translational and applied research approaches to inform practice applications.

Keyword(s): preference assessment
 
Some Effects of Loss Aversion in Token Systems
BARBARA J. DAVIS (University of Maryland, Baltimore County & Little Leaves Behavioral Services), John C. Borrero (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Amber E. Mendres-Smith (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Jessica Becraft (UMBC), Megan Lampson (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
Abstract: Few studies have directly compared the differential effects of reinforcer gain and reinforcer loss in a token system. In general, results are mixed. The behavioral economic principle, loss aversion, may be a variable that contributes to the differential effectiveness of a token system. In the first of two experiments, we evaluated whether six preschool children exhibit loss aversion using a human operant preparation. In this arrangement, children made successive selections between two options that resulted in identical payout. In the second experiment, we examined the effects of token gain and loss systems on the task completion of five preschool children from Experiment 1 using symmetrical contingencies of gain and loss. To date, five of six preschoolers exhibited loss aversion in the initial experiment. For three of the five participants, the token loss contingencies produced higher levels of task completion and/or less variability relative to token gain contingencies. In addition, when given the choice between the token gain, token loss, and baseline contingencies, three of four participants preferred the token loss system. These initial results provide support for arranging token loss systems and are consistent with the behavioral economic principle of loss aversion.
 

Student Preference for Positive or Negative Punishment During the Good Behavior Game

KARA SAMAJ (Monongalia County Schools), Claire C. St. Peter (West Virginia University)
Abstract:

We compared student preference for versions of the Good Behavior Game (Barrish, Saunders, & Wolf, 1969), in which students either earned points following infractions (positive punishment) or lost points following infractions (negative punishment) in an alternative education setting with four students during academic instruction. In the Point-Earning condition, students were required to have two or fewer points to win the game. In the Point-Loss condition, the students were required to keep at least four of six available points to win the game. We defined an infraction as the student leaving his designated space during the course of the game. We started with a phase of brief forced exposures to each condition. After each student had experienced each condition at least once, the teacher asked each student which version of the game he preferred to play at the start of each instructional period, and then implemented the selected game for the remainder of the instructional period. The teacher recorded out of area and inappropriate language. Only one student showed a strong preference for a reinforcer arrangement. There was an increase in game wins for three out of the four students when the teacher provided students with choices.

 

Assessing the Efficacy of and Child Preference for Massed and Distributed Work Conditions With a Child With Escape Maintained Problem Behavior

HANNAH GEIGER (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Melissa Krabbe (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Jeffrey H. Tiger (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Abstract:

Differential reinforcement of compliance is a common treatment for children present with escape-maintained problem behavior. This treatment involves providing positive reinforcement following compliance with simple instructions. Although effective, practically this intervention is challenging in home and school settings when it is preferable for children to complete chains of responses (e.g., putting away all of their toys prior to consuming reinforcement rather than following each toy). However, engaging in multiple responses (which we will term massed work periods) results in increasing establishing operations for escape and greater delays to reinforcement relative to conditions that require a single response (which we term distributed work conditions), and thus could potentially result in greater problem behavior. In the current study, we exposed a child with escape-maintained aggression to both massed and distributed work conditions to assess the efficacy of both arrangements. We then assessed this childs preference for both arrangements using a concurrent-chains procedure. Massed and distributed work conditions both resulted in near zero levels of aggression, but the child demonstrated a robust preference for distributed work conditions.

 

A Behavioral Economic Analysis of Self-Control: The Influence of Unit Price on Self-Control and Impulsive Choice Responding

WILLIAM SULLIVAN (Upstate Medical University), Terry S. Falcomata (The University of Texas at Austin), Henry S. Roane (Upstate Medical University)
Abstract:

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of unit price on self-control and impulsive choice responding exhibited by individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. In Experiment 1, unit price was altered via manipulations of reinforcement magnitude associated with the delayed option. In one condition, unit price favored the immediate option and in the second condition, unit price favored the delayed option. In Experiment 2, unit price was also altered via manipulations of reinforcement magnitude associated with the delayed option. In one condition, unit price favored the immediate option and in the second condition, unit price was equal for both options. In Experiment 3, reinforcement magnitude always favored one option, while unit price was manipulated via delay. In one condition, delay was held constant and in the second condition, the delayed option was associated with the larger reinforcement magnitude. Results of each Experiment demonstrated that self-control and impulsive choice responding was biased toward the more economical option. These results show that the application of behavioral economic principles in the form of unit price may provide a framework for the study and conceptualization of impulsivity and self-control choice responding.

 
 
Symposium #38
CE Offered: BACB
Examining the Effects of Medication on Behavioral Assessment and Treatment
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Grand Ballroom CD North, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: DDA/BPN; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Griffin Rooker (Kennedy Krieger Institute)
Discussant: M. Christopher Newland (Auburn University)
CE Instructor: Griffin Rooker, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at a greater risk for having psychiatric conditions than their typically developing peers (Emerson, 2003). Furthermore, individuals with IDD who engage in severe problem behaviors (aggression, self-injury, etc.) are three times more likely be diagnosed with a psychiatric condition and provided medication as one aspect of clinical care than those who do not engage in severe problem behavior (Rojohn, Matson, Naglieric, and Mayville, 2004). The four studies presented here examined the effects and side effects of medication during the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior. Hardesty et al. and Valdovinos et al. both examined the effects and side effects of medication on severe problem behavior during assessment in two different populations and using two different methods (collected case series and prospective analogues). Similarly, Maley and Bourret and Retzlaff et al. both examined the effects of medication during treatment for different target behavior and using two different methods (collected case series and applied treatment). Results of these studies suggest several interesting findings that are directly applicable to clinical care and new prospects for future research. In addition, Dr. Chris Newland will lend his expertise in behavioral pharmacology by serving as discussant.

Keyword(s): Assessment, Medication, Problem Behavior, Treatment
 

The Impact of Medication on Functional Analyses Outcomes: Findings From 12 Inpatient Cases

SAMANTHA HARDESTY (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Griffin Rooker (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Jennifer R. Zarcone (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Lynn G. Bowman (Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)
Abstract:

Numerous studies have demonstrated drug specific (i.e., risperidone) effects on FA outcomes (i.e., Crosland et al 2003; Zarcone et al 2004); however, no descriptive studies examined how medication modifications may impact the clarity (i.e., differentiation) or results (i.e., masked functions) of subsequent FAs. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which psychotropic medication changes altered FA outcomes on an inpatient unit. A review of electronic medical charts was conducted between the years 1995-2014. In total, 12 FA cases (out of 81total) had sufficient evidence (i.e., multiple FAs, detailed medication changes) for further review. Participants were aged 7 to 21 years and were diagnosed with IDD. In each case, 2-4 FAs were conducted. Attending psychiatrists directed medication changes with the guidance of the interdisciplinary team, and those who collected data for FAs remained blind to changes. To determine differentiation, criteria were established similarly to Hagopian et al. (1997), and a quotient score was generated. In half of the cases, alterations to medication (dosage and/or type) led to different conclusions, while the other half did not. In 10 of the 12 cases quotient scores were improved following medication changes. Implications for practicing clinicians will be offered.

 

Using Functional Analysis to Evaluate the Adverse Side Effects of Psychotropic Medication on Challenging Behavior

Maria G. Valdovinos (Drake University), ELIZABETH SCHIEBER (University of Florida), Lisa Beard (Drake University), Meara McMahon (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
Abstract:

Psychotropic medications are often prescribed and used in conjunction with behavioral interventions to reduce challenging behavior in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Functional analyses (FAs) are conducted to determine the conditions under which challenging behaviors are likely to occur and subsequent impact that psychotropic medications may have on challenging behavior function. Under-assessed, however, is the impact psychotropic medication side effects have on challenging behavior. The presence of adverse side effects (ASEs) are difficult to identify given the communication impairments those with ID may often possess. The present study used FA methodology to assess the impact of psychotropic medication adverse side effects on challenging behavior of five individuals diagnosed with IDD. Conditions were selected for assessment based on individual’s initial medication regimen. FAs were conducted when a participant began the study and two weeks after a change in psychotropic medication regimen. Results indicated different rates of challenging behavior during ASE conditions across medication changes for all participants, higher rates implying a more severe experience of specific side effects. These data demonstrate that this method of evaluation may provide feedback for informative decisions about psychotropic medication regimens that could improve quality of life for individuals with ID.

 

Telehealth Treatment of Sleep-Related Trichotillomania and Trichophagia Using Improved Sleep Hygiene and Melatonin

BILLIE RETZLAFF (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Katie Lichtblau (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Patrick Romani (University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado), Brian D. Greer (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Wayne W. Fisher (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Allie Bragdon (Childhood Autism Services, Inc.)
Abstract:

We used a telehealth model to treat one young girls sleep-related trichotillomania and trichophagia using a night-vision webcam placed in the girls bedroom. Data collectors recorded intervals with trichotillomania and trichophagia remotely from a university-based program using video footage of preceding nights, and the girls mother carried out all of the procedures in their home. We implemented a biobehavioral treatment package consisting of sleep-hygiene recommendations (e.g., a structured bedtime and wake time) in combination with the titrated use of melatonin, which decreased the girls trichotillomania and trichophagia and improved her sleep pattern, as depicted by both nightly and hourly analyses, and results maintained at a onemonth follow up. We discuss the use of behavior-analytic research strategies and tactics to evaluate treatments not commonly implemented by behavior analysts.

 

The Effect of Psychotropic Medication on Severe Problem Behavior in Individuals With Autism

AVA MALEY (The New England Center for Children), Jason C. Bourret (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

Psychotropic medications are often prescribed to individuals diagnosed with various mental illnesses. Physicians also prescribe psychotropic medication such as anti-psychotics, anti-depressants and psychostimulants to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to treat behavior problems. In this study, we sampled archival data on problem behavior for individuals previously or currently prescribed one or more psychotropic medications. Data were analyzed in terms of the probability of psychotropic medications of various categories producing decreases in problem behavior and the amount of change observed. In addition, dose response curves were plotted to examine dose-dependent effects. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for behavior analysts working with individuals who may be prescribed various forms of psychotropic medication.

 
 
Symposium #39
CE Offered: BACB
Infants and Children at Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Procedures for Establishing Early Social Skills
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Crystal Ballroom A, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: DEV/AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Martha Pelaez (Florida International University)
Discussant: Martha Pelaez (Florida International University)
CE Instructor: Katerina Monlux, Ph.D.
Abstract:

We have initiated a programmatic line of research to apply and adapt the existing procedures to treating very young children who are at risk for developing autism or other developmental problems. Infant engagement responses such as vocalizations, eye contact, joint attention, and social referencing are critical developmental milestones that serve as prerequisites for early communication and social skills (Pelaez, 2009). The purpose of this symposium is to identify the early behavioral indicators of at-risk infants and to report operant-learning procedures shown to be successful in establishing early social-learning repertoires. The first presentation analyzes previous research on behavioral procedures used to establish infant eye contact using a synchronized reinforcement procedure. The second presentation reviews existing research on procedures using adult vocal imitation and motherese speech for improving early infant vocalizations in young children. The third presentation examines the establishment of joint-attention and social referencing via the operant-learning paradigm in infants and toddlers with developmental deficits. The fourth presentation will apply the behavioral systems approach (Novak & Pelaez, 2004) to the development of autism. Early behavioral interactional deficits in the development of autism will be identified. In sum, ongoing programs of research will be discussed.

Instruction Level: Basic
Keyword(s): Behavioral Systems, Eye Contact, Joint Attention, Social Referencing
 

Using Synchronized Reinforcement Procedure to Increase Eye Contact in Infants at Risk of Developmental Disorders

JACQUELINE MERY (California State University, Northridge), Martha Pelaez (Florida International University), Jonathan J. Tarbox (FirstSteps for Kids), Hayley Neimy (Shabani Institute - Center for Behavior Analysis & Language Development), Katerina Monlux (California State University, Northridge)
Abstract:

Parents can successfully increase infant engagement behaviors such as eye contact and positive affect with young children at risk of developmental disorders. This reviews and discusses a synchronized reinforcement procedure, described by Pelaez and colleagues (1996), to strengthen infant eye contact. The procedure includes brief parental training where mothers are taught to contingently provide behaviors such as smiling, verbal praise, and rhythmic touch to reinforce infant eye contact in the natural environment. Establishing eye contact in young children may aid in the development of foundational skills required to build nonverbal and social communicative behaviors. The presentation stresses the importance of contingent mother and child interactions.

 
Promoting Vocalizations in Infants and Toddlers Using Vocal Imitation and Motherese Speech
HAYLEY NEIMY (Shabani Institute - Center for Behavior Analysis & Language Development), Martha Pelaez (Florida International University), Jonathan J. Tarbox (FirstSteps for Kids), Katerina Monlux (California State University, Northridge), Jacqueline Mery (California State University, Northridge)
Abstract: Emission of vocalizations during infancy serves as the preverbal foundation towards the development of subsequent functional language skills in childhood (Novak & Pelaez, 2004). To help facilitate the acquisition of these engagement skills, research has found that contingent maternal vocal imitation and motherese speech can be used to increase the rate of infant vocalizations (Pelaez et al., 2011). This presentation reviews and analyzes previous literature on the use of both contingent and noncontingent vocal imitation and motherese speech on increasing the rate of infant vocalizations among at risk infants through a parent-training model. The procedure includes parent-training where caregivers are taught to vocally imitate the sounds of their infants or provide motherese speech in both a contingent and noncontingent reinforcement paradigm. Promoting pre-verbal vocalizations may help facilitate the development of subsequent verbal vocalizations among at risk infants, and potentially prevent the onset of language delays and disorders throughout later development.
 
Establishing Joint Attention and Social Referencing via Operant Learning Paradigm
KATERINA MONLUX (California State University, Northridge), Martha Pelaez (Florida International University), Jonathan J. Tarbox (FirstSteps for Kids), Jacqueline Mery (California State University, Northridge), Hayley Neimy (Shabani Institute - Center for Behavior Analysis & Language Development), Nadya Ariano (Florida International University)
Abstract: Lack of social engagement skills is one of the defining features and foundational deficits among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Common social skills deficits include joint attention and social referencing and these deficits may be rectified through specific behavioral techniques and brief parent-infant engagement training models. This presentation reviews and critiques previously published procedures for training of joint attention and social referencing modeled after Pelaez and colleagues’ (2012) paradigm. Further, a model for expanding on their findings by evaluating the development of social referencing using maternal expressions in the natural environment is proposed. Targeting specific social skills in the natural environment could potentially prevent the development of later onset behavior and language disorders commonly associated with ASD.
 
 
Symposium #40
CE Offered: BACB
Resurgence and Relapse: From Bench to Bedside
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Zurich D, Swissotel
Area: EAB/EDC; Domain: Translational
Chair: Claire C. St. Peter (West Virginia University)
Discussant: Christopher A. Podlesnik (Florida Institute of Technology)
CE Instructor: Claire C. St. Peter, Ph.D.
Abstract: Resurgence refers to the recovery of responding during a disruptor to a previously effective differential reinforcement procedure. Although resurgence is known to be a relatively robust phenomenon, we do not yet know the factors that exacerbate or mitigate resurgence effects. In this symposium, the presenters will use data-based evaluations from laboratory studies with nonhuman subjects to clinical interventions for severe challenging behavior to explore the conditions under which resurgence occurs and variables that could be manipulated to affect resurgence. These variables include features of the response (like the effort necessary to emit the response) and of the reinforcement-schedule arrangement (alternation of contingencies, reinforcer magnitude, or response-independent reinforcement in place of traditional extinction). In all cases, resurgence occurs during the transition from differential reinforcement to extinction. However, the magnitude of the resurgence changes as a function of variables in the organism’s histories. Further understanding these variables may illuminate behavioral process and allow clinicians to design interventions that are more resistant to treatment disruptors.
Keyword(s): behavioral momentum, extinction, relapse, resurgence
 

Alternative-Reinforcer Magnitude Effects on Response Suppression and Resurgence

KAITLYN BROWNING (Utah State University), Andrew R. Craig (Utah State University), Timothy A. Shahan (Utah State University)
Abstract:

Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) based treatments are commonly used approaches to suppressing problem behaviors. However, removal of alternative reinforcement following treatment often results in resurgence of problem behavior. The quantitative model of resurgence based on behavioral momentum theory proposed by Shahan and Sweeney (2011) predicts that larger magnitude alternative reinforcement should produce faster suppression of the target behavior but also greater resurgence following removal of treatment. To date, these novel predictions have not been directly tested. Thus, the present study assessed the effects of alternative reinforcer magnitude on response suppression and resurgence. Following baseline, rats responded for either a high- (5 pellets) or low- (1 pellet) magnitude alternative reinforcer during extinction of the target response. Resurgence was then assessed following removal of alternative reinforcers. High-magnitude alternative reinforcement was more effective in suppressing target responding compared to low-magnitude alternative reinforcement. Further, there was a greater increase in target responding following removal of high-magnitude alternative reinforcement but target responding did not increase following removal of low-magnitude alternative reinforcement. Thus, high-magnitude alternative reinforcement might produce more desirable effects than low-magnitude reinforcement during DRA-based treatment, but it may also produce behavior that is more susceptible to resurgence following treatment.

 
Resurgence During Local Extinction Periods Following VI to FI Schedule Transitions
TYLER NIGHBOR (West Virginia University), Christian Yensen (West Virginia University), Kennon Andy Lattal (West Virginia University)
Abstract: Resurgence of a previously reinforced response occurs reliably following the introduction of conventional extinction of an alternatively reinforced response. Resurgence also may occur following local periods of extinction, such as those present within fixed-interval schedules. Four pigeons were trained to key peck under a VI 60-s schedule in the initial phase. Then an alternative reinforcement phase was implemented wherein responding was extinguished on the initial key and alternatively reinforced on an alternative key according to a VI 90-s schedule. During the resurgence phase, rather than conventional extinction, the VI 90-s condition was changed to an FI 90-s schedule. A resurgence effect occurredfor one subject. The FI value then was increased to 180 s, and resurgence occurred with three of the four subjects. Following these across-session resurgence assessments, a within-session resurgence procedure was used, wherein all three phases of the resurgence procedure occurred within individual sessions. The resurgence effect occurred with all subjects when the FI value was either 90 s or 180 s. The analysis of responding within each FI interreinforcer interval revealed that resurgence occurred during the post-reinforcement pause.
 

Translational Research: Examining the Effects of Response Effort on Resurgence

KIMBERLY M. WALTER (New England Center for Children), Chata A. Dickson (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

Little is known about effects of response effort on behavioral resurgence. In this translational study we evaluated rate of responding following reinforcement and extinction of two different responses. Six typically developing adults received points on a VI 3 s schedule for touching moving targets (R1 and R2) on a computer screen. To create disparity in response effort we manipulated the speed and size of the targets. Each session consisted of three phases: Establishment of R1, Differential Reinforcement of an Alternative Response (DRA), and a test for Resurgence (EXT for R1 and R2). Rate of responding in the Resurgence test was compared across three conditions: (a) R1 and R2 were the same size and speed (equal difficulty), (b) R1 was a larger, slower-moving target (easy response) and R2 was a smaller, faster-moving target (difficult response), and (c) R1 was the difficult response and R2 was the easy response. The order of conditions b and c was balanced across participants. In 9 of 12 cases, there was greater resurgence when the easy response was established first than when the difficult response was established first.

 

Reducing Resurgence Using Fixed-Time Reinforcement Schedules

LUCIE ROMANO (West Virginia University), Claire C. St. Peter (West Virginia University), Gabrielle Mesches (West Virginia University), Apral Foreman (West Virginia University)
Abstract:

We evaluated the extent to which using clinically acceptable fixed-time schedules of reinforcement would prevent resurgence of protesting displayed by four elementary-aged children. Two of the four participants experienced thinning of a fixed-ratio schedule during the alternative phase, and two of the four participants experienced a variable-ratio 3-s schedule. Reinforcement rates during the fixed-time phase were yoked to reinforcement rates experienced by each individual participant during the last three sessions of the preceding alternative phase. Levels of resurgence during the fixed-time phase were evaluated in comparison to levels of resurgence during an extinction probe. Resurgence occurred to a lesser extent during the fixed-time phase than during the extinction probe for all four participants.

 
 
Symposium #41
CE Offered: BACB
Novel Applications of Demand Curve Analyses to Evaluate Reinforcer Efficacy in Laboratory and Applied Contexts
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Zurich FG, Swissotel
Area: EAB; Domain: Translational
Chair: Matthew Novak (University of Kansas)
Discussant: Derek D. Reed (University of Kansas)
CE Instructor: Derek D. Reed, Ph.D.
Abstract: Progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement are commonly used in basic research to assess reinforcer efficacy and are often evaluated within a behavioral economic context using demand curve analyses. Recent research has also demonstrated the value of using PR schedules in applied contexts, such as when evaluating preference with individuals with disabilities or identifying reinforcers for use in an organizational incentive system. This symposium includes both basic and applied researchers to explore novel applications of demand curve analyses with progressive reinforcement contingencies. The first paper (Jarmolowicz, Sofis, & Hale) evaluated the relative valuation of food rewards for nonhuman animal models of obesity in a laboratory setting. The second paper (Henley & DiGennaro Reed) compared the effects of different incentive magnitudes on work performance and assessed the predictive validity of a hypothetical work task in an online work environment. The remaining papers took place in clinical settings and included an evaluation of (1) the generality of preference assessment outcomes as response requirements increase (Castile & Bourret), and (2) shifts in reinforcer preference and efficacy following differential reinforcement of appropriate toy play (Wiggins et al.).
Keyword(s): Behavioral Economics, Demand, Reinforcer Efficacy
 
On the Valuation of Food in Animal Models of Obesity: Progressive and/or Increasing Schedule Analysis
DAVID P. JARMOLOWICZ (University of Kansas), Michael Sofis (University of Kansas), Luanne Hale (University of Kansas)
Abstract: Approximately two thirds of all US citizens are either obese of overweight. Because of the widespread comorbidity between overweight/ obesity and health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, these high rates of obesity/overweight are a pressing societal concern. Although considerable progress has been made on elucidating various aspects of this condition, the precise gene by behavioral interactions that cause obesity remain unclear. The Obese Zucker rat is an animal model of obesity which resulted from a spontaneous mutation in the genes that encode for the processing of leptin. With the Obese Zucker rat being one of the earliest obesity models, considerable information is available regarding their physiological profile. Less, however, is known about these models’ behavioral profile. For example, although Obese Zucker rats discount delayed rewards at higher rates than controls, and have higher response rates than controls at some schedule values, a comprehensive profile of these models relative valuation of food rewards across a range of schedule parameters remains underdeveloped. The present study examined Obese Zucker and Lean Zucker rats responding across a range of progressive and/or increasing schedule arrangements.
 
Effects of Incentive Magnitude on Work Performance and Predictive Validity of a Hypothetical Work Task
AMY J. HENLEY (University of Kansas), Florence D. DiGennaro Reed (University of Kansas)
Abstract: Behavioral economics is an approach to understanding decision-making and behavior by integrating principles from behavioral science and microeconomics (Hursh, 1980). Recently, researchers have effectively applied behavioral economic demand curve analyses to employee behavior. This study sought to employ demand curve analyses to evaluate the effects of three incentive magnitudes on quantity and accuracy of work completion and the correspondence between observed performance and participant self-reports of projected work performance. Participants included 289 Amazon Mechanical Turk Workers who completed a work task assessed with a progressive ratio schedule. Participants were assigned to one of three incentive magnitudes ($0.05, $0.10, and $0.20) available in exchange for the completion of each ratio requirement. The work task required participants to slide a visual analog scale to match a target number. The results indicate demand was highest for the $0.05 incentive and lowest for the $0.20 incentive for actual and self-reported performance. Within each incentive magnitude, aggregate demand did not differ between actual and self-reported work performance. Accuracy on the work task was significantly higher in the $0.05 condition. Predictive validity of self-reported performance improved as the incentive magnitude increased. These results may inform the development of novel methods for identifying functional reinforcers in organizations.
 
Using Demand Curves to Determine the Generality of Preference Assessment Outcomes
ALLISON JOSEPHINE CASTILE (New England Center for Children), Jason C. Bourret (New England Center for Children)
Abstract: Choice behavior on a concurrent schedule is not only sensitive to the other available items, but the price, or the amount of work required to gain access to the item, matters. Research in the field of behavior economics has supported this assertion, demonstrating that work requirements on different fixed-ratio (FR) schedules may yield differences in reinforcing efficacy of the items assessed. As practitioners, this point may be of interest when thinking about what reinforcers to deliver during skill acquisition or behavior reduction programs. Since preference assessments are conducted at a low schedule value (i.e., FR1), there may be reason to believe that preference shifts may occur if an individual was offered the same choice between stimuli after completing an increasing amount of work. The purpose of the current study is to extend the results of the current literature assessing the generality of preference assessment outcomes and test to see if the results fit traditional demand curve analyses, by assessing preference for all stimuli from initial preference assessments at higher FR values. Interobserver agreement was collected for all five participants, for at least 33% of sessions, agreement ranged from 93-100% agreement.
 
Evaluating Shifts in Preference and Reinforcer Efficacy of Leisure Items Following Differential Reinforcement of Appropriate Toy Play
MEGAN WIGGINS (Marcus Autism Center), Nathan Call (Marcus Autism Center), Kerri C. Suiter (Marcus Autism Center), Seth B. Clark (Marcus Autism Center), Summer Gholston (Marcus Autism Center)
Abstract: The identification of items that serve as reinforcers is essential to the success of any reinforcement-based intervention program. Thus, it is important to expand preferences to provide effective services for individuals with limited interest in activities. Several studies have shown respondent and operant conditioning procedures can be used to establish previously neutral or low preferred stimuli as conditioned reinforcers (Eason et al., 1982; Delgado et al., 2009; Greer et al., 1985; Hanley et al., 1999; Hanley et al., 2003; Miguel et al., 2002; Nuzzolo-Gomez et al., 2002; Smith et al., 1996; Sundberg et al., 1996; Tsai & Greer, 2006; Yoon & Bennett, 2000). However, less attention has been dedicated to evaluating the degree to which conditioned low preference leisure items/activities will serve as reinforcers, and the degree to which preference may be altered following conditioning procedures. The focus of this project was to evaluate if preference and/or reinforcing efficacy could be increased through conditioning procedures for individuals with limited interest in activities. Preference did not increase for 3/3 participants, and the results regarding reinforcer efficacy were mixed. Potential factors in producing these results are discussed.
 
