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Madden GJ, Mahmoudi S, Brown K. Pavlovian learning and conditioned reinforcement. J Appl Behav Anal 2023; 56:498-519. [PMID: 37254881 PMCID: PMC10364091 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Conditioned reinforcers are widely used in applied behavior analysis. Basic research evidence reveals that Pavlovian learning plays an important role in the acquisition and efficacy of new conditioned-reinforcer functions. Thus, a better understanding of Pavlovian principles holds the promise of improving the efficacy of conditioned reinforcement in applied research and practice. This paper surveys how (and if) Pavlovian principles are presented in behavior-analytic textbooks; imprecisions and knowledge gaps within contemporary Pavlovian empirical findings are highlighted. Thereafter, six practical principles of Pavlovian conditioning are presented along with empirical support and knowledge gaps that should be filled by applied and translational behavior-analytic researchers. Innovative applications of these principles are outlined for research in language acquisition, token reinforcement, and self-control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saba Mahmoudi
- Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Katherine Brown
- Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
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2
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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of preschoolers: A parental guide. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14332. [PMID: 36974319 PMCID: PMC10028354 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Unexpected changes brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have affected humans worldwide. This review attempts to address major parental concerns about the development of preschool-aged children during the pandemic from the perspectives of neuropsychology, consultation, and motor development for preschoolers aged 2–5 years. Methods A total of 273 articles including original data, review articles, national and regional perspectives, government websites, and commentaries were considered in this review, of which 117 manuscripts were excluded because they were unrelated to children, adolescents, or COVID -19 pandemic/upper respiratory infections. A total of 156 manuscripts were included after reading the abstract and entire article. Results Telehealth could be an effective tool for addressing cognitive and emotional challenges that arise during the pandemic. Online consultations are highlighted for nutritional guidelines and to overcome problems that parents face when caring for children in difficult times. Outdoor activities using sanitisers, proper cleanliness, and following standard operating procedures are recommended. Parental preoccupation with media should be avoided. Interpretation: Many preschoolers show delays in reaching their developmental milestones, and the pandemic has increased parents' concerns, as access to practitioners is limited. Therefore, parents should be encouraged to undergo neuropsychological consultations whenever necessary. This study emphasises important strategies to ensure that children's development is minimally affected while staying in the confined environment of their homes. This study serves as a new guide for parents, as they raise young children in the new normal. Parents should undergo basic yearly physical, neuropsychological, nutritional, and speech checkups.
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3
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Sundberg CT, Sundberg ML. Jack Michael's Contributions to the Treatment of Autism. Behav Anal Pract 2022; 15:1-6. [PMID: 35340374 PMCID: PMC8854606 DOI: 10.1007/s40617-021-00662-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Jack Michael dedicated his life to teaching behavior analysis. He was passionate about Skinner's works and his enthusiasm was contagious. Jack's primary goal for his students was that they be able to analyze behavior like Skinner analyzed behavior, but with a little bit of Jack Michael sprinkled in here and there. Jack is probably best known to behavior analysts for his conceptual contributions to our field (e.g., his work on motivation), but his contributions to the treatment of autism are perhaps his most socially significant achievement. In our tribute to Jack, we will describe how he advanced the treatment of autism not only through his conceptual work and his teaching, but through his role in the development of applied behavior analysis, and in the application of Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior to language assessment and intervention for children and adults with language delays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl T. Sundberg
- Behavior Analysis Center for Autism, 9929 East 126th Street, Fishers, IN 46038 USA
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4
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Fiani T, Izquierdo SM, Jones EA. Effects of mother's imitation on speech sounds in infants with Down syndrome. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2021; 119:104118. [PMID: 34717151 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Down syndrome behavioral phenotype includes delays in making speech sounds, production of more non-speech sounds than speech sounds, and contrasting strengths in social development. Within a behavior analytic framework, we conceptualize characteristics of the Down syndrome behavioral phenotype as creating a context for impairments in speech sound development that suggest interventions caregivers can use to improve speech sounds. AIM AND METHOD We examined one intervention, the effects of mother's contingent vocal imitation, on rate of speech and non-speech sound production in infants with Down syndrome using an ABAB design. RESULTS Mothers responded favorably to learning to imitate their infants' vocalizations and their contingent vocal imitation was associated with increases in infant speech sounds. CONCLUSIONS The increases in infant speech sound suggest the promise of this approach and future research examining variations in contingent vocal imitation and additional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Fiani
- FTF Behavioral Consulting, 40 Southbridge St., Suite 202, Worcester, MA 01608, United States; Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY 11367, United States.
