The effects of varied versus constant high-, medium-, and low-preference stimuli on performance

J Appl Behav Anal. 2009 Summer;42(2):321-6. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2009.42-321.

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to compare the delivery of varied versus constant high-, medium-, and low-preference stimuli on performance of 2 adults on a computer-based task in an analogue employment setting. For both participants, constant delivery of the high-preference stimulus produced the greatest increases in performance over baseline; the varied presentation produced performance comparable to constant delivery of medium-preference stimuli. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the selection and delivery of stimuli as part of employee performance-improvement programs in the field of organizational behavior management.

Keywords: organizational behavior management; reinforcer assessment; stimulus variation.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Behavior
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Reinforcement Schedule*
  • Reward*
  • Task Performance and Analysis*