 
Symposium #42
CE Offered: BACB
Cross-Species Analysis of Social Reinforcement: Evaluation and Quantification of Social Reinforcers in Rats, Dogs, and Humans
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Zurich AB, Swissotel
Area: EAB; Domain: Translational
Chair: Timothy D. Hackenberg (Reed College)
Discussant: Allen Neuringer (Reed College)
CE Instructor: Timothy D. Hackenberg, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Social reinforcement is a topic of enormous conceptual and applied significance. The basic mechanisms of social reinforcement are not well understood, however. The goal of this session is to bring together several lines of research designed to assess the efficacy of social reinforcement across a range of species and different reinforcer types. Feuerbacher & Wynne will discuss research aimed at measuring the reinforcing efficacy of human social interaction for dogs, including analyses of reinforcer duration. Pinkston and colleagues will describe research on social/sexual reinforcement with rats, as a baseline against which to measure the response weakening effects of antidepressant drugs. Call and colleagues will present data comparing the relative efficacy of social and non-social reinforcers in autistic and non-autistic children, putting a sharper quantitative point on general methods for assessing social deficits in autism. Hackenberg and colleagues will discuss research exploring the effects of social familiarity on preference for social reinforcement in rats. Together, the work illustrates some promising methods for assessing and quantifying the efficacy of social reinforcement across species, settings, and reinforcers a first step in a comparative analysis of social reinforcement.

 

Longer Human Social Interaction Can Function as a Reinforcer for Some Dogs

ERICA N. FEUERBACHER (Carroll College), Clive Wynne (Arizona State University)
Abstract:

Whether human social interaction can function as a reinforcer for domestic dog behavior remains unclear, but is an important question for owners hoping to maintain desirable behavior in their dogs through social interaction. Previously, we demonstrated that brief human interaction did not function as an effective reinforcer for dog behavior. However, others suggested longer interaction might, although confounding contingencies prevented clear conclusions. Thus, we examined whether 30 s of social interaction would function as a reinforcer for dog behavior. We saw little effect and no difference compared to dogs that received 4 s of interaction. To investigate a transient response spike in some subjects, we provided some dogs 4 min of presession noncontingent interaction. This did not affect responding. Finally, we implemented a multielement design in which dogs alternated within and across days between abolishing operation (presession attention) and establishing operation (presession ignore) conditions. Half of the dogs showed a reinforcement effect of 30 s social interaction, although with little distinction between abolishing operation and establishing operation conditions. The other half showed no reinforcement effect. Our results suggest that for some dogs, longer social interaction can function as reinforcer for their behavior, but session spacing might be a critical variable.

 
An Operant Paradigm for the Study of Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Dysfunction in Females
JONATHAN W. PINKSTON (University of North Texas), Lynda Uphouse (Texas Woman's University), Duane Baade (Texas Woman's University)
Abstract: One of the most common side-effects of antidepressants is reduced motivation for and satisfaction from sexual activity, and this is especially true among women. The search for effective screens and treatments for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunctions in the laboratory has been slow because current approaches have not reproduced the clinical findings; this likely stems from the fact current models have focused on sexual performance, not motivation to obtain sex. We report on a novel operant procedure for studying sexual motivation in rodents to assess dysfunction in sexual motivation. Ovariectomized Fischer 344 rats nose poked to raise a guillotine door, which allowed the female access to a compartment housing a sexually active male rat. Motivation to open the door and enter the male’s compartment was examined following hormone primes with 10 ug estradiol benzoate with or without 500 ug progesterone. Fluoxetine, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, was tested at 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg following hormone priming. Fluoxetine reliably reduced the number of nose pokes, delayed opening the door to the male’s compartment, and increased the latency to cross into the male’s compartment. The findings suggest the operant approach may provide a sensitive measure for screening antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunctions in females.
 

Measuring the Reinforcer Efficacy of Social Interactions in Children With Autism and Related Disorders

NATHAN CALL (Marcus Autism Center), Joanna Lomas Mevers (Marcus Autism Center), Sarah J. Miller (Marcus Autism Center; Emory University School of Medicine), Sarah Wymer (Marcus Autism Center)
Abstract:

There is growing support for the theory that disruptions in the degree to which social interactions are reinforcing may constitute a root cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This paper will present studies that have attempted to develop methods for quantifying the degree to which social interactions function as reinforcers for children with ASD. This will include the results of a study that used PR schedules to compare the relative reinforcing efficacy of social attention and leisure items in children with ASD (n=8), Williams Syndrome (WS; n=4), and typically developing peers (n=9). Participants in the ASD group exhibited higher breakpoints and Omax for leisure items than for attention, whereas children in the typically developing and WS groups exhibited the opposite pattern. Results will be discussed in terms of how these methods compare to other approaches to quantifying the reinforcing efficacy of social interactions in children with ASD.

 

The Role of Familiarity in Preference for Social Reinforcement in Rats

TIMOTHY D. HACKENBERG (Reed College), Lauren Vanderhooft (Reed College), L. B. Miller (Reed College), Emma Schweitzer (Reed College), Shirin Porkar-Aghdam (Reed College), Lavinia C. M. Tan (Reed College)
Abstract:

In a concurrent schedule procedure, female rats made repeated choices between two options, each of which opened into side compartments in a three-compartment apparatus. Responses on levers in the middle chamber opened guillotine doors separating the middle from the side compartments, permitting 45-s access to the side compartment adjacent to target lever. In baseline conditions, one side compartment contained a familiar female rat (the focal rats cagemate, with which it was housed outside the experiment), whereas the other side compartment was empty. In a second condition, the empty chamber was replaced with a new female rat, unfamiliar to the focal rat, thereby permitting a choice between a familiar and unfamiliar rat. This was followed by a return to baseline conditions, with choice between a familiar rat and an empty chamber. The focal rats showed a clear and consistent preference for the familiar rat over the empty chamber in baseline conditions, but reversed their preference in favor of the unfamiliar rat when pitted against a familiar rat. The methods show promise as an experimental paradigm for evaluating and quantifying preference between qualitatively different social reinforcers.

 
 
Symposium #44
CE Offered: BACB
Basic Research on Verbal Behavior
Sunday, May 29, 2016
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Michigan ABC, Hyatt Regency, Bronze East
Area: VBC/EAB; Domain: Basic Research
Chair: Bailey Devine (Texas Christian University)
Discussant: David C. Palmer (Smith College)
CE Instructor: Bailey Devine, M.S.
Abstract:

Skinner (1938) wrote of his own work that It is a serious mistake to allow questions of ultimate application to influence the development of a systematic of a systematic science at an early stage (p.441). His analysis of verbal behavior (Skinner, 1957) has generated much applied research, but relatively little basic research. This symposium reminds us of the value of asking and answering questions which may not have immediate applied relevance, because they provide information about uniformities in verbal behavior which lead to practical benefit. Topics include studies on the parity hypothesis, grammar and production of novel prepositional sentences, the effects of blocking verbal behavior on joint-controlled sequencing and a direct replication of Skinners verbal summator experiment.

Keyword(s): grammar, verbal-mediation
 

Examining the Parity Hypothesis With English-Speaking Undergraduate Students

SAMANTHA BERGMANN (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Tiffany Kodak (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Brittany LeBlanc (University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Abstract:

Skinner (1957) hypothesized that ones vocal pattern is automatically reinforced if it is similar to the vocal patterns of preferred individuals which results in borrowing verbal behavior from the community (p. 164). Palmer (1996) describes this process as parity which occurs when a speaker, who is a competent listener, differentially reinforces his/her own vocal verbal behavior to conform to that of the verbal community. The current study replicates and extends stvik, Eikeseth, and Klintwall (2012) by examining if English-speaking undergraduate students would alter their vocal verbal behavior to conform to an experimenters model of tacts in the passive voice in the absence of socially-mediated reinforcement. Undergraduate students were assigned to either the control group, which was never exposed to modeling; the waiting quietly group, which replicated previous procedures; or the vocal imitation group, which extended previous procedures by including echoic tasks during the wait interval. Participants in the control group had consistent grammatical forms of tacts across phases and rarely engaged in vocal verbal behavior with passive voice, whereas the majority of participants assigned to the waiting quietly or vocal imitation groups showed increased use of passive voice following modeling. However, the degree of change differed across participants. Verbal behavior theoretical implications and future directions will be discussed.

 
The Production of Novel Prepositional Sentences Following Instruction on Autoclitic Frames
JAMES R. MELLOR (Texas Christian University), Kiley Hiett (Texas Christian University), Anna I. Petursdottir (Texas Christian University), Ruth Anne Anne Rehfeldt (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of multiple exemplar instruction on the production of novel prepositional sentences. A multiple-baseline design was used to assess the effects of instruction on the productivity of novel sentence structures for typically developing 5 year old children. The instruction consisted of showing the participants a variety of cartoon pictures of commonly known animals, arranged so that each animal corresponded to a specific spatial relation with another animal (i.e., below). The participant was then taught to describe the pictures within a particular autoclitic frame (e.g., the X is next to the Y above the Z). There were three autoclitic frames targeted for instruction, with each frame containing prepositional phrases corresponding to the spatial relations of the cartoon animals. Preliminary data indicate that instruction for two of the target frames was sufficient to establish novel production of all three sentences. Implications for the instruction of generative sentence production are discussed.
 

A Systematic Replication of B. F. Skinner's Verbal Summator

SPENCER GAUERT (University of the Pacific), Stephen Pangburn (University of the Pacific), Matthew P. Normand (University of the Pacific)
Abstract:

The verbal summator was a device created by B. F. Skinner to assess verbal behavior. Skinner's original 1936 verbal summator study was an early attempt to study echoic (originally termed imitative) and intraverbal (originally termed summative) behavior. Extensions of the original study focused on the use of the summator as a diagnostic or assessment tool rather than using it to study the function of verbal behavior. No previous studies have directly replicated Skinner's original experiment. For the current study, researches recorded new samples resembling Skinner's original audio recordings using modern digital recording technology. These samples, like the originals used by Skinner, were arrangements of preverbal sounds that were played slightly distorted at a low volume. During the experimental sessions, we presented random selections of these audio recordings to 30 subjects and asked to report what they heard. The audio samples were repeatedly presented until the subject provided a word or phrase describing what they heard. The resulting data analysis was conducted as described by Skinner (1936). Implications of these results and directions for future research will be identified. Data will be presented on the number of samples, organized by the number of syllables. In addition, data will be presented on the similarity of the collected responses to real speech, as described in Skinner (1936), through the use of Zipf's law analysis. Finally, responses were collected and ranked according to their frequency of occurrence.

 
The Effects of Blocking Verbal Behavior on Joint-Controlled Sequencing
CAREEN SUZANNE MEYER (California State University, Sacramento), Curtis Clough (California State University, Sacramento), Caio F. Miguel (California State University, Sacramento)
Abstract: The current study evaluated the effects of vocal and motor blocking tasks on sequencing visual stimuli for 12 participants. In Experiment 1, we presented a vocal blocking task while asking participants to sequence pictures that they had learned to vocally tact. In Experiment 2, we presented vocal and motor blocking tasks while asking (vocally or via signs) participants to sequence pictures they had learned to tact vocally or through signs. In Experiment 3, we presented vocal blocking tasks while asking participants to sequence stimuli they learned to tact or that they could match without the need of any verbal behavior. All participants sequenced pictures after learning to tact them vocally or with signs. One of four participants required joint control training for stimuli taught via hand signs. Vocal blocking prevented accurate sequencing on both vocal and hand signed sequences, but not sequences established via matching. Combined results suggest vocal blocking procedures may serve to prevent verbal behavior that could be mediating non-verbal sequencing, and that joint control training may not be necessary for adults to perform the sequencing task.
 
 
Symposium #46
CE Offered: BACB
Preparing Individuals With Autism for Learning in Group Environments: Assessing Readiness for Staff Fading
Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Roosevelt, Hyatt Regency, Bronze East
Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Samantha Smith (Melmark)
CE Instructor: Jennifer Croner, M.S.Ed.
Abstract:

Research suggests that individual instructional arrangements are highly effective with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who display challenging behavior, however the resources necessary to provide intensive staffing to all students are rare (Kamps & Walker, 1990). Not only is intensive staffing often unrealistic, some research indicates that individual instructional formats hinder generalization of skills, eliminate the potential for observational learning, and require far more instructional time than do group formats (Favell, Favell, & McGimsey, 1978; Keel & Gast, 1992; Koegel, Egel, & Dunlap, 1980). The ability to follow instructions delivered to a group is essential to successful integration in school, vocational, and community settings. This symposium will explore ways to assess the ability to acquire novel skills and maintain existing skill repertoires in individual instruction, dyad instruction, and small group instruction. Additional information about instructional efficiency and the rates of challenging behaviors in these instructional formats will be discussed.

Keyword(s): Group Instruction
 

Getting to Group Instruction: Evaluating the Ability of Learners With Autism to Work in Small Groups

HELENA L. MAGUIRE (Melmark New England), Catherine Judkins (Melmark New England), Katrina Grandelski (Melmark New England)
Abstract:

Fading intensive staffing is essential to the promotion of independence and successful transitioning to less restrictive settings. However, concerns about behavioral regression and slower rate of acquisition coupled with limited guidelines on the assessment of instruction arrangements often result in long term provision of individual instruction. Therefore, an instructional protocol was designed to assess a learners academic and clinical performance in individual and group instruction. Variables assessed included the ability to learn new material, levels of engagement in independent activities, rates of challenging behavior, and maintenance of mastered targets in individualized and group instructional arrangements. Initial data collected using this protocol demonstrate that a learner continued to learn novel skills while maintaining previously mastered skills in small group instruction. Data also demonstrate that the learner engaged in low level problem behavior while engaging in adaptive skills such as functional communication, leisure and waiting skills. Follow-up data will be shared with a focus on the expansion of this protocol for larger periods of the instructional day.

 

Group Instructional Strategies With Clients With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Jill E. McGrale Maher (Autism Intervention Specialists), KRISTI LOMBARDO (Autism Intervention Specialists), Britany Melton (Britany Melton), Ian Melton (Endicott College)
Abstract:

A series of studies exploring the impact of instructional ratio on learning will be described. The presentation will begin by reviewing various levels of staffing support provided to individuals with autism. The first study evaluated criteria to guide clinicians in moving students to group instructional formats. Targeted behaviors included stereotypy, engagement, active responding, and the presence of other challenging behaviors, and three different instructional content areas were evaluated. Criteria were set to guide clinicians in decisions to reduce the intensity of staffing along the various levels of support. Study two looked at skill acquisition in individual and dyad instruction, with an additional focus on observational learning opportunities. The final study looked at individual, dyad and triad instruction across learners, and evaluated how the size of the group affected rates of learning. The discussion will highlight individual differences in appropriateness for transitioning to group instruction, and will hypothesize about predictive variables.

 
Differential Performance in Individual and Dyad Instructional Arrangements
JENNIFER CRONER (Melmark), Samantha Smith (Melmark), Jessica Woods (Melmark), Mary Jane Weiss (Melmark), Helena L. Maguire (Melmark New England)
Abstract: The ability of individuals with autism to learn in a group instructional format will promote independence and facilitate transition into settings with less intensive staffing. The purpose of this study was to compare acquisition and maintenance of verbal behavior targets in individual and dyad arrangements. The participants of this study were two young males diagnosed with autism, who attend an approved private school and reside at home with their parents/guardians. An alternating treatments design was used to evaluate the differences between individual and dyad instruction across several dependent variables. The dependent variables measured were cumulative targets mastered, out-of-seat behavior, and amount of time spent in instruction, on break, and waiting. Individual and group instruction were compared across three different verbal behavior operants: match to sample, motor imitation, and listener responding. Sessions were randomized across type of instruction and operant. Interobserver agreement and procedural integrity were collected for at least 25% of sessions across treatments. Preliminary data suggest that performance is based on individual differences. Therefore, future directions for evaluating performance should focus on measures related to characteristics of the individual.
 
 
Symposium #47
CE Offered: BACB
Having a Gay Day: Distress and Psychological Flexibility Among LGBTQ Communities
Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Crystal Ballroom C, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: CBM/VBC; Domain: Basic Research
Chair: Benjamin Ramos (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)
Discussant: Thomas G. Szabo (Florida Institute of Technology)
CE Instructor: Thomas G. Szabo, Ph.D.
Abstract: The legalization of gay marriage throughout the United States combined with an increased degree of support for gay rights has made this an historic decade for the gender and sexual minority (GSM) community. However, GSM stigma and discrimination remain a significant problem across many different domains of living. How individuals respond to ongoing GSM discrimination and to efforts to decrease that discrimination may be, in part, attributable to certain psychological skills for experiencing unwanted cognitions and emotions. This symposium will explore the role of psychological flexibility in GSM stigma and discrimination. The first paper will explore the role of psychological flexibility in predicting LGBTQ stigma. The second paper will explore the role of psychological flexibility in predicting GSM individuals’ reactions to perceived LGBTQ stigma. The implications of both studies for promoting continued societal change will be discussed.
Keyword(s): gender identity, psychological flexibility, sexual orientation, stigma
 
Examining Psychological Flexibility and Willingness to Engage in Behaviors That Benefit Members of the LGBTQ Campus Community
MAUREEN FLYNN (Metropolitan State University of Denver)
Abstract: Although acceptance of gender and sexual minorities is increasing in the United States, individuals in the LGBTQ community continue to experience negative responses from society. LGBTQ individuals can internalize such negative responses, which can lead to psychological difficulties (e.g., Szymanski, Kashubeck-West, & Meyer, 2008; Meyer & Dean, 1998). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) interventions, which are designed to increase psychological flexibility, have been shown to decrease stigmatizing attitudes towards substance abusers (Hayes et al., 2004) and people with mental illness (Masuda et al., 2007). Psychological flexibility is also related to attitudes towards other ethnicities (Levin, Luoma, Lillis, Hayes, & Vilardaga, 2014). To date, there aren’t any published studies examining psychological flexibility with LGBTQ-related stigmatizing thoughts. The aims of this study were to examine 1) the relationship between psychological flexibility and homophobia and transphobia and 2) whether psychological flexibility moderates the relationship between negative attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals and willingness to engage in behaviors that help the LGBT community among Hispanic college students.
 

Stigma in Context: Perceived Discrimination, Psychological Distress, and Coping of Gender and Sexual Minorities

ALYSON GIESEMANN (University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Lauren Griffin (University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)
Abstract:

Gender and sexual minorities experience stigma and discrimination in a number of domains, leaving them at an increased risk of psychological distress, mental health symptomatology, and risk-taking behaviors. Some GSM individuals are resilient, however, thriving even in the face of clear discrimination and subsequent distress. It may be that the impact of discrimination and distress depends on the psychological skills one applies. For example, both self-compassion and psychological flexibility have been shown to mitigate the impact of psychological stressors on well-being. The current study aimed to consider 1) the extent to which daily experiences of perceived discrimination lead to psychological distress and disruption of well-being in GSM individuals and 2) how psychological flexibility, self-compassion and other coping mechanisms might mitigate the impact of perceived discrimination on distress and well-being. Participants tracked their daily experiences of discrimination, their private reactions to those experiences, and functions of those reactions. Implications for interventions targeting discrimination-relevant distress and dysfunction will be discussed.

 
 
Panel #48
CE Offered: BACB — 
Ethics
ABA: Addressing the Needs in Neurorehabilitation
Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Crystal Ballroom B, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: CBM/PRA; Domain: Applied Research
CE Instructor: Michael P. Mozzoni, Ph.D.
Chair: Michael P. Mozzoni (Mozzoni Associates LLC)
DIXIE D. EASTRIDGE (Learning Services)
ANNEKA HOFSCHNEIDER (Centre for Neuro Skills)
MICHAEL P. MOZZONI (Mozzoni Associates LLC)
Abstract:

The Brain Injury Association of America has reported CDC estimates of 2.4 million Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) each year. Of those injuries 3-5% will result in chronic impairments of mood, function and cognition. ABA offers a significant addition to neurorehabilitation in terms of accountability, quantification and effectiveness. This panel will cover some of the more frequently encountered challenges and demonstrate the effectiveness of the behavioral approach within a multidisciplinary team. This panel will review effective treatment procedures and strategies that increase an individual's quality of life and reduce the burden for caregivers. The panelists will cover topics including: bowel and bladder training using an auditory cue vs. scheduled toileting, anger management utilizing massed practice of relaxation using cue card training, and timely intervention for adjustment problems including depression and anxiety that lead to improved participation and engagement in rehabilitation, which allow individuals to better accept their "new normal."

Keyword(s): Anger-Management, Continence training, Neurorehabilitation, TBI
 
 
Invited Tutorial #51
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
SQAB Tutorial: Philosophy of Science and the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior
Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Lucerne, Swissotel
Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Lewis A. Bizo, Ph.D.
Chair: Lewis A. Bizo (University of New England)
Presenting Authors: : RANDOLPH C. GRACE (University of Canterbury), Brian Haig (University of Canterbury)
Abstract:

Single-subject methodology and Skinner's caution against inferential statistics based on group averages have been very influential with researchers in behavior analysis. Here we review recent developments in the philosophy of science and methodology, including the "new statistics," and consider their implications for the quantitative analysis of behavior. We describe an account of scientific methodology—the Abductive Theory of Method (ATOM; Haig, 2005)—which details how empirical phenomena are detected and contribute to theory construction via inference to the best explanation, and show how it is relevant for behavior analysis.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Licensed psychologists, certified behavior analysts, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, participants should be able to: (1) describe and contrast important themes in the philosophy of science, including realism and empiricism, and how these relate to radical behaviorism; (2) describe the Abductive Theory of Method (ATOM) and how it relates to research and applied practice in the experimental analysis of behavior; (3) contrast current and historical conceptions of validity.
 
RANDOLPH C. GRACE (University of Canterbury), Brian Haig (University of Canterbury)
Randolph C. Grace is Professor of Psychology at the University of Canterbury (Christchurch, New Zealand).  He received his PhD from the University of New Hampshire in 1995 and has published over 120 articles and book chapters in a variety of basic and applied research areas including choice behavior and decision making, behavioural economics, methodology, comparative cognition, conditioning and learning, clinical/forensic psychology, tobacco control and neuropsychology.  He is past President of the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. 
Keyword(s): Science
 
 
Invited Paper Session #52
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

The Relation Between Academic Performance and Challenging Behavior

Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Regency Ballroom C, Hyatt Regency, Gold West
Area: EDC; Domain: Applied Research
Instruction Level: Basic
CE Instructor: Florence D. DiGennaro Reed, Ph.D.
Chair: Florence D. DiGennaro Reed (University of Kansas)
JENNIFER J. MCCOMAS (University of Minnesota)
Jennifer McComas is Professor of Special Education at the University of Minnesota. Dr. McComas was a special education teacher for students, grades 7-12, with high-incidence disabilities in rural Iowa before completing her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. She went on to complete her post-doctoral training at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia/University of Pennsylvania and taught in the Psychology Department at Queens College/the City University of New York before joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 1999. Professor McComas holds the Rodney S. Wallace Professorship for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and is head of the teacher licensure program in Emotional Behavior Disorders at the University of Minnesota. In addition, she co-directs the Urban Indian Education Partnership between the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Public Schools, a partnership aimed at improving outcomes for American Indian Youth. Dr. McComas teaches undergraduate, masters, and doctorate-level courses in emotional/behavior disorders, principles of behavior, and functional analysis of challenging behavior in academic and community-based settings. Her recently launched telepresence lab is a means by which to reach families of individuals with intellectual and development disorders and severe behavior problems across a wide geographic area and to conduct related research. Dr. McComas conducts translational research pertaining to the influence of principles of behavior on challenging behavior and using those principles to affect meaningful changes in behavior. She has published in several peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. She is currently the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Behavioral Education, was an Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and continues to serve on the editorial board of several journals including the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and The Psychological Record.
Abstract:

Academic and behavior problems are highly co-morbid, yet little more is known about the relation between the two. Does one lead to the other? It is easy to imagine that as behavior problems persist and instructional time is lost to disciplinary procedures such as time-out and suspension, the lost instructional opportunities result in poor academic performance. However, it is also easy to imagine that as a young student's academic difficulties persist, school becomes increasingly aversive and socially reinforced behavior problems emerge. Effective interventions exist for both learning and behavior problems separately, but is it possible to implement intervention for one and achieve concomitant improvement in the other? If so, under what conditions is it possible to implement treatment that results in improvement in both academic performance and behavior? This presentation will begin with the question of the relation between learning and behavior problems and include data from several investigations of the influence of motivating operations, stimulus control, and reinforcement on academic performance and behavior.

Target Audience:

Licensed Psychologists, certified behavior analysts, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to: (1) discuss influence of reinforcement on challenging behavior during academic tasks; (2) discuss the influence of motivating operations on challenging behavior during academic tasks; (3) consider a variety of approaches to the assessment and treatment for students who display poor academic performance and challenging behavior in school.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #53
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics

Designing Sustainable Behavior Change

Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Grand Ballroom AB, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: OBM; Domain: Service Delivery
Instruction Level: Basic
CE Instructor: Douglas A. Johnson, Ph.D.
Chair: Douglas A. Johnson (Western Michigan University)
MICHAEL KIM (Habit Design)
Michael Kim is Founder and CEO of Habit Design, the leading platform for crowdsourcing sustainable behavior change. Over 500 companies and 100,000 people have used Habit Design's behavior-change training to create successful daily habits that last beyond 100 days. Clinically tested by licensed, published clinical psychologists, Habit Design transforms training into automatic, habitual routines. Built on evidence-based research from over 100 behavioral scientists, the simple, easy, and effective training includes three main components: coaching, practice teams, and rewards.
Abstract:

Programs prioritizing ?motivating Behavior Change? frequently fail to generate sustained engagement: over 80% of employees who attempt to create new, healthy behaviors still fail at continuing their training after just the first 30 days, and corporate lifestyle management programs return only $0.50 for every $1 invested (RAND, 2015). The CDC attributes 80% of chronic conditions to this inability to form successful wellbeing habits, resulting in almost $1 Trillion in lost productivity alone (CDC, 2009). The problem is not that people resist change, but they resist being changed. While health promotion can motivate employees to make episodic, temporary changes, when it comes to creating lasting results, learning the skill of creating new habits is what is vital for long-term Behavior Change. The reason: While motivation may get you started, habit keeps you going. Developed by licensed, clinical psychologists from Yale and the University of Washington, this session covers best practices in the design of sustainable Behavior Change systems that have led to the successful training of unconscious, daily habits, derived from more than eight years of clinical testing of evidence-based research from over 100 behavioral researchers. Habit Design has trained more than 500 companies and 100,000 employees - from UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Stanford Medical School, Boeing, Google, The White House, and many others.