| | - Sally M Izquierdo
- Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY 11367, United States
| | - Emily A Jones
- Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY 11367, United States; The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States
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5
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Shea KA, Sellers TP, Smith SG, Bullock AJ. Self-guided behavioral skills training: A public health approach to promoting nurturing care environments. J Appl Behav Anal 2020; 53:1889-1903. [PMID: 33016333 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The World Health Organization identified the promotion of "Nurturing Care Environments" as a global health priority. Responsive caregiving, 1 of 5 domains describing nurturing care, is critical for healthy child development. Relatively little research has evaluated population-level interventions aimed to increase responsive caregiving during the first 1,000 days of an infant's life. In this pilot study, we evaluated an intervention designed for population-level dissemination that targeted responsive caregiving. The self-guided behavioral skills training aimed to teach mothers to imitate infant vocalizations. The intervention was delivered within an on-line asynchronous training. All 3 mothers increased vocal imitative behavior following training without receiving coaching or behavior-specific feedback from an implementer. The results offer a preliminary proof of concept with implications for population-level intervention design and evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry A Shea
- Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University
| | | | - Sandra G Smith
- Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University
| | - Andrea J Bullock
- Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University
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Freitas L, Henry JE, Kelley ME, Tonneau F. The effects of stimulus pairings on autistic children's vocalizations: Comparing forward and backward pairings. Behav Processes 2020; 179:104213. [PMID: 32783972 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In a procedure known as stimulus-stimulus pairing (Yoon and Bennett, 2000), the experimenter pairs a target sound (e.g., "bah") with a child's preferred item (e.g., a toy). Even though the stimulus pairings proceed independently of the child's behavior, this procedure has proved capable of increasing imitation of the target sound in developmentally delayed children (Shillingsburg et al., 2015). The underlying behavioral processes remain poorly known, however, and few systematic variations of the basic procedure have been published. In the present experiment, with autistic children as participants, (a) we compared the effects of forward versus backward pairings on the imitation of target sounds, and (b) we evaluated formally the relation between the children's preexisting verbal repertoires and the efficacy of the pairing procedure. As is often reported in the Pavlovian literature, backward pairings promoted lower levels of conditional responding than forward pairings. Also, we found a negative relation between a child's verbal level and pairing efficacy: children with the lower scores on the Behavioral Language Assessment Form (Sundberg and Partington, 1998) exhibited more conditioning. These findings confirm in a single study what has been so far only suspected informally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Freitas
- Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil
| | - Justine E Henry
- Florida Institute of Technology, United States; The Scott Center for Autism Treatment, United States
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7
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Olaff HS, Holth P. The Emergence of Bidirectional Naming Through Sequential Operant Instruction Following the Establishment of Conditioned Social Reinforcers. Anal Verbal Behav 2020; 36:21-48. [PMID: 32699737 DOI: 10.1007/s40616-019-00122-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bidirectional naming (BiN) is the integration of speaker and listener responses, reinforced by social consequences. Unfortunately, these consequences often do not function as reinforcers for behavior in children with autism. Accordingly, the repertoire of BiN is also often limited in these children. Previous research has suggested that so-called multiple-exemplar instruction, a rotation between different speaker and listener operants, may be necessary to establish BiN. The present experiment aimed to investigate whether sequential operant instruction might also work as a successful intervention to improve BiN skills after the establishment of standard social reinforcers. Standard social reinforcers were identified and established through an operant-discrimination training procedure in 4 participating children with an autism spectrum diagnosis. In the present experiment, all participants showed increased BiN after sequential operant instruction with conditioned social reinforcers contingent on relevant operants. Two of 4 participants acquired BiN skills. Moreover, the remaining 2 participants scored within the mastery criterion on listener responses, and 1 of them also met the criterion on the tact probes. Essential characteristics of an intervention, as well as the role of the echoic in the emission of BiN, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Skorge Olaff
- Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Behavioral Science, OsloMet-Oslo Metropolitan University, Post Box 4, St. Olavs Plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway
| | - Per Holth
- Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Behavioral Science, OsloMet-Oslo Metropolitan University, Post Box 4, St. Olavs Plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway
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8
