Association for Behavior Analysis International

This symposium will feature three research-based presentations and one discussant. The first presentation will examine how thin a high-preference reinforcer delivery schedule can become when supplemented with low preference stimuli and maintain responding. The second presentation will examine the effects of generalized conditioned reinforcers in preference assessments. The final presentation uses a multiple baseline design to examine how video modeling can be used to teach low opportunity behavior. Taken together, this line of research contributes to the literature concerning how to teach and maintain behavior in organizations.

Depending upon the number of employees participating in a reinforcement program there may be many high preference stimuli; this may make it difficult for managers to track and deliver all of the high preference stimuli. The current investigation examined a systematically thinning high preference delivery model using a modified progressive ratio procedure. Results thus far have indicated that responding on a progressively thinning high-preference stimulus arrangement varies widely between participants. Applications for these results will be discussed.

Generalized-conditioned reinforcers (GCR) are advocated for by practitioners when possible, due to their ability to function as reinforcers across a wide array of motivating operations (MO). In organizational behavior management (OBM) two common GCRs are praise and money. While many studies have demonstrated their usefulness, no prior study has compared relative preferences for GCRs (specifically money) and other potentially reinforcing items. Twenty-four direct care employees from a group home setting completed assessments for potential reinforcers. All participants in the current study identified items other than money as high preference, suggesting that some items may serve as alternatives to money in terms of preference.

When a task is required by an organization but the opportunity to engage in the task is unpredictable it may be difficult to train employees to complete the task. Using videos of actors, employees were trained to collect data on aberrant behavior. Results thus far demonstrate a large increase in the ability of participants to collect data.