Target Audience: Practitioners in the field.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to: (1) identify four key ingredients that must be present for creating successful behavior change; (2) differentiate and diagnose behavior change into fifteen distinct classes; (3) define three key strategies that successfully harness motivation for sustainable behavior change; (4) translate design principles and tactics to create winning recipes for training new habits, or "habit designs."
 
 
Symposium #54
CE Offered: BACB
Modifications and Refinements of Functional Analyses Targeting Challenging Behavior
Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Columbus Hall CD, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: PRA/DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Joanna Lomas Mevers (Marcus Autism Center)
CE Instructor: Joanna Lomas Mevers, Ph.D.
Abstract: Functional analysis (FA) technology developed by Iwata et al., 1982/1994 is considered the gold standard for identifying the function of problem behavior. Despite the success of this methodology it is important to continue to refine and develop this technology. This symposium will present recent research comparing single topography FAs to multiple topography FAs, correspondence between brief and extended FAs, and new methods to evaluate self-injurious behavior (SIB) maintained by both social and automatic functions. Findings will show that FAs that include multiple topographies are as effective when problem behavior is maintained by negative reinforcement and less effective when problem behavior is maintained by access to tangible items. Correspondence between brief FAs and extended FAs is lower than what has been previously reported in the literature. In addition SIB maintained by both social and automatic reinforcement can be successfully identified using sensory extension and typical FA contingencies. Taken together these results provide support for refinements and modifications of FA procedures to more effectively identify the function of problem behavior.
Keyword(s): Automatic Reinforcement, Functional Anlaysis, Problem Behavior
 

Further Analysis of the Correspondence Between the Results of Functional Analyses and Brief Functional Analyses

COLIN S. MUETHING (Marcus Autism Center), Nathan Call (Marcus Autism Center), Joanna Lomas Mevers (Marcus Autism Center), Amanda Zangrillo (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Andrea R. Reavis (Marcus Autism Center), Natalie A. Parks (Positive Behavior Supports Corporation)
Abstract:

Past research comparing brief and lengthier functional analyses has generally shown high rates of correspondence. In 1995, Vollmer, Marcus, Ringdahl, and Roane, proposed an assessment model that progressed from brief functional analyses to lengthier functional analyses following undifferentiated results. This study sought to examine the proposed model by comparing the results of brief functional analyses and lengthier functional analyses conducted according to procedures from Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982/1994) with participants from a day treatment program for severe problem behavior. Results showed low correspondence between the brief and lengthy functional analyses across 22 comparisons indicating possible false positive or false negative results. Low correspondence may be due to the various differences between assessments or the particulars of the participants and behaviors included in the study. Past research has shown both assessments have demonstrated successful treatment development. Therefore, future research is necessary to evaluate correspondence between assessments in other settings and with other types of participants.

 
A Comparison of the Utility of Multiple and Single Topography Functional Analysis Procedures
JONATHAN DEAN SCHMIDT (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Griffin Rooker (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Natalie Rolider (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Kevin J. Schlichenmeyer (Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School), Eileen M. Roscoe (The New England Center for Children), Heather Jennett (Little Leaves Behavioral Services), Jennifer R. Zarcone (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Louis P. Hagopian (Kennedy Krieger Institute)
Abstract: When a functional analysis (FA) is conducted on multiple topographies of behavior simultaneously, the function of certain behaviors may be confounded due to response class hierarchies or a lack of discrimination if the participant does not contact the programmed contingencies. For this study, we concurrently conducted multiple (consequences for all target behaviors) and single (consequences for a specific target behavior, one at a time, in a sequential fashion) topography FAs for 12 individuals with developmental disabilities and examined each method’s ability to identify behavioral function. Two observers simultaneously but independently scored behaviors during 50% of all FA sessions; IOA for target behaviors ranged from 71% to 100%. Both multiple and single topography FAs were equally effective for identifying escape maintained problem behaviors. However, single topography FAs were more likely to identify a function when results of a multiple topography FA were undifferentiated, and to identify a tangible function. Additionally, although only occurring in a small number of cases, multiple topography FAs were more likely to produce false positives regarding the functions of behaviors when these results were considered in aggregate. Attendees will gain guidance regarding factors to consider and when to utilize a multiple or single topography FA.
 
Using a Test for Multiply Maintained Self-Injury to Guide Treatment Decisions
MINDY CHRISTINE SCHEITHAUER (Marcus Autism Center), Joanna Lomas Mevers (Marcus Autism Center), Nathan Call (Marcus Autism Center), Alex Shrewsbury (Marcus Autism Center)
Abstract: In interpreting results of a functional analysis, an automatic function may be determined either because problem behavior is elevated in the alone/ignore condition comparative to other conditions or because problem behavior is elevated and undifferentiated across multiple conditions. In the latter, it is difficult to determine if problem behavior is maintained by automatic reinforcement alone or is multiply maintained. The current projects replicates and expands upon past research that evaluated social reinforcement conditions in a functional analysis after controlling for automatic reinforcement through sensory extinction. Specifically, we evaluate multiple social reinforcement conditions within each participant while the participant wore protective equipment to eliminate automatic reinforcement. Results suggest that self-injury was maintained by automatic reinforcement alone for one participant and both automatic reinforcement and physical attention for another participant. Outcomes are discussed in the context of implications and importance for treatment.
 
 
Symposium #55
CE Offered: BACB — 
Supervision
Improving Social Functioning for Children With Autism
Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Regency Ballroom D, Hyatt Regency, Gold West
Area: TBA/AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Jeremy H. Greenberg (The Children's Institute of Hong Kong)
CE Instructor: Jeremy H. Greenberg, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This symposium contains three presentations regarding improving social functioning for children with autism by teaching them important skills. The first paper involves teaching basic skills of understanding perspective taking. The second presentation is teaching the identification of false-belief tasks, which are commonly used by developmental/cognitive psychologist to test the ability of "theory of mind." The third presentation uses an evaluation form along with video modeling to train parents how to teach their children with autism.

 

Basic Skills for Learning Perspective Taking in Children With Autism

WENCHU SUN (National Changhua University of Education), Gabrielle T. Lee (Michigan State University), Hua Feng (National ChangHua University of Education)
Abstract:

Previous research has reported that the inability of children with autism to discriminate between the reality and non-reality of events may contribute to their difficulties in understanding others perspectives. The purpose of this study is to use behavior analytic approach to teach children with autism to tact mental vs. physical state of verb. A seven year-old child with autism, who had advanced speaker and listener repertoires, participated in this study. A multiple probe across three behaviors design was used. Three target behaviors included (a) discrimination of physical and mental states of events (e.g., Tony takes a train in his hands. Kevin is thinking about the train. Who has the train?) (b) discrimination of reality and imagination (e.g., Mary locked the door. Tim wanted to lock the door. Who indeed lock the door?), and (c) discrimination of reality with and without evidence (e.g., John saw the candy on the table. Helen heard that the candy is on the table and believes the candy is on the table. Who can get the candy for sure?) Multiple exemplar teaching strategy with picture stimuli along with verbal instructions were used during training. Data showed that the rate of correct responses was increased after training. The skills were also generalized to novel scenarios.

 

Teaching "Theory of Mind" Tasks to Children With Autism

Yuen Tsai (National Changhua University of Education), Wenchu Sun (National Changhua University of Education), HUA FENG (National ChangHua University of Education)
Abstract:

Children with autism often have difficulty taking others' perspective--a developmental capacity commonly observed in typically developing children, termed the theory-of-mind (ToM). Teaching the children to tact other's belief is the fundamental skill in ToM. The purpose of this study is to use behavior analytic approach to teach children with autism to identify false-belief tasks. Two children, age 6-7 diagnosed with autism, who had advanced speaker repertoires, participated in this study. A combination of multiple probes across subjects and behaviors was used. Ten scenarios with pictures illustrating the stories were created as instruction materials. The teaching procedure included showing the scenario with drawn pictures, and asking questions regarding the belief of each person. Two target behaviors included:(a) tacting other's belief, (e.g., John is looking for his pencil box. Pencil box may be on the shelf or dining table. John thinks that it should be on the shelf. Where is John going to find his pencil box? Why?) (b) tacting other's false belief (e.g., John is looking for his pencil box that he left on the dinning table. Mary has put John's pencil box on the shelf. Where is John going to find his pencil box? Why?) Both children showed positive results for the acquisition and generalization of the tasks.

 

Effects of Video Self-Monitoring Using Teacher Performance Rate Accuracy Scale on Accuracy and Fluency of Parent-Delivered Discrete Trial Training

HYE-SUK LEE PARK (Seoul Metropolitan Children's Hospital), Ok Kim (Seoul Metropolitan Children's Hospital), Da Yun Kim (Seoul Metropolitan Children's Hospital), Hyo Min Ahn (Seoul Metropolitan Children's Hospital), DongSoo Suh (Seoul Metropolitan Children's Hospital)
Abstract:

The study was conducted in an Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) program of a public children's hospital in the Seoul city. Three mothers whose children were receiving the EIBI service participated in the study. A multiple baseline across participants design was used in the study. During the baseline, a behavioral skill training package was implemented in which lecture, written instruction, modeling, coaching, role-playing, and feedback were provided to the parent during DTT sessions. During the intervention phase, parents were required to watch their performance video scoring their own performance with TPRA forms. Percent of trials which were delivered without errors and rate of delivery of correct trials were measured using TPRA, and overall performance during DTT were evaluated using "Performance Checklist" throughout the study. The results showed that video self-monitoring using TPRA forms were effective in improving parents' performance during DTT with their children with ASD. The improved performance of parents during DTT was maintained during follow-up sessions.

 
 
Panel #56
CE Offered: BACB
The Value of Values: Looking at Values Through a Behavioral Analytic Lens
Sunday, May 29, 2016
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Zurich E, Swissotel
Area: TPC/CBM; Domain: Translational
CE Instructor: Joshua K. Pritchard, Ph.D.
Chair: Sam Leigland (Gonzaga University)
EMMIE HEBERT (University of Mississippi)
EMILY KENNISON SANDOZ (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)
JOSHUA K. PRITCHARD (Florida Institute of Technology)
Abstract:

Emerging research supports the psychological benefits of engaging in values-consistent patterns of behavior (e.g. Crocker, Niiya, & Mischkowski, 2008). In psychology, multiple definitions of values have been proposed. However, most of these definitions include terms that are not useful for scientific analysis and application. It is important to remember that behavior analysis "does not insist upon truth by agreement and can therefore consider events taking place in the private world within the skin" (Skinner, 1945). Given the occurrence of "values" in popular culture and in our scientific discussions, it seems appropriate to delineate a behavioral definition and discuss the potential benefits of examining interactions between the environment and values-consistent behavior(s). The aim of this panel is to discuss behavioral analytic definitions of values and the roles that values can play in behavior analysis in practice. Panelists will discuss the function of values in behavior analysis, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Relational Frame Theory (RFT).

Keyword(s): ACT, behavioral terms, RFT, values
 
 
Symposium #66
CE Offered: BACB
Expanding Opportunities for Social Involvement Through the Analysis and Treatment of Challenging Behavior During Transitions
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Randolph, Hyatt Regency, Bronze East
Area: AUT/CSE; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: James Chok (Melmark Pennsylvania)
CE Instructor: Jennifer Quigley, M.Ed.
Abstract:

Every day, individuals with developmental disabilities are asked to complete multiple transitions across environments, from school programs to home settings, home settings to the community, and the community to vehicles. By being able to complete these transitions without challenging behavior, individuals gain access to a larger variety of areas including less restrictive placements and more frequent community access. Through systematic evaluation, clinicians can identify the functions of challenging behavior during transitions and teach functionally-equivalent behaviors. Following treatment, students may be able to transition more successfully, therefore, increasing their access to more settings including the community. When in the community, challenging behavior may bring about different risks including potential police involvement, less support staff, vehicle safety concerns, and negative interactions with bystanders. Frequently the first response is to limit the students access to the community following challenging behavior. In doing so, teaching opportunities are decreased and the individuals activities are more restricted. By evaluating effective treatments in the community, individuals regain access to a variety of settings therefore increasing the individuals overall quality of life. Evaluating and treating challenging behavior which may impact an individuals ability to transition is essential for increasing access to social opportunities via their school or community.

Keyword(s): autism, community, transitions
 

Treatment of Aggression During Transitions for an Individual With Autism and Physical Impairments

CORY WHELAN (Melmark New England)
Abstract:

One component of an intervention package for aggression maintained by avoidance of physical contact would be to remain out of arms reach of the individual engaging in aggression. However, for an individual with severe physical impairments who requires staff to be within one foot of him when walking, that type of environmental manipulation is impossible. This research aimed at reducing the rate in which an individual engaged in aggressions while walking throughout a school building. Data showed that the rate of aggressions decreased when a gait trainer was introduced which allowed the student to walk next to someone without making physical contact. Interobserver agreement was assessed during 50% of baseline sessions and 50% of treatment sessions. Average agreement for the occurrence of aggression was 83% during baseline sessions and 90% during treatment sessions. These data provide practitioners with an antecedent-based intervention strategy to reduce aggressive behavior for an individual with physical impairments who needs support while walking. This intervention allowed the student to navigate not only throughout the school building with minimal staff assistance, but also throughout the community.

 
Functional Analysis and Treatment of Problematic Transitions
KAYLA CRUICKSHANK (Registered Behavior Technician), Miranda DePoy (Partnership for Behavior Change), Sorah Stein (Partnership for Behavior Change)
Abstract: Transitions comprise a significant amount of the average child’s school day. Thus, being able to make successful transitions is necessary for academic success. (McCord, Thompson, & Iwata 2001; Wilder, Chen, Atwell, Pritchard, & Weinstein, 2006). McCord, Thompson, & Iwata (2001) conducted a structural analysis and operationally defined transitions as “the termination or initiation of an activity, with or without a change in location” (p. 206). In the current study, an eight-year-old boy, diagnosed with autism, engaged in various topographies of disruptive and self-injurious behavior when presented with transitions. Researchers assessed behavior in response to termination of an activity, movement to a new location, and initiation of a new activity (McCord, Thompson, & Iwata, 2001) and determined the most significant trigger to be movement from outside to indoors, i.e., the most likely function was avoidance of going indoors. Thus, treatment was initiated with focus on stimulus fading from outside to indoors, with a modified environment to reduce extraneous stimulation. Initial data indicate success with this function-based intervention with decreasing rates of most topographies.
 

Evaluating Reinforcement Systems in the Community Through Alternating Treatment Designs

JENNIFER QUIGLEY (Melmark), Lauren M. Palmieri (Temple University)
Abstract:

An alternating treatment design was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of two reinforcement systems in the community as a treatment for non-compliance across multiple individuals. All participants had a history of challenging behavior in the community including non-compliance, stealing, aggression, and elopement which had impacted their ability to access the community. All participants were admitted to a Residential Treatment Facility at the time of treatment. General locations in the community were identified for each participant prior to treatment to establish a schedule of systematic access. The reinforcement systems evaluated were individualized for each student based on the students interests, related components of their current treatment plans, and functions of challenging behavior. The more effective reinforcement system was then utilized during generalization training and adapted into the students treatment plan. Effective reinforcement systems were identified for all participants with a decrease in challenging behavior and increase in compliance while in the community. These examples show multiple ways in which to systematically reintroduce individuals into the community and increase their ability to access less restrictive settings.

 
 
Panel #67
CE Offered: BACB
Behavioral Medicine SIG Presents: A Discussion Regarding Methodology Utilized in Health Psychology Research: Advantages and Limitations of Within-Subjects and Between-Groups Experimental Designs
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Crystal Ballroom B, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: CBM; Domain: Translational
CE Instructor: Gretchen A. Dittrich, Ph.D.
Chair: Gretchen A. Dittrich (Simmons College)
RICHARD K. FLEMING (University of Massachusetts Boston)
RAYMOND G. MILTENBERGER (University of South Florida)
MICHAEL PERONE (West Virginia University)
Abstract:

Health promotion research often includes randomized control trials (between-groups design); however, in practice, clinicians may utilize single-subject designs (within-subjects design) to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention. Within-subject experimental designs may provide additional information that cannot be gleaned from group designs (i.e., individual trends in responding); however, group designs control for many of the variations that cannot be controlled in a single-subject design (e.g., demographic variations). There are advantages and disadvantages in utilizing each type of experimental design. The purpose of the panel discussion is to review differences in within-subjects and between-groups experimental designs, discuss the strengths and limitations of each design, and make recommendations for conducting research using either methodology.

Keyword(s): Behavioral Medicine, Between-groups analyses, Experimental methodology, With-subject analyses
 
 
Symposium #71
CE Offered: BACB
From the Lab to Practice: Variations on Resurgence Procedures and Their Implications
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Zurich D, Swissotel
Area: EAB/PRA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Tyler Nighbor (West Virginia University)
CE Instructor: Kathryn M. Kestner, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Resurgence is the reoccurrence of a previously reinforced response, typically following (conventional) extinction of an alternatively reinforced response. Resurgence is both of research interest and applied relevance. Presenters in this symposium will discuss variations on resurgence procedures in both laboratory and applied contexts. In the first presentation, presenters will describe an animal model for studying resurgence of punishment-suppressed behavior using rats, and theoretical and applied implications of results will be discussed. In the second presentation, a human operant arrangement will be presented that investigated the effects of varying density of reinforcement and the addition of an aversive auditory stimulus during Phase 2 on subsequent resurgence. Basic and applied implications will be discussed. In the third presentation, researchers will present an evaluation the use of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) to attempt to mitigate the resurgence phenomenon in a clinically relevant context. Results will be discussed in the context of previous research showing similar effects with NCR as a disruptor and its comparison to traditional extinction as a disruptor.

Keyword(s): Noncontingent Reinforcement, Punishment, Relapse, Resurgence
 
Resurgence of Punishment-Suppressed Behavior
RUSTY NALL (Utah State University), Timothy A. Shahan (Utah State University)
Abstract: Relapse (resurgence) often occurs following removal of alternative reinforcement used in differential reinforcement of alternative behavior treatments. Animal models are useful for examining resurgence, but traditionally use extinction to suppress target behavior. Sometimes negative consequences (i.e. punishment) serve along with alternative reinforcers to suppress problem behavior as either programmed consequences (e.g. Functional communication training + punishment) or inherent aspects of the problem behavior (e.g. substance abuse). Further, in treatment contexts, it may be difficult to withhold or remove reinforcers for problem behavior. Foot shock punishment has been used to model some relapse phenomena following response suppression by punishment with rats, but not resurgence. In the present study, we developed an animal model for studying resurgence of punishment-suppressed behavior using two groups of rats lever pressing for sucrose. Later, shock accompanied reinforcement obtained from lever pressing for both groups. One group also received concurrent sucrose for nose poking. Finally, consequences for both responses were removed, and lever pressing increased (resurged) only for rats that received alternative reinforcement. These results indicate that resurgence follows alternative reinforcer removal even when target response suppression is obtained through punishment. Theoretical and applied implications will be discussed.
 
The Effects of Phase 2 Manipulations on Resurgence in a Human Operant Arrangement
KATHRYN M. KESTNER (West Virginia University), Stephanie M. Peterson (Western Michigan University)
Abstract: Behavior analysts in applied practice commonly use differential reinforcement of alternative behavior to reduce undesired behavior. Resurgence of problem behavior has been demonstrated following changes to reinforcement schedules due to errors in treatment integrity or intentional fading. Identifying methods for reducing the potential for treatment relapse would contribute to the utility of these interventions. Previous research suggests that the arrangement of reinforcement for alternative behavior affects the degree of resurgence obtained during an extinction test. Data will be presented from a human operant arrangement on the effects of varying density of reinforcement and the addition of an aversive auditory stimulus during Phase 2 on subsequent resurgence. The implications of the results will be discussed from both a basic and applied perspective.
 

Effects of Noncontingent Reinforcement as a Disruptor on Resurgence of Severe Problem Behavior Following Functional Communication Training

ANNA ING (The University of Iowa), Joel Eric Ringdahl (University of Georgia), Wendy K. Berg (The University of Iowa), David P. Wacker (The University of Iowa)
Abstract:

Treatment relapse refers to the return of an unwanted condition that has previously been successfully treated. One such treatment relapse phenomenon is called resurgence. Resurgence occurs when a previously extinguished response returns following extinction of an alternative response that has been reinforced. It is commonly produced by a three-phase procedure: 1) a target behavior is reinforced until responding is steady, 2) the target behavior is placed on extinction and an alternative behavior is reinforced until responding is steady for both, and 3) both behaviors are placed on extinction. If the initial target behavior re-emerges in the final phase, it is called resurgence. Most applied and basic studies have used "traditional" extinction during the disruptor phase; that is, the behaviors are not met with reinforcement. However, more recent studies have been evaluating the use of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) to attempt to mitigate the resurgence phenomenon. In this study, two participants with a history of communicative difficulties and socially maintained problem behavior experienced the three-phase procedure in which participants were exposed to NCR during the final disruptor phase. One participant demonstrated mild resurgence of problem behavior, whereas resurgence of problem behavior did not occur for the second participant. Results are discussed in the context of previous research showing similar effects with NCR as a disruptor and its comparison to traditional extinction as a disruptor.

 
 
Invited Tutorial #72
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
SQAB Tutorial: Characterization of Delay Discounting Using Multiple Models and Effective Delay 50
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Lucerne, Swissotel
Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Amy Odum, Ph.D.
Chair: Amy Odum (Utah State University)
Presenting Authors: : CHRISTOPHER FRANCK (Virginia Tech)
Abstract:

The study of delay discounting, or valuation of future rewards as a function of delay, has contributed to understanding the behavioral economics of addiction. Accurate characterization of discounting can be furthered by statistical model selection given that many functions have been proposed to measure future valuation of rewards. This tutorial will present a convenient Bayesian model selection algorithm that selects the most probable discounting model among a set of candidates chosen by the researcher. The approach assigns the most probable model for each individual subject using an asymptotic approximation to model probability based on the Bayesian Information Criterion. Importantly, effective delay 50 (ED50) functions as a suitable unifying measure that is computable for and comparable between several popular functions, including both one- and two-parameter models. Software to execute the combined model selection/ED50 approach is illustrated using empirical discounting data collected from a sample of 111 undergraduate students with five discounting models proposed between 1937 and 2006. The work this tutorial is based upon was published in the January, 2015, special issue of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior studying experimental manipulations of delay discountingand related processes.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Licensed psychologists, certified behavior analysts, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the event, the participant will be able to: (1) describe the devaluation of future rewards as a function of delay in terms of delay discounting; (2) recognize several proposed models of delay discounting both mathematically and graphically, and state the computational approach to fit these models to observed data; (3) explain Effective Delay 50 (ED50); (4) execute approximate Bayesian model selection to choose among candidate models given observed data using the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Make informed decisions about the merits and caveats of choosing among candidate models on the basis of observed data.
 
CHRISTOPHER FRANCK (Virginia Tech)
Christopher Franck received his Ph.D. from the Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University in 2010. Dr. Franck is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Statistics at Virginia Tech, where he also serves as the assistant director of the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis (LISA). Dr. Franck collaborates with researchers from the Addiction Recovery Research Center (ARRC) in the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute studying a variety of psychological, behavioral economic, and statistical aspects of those who suffer from addiction and are successful in recovery. Dr. Franck's research interests include non-additivity in unreplicated studies with a focus on the identification of latent-groupings, predictive modeling of health outcomes, spatial modeling, and bioinformatics.
Keyword(s): Bayesian Model, Delay Discounting, Effective Delay50
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #73
CE Offered: PSY

The Surprising and Problematic Consequences of Exposure to Misinformation

Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Grand Ballroom AB, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: EDC; Domain: Applied Research
Instruction Level: Basic
CE Instructor: Scott P. Ardoin, Ph.D.
Chair: Scott P. Ardoin (University of Georgia)
DAVID RAPP (Northwestern University)
David N. Rapp is Professor in the School of Education and Social Policy and the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University. His research examines language and memory, focusing on the cognitive mechanisms responsible for successful learning and knowledge failures. He investigates the ways in which prior knowledge, text materials, and learning goals influence memory and comprehension of discourse experiences. His recent projects examine how memory is influenced by the plausibility and importance of everyday events, the credibility of sources, and the collaborative nature of group discussions. These projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Institute on Aging. He received a McKnight Land-Grant Professor award from the University of Minnesota in 2006, the Tom Trabasso Young Investigator Award from the Society for Text & Discourse in 2010, was named a Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence in 2015, and is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. He recently finished serving as associate editor at the Journal of Educational Psychology, and is now editor of Discourse Processes.
Abstract:

Prior knowledge has been a key construct for theories of memory, comprehension, and learning. And traditionally prior knowledge has been identified as a resilient source of information, standing strong in the face of even the most compelling refutations and evidence. In the current talk I describe experiments that call into question this characterization of prior knowledge. Work from my lab shows that well-worn expectations appear malleable (and sometimes even non-existent) when people are confronted with contradictory arguments and facts. Across a variety of demonstrations involving the presentation of text content containing potential misinformation, people subsequently rely on encoded inaccuracies leading to problematic and surprising demonstrations of ignorance. Even obvious misinformation, which individuals should know better than to fall for, can influence subsequent problem solving and decision making behaviors. This talk will identify the consequences of exposure to misinformation, as well as highlight important boundary conditions for when and how people might be encouraged to engage in more critical evaluation in the service of successful comprehension.

Target Audience:

Educational researchers, practitioners

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to: (1) describe the misinformation effect, specifically in terms of consequences for post-reading behaviors; (2) describe how experiments have used reading time and decision-based methodologies in attempts to evaluate reader comprehension; (3) identify potential instructional strategies and text features that can encourage more critical readings of text content.
 
 
Panel #75
CE Offered: BACB — 
Ethics
Issues in Rural Behavior Analysis: Ethical Practice, Tele-Practice, and Remote Supervision
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Columbus Hall CD, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: PRA/CSE; Domain: Translational
CE Instructor: Cheryl A. Young-Pelton, Ed.D.
Chair: Robert C. Pennington (University of Louisville)
CHERYL A. YOUNG-PELTON (Montana State University in Billings)
MICHAEL WEINBERG (Orlando Behavior Health Services, LLC)
CECILIA KNIGHT (Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD))
Abstract:

Rural behavior analysts face many issues. This panel will bring together three practitioner-researchers who are working within the scope of these issues. Panelists will present issues pertinent to ethical practice in small communities, reviewing telehealth and telepractice constraints, and issues related to remote supervision of behavior analysts, assistants, students, and RBTs.