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da Silva SP, Williams AM. Translations in Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing: Autoshaping of Learner Vocalizations. Perspect Behav Sci 2020; 43:57-103. [PMID: 32440645 PMCID: PMC7198677 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-019-00228-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulus-stimulus pairing (SSP) is a procedure used by behavior analysis practitioners that capitalizes on respondent conditioning processes to elicit vocalizations. These procedures usually are implemented only after other, more customary methods (e.g., standard echoic training via modeling) have been exhausted. Unfortunately, SSP itself has mixed research support, probably because certain as-yet-unidentified procedural variations are more effective than others. Even when SSP produces (or increases) vocalizations, its effects can be short-lived. Although specific features of SSP differ across published accounts, fundamental characteristics include presentation of a vocal stimulus proximal with presentation of a preferred item. In the present article, we draw parallels between SSP procedures and autoshaping, review factors shown to affect autoshaping, and interpret autoshaping research for suggested SSP tests and applications. We then call for extended use and reporting of SSP in behavior-analytic treatments. Finally, three bridges created by this article are identified: basic-applied, respondent-operant, and behavior analysis with other sciences.
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Barry L, Holloway J, Gunning C. An investigation of the effects of a parent delivered stimulus-stimulus pairing intervention on vocalizations of two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Anal Verbal Behav 2019; 35:57-73. [PMID: 31976221 PMCID: PMC6702475 DOI: 10.1007/s40616-018-0094-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication deficits in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can manifest in a myriad of lifelong social and educational challenges. Many children with ASD fail to learn vocal verbal behavior and may require intensive individualized intervention to learn early verbal operants. The current research aimed to evaluate the effects of a parent delivered stimulus-stimulus pairing (SSP) procedure on target vocalizations of two young children with ASD who did not present with vocal verbal behavior. Results indicated the intervention was successful in increasing the frequency of the target vocalizations for both participants. Social validity results indicated that parents were satisfied with the intervention and their own implementation of these procedures. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for parent delivered interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna Barry
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Jennifer Holloway
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Ciara Gunning
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
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10
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Tincani M, Travers J. Replication Research, Publication Bias, and Applied Behavior Analysis. Perspect Behav Sci 2019; 42:59-75. [PMID: 31976421 PMCID: PMC6701502 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-019-00191-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The "replication crisis" describes recent difficulties in replicating studies in various scientific fields, most notably psychology. The available evidence primarily documents replication failures for group research designs. However, we argue that contingencies of publication bias that led to the "replication crisis" also operate on applied behavior analysis (ABA) researchers who use single-case research designs (SCRD). This bias strongly favors publication of SCRD studies that show strong experimental effect, and disfavors publication of studies that show less robust effect. The resulting research literature may unjustifiably inflate confidence about intervention effects, limit researchers' ability to delineate intervention boundary conditions, and diminish the credibility of our science. To counter problems of publication bias in ABA, we recommend that journals that publish SCRD research establish journal standards for publication of noneffect studies; that our research community adopt open sharing of SCRD protocols and data; and that members of our community routinely publish systematic literature reviews that include gray (i.e., unpublished) research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Tincani
- Department of Teaching and Learning, Temple University, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave., Ritter Hall 351, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Jason Travers
- Department of Special Education, University of Kansas, Joseph R. Pearson Hall, Rm. 547, 1122 W. Campus Rd, Lawrence, KS 66045-3101 USA
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11
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Abstract
The form of a verbal response allows for reinforcement mediation and language transmission across cultures. Reinforcement, in turn, plays a decisive role in learning verbal forms. The present work addresses methodological limitations of previous studies, providing further evidence of the role of automatic reinforcement in achieving parity with vocal models. In the first experiment, 4 preschool-age children heard the experimenter describe drawings of different actions in the passive voice. Participants were then asked to describe analogous drawings. They used the passive voice after the model was presented and continued to do so even when preferred explicit consequences followed diverging descriptions (i.e., in the active voice). To further investigate the effects of explicit reinforcement and of the passive-voice model, in Experiment 2, we altered the number of trials with explicit reinforcement and with the model. Three of four participants used the passive voice to describe the drawings, despite greater exposure to explicit consequences following descriptions diverging from the model.
