Date of Graduation
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Claire St Peter
Committee Co-Chair
Barry Edelstein
Committee Member
Michael Perone
Abstract
We evaluated effects of signaled and unsignaled transitions between reinforcement schedules on pausing and run rates of academic responding and rate and duration of problem behavior for four children who engaged in chronic and severe problem behavior. Children completed an academic task on a computer program to earn access to brief video clips. Lean (more responses and short videos) and rich (few responses and long videos) reinforcement schedules were alternated within each session, creating four transition types: lean-to-lean, lean-to-rich, rich-to-rich, and rich-to-lean. Pausing was measured as the latency to initiate the first response of a reinforcement schedule. Run rates were calculated as responses per minute (minus pause durations). The rate and percentage of transitions with problem behavior during each transition type were also calculated. The results of all measures were idiosyncratic across participants. Potential explanations for the idiosyncratic results are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Foreman, Apral P., "Pausing of Children during Signaled and Unsignaled Transitions" (2014). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 5611.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/5611