Keyword(s): remote supervision, rural ethics, tele-practice
 
 
Symposium #76
CE Offered: BACB — 
Ethics
Ethics for the Rest of Us: Impact of Cultural Differences in the Practice of Ethics
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
Columbus Hall AB, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Karen Chung (Special Learning, Inc. )
Discussant: Jon S. Bailey (Florida State University)
CE Instructor: Jon S. Bailey, Ph.D.
Abstract: How do cultural differences affect the practice of ethics? How do Board Certified Behavior Analysts who practice outside the U.S. define ethics? Are there country-specific challenges that arise and how can we handle these challenges? What about cultural and religious differences? In an era where access to someone living across the world is literally only a click away, subtle and not-so-subtle boundaries exist, particularly as it pertains to what is considered culturally acceptable. Even among countries that may seem homogenous (i.e. America and Canada), significant differences do exist that can and should affect how behavior analysts practice and make decisions in the field. The most common challenge faced by behavior analysts across borders, in both developed and developing countries, are related to misrepresentation and unethical practices. In some cases, the “right” answer appears straightforward, however, the cultural norms of different regions make doing the “right” things more challenging for behavior analysts practicing outside the U.S. The group will begin our discussion by talking about the implications of cultural differences in the practice of ethics by sharing their own experiences. The group will also engage in a group discussion to begin to construct a high level framework that behavior analysts can use as a tool to help them make practical, ethically correct decisions independently.
 
Talking About Ethics, eh? A Canadian Perspective on Multicultural Issues
ROSEMARY A. CONDILLAC (Brock University)
Abstract: There are different ethical challenges that arise in different parts of Canada, including our work with individuals from first nations communities, remote locations where direct supervision becomes a significant challenge, etc. Canada self-defines itself as multi-cultural, and as such, encourages New Canadians to stay true to their culture of origin and bring their traditions with them with the caveat that they not contravene Federal, Provincial, or Municipal Law or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. There is an expectation of cultural acceptance, and typically training is provided to practitioners to increase their cultural sensitivity. Some aspects of the Ethical Code for Behaviour Analysts are inconsistent with cultural norms, and in some cases tediously so. As an example, small token gifts of appreciation are inherent in many cultures and professions, but completely forbidden in ABA practice. Language barriers often require the use of interpreters in the delivery of services; unfortunately, some interpreters bring cultural biases and put a cultural spin on the discussion that can impact service delivery. Further, the lack of professional designation for Behaviour Analysts in regulatory bodies makes them subject to institutional rules and policies that may conflict with our Code of Conduct. During this session, content will be covered through discussion of ethical dilemmas and how to deal with “tricky” situations in a manner that is consistent with the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts yet is practical in application.
 
Ethics in Third World Countries
MOLLY OLA PINNEY (Global Autism Project)
Abstract: It is common knowledge that there is an acute shortage of qualified behavior analysts in the world. According to the most recent numbers from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), there are approximately 20,000 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in the world; of those, only 8% live outside the U.S. With an estimated 70 million people around the world with Autism, this means that there are only 1/3 of 1% qualified experts available to meet this growing need. As more and more organizations spring up that attempt to overcome this issue by putting in place systemic methods that can be self-sustaining, we must acknowledge that important culture and language differences significantly hamper the way behavior analysts are able to do their jobs in a manner that is consistent with the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts. As an example, when dealing with developing countries where commonly held belief is that a child with autism is “possessed,” questions arise regarding how must time a behavior analyst can and should spend educating parents and educators on non-technical skills when their primary “job” is to use their skills to change the lives of as many children with autism as possible and “every moment is priceless.” Other growing dilemma is to determine what happens after the fact. Within a very compressed period of time, there is only so much training one can impart to people who will be actually doing the work. In the U.S. we are beginning to see standards and qualifications put in place for people who implement ABA. However, given the relative “prevalence” of qualified behavior therapists capable of supervising cases, ongoing training and case supervision is a means that we can use to maintain quality control. Outside the U.S., even developed countries do not have sufficient number of behavior analysts to make this model feasible. How do we solve this global dilemma in a manner that can generate immediate results while we look for a long-terms solution? During this session, we will bring to light not only ethical situations facing the profession of behavior analytics but also begin a dialogue to create a paradigm shift that can affect global, long-term, sustainable change.
 
 
Symposium #77
CE Offered: BACB
Walden Two and Beyond: Expanding the Scope of Applied Behavior Analysis
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
St. Gallen, Swissotel
Area: TPC/PRA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Neal Miller (University of Memphis)
Discussant: Amanda N. Kelly (BEHAVIORBABE (Hawaii))
CE Instructor: Neal Miller, Ph.D.
Abstract: These papers will examine issues related to the growth of applied behavior analysis. As the field attempts to move beyond traditional areas of practice to address large-scale social problems, it raises both opportunities and challenges. The first paper will examine the relevance of Walden Two (Skinner, 1948) to the applied field, examining both similarities and differences in their scope and methods. It will suggest specific lessons that we might learn from re-examining the proposals within this utopian novel. The second paper will examine ways that behavior analysts might expand their impact by engaging social issues that have not been traditionally addressed by practitioners. Finally, our discussant will provide her own perspectives on these topics.
Keyword(s): ABA, practice, Skinner, Walden Two
 
Applied Behavior Analysis and Walden Two: Revisiting Skinner’s Utopia
NEAL MILLER (University of Memphis), Mallory Garrett (The University of Memphis)
Abstract: In Walden Two (1948) B. F. Skinner described a utopian community in which the science of behavior analysis had been harnessed to improve peoples’ lives. Though this was a bold and ambitious work, at the time it was a purely speculative account. However, the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is closely aligned to the purpose of this novel, and has contributed a significant body of research over the past 50 years. A comparison between the areas of application outlined in Walden Two and those currently being addressed by the field of ABA reveals both similarities and differences. We will examine a wide range of topics (from education and child-rearing to religion and government), and identify some that were addressed in depth in Walden Two, but have been largely neglected by our applied field. Finally, recommendations will be made for how the lessons of Walden Two might assist behavior analysts in meeting the challenges we face in our society.
 
Applied Behavior Analysis Beyond Autism: Finding Solutions to Important Societal Problems
MOLLY BENSON (Hawaii Association for Behavior Analysis)
Abstract: B. F. Skinner’s vision of how behavior analysis could be applied to tackle issues of major social significance represents the foundation of our profession. However, as a professional discipline, the practice of behavior analysis tends to be fairly restricted in terms of its scope and the type of populations it serves. One of the challenges facing behavior analysts is to apply the principles of our science to impact society’s problems. Given that there are so many areas of social significance that need to be addressed (e.g., economic disparity, social injustice, the threat of nuclear war, public health, and climate change), it would seem that the field of applied behavior analysis has significant potential for growth and change. In this presentation, we will examine some of the challenges that exists for behavior analysts in working on these societal problems, explore potential opportunities for growth in our field, and assess what kind of interventions may be required to impact change on a larger scale.
 
 
Symposium #78
CE Offered: BACB
Advancing Social, Self-Advocacy, and Vocational Skills in Adolescents and Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Columbus Hall EF, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: April N. Kisamore (Caldwell University)
Discussant: Bridget A. Taylor (Alpine Learning Group)
CE Instructor: April N. Kisamore, Ph.D.
Abstract:

There is little behavior analytic research on teaching social, self-advocacy, and job-related skills to adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current symposium includes four papers directed toward filling this gap in the literature. In the first paper, the authors piloted an assessment for evaluating job-related socials skills that are important for individuals with ASD to succeed in work environments. In the second paper, the authors evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training to increase the social play skills of adults with ASD who were teaching social play skills to children with ASD. In the third paper, the researchers evaluated the effects of a text prompt with a time delay on the self-advocacy of an adult with ASD. In the fourth paper, the authors examined the effects of teaching a problem-solving strategy to adolescents with ASD on solving common job-related problems.

Keyword(s): Adolescents/Adults, Job-related Skills, Self-advocacy, Social Skills
 
A Pilot Clinic-Based Assessment for Evaluating Job-Related Social Skills
BRIDGETTE WHITE (University of Houston-Clear Lake), Dorothea C. Lerman (University of Houston-Clear Lake), Courtney Laudont (University of Houston-Clear Lake), Carolyn Grob (University of Houston-Clear Lake)
Abstract: Many individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have difficulties obtaining and maintaining employment, yet little research has been conducted on methods for evaluating and improving critical vocational skills. In this study, we developed and test-piloted a standardized assessment of job-related social skills for individuals with ASD by arranging conditions that simulated on-the-job experiences in a clinic setting. The experimenter contrived situations to assess a variety of work skills, including asking for help, asking for more materials, asking questions, notifying the supervisor when completed with a task, following written and vocal instructions, and responding to corrective feedback. A total of seven individuals, aged 16 to 27 years, have participated thus far. Results suggested that the assessment was useful for identifying specific social skills that could be targeted for intervention to increase success in the work environment. These findings add to the current literature by demonstrating an objective method for assessing a variety of job-related social skills under naturalistic conditions.
 

Teaching Social Play Skills to Adults and Children With Autism as an Approach to Building Rapport

MOLLY SHIREMAN (University of Houston-Clear Lake), Dorothea C. Lerman (University of Houston-Clear Lake), Conrad Hillman (University of Houston-Clear Lake)
Abstract:

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in social skills that may impede their success on the job. As part of a vocational training program, three adults, aged 21 to 27 years, with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and no intellectual disabilities were taught to increase the social play skills of children with autism. Behavioral skills training (BST) was effective in increasing social play skills of the adult. Additionally, social engagement of the children increased. Probes conducted throughout the study evaluated whether the play skills training impacted a measure of rapport between the adult and child. These rapport probes showed that play skills training increased levels of proximity, our measure of rapport, between the adults and children. These findings extend previous work on using BST to teach adults with ASD to implement behavioral procedures with children with autism and suggest that this type of training is potentially valuable for the future employment of individuals with ASD who desire a vocation as a behavioral technician.

 

Teaching an Adult With Autism Self-Advocacy Statements Using Time Delay

Danielle Schatz (Alpine Learning Group), Erin Richard White (Alpine Learning Group), JAIME DEQUINZIO (Alpine Learning Group)
Abstract:

Little research has explored procedures for teaching adults with autism to make self-advocacy statements. The present study used a multiple probe design across stimulus categories to evaluate the effects of using a text prompt and time delay procedure on the acquisition and generalization of self-advocacy responses. A twenty-five year old adult with autism participated in the study. The participant was presented with situations that required a self-advocacy response (e.g., he asks for a soda and the instructor gives him water instead). During baseline, if the participant responded correctly, the instructor corrected the situation, and if the participant errored, the instructor did not correct the situation. During intervention, a text prompt was used to prompt a self-advocacy response for each situation, and upon a correct response, the instructor corrected the situation and provided reinforcement on the participants motivational system. Results extend the literature by showing an effective procedure for teaching an adult with autism self-advocacy responses. The percentage of independent self-advocacy responses increased for the participant when the text prompt and time delay procedures were introduced across the three baselines. Results also showed generalized responding to novel examples and materials for each situation presented. Future research should investigate these procedures with additional participants as well as explore teaching more advanced self-advocacy responses to adults with autism.

 

Effects of a Problem-Solving Strategy on the Independent Completion of Vocational Tasks by Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

CINDY LORA (Caldwell University), April N. Kisamore (Caldwell University), Kenneth F. Reeve (Caldwell University), Dawn B. Townsend (Institute for Educational Achievement)
Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of teaching a problem-solving strategy on the independent completion of vocational tasks by four adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The strategy was presented as a textual activity schedule in a binder and it was evaluated across three types of problem situations (missing items, broken items, mismatched items) and non-problem situations. Use of the problem-solving strategy in these situations was assessed with a multiple-probe-across-participants design. None of the participants were able to complete the vocational tasks when a problem (e.g., stapler missing when stapling packets) arose during baseline. Following introduction of the problem-solving strategy all four participants completed the tasks during problem scenarios and use of the problem-solving strategy generalized in the presence of vocational tasks not associated with teaching.

 
 
Symposium #80
CE Offered: BACB
Recent Applied and Translational Research on Response Persistence
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Grand Ballroom EF, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Brian D. Greer (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Discussant: Duncan Pritchard (Aran Hall School)
CE Instructor: Brian D. Greer, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The continuation of responding in the face of disruption (i.e., response persistence) is a desired outcome in many situations. For example, one goal of early intervention is to ensure that skills acquired in the clinic or home setting generalize and maintain when the student transitions to school. Conversely, persistent responding may be problematic if destructive behavior maintains when treatment is introduced. The presentations in this symposium focus on the factors that contribute to or mitigate against behavioral persistence in applied contexts. Dr. Joel Ringdahl will present on one way to increase the persistence of social skills exhibited by adults with developmental disabilities. Stephen Ryan will discuss reinstatement of appropriate communication responses following periods of extinction. Valdeep Saini will present on the effects of discriminability on persistence of responding during and following the use of time-based reinforcement schedules. Katherine Lichtblau will discuss differential levels of resurgence of destructive behavior following two forms of differential reinforcement.

Keyword(s): Reinstatement, Response persistence, Resurgence
 

The Effect of Magnitude of Reinforcement on the Persistence of Social Skills Exhibited by Adults With Developmental Disabilities

Erik Otte (Southern Illinois University), JOEL ERIC RINGDAHL (University of Georgia)
Abstract:

Several studies in the basic, translational, and applied literatures have demonstrated that the frequency with which reinforcers are delivered (i.e., reinforcement rate) can impact responses persistence. Additional reinforcer parameters, including magnitude of reinforcement, have also been demonstrated to impact response persistence. However, studies relevant to this topic have been conducted in basic laboratories using nonhuman (e.g., Nevin, 1974) and human (e.g., McComas, Hartman, and Jimenez, 2008) participants. Thus, the applied impact is unknown. In the current study, the effect of magnitude of reinforcement on the persistence of socially significant behavior exhibited by adults with mild disabilities was evaluated. Initially, a BST package that included a reinforcement component was used to teach conversation and job interview skills to young adults with developmental disabilities. Performance was scored in terms of percent of steps correct, according to task analyses. The BST packages were paired with either high magnitude of reinforcement or low magnitude of reinforcement, depending on baseline performance (i.e., high magnitude of reinforcement for the skill performed with relatively worse skill during baseline). Following acquisition of the skills, the BST package was discontinued, resulting in termination of the reinforcement contingency. Results indicated that the skill taught using the high-magnitude reinforcer persisted at relatively higher levels during the maintenance period (4 weeks of follow-up) for each participant, though performance remained above criterion regardless of reinforcer magnitude.

 
An Evaluation of Reinstatement of Appropriate Communication Following Extinction
STEPHEN E. RYAN (The University of Iowa), Wendy K. Berg (The University of Iowa), Joel Eric Ringdahl (University of Georgia), Anna Ing (The University of Iowa), David P. Wacker (The University of Iowa)
Abstract: Behavioral momentum theory provides a conceptual framework for the study of the recovery of previously extinguished operant behavior. Commonly referred to as treatment relapse, this is the failure to maintain treatment gains (i.e., reduction in problem behavior) when there is a change in conditions under which these gains were achieved. One treatment relapse paradigm previously examined in basic and applied research is reinstatement. Reinstatement of problem behavior has been shown to occur when functional reinforcers are delivered on a fixed-time schedule following extinction. Despite the utility of examining the reinstatement of problem behavior, demonstrations of reinstatement of other behavioral topographies (e.g., appropriate behavior) are rare. During the current study, an evaluation of reinstatement was conducted within an overall study of factors influencing the persistence of communication (Ringdahl, Berg, & Wacker, 2012; Grant R01 5R01HD069377-2). A 3-year-old male with a history of problem behavior maintained by positive reinforcement and communication difficulties was exposed to functional communication training (FCT) using two mands. FCT was followed by extinction of communication and fixed-time delivery of a functional reinforcer. Problem behavior was on extinction in all phases. Reinstatement of communication occurred and problem behavior decreased from the levels observed during the preceding extinction sessions.
 

Evaluating the Effects of Discriminability on Behavioral Persistence During and Following Time-Based Schedules of Reinforcement

VALDEEP SAINI (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Wayne W. Fisher (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Using a human-operant preparation and guided by Shahan and Sweeneys (2011) model of resurgence based on behavioral momentum theory (BMT), we evaluated a refinement to noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) designed to reduce persistence of problem behavior during NCR and mitigate response resurgence during extinction following NCR. The refinement involved increasing the saliency and discriminability of the change from contingent reinforcement (during baseline) to NCR, which BMT predicts should lead to faster reductions in target responding and decrease the likelihood of resurgence. We present data on four subjects, all of whom responded in ways predicted by BMT to varying degrees. Our results are discussed within a translational research framework and broader context of strategies used to mitigate treatment relapse for severe destructive behavior, as NCR is one of the most commonly prescribed interventions for destructive behavior displayed by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

 

Examining Resurgence of Problem Behavior Following Differential Reinforcement With and Without Extinction

KATIE LICHTBLAU (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Brian D. Greer (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Wayne W. Fisher (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Nevin and Shahans (2011) Equation 7 of behavioral momentum theory (BMT) predicts that when all other variables are held constant, the rate of alternative reinforcement (Ra) predicts the degree to which responding recurs when disrupted. In the current investigation, we used extinction as a disruptor to evaluate levels of resurgence of problem behavior following two forms of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) in which overall rates of reinforcement were equated. In one condition, reinforcement remained available for problem behavior, as well as for a communication response (i.e., DRA without extinction), whereas in the other condition, DRA was implemented with extinction, but we added noncontingent reinforcement to yoke the obtained rates of reinforcement to the DRA without extinction condition. Both DRA conditions suppressed rates of problem behavior with one individual, but we observed higher levels of resurgence following DRA without extinction. We discuss these results in light of BMT, as well as other treatments for problem behavior that do and do not involve terminating of the response-reinforcer relation.

 
 
Symposium #81
CE Offered: BACB
Teaching Children Who Do Not Demonstrate Repertories Critical for Academic Success
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Roosevelt, Hyatt Regency, Bronze East
Area: AUT/PRA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Richard W. Malott (Western Michigan University)
Discussant: Richard W. Malott (Western Michigan University)
CE Instructor: Joseph T. Shane, B.A.
Abstract: Applied behavior analysis has been rigorously demonstrated to be an effective approach to treating children with autism. A large number of studies have shown significant improvements in participants who received Discrete Trial Training (DTT). However, studies with many participants consistently report finding a group of students who fail to make much progress with the traditional Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) treatment package. A concern, therefore, of everyone providing early intervention should be to determine why these children do not make adequate progress. It is possible that the standard EIBI treatment package assumes that learners have prerequisite skills that some children do not demonstrate. Even the most basic skills require some level of environmental awareness and attending to relevant stimuli. For example, simple visual discrimination is a prerequisite skill for conditional visual discrimination. Simple and conditional discrimination repertoires are critical components of many skills necessary for daily functioning, including communication, academic, and daily-living skills. It is also crucial to be able to identify effective reinforcers for each learner. This presentation consists of four studies, each of which addressed one of the following areas of concern for lower functioning students with autism: increasing vocalizations, teaching auditory and visual discriminations, and teaching imitation.
Keyword(s): Discrimination Training, Echoic Training, Imitation, Matching-to-Sample
 

Increasing Vocal Behavior and Establishing Echoic Stimulus Control in Children With Autism

JOSEPH T. SHANE (Western Michigan University), Richard W. Malott (Western Michigan University)
Abstract:

Many children with autism fail to demonstrate echoic behavior as early as their typically developing peers. Some also make very limited vocal sounds in general, remaining mostly mute aside from crying or engaging in stereotypy. Echoic skills demonstrate auditory discrimination and matching, and function as a beneficial, if not necessary, prerequisite for many other vocal-verbal skills. The purpose of this study was to develop an alternative echoic training procedure for primarily non-vocal children who did not demonstrate auditory discrimination in baseline. The intervention consisted initially of sessions in which any vocal sounds were reinforced. Then reinforcement schedules were manipulated to increase the variety of sounds each child made. This was followed by a simplified echoic protocol to establish auditory stimulus control, beginning with high-rate vocalizations. Echoic skills were tested prior to and throughout the intervention. This procedure was able to produce an echoic repertoire in two out of three participants.

 

Teaching Children With Autism Who Have Difficulty Mastering Auditory Discriminations

SARAH LICHTENBERGER (Western Michigan University), Richard W. Malott (Western Michigan University)
Abstract:

Simple and conditional visual and auditory discrimination repertoires are critical components of many skills necessary for daily functioning, including communication, academic, and daily-living skills (Green, 2001). When auditory discrimination is not under instructional stimulus control it can result in delayed acquisition of new skills and limit academic progress. The purpose of this study was to teach auditory discrimination to children with autism who had little-to-no progress on classroom procedures that required auditory discrimination, such as selecting an object from an array when given the name of the object as the instruction. Auditory discrimination will be taught starting with teaching a particular motor response in the presence of an environmental sound, then slowly introducing other sound and response pairings. The procedure will use a variety of teaching methods based on the learner's progress. Trial-and-error, shaping, and physical prompts will be used to aid in the acquisition of discrimination skills.

 

Simple and Conditional Visual Discrimination Training for Children With Autism

BLAIRE MICHELIN (Western Michigan University), Richard W. Malott (Western Michigan University)
Abstract:

Numerous everyday living skills rely on an individual having an extensive conditional discrimination repertoire. Some children with autism show difficulty in acquiring conditional discriminations, which can lead to delayed progress through classroom curricula. Green (2001) stated that it has been demonstrated that teaching simple visual discrimination tasks help cultivate the development of more complex visual discriminations. Even though some children with autism show difficulty in acquiring conditional discriminations, these individuals can acquire conditional discriminations after training on simple visual discriminations. The purpose of this study was to teach two individuals with autism simple and conditional visual discrimination tasks. Once the simple discrimination procedure was mastered, a conditional visual discrimination procedure was implemented. Both children had previously mastered classroom matching-to-sample procedures, but the skills failed to maintain. Simple and conditional visual discrimination were taught using trial-and-error and within-stimulus prompts.

 
Using Shaping to Establish Imitative Repertoires
JENNIFER LYNN MRLJAK (Western Michigan University), Richard W. Malott (Western Michigan University)
Abstract: Some children with autism are unable to acquire imitation despite receiving applied behavior analysis therapy meant to teach that and other important repertoires. Many ABA programs utilize physical prompting hierarchies either as a component of the discriminative stimulus or the correction procedure after an error. But even after lengthy exposure to these teaching techniques some children still do not acquire imitative responses. This study evaluated the use of shaping as a method to establish imitative motor responses in children who were not demonstrating any imitative behaviors under the control of the model’s behavior. The primary differences from common teaching methods included reinforcing approximations to the target behavior and increasing the response requirements incrementally over time, in addition to increasing the duration of the model’s actions and fading that over time. Three participants acquired a variety of imitative responses.
 
 
Symposium #82
CE Offered: BACB
Broad Applications of Programming for and Assessing Generalization for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Columbus Hall GH, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Lauren K. Schnell (Caldwell University)
Discussant: Eileen M. Roscoe (The New England Center for Children)
CE Instructor: Lauren K. Schnell, M.Ed.
Abstract:

The symposium includes four studies on programming for and assessing generalization in individuals with developmental disabilities. The first presentation evaluated the effect of teaching tolerance responses to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) following training a functional communication request. Generalization was assessed with stimuli, settings, and caregivers not associated with treatment and the effects of treatment maintained up to 6 weeks. The second presentation examined several stimulus conditions under which vicariously reinforced responding might emerge by embedding probes within an experimental arrangement that included multiple exemplars. The third presentation evaluated behavior skills training to establish generalized safety responding in children with ASD. Multiple exemplars were taught to program for generalization to stimuli and settings not associated with training. The fourth presentation taught children with ASD to tolerate medical and dental procedures and determined the extent to which tolerance transferred to settings not associated with training. Collectively these studies provide support for the value of programming for and assessing generalization for individuals with developmental disabilities across a wide range of skill areas.

 

Improving Maintenance and Generalization While Teaching Children to Mand and Tolerate Delays to Mands

JORDAN CHUSID (Regis College), Lauren Beaulieu (Regis College)
Abstract:

We evaluated the effects of teaching tolerance responses on problem behaviors using a multiple baseline design across participants design with two young children diagnosed with autism. After identifying the function of the problem behavior by conducing a functional analysis, we taught the children simple and complex functional communication responses (FCR). Afterwards, we introduced delay and denial tolerance training. Our dependent measures were (a) problem behaviors, (b) tolerance responses, (c) simple FCR, (d) complex FCR, and (e) percentage of the delay the child was independently engaged in an alternative activity. Generalization was assessed with novel stimuli, settings and caregivers. Maintenance was assessed through a 6 week follow-up. Our results suggested that there was an inverse relationship between tolerance responses and problem behaviors. Additionally, after the children learned FCRs, they were able to accept delays or denials to reinforcement and spend the majority of the delay engaged in a less preferred alternative activity. The effects generalized to novel settings and stimuli and the results maintained at a 6 week follow-up.

 

Effects of Multiple Exemplars and Embedded Probes on Vicariously Reinforced Responding

HYPATIA BOLIVAR (University of Florida), Brian A. Iwata (University of Florida)
Abstract:

Vicarious reinforcement refers to an increase in ones behavior as a result of observing reinforcement delivered to a model, but in the absence of direct reinforcement delivered for imitation of the models response. We examined several stimulus conditions under which vicariously reinforced responding might emerge by embedding probes for vicariously reinforced responding within an experimental arrangement that included multiple training tasks (multiple exemplars) maintained by direct intermittent reinforcement. Four subjects attending a school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities participated. Data for one subject showed maintenance and generalization of vicariously reinforced responding across three different probe tasks. Data for a second subject showed maintenance of vicariously reinforced responding on the first probe but no generalization to a second probe. Data for the remaining two subjects showed initial vicarious reinforcement effects but did not show maintenance on any probe. Implications for the applied use of vicarious reinforcement arrangements are described.

 

Teaching Safety Responding to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Margaret Rossi (Caldwell University), Jason C. Vladescu (Caldwell University), Kenneth F. Reeve (Caldwell University), Amy Gross (University of Minnesota), JESSIE NORTHGRAVE (Caldwell University)
Abstract:

Children have been taught to demonstrate a safety response when they encounter a dangerous stimulus using behavioral skills training (BST). However, little research has evaluated the usefulness of BST to teach safety skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the current study, we evaluated BST to establish a generalized repertoire of safety responding in children with ASD. Three categories of dangerous stimuli were identified and multiple exemplars were taught to program for generalization to stimuli and settings not associated with training. The three participants demonstrated an appropriate safety response after BST training across trained and untrained exemplars and settings. Additionally, responding to trained exemplars maintained up to four weeks following training. High levels of social validity were also found. These results suggest BST is a viable training approach for training individuals with ASD to demonstrate safety responding and results are discussed in light of previous studies.