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12
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DeSouza AA, Akers JS, Fisher WW. Empirical Application of Skinner's Verbal Behavior to Interventions for Children with Autism: A Review. Anal Verbal Behav 2017; 33:229-259. [PMID: 30854299 PMCID: PMC6381329 DOI: 10.1007/s40616-017-0093-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sundberg and Michael (2011) reviewed the contributions of Skinner's (1957) Verbal Behavior to the treatment of language delays in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and discussed several aspects of interventions, including mand training, intraverbal repertoire development, and the importance of using Skinner's taxonomy of verbal behavior in the clinical context. In this article, we provide an update of Sundberg and Michael's review and expand on some discussion topics. We conducted a systematic review of studies that focused on Skinner's verbal operants in interventions for children with ASD that were published from 2001 to 2017 and discussed the findings in terms of journal source, frequency, and type of verbal operant studied.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica S. Akers
- Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University, Waco, TX USA
| | - Wayne W. Fisher
- Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985450 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198 USA
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13
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Lepper TL, Petursdottir AI. Effects of response-contingent stimulus pairing on vocalizations of nonverbal children with autism. J Appl Behav Anal 2017; 50:756-774. [DOI: 10.1002/jaba.415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Podlesnik CA, Kelley ME, Jimenez-Gomez C, Bouton ME. Renewed behavior produced by context change and its implications for treatment maintenance: A review. J Appl Behav Anal 2017; 50:675-697. [PMID: 28608584 PMCID: PMC5538309 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral treatment gains established in one setting do not always maintain in other settings. The present review examines the relevance of basic and translational research to understanding failures to maintain treatment gains across settings. Specifically, studies of the renewal effect examine how transitioning away from a treatment setting could evoke a return of undesirable behavior, rather than newly trained appropriate behavior. Studies of renewal typically arrange three phases, with a response trained and reinforced under a particular set of contextual stimuli in the first phase. Next, that response is extinguished, often under a different set of contextual stimuli. Finally, that response returns despite extinction remaining in effect upon returning to the original training context or transitioning to a novel context. Thus, removing the extinction context is sufficient to produce a recurrence of the response. The findings suggest treatment effects can become specific to the context in which the treatment was delivered. This literature offers promising methods for systematically assessing the factors contributing to treatment maintenance and improving generalization of treatment gains across contexts. Therefore, the present review suggests basic and translational research on renewal provides an empirical literature to bring greater conceptual systematization to understanding generalization and maintenance of behavioral treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Podlesnik
- Florida Institute of Technology and The Scott Center for Autism Treatment, The University of Auckland
| | - Michael E Kelley
- The Scott Center for Autism Treatment and Florida Institute of Technology
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Cividini-Motta C, Scharrer N, Ahearn WH. An Assessment of Three Procedures to Teach Echoic Responding. Anal Verbal Behav 2017; 33:41-63. [PMID: 30854286 PMCID: PMC6387752 DOI: 10.1007/s40616-016-0069-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The research literature has revealed mixed outcomes on various procedures for increasing vocalizations and echoic responding in persons with disabilities (Miguel, Carr, & Michael The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 18, 3-13, 2002; Stock, Schulze, & Mirenda The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 24, 123-133, 2008). We examined the efficacy