Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
P. Raymond Joslyn
Committee Co-Chair
Kathryn Kestner
Committee Member
Kathryn Kestner
Committee Member
Mariya Cherkasova
Abstract
Behavior intervention plans are used to increase desired behavior and decrease problem behavior, and these plans require the use of effective reinforcers. High-quality reinforcers that are delivered immediately tend to be the most effective, but optimal reinforcement parameters are not always feasible or appropriate in applied settings. Some reinforcers may be disruptive, teachers’ competing responsibilities may introduce delays to reinforcer delivery, and reinforcers may not be immediately accessible. Stimuli may lose their reinforcing value with delay to their receipt, and this is referred to as delay discounting. Thus, there is likely a point where a less preferred but immediately delivered reinforcer becomes more valuable than a highly preferred but delayed reinforcer. We used paired-stimulus preference assessments and concurrent schedule reinforcer assessments to determine if (a) immediate, lower-quality reinforcers can be as effective as delayed, high-quality reinforcers, and (b) what delays are required for preference and reinforcer efficacy to shift. We found that (a) some participants had shifts in reinforcer preference when access to the more highly preferred item was delayed, and (b) all participants had shifts in reinforcer efficacy when access to the more highly preferred item was delayed.
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez, Ciara Jasmine, "Effect of Delay on Reinforcer Preference and Efficacy" (2026). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 13191.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/13191