 

Increasing Cooperation With Medical and Dental Procedures in the Natural Environment for Children With Autism

CATHERINE K. MARTINEZ (University of Florida/Kaleidoscope Interventions), Iser Guillermo DeLeon (University of Florida)
Abstract:

Children with autism often engage in disruptive behavior (i.e., crying, refusal, aggression) at the doctor or dentist, preventing medical or dental personnel from completing routine procedures. Previous research has demonstrated that exposing clients to a hierarchy of systematic fading steps, while differentially reinforcing compliance, can effectively decrease disruptive behavior and increase cooperation with a variety of procedures, when conducted in a therapeutic setting. However, is it unclear if cooperation generalizes to the natural environment of the doctor or dentist. The purpose of this study is to teach children with autism to tolerate routine medical and dental procedures, without engaging in noncompliance or disruptive behavior, and determine the extent to which cooperation transfers to the natural environment of the childs primary care provider (i.e., doctor or dentist) via pre- and posttest.

 
 
Symposium #83
CE Offered: BACB
Advancements in the Assessment and Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Disorders
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Crystal Ballroom C, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: CBM/DDA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Suzanne M. Milnes (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Discussant: Cathleen C. Piazza (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
CE Instructor: Cathleen C. Piazza, Ph.D.
Abstract:

When left untreated, pediatric feeding problems can result in poor weight gain, weight loss, malnutrition, dehydration, cognitive impairment, compromised immune function, and dependency on tube feedings (Cohen, Piazza, & Navanthe, 2006). Therefore, it is imperative that clinicians and researchers continue to develop effective treatment procedures and disseminate their findings to a larger audience. This symposium combines 4 data-based presentations on the assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding problems from 4 different programs: Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Marcus Autism Center, and University of Kansas. Following the 4 presentations, Dr. Cathleen Piazza (Munroe-Meyer Institute) will discuss the presentations and the implications of each presenters findings. The first presentation will focus on the use of applied behavior analysis to treat feeding problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. The second presentation will compare descriptive and functional analyses in the treatment of feeding disorders. The third presenter will discuss the use of alternative bite presentation methods in the treatment of expulsion and packing. The final presenter will discuss the use of response blocking to distinguish between motivational and skill deficits in pediatric feeding disorders.

Keyword(s): feeding disorders, food refusal, food selectivity
 

Treatment of Feeding Problems in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Applied Behavior Analysis Versus Wait-List Control

VIVIAN F IBANEZ (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Kathryn M. Peterson (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Cathleen C. Piazza (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often display feeding problems, and food selectivity, defined as consumption of a limited variety of foods (Schreck, Williams, & Smith, 2004), is the most commonly reported feeding problem. Results of studies have shown that treatments based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) are effective as treatment for feeding disorders in the general pediatric population (e.g., Piazza, Patel, Gulotta, Sevin, & Layer, 2003; Volkert & Piazza, 2012). Although ABA treatments have empirical support for feeding problems, and ABA also has empirical support for the treatment of the core symptoms of ASD, there are no ABA randomized clinical trials with a well-defined cohort of children with ASD and food selectivity. We conducted a randomized clinical trial of ABA treatment of food selectivity in children with ASD relative to a wait-list control group. We randomly assigned 3 children to ABA and 3 children to a wait-list group and compared the effects of treatment in a multiple baseline design across novel, healthy groupings of foods. Results demonstrated that ABA treatment increased acceptance of all food groupings for all six children who participated in the study.

 
Comparison of Descriptive and Functional Analyses in the Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Disorders
JESSICA ASHLEY KEANE (UNCW), Melanie H. Bachmeyer (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Catherine Elizabeth Graham (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Jessica Woolson (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Hannah Edwardson (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Sydney Ball (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Natalie Jones (University of North Carolina Wilmington)
Abstract: Previous research on the correspondence between hypotheses derived from descriptive and functional analyses has shown mixed findings (e.g., Lalli et al., 1993; Lerman & Iwata, 1993; Thompson & Iwata, 2007). Further, studies comparing the relative effects of treatments matched to each hypothesis when results of these analyses do not correspond are scarce. To our knowledge, no studies to date have conducted a systematic comparison of descriptive and functional analyses outcomes in the treatment of pediatric feeding problems. Therefore, we compared the results of a descriptive analysis and caregiver- and therapist-conducted functional analyses of the inappropriate mealtime behavior of three children with feeding disorders. Then, using a reversal design, we compared treatments matched to the results of each analysis. Results of the descriptive and functional analyses did not correspond for any of the children. Results of the subsequent treatment evaluations showed that treatments matched to the functional analysis were more effective for all children. Interobserver agreement was collected on at least 33% of sessions. Agreement was above 80% for each child. Clinical implications of these findings will be discussed.
 
An Evaluation of Alternative Bite Presentations in the Treatment of Feeding Difficulties
HAILEY ORMAND (Marcus Autism Center), Valerie M. Volkert (Marcus Autism Center), William G. Sharp (The Marcus Autism Center)
Abstract: Interventions utilizing nonremoval procedures and reinforcement have yielded positive outcomes, including increased acceptance and decreased inappropriate mealtime behavior, in the treatment of feeding difficulties (e.g., Patel, Piazza, Martinez, Volkert, & Santana, 2002; Piazza, Patel, Gulotta, Sevin, & Layer, 2003; Reed et al., 2004). However, challenging behaviors (i.e., expels, packs) often persist even after a bite is accepted. Alternative bite presentations, such as depositing bites with a flipped spoon or Nuk, are antecedent manipulations that have been shown to reduce these behaviors for children who are unsuccessful with bites presented on an upright spoon (e.g., Sharp, Harker, & Jaquess, 2010). The current study expands on past research examining alternative bite presentations by providing a review of pediatric cases from an intensive day-treatment feeding program to determine the frequency with which these presentations are utilized clinically. We will present descriptive information about the assessment and/or treatment protocols implemented with these individuals and summarize observed outcomes by topography. Finally, the implications of alternative bite presentations in the treatment of pediatric feeding disorders will be considered.
 

Using Response Blocking to Distinguish Between Motivational and Skill Deficits in Pediatric Feeding Disorders

ALEC BERNSTEIN (University of Kansas), Danielle L. Gureghian (Garden Academy), Henry S. Roane (Upstate Medical University), Courtney Moore (University of Kansas), Pamela L. Neidert (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

Children typically gain the skills to appropriately feed themselves by the age of two years (Carruth et al., 2004). Those whose skills are delayed have statistically been shown to consume less nutrients (Carruth et al., 2004) and are at risk for both developmental and growth delays (Manikam & Perman, 2000; O?Brien et al., 1991). Though previous research has assessed a multitude of treatments for feeding delays and disorders (Cooper et al., 1995; Manikam & Perman, 2000; Piazza & Carroll-Hernandez, 2004), little research has evaluated whether such delays are maintained by motivational or skill deficits. The current study describes the treatment of age-inappropriate self-feeding skills for four children with developmental disabilities. Response blocking was used to determine whether the absence of appropriate self-feeding was a motivational or skill deficit. Results of response blocking for one child suggest a motivational deficit, whereas results for the other three children suggest a skill deficit. Results will be discussed in terms of response blocking as an assessment procedure as well as backward chaining as a procedure for increasing self-feeding skills.

 
 
Symposium #85
CE Offered: BACB
Evaluating New Approaches to Observational Measurement of Problem Behavior in Applied Settings
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Grand Suite 3, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Johanna Staubitz (Vanderbilt University)
Discussant: Jeffrey H. Tiger (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
CE Instructor: Johanna Staubitz, M.Ed.
Abstract: Advances in observational measurement techniques have the potential to improve the quality and feasibility of direct observation data as they relate to the assessment and treatment of problem behavior. This symposium includes four data-based studies on new approaches to measuring problem behavior and behavior-environment contingencies. First, Doyle et al. will present an evaluation of correspondence between systematic direct observation and a practical alternative (Direct Behavior Rating) for evaluating treatment effects on problem behavior. The next three presentations will focus on methods of estimating behavior-environment contingencies from direct observation data. Staubitz & Lloyd will share results of a study comparing the validity of six methods of sequential analysis applied to observational data with programmed response-reinforcer contingencies. Courtemanche et al. will share results of a study applying one of these sequential analysis methods to estimate contingencies for individuals with chronic self-injury in community settings. Finally, Valdovinos et al. will present results of a study investigating the role of controlling for base rates when estimating contingencies between problem behavior and environmental events in natural settings. All four presentations represent innovative observational measurement strategies that have the potential to improve the quality and/or feasibility of direct measures of problem behavior in applied settings.
Keyword(s): contingencies, direct observation, measurement, sequential analysis
 

A Simplified Outcome Measure for Use in Treatment Trials for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities

ANNE DOYLE (Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders), Casey J. Clay (University of Missouri), Jenny Teator (University of Missouri), Brittany Schmitz (University of Missouri), Courtney Jorgenson (University of Missouri), SungWoo Kahng (University of Missouri)
Abstract:

One of the challenges faced by parents is objectively measuring treatment outcome. Currently, measurement methods are too cumbersome or rely upon subjective information. The current investigation aims to use a simplified measurement system to assess treatment outcome for problem behaviors exhibited by individuals with DD. Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) is an evaluative rating completed by caregivers at the time the behaviors occur and includes multiple, continuous observations over a period of time that yields a repeated, objective, and quantitative measure of behavior. The specific aim of this project is to demonstrate that DBR is maximally sensitive to detect behavioral changes. The participants were four female college students. Each participant viewed 12, 5-min videos of a child with autism under baseline and treatment conditions. After viewing each video, the participant used DBR to rate the severity of the problem behaviors. Our primary analysis compared DBR to systematic direction observation (SDO) across baseline and treatment phases comparing changes in level, trend, and variability. The results showed good correspondence between DBR and SDO in terms of changes in level across phases, trends, and variability. These preliminary data highlight a promising approach to evaluating treatment outcome in settings in which SDO is difficult.

 

Applications of Sequential Analysis Methods to Observations With Programmed Response-Reinforcer Contingencies: A Validity Assessment

JOHANNA STAUBITZ (Vanderbilt University), Blair Lloyd (Vanderbilt University)
Abstract:

A variety of sequential analysis methods exist to quantify operant contingencies from observational data. Results of a recent simulation study indicated a modified event lag method may produce more accurate and interpretable contingency estimates relative to other standard approaches (Lloyd, Yoder, Tapp, & Staubitz, 2015). Whereas the simulation study modeled zero contingencies, the current study extends this research by applying the same methods of sequential analysis to observations with programmed non-zero contingencies. We used Sniffy the Virtual Rat software to generate observational sessions with programmed reinforcement contingencies, then superimposed fixed time schedules of reinforcement to model variation in contingency strength. We evaluated the degree to which each method of sequential analysis produced contingency estimates that (a) approximated programmed reinforcement contingencies and (b) demonstrated sensitivity to changes in contingency strength. Results indicated that event lag methods produced closer approximations of programmed contingencies and demonstrated greater sensitivity to changes in contingency strength relative to interval-based and time window methods. In addition, consistent with the previous simulation study, our results suggest that interval-based and time-window methods have the potential to produce negatively biased contingency estimates.

 
Sequentially-Dependent Self-Injurious Behavior in Community Settings
ANDREA B. COURTEMANCHE (University of Saint Joseph), Blair Lloyd (Vanderbilt University), Johanna Staubitz (Vanderbilt University), Sherry Crossley (University of Saint Joseph)
Abstract: Studies have documented a sequential dependence between instances of self-injurious behavior (SIB) rather than temporal relationships between SIB and social consequences. Thus, rather than SIB resulting in consistent social consequences, one instance of SIB is likely to be followed by another instance of SIB. Because many of the participants in these studies lived in institution-like settings, it is unclear whether these results could be attributed to relatively low rates of social attention in that environment. The purpose of this study was to use sequential analysis methodology to assess behavior-behavior and behavior-environment contingencies for a group of individuals with SIB living in community settings. Seven individuals with chronic SIB were videotaped during their daily routines. A continuous, timed-event recording system was used to code videos for the frequency of SIB and the frequency and duration of staff attention and participant engagement in functional activities. Participant and staff behavior were analyzed for frequency, duration, inter-observer agreement, and sequential dependencies. A sequential pattern of SIB was identified for some participants. Additionally, sequential patterns of SIB varied based on idiosyncratic topographies. Future research should evaluate the relationship between sequential associations of SIB in natural contexts and behavioral function as determined by functional analyses.
 

A Comparison of Quantitative Observational Methods

MARIA G. VALDOVINOS (Drake University), Lisa Beard (Drake University), Meara McMahon (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), John D Hoch (University of Minnesota)
Abstract:

Advancing technology allows behavioral observation and analysis to move beyond summaries of partial-interval data, to methods that preserve the time sequence of events. With these changes come questions about analysis of indices of association available in different software packages for understanding contingencies between caregiver and participant behavior. Within the context of a larger study evaluating the impact medication changes had on challenging behavior of 11 individuals, weekly, one-hour direct observations were conducted over a period of 2.5 yrs. Videos were uploaded into The Observer XT and coded for the onset and offset of environmental conditions (e.g., location, noise level, number of people in the room), participant behavior (e.g., challenging and adaptive behavior), caregiver behavior (e.g., demands made, attention delivered, etc.). Data from observations were aggregated and analyzed using two tools: the lag sequential analysis function in Observer which provides unadjusted conditional probabilities, and the freeware Generalized Sequential Querier software which provides indices of association adjusted for base rates of occurrence of the event sequences in question (Yules Q). The results obtained from these tools produced different conclusions for the same events (e.g., Table 1). The benefits and challenges of interpreting results within a behavioral analytic contingency framework will be discussed.

 
 
Symposium #86
CE Offered: BACB
Advances in Applications of Varied Functional Analysis Methodology: Latency, Precursor, and Tele-Health
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Grand Ballroom CD South, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Translational
Chair: Tyra P. Sellers (Utah State University)
Discussant: Alison M. Betz (Florida Institute of Technology)
CE Instructor: Tyra P. Sellers, Ph.D.
Abstract: Practitioners who assess and treat individuals with problem behavior are frequently faced with barriers to implementing functional analyses, such as concerns with repeatedly evoking and reinforcing the targeted problem behavior, or access to resources. The first project evaluated the application of latency-based FA as an alternative to traditional FAs of problem behavior in inpatient hospital settings. The second project extends the utility of latency-based FA methodology by outlining an approach to data collection, which facilitates the use of latency-based FA outcomes as baseline data during subsequent treatment evaluations. A third project evaluated the utility of an FA and subsequent treatment of precursor behavior to reduce occurrence of related problem behavior for young children with autism in home settings. The fourth evaluation assessed the effects of using tele-health to train and coach an existing early childhood behavior specialist to coach parents of children under three in conducting FAs and implementing FCT procedures to reduce problem behavior. The research presentations in this symposium provide evidence that a variety of FA methodology can be successfully implemented to address barriers that might otherwise prevent application of more traditional FA methods.
Keyword(s): functional analysis, latency, precursor, tele-health
 

Outcome Summaries of Latency-Based Functional Analyses Conducted in Inpatient Units of Hospital Settings

JOHN E. STAUBITZ (TRIAD, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center), Joseph Michael Lambert (Vanderbilt University), Jessica Torelli (Vanderbilt University Medical Center), Nealetta Houchins-Juarez (Vanderbilt University), A. Pablo Juàrez (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)
Abstract:

Latency-based functional analysis (FA) may be a viable alternative to traditional FA when evoking and reinforcing high rates of problem behavior is not advisable. We conducted 16 latency-based FAs of the problem behavior of 15 children diagnosed with autism in inpatient hospital settings. Concurrently, we conducted latency-based structured descriptive assessments (SDA) of four secondary response topographies. Latency-based FAs identified functional relationships for targeted responses during 50% (8 of 16) of assessments and latency-based SDAs yielded evidence suggestive of functional relationships for non-targeted responses during 50% (2 of 4) of assessments. Implications and future directions are discussed.

 

Latency-Based FA as Baseline for Subsequent Treatment Evaluation

NEALETTA HOUCHINS-JUAREZ (Vanderbilt University), Joseph Michael Lambert (Vanderbilt University), Carmen Caruthers (Vanderbilt University), Kate Tygielski Chazin (Vanderbilt University), Emilee Harbin (Vanderbilt University)
Abstract:

No research has used latency-based functional analysis (FA) outcomes as baseline data from which to evaluate the effectiveness of subsequent function-based treatments. This approach to analysis calls for the continued collection of latency-based measures for all targeted variables throughout all phases of treatment. We tracked client progress during treatment using latency-based, rate-based, and percentage-of-opportunity measures of relevant behavior and compared graphical representations of each. Visual inspection of all data indicates that changes in variability level, and trend of latencybased measures correspond well with said changes in more traditional measures.

 

Implementation of Interventions for Problem Behavior Based on the Results of Precursor Functional Analyses in an Early Childhood Setting

AUDREY N. HOFFMANN (Utah State University), Tyra P. Sellers (Utah State University), Hayley Halversen (Utah State University), Sarah E. Bloom (University of South Florida)
Abstract:

Individuals engaging in problem behavior may also engage in milder, topographically different precursor behavior maintained by the same functional reinforcers as the more intense problem behavior. Identifying functionally related precursor behavior allows clinicians to implement interventions directly on precursor behavior, which may result in fewer instances of more intense problem behavior occurring during assessment and intervention implementation. Previous research conducted descriptive analyses to identify precursors, conducted functional analyses targeting the precursor behavior, and demonstrated that precursors were functionally related to the more intense topography of problem behavior. Researchers then demonstrated decreases in the targeted problem behavior by implementing interventions addressing the precursor behavior. The current study extended the application of this methodology to children under the age of five who had a history of engaging in problem behavior. Specifically, we conducted descriptive analyses to identify precursor behavior and subsequent functional analyses targeting the pre-identified precursor behavior to identify the function. A function-based intervention was implemented to address the precursor behavior resulting in decreased levels of precursor behavior and suppression of the more intense problem behavior.

 

Functional Analyses and Functional Communication Training With Children Under Three Using Telehealth and Existing Supports: Early Childhood Special Education Behavior Specialist as Coach and Caregivers as Implementers

Audrey N. Hoffmann (Utah State University), BISTRA BOGOEV (Utah State University), Tyra P. Sellers (Utah State University)
Abstract:

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) have successfully demonstrated the use of telehealth in coaching parents to conduct functional analyses (FA) and subsequent functional communication training (FCT). We replicated and extended previous research by enlisting existing natural change agents to conduct FAs and FCT interventions via telehealth for children three years old and younger. BCBAs trained and coached the existing behavior specialist via telehealth, who in turn trained and coached parents to conduct FAs and implement FCT in the community clinic setting. The function of problem behavior was successfully identified for five participants. Two participants have completed FCT. Problem behavior reduced and the selected appropriate communication response increased for both participants. The remaining three participants have begun FCT interventions. This study demonstrates that BCBAs can provide coaching and training, via telehealth, to less trained behavior specialists to improve existing services provided through service programs, while minimizing potentially intrusive involvement of outside service providers.

 
 
Symposium #87
CE Offered: BACB
Advances in Caregiver Training and Analyses of Treatment Integrity
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Grand Ballroom CD North, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: DDA/PRA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Richard G. Smith (University of North Texas)
Discussant: Thomas L. Zane (Institute for Behavioral Studies, Endicott College)
CE Instructor: Richard G. Smith, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The papers in this symposium review the current status of the literature with respect to treatment integrity and describe the outcomes of investigations of procedures to train caregivers to implement behavior change procedures with integrity. The extant literature was reviewed to identify 1) the number of studies in which levels of treatment integrity were manipulated systematically, 2) the types of errors investigated, 3) which parts of the intervention procedure were manipulated, and 4) the degree to which these errors affected participant behavior. The effects of a video modeling program to increase procedural integrity with graduated guidance to 3 direct care teachers were investigated, with results showing benefits in both treatment integrity and student outcomes. Two studies investigated the development, implementation, and evaluation of a large-scale behavioral skills training program in a large residential/training facility. Following initial development and establishment of a pyramidal training program, maintenance of trainer and direct caregiver skills were assessed and, when necessary, remedial training was provided. Procedures for assessing generalization of caregiver skills to natural environments were developed, implemented, and evaluated.

Keyword(s): Caregiver training, Treatment integrity
 

Increasing Procedural Integrity With Graduated Guidance Through Video Modeling

ELEANOR GILES (New England Center for Children, Western New England University), Rebecca P. F. MacDonald (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of video modeling as a teacher training tool to improve procedural integrity of graduated guidance. Additionally, the effectiveness of a prescribed graduated guidance procedure was assessed. The implementation of the video modeling training procedure was assessed with a non-concurrent multiple baseline design. Participants were 3 teenaged students diagnosed with autism and 3 direct care teachers. Narrated video models of the lead experimenter and a confederate were used to train the teachers to implement a graduated guidance procedure with their students for three house-hold chores. Results showed that the video models were an effective training tool and that increases in procedural integrity generalized to untrained tasks. Furthermore, the students learned the tasks with the prescribed graduated guidance procedure. The social validity of the video modeling training procedure was assessed with a participant completed survey. The importance of using effective training methods for both teachers and students are discussed. Data reliability was collected in 46% of sessions and range from 91% to 100% agreement.

 

Evaluating Maintenance of Behavior Management Skills Following Competency-Based Training for Caregivers and Professional Behavior Analysts in a Large Residential/Training Facility

KELLEN-JADE HARRIS (University of North Texas), Richard G. Smith (University of North Texas), Audrey H. Shivers (University of North Texas), Lauren Marie Speckin (University of North Texas)
Abstract:

Cooper, Heron and Heward (2007) define maintenance as the extent to which the learner continues to perform the target behavior after the intervention has been terminated. Maintenance is important because it ensures that long-lasting behavior change is occurring, and that gains were sustained following the termination of a treatment program. In addition, once it is proven that a learner’s skills have remained in the repertoire the assessment of generalization is possible. Previous literature in behavior skills training has assessed maintenance in a variety of settings and for a variety of skills. Following maintenance assessments, booster sessions are commonly used to re-train skills that did not maintain at criterion levels. The current project assessed the maintenance of caregiver’s skills following a training package used to teach behavior management skills at a large, residential facility as well as the maintenance of the professional staff’s skills in implementing the training package. The project developed, implemented, and evaluated procedures to assess the caregivers maintenance of the skills and, if needed, to re-establish those skills using 5-15 minute booster sessions.

 

Evaluating the Generalization of a Competency-Based Training Package to Teach Behavior Management Skills to Direct Support Staff

LAUREN MARIE SPECKIN (University of North Texas), Richard G. Smith (University of North Texas), Audrey H. Shivers (University of North Texas), Kellen-Jade Harris (University of North Texas)
Abstract:

In order for the benefits of a behavior management package to reach clients, the caregivers must use the behavior management package in the natural environment. Caregivers at a state residential facility were previously taught three behavior management tools to competency. Initial training and subsequent maintenance probes with booster sessions (2-22 months after training) were assessed through contrived role-plays. Generalization of behavior management tools in the natural environment is difficult to assess because opportunities to utilize the tools are not programmed by the researcher, rather they are contingent on client behavior. Therefore, the current project systematically defined opportunities to use the tools prior to assessing generalization. Generalization of the behavior management package was assessed by observing caregivers use of the tools when the opportunities arose in the natural environment. Training procedures included prompting the staff when to use behavior management tools in the natural environment followed by immediate feedback and using a constant prompt delay to teach staff to identify opportunities to use behavior management tools.

 
 
Symposium #88
CE Offered: BACB
Methodological Evaluation of Behavior of Populations Using Stage Theory
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Crystal Ballroom A, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: DEV; Domain: Translational
Chair: Sarthak Giri (Caldwell University)
Discussant: Saranya Ramakrishnan (Core Complexity Assessments)
CE Instructor: Michael Lamport Commons, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The methodology used by many studies in the social sciences and even behavioral science is severely lacking. This symposium works towards identifying flaws and offering suggestions for improving methodology in behavioral studies. The presentations in this symposium will include a critique on the methodology used in social science that includes composite variables and a lack of empirical evidence-based explanations. In addition they will offer a critique of a common method used for evaluating smarts, IQ tests, and offer an alternative behaviorally based method, behavioral developmental Stage. The effectiveness of instruments based on behavioral developmental Stage will evaluated in another presentation, as well as the benefit of using reinforcement and gamification to increase Stage of performance on these instruments. Finally a methodological study on charting behavioral progress will help to offer an improved manner to assess effectiveness of behavioral interventions. In total, the presentations in this symposium will help to foster a discussion on the methodologies used in behavioral analysis and beyond, and how they can be built and improved upon.

Keyword(s): behavioral interventions, behavioral progress, Methodology, Stage Theory
 

Exploring the Differences Between Social and Behavioral Science

Disti Adhikari (Colby-Sawyer College), Michael Lamport Commons (Harvard Medical School), PATRICE MARIE MILLER (Salem State University)
Abstract:

Even though social science and behavioral science are interconnected and both study organization of behaviors, there are some noteworthy differences between them in the level of scientific analysis and various dimensions of conduct. Social science is the study of the relationships between macro type variables, like culture and society, and micro variables such as how people behave in very well specified situations. Behavioral research, on the other hand, is the study of the dependent variable which is almost always some kind of relatively directly observable behavior. The independent variables are multiple single dimensionals that measure the environmental situation and other contingencies (Bush & Kennedy, 1985). There are some important distinctions between the two fields in terms of operationalization and the use of composite variables. Claims that social science is both theoretically informed and empirically driven, committed to developing evidence-based observations, descriptions and explanations through theoretical and empirical investigations does not hold true in the absence of true or quasi-independent non-composite variables. Social science can expand their social value by implementing research methods more like behavioral science. Further, behavioral science needs to expand its scope to take on social science issues.

 
A Behavioral Developmental Perspective on Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Tests
KYLE FEATHERSTON (The College of William & Mary), Michael Lamport Commons (Harvard Medical School)
Abstract: Although Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests are the most common and largely accepted measurement of how “smart” a person is, whether they are not behaviorally based. They are only moderately correlated with behaviors such as job performance and school grades. This paper will discuss the relationship between IQ tests and their corresponding Order of Hierarchical Complexity Behavioral Developmental Stage Scores based on the Model of Hierarchical Complexity (MHC). The verbal comprehension index (VCI) scales of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) were used for scoring. This paper will demonstrate that, according to the Hierarchical Complexity Scoring System (HCSS), the WAIS-IV fails to test verbal intelligence beyond the formal stage. This demonstrates the ceiling effect of the Verbal Comprehension Index of the WAIS-IV test. This study used Rasch analysis to demonstrate that the difficulty of items on the VCI of the WAIS-IV test can be largely explained by a behavioral developmental sequence using the HCSS. Difficulties with scoring items due to their lack of behavioral basis and the implications will be discussed.
 
