ABSTRACTThis study made use of differential reinforcement and shaping to increase the variety of food items accepted by two boys with autism. In the first phase, three new food items were introduced to the participants and the acceptance response to the food was systematically increased. Food items were introduced in a multiple baseline design. In the second phase, the children started to eat more than one type of food item per meal by means of a changing criterion design. The procedure was implemented by the parents and carried out in the home environment of each child. At the end of the experiment, three other food items were defined for each child and parents were asked to follow the procedure learned without author’s supervision. The results showed that the two participants started accepting food, expanded the number of food items consumed and that parents learned to introduce new foods into their children’s diets.

ABSTRACTThis study examined how differences between teaching stimuli in a conditional discrimination impacted discrimination/generalization outcomes among learners with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In Study 1, three color sets were identified among 30 typically developing adults. Five young children with moderate-to-severe IDD participated in Study 2 employing an adapted alternating treatment single-case experimental design. Participants’ performance within each color set was baselined. Subsequently each participant received three intervention conditions (i.e., two conditional discrimination and a simple discrimination) in an alternated manner. Generalization testing was implemented when mastery criterion was reached on an intervention condition. Results showed that simple discrimination was acquired most quickly. Simple discrimination was not less effective than two conditional discriminations in enhancing generalization performance subsequent to intervention. The minimal-difference conditional discrimination was relatively more effective in enhancing generalization performance at least within one stimulus class than the maximal-difference one (and simple discrimination). Limitations and implications are discussed.

ABSTRACTThe present study compared cultural differences in the UK and China in relation to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)-based interventions for children with autism. In the UK, seven participants were interviewed (five professionals and two parents of children with autism). In China, eight participants took part in interviews (five professionals and three parents). Marked cultural and policy differences were found in the delivery of ABA-based early interventions for children with autism in the UK and China, e.g., home vs. school programmes.

ABSTRACTTwo experiments were designed to investigate differences in rule-governed responding between participants who scored either higher or lower on obsessive-compulsive trait measures. In Experiment 1, participants were required to move a marker through a matrix, whereby schedule-sensitive behavior was reinforced on a fixed-ratio 18 or differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate 6 s schedule, which alternated every 2 min. Both groups were further divided into separate instructional conditions, receiving minimal, partial, or accurate instructions. Results revealed that accurate instructions facilitated greater schedule-sensitivity in the high scoring group. Experiment 2 employed random-ratio (RR) and random-interval (RI) schedules of reinforcement to measure schedule-sensitive responding with only minimal instructions provided to all participants. The results showed that the high scoring group maintained a rigid form of responding throughout the task, suggestive of a form of self-generated rule-following. The low scoring groups in both experiments did not appear to require accurate instructions to make contact with the schedule contingencies. The findings provide insight into the maintenance of obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCB).

ABSTRACTStatistics courses offer a challenge for students in behavioral science programs. Many students experience statistics-related anxiety resulting in deficits in comprehension and performance with potential long-term consequences. This may be attributable to the avoidance that often accompanies statistics anxiety. However, it may also be attributable to disruptions of fundamental learning processes that are necessary for statistics performance. Relational frame theory may provide an analysis of how individuals learn to respond to statistical concepts in terms of derived relational responding (DRR). Students who experience statistics anxiety may perform poorly because the DRR involved in learning statistics is disrupted. This study aimed to model statistics learning using a DRR task and to explore the relationship of statistics anxiety and DRR with statistics stimuli. Twenty-seven undergraduate students completed a measure of statistics anxiety and a conditional discrimination task in which they learned to relate statistics stimuli. DRR training with statistics stimuli resulted in quick and accurate relational responding with both familiar and novel stimuli in this sample. High rates of correct responding on DRR testing were associated with posttraining statistics quiz accuracy. Additionally, statistics anxiety was related to poor DRR accuracy and greater difficulty meeting pass criterion.

ABSTRACTIt is the contention of this paper that the study of learning should be called the science of learning and variation. It is further contended that this science overlaps with behavior analysis but is not synonymous with behavior analysis. Drawing from the example of genetics, this paper outlines why variation should be included in the study of learning and suggests a process by which a succinct name for this science that does not carry excess baggage might be generated. Following that process, the candidate name leornetics is proposed to encompass the study of learning and variation. Examples of how such a name could be useful are also discussed. It is important to note that raising the issue of naming the study of learning and variation does not imply that current names for other aspects of behavioral science (e.g., behavior analysis, behavioral psychology, and behaviorism) should be abandoned or changed.

A Precision Teaching program for basic math facts was designed for students in the 5th, 6th, and 7th grade level in a regular primary school. Forty-eight typically developing students who were nominated by their teacher as falling behind their classmates in multiplication and division participated. Following a randomization there were two groups of 24 each: one that received Precision Teaching and one that received treatment as usual. The Precision Teaching intervention was put in place for 20 minutes each school day of the week for eight weeks. Tests were performed before and after the program, and also at follow up which was one month after termination of the Precision Teaching intervention. The group receiving Precision Teaching improved more on the tests than did the group receiving “treatment as usual”, i.e. the regular mathematic instruction. Furthermore, on an individual level, more students in the Precision Teaching group showed reliable improvement. This study adds to the knowledge of the efficacy and importance of Precision Teaching and mathematic performance monitoring.