Date of Graduation

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Claire St. Peter

Committee Member

Kathryn Kestner

Committee Member

Barry Edelstein

Abstract

Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) is a behavioral treatment in which a reinforcer is provided at set intervals independently of responding. Although NCR is commonly used, effects of inconsistent implementation (i.e., implementation with integrity failures) during NCR were previously unknown. The current study included six participants, but full-integrity NCR suppressed problem behavior for only three participants. Thus, we evaluated effects of one kind of integrity failure, reinforcement of problem behavior, on NCR outcomes for three children who engaged in inappropriate vocalizations maintained by access to tangible items. Effects of commission errors were idiosyncratic across participants.

Share

COinS