Stage Changes Only With Reinforcement and Gamification
DISTI ADHIKARI (Colby-Sawyer College), Michael Lamport Commons (Harvard Medical School)
Abstract: Psychological assessment of capability across cultures is a difficult process. It is often muddled by the ethnocentric content laden approaches used to assess the cognitive abilities of people in different cultures. The current study is designed to be content centric by keeping it consistent to previous studies such as Moral dilemma problems in Mexicali (Commons, Galaz-Fontes, & Morse, 2006) and previous Nepal studies (Giri, Commons, & Tuladhar, June 2014; Upadhyaya, Giri & Commons, 2014). Forty non-literate Nepalese adults were given two stage-based isolation of variables instruments. Both the thatched roof problem and laundry problem were derived from Inhelder and Piaget’s (1958) pendulum problem. These simple causality detecting problems were put into behavioral developmental form. The thatched roof problem, very similar to laundry only differing in context, was used as the training instrument. Thatched roof was administered individually. Laundry instrument was used as a transfer task. Laundry instrument was gamified and the correct responses were reinforced with money. For the laundry task, the participants were divided into groups such that the participants could win points for the group for each correct answer. The winning group won additional reinforcement as bonus to be divided equally among all group members.
 

Changing Single Subject Data Into Group Designs for Showing Intervention Effectiveness

Disti Adhikari (Colby-Sawyer College), MICHAEL LAMPORT COMMONS (Harvard Medical School)
Abstract:

Although individual charting can be an effective way to demonstrate progress, it does not allow for comparisons of effectiveness using traditional statistical standards. Due to the increasing need for evidence of effectiveness of interventions it is important that there be a way to compare interventions. Therefore, this paper proposes a method to aggregate individual data into group data. First, an individuals progress is documented along a behavioral-developmental sequence, using the Model of Hierarchical Complexity (MHC). Sequencing through MHC is important because acquisition of individual, possibly helpful behaviors does not always represent development. A behavioral aim can then be selected and behavior can be tracked depending on whether developmental tasks are completed. The effects of contingent reinforcement and training on correct response is analyzed. It is then demonstrated how to specify regression to estimate progress in a subdomain, and how to generalize findings to all participants. The implications and limitations of this method and future directions are discussed.

 
 
Symposium #90
CE Offered: BACB
Applications of Novel Pedagogy in Teaching Behavior Analysis
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2:00 PM–3:50 PM
Regency Ballroom D, Hyatt Regency, Gold West
Area: TBA/EDC; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Ashley Shayter (Southern Illinois University)
Discussant: Robert Stromer (George Brown College)
CE Instructor: Albert Malkin, M.A.
Abstract:

Behavior analysts are bound to the use of scientific knowledge in scientific and professional judgments. The aim of this symposium is to provide evidence that the classroom is not an exception to this tenet. The format of instructional delivery in higher education has expanded past the traditional text and lecture format. Accordingly, this symposium will review novel approaches to teaching with an aim to contribute to the evidence of non-traditional pedagogical approaches. Approaches discussed will include active responding via online asynchronous discussion, the use of interteaching in online coursework, classroom exercises developed to demonstrate principles of learning and other forms of behavior, and the use of matching-to-sample (MTS) and computer-aided personalized system of instruction to teach definitions of concepts, and design, and conduct MTS teaching.

Keyword(s): Interteaching, Online Learning, pedogogy, Teaching
 
An Investigation of the Efficacy of Asynchronous Discussion on Students’ Performance in an Online Research Methods Course
ALBERT MALKIN (Southern Illinois University), Ruth Anne Anne Rehfeldt (Southern Illinois University), Ashley Shayter (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract: Online instruction has become common place in higher education, with at least 30% of all instruction being delivered online (Driscoll, Jicha, Hunt, Tichavsky, & Thompson, 2012). Coinciding with the influx of online instruction, is the development of a variety of methods of instructional delivery (Johnson & Palmer, 2014). Given the above trends in online education, it is important to establish how learning results are influenced by various teaching methods. This study evaluated the use of asynchronous class discussion in two sections of an online Master’s level research methods course. Student performance on quizzes, overall scores, and a social validity questionnaire were evaluated using a group design. Teaching methods included pre-recorded instructor lectures and online quizzes; additionally one section of the class was required to participate in asynchronous class discussions lead by the instructors, while the other section received only necessary, logistical announcements from the instructor. Additionally, participants were asked to provide information regarding their satisfaction and the acceptability of their learning experience via a social validity questionnaire, at the conclusion of the course. Preliminary results indicate that group mean performance on quizzes was greater in the group in which asynchronous discussion was a required component of online instruction when compared to a control group (80.47% and 73.88% respectively). Implications for further research in active student responding and course design will be discussed.
 

Teaching Activities Developed by the Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology

Charles I. Abramson (Oklahoma State University), CHRISTOPHER DINGES (Oklahoma State University)
Abstract:

Since the mid-1990s, the Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology at Oklahoma State University have developed a number of exercises appropriate for classroom use to demonstrate principles of learning and other forms of behavior. These activities have primarily focused on animals such as snakes, planarians, houseflies, earthworms, wasps, and honey bees. We have also developed exercises using fish based on an inexpensive apparatus we have created called the Fish Stick. Other exercises to be discussed include project Petscope which turns local pet stores into animal behavior research centers, Correspondence in the Classroom which helps students learn to write letters to scientists in various fields, Action Figures in Comparative Psychology which stimulates interest in comparative issues, and the Labyrinth in which students negotiate an object through various obstacles. These teaching activities are summarized and the advantages and limitations of each are discussed. We also discuss how our activities can be used to stimulate interest in the STEM disciplines especially when used in conjunction with our psychmobile program. Tables will be presented as a ready reference for using the activities and we are glad to offer assistance.

 

A Description of Planning and Delivering an Online Course Using Interteaching

CHRISTINE HOFFNER BARTHOLD (George Mason University)
Abstract:

Interteaching is an instructional design and delivery method that incorporates elements of Personalized Systems of Instruction and Peer tutoring. Students complete reading guides in groups of 2-3 and lectures are delivered only on concepts where there is a need for clarification. There is quite a bit of literature supporting the use of interteaching to increase acquisition and retention of material. However, no literature exists that supports the use of interteaching in an online format. In this presentation, I will describe the design and delivery of online interteaching conducted in Fall Semester 2016. Two courses will be described: an undergraduate introduction to behavior analysis course and an upper-level graduate course in behavior analysis methodology. Data presented will include total time preparing and delivering instruction, total time grading, student reviews and suggestions, and student outcome data.

 

Manual vs. Computer-Based Instruction in the Delivery of Matching-to-Sample Training

MARILEIDE ANTUNES OLIVEIRA (University of Manitoba), Joseph J. Pear (University of Manitoba), Celso Goyos (Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos)
Abstract:

Matching-to-sample (MTS) teaching consists of presenting a stimulus called sample followed by stimuli called comparisons from which an individual makes a choice. Research shows that MTS is effective in teaching basic academic skills such as word reading to a varied population range including children with learning disabilities. A training program to promote knowledge and use of this teaching technology was evaluated in the present study. Specifically, we compared two intervention packages - a manual by itself and the manual in combination with a computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) to teach university students how to define concepts, and design, and conduct MTS teaching. Tests also evaluated generalization to novel words and generalized designing and conducting MTS-related teaching. A group design with five and seven participants in experimental and control groups, respectively, was used. During pre-intervention all participants received written and applied tests involving MTS teaching. During training the control group received the manual while the experimental group received the manual and CAPSI. During post-intervention, participants again received written and applied tests, except that those who did not meet 80% accuracy in designing MTS teaching received further intervention. Results indicate that CAPSI produced better results in teaching concepts and in generalized designing and conducting MTS-related teaching.

 
 
Symposium #93
CE Offered: BACB
The Use of Behavioral Interventions to Teach Children With Autism Appropriate Play Skills
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Columbus Hall IJ, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/CSE; Domain: Translational
Chair: Nancy J. Champlin (Autism Concepts, Inc.)
Discussant: Kelley L. Harrison (University of Kansas)
CE Instructor: Nancy J. Champlin, M.S.
Abstract:

Play is one of the core deficits of children with autism. Impairments in play impact communication and language, cognition, and social and emotional interactions. Appropriate independent and sociodramatic play skills are critical to the development of social skills. Children who do not learn to play may miss out on opportunities for social interactions due to observable differences in their play. Increasing appropriate play has been shown to increase language skills while decreasing stereotopy and other problem behaviors. Play is an integral part of the development of typically developing children and should be an emphasis in a behavioral intervention for children with autism. Applied behavior analysis play interventions often target improving play skills by relying on extrinsic reinforcers. Genuine play is intrinsically motivated and will maintain and generalize across environments. These studies utilize behavioral interventions to increase appropriate independent and sociodramatic play skills for children with autism and decrease the reliance on prompts and extrinsic reinforcers.

 

The Use of Priming to Teach Children Diagnosed With Autism Three Essential Skills During Sociodramatic Play

NANCY J. CHAMPLIN (Autism Concepts, Inc.)
Abstract:

Behavioral intervention for preschool age children on the autism spectrum should emphasize play. Deficits in play aversely impact language and communication skills, cognition and problem solving, and social interactions. In this study a priming strategy was used to teach 3 essential skills of socio-dramatic play to 3 participants, aged 4-6, diagnosed with autism. Priming was systematically faded by increasing the duration of time between priming and the play opportunity. All participants are currently receiving center based applied behavior analysis services. Participants were taught to generalize mastered independent play of combining multiple play schemes by utilizing the essential skills for age appropriate sociodramatic play. These three essential skills are 1) initiating a new cooperative play action, 2) responding to a peers play action, and 3) expanding on the current play action. A multiple baseline across participants study demonstrated the efficacy of priming as an effective procedure to teach the three essential skills to engage in sociodramatic play. Generalization across peers and environments was assessed.

 

A Comparison of Script Fading With Video Modeling to Teach Independent Pretend Play to Children With Autism

MELISSA SCHISSLER (ACI Learning Centers)
Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to compare script fading wtih video modeling and the rates of acquisition, maintenance, and generalization to teach pretend play to children with autism. Script fading and video modeling are procedures that have been effective in increasing a variety of skills. Scripts have been used to teach a variety of social skills including increasing social initiations, conversations, and imitative independent play. Video modeling procedures have also been used to teach a variety of skills including increasing reciprocal pretend play, daily living skills, perspective taking, conversational skills, and game play. A multiple baseline across participants study with concurrent treatments of video modeling and script fading per participant was implemented. The study had three participants, 2 boys and 1 girl with autism diagnoses, ages 4-5, who receive center-based applied behavior analysis services. The same two play schemes were taught (Burger Shop and Birthday Party) to each participant simultaneously, using video modeling to teach one scheme and script fading to teach the other. The video model and the script both consisted of 7 scripted play actions and corresponding vocalizations. The outcomes of the acquisition rates, maintenance across 3 months, and generalization across settings will be discussed.

 
 
Symposium #94
CE Offered: BACB — 
Supervision
Reinforcement in Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention: Predicting Outcome and Improving Procedures
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Randolph, Hyatt Regency, Bronze East
Area: AUT/PRA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Per Holth (Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences)
Discussant: Per Holth (Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences)
CE Instructor: Per Holth, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The first presentation reports data on the extent to which a functional reinforcement contingency may facilitate receptive discriminations in children with ASD. The number of trials needed to establish four receptive discriminations was assessed using either a functional reinforcement contingency (e.g., if cookie was the sample stimulus, identifying the cookie produced cookie as a consequence) or an arbitrary reinforcement contingency (e.g., highly preferred stimuli were used as reinforcers, but they had no relation to the stimulus material). The second presentation canters on variables that can predict overall treatment outcome. Given the central role of positive reinforcement in (early intensive behavioral intervention) EIBI, it has been hypothesized that the more reinforcers are available for teaching a specific child, the more that child will benefit from treatment. The second presentation report data on how assessing preferred items that can be used to predict rate of learning in children with ASD receiving EIBI.

Keyword(s): Arbitrary Reinforcement, Autism, Functional Reinforcement, Receptive Discriminations
 

Effects of Functional Reinforcement on Receptive Discriminations in Children With Autism

SIGMUND ELDEVIK (Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences), Hege Aarlie (Norway ABA), Kristine Berg Titlestad (Department of Autism, Pedagogical Psychological Centre, Bergen)
Abstract:

Many behavior analytic procedures have proven successful in establishing receptive discriminations in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Most procedures are based on discrete trial teaching, and adding a prompt to the relation between the instruction and the response. Despite applying a number of well-documented effective procedures, some children have difficulties learning receptive discriminations. The purpose of this study was to examine if a functional reinforcement contingency could facilitate receptive discriminations in these children. We compared the number of trials needed to establish four receptive discriminations following well-established procedures under a functional reinforcement contingency and an arbitrary reinforcement contingency in an alternating treatment design. Three out of the six participants showed more rapid acquisition in the functional reinforcement condition. The remaining participants did not establish any discrimination in neither of the conditions. These findings suggest that arranging a functional response-reinforcer contingency should be considered when encountering children that struggle to establish receptive language through more traditional teaching procedures.

 

Preference Assessment to Predict Treatment Outcome for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

LARS KLINTWALL (Oslo and Akershus University College), Svein Eikeseth (Oslo and Akershus University College)
Abstract:

Toys, activities and other items that a child express interest in can function as contrived reinforcers during treatment. However, some reinforcers are controlled solely by the stereotyped behavior of the child, and may compete with contrived reinforcement, such when a child produce sensory reinforcement by eye-gazing, rather than complying with a therapist to receive contrived reinforcement. Klintwall and Eikeseth (2012) developed a questionnaire to indirectly assess these types of stimuli, and found that when subtracting the number of stereotyped behaviors from the number of preferred items that potentially could be used as contrived reinforcers (i.e., SMARQ total score); this controlled 50% of the variance in treatment outcome. The present study was designed to replicate and extend the study by Klintwall and Eikeseth (2012), using a prospective design, a new sample, and by assessing preferred items and stereotyped behaviors at intake, rather than later in treatment. Results replicated the findings of Klintwall and Eikeseth (2012) by showing a correlation between SMARQ total score and outcome after one year of EIBI. An interpretation of these results is that for every SMARQ total score, the learn rate in treatment increased by one month per year.

 
 
Symposium #97
CE Offered: BACB — 
Ethics
Examining Diversity in Behavior Analysis
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Vevey 1 & 2, Swissotel
Area: CSE/PRA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Elizabeth Hughes Fong (Fielding Graduate University and Multicultural Alliance of Behavior Analysts)
Discussant: Elizabeth Hughes Fong (Fielding Graduate University and Multicultural Alliance of Behavior Analysts)
CE Instructor: Elizabeth Hughes Fong, M.A.
Abstract: This symposium explores the application of applied behavior analysis to diverse populations. Specifically, how interventions and diversity may be inter related. The first paper will review the perception and access to ABA treatments to diverse populations. This paper will focus on understanding how Autism is perceived across different cultures and learning about the challenges faced by applied behavior analysis (ABA) service providers as they work to improve the lives of individuals on the spectrum as well as continuously improving perceptions and acceptance of treatments of those in areas that are under served The second paper examines the lack of diversity within the practice of Behavior Analysis. Specifically, how the diversity in practioners of ABA do not reflect the diversity of clients. For behavior analysis to maintain continued growth and interest with all populations, board certified behavior analysts have to actively recruit multicultural populations to be in the field to maintain relevance in the changing demographics of the United State of America.
Keyword(s): diversity, ethics, multicultural, social validity
 
Autism Perceptions and Access to Applied Behavior Analysts Treatment Across Diverse Populations
LILA AYYAD-ALHARSHA (Academic & Behavior Consultants of Illinois)
Abstract: In recent years, there has been an increase in autism awareness which is due to the significant increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. As numbers increase, we must ensure that children diagnosed with the disorder have access to interventions based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) which will help to improve the lives of those diagnosed. Access to ABA services is critical to the growth of and development of children on the spectrum, however global access to these services is limited. Additionally, although there is an increase in autism awareness, the disorder continues to be understood and treated differently cross culturally. This portion of the symposium will focus on understanding how autism is perceived across different cultures and learning about the challenges faced by ABA service providers as they work to improve the lives of individuals on the spectrum as well as continuously improving perceptions and acceptance of treatments of those in areas that are underserved.
 
Why Are There Not More Multicultural Board Certified Behavior Analysts?
SEANA FICKLIN (Trinity Behavior Consulting)
Abstract: Behavior analysis is a field that is a significant part of the health service profession with continued interest and growth. The field has added more clinicians to keep up with the increasing demand of areas of need. Although a significant amount of clinicians have been added to the field, the diversity in board certified behavior analyst clinicians have been slowed to keep up with the increase in multicultural populations. The increase in multicultural populations in United States of America are becoming a necessity for the field of behavior analysis to adapt to this change. It is a matter for the field to adhere to this change and not be known as a field that does not adhere to change by losing relevance to multicultural populations. Behavior analysis is a proven field that has the capability to work with all populations. With the changing demographics of America, it is imperative that there are more clinicians who reflect the increasing multicultural populations who can relate the value of behavior analysis by taking cultural norms into consideration. For behavior analysis to maintain continued growth and interest with all populations, board certified behavior analysts have to actively recruit multicultural populations to be in the field to maintain relevance in the changing demographics of the United States of America.
 
 
Invited Tutorial #99
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
SQAB Tutorial: Associative Symmetry, Emergent Relations, and Stimulus Class Formation
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Lucerne, Swissotel
Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Gregory J. Madden, Ph.D.
Chair: Gregory J. Madden (Utah State University)
Presenting Authors: : PETER URCUIOLI (Purdue University)
Abstract:

Associative symmetry is one of a number of derived relations that can emerge after explicit training on other conditional relations. Here, untrained but accurate B?A conditional discrimination performances arise from training A?B conditional relations, a finding indicative of stimulus class formation (i.e., the development of sets of disparate but interchangeable stimuli). Recent research shows that human language capabilities are not necessary for associative symmetry; it can also reflect basic reinforcement and stimulus control processes.This tutorial will describe the history of the now-successful search for symmetry in an animal other than humans (viz., the pigeon) and show how this important finding led to demonstrations of other rarely or never-before seen emergent relations in a non-human animal. Central to these demonstrations is the presenter's theory (Urcuioli, 2008) of the origin of stimulus classes in pigeons, specifically, the reinforcement contingencies of training, the nature of the functional stimuli, and the effect of common functional stimuli across different reinforced relations. The theory makes precise, testable and often confirmed predictions about the training conditions that should, and should not, yield emergent relations such as symmetry, transitivity, and reflexivity.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Licensed psychologists, certified behavior analysts, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to: (1) describe associative symmetry and why it is an example of an untrained or “emergent” relation; (2) define a “stimulus class” and describe how stimulus classes develop and are demonstrated; (3) cite newly discovered emergent relations in non-human animals and outline a theory to explain these behavioral effects.
 
PETER URCUIOLI (Purdue University)
Peter Urcuioli is Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of New Hampshire where he worked with Tony Nevin, and his Master's degree and Ph.D. in experimental psychology at Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia, Canada) where he was a graduate student of Vern Honig. After a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship with Tony Wright at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Peter joined the faculty at Purdue University in 1981. Peter has made significant contributions to the areas of discrimination learning and stimulus control, differential outcome mechanisms, animal memory and cognition, and stimulus-class formation. His research has been continuously funded since 1983 by NIH and NSF, and he has over 70 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Behavioural Processes, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Learning and Behavior, Learning & Motivation, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. His recent ground-breaking work on equivalence relations in pigeons reveals a wide range of never-before-seen emergent relations that are predicted by his innovative theory of stimulus-class formation that incorporates basic stimulus control and reinforcement assumptions.
Keyword(s): Emergent Relations, Reflexivity, Symmetry, Transitivity
 
 
Symposium #100
CE Offered: BACB
Feedback: Everyone is Doing It, But Are They Doing It Right?
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Vevey 3 & 4, Swissotel
Area: OBM/EAB; Domain: Translational
Chair: Julie M. Slowiak (University of Minnesota Duluth)
CE Instructor: Julie M. Slowiak, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Experimental analyses of the characteristics of performance feedback inform the proper use and application of feedback as OBM interventions. In this symposium, we will present and discuss the results of three laboratory-based experiments that examine critical components of feedback and associated performance goals. The first presenter will discuss the differential effects of three different feedback modalities on performance of a simple data entry task. The second presenter will discuss the interaction between feedback source and goal difficulty on performance and feedback-seeking behavior. Finally, the third presenter will discuss the effects of altering the placement of a single corrective statement in a feedback sequence that includes two positive statements on individuals' persistence to perform in the presence of a challenging �stretch� goal. Come and find out the best mode and sequence with which to deliver feedback and how the type of performance goals in place might influence the appropriate mode of feedback.

Keyword(s): feedback sequence, feedback source, goal difficulty, technology
 
Effects of Feedback Modality on Performance
GARRETT WARRILOW (Western Michigan University), Douglas Johnson (Western Michigan University)
Abstract: Giving employees information about their performance is a common method for employers seeking to improve or change performance. With the popularity of the internet and computers feedback today is often provided through emails, text messages and video meetings. While feedback has continued to evolve within and across organizations little has been done to assess the impact its delivery through various modalities has. This study looks to explore and evaluate the relationship between the modality which objective feedback is delivered, and the differential effects it produces on performance of a check entering task. This is an area in which there seems to be a large gap in the literature especially considering the impact it may have on any feedback study. This experiment will be a laboratory study employing a between-group repeated measures design with random assignment to one of the following four experimental conditions; 1) no feedback, 2) computer delivered feedback, 3) feedback via cell phone text message and, 4) feedback via face-to-face interaction.
 
Impact of Feedback Source and Goal Difficulty on Work Performance and Feedback Seeking
BRANDON BREUER (University of Minnesota Duluth), Julie M. Slowiak (University of Minnesota Duluth)
Abstract: This research examined the influence of computer monitoring on work performance and feedback-seeking behavior under different conditions of feedback source and performance goals. As the third in a series of three experiments, this study was conducted in a laboratory setting using a data-entry work task designed to simulate the job of a medical transcriptionist. Undergraduate students attended five 45-minute sessions, and measures of ability and keyboarding skill were collected to use in the analyses. This study used a 2 x 3 factorial design to examine effects of computer monitoring under different conditions of feedback source (computer-mediated / researcher-mediated) and goal difficulty easy / moderate / difficult) on both task performance and feedback-seeking behavior. Results indicate that performance was highest, overall, when the participants received difficult goals in combination with computer-mediated feedback; performance was lowest when participants received easy goals in combination with computer-mediated feedback. The type of feedback did not appear to influence performance when individuals received moderate goals. Feedback-seeking behavior was higher among participants who received difficult goals. Discussion of these results, as well as an overview of participants’ levels of stress and satisfaction with feedback medium, will be presented.
 
The Influence of Feedback Sequence and a Challenging Goal on Task Performance
AREANNA LAKOWSKE (University of Minnesota Duluth), Julie M. Slowiak (University of Minnesota Duluth)
Abstract: Due to the widespread use, acceptance for, and effectiveness of using feedback and goal setting simultaneously, the present study focused on the use of feedback to improve persistence to perform in the presence of a challenging “stretch” goal. This study also examined the influence that core self-evaluation, job satisfaction, goal commitment, and stress may have on the persistence toward reaching a challenging “stretch” goal when individuals were provided with various feedback sequence statements. The most well-known feedback sequence is the “Sandwich”, which places a corrective statement between two positive statements. A within-subjects design was used to expose participants to a control (no feedback) condition and three feedback sequences: (1) PCP (positive, corrective, positive); (2) CPP (corrective, positive, positive); and (3) PPC (positive, positive, corrective). Results of this study will illustrate the most effective feedback sequence to increase performance, as well as individual preference for a particular feedback sequence. The influence of core self-evaluation, job satisfaction, goal commitment, and stress will be discussed and practical implications will be provided.
 
 
Symposium #101
CE Offered: BACB
Advances in the Behavior Analysis of Gambling
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–4:50 PM
Zurich FG, Swissotel
Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research
Chair: David Legaspi (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Discussant: Seth W. Whiting (Yale University)
CE Instructor: Ryan C. Speelman, M.S.
Abstract: Advances in a behavioral analysis of gambling have emphasized the functions of gambling behavior rather than merely the form of this pervasive behavioral addiction. Increasingly, the interactions between verbal behavior and direct contingencies are being explored in basic human operant laboratories with the potential for providing meaningful treatment for disordered gamblers. The studies reviewed highlight the interaction between the environment and gambling behavior, both inside and outside of a casino setting, and provide avenues for future research on this socially valid issue.
Keyword(s): Defusion, Derived Rules, Discounting, Gambling
 

Exploring the Convergent Validity of Functional Assessments and Experimental Functional Analyses With Gambling

TYLER GLASSFORD (St. Louis University), Alyssa N. Wilson (Saint Louis University), Daniel Tourigny (Saint Louis University), Sophia Howard (Saint Louis University)
Abstract:

The purpose of the present study was to create a methodology for conducting experimental functional analyses on gambling behaviors, and test the convergent validity of the Gambling Functional Assessment (GFA) and Gambling Functional Assessment-Revised (GFA-R) with results obtained from the functional analysis. Pathological and recreational gamblers completed all study procedures in a gambling lab in the Midwest. Functional assessments were counterbalanced across participants, to control for order effects. During the experimental functional analysis, participants were asked to gamble on one of four slot machines. Each slot machine had a concurrent random ratio (RR) and fixed time (FT) 30s reinforcement schedule, where additional reinforcers were provided across four conditions (social attention, escape, tangible, sensory). Participants were instructed to play on each machine for 2min, prior to completing a free play condition. Next, participants were provided a vignette derived from items on the GFA and GFA-R, prior to selecting a machine to play on for 2min. Slot machine selection was recorded across each 2min trial. Cumulative records indicate response differentiation across slot machines for all participants. Convergent validity results to date suggest the current methodology is consistent with outcomes generated by the GFA-R.

