Effects of reinforcer quality on behavioral momentum: coordinated applied and basic research

J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Spring;30(1):1-20. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-1.

Abstract

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence has been an effective treatment for noncompliance. However, treatment failures have also been reported. We hypothesized that the efficacy of the high-p treatment may be improved by using higher quality reinforcers for compliance to high-p instructions. The resistance of compliance to change was tested by varying reinforcer quality in two applied studies and a basic laboratory experiment. Experiment 1 tested the hypothesis that an increase in reinforcer quality for high-p compliance will increase the effectiveness of the high-p treatment when it fails to increase compliance. Experiment 2 assessed the effects of reinforcer quality on resistance of compliance to change by presenting successive low-p requests following the high-p treatment. A basic laboratory study (Experiment 3) was conducted to further isolate the relation between reinforcer quality and behavioral momentum. Two different liquid reinforcers (sucrose and citric acid solutions) were presented in a two-component multiple variable-interval variable-interval schedule followed by a single extinction test session. Results of all three experiments showed a generally consistent relationship between reinforcer quality and behavioral momentum.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Aggression / psychology
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology
  • Autistic Disorder / therapy
  • Behavior Therapy / methods*
  • Child
  • Child Behavior Disorders / psychology
  • Child Behavior Disorders / therapy*
  • Conditioning, Operant*
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Humans
  • Intellectual Disability / psychology
  • Intellectual Disability / therapy*
  • Male
  • Motivation*
  • Reinforcement Schedule