of an assessment procedure for identifying the most effective echoic teaching procedure to six students diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental delays. The assessment procedure included a within-participant comparison of vocal imitation training (VIT), stimulus-stimulus pairing (SSP), and a mand-model procedure (MM). A functional analysis of the responses was conducted to determine whether responding was functionally an echoic or a mand. The results indicated that the assessment was effective in identifying a teaching procedure for five out of the six participants and that responding was established under echoic control. These outcomes support the efficacy of this assessment procedure for identifying effective echoic teaching procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catia Cividini-Motta
- The New England Center for Children, Southborough, MA USA
- Western New England University, Springfield, MA USA
- Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida, MHC2333, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Nicole Scharrer
- The New England Center for Children, Southborough, MA USA
- Western New England University, Springfield, MA USA
| | - William H. Ahearn
- The New England Center for Children, Southborough, MA USA
- Western New England University, Springfield, MA USA
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Abstract
"In the late 1950's, Jack Michael, a bright but irritating young psychology instructor, moved from the Universities of Kansas to Houston to Arizona State. Along the way he befriended two nontraditional students, protected them through their Ph.D. programs, and turned them loose on the world: Teodoro Ayllon…and Montrose Wolf…" (Risley, 2001, p. 267). So begins Risley's chapter on the origins of applied behavior analysis. For almost 50 years, Jack Michael provided a model for us to "talk like Skinner" and to analyze behavior as Skinner would. For this, he has been widely respected and revered. The purpose of this bibliography is to explain to new and familiar readers alike Jack's contributions to the field of behavior analysis in areas of his primary focus: (a) behavioral function taxonomy, (b) motivation, (c) reinforcement, (d) response topographies, (e) multiple control, (f) duplic and codic verbal behavior, and (g) teaching. Throughout, we weave his role in the field's history and his leadership in its expansion, as these have been additional areas of significant contributions. Above all, we wish to highlight Jack's work, in bibliographic and narrative form, in a way that expresses a heartfelt tribute on behalf of his students and others whom he influenced to learn about psychology as a natural science and to think and talk like Skinner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara E. Esch
- Esch Behavior Consultants, LLC, PO Box 20002, Kalamazoo, MI USA
| | - John W. Esch
- Esch Behavior Consultants, LLC, PO Box 20002, Kalamazoo, MI USA
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Petursdottir AI, Lepper TL. Inducing Novel Vocalizations by Conditioning Speech Sounds as Reinforcers. Behav Anal Pract 2015; 8:223-232. [PMID: 27703924 PMCID: PMC5048284 DOI: 10.1007/s40617-015-0088-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Automatic reinforcement by response-produced auditory stimuli has long been hypothesized to play a role in the vocal development of infants. Clinicians and researchers have translated this idea into stimulus pairing interventions intended to increase novel vocalizations of nonverbal children with autism and other developmental disabilities by conditioning speech sounds as reinforcers. A number of studies have demonstrated positive effects of stimulus pairing procedures, but negative results have also been reported in the literature. This article provides a brief review of the existing literature on stimulus pairing procedures and a discussion of alternative procedures that may serve to establish speech sounds as reinforcers. Directions for future research are discussed and recommendations provided to clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ingeborg Petursdottir
- grid.264766.70000000122891930Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Box 298920, Fort Worth, TX 76129 USA
| | - Tracy L. Lepper
- grid.259805.30000000419368374McNeese State University, 4205 Ryan St, Lake Charles, LA 70605 USA
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