 
Investigating Derived Rule Following Across Casino Games
SOPHIA HOWARD (Saint Louis University), Alyssa N. Wilson (Saint Louis University)
Abstract: The current study replicated and extended previous research on derived rule-following during two casino games (slots and roulette). Adult gamblers were stacked with a $100 credit voucher to use across all games during the study. The order games were played was counterbalanced across participants, to control for order effects. Throughout the study, five arbitrary stimuli were posted around each of the games, and participants were instructed to follow the symbols to get out of the task quicker. Following baseline play, all participants completed a computerized conditional discrimination task, where training established a rule based on a feature of the games (e.g., bet on [color]; bet big on [color] to win; etc.). Gamblers were instructed to tact the rule using fill-in-the blank and multiple-choice measures before and after training, to assess the degree to which the rule (e.g., “bet on [color]; bet big on [color]”) had derived after training. Following training, participants responded appropriately to the fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice questions. Further, participant response allocation towards casino games with similar features (color) of training increased. Implications for conceptual development of self-generated rule formation and subsequent following, particularly in the development for treatment, will be discussed.
 
Using ACT to Reduce Impulsive Choice and Contextual Control in Gambling
RYAN C. SPEELMAN (Southern Illinois University), Mark R. Dixon (Southern Illinois University), Jordan Belisle (Southern Illinois University), Dana Paliliunas (Southern Illinois University), Karl Gunnarsson (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Abstract: Impulsive decision making and inaccurate rule following are two classes of behavior that are related to several addictive behaviors including pathological gambling. Mindfulness and defusion exercises may be used to undermine the literal content of verbal behavior and increase the saliency of direct experience thereby reducing impulsive choice and rule following. In study one 34 participants watched a 9-min and 25-s mindfulness instructional video to examine the effects on delay discounting, a behavior analytic model of impulsivity. Results indicated a significant decrease in discounting scores after watching the mindfulness video (p < .01). In study two 21 participants were taught to select stimuli of differing physical qualities in a relational training task establishing a contextual cue of black as GREATER-THAN and red as LESS-THAN. Following relational training, half of the participants underwent a defusion exercise. The results show that 82% of participants who did not undergo the defusion exercise showed an increase preference for a black slot-machine in a simulated slot-machine task, and all participants who underwent the defusion activity allocated their responding closer to what would be expected due to the contingencies alone. ACT exercises may reduce the influence of rules and contextual features that promote destructive behavior patterns.
 

Do Setting Events Alter the Rate of Probability Discounting?

KARL GUNNARSSON (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Mark R. Dixon (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract:

The current discounting literature in impulsivity research indicates that impulsivity may be a multifactorial concept. The potential sources that may lead to impulsivity have yet to be completely identified. Among the variables that are considered to play a role in impulsive choice are setting events. Yet, limited research has been conducted on how setting events may affect risky choice, which is one part of the multifactorial concept. In the current study the researchers investigated how grade standing in a course influenced the rate of discounting on an actual probabilistic discounting task. Twenty college students participated for the chance to earn extra credit worth up to 3% of their final grade, through a game of roulette. The roulette game was arranged to mirror the traditional probability-discounting task. Participants were staked with a proportion of their extra credit to gamble with and told that they could earn up to 3% of their final grade. An analysis of the rate of discounting and academic standing was made. The results and implications of the current study are discussed with regard to pathological gambling, risk taking with regard to setting events, behavioral economics, and the effectiveness of self reported discounting tasks.

 
 
Symposium #103
CE Offered: BACB
Teaching and Measuring Foundational and Complex Repertoires
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–4:50 PM
Regency Ballroom B, Hyatt Regency, Gold West
Area: EDC/PRA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Joanne K. Robbins (Morningside Academy)
Discussant: Jesus Rosales-Ruiz (University of North Texas)
CE Instructor: Joanne K. Robbins, Ph.D.
Abstract: From time to time behavior analytic approaches to education have been criticized because they are said to focus on simple behaviors or basic skills. Over the past twenty years there has been a concerted effort to extend behavior analytic approaches to the areas of reasoning, problem solving, inquiry, and independent learning. Learners with a range of entering repertoires in a wide range of environments from classrooms to online platforms have benefited. This effort has resulted in work that has led to the examination of the critical foundational skills required in terms of verbal operants, mands, tacts, echoics, intraverbals and autoclitics leading to conversation skills, to composite repertoires such as Talk Aloud Problem Solving (TAPS) and Fluent Thinking Skills™ (FTS) which emphasizes question asking, and to advanced content areas such as music education. This symposium will describe recent work in this area with an emphasis on measuring both foundational and complex educational repertoires. It will highlight the effects not only on the learner, but on teachers as well. An emphasis throughout the presentation will be how behavior analysis can benefit a great range of learners, some who otherwise may not have been successful.
Keyword(s): instructional design, music, reasoning, vocal operants
 
TAPSing into the Potential of Students and the Ingenuity of Classroom Staff
SEAN WILL (University of North Texas), Lucero Neri (University of North Texas), Joanne K. Robbins (Morningside Academy), Jesus Rosales-Ruiz (University of North Texas)
Abstract: Students with learning and developmental disabilities often have slow academic and social progress. They seem to lack interest and sometimes refuse to work at all. Sometimes, they demonstrate high levels of understanding in one subject area, while performing extremely poorly in other areas. Educators usually blame slow academic progress on the lack of intelligence or low capacity to learn. As a result, educators lower their expectations for these students. One particular deficit area is often problem solving. This presentation will describe the efforts of teaching and assessing a set of reasoning skills with seven students with learning and developmental disabilities in a Life Skills class in a public school. We will further discuss the effects of teaching this repertoire on four classroom staff members in their interaction with children while helping the students with their assignments. The reasoning skills under discussion were based on those described by Robbins in her 2014 manual, Learn to Reason with TAPS: A Talk Aloud Problem Solving Approach.
 
Measuring Complex Repertoires in Project Based Learning
MARIANNE DELGADO (Morningside Academy), Joanne K. Robbins (Morningside Academy)
Abstract: This presentation will describe a sequence of developing and measuring the acquisition of analytic thinking skills required for the talk aloud problem solving (TAPS) repertoire (Robbins, 2014) and Fluent Thinking Skills (FTS™) (Robbins, Layng, Jackson, 1996) repertoire in middle school students at Morningside Academy. Ways to define and assess application of the component skills, or atomic repertoires (after Palmer, 2012), that lead to composite thinking repertoires will be explored. To ensure that all students acquire the repertoires of the Problem Solver and Active Listener, all students must learn to observe and record the presence or absence of the essential qualities in trios and then apply their TAPS skills to the enquiry model taught in Fluent Thinking Skills. Everyday academic and nonacademic problems are then presented that required the use of these strategies. Precision Teaching procedures may be used in the measurement of question generating, and accuracy and rate of problem solving. Finally, application of these skills during independent research in project based learning will be discussed.
 

Measured Music: Behavior Analysis Meets the Arts

MARK MALADY (Institute of Meaningful Instruction), Ryan Lee O'Donnell (Institute of Meaningful Instruction), Bryan Hallauer (High Sierra Industries/WARC), Brendan James Bohr (Brohavior)
Abstract:

Over the past 20 years there has been a renewed interest in designing educational environments that lead to a range of practical outcomes for learners. Educational endeavors may be conceptualized as falling within several categories that may include formal public education, formal private education, independent studies, sports related activities, musical activities and day-to-day learning through the life of an individual. A common move in the past 10 years has been the creation of individual learning opportunities through internet-based applications. Behavior analysis as a science has historically been closely aligned with the formulation of instructional design methods and is in a well-suited position to lend a helping hand to the endeavor of creating meaningful educational opportunities for people of varying ages and skill sets. This presentation will outline a pilot program that was designed to teach students of music how to design their own independent studies using the science of behavior analysis. This program, Measured Music, is one example of how the Institute of Meaningful Instruction is aiming to assist learners in becoming their own instructional designers. The Measured Music program will be overviewed and future directions will be discussed.

 
Measurement and Induction of Vocal Verbal Behavior
ANGELA MORAN (Ascension Parish School District), Derek Jacob Shanman (Nicholls State University), Mary Johnson (Ascension Parish Schools)
Abstract: Effective social interactions are imperative for all individuals, in particular those with faulty verbal repertoires. Vocal verbal behavior is the most common form of speaker behavior and allows for access to reinforcement across multiple listeners. This type of behavior provides information in a more accessible form for listeners and allows speakers to access more advanced verbal functions. The five vocal verbal operants, mands, tacts, echoics, intraverbals and autoclitics, are learned through the function of an individual’s environment and reinforced by the responses of others. This presentation will discuss these vocal verbal operants and their and function in conversation, as well as measurement tools that can be used to identify the presence or absence of these behaviors under varying conditions. Finally, protocols and procedures, such as Speaker Immersion Protocol, Intensive Tact, and Social Listener Reinforcement games, used to induce these behaviors for individuals who may have faulty or no vocal verbal behavior will be discussed.
 
 
Symposium #105
CE Offered: BACB
High Tech, Low Tech, No Tech, What the Heck?
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–4:50 PM
Regency Ballroom C, Hyatt Regency, Gold West
Area: EDC; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Lin Du (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Discussant: Nicole Luke (Surrey Place Centre)
CE Instructor: Grant Gautreaux, Ph.D.
Abstract:

As technology usage continues to swell worldwide the penchant for technology options in educational environments has reached a fever pitch. In US alone it is projected that spending on instructional technology will reach over $20 billion by 2020. The emphasis on the use of delivering instruction via high tech options is easily observed in most school settings. Smart boards, personal e-tablets, response clickers are just as prevalent as the crayons and compositions found in children’s school bags found in classrooms just a generation ago. However, relying on sophisticated technology tools to fix educational problems may fall short if the technology options do not incorporate evidence based components of effective instruction. Low Tech options such as guided notes and active student responding have an extensive research based and permeated the behavior analytic literature in the mid and late 1980’s. Conversely some of the more prevalent high tech options found in today’s classrooms little or no research to support their usage. In this symposium we report four papers which address some element of either high or low tech instructional delivery tactic across 4 distinct populations and target behaviors.

 
The Technology of Educational Technology: Is the Learn Unit a Reliable of Ed Tech Effectiveness?
GRANT GAUTREAUX (Nicholls State University), Derek Jacob Shanman (Nicholls State University), Cynthia Vavasseur (Nicholls State University), Mary Breaud (Nicholls State University)
Abstract: While society’s appetite for technology appears to be insatiable it is still not evident whether the impact of modern day instructional technology on student achievement will be appreciable. Much of this emphasis on technology is based on premise that being uber-techy is simply the norm and the upgrading of technology based options in the classroom brings the outside world and the classroom inline. However, relying on sophisticated technology tools to fix educational problems may fall short if the technology options do not incorporate research based components of effective instruction. One of those components, the learn unit has been shown to be an important predictor of student achievement. Thus, we tested the effects of a variety of technology initiatives with and without learn units instruction on the acquisition of new learning targets for four pupils across two elementary classrooms. The results are discussed in terms of formative and summative assessments.
 

The Effects of an Auditory Matching App on Accurate Echoics and Advanced Listener Literacy With Three Preschoolers With Autism

LIN DU (Teachers College, Columbia University), Jeanne Marie Speckman (Fred S. Keller School Teachers College Columbia University), Megan Medina (Teachers College Columbia University), Michelle Cole-Hatchard (Fred S. Keller School)
Abstract:

We report an experiment to investigate the effects of an auditory match-to-sample protocol on three preschoolers accurate echoics to 100 English words and advanced listener literacy skills. The protocol was presented by using an iPad app Sounds the same: an app to target listening and speaking clearly. A delayed multiple probe design across participants verified the effectiveness of the auditory match to sample protocol. The three participants ranged from 4 to 5 years old and were all diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. They were taught to discriminate between positive and negative exemplars of different sounds, words, and phases by matching the sample sound to the matching exemplar. Our data show that acquisition of auditory match-to-sample resulted in increases of the accuracy in participants articulation of their echoics as well as their advanced listener repertoires as measured by having students follow vocal directions in the presence of visual negative exemplars.

 
Teaching Undergraduate Students to Take Effective Lecture Notes Using a Fading Procedure
REBECCA A SHARP (Bangor University), Philip Nelson (Bangor University)
Abstract: Student engagement with course materials (i.e., lectures), and subsequently performance in undergraduate behavioral courses, may be affected by students’ ability to take effective lecture notes. Guided notes, in which some of the key lecture material is omitted so that students can ‘fill-in-the-blanks’, can be an effective method to teach note-taking. In order to teach note taking that could be generalized across courses, we increased systematically the number of words to be filled in on notes pages given out in each lecture (stimulus fading). We used a changing criterion design and measured the accuracy of undergraduate students’ note-taking (i.e., the number of correct filled in blanks). In addition, students were given a weekly in-class quiz that was comprised of questions from both the notes pages and other lecture material from the previous lecture. Our results showed that the faded guided notes increased the accuracy of students’ lecture notes compared to baseline, and that students performed better on quiz questions linked to the notes than on questions based on lecture material not contained in the notes. We discuss the utility of a fading procedure to teach note-taking in large classes.
 

Video-Based Mand Training for Three Early Interventionists Teaching Toddlers With Autism: An Additive Component Analysis

AMY D. WIECH (ABC Group, Inc. Hawaii)
Abstract:

Professional development remains a foundational crux for training teachers and staff in evidence based interventions for teaching students with autism. Online training videos provide a viable component of professional development for early intervention and special education organizations facing budget constraints and challenges with complying with mandates for training their staff and teachers in evidence-based interventions for students with autism. Mand training is an effective evidence based procedure for increasing functional language and decreasing problematic behavior associated with autism spectrum disorders. The teacher implementation of four-step manding procedure was also evaluated. Measuring both the student and the teacher behavior evaluated interventionists competency improvement following and/or during different training components and concurrently measured student manding changes in frequency across each training component phase. Online training remains a valuable tool to efficiently and effectively train staff, however additional components may be necessary to result in optimal outcomes. Results indicated that student manding increased slightly when online training videos alone was used for one participant and with more significance when components of feedback and coaching/modeling were added.

 
 
Symposium #106
CE Offered: BACB
Variables Affecting the Acquisition of Tact, Listener Behavior, and Visual Discriminations
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–4:50 PM
Columbus Hall CD, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: PRA/VBC; Domain: Translational
Chair: Joseph M. Vedora (Evergreen Center)
Discussant: Laura L. Grow (University of British Columbia)
CE Instructor: Joseph M. Vedora, Ed.D.
Abstract: Educational programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and developmental delays often target the development of speaker (e.g., tact) and listener repertories, and discrimination training with visual stimuli. Several procedures may facilitate the acquisition of tact and listener relations or visual-visual discriminations. This symposium reviews two studies conducted with individuals with autism spectrum disorders that evaluated procedures used to teach listener relations. The first study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of an error correction procedure to a second-order reinforcement and response-cost procedure during training of listener relations. The second study compared the efficiency of picture prompts versus picture prompts used with a differential observing response during training of listener relations. A third study evaluated learners’ preference between massed and alternating matching-to-sample trials in young children with autism. Additionally, research with typically developing children may help guide research for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The fourth study evaluated the effects of a differential observing response on typically developing children’s (3-5 years old) acquisition of tacts of overlapping compound stimuli. The implications of these procedures for practitioners and recommendations for future researchers will be discussed.
Keyword(s): tact, listener
 

Assessing Preference Between Massed and Alternating Trials in Teaching Word-Picture Relations to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIN CONANT (Evergreen Center), Paulo Guilhardi (Beacon ABA Services), Jennifer Smith (Beacon ABA Services), Camille Rivera (Beacon ABA Services)
Abstract:

The goal was to assess preference between massed and alternating matching-to-sample trials in children with autism. Two participants were presented with a matching-to-sample task on a computer. Sessions consisted of six trials of an unknown set of word-picture stimuli relations and six trials of known picture-picture identity relations. Prior to the presentation of the 12 trials, participants were asked to choose between three different colored stimuli randomly located on the computer screen. The participants choice of stimuli determined the condition for the session either mass (6 known/6 unknown stimuli relations, or vice-versa), alternating (alternation of known and unknown stimuli relations), or extinction (no reinforcement delivered). Once a condition preference to a condition was established a new set of colors were presented and preference was reassessed. Throughout a session, no prompts were delivered during the presentation of known stimuli relations, and a spoken word was used as prompt for the unknown stimuli relations. Prescribed prompts were faded systematically to assess acquisition of skill. All correct responses produced a token and once three tokens were earned a trade-in period occurred (unless the extinction condition was chosen). A preference for alternating trials developed during every assessment within and across participants.

 

Establishing Compound Stimulus Control Over Vocal Tacts

BAILEY DEVINE (Texas Christian University), Anna I. Petursdottir (Texas Christian University)
Abstract:

An accurate tact repertoire often requires control by multiple features of nonverbal stimuli over the verbal response. Inappropriate stimulus control can develop when learners are exposed to compound stimuli. The current study evaluated the effects of a differential observing response (DOR) on typically developing childrens (3-5 years old) acquisition of tacts of overlapping compound stimuli. When initial instruction without a DOR did not produce acquisition, an instruction format was introduced which required participants to engage in a DOR in the form of an identity match to sample response prior to tacting the stimuli. If the DOR intervention did not produce mastery, further manipulations were evaluated, including a verbal DOR and the establishment of vocal precurrent responses. Implications of the effectiveness of such interventions on tact acquisition are discussed.

 

A Comparison of Response Cost and Error Correction Procedures

JESSICA NIEMEIER (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Wayne W. Fisher (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Amber R. Paden (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Some children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) display persistent errors during discrete-trial training. Fisher and colleagues showed that combining a second-order reinforcement schedule with response cost produced improved accuracy in completion of intraverbal and receptive tasks among children with ASD (Fisher, Pawich, Dickes, Paden, & Toussaint, 2014). The purpose of the current study was to extend the findings of Fisher et al. (2014) by evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of their second-order reinforcement and response-cost procedure with a common error-correction procedure during acquisition of receptive-identification tasks. Two children diagnosed with an ASD participated. During baseline, we implemented a VR2 reinforcement schedule for cooperative behavior but not for correct responses. During treatment, in one condition we reinforced correct responses on a second-order FR3 [FR1] schedule and removed all accumulated reinforcers contingent on an error. In the other condition, we reinforced correct responses on an FR1 schedule, and following an error, we repeated the trial until the participant emitted an independent correct response. Results showed that the error-correction procedure proved to be more efficient with both participants and more effective with one participant. We discuss these results relative to the discriminative effects of reinforcement and punishment during acquisition of new tasks. We will continue to replicate these procedures with additional participants.

 
An Evaluation of Differential Observing Responses During Receptive Label Training
TIFFANY WALLER (Evergreen Center), Joseph M. Vedora (Evergreen Center)
Abstract: Prior researchers have used Differential Observing Responses (DORs) such as naming the sample stimulus (Geren, Stromer, & Mackay, 1997) or matching the visual sample to an identical comparison prior to a trial during visual-visual matching tasks (Dube & McIlvane, 1999). A DOR such as an echoic response to the auditory sample stimulus might enhance the learner’s attention to the sample and remediate stimulus control during receptive label training (Grow & LeBlanc, 2013). To date, only a few studies have evaluated the effects an echoic response-DOR during receptive label training for individuals with autism. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the use of a DOR that required the participant to imitate the sample stimulus prior to the receptive trial. A comparison of picture prompts, with and without a DOR, was conducted to determine if the DOR facilitated acquisition for a participant with autism who had a history of faulty stimulus control during discrimination training. The results indicated that the DOR enhanced acquisition and remediated stimulus control issues (i.e., position bias) during training. The implications of DORs used during receptive label training will be discussed.
 
 
Symposium #107
CE Offered: BACB
Improving Psychological Well-Being With BST and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Sunday, May 29, 2016
3:00 PM–4:50 PM
Columbus Hall AB, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: PRA/VBC; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Jamie DeVillez (St. Louis University)
Discussant: Kara Reagon (Autism Speaks)
CE Instructor: Kail H. Seymour, M.S.
Abstract:

The topography of maladaptive behavior provides minimal information in terms of developing treatment strategies for reducing its occurrence, rather an analysis of the function of behavior both adaptive and maladaptive has repeatedly shown effectiveness across populations and behaviors. Contemporary treatment strategies for individuals with developed language and cognitive abilities have focused on verbal behavioral interventions that are function-based and teach the necessary skills for children and adults to progress towards their values. The current set of studies show how two pervasive contemporary treatment approaches, behavioral skills training (BST) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), can be utilized with both clinical and non-clinical populations to decrease various topographies of maladaptive behavior, increase psychological flexibility as an alternative operant, and help participants move towards a valued life. Three of the studies detail the use of these approaches in large scale application in school settings, and the other provides a metric for on-going evaluation of psychological flexibility as a generalized operant.

Keyword(s): ACT, BST, Psychological Flexibility
 

Using Behavioral Skills Training Paired With Observational Learning to Decrease Peer-to-Peer Aggression

TRACY CRYSTAL LEMLER (St. Louis University), Thea Ervin (St. Louis University), Alyssa N. Wilson (Saint Louis University)
Abstract:

Behavioral Skills Training (BST) has been used as an antecedent intervention to teach a range of skills, however little is known about the effects of BST paired with observational learning. Therefore, the current study used a concurrent multiple baseline design across classrooms to evaluate the effects of BST paired with observational learning on responses to aggression. Four students with emotional and behavioral disorders (age range = 8-18) were randomly selected as models (n=2) and classmates (n=2) across two classrooms. Classroom observations were conducted on the percent of intervals the selected students engaged in classroom aggression using a 5-s momentary- time sampling procedure. Before BST, selected students completed a verbal assessment, consisting of forced choice and open ended WH questions related to peer aggression. During training, the model was trained to ignore, walk away, and/or engage in a calming strategy when peers engage in aggression. BST sessions took place in front of the models classmates. Following BST, students completed the verbal assessment and classroom observations were conducted. Results identified increases in appropriate responding to peer aggression, and decreases in engagement in aggression. These results support the clinical utility of observational learning in groups, to assist with training appropriate classroom behavior.

 
Clinical Utility of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Urban Elementary Schools
HEATHER LYNN LEWIS (Saint Louis University), Sean Saito (St. Louis University), Alyssa N. Wilson (Saint Louis University)
Abstract: Many children attending urban schools with high poverty rates present with significant behavioral challenges that interrupt learning for both themselves and others. Studies show that students in impoverished urban schools experience a range of environmental variables that impact learning and graduation rates, in addition to higher rates of mental health disorders, including emotional dysregulation, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety than matched peers. Nationwide, urban city schools are twice as likely to have inexperienced teachers and a high-turnover rate, further contributing to student performance deficits. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been shown to be an effective treatment options for a range of clinically significant behaviors across the lifespan, and research is beginning to emerge on applying ACT in schools, particularly for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. However, minimal focus has been paid to implementing ACT with both students and their teachers in impoverished urban schools. Given the minimal literature on the topic, there appears to be a need for clearly identifying empirically based strategies for successful implementation of ACT in urban settings. Therefore, the current presentation will showcase empirically-based strategies for infusing ACT into urban city schools, for both teachers and students with emotional behavioral disorders.
 
Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Protocols in the School Setting
DANA PALILIUNAS (Southern Illinois University), Ryan C. Speelman (Southern Illinois University), Kelly Neville (Indiana University), Mark R. Dixon (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract: Students with and without disabilities often exhibit behaviors in school that have a negative impact on their academic performance as well as their social interactions. Intervention protocols that can be utilized by school faculty to address these behaviors at an individual, group, and school-wide level are needed for these students who have more advanced language capabilities. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which has demonstrated effectiveness in treating children with a variety of challenges, may have utility in the school setting. One protocol, ACT for Children with Autism and Emotional Challenges (Dixon 2014), has been developed to provide professionals with daily lessons that teach the components of ACT through exercises appropriate for children from kindergarten through high school. A series of studies have evaluated the use of this ACT protocol in the school setting with students who have a variety of needs and its effect on school-specific measures such as classroom behavior, attention, attendance, and grades, among others. The implications of these studies as well as avenues for future research are discussed.
 
WHA? Creating a Brief, Clinical Measure for Psychological Flexibility: The Weekly Hexaflex Assessment
KAIL H. SEYMOUR (Southern Illinois University), Travis Sain (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Sunni Primeaux (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Chad Drake (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes functional assessment in a talk-therapy setting. In brief, ACT attempts to (a) identify inflexible behavioral repertoires that cause suffering and (b) establish/enhance more flexible responding (psychological flexibility) in service of creating a vital life. To accomplish this, ACT focuses on six behavioral repertoires (i.e., present-moment awareness, acceptance, defusion, self-as-context, committed action, and values construction) collectively referred to as the hexaflex. Multiple self-report hexaflex measures currently exist. For example, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) assesses psychological flexibility as a whole, whereas other measures assess individual hexaflex repertoires (e.g., the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire). However, no singular, well-known, psychometrically-valid measure that quickly assesses all six individual repertoires appears to exist. Such a measure could potentially identify clinical strengths/deficits, which would help therapists focus attention where it is most needed during clinical sessions. In an attempt to fill this gap, the Weekly Hexaflex Assessment (WHA) was generated. Its creation, including the initial assessment of its psychometrics and comparison of the WHA with various other measures (e.g., personality, specific hexaflex measures, the AAQ-II, etc.), will represent the primary focus of this talk.
 
 
Symposium #113
CE Offered: BACB
Soup to Nuts: Effective Treatments for Food Selectivity
Sunday, May 29, 2016
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Columbus Hall IJ, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Kathryn M. Peterson (University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Discussant: Suzanne M. Milnes (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
CE Instructor: Kathryn M. Peterson, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Food selectivity is defined as consumption of a limited variety of foods (Schreck & Williams, 2006). Children with selective diets often consume foods that are high in fat and/or sodium (e.g., French fries) and/or low in nutritional content, which is of concern because poor dietary intake is associated with health, learning, and behavior problems. Children who are selective eaters and who consume these types of diets are at greater risk for developing severe health problems such as obesity, Type-2 diabetes, chronic constipation, and hypertension (Freedman, Dietz, Srinivasan, & Berenson, 1999; Ludwig et al., 1999). Given the negative consequences associated with food selectivity, validation and dissemination of effective treatments is critically important. This symposium includes two data-based presentations from different programs.

