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The effects of noncontingent reinforcement on task disengagement following failure of differential reinforcement treatment
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The effects of noncontingent reinforcement on task disengagement following failure of differential reinforcement treatment

Matthew J. O'Brien, Patrick W. Romani, Wendy K. Berg and David P. Wacker
Behavioral interventions, Vol.38(1), pp.62-79
02/2023
DOI: 10.1002/bin.1916
Appears in  UI Libraries Support Open Access
url
https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1916View
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0,  Open Access

Abstract

Following the failure of applications of differential reinforcement (DR), the effects of reinforcement delivered noncontingently (NCR) on task disengagement and task completion were evaluated within reversal designs for three children with autism spectrum disorder. In Experiment 1, we compared DR and NCR schedules that combined positive and negative reinforcement. In Experiment 2, we replicated the results of Experiment 1 and then evaluated NCR schedules composed solely of negative reinforcement and NCR schedules that combined negative reinforcement with high-or low-preferred stimuli. In Experiment 3, we further analyzed NCR schedules that included different types and qualities of positive reinforcement, but without the inclusion of negative reinforcement. The results showed that NCR schedules using positive reinforcers can be effective as a treatment for task disengagement, but the type and preference of the reinforcer can alter effectiveness. These results are interpreted in terms of the motivating operations associated with task disengagement.
 Psychology Social Sciences Psychology, Clinical UIOWA OA Agreement

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