Keyword(s): fading, food selectivity, generalization, sequential oral
 

Treatment Generalization Following Sequential-Oral-Sensory Therapy for Food Selectivity in Children With Autism

CAITLIN A. KIRKWOOD (University of Nebraska Medical Center/ MMI), Kathryn M. Peterson (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Cathleen C. Piazza (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Valerie M. Volkert (Marcus Autism Center and Emory School of Medicine)
Abstract:

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display food selectivity (consumption of a limited variety of foods; Schreck, Williams, & Smith, 2004). Treatments for pediatric feeding disorders based on applied behavior-analytic (ABA) research have the most empirical support (Volkert & Piazza, 2012). To our knowledge, no empirical evidence supports the use of an alternative treatment approach, Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS), despite its wide use. In the current study, we modified the SOS procedure to evaluate it scientifically as a treatment for food selectivity in two children with ASD using a multiple baseline across foods design. When acceptance of target foods did not increase during SOS, we implemented the ABA treatment and observed high levels of acceptance. Additionally, once we implemented ABA treatment with the first food, both children began accepting bites of the other two foods that were not in treatment (i.e., generalization). For one participant, generalization did not occur during an additional assessment with three foods that were never exposed to SOS. The findings of the current study suggest that although SOS in isolation was not effective, implementation of SOS prior to an ABA treatment produced more robust effects.

 

The Effects of Hierarchical Presentation of Steps on Food Acceptance

ANSLEY HODGES (Nemours Children's Hospital), Alison M. Betz (Florida Institute of Technology), Lianne Hurtado (Nemours Children's Hospital)
Abstract:

In clinical settings, absent an intensive feeding program, high rates of problem behavior can deter parents and clinicians from successfully implementing food acceptance protocols. After initial ineffective attempts to increase acceptance using escape extinction and shaping with one participant, the experimenter implemented a hierarchical presentation of steps along with shaping, chaining, and modeling. Results showed an increase in food acceptance and decrease in problem behavior. Due to rapid food acceptance in the 9 step hierarchy, the total number of required steps was reduced to 3. A multiple probe design across foods with terminal baseline probes throughout was used to determine if additional shaping steps were needed. In one day, both participants met the response requirements for each novel food within the reduced 3 step hierarchy with negligible rates of problem behaviors. This procedure is a viable alternative to parents and clinicians that want to obviate side effects of using escape extinction.

 
 
Symposium #114
CE Offered: BACB
In Another's Shoes: Recent Research on Teaching Perspective Taking Skills to Children With Autism
Sunday, May 29, 2016
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Columbus Hall GH, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: AUT/VBC; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Adel C. Najdowski (ABRITE)
CE Instructor: Adel C. Najdowski, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Perspective-taking is a complex repertoire of behavior that is crucial to nearly all areas of human functioning that involve social interactions, be they at school, home, work, or play. Unfortunately, many children with autism have difficulties with perspective taking skills, even when they have age-appropriate verbal and intellectual functioning. This symposium brings together three presentations on teaching various aspects of perspective taking to children with autism. The first presentation, by Rocio, consists of a behavioral conceptual analysis of humor and how it might be taught to children with autism. The second presentation, by Dr. Adel Najdowski, consists of a study that taught children with autism to identify and respond to the preferences of peers during play. The third presentation, by Smita Mehta, consists of a study on a computerized program for teaching perspective taking skills.

Keyword(s): perspective taking, RFT, ToM
 

"I Know, I'm Funny, Right?" A Behavior Analytic Account of Humor and Implications for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

ROCIO NUNEZ (California State University, Fresno), Marianne L. Jackson (California State University, Fresno)
Abstract:

Understanding and using humor are critical components of many social interactions and have been shown to be deficit for many individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The vast majority of research on humor has come from developmental psychology and describes the various levels and stages of humor that are typically observed throughout childhood and adolescence. This paper will discuss a behavior analytic interpretation of humor, utilizing the stages and types of humor described in the developmental psychology literature, with a Relational Frame Theory approach to non-literal language. In addition, we will suggest some intervention strategies and implications that this may have to remedy these deficits in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

 

Teaching Children With Autism to Identify and Respond Appropriately to the Preferences of Others During Play

ADEL C. NAJDOWSKI (ABRITE), Megan Michelle St. Clair (Center for Autism and Related Disorders; Florida Institute of Technology), Jonathan J. Tarbox (FirstSteps for Kids), Angela M. Persicke (Autism Research Group, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD))
Abstract:

Deficiency in social interaction is characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD; DSM-5, APA, 2013), and in particular, children with ASD have been found to have difficulty with perspective-taking, including detecting what others are thinking, feeling, or wanting (Baron-Cohen, Leslie, & Frith, 1985). This study employed a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design to investigate the use of a multiple exemplar training package for teaching children with ASD to notice and respond appropriately to the preferences of others during play. The intervention was effective in teaching participants to: (a) identify what others like and dont like, (b) make offers to play with items that were demonstrated to be preferred by others, (c) and refrain from making offers to play with items that were demonstrated to be nonpreferred by others. Generalization to the preferences of untrained adults and peers was also observed.

 

Effect of Computer Assisted Instruction on the Theory of Mind of Children With High Functioning Autism

SMITA SHUKLA MEHTA (University of North Texas)
Abstract:

Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show significant deficits in social interaction and communication, emotion recognition, and perspective taking. These deficits are often exhibited as an inability to understand and process subtle social and emotional cues expressed through facial expression, voice intonation, and context cues (i.e., deficit in Theory of Mind). One intervention gaining increased attention for teaching Theory of Mind (ToM) to children with ASD is the use of computer assisted instruction (CAI). This study evaluated the effect of CAI on ToM skills of four children (5-12 years) with high functioning autism. A software program was developed using 22 line-drawn scenarios from the mind-reading curriculum by Howlin et al. (1999), where characters were portrayed without facial expressions. Using a single-subject multiple baseline design across participants, the CAI software was delivered to participants to teach them to identify emotions of characters based on situational cues alone. Results showed that all participants correctly identified emotions of characters during intervention. Additionally, learned behavior generalized to untrained social situations at home involving family members. The magnitude of effect was also large for all participants. Implications of the study will be discussed with regards to strategies for bridging the research-to-practice gap.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #116
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Making a Difference With Applied Behavioral Science: Actively Caring for People

Sunday, May 29, 2016
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Montreux, Swissotel
Area: CSE; Domain: Applied Research
Instruction Level: Basic
CE Instructor: Angela Sanguinetti, Ph.D.
Chair: Angela Sanguinetti (University of California, Davis)
E. SCOTT GELLER (Virginia Tech)
E. Scott Geller, Alumni Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, is a senior partner of Safety Performance Solutions, Blacksburg, VA. He has authored or coauthored 33 books, 82 book chapters, 259 magazine articles, and more than 350 research articles addressing the development and evaluation of behavior-change interventions to improve quality of life. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and the World Academy of Productivity and Quality Sciences. He has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Psychological Foundation and the International Organizational Behavior Management Network. In 2011, the College of Wooster awarded Scott an honorary degree: Doctor of Humane Letters.
Abstract:

From dawn to dusk, psychology affects every aspect of our lives. For example, success in educational settings, at the workplace, on the athletic field, and at home is influenced dramatically by interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. Are teachers facilitating motivation and learning among their students? Do supervisors empower workers to go beyond the call of duty to achieve organizational goals? Do coaches bring the best out of their players by enhancing self-motivation and cultivating interdependent teamwork? Do parents discipline their children so undesirable behaviors are not only eliminated but desirable behaviors and attitudes are promoted? This presentation will offer research-based principles and techniques teachers, coaches, supervisors, parents, and healthcare workers can use to instruct and inspire others to perform at optimum levels of effectiveness. Within this context, the vision of an Actively Caring for People Movement will be introduced � large-scale applications of behavioral science and leadership principles to cultivate cultures of compassion worldwide and thereby prevent interpersonal conflict, bullying and violence.

Target Audience:

Licensed Psychologists, certified behavior analysts, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to: (1) explain self-motivation and research-based ways to increase an individual’s self-motivation or self-directed behavior; (2) explain how applied behavioral science can be used to improve quality of life on a large scale, beyond the clinic; (3) explain “humanistic behaviorism” and discuss similarities and differences with applied behavior analysis; (4) explain what it means to feel “empowered” to accomplish a worthwhile and challenging SMARTS goal.
 
 
Symposium #117
CE Offered: BACB
Establishing Social Reinforcers via Two Social Learning Conditions
Sunday, May 29, 2016
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Crystal Ballroom A, Hyatt Regency, Green West
Area: DEV; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Jessica Singer-Dudek (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Discussant: Mara Katra Oblak (Seattle Behavior Consulting)
CE Instructor: Jessica Singer-Dudek, Ph.D.
Abstract:

We report two papers related to the establishment of social reinforcers, including peer observation and awareness, observational learning of conditioned reinforcers, observational performance, and the acquisition of new operants as a function of observation for preschoolers with language delays through two different social learning interventions. The first paper tested the relation between peer awareness responses and observational learning repertoires, indicating that peer awareness was a prerequisite for acquisition of new operants or new reinforcers through observation. In a second experiment, a peer-yoked contingency was used to establish observational learning repertoires. In the second paper, a peer observational procedure used to establish neutral stimuli as reinforcers functioned to increase peer awareness in free-play settings and audience-appropriate responses in social settings.

Keyword(s): observational learning, social learning, social reinforcers
 

An Analysis of the Relation Between Peer Observing Responses and Observational Learning Repertoires

ERIKA BYERS (Teachers College, Columbia University), Jessica Singer-Dudek (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Abstract:

For decades, there has been research about how humans learn through observation, however there has been little research on the prerequisites for observational learning. We conducted 2 experiments to determine the relation between peer observing responses and observational learning. In Experiment 1 we selected 21 preschool-aged participants with and without developmental disabilities and screened the participants for a) peer observing responses; b) observational performance; c) observational acquisition; and d) conditioned reinforcement through observation. The data were analyzed through a Pearson correlation. The results of the experimental comparison indicated statistical significance between peer observing responses and observational performance, peer observing responses and conditioned reinforcement through observation, observational performance and conditioned reinforcement through observation, and observational performance and observational acquisition. The correlational data suggested that the peer observing responses are likely prerequisites for observational learning. In Experiment 2, we tested the effects of a peer-yoked contingency game board intervention on the emergence of observational learning. The results of Experiment II demonstrated that only the participants with the peer observing responses in repertoire had the prerequisites to acquire observational learning from the observational intervention. Additionally, the results verified that the peer observing responses cusp is a prerequisite for observational learning, as well as the peer-yoked contingency game board observational intervention.

 

The Effects of an Observational Intervention on Peer Awareness and Audience Appropriate Behaviors in Preschool Children With Disabilities

LAMIS BAOWAIDAN (Teachers College, Columbia University), Jessica Singer-Dudek (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Abstract:

We tested the effects of an observational intervention on peer awareness and socially appropriate responses to peers in four preschool children with developmental disabilities. The participants ranged in age from 3-5 years and were selected from a preschool program that implemented a behavior analytic approach to all instruction. The children were selected to participate because they displayed little to no awareness of their peers during free play and social settings. All participants had fluent listener and speaker repertoires and emitted mands, tacts, and sequelics with adults. A series of probes were designed to test the presence of peer awareness as well as appropriate social interactions with peers. These probes were conducted across different settings, and using different peer contingencies. Pre-intervention probes showed that all participants emitted low observing responses to their peers in free play settings, and did not initiate or reciprocate peer interactions across different social settings. The independent variable was an observational intervention. The dependent variables were peer observing responses and audience appropriate responses in social settings. Post-intervention data suggest that the observational intervention increased peer observing responses in free play settings as well as audience appropriate responses in social settings in two of the participants.

 
 
Symposium #118
CE Offered: BACB
The Place of the Human Subject in the 21st Century Operant Laboratory
Sunday, May 29, 2016
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Zurich D, Swissotel
Area: EAB/TPC; Domain: Translational
Chair: Shrinidhi Subramaniam (West Virginia University)
Discussant: Michael Perone (West Virginia University)
CE Instructor: Shrinidhi Subramaniam, M.S.
Abstract:

Baron and Perone (1982) attributed what they described as a "paucity of laboratory research on human operant behavior" to several misconceptions about constraints on experimental research with humans. The intervening decades have seen great expansion of the number and variety of publications reporting experimental analysis of human behavior. Has human operant-conditioning research acquired the technical depth and topical breadth to address Baron and Perone's concerns? Through two empirical presentations, this symposium will provide a snapshot of contemporary laboratory human operant conditioning research. In two talks, speakers will present schedule-based work testing the generality of basic behavioral principles as they have been applied to experimental analysis of delay discounting and interval timing. Vanderveldt and Green will discuss the magnitude effect in delay discounting, a robust effect in nonhuman research that has been more elusive in human subjects. Subramaniam and Kyonka will present results of peak-interval experiments with humans in which screen color-interval correlations differed across conditions. Discussant Michael Perone will present his opinion of the quantity and quality of experimental human operant research today.

Keyword(s): delay discounting, human operant, interval timing, reinforcement schedules
 
Delay Discounting in Human and Nonhuman Animals: Some Similarities and Differences
ARIANA MAE VANDERVELDT (Washington University in St. Louis), Leonard Green (Washington University)
Abstract: Delay discounting is apparent when the subjective value of a reward decreases with the time until it receipt. Both human and nonhuman animals show discounting, which is well described by a hyperbolic function. Despite the pervasiveness of delay discounting across species, it has been claimed that animals discount delayed reinforcers orders of magnitude more steeply than do humans (i.e., animals are much more impulsive) and do not show a magnitude effect (i.e., animals do not discount larger delayed amounts proportionally more steeply than smaller delayed amounts). Whether these are true species differences or due to procedural differences will be discussed. For example, we employed a procedure in which humans discounted a real liquid reward that was consumed on each choice trial, a procedure more similar to that used with animals, rather than the more typical procedure in which humans discount monetary and/or hypothetical rewards. We find that humans now discount the delayed reward on the order of seconds. Other studies will be discussed in which comparisons between discounting by humans and animals will be presented.
 

Beyond Face Validity: Peak Procedures With Humans

SHRINIDHI SUBRAMANIAM (West Virginia University), Elizabeth Kyonka (West Virginia University)
Abstract:

The peak-interval (PI) procedure is a well-established and widely used way of researching interval timing in laboratory animals, but has been used much less with human subjects. In a version introduced by Guilhardi and colleagues (2010), a target moved across a computer monitor at several velocities and participants fired shots at the center of the screen. The target was masked during 12-s PI trials. The distribution of shots was similar to PI response gradients from nonhumans. We used this PI procedure to isolate the relation between timing and misinformation. The correlation between screen color and interval duration (i.e., time to point availability) varied across conditions in Experiment 1 and groups in Experiment 2. Experiment 1 resulted in order effects that were prevented using a group design. When screen color was perfectly correlated with interval duration, PI distributions peaked at the target times. At intermediate correlations, differences between distributions from different screen colors were smaller, and when the correlation was 0, distributions converged. Color-interval correlation affected response strategy by altering the stimulus control. Regard for strong, experimentally imposed contingencies above face validity can overcome difficulty with complex human subjects in the operant laboratory.

 
 
Symposium #120
CE Offered: BACB — 
Supervision
OBM Approaches to Supervision, ABA Clinic Management, and Training
Sunday, May 29, 2016
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Vevey 3 & 4, Swissotel
Area: OBM/AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Deborah L. Grossett (The Shape of Behavior)
CE Instructor: Deborah L. Grossett, Ph.D.
Abstract: Evidence-based supervision and training of those accruing hours towards certification along with those who already have attained certification is recommended as best practice. We can often turn to a branch of our own science for what is evidence-based management and training of staff; that branch being Organizational Behavior Management. This selection of papers will discuss how those supervising individuals with and without their certification can integrate Organizational Behavior Management approaches into their everyday practices. The first paper will describe how supervisors can break down the Task List into a skills list to create a supervision tracking tool that enables supervisors and supervisees to monitor skill acquisition in supervisees. The second paper will review how an ABA clinic can apply and use a systems analysis approach to the management of BCBAs and BCaBAs to ensure quality, ethical service provision. The third paper will examine and outline the use of behavioral-based training techniques for training ABA clinic staff with emphasis on training staff to the same standards as set forth by the BACB for RBT training. By utilizing evidence-based techniques often found in OBM literature, we can improve our supervision and operations of our practices.
Keyword(s): Clinic Management, Supervision, Systems, Training
 

An OBM Approach to Using the Task List as a Supervisee Skill Monitoring and Supervision Tool

MICHAEL PALMER (Central Michigan University), Christie L. Nutkins (Grand Rapids Public Schools and Behavior Health Partners, PLC)
Abstract:

The BACB specifies that supervision provided by BCBAs must be evidence based and include observations of supervisee performance. It is recommended, as outlined in the Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline, that supervision includes competency tests, assessments of skills, direct observation of, and review of written material of supervisees. However, even after going through the required 8-hour supervisor training, supervisors are still unclear on how to make supervision data-based. The current presentation will discuss how to break down the 4th edition Task List in ways that allows the BCBA to continuously assess skill acquisition in supervisees and requires the supervisee to show competency in each Task List item. Combinations of OBM-style approaches can be integrated into what is subsequently created, which should include behavioral skills training, direct observation and assessment of supervisee performance, along with immediate feedback. In doing so, the supervisee knows what is expected of them throughout supervision, the BCBA has a way to monitor skill acquisition of supervisees, and allows both supervisee and BCBA to know that the supervisee has shown competencies in all areas of the Task List.

 
OBM System Approach to Supervision of BCBAs and BCaBAs in ABA Clinics
ANNETT L. ALLEN (The Shape of Behavior), Deborah L. Grossett (The Shape of Behavior)
Abstract: Certified behavior analysts are trained on computer modules covering key areas of behavior analysis techniques employed at ABA clinics. Tests are given after each module. The new BCBA or BCaBA is paired with a BCBA from a different clinic to teach them hands-on agency skills. After this training, the new employee is trained and shadowed by a BCBA at their assigned clinic. Weekly meetings are conducted with team members at the ABA clinic. Monthly BCBA meetings are conducted to review current ABA journal articles and discuss clinic progress. Supervision is conducted in person at clinics or via web-based technologies. A BCBA scorecard is employed to assess performance to determine pay increase and/or bonus pay. It includes areas of programming and research, position description and performance evaluation, child progress, and a business evaluation. BCBA and BCaBA job duties include programming, meeting participation, staff training, parent training, new patient assessment, ongoing assessments and BIPs, and caseload maintenance. BCBA and BCaBA are also evaluated on changes in behavior following corrective feedback, parent satisfaction surveys, and adhering to HIPAA, agency policies and procedures, and the BACB professional conduct guidelines. All BCBAs are required to complete and maintain supervision credentials established by the BACB. BCBAs are responsible to supervise and evaluate BCaBAs and RBTs.
 
OBM Approach to RBT Training and Performance Monitoring
AMY LYNN VEENENDAAL (The Shape of Behavior)
Abstract: Behavioral procedures are employed to training new employees. New hire training consists of computer training (“E-Learning Portal”) on key areas in applied behavior analysis employed at ABA clinics. The “E-Learning Portal” can be employed to track completion of pre-tests, lectures, activities, quizzes, duration of time in portal, and provide automatic grading, facilitate communication with trainees, and issue completion certificates. Video examples of reinforcement, prompting, verbal operants, ABC data collection, DTT, NET, zones, and other ABA techniques are shown on the “E-Learning Portal.” Following training, a new hire shadows a trainer, receives hands-on training, is shadowed, observed, evaluated with feedback and assessed to successfully perform the task independently prior to being placed on the schedule. Effective October 2014, RBT training was embedded in new hire training. RBT training includes assessment competency as evaluated by a BCBA or BCaBA. In training and ongoing monthly performance monitoring of direct therapists are conducted on therapy skills (i.e., instructional strategies, zone teaching, shadowing, naturalistic strategies, reinforcement, promoting independence, problem behaviors and data collection) and work behaviors (e.g., daily notes, communication skills, keeping patients engaged, and changes behavior following corrective feedback). All new direct therapists have trainee status until passing the established BACB competency assessment and completing the BACB RBT application. New BACB RBT requirements include passing an examination.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #121
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Prospective and Retrospective Contingency in Operantly Conditioned Behavior

Sunday, May 29, 2016
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Grand Ballroom AB, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Area: SCI; Domain: Basic Research
Instruction Level: Basic
CE Instructor: Suzanne H. Mitchell, Ph.D.
Chair: Suzanne H. Mitchell (Oregon Health & Science University)
CHARLES R. GALLISTEL (Rutgers University)
Charles Gallistel is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology at Rutgers University. His research pursues a psychophysical approach to screening for memory malfunction in genetically manipulated mice; these behavioral screens look for distortions and increased noise in simple quantitative memories like interval duration, distance, and number.
Abstract:

Contingency is a fundamental concept in associative learning, but it has not been defined in such a way that it could be measured in most conditioning paradigms, particularly operant paradigms. A simple information-theoretic measure of contingency may be applied to most classical and operant associative learning paradigms. In applying it to assess the role of contingency in maintaining responding on variable interval schedules of reinforcement, we distinguish between prospective contingency—the extent to which one event (e.g., a response) predicts another (e.g., a reinforcement)—and retrospective contingency—the extent to which one event (e.g., a reinforcement) retrodicts another (e.g., a response). We find that the prospective contingency between response and reinforcement is un-measurably small, that is, the probability of reinforcement at any latency following a response does not differ from the probability of reinforcement following a randomly chosen moment in time. By contrast, the retrospective contingency is perfect. Degrading the retrospective contingency in two different ways, by delay of reinforcement or by partial non-contingent reinforcement, suggests that reinforcement is only effective when it falls within a critical time window, which implies that retrospective temporal pairing is critical, not retrospective contingency.

Target Audience:

Licensed Psychologists, certified behavior analysts, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, the participant will be able to: (1) define contingency; (2) explain the difference between prospective and retrospective contingency; (3) discuss the role of contingency in conditioning.
 
 
Panel #122
CE Offered: BACB — 
Supervision
Developing Effective Practical Training Systems in Higher Education
Sunday, May 29, 2016
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Regency Ballroom D, Hyatt Regency, Gold West
Area: TBA/PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Erick M. Dubuque, Ph.D.
Chair: Erick M. Dubuque (Spalding University)
MOLLY DUBUQUE (Spalding University)
ELLIE KAZEMI (California State University, Northridge)
TIMOTHY C. FULLER (University of Nevada, Reno)
Abstract:

Practical experience is a vital component of any behavior analytic training program. Practicing skills in supervised settings provides students with the opportunity to further develop their competencies and demonstrate that they have learned the technologies reviewed in their didactic courses. However, ensuring students are receiving quality practical training relevant to their needs while remaining in compliance with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) experience standards can be a challenge. During this event our panelists will describe their experiences coordinating practical training systems designed to meet the needs of their students and the standards set by the BACB. Topics reviewed will include, but are not limited to: diversity of training; site development; supervisor management, contact and oversight; assignments and grading; distance supervision; sequenced learning objectives; case management; training of trainers; record review/keeping; and international development. Faculty members directing practical training activities, students accumulating BACB experience hours, and supervisors overseeing their work should benefit from this discussion.

Keyword(s): certification, experience standards, practicum, training
 
 
Special Event #125
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Presidential Scholar Address: Brain-Machine Interfaces: From Basic Science to Neurological Rehabilitation
Sunday, May 29, 2016
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Grand Ballroom, Hyatt Regency, Gold East
Instruction Level: Basic
Chair: Martha Hübner (University of São Paulo)
CE Instructor: Martha Hübner, Ph.D.
 

Presidential Scholar Address: Brain-Machine Interfaces: From Basic Science to Neurological Rehabilitation

Abstract:

Dr. Nicolelis will describe how state-of-the-art research on brain-machine interfaces makes it possible for the brains of primates to interact directly and in a bi-directional way with mechanical, computational, and virtual devices without any interference of the body muscles or sensory organs. He will review a series of recent experiments using real-time computational models to investigate how ensembles of neurons encode motor information. These experiments have revealed that brain-machine interfaces can be used not only to study fundamental aspects of neural ensemble physiology, but they can also serve as an experimental paradigm aimed at testing the design of novel neuroprosthetic devices. Dr. Nicolelis will also describe evidence indicating that continuous operation of a closed-loop brain machine interface, which utilizes a robotic arm as its main actuator, can induce significant changes in the physiological properties of neural circuits in multiple motor and sensory cortical areas. This research raises the hypothesis that the properties of a robot arm, or other neurally controlled tools, can be assimilated by brain representations as if they were extensions of the subject's own body.

 
MIGUEL NICOLELIS (Duke University Medical Center)
 
Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D., is the Duke School of Medicine Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience at Duke University, Professor of Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering and Psychology and Neuroscience, and founder of Duke's Center for Neuroengineering. He is Founder and Scientific Director of the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute for Neuroscience of Natal. Dr. Nicolelis is also founder of the Walk Again Project, an international consortium of scientists and engineers, dedicated to the development of an exoskeleton device to assist severely paralyzed patients in regaining full body mobility. Dr. Nicolelis has dedicated his career to investigating how the brains of freely behaving animals encode sensory and motor information. As a result of his studies, Dr. Nicolelis was first to propose and demonstrate that animals and human subjects can utilize their electrical brain activity to directly control neuroprosthetic devices via brain-machine interfaces (BMI). Over the past 25 years, Dr. Nicolelis pioneered and perfected the development of a new neurophysiological method, known today as chronic, multi-site, multi-electrode recordings. Using this approach in a variety of animal species, as well in intra-operative procedures in human patients, Dr. Nicolelis launched a new field of investigation, which aims at measuring the concurrent activity and interactions of large populations of single neurons throughout the brain. Through his work, Dr. Nicolelis has discovered a series of key physiological principles that govern the operation of mammalian brain circuits. Dr. Nicolelis’ pioneering BMI studies have become extremely influential since they offer new potential therapies for patients suffering from severe levels of paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy. Today, numerous neuroscience laboratories in the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America have incorporated Dr. Nicolelis' experimental paradigm to study a variety of mammalian neuronal systems. His research has influenced basic and applied research in computer science, robotics, and biomedical engineering. Dr. Nicolelis is a member of the French and Brazilian Academies of Science and has authored over 200 manuscripts, edited numerous books and special journal publications, and holds three US patents. His award-winning research has been published in Nature, Science, and Scientific American and has been widely reported in national and international media. He is the author of Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines and How It Will Change Our Lives; and most recently co-authored The Relativistic Brain: How it Works and Why it Cannot be Simulated by a Turing Machine.
 
Target Audience:

Board certified behavior analysts, licensed psychologists, graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to: (1) explain the concept of the brain-machine interface and neuroprosthetic devices; (2) describe how brain-machine interfaces have influenced the development of a new generation of neuroprosthetics for treating neurological and psychiatric disorders; (3) discuss a new theory of brain function; (4) explain how a brain-machine interface can control an exoskeleton.
 
 

BACK TO THE TOP

 

Back to Top
ValidatorError
  
Modifed by Eddie Soh
DONATE
{"isActive":false}